Our love for blogging
Last week in my E-learning class we touched on a program called “SCRATCH”. What is this scratch and how can it be used in the classroom? I found an article on the program which I decided to make into a Podcast. The link is below. Enjoy and post your reactions to my Podcast on “SCRATCH”.
Podcast link:
Learning with scratch. Not just an itch!
I have tried to fight it but I just cannot and I don’t want to. Technology is the future and I will be crazy to ignore its use in the classroom once I start teaching. After watching a YouTube film on Techno-banana blab’s blog called “Education today and tomorrow” I came to realise that I want to use technology in the classroom.
Future teachers are the ones that have to teach and guide students on how to use a variety of technology and hopefully guide the students to use this technology in a educational way for their future. Technology is everywhere and in most sectors of the workforce. I agree with the blog written regarding the fact that it is vital that children have knowledge and experience with technology.
Louisa
Is techonology friend or enemy?
Is this the end of paper and pencils?
YouTube Footage link:
Playful learning published a post that advocates the use of technology that allows students to have control over their own learning. The post highlights the benefits of allowing student to choose where, when, how and how often they engage in certain educational tasks.
I strongly support the concept of students having control over their own learning and progressing at a pace that suits them and not the three children sitting around them. Any technology that allows a student to work at their own level, whether it be podcasting, LAMS, computer games etc, should be promoted and encouraged.
Similarly, any tool that can be used to educate an individual without forcing them to be present in the classroom should be supported. During high school I was forced to miss and extended period of school and the time off was reflected in my results. Had I been able to listen to podcasts of lessons or completed a LAMS unit on certain topics I would not of fallen as far behind and catching up on missed work would not of been so difficult.
However, teachers should not be totally reliant on such technologies because students that are not intrinsically motivated are likely no to engage in the tasks and can fall behind.
Sophie T.
Image retrieved from http://www.shinyshiny.tv/100million-ipods.gif
Same Suburb, Different Park wrote a post about revolutionary mobile phones designed for the classroom and the idea blew me away. I am amazed. How far can technology come?
The post describes a mobile phone that during school hours will perform tasks that only have to do with education, such as the dictionary or calculator application.
What an incredibly innovative way to engage students and make their learning more relevant to their daily lives. Surely, teaching students the correct way to access information and use everyday technology in a constructive way is more important to a student then teaching them to memorize the periodic table.
Mobile phones are everywhere and they are not going away, so why not capitalize on their uses and teacher students through tools that are relevant to them.
Sophie T.
Image retrieved from http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1239/1142365603_495d542bb8.jpg
Monkey Scribbles has written an interesting post about a robot replacing a teacher in a Japanese classroom. The concept is slightly ironic as the robot is controlled by a human. Therefore, the robot is more like a puppet that can be used to engage students rather than actually teach them.
Surely, a robot can not replace a teacher. It may be able to represent 6 different emotions but can it ties its students shoe laces? Can it rationally resolve conflict? Can it help a student cut out a picture of a fish? A teacher is so much more than a figure that sits in front of the classroom and instructs. A teacher is a motivator, a supporter, a mentor, a sympathizer, a times a nanny and the list goes on. Can a robot do all this?
Sophie T.
Image retrieved from 
I believe that it is incredibly unlikely that pen and paper will ever be made redundant in the classroom. Certainly, the number of lessons that are based on a pen and paper format may decrease but they won’t become extinct.
A great teacher will always consider a range of ways that they can teach a particular outcome and will then choose the most appropriate depending on the class and the relevance to the topic. For example, a Maths lesson that involves true problem-solving task that involve applying a range of strategies, such as drawing up diagrams and tables would choose a pen and paper activity as the materials are tangible and the student can clearly illustrate their thought process. However, to help students learn their times-tables a computer game that is based on providing students with an opportunity to practice their times-table in a fun environment might be more suitable.
Similarly, computers are not reliable, they can break down and they are not always easy to access. Consequently, pen and paper will always need to be there for the teacher to use as a back up plan.
