Sunday, 19 September 2010
Using blogging with students
I have just started a blog specifically for students. This will hopefully be able to be used to post intersting links and points of interst to them. I'm hoping to set up blogging accounts with them in group tutorial this week to see what happens! wish me luck
MALT course - e-learning module
The new term has started and we have met our new tutor. I did not feel that I learnt much with the participants of the session guiding discussions and thus the session did not maintain much focus.
I was anxious to be given information about e-learning as I have already read around the subject and am feeling very positive about the impact the module will have on improving my teaching. In this sense the session was disappointing with the discussions mainly being about the role digital learning has in education with examples that were used being in the context of early years education which I feel is very far removed from the genre I teach in. The tutor did however stress that she would be using the context of FE for future sessions.
I came away from the session feeling dissatisfied but on reflection feel that the session did encourage me to think about e-learning as a whole and consider if the new initiatives etc. are improving learning or just changing it? and another point I have begun to consider is the huge amount of funding that has been put into this area justified?
These questions I will begin to consider this week.
I was anxious to be given information about e-learning as I have already read around the subject and am feeling very positive about the impact the module will have on improving my teaching. In this sense the session was disappointing with the discussions mainly being about the role digital learning has in education with examples that were used being in the context of early years education which I feel is very far removed from the genre I teach in. The tutor did however stress that she would be using the context of FE for future sessions.
I came away from the session feeling dissatisfied but on reflection feel that the session did encourage me to think about e-learning as a whole and consider if the new initiatives etc. are improving learning or just changing it? and another point I have begun to consider is the huge amount of funding that has been put into this area justified?
These questions I will begin to consider this week.
Saturday, 28 August 2010
READING- E learning- concepts and practice 28/08/10
Bryn Holmes and John Gardner 2006 sage publications Ltd. London
The goal of the book is to provide an overview of existing e-learning approaches and a vision for the future. A model for e-learning that is put forward is a flower petal framework which is non- hierarchical. It refers to Blooms taxonomy and reflects that although this notion of the stages of learning was relevant in the 1950's (et al 1956)the e- learning revolution has now meant that this model is no longer viable. The authors have decided that this notion of hierarchy of skills could not be applied to learning situations especially e-learning situations. The authors attribute this shift from a linear approach to hierarchy of skills to a variety of development's including the rise in learner centred education, the onset of mass education and more recently the phenomenal ICT technologies in education.
The book claims that learners today have almost instant access to 8 billion web pages and that 'Google' search engines are now a part of our common language. To google it is to try to find out about something using the search engine. Collaboration is also considered another newer powerful facilitator of individual learning.
"tutors today are required to go beyond selecting a text book for their students. now they must regularly evaluate new resources; searching, selecting, evaluating, planning for implementing and managing them in order to promote best practice in learning. e-learning for many is 'mission critical' and must be explored first and fore mostly from a learning perspective."
Debate about the pro's and con's of e- learning is argued that the lack of face-to-face contact is a draw back. The result has been a mix of conventional learning and e-learning often termed blended learning. The text in the book seeks to provide a solid foundation to the world of e-learning but hopes to model some of the processes involved in the multi -faceted and multi-focused knowledge-building that is at the heart of e-learning.
The chapters are:
chapter 2 enter e-learning
describes what the authors currently perceive e-learning to be and is illustrated by a range of examples.
chapter 3 is a 'potted history of e-learning.'
charts the history of e-learning and how it all came about
chapter 4 'e-learning an educational revolution'
how e-learning is set to revolutionise even further our approaches to learning
chapter5 'e-learning theory - communal constructivism'
looks at how learning theory copes with the new modes of learning and the wider concept of the learner that has evolved in recent times. 'communal constructivism' is is presented as the key extension to socio-constructivist theory to underline e-learning. Communal constructivism is an extension of modern learning theory's most central idea, in which learners construct and assimilate their own knowledge from their own learning opportunities. Within the networked communication world that e=learning provides, it is a natural step for learners to form communities themselves, gathering together learner's who all share the desire to reach the same learning goals. It is suggested that from there the next step is that the emphasis moves from only including the individual to 'community' learning where knowledge is constructed and shared, termed 'social constructivism'.
