Embedded Task 2 - Reflection on Blogs, Wikis and Websites

Context:

In current times teachers are creating classroom websites to assist their students’ learning. After completing this week’s tutorial and reflective task I have seen just how useful they can be within the classroom. At first I was hesitant of the idea, as I had never done website design before and thought it would be a complex and complicated task. However, after completing the activity I now view it as a powerful classroom educational tool.

1.  An overview of the technical aspects:

·       What can this technology do?

-          Can be shared on social media - students have the ability to share content with their peers.

-          Conduct forums – teachers are able to notify students of news, content and ask questions.

-          Submit drafts and assignments – students have the ability to submit their assignment work outside of school to their teachers.

-          Can add images and videos – students can experience more engagement through the use of interesting digital artefacts.

-          Conduct polls – teachers can discover student interests and incorporate this into their pedagogy.

-          Monitor student activity – admins have the ability to see website activity.

-          Add links to interesting and relevant content.

-          Publish course materials online – given students the ability to freely go through their course work.

-          Public – anyone can view the content including parents/care givers.

·       What learning outcomes can they support in a classroom?

-          Builds students’ ability to complete self-directed work – website links, videos and materials can help students’ complete work independently.

-          Improves student organisational skills – assessment due dates and homework can be published on the site for students to have quick and easy access to upcoming tasks.

-          Improves student feedback – students can respond to forum questions and submit drafts and assignments online; allowing teachers to offer immediate feedback.

-          Assists in building student collaboration – through forum use students are able to comment on their peers’ responses.

·       What sorts of materials/activities will they support?

-          Homework – can be put online for students to complete with access to a discussion forum where students can ask questions and for assistance.

-          Worksheet tasks – students can complete worksheets online and then submit them.

-          Assessment tasks – easy access for students to submit drafts and get feedback.

-          Collaborative tasks – through the use of forums.

-          Multimedia activities – the continued use of ICT applications will develop students’ skills in technology.

-          Research activities – students have access to course learning materials.

2.  Websites applied to my own teaching context

The use of websites can be applied to my own teaching context in a number of ways. My classroom would become a virtual classroom where students will have a database of old handouts and worksheets they have reviewed and completed. Also, as I would like to become an English teacher, the use of a website would give me the opportunity to provide links to literature, texts and videos that would further the learning of the students. Being a history teacher and having a website would give me access to sharing primary sources with the students like images and video footage from the time of the event. Therefore, assisting students in their learning. Also, as students are more likely to retain information with the use of an image or visual I would input this into my pedagogy and make sure I have plenty of visuals on the website to assist students in retaining information. I would also implement a draft and assignment submission application on the website, giving me the ability to have quick access to student progress and students the ability to receive almost instant feedback.

SAMR model in a website context:

Substitution:

Teacher puts classroom resources and activities online for students to complete. Therefore, at first the website is just a basic ‘substitution’ to students completing work in their notebooks. 

Augmentation:

Students submit drafts and assignments online. There is a functional benefit here as students can receive feedback quicker and can submit at any time within the due date. The impact of immediate feedback is that students may become more engaged in their learning. 

Modification:

The website becomes a virtual notebook for students to refer back to and have all the information at their fingertips. Students have the ability to interact with other students through forums and ask the teacher for help at any time. The work is becoming very student centred. The impact of this ‘virtual notebook’ is that students are receiving additional support to their learning through visuals and videos they did not have access to before. 

Redefinition:

The website becomes a virtual classroom. All classroom resources are at the students’ fingertips as well as this, they gain additional support from digital artefacts. Forums and polls are being used to track student progress and interests to adjust teacher pedagogy. Students are submitting assignments and drafts online and are receiving additional feedback. Students can work through classroom activities at any time. Students have the ability to ask the teacher questions at any time and their peers. Students can collaborate ideas together from their own homes.

Here’s a link to the website I created to get a feel for how website design can influence teaching and learning:

http://year10englishfantasyunit.weebly.com/week-1-content.html#/

Reflection 1: de Bono's Hats/Mobile Phones wikispaces activity

Context:

After completing the de Bono's Thinking Hats activity, reflecting on the issue of mobile phones in the classroom, I have personally been exposed to the influence that learning design can have on student participation, engagement and collaboration. 

Learning theory which supports wiki design:

The SAMR model offers a method of seeing how computer technology might influence teaching and learning. In the context of de Bono’s Thinking Hats wiki this impact on learning is evident through the SAMR model. For example, when first used online the de Bono’s Thinking Hats activity is just a basic ‘substitution’ to completing it as a writing worksheet. However, at the augmentation level we see that the use of technology has included a functional improvement of being able to see peer responses. This improves students’ learning through allowing them to gain knowledge from their peers and therefore, further their own learning. Then we see at the modification level the technology has allowed for significant task redesign, where student collaboration is starting through comments and discussions. Then at the redefinition level we see that technology has made something completely inconceivable a reality through:

-      allowing students anywhere in the world to share their ideas,

-      teachers the chance to view all student responses in one template,

-      teachers the ability to comment on student responses at any time, and

-      giving students the ability to form a student centred collaborative network.

Furthermore, at this stage the technology has become a support for student centred learning. Whereby, the students are learning from their peers through questions and discussion being increasingly student generated. Students are also becoming increasingly challenged by their peers to think differently and have a more comprehensive view on the issue. Therefore, the wiki is becoming a tool in developing students’ critical thinking and decision making skills. Thus, the wiki has given students the opportunity to go beyond their own perspective and explore it from a number of different viewpoints and hence, expand their knowledge. 

Benefits of Wiki Activity:

·       Develops student collaboration – students are able to build off each other’s ideas through students having the ability to see other individuals perspectives and ideas.

·       Enhances student knowledge – the ability to see other responses allows students to gain other individuals knowledge and perspectives on the topic.

·       Relevant to contemporary learners & increases student engagement – modern learners have grown up in a technologically advancing society; the wiki puts them in their comfort zone by teachers not incorporating pedagogy that students find outdated. 

·       Develops problem solving skills – the wiki activity gets students to think critically from a range of perspectives to come to a conclusion. 

Issues and drawbacks of Wiki Activity:

·       Students have to have internet and computer access.

·       Only one person per group can edit at a time.

·       Students are able to edit, delete or change other students’ responses.

·       The ability to see other individuals’ responses aids plagiarism.

·       Students’ type responses - national testing is in a writing format – typing responses is not improving their ability to write without a grammar, punctuation and spelling application. 

Wiki Activity and my own students' learning:

The wiki helps students develop critical reflection and decision making skills. For example, through making students look at an issue or situation from different perspectives it helps them come to a more justified decision or conclusion.  Also, it will increase student motivation to complete the task as they will not view it as a tedious exercise where they have to physically write information. Instead contemporary students will be in their element, using the technology they have grown up using their whole life. It could also make students want to succeed, due to other students having the ability to view other individuals’ responses and hence, make students not want to look inferior to their peers. 

Scaffold supports the collection of a range of perspectives:

The scaffold provided a support for a collection of a range of perspectives. The set out of the task provided students with the opportunity to input their different types of thinking in a tabulated format. The different hats, supported students in critically thinking from different perspectives, helping them come to a comprehensive view on the issue by the end of the activity. The tabulated form gave them the opportunity to provide their perspectives in a clearly organised and user-friendly format.