The world is rapidly changing, as technologies continue to evolve. New technologies available in contemporary society are significantly influencing how we communicate with others and interact with ideas, to increase our knowledge base. As technology is transforming our world, our education systems too are changing dramatically. This is a positive change which aligns teaching and learning with the ‘digital natives’ of today (Prensky, 2001). As Prensky (2001) says, ‘the technology age has resulted in a different style of student learning and a new methodology is required in teaching and learning processes”. According to the Queensland Government (Department of Education Training and the Arts) (2011), to live, learn, and work successfully in an increasingly complex, information-rich and knowledge-based society, children and teachers must utilize technology in there day to day practice.
Consequently, learners require a range of information literacy skills in order to effectively access, evaluate and use information (Siemens, 2004). Education Queensland (2004) suggests that ‘we need to equip our students with the ability to combine and recombine existing and new literacy skills in different ways, for new purposes and with new technologies’. This suggestion not only aligns with information literacy but the qualities of a lifelong learner. According to Queensland Studies Authority (2004), lifelong learners are creative thinkers who have the knowledge to apply to unfamiliar situations or problems. UNESCO (2010) suggests that every individual in today’s technological savvy society needs to master various kinds of critical 21st century skills and competencies, that being lifelong learning and information literacy (UNESCO, 2010). Therefore fluency in both literacy and lifelong learning will enable children to succeed in a constantly changing and challenging world.
As noted, students require information literacy and lifelong learning skills for the 21st century. Therefore, pedagogy must be informed by current and consistent frameworks. As such, the productive pedagogies is an effective framework which incorporates an array of teaching strategies that support classroom environments, and are implemented across all key learning areas and year levels (Department of Education, 2002). Productive pedagogies is used to assist teachers with reflecting on current classroom practices, designing relevant curriculum and learning experiences as well as making decisions about individual students’ needs. According to The State of Queensland (Department of Education) (2002), there are four domains being; intellectual quality, supportive classroom environment, recognition of difference and connectedness. These pedagogies as said by Arthur et al. (2005) focus on knowledge as constantly changing whilst ensuring that students have opportunities to use information and ideas in ways that transform meanings. This framework is appropriate for planning instruction involving ICT to meet the goal of information literacy skills and lifelong learning
Many of today’s students have grown up surrounded by and have had ready access to a wide range of digital technologies. In particular, many students will have had experiences with popular culture through film and video texts, CD’s, computer programs, interactive games, children’s websites, mobile phones as well as the internet. Prensky (2001) identifies these as ‘Digital Natives’ as they experience a range of technologies. As these technologies continue to play an increasingly significant role in children’s production of knowledge (Anderson & Cavallaro, 2002; Kenway & Bullen, 2001), teaching and learning practices should be transformed through digital pedagogy to facilitate quality learning experiences. As the Queensland Government (2011) suggests, digital pedagogy is a new way of working and learning with ICT’s to facilitate quality learning experiences for 21st century learners. Digital pedagogy can be seen as the combination of technical skills, pedagogical practices and understandings of curriculum design to support lifelong learning and information literacy skills effectively.
While ICT’s have the potential to foster lifelong learning and information literacy skills, using it successfully in the classroom requires critical judgements about the educational possibilities. This practice aligns with the productive pedagogies as; teachers identify the repertoires of practice and operational fields to be targeted when using this framework. In other words, teachers must decide on the way technology can be used to stimulate learning in the classroom. Traditional roles in the classroom need to be renegotiated as students and teachers learn from one another and as Prensky (2001) states, ‘…immigrants accept that they don’t know about their new world and take advantage of their kids to help them learn and integrate’. Therefore, teachers need to look at ways in which the emerging technologies can blend with traditional methods to influence and enhance the learning of students.
Throughout my e-Learning journey, I have explored many technologies which I will endeavour to use in my future classroom. However, I also explored a number of technologies which I would not feel comfortable using without further exploration and understanding. The first online technologies which I explored were Online-Spaces. I explored Blogs, Wikis and Websites. Secondly, I looked at multimedia technologies including images, video and audio which are considered to be one of the most important affordances of online learning (CQU, 2011). I explored the audio tool of Podcasting and Vokis, Flickr as a digital imagery tool as well as the video tool of Voicethread. Also through my e-Learning journey, I explored PowerPoint as a presentation tool as well as Google Earth as an animations and simulations tool.
The following technologies are e-tools which I would most definitely consider for use in my future classroom. Whilst I have explored these tools through my learning blog, as a lifelong learning I will continue to explore these tools throughout my profession to ensure that I am up to date and able to give students what they require. The tools which I have explored enable students to search and locate information, share and sort ideas and experiences as well as create multi-media presentations.
According to Winch, Johnston, March, Ljungdahl and Holliday (2001), blogs are an online journal for students or teachers to write down their creative thoughts, post images, and share their reflections and experiences with a worldwide audience. Blogs provide a communication space that teachers can utilise with students whenever there is a curriculum need.This tool could be used to encourage student’s communication and reflective skills. As blogs store information in an archived layout, this allows for teachers to also use this tool for posting reflections of students’ progress and learning’s. When reflecting upon the productive pedagogies (Queensland Department of Education and Training, 2004), substantive conversation as intellectual quality is demonstrated as students interact about the ideas of a topic to learn and understand in the classroom. When contributing to blogs, students are involved in substantive conversation in terms of intellectual substance and dialogue as they talk about subject matter when critically reasoning and sharing ideas. Blogs also encourage connectedness to the world as their posts are accessed and commented on by the world wide audience.
