In this article ‘How ICT policy is infected by Neo-Liberalism.’ it states that the introduction of ICT into classrooms is far more problematic that was thought.

It also comments on how computer technology is a pumlic concern as the real value of computers is unknowm.

The article is critisising the use of computer technology to learn as it says that computers send the wrong message by making learning colurful and fun when it actually requires hard work and discipline.

I completely disagree with this article as i believe children do and can learn from digital technology. I also beleive that children need fun, colourful and interactive environments to become engaged and hence learn.

I also disagree with the article when it describes how ICT growth is problematic in schools. I feel that it is a step forward and it is a great new way to teach with so many more opportunities.

 Here is my SONG 10-dancing-on-water-jesse-manno

What learning styles does this ICT support? 

A sound file helps students who are able to listen and then comprehend what is happening.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

It can be used for younger children to help them remember certain things. It is also really fun and different to listrening to the teacher talking which engages them.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

Music enables children to act out actions or remember rhymes. It can also be used to signal starting or beginning a topic. It lets children develop creastivity by imagining what the music is making them feel.

This reading, ‘the finall frontier in our quest for technology integration’ talks about technology as a tool to be used in classrooms and how teachers use it. it mentions that what teachers beliefs are consequently lead to different uses of technology. For example, if a teacher has had a bad experience with technology they are less likely to use it as predominantly in their classroom.

The article states that is is useful only for teachers who have convenient access to the technology, who are adequately prepared, and have some freedom in the curriculum to implement this.

Because of the increase in access to this technology, more and more teachers are starting to impliment technology in the classroom. Also, teachers are interested in learning how to use computer technology and how to integrate that into the classroom.

However, the use of computers are generally only low-level technology which is associated with teacher centered lessons instead of the ideal, high-level uses which involve student based learning and therefore constructivism.

The article recognises that it takes 5-6 years for teachers to fully integrate high-level uses of computer technology. I agree with this as i feel that teachers need to be confident  and this takes evaluation and practise to get it right.

I believe that teachers need to be shown how to integrate technology into the classroom and once teachers value the tool it will be widely used.

What Learning style does this ICT support?

This ICT, being a photo, supports a visual learner. Pictures can tell stories and lead children to the answer. If they are unsure of what their research is telling them ,they are able to look at pictures and try to understand what they are learning about.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good tool within the learning environment?

Pictures could be used as another way to represent what the teacher is saying. It can also be used to help children understand what they are learning. The old adage ‘a picture paints 1000 words’ is relevant here as the picture can tell children what they teacher is trying to say.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

Pictures can be used as a way to develop students imagination, and lets them discover before and after scenes. The students are able to develop skills of depicting where a picture was taken, what it is about etc and gives them the opportunity to use their imagination.

There were two readings this week.

The first is “some Thoughts about Webquests”. This articles describes a webquest as an inquiry based activity in which some or all the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet.

The articles tells us that there are two types of webquests, short term and long term. SHort term webquests last for 2-3 lessons whereas long term webquests last between a week and a month.

I believe that webquests are great as it lets the children learn for themselves and take responsibility for their learning. It means that children are not randomly surfing the net with no clear direction.

The features of a webquest are an introduction, task, resources, process, guidance, evaluation, teachers page, conclusion. 

The second reading was on online as was called ‘The question is the answer’. It focuses on engaging students using prime questions which created important thinking with questions such as Why, How, Which is best?. It also talks about the research cycle which helps studetns to stay on track and work efficiently.

I agree with students making an answer, not simply finding it or cutting and pasting it. I also agree with teamwork as well as a sequence of stepd clearly outlining what is necessary of them.

 Webquest video 

Which Learning style does this ICT support?

This ICT supports visual learners as well as linguistic learners. Students are able to watch as well as listen to media. 

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

It can be implemented in any way. It can be used as an aid to assist understanding as it makes it easier to explain something when it is displayed infront of them.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

It allows children to view facts and visualise information. This aids creativity by enhancing children’s imagination.

This week we did two readings.

The first reading was “preparing students for E-Learning”. This article comments and how students need to be supported whilst using technology to learn. they need support and structure which is often lacking in computer lessons.

The article states that learning in classrooms and learning online is very similar but learning online does not have hte same support that the classroom environment has. The environment for e-learning needs to be appropriate for it to be a success. To be a success students need to have some skills in how to use the technology and some knowledge of the subject matter thay are learning about. students also need to have study skills and support to make e-learning work.

Furthermore, the article recognises that the content of the work should keep students motivated, engaged and interacting with each other. it also recognises that the learner must be self motivated and have a need for learning. The instructor has to be aware of student needs and have to be organised. Also, the technology should become a tool used to help students connect with each other, the content and their teacher.

