Pink Panther English verbs

     So here is a very entertaining Pink Panther verb video. It would be great for younger children in years 2-3.

Adjectives...Cool song for kids

Well, here I am ensconced in learning the rules of grammar...something I have not done in a very long time. So long in fact, that verbs and adverbs were just that...Now they are broken into sub groups and I find that I am learning the whole shebang all over again! Anyway, I thought I would load a really cool video song for kids I found on utube. Very catchy and it shows what an adjective is...Enjoy!

Signing off for a bit...

Hi to all! I have finished my e-learning journey for now and may only add the odd blog now and again,due mainly to my study load. My final assignment for e-learning was to develop a range of activities following the Australian Curriculum. The activities would lead to both engagement and authentic learning for students using web tools to encourage their growth. I chose to use an older age group and my website was a lot of fun to make. I invite you to have a look, particularly if you are looking at China for year 7 studies. The address is: http://historyofanativepeople.weebly.com/  The second site I made jointly with another friend for an assessment submission for Science...http://scienceandpedagogy.weebly.com/ Once again, I invite you to investigate what can be done as a team to provide information for students. Enjoy and be sure that though I will not be blogging every week, I will add to it every now and again...Happy exploring!

Bloom's Taxonomy made easier...

For those of us who have been struggling to understand the concept of the Taxonomy so that we can use it in our assessment task, I would like to direct you to an easy to understand site that explains it all in very easy to understand steps.
http://evaluationfocus.com/blooms-taxonomy-of-learning-domains/
 For those who need the visual stimuli, there is another site that is invaluable to me as a pre-service teacher-  so connect with:




http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/04/the-modern-taxonomy-wheel.html
Hope this helps...

Reflective Synopsis

Sir Ken Robinson, in one of his speaking engagements at a TED conference, stated that children have an ‘extraordinary capacity for innovation.” He also said we need to prepare them for a future we cannot see and recognise their “…creative capacities for the richness they are”, and that “our task is to educate the whole being, so they can face this future.” (Robinson, 2007).

E-learning is a visible form of such creative capacities. Designed by innovators who have created visually stimulating and interactive Internet communication technologies (ICT’s), the tools are always evolving, updating, and being replaced by the newest model. To be an effective teaching tool, guidelines have been introduced to provide a standard of practice.

The Technologies curriculum will provide students with opportunities to understand and apply ethical principles and social responsibility when collaborating, creating, sharing and using technologies, materials, data, processes, tools and equipment. (ACARA, 2012).

The emphasis on teaching, in 2013, is more task-based, rather than tool-based, thus allowing learners to adapt with the ever changing tools that are available (QSA, 2004). ). So, we learn and use, we adapt by connecting, both to our experiences and to others through social constructivism. Simply put, we use our experiences, interactions and critical thinking to problem solve. Derry (1999) and McMahon (1997), (as cited in ACCE, 2010) state that, “Social constructivism emphasises how meanings and understandings grow out of social encounters and that what occurs in society, and as a flow on, constructing knowledge is based on this understanding.” According to Brown (2001), “Knowledge is something we digest rather than merely hold: it’s usually deeply intertwined with the knower’s understanding of the practices surrounding its use.”

Theories that translate into practice and assist in the learning can be varied, but some that are commonly used are behaviourism which through routine and set expectations, sets the stage for patterns to be repeated until they become automatic (Mergel, 1998). Cognitivism is the thinking behind the behaviour but also involves “…learning as involving the acquisition or reorganisation of the cognitive structures through which humans process and store information." (Good and Brophy, 1990, pp. 187, as cited in Mergel, 1998). Constructivism is learning based on a person’s mindset or view of the world, their schema, their experiences which shape who they are and their beliefs (Mergel, 1998). These theories, according to Bloom (1956, as cited in Clark, 2013) can be broken into three types of learning in an educational context: Cognitive (mental skills), Affective (attitude/emotions) and Psychomotor (physical skills) (Bloom, 1956, as cited in Clark, 2013). To bring about the best results, teachers are integrating Pedagogical knowledge, Content knowledge and Technical knowledge; overlapping areas and combining together they are known as TPACK, to deliver information in best way for each learner. Each of these frameworks or theories are used to one degree or another in E-learning to make the knowledge deeply understood and in the following paragraphs I will revisit my own experience with such learning.