Communal constructivism then takes this another step with learners contribute and are involved in constructing a community resource for the benefit of peers and future learners. This idea mirrors the one that I had where I propose to set up a 'wiki' learning resource for my students to all contribute to. monitoring those that contribute (and those that don't) with the ultimate aim of producing a usable resource for all students in the subject area.
Chapter 6 'e-learning design - concepts and considerations'
examines how e-learning can enrich learning and how they can be used to 'scaffold' students thinking, to integrate critical thinking skills and to provide 'cognitive apprenticeships' which give the learner the opportunity to engage with experts in the context of their learning
Chapter 7 'empowered learners - powerful tools for learning'
here the book focuses on a variety of design features for e-learning. This includes lay out and navigational design. The most important issue being that any design is to optomize the students learning opportunities and to be able to manage their ownm learning and communal knowledge space. This is where copyright in relation to learning obnjects created by others is addresssed. The use of students surfing during lectures to find more detailed noted is used to highlight the potential and the issues involved.
Chapter 8 ' e-learner emancipation'
discusses the issues surrounding learners who have accessibility issues and debate's that the Internet is a very visual environment and how making at accessible to the visually impaired is probably one of e-learning's greatest challenges.
Chapter 9 'e-learning - endless development'
looks to the future of e-learning and poses the question is the end in sight?
"The creation of self-generating and self-sustaining e-communities can only extend opportunities for their members and, ultimately, global society as a whole to continue learning and to build the knowledge base for new learners as they continuously come on stream. the technological and infrastructural developments of today, such as nano-technologies, the semantic grid and emerging communal learning tools such as wikis and blogs, underpin the argument that we are looking at a future that will provide anywhere (mobile and ubiquitous) and anytime online access for every citizen to an almost inconceivable huge knowledge and learning space. this phenomenon is given a name: the communal yottaspace of knowledge". Yotta being the largest number defined in the Systeme Internationale of measurement 10/24.
Nanotechnologies:
The goal of the book is to provide an overview of existing e-learning approaches and a vision for the future. A model for e-learning that is put forward is a flower petal framework which is non- hierarchical. It refers to Blooms taxonomy and reflects that although this notion of the stages of learning was relevant in the 1950's (et al 1956)the e- learning revolution has now meant that this model is no longer viable. The authors have decided that this notion of hierarchy of skills could not be applied to learning situations especially e-learning situations. The authors attribute this shift from a linear approach to hierarchy of skills to a variety of development's including the rise in learner centred education, the onset of mass education and more recently the phenomenal ICT technologies in education.
The book claims that learners today have almost instant access to 8 billion web pages and that 'Google' search engines are now a part of our common language. To google it is to try to find out about something using the search engine. Collaboration is also considered another newer powerful facilitator of individual learning.
"tutors today are required to go beyond selecting a text book for their students. now they must regularly evaluate new resources; searching, selecting, evaluating, planning for implementing and managing them in order to promote best practice in learning. e-learning for many is 'mission critical' and must be explored first and fore mostly from a learning perspective."
Debate about the pro's and con's of e- learning is argued that the lack of face-to-face contact is a draw back. The result has been a mix of conventional learning and e-learning often termed blended learning. The text in the book seeks to provide a solid foundation to the world of e-learning but hopes to model some of the processes involved in the multi -faceted and multi-focused knowledge-building that is at the heart of e-learning.
The chapters are:
chapter 2 enter e-learning
describes what the authors currently perceive e-learning to be and is illustrated by a range of examples.
chapter 3 is a 'potted history of e-learning.'
charts the history of e-learning and how it all came about
chapter 4 'e-learning an educational revolution'
how e-learning is set to revolutionise even further our approaches to learning
chapter5 'e-learning theory - communal constructivism'
looks at how learning theory copes with the new modes of learning and the wider concept of the learner that has evolved in recent times. 'communal constructivism' is is presented as the key extension to socio-constructivist theory to underline e-learning. Communal constructivism is an extension of modern learning theory's most central idea, in which learners construct and assimilate their own knowledge from their own learning opportunities. Within the networked communication world that e=learning provides, it is a natural step for learners to form communities themselves, gathering together learner's who all share the desire to reach the same learning goals. It is suggested that from there the next step is that the emphasis moves from only including the individual to 'community' learning where knowledge is constructed and shared, termed 'social constructivism'.
