Learnign Design Frameworks

This week we were given a series of frame works to evaluate and decide which would suit our learners the best. I think that the engagement theory is the most useful framework for learning, as all teachers want to engage students, and this theory is based on meaningful learning and problem solving as stated by Kearsley and Shneiderman. I Believe this frame work is a difficult one to incorporate, however could be very successful if used correctly in the classroom. The basic principles of the framework can be found in the table below.

ELEMENT, DEFINITION, OUTLINE OF ELEMENT

Relate, Occur in a group context, This element involves team work,
which means students have to communicate with each
other, plan and above all,
interact with each other in order
to get a job done.

Create, Are project based, This allows students to choose their
own way to present a piece of assessment,
based on the strengths and weaknesses
of the group.

Donate, Have an outside (authentic) focus, Students make a successful contribution
to the community.

If we look at the topic of ecology in senior biology, it can be seen how this framework could be incorporated into the classroom. Traditionally, students do a field study in a particular area and write up a report based on their findings, however this could be taken one step further. If students were to conduct the field study, collaborate their findings, then figure out some way of 'giving back to the community' using technology. Some ideas that students could come up with could be educating the community to what is in their local area using powerpoint presentaions or ways to conserve the environment they studied by creating a website.

It would not be possible to use this framework at all times, however I think that it would be very beneficial to students, and would allow them to take pride in their work.

Kearsley, G. & Schneidman, B. (1999). Engagment Theory: A Framework in Technology-Based Teaching and Learning. [http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm]

Weebly

www.melissanormoyle.weebly.com is my new Weebly!! Its exciting! It seems kind of daunting making a website, but now that I have started one, its not so difficult after all!

SWOT analysis

STRENGTHS
- Simple to use.
- Students can take pride in having their very own website they can share with the family.
- Students can upload work on their website for assessment purposes.
- Free to use.
- Students can access their work from any classroom and home.

WEAKNESSES
- Easy for students to get distracted and use the website for non school purposes.
- May be difficult to convince schools that it is beneficial for students to have a website.
- May need more than one adult in teh classroom to ensure studetns are on task.

OPPORTUNITIES
- Students can involve their parents in their school work.
- Parents can become more 'in touch' with what their children are doing in class.
- Can be used across all subject areas.

THREATS
- The website may not be free to use forever.
- May be time consuming.

Based on this, I think website's would be very useful in the classroom.

WIKI

I just created my first Wiki! It can be found at -

http://melissanormoyle.wikispaces.com/

Okay so I now consider myself kind of digital immigrant now that I have learnt how to create a wiki and a soon a weebly, something that I had no idea even existed! I think that wiki's could be used as an assessment tool in the classroom, as it encourages group work and student interaction, and allows students to share different ideas in an environment that is not as intimidating as the classroom. Wiki's differ from blogs in that a blog is something more personal, where others can add comments to what you have written, however the only person that can edit the information on a blog is the author, however as "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki" states, 'A wiki invites all users to edit any page or to create new pages within the wiki Web site'.

concept mapping for week one

This is my mind map that represents an overview of week one's topic.

I think the text 2 mind map website was easier to navigate than the bubbl us website, however they are both useful tools to use in the classroom, and a good way of integrating ICTs. I would give students an option of using either one when creating mind maps in schools.

Functionality of blogs!

How can ICT's be fully incorporated into the classroom and school community when blog's are not allowed to be used in schools?

I think there is certainly a place for blog's in the classroom, and in the near future, surely things should change to allow their use. Although there are negative aspects to their use (bullying, using them for social netowrking), with correct monitoring blog's can be a very powerful learning tool. It not only gives students the opportunity to share and compare ideas, but it also gives the students who are not very forth coming in asking questions in the classroom the opportunity to ask about, and discuss topics a little more freely.

Assessment could be carried out in the form of a blog, which may engage the students, who are probably used to handing in hard copies of their assessment.

It is a useful resource for teachers as well, in that they can use it to communicate with one another, when their busy schedule sometimes makes it difficult to catch up face to face. In a broader aspect, it may be useful for teachers from various places to share ideas and learning tools to keep students engaged.

If parents start to use blog's, they could communicate freely with their childrens teachers, and be more involved in their learning. Working families sometimes find it difficult to make time to meet with teachers, and thios would make things just that little bit easier.

Blog's have many uses, and if used correctly, certainly have a place in schools.

My Learning style

This is my learning style image.


When I took the learning style online quiz, my results showed that my two learning styles are solitary and logical. Therefor, the types of learning experiences that would suit me, would be activities that require working alone, and activities that use logic, reasoning and systems. I guess that's why I enjoy science and am going to be teaching it, since it requires students to understand the whole process of how things work.

With all the different learning styles, I can see why it is so difficult to get all students engaged in class, especially when classes would be a mix of students that fall under the category of social learning style and solitary learning style. I think it would be beneficial in classrooms, to set up stations, all with similar information, but with different activities based on the different learning styles. For example, if a year 10 science class were look at the heart and how it works, there could be stations set up with activities such as putting a diagram of the heart back together (visual), a crossword (verbal), a heart dissection (physical), a group activity (social) and a silent quiz (solitary). If the information was given first, maybe in the way of notes, this would just be a way of reiterating the information and hopefully ensuring that all students have a grasp of the concept, no matter what their learning style.

These activities are not restricted to the traditional way of teaching, but can easily be conducted on computers, thus allowing the integration of ICT's into the classroom.

I think it would may be difficult to incorporate the different learning styles into some subjects, such as maths and English.