Learning Brief Conclusion Week 3

Learning Brief Reflection

Week 3

To summarise the last three weeks I would say I learnt both interesting and useful I.C.T tools to incorporate into the classroom, and how they would be effective for e-Learning pedagogy. Being given weekly tasks to complete, I found was very time-consuming, yet worth it all at the same time. Understanding technology and it’s tools isn’t as simple as being told what to do, but creating and constructing the knowledge for ourselves, Piaget (1926) (i). I feel, this is why we were put into the ‘deep end’ with this assignment- to construct our own knowledge and learning by understanding our thinking and how we explore as Learning Managers. This following conclusion will summarise the importance in these digital tools, as well as their learning implements within the pedagogy of e-Learning.

Over all, I feel the tasks we were given were all sufficient in providing exceptional pedagogy, some had excellent positives and some held some negatives. Although, I explored into methods and ways to help prevent some of the negative points I had recognised in the context of the digital tools, to control the way it is incorporated into my future classroom.

I found that the first Wiki activity was an experience in which was a ‘simple step’ to accumulate understanding for the future Wiki activities. We first created our own profile, which assisted us and other students in understanding the first step to the constructivist theory- past experiences. (ii) At the time, not all of us were aware of what learning we were constructing, we thought simply of creating a profile of ourselves to show others our personalities.

As we progressed through the weeks of activities, following with the Learning Theories Wiki and the Mobile Phones Wiki, I started to form an understanding about what all of this ‘tech stuff’ was about. We were creating and understanding our learning, as well as forming reciprocal relationships and understandings with peers. To me, it wasn’t necessarily the ‘content’ I was extremely interested in, it was the method in how we were learning. Using the P.M.I style in groups to collaborate and share thoughts and ideas, using de Bono’s six thinking hats to form views and perspectives on the information and personal past experiences (ii), as well as the Profile Wiki, to understand and connect to other students.

I feel having all three of these experiences in a class room would benefit both the student and the Learning Manager. The connection and relationship between both peer and teacher could increase dramatically, as not all children are confident enough to ‘face to face’ conversations with educators, therefore e-Learning comes into place. Through doing the activities myself, I felt more comfortable and had a more open mind about topics, rather being felt I was under pressure. This would indeed impact on a lot of children and their comfort zones.

It is also vital to teach and inform children of the Legal and Ethical Guidelines of creating wikis, blogs, websites, and any other form of online information. Children need to be aware that someone worked hard for the information they had researched for, and it is important to recognise this throughout their work. Also, teaching children to be safe and cautious about giving out certain information is an important factor to consider when being on the internet. 'Facebook' and 'Myspace' are networks in which provide accessive personal information, and it is important to encourage children to steer away from providing and sharing unecesarry and irrelevant information. (iv)


Connectivism and constructivism are the vital component theories in which these activities follow. Students are required to communicate through technology, as well as collaborate ideas and thoughts on particular topics, forming their own ‘knowledge’. This process is known as 'higher order thinking', according to Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. (v)


Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. ‘I store my knowledge in my friends’ is an axiom for collecting knowledge through collecting people (undated).” (iii)

I find the above comments are very interesting and extremely relative to constructivism in e-Learning as well as the art of teaching. Being a Learning Manager in the future will require extensive learning strategies to provide for the digital natives in Generation Z, and e-Learning tools such as these, will be most valuable to their learning, and learning of others.


References:

(i) Atherton, J.S., (2011) Learning and Teaching; Piaget's developmental theory. Retrieved 15 March 2011 from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/piaget.htm

(ii)  Chen, I. (2007) Cognitive Constructivist Theories. Retrieved from http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/cognitiv.htm

(iii)  Stephenson, K., Internal Communication, no. 36, What Knowledge Tears Apart, Networks Make Whole.Retrieved from  http://www.netform.com/html/icf.pdf


(iv) Legal, safe and Ethical Practice, Readings- CQU Moodle (2011) FAHE11001 Managing e-Learning. Retrieved from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=17115


(v) Education Queensland - Kurwongbah State School (2010) Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.kurwongbss.eq.edu.au/thinking/Bloom/blooms.htm