Communal constructivism then takes this another step with learners contribute and are involved in constructing a community resource for the benefit of peers and future learners. This idea mirrors the one that I had where I propose to set up a 'wiki' learning resource for my students to all contribute to. monitoring those that contribute (and those that don't) with the ultimate aim of producing a usable resource for all students in the subject area.
Chapter 6 'e-learning design - concepts and considerations'
examines how e-learning can enrich learning and how they can be used to 'scaffold' students thinking, to integrate critical thinking skills and to provide 'cognitive apprenticeships' which give the learner the opportunity to engage with experts in the context of their learning
Chapter 7 'empowered learners - powerful tools for learning'
here the book focuses on a variety of design features for e-learning. This includes lay out and navigational design. The most important issue being that any design is to optomize the students learning opportunities and to be able to manage their ownm learning and communal knowledge space. This is where copyright in relation to learning obnjects created by others is addresssed. The use of students surfing during lectures to find more detailed noted is used to highlight the potential and the issues involved.
Chapter 8 ' e-learner emancipation'
discusses the issues surrounding learners who have accessibility issues and debate's that the Internet is a very visual environment and how making at accessible to the visually impaired is probably one of e-learning's greatest challenges.
Chapter 9 'e-learning - endless development'
looks to the future of e-learning and poses the question is the end in sight?
"The creation of self-generating and self-sustaining e-communities can only extend opportunities for their members and, ultimately, global society as a whole to continue learning and to build the knowledge base for new learners as they continuously come on stream. the technological and infrastructural developments of today, such as nano-technologies, the semantic grid and emerging communal learning tools such as wikis and blogs, underpin the argument that we are looking at a future that will provide anywhere (mobile and ubiquitous) and anytime online access for every citizen to an almost inconceivable huge knowledge and learning space. this phenomenon is given a name: the communal yottaspace of knowledge". Yotta being the largest number defined in the Systeme Internationale of measurement 10/24.
Nanotechnologies:
Sunday, 25 July 2010
CLICK bbc TV
The programme focused today on the privacy controversy surrounding the facebook, social networking site. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/default.stm
But I was particularly interested in the tab about laptops as I am considering buying another laptop in the not to distant future.
The programme also focused on the wordle website (word art) http://www.wordle.net/ but it kind of gave it a different slant. Ip to now I have only copied and pasted text into the site and its then produced the art but it seems that you can type in the URL of a site and it will produce a wordle for that site? I will try it later and see.
The 1DAYLATER http://www1daylater.com/ also intrigued me as I'm constantly trying to battle with financial management so I'm also going to have a go with theat later too.
But I was particularly interested in the tab about laptops as I am considering buying another laptop in the not to distant future.
The programme also focused on the wordle website (word art) http://www.wordle.net/ but it kind of gave it a different slant. Ip to now I have only copied and pasted text into the site and its then produced the art but it seems that you can type in the URL of a site and it will produce a wordle for that site? I will try it later and see.
The 1DAYLATER http://www1daylater.com/ also intrigued me as I'm constantly trying to battle with financial management so I'm also going to have a go with theat later too.
Monday, 12 July 2010
Staff learning Day
The Phil Ackroyd session was extre,ely intersting as usual, the focus was on four new software programs to try out to improve teaching.
Word magnets:
This seemed an extremely interesting piece of software what really interested me 
was the ability to add a background picture to the document you create. This could be used for getting students to label diagrams pictures of bones and muscles and for aromatherapy labelling a map of the world to identify where the oils come from.
was the ability to add a background picture to the document you create. This could be used for getting students to label diagrams pictures of bones and muscles and for aromatherapy labelling a map of the world to identify where the oils come from.Without the background picture it can be used to get students to just add words to list or add distinguish between perhaps contra-indications caused by bacteria viruses etc.
