Week 4

 Manipulating the various digital tools in the classroom: Pictures, Audio and Video, are essential if you want to fully engage your students, help them to gain more understanding on the topic which embeds these tools and for students to actually enjoy learning!

Having these digital tools embedded into a classroom setting whether it be an online task or not, can dramatically increase students understanding as students process information in different ways, either through:

Visual Learn by seeing- (pictures and diagrams of the task)
Auditory Learn by listening - (listening to the steps or pod casts of the task)
Video Learn by understanding- (watching at a demonstration or video of the task)

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Digital Tool:

Using visual tools can be both
engaging and enjoyable 

Visual imagery is one of the most important aspects of teaching as most students learn best through seeing what they are being taught. Visual learners typically prefer these types of learning for gaining a better understanding of the task and help them remember key information more clearly:

• Images
• maps
• graphs
• diagrams 
• lists
• mind maps 
• illustrations 

Ways in which teachers can encourage visual learners can include students studying in an environment which is free from any visual distractions, when students are reviewing information, get them to re-write or draw it from memory or limit the amount of written information and use bright colours and animations/illustrations.

Other ways include using a series of boxes when writing out steps and highlighting/bold the most important parts or even asking the students to create graphic organizers such as diagrams and concept maps that use visual symbols to represent ideas and information. 

~ "The ability to look at visual information with perception. A visually literate person understands how visual elements contribute to the meaning of the whole." ~

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Digital Tool: 

Transcript: Auditory learners learn best while they are actively listening. This means that something like a voki would be very appropriate to use on these students as they don't have to pay attention to whats happening visually, only the words that are being said. This is just one of many methods teachers can use to help auditory learners learn.

Another way of engaging your auditory learners is through pod casting! 

I chose to upload my pod cast through 'Audioboo'.

> > > listen to ‘Characteristics of an Auditory Learner ’ on Audioboo < < < 

Transcript: To know if your student is a auditory learner, there are some characteristics that show the signs, for example they tend to have better memories from past conversations (such as jokes), they have a great memory for music and lyrics, enjoy discussions, debates, and talking to others, enjoy listening to music, and sing/hum/whistle to themselves. They prefer to give oral presentations over written reports (although this also has a lot to do with confidence!). they may read slowly, or they may have difficulty interpreting complicated graphs, maps or diagrams. Auditory learners should try to incorporate study techniques that have them either listening to information and repeating it out loud, to give them a better chance of understanding the task at hand. 

If link doesn't work, click:

http://boo.fm/b1519699

Username: katetruelson 
Password: s130993#

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Digital Tool: 

Manipulating video's as a digital tools is another effective method of getting students to become more engaged within the classroom. The below clip explains how visual learners best learn through different clips, videos and other kinaesthetic means. 

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References 

Clare (2010). Study Advice for Auditory Learners. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://www.thestudygurus.com/auditory-study-tips/

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.03zZS4bI.dpuf

Dr. Mangrum & Dr. Strichar (n.d.). Visual Learner. Retrieved july 25, 2013, from http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/visual-learner.asp

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.AehilXVj.dpuf

Kelly, M. (2013). Visual Learners. Retrieved july 25, 2013, from http://712educators.about.com/od/learningstyles/p/visual_learner.htm

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.6FiHjoMq.dpuf

Week 3

The above is a 'clipping' of a newspaper that I created from a website called Fodey.com. It is one of the many websites that teachers can use to engage students with and let their creativity and English skills flow. 

BLOGS

Blogs are up-and-coming in this day and age, they are one of the most successful and simple ways of engaging a classroom of students and getting them all to enthusiastically participate. This provides students with ample ways of opportunities to become familiar with technology and how to use it, heightens their social skills by working on blogs collaboratively in groups, shows them how to embed links and pictures into texts and sites, and limitless other possibilities. One great example of a blog would be the one you're looking at! 

WIKI'S

First off, lets look at a website called "Wiki-Spaces". A Wiki is well known for doing a plethora of collaborative work, any student with access to the internet can participate and edit it, they can change and add information and remove details, as well as adding links and clips from other sites. 

Wiki's - How good are they?

Here is a link to my WikiSpace that I created about De Bono's 6 Thinking Hates theory. When I used the WikiSpace, I found it to be quite simple at first, even though I had never really properly used one before. But don't take my word for it, below, I have created a PMI chart to gather all the Positive, Negative and Interesting facts and information about it.  

PMI Chart - (Positive, Minus & Interesting) 

PLUS	MINUS	INTERESTING
Provides students to work together collaboratively It can be customised to look unique - therefore giving students a chance to be creative and suit their individual needs Lets students blog and be interactive with each other- giving students an opportunity to be social and improve sand computing skills.	Without regular monitoring by a teacher, students can be vulnerable to cyber and internet bullying  If students but out someone else's or their own personal information, it can be hard to retrieve without fully knowing weather it's completing off the internet. (Once someone is put on the inter-webs,  Extremely unlikely to get it off.	The fact that students can communicate ideas to each other without being in the same room as them  Tons and tons of various files, clips, links, pictures and other types of data can be stored and embedded into the Wiki where everyone can see and add too, making it a very successful teaching method - without even being in a classroom!