First, I made a blog. What an amazing experience. I shall never look back! As a diary was to the 1950’s, so a blog is to the 21^st century user! It can be so much more. Blogs can be personal, as in a family record, an experiment for an assessment for education purposes, to relay a hobby or craft, or for a newly formed business. I can see that as a reflective tool it has great potential to scaffold your experiences into an organised ladder. This allows you to return to both reassess and re-frame your ideas at a later time. You write what you experience and learn from reflection. It also allows limited feedback from others in the social sphere, whether known (private settings) or unknown (public settings). If you do have concerns and want to control your private information, you as the author control what goes on and what does not! A blog is a space to use to keep your learning meaningful, encouraging literacy and according to Smith, Lynch and Knight (2007,p. 23), developing “the construction of the brain’s basic architecture for information processing, by preparing and shaping the experiences or environmental cues presented to learners.”

A limitation of the blog, as with the Internet, is that once something is posted, others can access and copy information, photos, videos, etc. Plagiarism can and is an issue because no one thinks to remember that the copied items are not their intellectual property. Working ethically online is an important consideration for all users. If it is not yours, though you love it…give attribution! Some sites encourage you to ‘pin it’ if you like it. Be aware that some images and ideas have copyright. Ask the owner for permission as you are then within the law and it is common courtesy! Access music that comes under a creative commons licence agreement and give attribution. There are free sites that allow this. I accessed www.digccmixer to make my video and for a fee I used a Melody Loops stock song in my Prezi. There are stock companies that source images too and though there is usually a fee, they are very good quality and you can use them with a clear conscience and without fear of legal liability. For more information on learning in education environments and the copyright law, go to: http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/eppr/national-copyright.pdf .

 Next, I looked at using ICT tools and using Edward de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ took part in using a wiki (an online forum for collaboration). This breakdown using ‘hats’ to switch and compartmentalise thoughts assisted to keep your ideas organised, formal and at an impersonal level. This is important in critical thinking, as emotions can cloud your ability to think rationally about a problem, or limit thoughts when expanding upon an idea. In his book, Six Thinking Hats, Edward de Bono (1985), states that by using this “method, the emphasis is on “What can be” rather than on “what is,” and on how we design a way forward – not on who is right and who is wrong.” Many companies are now using this form of ICT to network on a global scale. A great place to find more information is at www.wikispaces.com .

 A wiki does have a few down sides, one being that if two people are typing ideas into a wiki at the same time, only one will be saved. Though information can be retrieved, the other drawback is that it is easy to erase someone’s work if you aren’t familiar with the application. As a learning tool, it builds trust, generates ideas through collaboration, engages students into a social forum, and brings clarity to an argument. It does not, however, teach self-reliance and discovery, develop the mind to problem solve, expand creativity, or assist in a deep knowledge through critical thinking processes. It is more declarative (know about), than procedural (know how), but a blog still expands to both areas through actions like embedding a video or photos. This means that the learner who has the understanding of the subject, by constructing meaning, organising and storing, is then able to builds skills they know how and when to use, thus constructing, shaping and internalising (Marzano & Pickering, 1997).

It is amazing to think that teachers are now catering for the learners in their class to find out how they learn best and then they tailor lessons to cater for each person in the group. This is done through finding out what each learner knows using the current 8 LMQ’s design process. Teachers are able to assess, scaffold, support and encourage through these questions whilst building a relationship and working towards a shared goal   (Knight & Lynch, 2010). This is also creating an inclusive environment for those who have a disability, learning delay, or who are challenged in the traditional classroom. The interactions between users are more co-operative, more flexible, less judgemental and lead the learners on a journey of discovery that is student driven and teacher guided, working on the learner’s “zone of proximal development” (Smith et al., 2007, pp.41-42).

Howard Gardiner’s Multiple Intelligences were also reviewed and I found I was a little lacking in the Naturalist, Number and Musical intelligences. I was a Linguistic (Word Smart), Inter and Intrapersonal (people and myself) smart, Visual/Spatial (picture smart) and Kinaesthetic (body smart) learner. I can see eyes glazing over out there in internet land, so let me break it down to an easily understood level. I was a highly visual learner who loved hands on experiences, could talk the leg off an iron pot in a social situation, was empathetic to others, and could take or leave an outdoor experience. To top it off, my maths is just mediocre and I probably should not sing except in a crowd. Not if you like your ears that is!

