A question I have pondered throughout my investigation of these technologies is what actually constitutes a valuable technological learning tool? In my opinion this is very relative to the concepts the technology is being required to consolidate as well as the individual learners and their preferences and learning styles. What I can conclude though, is that the value and benefits that learners will get from ICT in the classroom correlate strongly to the Learning Managers awareness of each of these different technologies, their applications and also their limitations. Koehler (2011) echoes this sentiment in his analysis of E-Learning, offering that with technology now such an ingrained part of young peoples lives, it is important for earning Managers are able to integrate technological knowledge, content knowledge and pedacogical knowledge to best incorporate technology in to the curriculum and the classroom.
Group 1 technologies are online spaces and consisted of Wiki's, Weebly/Websites, Blogs and the like. Online spaces are great in that they allow for ideas to be shared, discussed and to reach a wide audience. Having an online space, with work saved on the internet rather than by hard copy or on a single computer allows for easy access wherever you are meaning content can be updated continuously and as soon as the thoughts enter the writers head.
One group one technology is the blog. Blogging is one of the online tools I have used most during this course and have become aware of the opportunities this tool can creater and also it's limitations and draw-backs. To demonstrate the learning process both LM's and students undergo with these technological tools I offer the following example. In my Post entitled "Blogger" I originally stated that one of my criticisms of it was the inability to copy and paste in to it. Since then through more use I have found that it can actually be done. The beauty of blogger is that I can go back and correct it, or had someone else noticed my error they could have commented and provided feedback.
Group 2 technologies were inclusive of image and audio type applications such as Youtube, Fickr and Picnik. Quite different in their use to the afore mentioned Online Spaces, these applications can be fantastic teaching tools and can energise both online spaces and traditional teaching methods with their ability to capture students attention and elaborate on topics.
Of all the technologies I have explored and reflected on throughout this course Weebly (Websites) was the one that has had the most impact on me. A tool which I had not previously had any experience with creating, has now shown me a world of possibilities and led to me maintaining two sites. Weebly is, to date, my preferred medium to work with. The applications are limitless, and can be useful to a wide variety of causes. I have so far created two sites - fishheadsl2s.weebly.com and prolifichoops.weebly.com. I have found weebly simple and easy to use and it creates professional looking webpages which are easily accessible from anywhere.
In relation to education I think this has many applications. It would be a great link between teacher and parents in regards to homework tasks or other information that needs to be imparted. The way in which the information can't be altered by outsiders is, in my opinion, a major plus, yet opportunities for student contributions can be embedded within certain pages on the site in the form of forums or comment banks. The ability to use it as a base or starting point for students and then integrate any number of other ICT devices such as Youtube or Flickr etc means this becomes an extremely valuable tool for learning managers as it can help facilitate and promote investigative studies by providing certain boundaries and subtly pushing the students in the right direction whilst letting them explore for themselves.
This medium would also be a great place to display student work, or offer examples. It could even replace the school newsletter. Furthermore, it's a fantastic way to involve parents in the learning experience so they can attempt to further develop key skills in the home environment. Having instant access from home to class work and other resources would be very beneficial to students. It would act in much the same way as moodle does at CQU. I'm sure other people could come up with a great number of other applications too, the opportunities are endless.
In relation to safety and ethical use of the medium, it is towards the higher end of the spectrum when considering student privacy and safety. I have had two Weebly sites up and running for about a month now and despite my best efforts to drum up some publicity through Search Engine Optimisation, Facebook and forums, the sites still prove almost impossible to find through a Google search. This means that outsiders would be unlikely to stumble across the site. Additionally, with content only being uploadedn with the permiission of the site administrator the chances of inappropriate content are negligible.
Websites, as previously discussed, are a great way to facilitate learning. To demonstrate this consider the following example: Students are guided through an assignment on Ancient Egypt. Website gives some information on Egypt and then directs student to follow a link to a Youtube Video to learn from a documentary, The student watches the video and goes back to the site where the assignment is explained and the student is then directed to click on a link taking him/her to a completed example. etc etc etc.