Group wiki spaces are also great spaces for groups or individuals to share ideas about different understandings and experiences. Both blogs and wikis are a great tool for collaborative learning with others and building relationships as well as building knowledge based on the ideas of others. Personally, I would use a blog or wiki space to support and encourage communication and partnerships not only between students and teachers but also parents and the wider community. However, it is important when using these online tools, to be considerate of safety and ethical procedures as they are open to the world wide audience. By engaging students in relevant and reflective practices through a blog or wiki, students can extend and refine their knowledge and understanding of an experience (Marzano & Pickering, 1997). Through the creation of my Webquest however, I came to the realisation that this e-tool would not be suited to all learning needs. As can be seen on a fellow bloggers post, I noted knowing how to use a website can be key to its success or failure. In saying that, not all students are familiar with a computer and therefore both traditional ways of learning and information technologies should be conidered when planning.
Google Earth is another ICT that has the potential to enhance learning for all year levels particularly upper primary. This tool is one that I have already considered for use in the classroom and have implemented effectively. In my experience, this is a tool which can be used in many different strands. In my blog I have reflected on the usefulness of Google Earth in a classroom context by considering how some of its features can be utilised. Another practical application for this tool which I have not mentioned on my Blog but can be seen on my Webquest is the opportunity for students to locate their own homes using Google Earth and compare old images to new images. The State of Queensland (Department of Education) (2002) suggests that, through its connectedness to the real world, this task would enhance student’s understanding and meaning making process. This task shows how old methods of teaching and learning can be used alongside technology. This pedagogical strategy has reinforced my idea that technology should be used alongside old teaching practices as well as new.
PowerPoint’s as discussed on my blog, is considered to be one of the most widely available and used program’s in the 21st century. I found PowerPoint’s to be simple to use however, as Larkin (2001) suggests, teachers should scaffold instruction for students to become more independent and capable learners. If scaffolding is provided to students, undoubtedly students would be able to create a successful PowerPoint that is relevant to their learning in the classroom. If teachers fail to scaffold students understandings and knowledge about usefulness, PowerPoint’s can impede attention and its success if not used correctly.
A learning tool which I found interesting was the Podcasting tool. This would be a valuable tool for implementation in the classroom for a number of purposes. As this tool provides an option for both audio and visual, this tool would be suitable for both auditory and visual learners. This tool would also be appropriate for those who are tactile/kinaesthetic learners as they create their own podcasts. Therefore, this e-tool would be a suitable tool for all learning styles. Podcasts can also be a useful tool for the classroom as there is a wide range which is available online, and can be accessed and followed at any time. While there are a number of benefits for the use of podcasts in the classroom on my personal blog, podcasts could also be used as an extension for those who are more advanced or could be used to support complex ideas and concepts. These could also be used to keep parents updated of student learning and even uploaded to a class blog or wiki space. You can see an example of my podcast on my blog and gain a further understanding of how I felt when exploring and creating a tool such as podcasting.
As I have explored a number of information communication technologies through the evaluation and reflection process, I have shown how technology has the potential to adopt information literacy skills and lifelong learning. While I understand that technology plays an important role in the 21st century, it is just as important to recognize that ICT’s should be used as a productive and creative resource to support the curriculum. Before embarking on this journey, I was unaware of the large number of e-tools available on the World Wide Web, let alone their potential for educational purpose. As there are a vast range of e-tools available, the pedagogical practicality of each tool must be considered to ensure it is being used in a meaningful context to suit intended outcomes.
Through my active involvement in a collaborative space, I have enhanced my knowledge and understandings through online communication about the usefulness of ICT’s in the classroom. Being involved in a space such as this has not only enabled me to reflect upon my own learning but the learning of others which I feel has enriched my learning. I have come to see that there is so much more to learn and I am looking forward to exploring many other tools and their uses in the classroom. I am also aware that there are many challenges that come with unfamiliar technology and as seen within my blog, I have used many strategies in this instance. These include problem solving, confidence, persistence and open communication which I feel, will contribute to my lifelong learning. As Lucas et al. (2005) says, lifelong learners are those who are open to communication that promotes confidence rather than crisis in the face of challenge, and demonstrates flexible problem-solving approaches in response to new experiences. My collaborative learning can be seen through the following links.
Websites and Wikis - The Online Data Hubs for Learners
Dipity Timelines
Glogster
References
Anderson, K., & Cavallaro, D. (2002). Parents or pop culture? Children’s heroes and role models. Childhood Education, Spring, 161-168.
Central Queensland University. (2011). Digital technologies resources. Retrieved August 2, 2011 from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=186317
Education Queensland. (2004). New times, new literacies: Literate futures. Retrieved August 1, 2011 from http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning/literate-futures/pdfs/reading-part2.pdf
Kenway, J., & Bullen, E. (2001). Consuming children: Education, entertainment, advertising. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
Larkin, M. J. (2001). Providing support for student independence through scaffolded instruction. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 34(1), 30-34.
Lucas, B., Greany, T., Rodd, J., & Wicks, R. (2002). Teaching pupils how to learn. Stafford: Network Educational Press.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. Retrieved August 4, 2011 from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/prensky%20-%20digital%20natives,%20digital%20immigrants%20-%20part1.pdf
Queensland Government (Department of Education Training and the Arts). (2011). P-12 curriculum framework. Retrieved August 2, 2011 from http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/framework/p-12/docs/p-12-policy.pdf
Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved August 2, 2011 from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
The State of Queensland (Department of Education). (2002). A guide to productive pedagogies: Classroom reflection manual. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Queensland Government.
UNESCO (Institute for Information Technologies in Education). (2010). Medium term strategy. Retrieved August 22, 2011 from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001904/190434e.pdf
Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2006). Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature. (3rd edition). Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.
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