Okay, so ROUND TWO!
Let’s quickly look
at some more learning theories that are applicable to E-Learning – BLOOM’S DIGITAL TAXONOMY, TPACK and FLUENCY21…
(Once again, excuse the formatting. Source: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com)
Well… if you can
read what’s written in the boxes on the right, there’s not much more I can say
about how E-Learning platforms and tools can be used to support Bloom’s Digital
Taxonomy! BLOOM’S TAXONOMY works
from the bottom up, implying that students need to be able to remember a
concept before they understand it, understand it before they apply it, apply it
before they analyse it… and so on. Each and every technologically-delivered process
on the right aids a student’s learning and progression up Bloom’s ladder. GOOGLING can be used to remember, BLOGGING to understand, EDITING AN IMAGE to apply, MEDIA MANIPULATION for analysing, WIKIS for evaluating, and VIDEOING for creating. There’s not
limit to how E-Learning tools can improve learning and push students right up
this ladder to higher-order learning (Churches, 2009).
(Source: http://www.tpack.org)
I’ve briefly spoken about the TPACK system before and it’s really as
simple as the diagram shows. In order to effectively deliver lessons involving
E-Learning, we need to consider three main parts: the technological knowledge
(how to actually USE THE TECHNOLOGY),
the pedagogical knowledge (that is, the actual TEACHING part – how the teacher is going to use technology to
teach), and the CONTENT knowledge (what
is going to be taught). Teachers use the TPACK system to scaffold and direct
the design of their E-Learning lessons. It helps us to really think about WHAT we want to teach, HOW we are going to teach it, and what TECHNOLOGY we will use to be able to
engage our students and give them the best chance to learn. If ever I am going
to deliver a mostly technologically-based lesson, I’ll draw upon TPACK during my
planning (Koehler, n.d.).
(Source: http://www.fluency21.com)
FLUENCY21
(AKA the 21st Century Fluency Project) is a project founded by a
group of people who have recognised that the new generation requires a whole
new, improved set of skills to be able to operate as effective global citizens
in the 21st century. What’s the change? TECHNOLOGY. As teachers, our aim is to equip our students as best
we can to live in our current world. Fluency21 has outlined five key fluencies
21st century students need to become a
GLOBAL DIGITAL CITIZEN.
SOLUTION
FLUENCY – think creatively to solve problems in a timely manner, by identifying
and defining the problem, designing and implementing a solution, and evaluating
its effectiveness. There are so many learning objects available that test
students’ problem-solving skills in both realistic and imaginative contexts,
which can help students to acquire solution fluency.
INFORMATION
FLUENCY – intuitively interpret information through all the senses and in
any form, to create knowledge and understanding. Through research and
presenting assessments, students are able to improve this fluency – and what
better way to engage and encourage them in such a task than the opportunity to
use a platform such as PowerPoint, Prezi or Glogster to present their findings?!
CREATIVITY
FLUENCY – creative, artistic and imaginative ability through design, the
arts, and storytelling. This isn’t just limited to arty things! This could involve
creativity in solving a problem, practicality and design, and thinking outside
the box. Presenting and creating tools (such as PowerPoint, Prezi, Glogster,
videoing and image editing) sure would flex students’ creative fluencies!
MEDIA
FLUENCY – understanding and interpreting communications, and creating
communications, by understanding the uses and audiences of different medias.
Quite simply, bring on the videos, podcasts and blogs! The more, the better,
for media fluency.
COLLABORATION
FLUENCY – ability to work in teams with real and virtual partners online to
solve problems and create things. Students are able to improve their
collaboration fluency through structured and facilitated brainstorming and
discussions, using brainstorming tools (such as bubbl.us) and Wikis!
The Fluency21 website sums up all these
fluencies with this:
“ALL THE 21ST
CENTURY FLUENCIES ARE LEARNED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE GLOBAL DIGITAL CITIZEN,
USING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP, ETHICS, ALTRUISTIC SERVICE,
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP, DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, AND
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.”
(21st Century Fluency Project, 2013).
However, as great
as these technologies are, and as much as they can bring to the classroom
learning environment, there are some RISKS
INVOLVED WITH WORKING ONLINE. These risks are mostly based around LEGALITY (copyright information,
images, etc.), SAFETY (privacy of
personal information) and ETHICS
(plagiarism of ideas). As investigated each week, most if not all E-Learning
tools pose some kind of legal, safety or ethical risk – and for uninformed
students who haven’t worked online before, these dangers and pitfalls can be UNKNOWN. Even for those of us who have
been drilled with protocols of referencing, anti-plagiarism, and online
privacy, it’s EASY to fall into the
traps that are there.
From the tools I
have been investigating, here are the possible risks involved:
LEGAL
|
SAFETY
|
ETHICAL
|
|
BLOGS
|
·
Breach copyrights of videos, information and
graphics
|
·
Public viewing unless security is changed
·
Post personal information
|
·
Plagiarise ideas and information without
referencing
|
WIKIS
|
·
Plagiarise ideas and information without
referencing
|
||
WEBSITES
|
·
Breach copyrights of videos, information and
graphics
|
·
Post personal information
|
·
Plagiarise ideas and information without
referencing
|
IMAGE EDITING
|
·
Breach copyrights of images
|
·
Could involve images of students
|
|
PODCASTS
|
·
Breach copyrights of sound effects
|
||
VIDEOS
|
·
Breach copyrights of effects, images and fonts
|
·
Captures and transmits images of students
|
|
POWERPOINT
|
·
Breach copyrights of videos, information and
graphics
|
·
Plagiarise ideas and information without
referencing
|
|
PREZI
|
·
Breach copyrights of videos, information and
graphics
|
·
Plagiarise ideas and information without
referencing
|
|
GLOGSTER
|
·
Breach copyrights of videos, information and
graphics
|
·
Public posting unless security is changed
·
Post personal information and images
|
|
FROGUTS
|
·
Breach copyrights of images and information if
screenshots are captured and used
|
·
Plagiarise information without referencing if
using tool for an investigative report
|
|
ANSWERGARDEN
|
·
Plagiarise ideas and information (no
referencing)
|
(Refer to other
posts for more information on each tool’s associated risks.)