Examining tools like making a website, a video and a Prezi, have all led to a deep sense that these tools are so much more than a passing phase. I found using each one provided challenges to overcome, each one gave a level of satisfaction on completion and each one could be passed on as knowledge to others by example and through discussion. Each one had more possibilities to bring about learning than I had imagined, providing collaboration, creativity and team building, up-skilling, confidence building, extensions of ideas and inner excitement as knowledge, passion and experience grew. A Powerpoint or Prezi are tools that can be used, but beware over use! I enjoyed making an avatar, and found that this could be used to get the attention of young people. After its' development, an avatar would be more of an introduction to information as after the initial learning, it does not build skills for creativity. In fact it is within creation that the real treasures lie. When someone switches to high order thinking their creative juices begin to flow, they consider all the options, use their memory and responses to problem solve within their mind and then test the progress of the practical through application(Joseph, 2003). In Learning in the Digital Age, Brown (2001) quotes:

“Knowledge, following Michael Polanyi, can be thought of as having two dimensions: explicit and tacit. If we think of knowledge as a tree, the explicit dimension is like the leaves, branches, and trunk—the parts above ground. The tacit dimension is like the roots buried below the surface and deeply immersed in the soil that makes it robust. The explicit lives in books and in our brains as concepts and facts and deals with the “know-what.” The tacit deals with the “know-how” that is best manifested in work practices and skills. The tacit resides in action, most often in participation with others. As a consequence, tacit knowledge can be distributed as a shared, socially constructed understanding that emerges from collaboration.”

So, ICT users within the classroom can be compared to nature's giants because just like a tree we dig down roots with experiences, we have our branches singed by the fire of testing as we find what we can and cannot do, we grow as we collaborate and, if we are protected from the harsh winter and the axe of the axeman, we flower profusely.

Reference list

Australian Council for Computers in Education (ACCE). (2008, June). Digital World, Digital Pedagogies: Reframing the

         Learning Landscape. Paper presented at the Australian Council for Computers in Education Conference.

         Retrieved from

         http://acce.edu.au/sites/acce.edu.au/files/archived_papers/conf_P_922_ACECpaper2June08.doc

 Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2012).The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies.

         Retrieved from

         http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_-_Technologies_-

         _August_2012.pdf#search=ict

Clark, D. R. (2004). Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domains. Retrieved April 14, 2013 from

         http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

Boyle, S. (2009). Comparison of Major Learning Paradigms in Education.

         Retrieved from https://web.gsc.edu/fs/sboyle/artifacts/6100.doc

Brown, J.S. (2001). Learning in the digital age. In The internet and the university [Forum]. (pp. 71-72).

         Retrieved April13, 2013 from

         http://cmap.upb.edu.co/rid=1GQBQP34P-4ZJZS6-7HP/21945604-Learning-in-the-Digital-Age-by-John-Seely-    

         Brown-Aspen-Institute.pdf

De Bono, E. (1985). Six thinking hats. New York: Little, Brown and Company

Department of Education and Training (DET). (2012). Cybersafety and cyberbullying: a guide for parents and

         caregivers. Retrieved from

       http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/behaviour/qsaav/docs/cyberbullying-cybersafetyprintfriendlyguide.pdf

Joseph, J. (2003). Learning with the brain in mind. Retrieved April, 2013

         http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/learning_workroom/files/links/LearningBrain.pdf

Knight, B.A., & Lynch, D. (2010). Applied learning management: new approaches for the new millennium. Frenchs

         Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia

Marzano, R.J. & Pickering, D.J. (1997). (with Arrendondo, D.E., Paynter, D.E., Blackburn, G.J., Brandt, R.S., Moffet,

         C.A., Pollock, J.E., & Whistler, J.S.). Dimensions of learning: Teacher’s manual (2^nd ed.). Alexandra, VA:ASCD.

Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional design and learning theory. Retrieved from

         http://members.iinet.net.au/~aamcarthur/11_March_2008_files/Learning_Theories_of_Instructional_Design.pdf

Queensland Studies Authority. (QSA). (2004). Information and communication technology: study area

         specification. Brisbane, Qld: Author. Retrieved from

         http://pan.search.qld.gov.au/search/search.cgi?query=internet+use+in+school&num_ranks=10&

         tiers=off&collection=qld-gov&profile=queensland-studies-authority

Resnick, M. (2002). Rethinking learning in the digital age. In G.S. Kirkman, P.K. Cornelius, J.D. Sachs, K. Schwab,

        The global information technology report 2001-2002: readiness for the networked world. World Economic Forum

        Oxford University Press, New York. Retrieved from

        http://hasp.axesnet.com/contenido/documentos/harvard%20global%20it%20readiness.pdf#page=48

 Robinson, K. (2007, Jan 6). Do schools kill creativity? [Video file]. Retrieved from

         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Smith, R., Lynch, D., & Knight, B.A. (2007). Learning management: transitioning teachers for national and international

         change. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.