Glogster poster creator:
This looked really good fun and I can't wait to have a go at trying to create a poster with audio or video in it. It interests me so much I might even try to get the students to do one as an assignment in group tutorial or somthing. It looked good fun and Phil gave us lots of ideas for extras we can put into it and also how to load it onto our desk top.The other two ideas were xtranormal but Phil did say that this facility now has to be paid for. Also Tube chop to allow you to chop you tube clips so you only have to include what you want.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
SPSS
This is what bugs me about technology!!!
It has just taken me three tries to try to complete this blog so here's hoping third time lucky....
All seems good now:
I am trying to learn about SPSS as I would like to use it for my research project, I have been advised by peers that I could just use microsoft excel but I would like the opportunity to see how much you could manipulate data. There are two short video clips and they are quite clear (apart from the annoying American accent). The clarity has enabled =me to clearly see what I don't know anything about for instance the
Introduction 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msI7xf0tInE&feature=related
Introductioon 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3D35wMGs_Q&feature=related
It has just taken me three tries to try to complete this blog so here's hoping third time lucky....
All seems good now:
I am trying to learn about SPSS as I would like to use it for my research project, I have been advised by peers that I could just use microsoft excel but I would like the opportunity to see how much you could manipulate data. There are two short video clips and they are quite clear (apart from the annoying American accent). The clarity has enabled =me to clearly see what I don't know anything about for instance the
Introduction 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msI7xf0tInE&feature=related
Introductioon 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3D35wMGs_Q&feature=related
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
SCM two day taster course
Just had my first experince of learning through 'blended' learning and learning how to navigate the learning platform. There were no great pictures or fancy things but it was easy to navigate around and find out all you needed to know.
I am very intersted in doing the course partly because it is CPD but also it is blended learning and I would like to experience this first hand. I also took a management profile test and got a short summary displayed electronically. They send you the actual report (20 pages of it ) through the post which I think is really pointless. I couldn't understand why you couldn't just get a copy to save online??? also we completed an evaluation at the end of the course but it was paper based. This seemed totally ineffective considering everything else was on line.
I also had my first opportunity to complete an online reflective journal to document my progress through the blended learning and this seemed very easy to do although others found the reflective bit difficult. I would now like to be able to be assured that I am able to keep an electronic portfolio or work log online for ease of access.
I am very intersted in doing the course partly because it is CPD but also it is blended learning and I would like to experience this first hand. I also took a management profile test and got a short summary displayed electronically. They send you the actual report (20 pages of it ) through the post which I think is really pointless. I couldn't understand why you couldn't just get a copy to save online??? also we completed an evaluation at the end of the course but it was paper based. This seemed totally ineffective considering everything else was on line.
I also had my first opportunity to complete an online reflective journal to document my progress through the blended learning and this seemed very easy to do although others found the reflective bit difficult. I would now like to be able to be assured that I am able to keep an electronic portfolio or work log online for ease of access.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Talent champion role & Students writing their own text book
I was quite interested to read how you could use wiki's in a class. I have already thought about how you could use a collaborative wiki for the group to contribute to perhaps for one particular subject. I think it would be easier for me to use this in a group tutorial slot as sometimes we have an IT computer room. I think initially it would be necessary for me to guide the students in contributing to the resource. I think we would also need to discuss the point of it and rules of engagement etc. I think it would be necessary to provide some sort of structure to keep it focused and to provide a valuable resource at the end of it. Although the book does talk about making sure you don't police the collaborative wiki too much as it can stiffle inovation and students don't value it as much pg 61 "teachers who impose a lot of right and wrong on the process can undermine the tool" Richardson 2009:61
The author describes how the students begin to "teach each other" I'm very interested in this aspect as students seem to really enjoy teaching each other and taking the role of the teacher so this could work. Ultimately I suppose the students over a year could have all contributed to a 'year book' of their studies which would certainly be something for them to digitally keep for lots of different reasons. To show to a prospective employer how they have been able to collaborate and what exactly they have learnt. As it is digital it could perhaps be attached electronically to application forms etc? this is something I will have to explore further.