Do these risks
mean E-Learning tools should be KEPT FAR
AWAY from our students? NO! Instead,
we should be actively DEMONSTRATING
and teaching safe and ethical online practices. Students need to be informed
about how to WORK LEGALLY, SAFELY AND
ETHICALLY in E-Learning. Strategies teachers can employ involve LESSONS for online etiquette, WORKSHEETS or reminder notes, ACRONYMS or CATCHY SAYINGS to remember cyber safety, and POSTERS around the room. But the best way for students to act
legally, safely and ethically online is for their teacher to be EVER VIGILANT in REMINDERS
and MONITORING. Prevention is better
than cure, so let’s bury these kids with safety and plagiarism strategies that
they can NEVER FORGET!!
A great site for
all online users to check out legal and ethical online practices (particularly involving
copyrights) is http://www.smartcopying.edu.au/.
So what have I LEARNT over these past six weeks?? How has my investigation of the
vastness and usefulness of E-Learning IMPACTED
the way I’m going to teach?? Well, for one, I’m MOST DEFINITELY going to be using some of these fantastic tools in
my classes to come!! And in order to embed these tools thoughtfully and
effectively, I’ll be using the Bloom’s Taxonomy, TPACK and FLUENCY21 frameworks
to guide my lesson planning. CONSTRUCTIVISM
theory has proven that students learn effectively when they are able to consider
different perspectives and draw upon PRIOR
KNOWLEDGE, find lessons and tasks MEANINGFUL
and RELEVANT, practice personal RESPONSIBILITY and HIGHER-ORDER THINKING, and work COLLABORATIVELY (Murphy, 1997). As the digital tools we’ve been
investigating support collaborative learning through all these facets, I’ll be
definitely including them in my lessons!! (And it gives me a good excuse to
search for and play around with more online tools!)
So HOW
can I use all these E-Learning tools in my classroom??
Here are some ideas I’ve come up with so
far:
· BLOGS can be used for Science students’ INVESTIGATION JOURNALS. Instead of
writing their observations, results and reflections in a notebook only shared
with the teacher, students can share their investigative journeys with an ONLINE AUDIENCE (which will help prompt
them to journal properly, too!).
· WIKIS can be used in any subject when INTRODUCING A NEW TOPIC or INVESTIGATING A CURRENT TOPIC further.
Instead of limiting DISCUSSION to
class time, students can add to the wiki at any time when learning about a
particular topic. If the class is asked to read and add to the wiki on a
regular basis, students can draw upon their own ideas and knowledges to form a COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE BASE.
· WEBSITES can be used as
an ONLINE PUBLISHING source for
students’ ASSESSMENTS, be it through
a whole-class website or a student’s own website. This encourages students to
take OWNERSHIP and pride in their
work, and ensure their work is of publishable quality.
· IMAGE EDITING, PODCASTS AND VIDEOS can
be used to add to assessment or in-class tasks, or be a task in and of themselves.
Maths students could be asked to edit images and CREATE A POSTER about a particular topic or formula they are
studying, and podcasts and videos can be used for students to PLAY AROUND with their new knowledges
(in both Maths and Science classes) and PRESENT
them in a fun and MEANINGFUL way.
· POWERPOINT, PREZI AND GLOGSTER are
great tools for students to be able to PRESENT
RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS for Science. Instead of a boring, typed
report, students can engage in their assessments through fun, INTERACTIVE and highly CREATIVE PowerPoints, Prezis and Glogs!
· FROGUTS of course
would be a fantastic tool for BIOLOGY
classes – why would you want to cut up a yucky dead animal in real life when
you can learn just as much from pictures on a pristine computer screen?!?! (Not
to mention, I’m sure the queasy-stomached girls in the class would appreciate
this “no-touchy” approach to dissections!)
· AnswerGarden
can be used for any sort of brainstorming activity, and for a great way to INTRODUCE AND CONCLUDE UNITS of work.
Students are able to share their PRIOR
KNOWLEDGE, attitudes and perceptions about a unit before they begin, and
this AnswerGarden can be revisited and added to at the completion of the unit so
students can see HOW MUCH THEY’VE LEARNT!!
And these are just some ideas off the top
of my head… how much more could I use in my classroom as I explore E-Learning
more and more!!
So in conclusion… what’s been going on
these past few weeks??
I’VE
BEEN LEARNING HOW TO MANAGE E-LEARNING AND IT’S BEEN A BLAST!! :)
THANKYOU
ALL FOR READING!!!!!!!!
~ ~ ~
BIBLIOGRAPHY
21st Century Fluency Project. (2013). 21st century fluencies. Retrieved August 20, 2013, from
http://fluency21.com/fluencies.html
Churches, A. (2009). Bloom's
digital taxonomy. Retrieved August 20, 2013, from
http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/file/view/bloom%27s%20Digital%20taxonomy%20v3.01.pdf/65720266/bloom%27s%20Digital%20taxonomy%20v3.01.pdf
Koehler, M. (n.d.). What
is TPACK?. Retrieved August 20, 2013, from http://www.tpack.org
Murphy, E. (1997). Characteristics
of constructivist learning & teaching. Retrieved August 20, 2013, from
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emurphy/stemnet/cle3.html
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