 Moreover it explains that e-learning generally occurs withou much teacher direction and if often done independatly which i feel is not the right thing to happen as students lose interest, however it does aid students in working at their own pace and level. For this to occur foundational skills must be developed.

Role of the instructor is to: make connections with students, encourage students, always communicate, keep students updated, be flexible. Before the teacher can instruct they must have the foundations themselves. 

An ideal student is: self disciplined, mature, willing to ask for help and independant.

I agree with this article as i feel that students need to be guided through technology and online learning.  I also feel that teachers need to be very prepared and know exactly what they are going to teach, just as they do with classroom lessons.

The second reading is “What is MEaningful learning”. This article talks about what drives learning and how teachnology can make learning a more meaningful experience.

Students are ACTIVE, CONSTRUCTIVE, INTENTIONAL, AUTHENTIC and COOPERATIVE. All these components are what i believe learning should consist of. Lessons need to be hands on, goal directed, contextual and collaberative. This is to achieve a greater learning ability as students will not just remember facts for a test, they will remember things for life as they are relevant and students are responsible for their own learning.

What Learning style does this ICT support?

This ICT, being a photo, supports a visual learner. Pictures can tell stories and lead children to the answer. If they are unsure of what their research is telling them ,they are able to look at pictures and try to understand what they are learning about.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good tool within the learning environment?

Pictures could be used as another way to represent what the teacher is saying. It can also be used to help children understand what they are learning. The old adage ‘a picture paints 1000 words’ is relevant here as the picture can tell children what they teacher is trying to say.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

Pictures can be used as a way to develop students imagination, and lets them discover before and after scenes. The students are able to develop skills of depicting where a picture was taken, what it is about etc and gives them the opportunity to use their imagination.

This week our reading was about teachers using the constructivist approach to teaching mathematics. The articles states that teachers, even if they do not beleive in it, use the constructivist approach because it is what is the ‘right’ thing to do. The acticle uses mathematics to explain how students build up their knowledge actively, i.e. constructivly. It also states that children need guidance to achieve this accumulation of knowledge and that is the role of the teacher. I agree with this article as i believe that children need to learn and discover for themselves with the guidance of teachers. I feel that through the process of constructing knowledge children learn to use high order thinking and problem solving skills needed for later in life.

In week 2 we visited the Learning Federation Website and signed up to it. I found this site fantastic as it gives opportunity for teachers to show their students new games about topics they are learning about. The games are all part of constructivist learning as children must problem solve and use high order thinking to finish the game. The fact that is it a game makes it fun and exciting for the children and they hardly realise that they are actually learning. I found this mathematical game helping students develop knowledge about time. This would be for year 2. Here it is!

 Which learning styles does this ICT support?

This ICT supports the visual learner as well as students who are kinesthetic as it is colourful and hands on. It also supports learners who are able to listen to to instructions. These students are linguistic and are good with words.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

This ICT can be used as a cognitive tool as students are actively involved in problem solving to win the game. This can be done in groups or individually, either way, the game lets students use thier own minds to play the game and get the right answers. IT also helps as the game is interactive, colourful and engaging.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

This ICT enables creativity as students can play around with the order of events until they realise what the right order is. The game captures the students attention as it is colourful. Also, everything is spoken by a child’s voice and pictures/animations are depicting a child’s version of drawings.

This week we did a reading on ‘digital natives’. The reading classifies digital natives as anyone born between 1980 and 1994. This generation have been surrounded by technology all their lives. My main conclusion was that teachers need to change their teaching habbits to use more technology in their everyday teaching instead of lecturing. I also agree with the fact that there is moral panic within society as people feel they are unable to keep up with the ever-evolving technological world.

Here is a mind map that i have developed which covers all the issues and explains what the digital natives are all about. digital-natives1

WHICH LEARNING STYLE DOES THIS ICT SUPPORT?

Inspiration supports learningstyles that are interactive and hands on. Inspiration enables students to break down all parts of what they are learning about and recognise all areas of each topic. It supports visual and kinesthetic learners as there is plenty of opportunity to use pictures and the students are actively creating their own ideas.

   How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

Inspiration is a great tool to use as it is captivating and engages students. Students can use this software themselves and therefore become busy creating their own ideas. Inspiration mind maps is a very interesting way to convey information and therefore students feel comfortable and inspired with amusing technology.

HOW IS ICT ENABLING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY?

 Inspiration enables creativity as children are able to design their own mind maps with their choice of pictures, colours, and shapes.