WEEBLY'S

A Weebly is another excellent resource to manipulate within a classroom. In my second year of University here, I had to create a Weebly for grade 5-6's. The task was to make a website for students to log onto, where they would follow steps on how to create a particular vehicle. In my Weebly, I had put in pictures, YouTube clips, various other clips, links to helpful sites, examples of materials, steps, references and other files necessary to help students in understanding each step and grasping their knowledge on it faster. Here are some screen shots of my weebly site. it shows the different things i used for it: files, links, clips, pictures, steps, examples, references and so on. 

But don't take my word for it, below is a SWOT chart which will demonstrate the positives and negatives of manipulative a Weebly, along with the opportunities it provides and the threats it brings. 

SWOT Chart - (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) 

STRENGTHS	WEAKNESSES	OPPORTUNITY	THREATS
Very easy to use and get the hang of Allows students to be creative and unique Every Weebly is different  Lots of different media is provided to embed - video, pictures, links, clips etc.	Weebly's are not to best site to use to be collaborative Some parts of the site ask for personal information and young children might not understand and give it out	Allows students to gain more knowledge and understanding in computing and digital technology and it prepares them for futures and more complex teaching in it It allows everyone to get creative, even teachers!	Some students might not use this website appropriately students could give out their personal details

VOKI

Finally, the last website I wish to show is called a Voki. A Voki will definitely get students attention as it is a fun, engaging and safe way to get information across. This educational tool allows students to have their own voice play over a multitude of characters such as a historical figure, a cartoon or even over a picture of you! these Voki's can be shared to other students or embedded in other websites for teachers to see or anyone else on the internet. Used correctly, it is a very usual learning tool. 

FUN FACT

Why is Voki called Voki? Voki is a combination of the words “vox” and “Loki”. “Vox” is the Latin term for voice. Loki is a Norse god from Norse mythology. Loki is a trickster who has the ability to change his shape. Fitting name since Voki gives students and teachers the ability to change the character’s appearance and add a voice!

WOW! COOL! 

Below is my own Voki I created, link here.It is so creative that I was able to make a sock puppet at a rave party. Charles the sock puppet will now conclude this blog. 

(If Voki isn't working, click here) 

Resources:

com, F. (2013). The Newspaper Clipping Generator. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://www.fodey.com

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.R4BptDR4.dpuf

Eric Ablett, Dominick Bellizzi, James Byers, Sarah Cove, Max Dobrusin, Adam Frey, and Jeff Hanke. (2013). E-learning-Kate-Truelson. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://e-learning-kate-truelson.wikispaces.com/home

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.jzYr0bdQ.dpuf

Google images

Oddcast (2013). About Voki . Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://www.voki.com/about_voki.php

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.TWbYCD85.dpuf

Truelson, K. (2013). Designing a Vehicle. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://www.weebly.com/

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.J8kwgEIb.dpuf

Week 2

Design Strategies & Pedagogies within the Classroom 

For the digital natives 

Source: Google Images 

This week is all about the various methods teachers implicate into a classroom setting, such as Blooms Taxonomy and the TPACK strategy. Along with  digital pedagogies and environments, the modern student and how it all affects teaching. 

Blooms Taxonomy:

Source: Google Images 

The method of Blooms Taxonomy was created in order to promote higher forms of thinking in terms of education, such as analysing and evaluating, not simply trying to remember facts by writing them down. 

By understanding the triangle to the right, looking at all the steps:

• Creating; Builds a structure or pattern from diverse element.
• Evaluating; Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials.  
• Analysing; Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood.  
• Applying; Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction, 
• Understanding; comprehending the meaning, translation, interpolation, and interpretation of instructions and problems. 
• Remembering; Recall previous learned information.

TPACK:

Technological 

Pedagogical 






And








Content 









Knowledge 

Source: TPACK. org.

TPACK, or technological pedagogical and content knowledge is a framework that identifies the knowledge teachers need to teach effectively with technology.  If you follow along with the image, you can see that TPACK looks at three forms of knowledge; Content, Pedagogy and Technology. 

This method of teaching does more than just demonstrates the three knowledge bases individually, but rather, it also emphasizes new types of knowledge that lie between them, which represents more knowledge which teachers are then able to apply. some of these include:

- Pedagogical Content Knowledge

- Technological Content Knowledge 

- Technological Pedagogical Knowledge

and the intersection of all three circles:

- Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Digital Pedagogies:

Digital pedagogies are new ways of working and learning with ICT to facilitate quality of learning experiences for 21st century learners. If you look at the picture above, you can see that there are a plethora of ways that digital pedagogies assist in teaching students within the classroom. 