 Further investigation:

A list of likely tools for investigation can be accessed and investigated through the links on this website:

http://edjudo.com/web-2-0-teaching-tools-links

Primary Pad is great for collaboration with children in a classroom. Very similar to a wiki, but it can be exported as a PDF or Word doc. You can watch it evolve over time and it is invitation through online connection or email. For collaboration, this is the Primary safe site for students in a school.

iPad has a collaborative game for maths use in the classroom

http://edudemic.com/2013/04/understanding-the-role-of-collaborative-educational-ipad-games

Prezi...Tool of the future classroom with total potential!

Once again I put pen to paper (so to speak) to give you the run down on another fabulous ICT tool. For those who are quite used to using power point and are having that bit of an 'over it' feeling, well, Prezi is the latest must have tool you may have been searching high and low to find. There are some amazing Prezi tutorials on utube and it is a great idea to watch some of these before you begin to delve into the possibilities. It can be a little tricky at first, but with practice you will be able to make a presentation more quickly. I was using the free base education model, so there may be more benefits if you pay for the service with more applications, fonts, colours, templates, etc.

So what is so great about this tool?
I have laid out a SWOT (Strengths,Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) table to compare all aspects of Prezi.
Strengths:

• Highly visual and able to be manipulated. Photos can look 3D and make it seem you are skimming over cliffs, forests, mountains, cityscapes or crowds. Makes a statement and looks very professional.
• can use photos or videos and integrates pictures saved through email that come from Apps on the iPad ( in this case- "Oldify" - available from the Itunes App Store)
• Very useful for presentations in business or lectures and classroom applications where the normal power point can be a little flat.
• Animations can be used to make it more exciting. See this source: Custom Media Designs obviously used a more high tech version to make their clip. It certainly is inspiring.
• Can add outside collaborators and allow input from others.
• Internet allows freedom to send Prezi to groups over the internet and to download it in PDF form or as a 'travel' application that is portable.
• Can be used online and offline.
• Can be used to 'up-skill' teacher learners in professional development both through distance exposure and person to person or conference style lectures.

Weaknesses:

• Time consuming and quite fiddly until you understand the process.
• Music that is added wouldn't work properly at times. I had to do it a few times until I got it right.
• Autoplay does not work with videos though it works while editing. After it is embedded it seems that the embedded version has issues. The presentation will play up to and begin the video and then suddenly cut off and skip to the next path position. There does not seem to have been a solution, though requests were made of the Prezi support staff a year ago on their community forum. My tip- do not use autoplay!
• Need to watch tutorials or risk a great loss in time.
• Requires a certain creativity level. Probably not great for those who have trouble in that area.
• Can create motion sickness if movements are too radical.
• Web based relies on the Internet.
• Screen shots better if using images from slides.
• Basic version does not give as many options.
• Takes more time and patience to make changes as tools are not as flexible as Powerpoint. For example, if you decide to add something once you have finished making your Prezi, there is an involved process to go through to make that change.
• Has to be converted to be used on some sites and is not compatible with Powerpoint. 

Opportunities:

• Input from others can mean that learning can be boosted for those who are not as skilled as others in ICT through networking and support agencies.
• Viable for all age groups to manipulate.
• Provides access to distance students, companies and individuals to share and collaborate in relevant meaningful ways, thus globalisation drives learning around the world.
• Student learners are more engaged as they feel something is happening.
• Other Prezi's are available to others for their use.
• Great for Sister School interactions and up-skilling of teacher learners
• Possibility to use as a go to link from University and school systems like "Moodle".

Threats:

• Privacy settings are not really protection against the hackers of this world.
• Prezi features focus rather than content focus
• Can be distracting
• Can cause illness through a sense of imbalance triggered by the motion.
• Seems to be limited in some of the abilities of the applications.(Embedding video, music, autoplay).
• Provides resource for plagiarism.

