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.
Sources
No comments:
Post a Comment