Online learning communities can be a great help for
learners, allowing for different views and ideas to be presented by a range of personalities.
During this course, I have been required to participate actively in a blog to
collaborate with peers in this course, and have found the activity
enlightening.
I enjoyed speaking with JessSag and s0255231 through the blogs
and emails, as I felt I then knew the content of the course and explorations
more thoroughly. For example, in one of s0255231’s posts, she mentioned having difficulty
with MovieMaker.
I had not considered that for some, technology is not as
easy as I find it, and although this generation (which does include me) is
quite fluent, it is not something I should expect. JessSag often had quite
in-depth explorations and often had astounding ideas that changed the way I saw
some of the technology we were looking at! For example:
I found that following these two amazing women was an
eye-opener, I should consider a far greater range of ideas than I previously
had.
I felt I should have followed more students, as I learnt so
much from two that I feel I missed so much by restricting the intake of
possible knowledge. However, I also realised during this course just how much
time can be used in these collaborations. It seems simple and that in using the
internet teachers will save time, but sometimes that won’t be the case and that
should be considered when planning activities. If a teacher sets up a
discussion page for each subject they teach, and expects each student to
contribute once a week, which is 155 comments each week to be moderated (assuming
classes of 31 and five classes).
Overall I am glad I participated in this activity, as I feel
I learnt a great deal about the options available as a teacher, with both the
advantages and disadvantages of using this in the classroom.
Students of today are the Millennials, and entirely
different generation to any that came before it. This generation students are
already fluent with many forms of digital technology, from using smartphones on
a daily basis to communicating through Facebook. Utilising this technology to
enhance and broaden learning for students is vital for any teacher involved in
this generation who wishes to provide the best possible education. Learning
through technology is flexible, engaging, easy and generally quite safe. As
safety is the key issue many teachers have with fully engaging with new
technology, understanding the restrictions and options available regarding the
internet is vital. It all comes back to a teachers’ choices and knowledge of
the technology itself.
A common issue with using textbooks and static resources is
the lack of flexibility inherit in these resources. Digital devices and
technology is highly customisable, with a multitude of options available for
every tool. For example, in my exploration of PowerPoint (Source 1) I identified
seven areas that could all be customised; presentation themes, images,
SmartArt, animations, transitions, timing and text. This was just in one tool I
explored from the thousands available for teacher use! A
suggestion on the Week 6 Specific Reflection (Source 2) was to have the
students plan a trip for an assignment, but then use the best submission for a
school camp. This makes the assignment more relevant to the students, motivates
them to plan well, and provides a sense of pride for those who are selected.
Making learning engaging is critical as a teacher, as when
students are not engaged they become counter-productive or simply do not take
in the new information. Stress, boredom or a lack of appropriate level material
are all causes of disengagement, and incorporating technology into the
classroom can negate all of these issues. Making a
video (Source 3), for example, can remove the stress of a presentation by not requiring
the students to stand up at the front of the class. Having a blog (Source 4) could
mean that students can communicate with the teacher and other students with
questions on a topic when they are confused. I myself found the blogs an interesting experience, and one that engaged me more than any of my other courses at the moment. There are plenty of methods of
re-engaging students through use of technology, so long as a teacher is able
and willing to make it possible.
A lack of resources in the classroom could mean that a
teacher or students do not have access to digital technology often, broadly or
even at all. One example discussed (Source 5) in the Week 5 Specific Reflection
was using rotating groups, where one group has a computer with internet access
to use with an activity. In many cases however, students will already have
ready access to the internet via a smartphone or similar, in order to
communicate with each other and parents outside of school (this is subject to local
area and classes individually and should not be assumed automatically).
Collaboration is a key strategy in teaching, it allows
students to express and discuss their views, and broaden their understanding of
a topic. Through technology this collaboration can be expanded to become
engaging and far more productive. Students could contribute in a Wiki (such as
the De Bono Hats wiki – Source 6) that has the basic structure set out for
class collaboration. This recognises each students’ contribution so that they
may discuss further at a later point in time. Another option could be to create
a Google Document for group work, so that students can work on a group
assignment outside of class and changes can be tracked. There are many options
when it comes to collaboration, and it can be a valuable strategy for teachers
as it can lessen the load on the teacher while enhancing the learning of the
students.