Sophie T.
Image retrieved from http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/325752626_69392aa6b1.jpg
Students want to use engaging technology in creative ways. However, unfortunately many teachers and schools are hesitant to employ new technology because of the unfamiliarity and uncertainty that is connected to them. This youtube video is one example of the many videos created by students to encourage educators to “use technologies power ti assist them in transforming knowledge and skills, into products, solutions and new information.”
Students should not be hindered because their 21st Century minds are being taught by 20th Century educators. If students spend 5.5 hours a week on the computer, teachers need to be innovative and devise ways to teach children how to make this time constructive. The children in the youtube claim that 76% of their teachers have little or no knowledge of the basic technology that constantly play with. I think this is really sad and teachers need to have more knowledge of students interests so that they can make informed decisions about how to motivate and engage them.
Please listen to my podcast to hear the rest of my views on this video.
Sophie T.
Youtube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8
I agree with Techno-banana blab’s posting titled parents stuck in the past regarding that even if parents are not familiar with technology that they should still try and understand it so that they can relate to their children.
Not only is it a way to connect with their children at another level but I believe that it is important for parents to learn about he specific technology that their children are using so that they can monitor safety amd privacy issues. Parents need to remind their children not to post any private and personal information on the internet for everyone will be able to see it.
The video mentioned in the posting refers to a video that introduces a source where parents can learn from. It covers a variety of issues reagrding technology and how to use it wisely. The link for the video is called Click-A parent’s guide to technology.
Louisa
Do parents really need to know about technology or is it the responsibility of the school?
Video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv0ftd1hUCg
What is this Twitter? I agree with Same Suburb Different Park posting regarding Twitter?????. This new social network trend is still very much in its early stages and definately not ready for the classroom for it has many security issues and concerns.
In answering the posts questions regarding if Twittter is a viable educational tool, I really do not think it is at this stage. There are so many social networks available at the moment so why do we need one more to add to the collection.
The posting also discusses an article from The Guardian newspaper in Britian called “Pupils to study twitter and blogs in primary schools shake-up”. The article states that possible changes to the curriculum may need to be made so that teachers can teach primary students about blogs, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter. This is so students are ready for these forms of communication and sources of information in later years. The article then goes on to say that if this was to go ahead then focus may be taken away from more important KLA’S such as history and literacy.
I do believe that focus will be taken off important KLA’S if the future curriculums force teachers to teach primary students about certain social networks. I do believe however that certain technology tools should be taught as part of the curriculum for it is the way of the future and you can not fight what the future holds. Teachers do need to prepare children for the future and avoid certain issues that may come up.
Louisa
What do you think about Twitter?
Would you teach your students about Twitter?
Article:
Curtis, P. (2009, March 25). Pupils to study twitter and blogs in primary schools shake-up. The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May, 2009, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/25/primary-schools-twitter-curriculum
On the Playful Learning blog Lene posted an article regarding the use of iPod recordings in an art gallery exhibition. The article mentioned in the posting was from a book called “Technology Mediated Narrative Environments for Learning” by Giuliana Dettori (2006).
This posting caught my attention for I have experienced similar types of pre-recorded gallery or museum tours in my travels to various countries around the world. I found this type of technology very easy to use and the recordings helped me to understand the gallery tours more clearly.
In regards to the posting by Lene it goes to show that anyone can use iPod technology or any type of technology to teach or learn from. In regards to the classroom I was thinking that iPod technology could be used to record lessons and students could revisit these lessons by playing back the iPod recording when they wanted. Therefore, I believe that iPod technology is a valid learning and teaching tool in the classroom especially with children that may have learning difficulties.
Louisa
But how effective is this kind of techonology really? Would it make a difference in the classroom?
Article:
Dettori, G. (2006). Technology mediated narrative environments for learning. Rotterdam : Sense Publishers.
Image: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/13/review_apple_ipod_classic/
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