When Will My Reflection Show Who I Am Inside? PART ONE

(Title lyrics written and owned by David Zippel for Disney's 1998 film, Mulan.)

And finally, we have reached the END OF OUR INVESTIGATION of E-Learning tools. AWW! But I have one final thing to do… REFLECT on everything I’ve learnt over these last few weeks! So let’s dive back into it to explore WHAT I’ve learnt, how technology SUPPORTS the learning process, and how I’m going to USE it all in my future classrooms!!

So first of all, WHAT IS E-LEARNING again? Our first tutorial is so far back, I think I’ve forgotten!

Looking back at last week’s example of an AnswerGarden (and it’s Wordle), you can see where we began. But after six weeks of exploration, my understanding of E-Learning has changed. In my own words: “E-LEARNING IS THE PROCESS OF LEARNING THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND ONLINE PLATFORMS. IT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO LEARN COLLABORATIVELY, EXPLORE INDEPENDENTLY OF THEIR TEACHER, AND CREATE THINGS (SUCH AS PRESENTATIONS, ANIMATIONS, WEBSITES AND MORE) THAT THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WITHOUT E-LEARNING TOOLS. IT TEACHES THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW (CONTENT KNOWLEDGE), HOW TO DO IT (PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE), AND HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE 21^ST CENTURY CITIZENS (TECHNOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE).” (These three knowledges link very closely to the TPACK system, which we will look at a little later.) E-Learning is an incredible, modern way for students to CONNECT with CURRICULUM, classroom TASKS and today’s TECHNOLOGY. The E-Learning tools we’ve been investigating, plus many more, are unique and useful in the way they can be simply HANDED OVER for students to be able to direct their own learning. They make learning fun, engaging and PURPOSEFUL for students. As collaborative, social and open-ended tools, why on Earth would teachers NOT use E-Learning in their classrooms!?!

A big part of what we pre-service teachers learn about at university are the THEORIES AND PRACTICES behind the ART OF TEACHING. Without these theories and practices, we wouldn’t understand how the learning process works, how we can work to facilitate it, and how to be the most effective teachers we can be. So let’s look at some learning theories and how E-Learning fits within them PERFECTLY!

First of all, let’s take a look at the
 CONSTUCTIVIST (and Connectivist) LEARNING THEORY.

(Created with bubble.us using information by Murphy, 1997.
Excuse the horrible formatting - I had to make it big enough to read!!)

CONSIDERING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS – Through using E-Learning platforms such as AnswerGarden, bubble.us (and other brainstorming tools), and Wikis, students are able to explore a concept together and share their differing perspectives. This draws upon students’ prior knowledge, and gives them an opportunity to express their attitudes and perceptions (see blog posts for AnswerGarden and Wikis for specific classroom examples).

BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN LEARNING, BEING GUIDED BY THEIR TEACHER, AND LEARNING TO BE SELF-REGULATED AND REFLECTIVE – When using online platforms that aren’t explicitly teacher-led or monitored, students are given the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning. This teaches them self-management skills to ensure they are working to task and are producing work they can be proud of. When students are given responsibility for their work, it makes it more meaningful and valuable to them as they are measuring up to their own expectations, rather than their teachers. Any E-Learning tool can be used independently by the student, be they interactive learning objects or creative platforms for video or presentations.

RELEVANT AND REALISTIC LESSONS AND ASSESSMENTS, AND CONSTRUCTING KNOWLEDGE – When students are engaged on a technological level, they are required to use real-life skills to complete an E-Learning task. Also, virtual classrooms and learning objects (such as Froguts) allows students to interact on a simulated, realistic platform. Access to such technologies allows students to make content meaningful to them for their real lives, and to investigate and construct knowledge for themselves (rather than simply reiterating information fed to them by their teacher).

SOCIAL COLLABORATION, EXPLORATION AND EXPERIENCE – E-Learning is a fantastic way for students to work and learn together. The internet world has a never-ending array of tools, platforms and sites that students can interact and play with to their heart’s content. Everyone knows that anything is better when shared with friends… so why can’t learning be, too? Tools for that promote social collaboration, exploration and experience include image editing, podcasts, videos, AnswerGarden and other brainstorming tools, and multiplayer learning objects, too! (For more classroom examples for these tools, see previous posts.)

PROBLEM-SOLVING AND HIGHER-ORDER THINKING – Platforms such as learning objects, virtual classrooms and museums, allow students to interactively engage in learning and flex their cognitive skills (mind skills). Problem-solving games, creative activities and reflective tasks (such as blogs or Wikis) allow students to being thinking critically, creatively and more deeply than a more traditional classroom task would (see Blogs & Wikis post for specific examples).

TO BE CONTINUED...