Week 3 tutorial

In groups we used the Learning Scaffolding Tools of PMI's and SWOT for different aspects of different ICT tools and concepts

I've gotten used to using one online tool for brainstorming text2mindmap which I'm finding has a few disadvantages with being able to order information in a more personalized or specific way but as a quick visualization tool its great

As always use the links below if you want to add anything and make some comments down below.

But Here is the PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting)  for Blogs

 text2mindmap.com/Vuqgqp

and this is the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) for Digital learning overall

text2mindmap.com/iduXuA

Polling The Student Body

As you can see over here. . . 

I have added a poll

and what do adolescents love. PUSHING BUTTONS!!!!.

but seriously as a tool in blogs it can be a great way to get quick and general feedback on a number of different subjects and issues. It can be used by teachers to get feedback from a group of students which is personal and also anonymous and students can also use them to get feedback from other students about their  work.

But there are some drawbacks

If some students spam the poll they can create skewed results and may have the ability to frustrate and hurt each other but because of the control that you have over the results this can be minimised.

It doesn't however leave room for higher order thinking but that could come about from the discussion that the results produce in a post or in class.

White board hand writing?

Here is an example of my hand writing.

Post comments on what you think and how I might be able to improve.

and a question

Is it still important to have good handwriting with a smart board?

Noted this post was added using a mobile device which also captured the image. This type of mobility would be useful in an education context because students would have the ability to learn and share in any situation be it in school or out in the world.

And then add to any other format like pinterest or glogster.

Prensky's rage

It's good to see someone really passionate about engaging students and really looking at the world that they live in to find positive solutions.

If you can imagine themillions of dollars that go into developing music, movies, tv, and video games, how that money is spent on the latest graphics, recording and producing technologies, celebrity performers,and now think that it's only a fraction of the amount that they spend on MARKETING, how can teachers compete.

Well for one instead of working,against this reality, use it. As adults we might not like some of the elements of those products that engage our youth but it's important that we understand that they do ENGAGE our youth. If we understand how and why they do then most of the hard work is done all we have to do is tap into that resource.

I'm not saying that engaging students in what we think is valuable is easy, but if we look further and deeper into what children and adolesences are interested in, we might find they value the same things just in different ways.

Broaden the scope of our own interests

Blog PMI

If you would like to add anything Please head to this address
text2mindmap.com/vdMp8o

TPACK (My new Rapper name)

I thought I would just add this Clip that AlyssaJayneGDLT got me onto. It explains TPACK incredibly well

This did get me thinking why hasn't the technology aspect been brought up before. Technology doesn't have to mean digital it just means in its most simplest term a tool, whether that's a computer, smart phone, App, or book, printing press, pencil and paper or Language.

The Mishra and Koehler reading made three very good points in connection to technology for teaching. The drew on one of the reasons Shulman brought together the PCK was "the ways of representing and formulating subject to make it more accessible and comprehensible." and this is still true. What Mishra and Koehler say is that digital technology in particular has become more and more into the forefront since Shulman's 1980's.  Mishra and Koehler also say that "the rapid rate of evolution of these new digital technologies prevents them from becoming ‘‘transparent’’ any time soon. Teachers will
have to do more than simply learn to use currently available tools; they also
will have to learn new techniques and skills as current technologies become obsolete."

But not only is technology growing and changning faster it's also at the same time creating new ways of seeing the world we live in and profoundly changing our understanding of our world, universe and ourselves. It's important now more than ever that we are aware of what we teach (content) with what tools we teach (technology) and how we teach (pedagogy) our children into the future  because our picture of that future is changing every year, month, day, hour, minute and even second

Rant on Mobile Phone WIKI

go to the wiki for reference

My (Worrying) Experience

To be honest I didn't like the experience of the online wiki. Visually it didn't appeal to me, the amount of information that people contributed was overwhelming (so Much INFORMATION) and the rough and tumble style made it feel very unorganized, even thought the organizing tool of De Bono's hats was there. Also the formatting tool is not very user friendly

I'm under the impression that the activity is designed in this way so that everyone can contribute in a way they can feel most comfortable, so that means that it is going to be very, as Gary said, "Messy". I'll try just to accept that sometimes it has to be messy so people can try things in different ways in order to find the best way for them.

Oh and one more thing. When I was making a contribution someone else was as well and after I finished they did so as well and overrode my changes. This is something that might need to be looked at in the wiki itself.

The learning Experience

The Impression that I had was that this exercise is like and information gathering activity like a brainstorm but in an online format. The use of De Bono's hats gives everyone the chance to give their point of view or if you don't have a point of view a choice of how to give one, so catering for a wide variety of learning styles. 

(I like the touch of some people adding their own pictures of the hat they are using - Man in the Yellow hat)

area I feel is missing is the other types of learning styles like spacial and aural. having some options or instructions on how to share pictures or audio tracks would benefit a number of people, but that might be something you workout with the students either before hand or if it's the first time you are using the wiki tool, apart of the learning that comes out of the online tool. 

I have tried my best to find an economical way of adding an audio file but I might need to do some more research on imbeding them.

Have a listen to how we went though:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8NJXpxobHQJMTZCbGJNbU0tdzQ/edit?usp=sharing

Connecting to the Readings

Even with all my criticism I still think it's a good example of and effective use of TPACK, or more specifically TPK (Technological Pedagogy Knowledge). But I think as the technology gets better and more connected with different formats the pedagogy will resonate with the variety of learners out there