This blog is an example of collaboration, as myself and two
others agreed to look over each other’s work and communicate our ideas. This
not only extended my own understanding and ideas, but challenged me to think of
things I had not previously considered. One peer asked what a teacher could do
in the event of not having access to resources (Source 5), another demonstrated
how I could use images when I previously did not appreciate their full range of
uses (Source 7). The downside to this was that often felt I had missed posts or
comments and did not reply or read all that I could (See Source 7 – It was
nearly a month later that I realised there were responses to my comments!),
which means that some students may get overwhelmed if used in a large class (I
only had two others to follow).
Due to the ability to communicate freely and anonymously,
the internet can be a dangerous place. Teachers not only need to be aware of
this, but also the risk level involved and how to monitor this. For example,
requesting students to anonymously engage in a public online discussion board
may be great for getting them to actively and openly discuss a problem, however
leaves students vulnerable to anyone outside the group who wishes to engage the
students. Ways the risk in this scenario could be reduced is through the use of
a private online space that removes anonymity, where each user is identified
through a logon allocated by the teacher, and only those students can access
the area.
Digital technology is a valuable tool for teachers, and can
redefine learning for students. So long as the risks are monitored, there are a
million ideas out there to be explored! Making the class more flexible,
engaging and collaborative while using tools the students already know how to
use is worth any effort required to learn as a teacher.
Many students will say that the ability to read, interpret
and create maps is not required with the invention of the GPS. However in order
to use a GPS effectively, these skills are still required!Therefore this subject must be approached
with plenty of engagement strategies in mind, and a way to incorporate
technology and relevance into the subject.
One method of incorporating this technology into Mapping is
to use Google Maps in the learning experience.
Uses
The uses of using Google Maps as a learning tool were stated by Google themselves, as students can create collaborative maps as groups in class, or any other individualised map required. They can create maps for their school or district - which increases the relevance for the students and their knowledge of the school. Students could then also add historical events, which teaches them about the town/school history at the same time! They can also use existing maps to get directions or plan trips.
What are the limitations or restrictions?
In order to use Google Maps, students would require an internet connection that can load the requested content quickly. Otherwise the maps would fail to render, which can be frustrating for students and teachers alike.
Google Maps is great for a specific group of tasks, such as finding directions and editing your own version of the local area, however is not easily customisable beyond this. It is not possible to upload an image and then edit it in Google Maps, which may be useful when creating, for example, a pirate map.
What are the privacy settings or abilities?
Google Maps has a limited range of privacy settings when creating a custom map, with an option to select either public, open to those accessing via a link, or only by the creator. This can also be restrictive as students without a Google Account cannot access a custom map unless the map is set to public.
Can you customise the tool or space?
Maps can be custom created, with editing options and viewing options as well. Any customisation is entirely restricted to maps and navigation however.
The following map was created by myself with points of interest for Dysart. It shows information in a simple format, that is relevant to the audience (anyone travelling through). Professionalism was not a factor, as being personal with slight humour can engage students and improve the relevance of a class, so I thought to demonstrate this.
Is it easy to use (create or view)?
Viewing maps is extremely easy, and avaliable in many forms at a single click of a button. However to create a map, the ease depends on the user. To simply add information at certain points is relatively easy, however it is possible to create maps that are much more complex.An example of a basic tutorial can be found at https://support.google.com/mapsengine/answer/6083298?hl=en-AU which instructs users on creating maps using image data.
The following video is a quick tutorial on adding images to a Google Map.
SAMR Model examples: Substitution level use of Google Maps:
Teacher uses Google Maps to show students where Australia is located in comparison to America. The map is projected onto a screen, and is simply replacing the use of a standard paper map. Augmentation level use of Google Maps:
Students are required to print a Google Maps image of their town, inclusive of the school and their home, and by hand trace the path they take to school (by any mode of transport). Students learn to scale, search and each student will have a different image, however there is little improvement overall. Modification level use of Google Maps:
Students, in pairs, are to create a cutomised map of the school using Google Maps. They are to be aware of scale, and use the scale to create a grid of 50m intervals and overlay this onto an image of their map. Students then label areas on the map using both grid sections and pins (pins on online version, grid points on overlayed version) of areas of interest for a newcomer to the school. They could then justify which type of map would be optimal for instructing a newcomer or for architects. Redefinition level use of Google Maps:
Students are required to plan a trip to a destination outside of the local area. They are to solely use Google Maps to plan accomodation, modes of transport, and justify these choices with screen shots. They are to roughly calculate the distance travelled by using the scale of the map and a computer program such as Paint. They are also to note the general area and comment on the effects of the
area. For example, if the destination is on a mountain, they are to
comment that for a trip they would require clothing suited to the colder
weather. If it is a long trip, they may comment that it is not
reasonable to walk that distance.