Group 2 technologies were inclusive of image and audio type applications such as Youtube, Fickr and Picnik. Quite different in their use to the afore mentioned Online Spaces, these applications can be fantastic teaching tools and can energise both online spaces and traditional teaching methods with their ability to capture students attention and elaborate on topics. Of these tools I find youtube the most beneficial for classroom purposes. Although there are a lot of irrelevant clips on the video sharing site, there are a lot of good ones and through learning to refine search techniques and narrowing down reliable sources, students learn valkuable research skills. Class activities could also make use of the uploading function and share findings, or creative undertakings that way. There are a few ethical considerations that go with this technology though. Often people leave unkind comments and degrade student work and sometimes inappropriate content can be accessed. These hazards would need to be controlled or eliminated.
Group 3 technologies include presentational tools like Powerpoint, Glogster and Prezi's. The ability to use presentations are a key skill needed by Learning Managers as well as any other person within the workplace who needs to impart important information. Of the above mentioned presentation tools I am a major proponent of Powerpoint and all that it has to offer. Glogster and Prezi as I have discussed in separate blog entries have very limited scope and as presentation and learning tools are more likegimmicks offering flashy artistic options without the substance to back them up.
Powerpoint, to me, embodies the ultimate presentation platform. One of my all time favourite pieces of ICT, Powerpoint, epitomises how technology should be used in the classroom or in the workplace, and that is to complement or enhance not replace, the existing knowlege or skills of the individual. As a presentation tool this tool is simple and effective and has a multitude of uses. It allows the user to embed other technologies such as youtube or audio, thus acting as a platform which can support the presenter in elaborating on certain key points through embedded items such as pictures, graphs, and videos.
It is quick to use and presentations can be as elaborate or as simple as the user wishes. There are templates available which allow you to concentrate more on content than lay-out which is a major plus. The only criticism of Powerpoint, and really this is more to do with the user, is that some people just read from the slides. A good presenter will use key notes and be knowledgeable enough on the subject to elaborate without reading and just refer the audience to certain graphs or tables. As already stated, this tool combines seamlessly with many other applications. One example of this is embedding podcasts or Audio. This can be seen on a number of CQU flex courses by which the narrator can talk the audience through the slide as if they were in the lecture theatre.
Powerpoint is a technology that has been around for years, however its simplicity and effectiveness as well at the way in which certain features have been updated and others added, means that it is as relevant and useful as it has ever been and will continue to be so in to the future.
Group 4 technologies include programs such as Dipity Time Lines and Go AnimateAnimations. As learning/teaching tools both are good. Dipity Time Lines in particular offers a fantastic way to organise information and give students avenues to explore topics and access additional information beyond simply dates and names. History, one of my discipline areas, woul benefit immensely from this tool.
In conclusion, there is no escaping the wrath of E-Learning. Education must change to meet the changing needs of society and thus online learning should be embraced. That being said, it is really only through experimentation that one can fully discover the potential and limitations of each of the available tools. This can be seen in my blog entry on "Wordle". Initially I thought this tool was a waste of time and had no walue, however after experimenting and some wider reading and viewing user testimonials, I came around to seeing that there are some great applications for it. By going in with an open mind and seeing what can enhance your ability to either learn or teach, one can only come out better off for the experience. Learning Managers need to use discretion when employing these technologies I believe. Before implementing one in to class work, really sit back and think will this be that beneficial? Things like Mind Mapping or Wordle type activities have a place but often can be no more effective than the traditional markers and butchers paper techniques. Be open minded and engaged with these tools but use with caution and show discretion and you and your class will be rewarded.
REFERENCES
Clarke, A. (2008). E-learning skills, 2nd edn, Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Koehler, M. (2011). TPACK: technological pedagogical and content knowledge: what is TPACK?. Retrieved from http://mkoehler.educ.msu.edu/tpack/what-is-tpack/
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