Overall, this tool is quite useful, though it still has some limitations. The main problem is that it is a huge time waster for those who are time poor. Powerpoint is still my personal favorite of the two tools when you are in a hurry. Overall though, in my opinion, this tool has great potential in building critical thinking for students. It will help them to think about layouts, what information should be used and what should be discarded, literacy will be tackled as they use it to formulate their information and mathematical skills will be enhanced as they manage graphs, and timing for music. In fact, there are many skills that will be learned and become more deeply ingrained through using the tool than a Powerpoint presentation would ever provide. The combination of learning skills,practicing steps in tasks, and acquiring and integrating knowledge is known as declarative and procedural knowledge.

Marzano and Pickering (1997, p 45). maintain that, " Most tasks involving the use of knowledge require both declarative and procedural knowledge. Completing a decision-making, problem-solving, or experimental-inquiry task, for example, requires learners to perform the steps of the specific process (procedural knowledge). But it is the declarative knowledge - what learners know or understand about the topic- that often is the primary factor in students' successfully completing tasks and obtaining useful results."


 It also provides a great socialisation experience as they collaborate together. Imagine one group of students working on a mechanical problem on one side of the world like a solar powered car. They would be able to write their ideas on the board and leave it. The group they are working with on the other side of the world would be able to add their ideas and they could bounce it back and forth until they had finished resolving their ideas into a plan. It could be added to their CV as proof of input. The interactions would be an invaluable learning platform for all involved too.That one Prezi could become the base for a digital footprint that could potentially see some of those learners follow a more professional leaning.

This would be a great 'Sister School' initiative for interactions with students. One group in each school could work on a topic and then present it online to the other group. They would be able to add their own ideas to update the versions and then resend to each other. This would provide possibilities for future directions.
I guess the possibilities are only limited by the user.

This is what is known as presentation workshops where students will acquire and integrate knowledge. It allows some teacher modelling to direct the investigation in a meaningful manner. Marzano & Pickering (1997, p.324-325) state:
 "It is the careful sequencing of presentation and workshop classes that makes a unit of study a holistic learning experience, with teacher and students trading off control of learning and the two types of classes supporting each other at strategic points."

So now it is time for you to have a look at what all of the fuss is about. This example was made by me to begin a discussion with learners about who they are, what they will be and what they want to be? It should promote critical thinking as learners try to understand and make sense of their world.

Once again, before you watch the presentation, I must reiterate my previous statement that you do not use Autoplay to watch it. If you do, it will be a very disappointing experience. So take my advice and just press the next arrow when you have read the wording. Also, make sure that you press restart under share when this is finished or the music could get to you after around 20 times of listening to it. It does not seem to end itself.



http://prezi.com/9fhdbe9uuiic/what-does-growing-old-look-like/

Now that you know what Prezi is all about, I know you can't wait to get started. So go on...Have a go and enjoy the experience.

References:
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J (with Arrendondo, D.E., Paynter, D. E., Blackburn, G.J., Brandt, R.S., Moffat, C.A., Pollock, J.E., & Whistler, J.S.). (1997). Dimensions of learning teacher's manual (2nd ed.). Alexandra, VA: ASCD.

Music in the classroom

This is my second post about using a video in the classroom. Please read the first one for more information on making your own and its usefulness as a tool in the classroom.
Music can be a wonderful resource in the classroom. It is, however unfortunate for the child who hears my singing voice, but despite this, they seem to love it when you sing. Therefore, it is important to cover all learning domains and music really appeals to Auditory and Kinaesthetic learners. So I felt compelled by previous association with this little ditty to introduce to you "I Like the Flowers". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6PKcnTGVX4 This is fabulous for children to sing in a round, great to work out hand motions and movements for those who cannot sit still and it is very catchy. Visual learners will love the colours too, so they are not left out of the mix. As a tool, this video meets all the criteria for learning. It teaches patterns, rhythm and promotes community. If you switch off the visual, you can challenge the children to write a story in their mind about what is happening in the song. The next step might be to have them draw their story and then laminate it into a book with the final step being that they share their version with their class as an oral presentation (reading it like a book) or a pantomime. The most popular version could then be read in a podcast and uploaded to itunes for others to enjoy. The children would be able to take part in all of these steps. Alternatively, as small groups the children could make up a dance or they could choose to use instruments to create their own song.