Managing e-Learning: Week 2

Teaching in Digital Environments

When thinking about teaching in digital environments I thought about ways that I have used digital tools to enhance learning, all of my working and prac experience has been with Early Childhood Students.

Some of the main ways that I have used digital tools are:

· Using the IWB

· Computer as a maths rotation activity

· YouTube claymation series

· Using iPads and apps for learning

I think that using digital tools enhances learning outcomes by providing a wider range of interactive resources for the classroom.

Sourced from: http://www.digitalteachingtools.com/portals/2/images/home_shot.png

What is Pedagogy – Digital Pedagogy

Sourced from: http://gabriellalct.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/productivepedagogies2.jpg

Earlier this week we touched on the Productive Pedagogies in our Learning Management 4 class. So I was able to consolidate my learning further and revise some of the knowledge. I would say that my own personal pedagogical approach is similar to the productive pedagogies model or at least that is what I am aiming for as a Pre-Service teacher on prac. I feel that I particularly connect with the concept of real life learning and equipping students with real life skills because these are the skills that students will be using forever, long after they have forgotten what they learnt in primary school.

Sourced from: http://www.jantoo.com/cartoons/lowres/332/33234434_low.jpg

After reading about Digital Pedagogies and consolidating my knowledge about Productive Pedagogies I think that digital influences, resources and tools can be added to any pedagogical approach to ensure optimal student outcomes and student and teacher success. This mind map summarises how digital pedagogies can do this.

Sourced from: http://edorigami.edublogs.org/files/2011/10/Digital-learning-1hcdw2n.jpg

TPACK

To explain the TPACK framework it is helpful to draw on a Venn diagram. This diagram shows that quality learning takes place in the section where technological knowledge, content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge interconnect. Therefore teachers need to have sound knowledge and skills in these three areas to ensure optimal student and learning outcomes.

Sourced from: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://maine.edc.org/file.php/1

I found a short 2 minute video that summarises the TPACK framework which I found helpful to consolidate the information that I read in the learning materials.

Hats Off To Wiki Spaces

After participating in the wiki spaces de Bono’s hats mobile phone activity I have come up with my own hats activity reflecting and summarising my experience within the context of the Social Constructivist and Connectivism theories. I can clearly see how higher order thinking was achieved and scaffolded by this activity and Blooms Taxonomy rather than just evoking a positive or negative reaction. This template summarises my experience.

Template sourced from: http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/121625348.png

While thinking about how Blooms Taxonomy scaffolded this activity to promote higher order thinking I visited http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html which shows Kathy Schrock’s revised Blooms Taxonomy model which shows the interlocking of cognitive processes. I thought her approach was particularly relevant to IT as shown in the model below and I enjoyed exploring her Bloomin’ Apps iPad Edition resources. By looking at this model of the cogs in a system focused on creating it becomes apparent that Blooms Taxonomy is not a linear model, just as IT and e-Learning may not always follow a linear path.