I think there may be an opportunity already on the college's BB which I will look into first, no point in reinventing the wheel. Another aspect of this collaborative writing I'm pretty sure could be linked to functional skills? It would be possible to perhaps vet all entries before students posted them or talk as a group about grammar and punctuation. This is somthing I have just recently become aware of when I have now started blogging. The minute you look at the readers view of the blog you notice typo's and all sorts of things.
I think I could also use the wiki with other staff members to collect and share good practice. All tutors of the same subject being able to add or highlight areas already added which they don't agree with to discuss in meetings etc. This would help with standardisation for the IV process within the department
The pedagogy of the wiki is also somthing I would like to explore further as there is not much detail in the book about this although there is for weblogs and it does give a url (http://tinyurl.com/2zu6fb)
The author describes how the students begin to "teach each other" I'm very interested in this aspect as students seem to really enjoy teaching each other and taking the role of the teacher so this could work. Ultimately I suppose the students over a year could have all contributed to a 'year book' of their studies which would certainly be something for them to digitally keep for lots of different reasons. To show to a prospective employer how they have been able to collaborate and what exactly they have learnt. As it is digital it could perhaps be attached electronically to application forms etc? this is something I will have to explore further.
I think there may be an opportunity already on the college's BB which I will look into first, no point in reinventing the wheel. Another aspect of this collaborative writing I'm pretty sure could be linked to functional skills? It would be possible to perhaps vet all entries before students posted them or talk as a group about grammar and punctuation. This is somthing I have just recently become aware of when I have now started blogging. The minute you look at the readers view of the blog you notice typo's and all sorts of things.
I think I could also use the wiki with other staff members to collect and share good practice. All tutors of the same subject being able to add or highlight areas already added which they don't agree with to discuss in meetings etc. This would help with standardisation for the IV process within the department
The pedagogy of the wiki is also somthing I would like to explore further as there is not much detail in the book about this although there is for weblogs and it does give a url (http://tinyurl.com/2zu6fb)
Book of the week 14/06/10
This week I visited the UEA library in Norwich a fabulous place to be inspired, you could almost hear the learning taking place. I thought how all children (any age) should be taken out of their classroom to visit to be inspired. Not necessarily by the prospect of learning but by the community.
Most youngsters soon feel 'trapped' and a bit claustrophobic when living with parents. Uni is possibly one of the first opportunities they will get to live away from home, but still with some support mechanism around them.
The book I borrowed (to test the system) was 'Blogs, Wikis, Podcast and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Written by Will Richardson a former classroom teacher for 20 years. He is an 'evangelist' for the use of weblogs, RSS and related technologies in classrooms. The book is a dreaded '7 day loan' book chosen deliberately for that reason (although the content has turned out to be excellent). The method behind my madness was to see how easy it would be for me to visit the library in my busy daily schedule. Hopefully the book will open up a new world for my teaching and encourage me to experiment with new technologies in my classes. I'm still not sure what the difference between a 'weblog' and a 'blog' is in basic terms but I'm sure I will learn.
Most youngsters soon feel 'trapped' and a bit claustrophobic when living with parents. Uni is possibly one of the first opportunities they will get to live away from home, but still with some support mechanism around them.
The book I borrowed (to test the system) was 'Blogs, Wikis, Podcast and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Written by Will Richardson a former classroom teacher for 20 years. He is an 'evangelist' for the use of weblogs, RSS and related technologies in classrooms. The book is a dreaded '7 day loan' book chosen deliberately for that reason (although the content has turned out to be excellent). The method behind my madness was to see how easy it would be for me to visit the library in my busy daily schedule. Hopefully the book will open up a new world for my teaching and encourage me to experiment with new technologies in my classes. I'm still not sure what the difference between a 'weblog' and a 'blog' is in basic terms but I'm sure I will learn.
Getting Started!
Having a very limited experience of IT I am now trying to hitch a ride to the future by exploring the world of blogging. This blog will serve to organise my thoughts and experiences whilst completing my MA in Learning and teaching...........here goes!
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