They can be defined as three main principles; personalized and authentic learning, broader experiences and deeper learning and learning in the global context. these three principles cooperate together and are the core attributes which students need in a digital world.  

Modern Student - digital natives & living in a digital world:

Source: Google Images

In this day and age, everything is digital. We have interactive whiteboards in the classroom, computers with access to the internet and every student nowadays has their own cell phone. So it is important for teachers to keep up with technology and not fall behind as it could be the missing link between students understanding and grasping something.

Obviously the picture beside me is exaggerated  but to some, it could be generation Z's idea of life. To this generation of digital natives, internet and the latest technology is so important to them that it falls under necessities along with money, food and water. 

How it affects Teaching - How will it affect my teaching?

Knowing this, it is important for all teachers, especially for me as a future teacher, to recognize that every generation of students are different and requires different ways of teaching. In this case, the above ways of teaching are very effective and can be used in any classroom situation to help students gain wider knowledge.

Digital natives and digital immigrants:

Below is a YouTube clip about technology and what are digital natives and digital immigrants. 

References:

Google images 

Clark, D. (1999). Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.Ctca6dbM.dpuf

Koehler, M. J. (n.d.). What is TPACK?. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.tpack.org/

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.IQjn6OAO.dpuf

McNorton, D. (2010). Digital Native, Digital Immigrant. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZfJI2_-CL0

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.e6UGPfU0.dpuf

          Perkins, J. (2009). Digital Pedagogies are new ways of working and learning with ICT to facilitate quality learning experiences for 21st Century learners.. Retrieved July 14, 2013, from http://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=41886 - See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.17DYI1ry.dpuf

Week 1

  Learning Theories
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
- Benjamin Franklin 

Source: Google Images

As future teachers, understanding how students learn, their different abilities and skills within a classroom can sometimes be difficult to see, however through the use of different learning theories which teachers can manipulate, a sufficient method of uncovering how students best learn is created.
One learning theory from the edudemic website states that learning theories work both mentally, physically, personally and environmentally. 

The Traditional Learning Theories

Source: Google Images 

Behaviourism which involves understanding and remembering. It is task-based learning with including factors of nature or reward, punishment and stimuli, and has large gains in test scores and programmed instruction. 
Cognitivism which are creating and evaluating. It is a structured, computational sort of learning that can help educators design lessons that are enhanced successfully through visuals and media. 
Constructivism which talks about analysing and applying. This focuses on social and meaning created  by each learner, and the benefits include experiences which are authentic and helps with involvement in problems situations.

With the next generation of students being technology natives, the  new digital age theory was added called Connectivism.  Which is about recognising and of course connecting, it also involves work distributed within  a network, social,  technologically enhanced. (Just like this blog!) 

Multiple Intelligence Theory  

Source: Google Images

Another theory is called the Multiple Intelligence theory and looks at all the different intelligences that students have. 

Myself, as a future teacher, I took the test to see what I was most likely connected to, which was kinaesthetic. This means that I express things physically and work in a more 'hands-on' environment. 
This is a very popular and successful way that most students use to learn especially from a young age. Which is why knowing what type of intelligence they are can greatly improve their knowledge and understanding with in a classroom.  Below is a clip from YouTube about study tips and how students best learn if educators adapts their study habits that best suit their intelligence, in this clip, it focuses on kinaesthetic learners. 

Students learning through kinaesthetic methods. Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__qPxeg0EdU
My Own Teaching

Source: Google Images 

These theories are ones that I would definitely use in my own classroom one day as they are crucial in helping students discover what they are best at and what they need to improve on  to get a full quality of learning throughout their time in school. without manipulating these theories, I wouldn't have even known what I was best at, this way, everyone, know matter how old, can find out the best way to learn, whether it was through notes and writing down, visual pictures and diagrams, being involved and hands-on work or working collaboratively or by one's self. 



Future Perspectives: What will I do In my own classroom
As a kinaesthetic learner myself, I feel that one of the best ways to learn, and what I plan on doing in my classroom, is a plethora of making, creating, building, collaborative working and above all, working together to make sure students are fully participating in all lessons and gaining full understanding and knowledge in all areas, and improving areas they struggle in. 
This is my plan. :) 


References 

Council, B. C. (2013). Multiple Intelligences . Retrieved July 9, 2013, from http://www.bgfl.org/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/results.cfm

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.FH8ufK7n.dpuf

Edudemic (2012). A Simple Guide To 4 Complex Learning Theories. Retrieved July 9, 2013, from http://www.edudemic.com/2012/12/a-simple-guide-to-4-complex-learning-theories/ - See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.lomDONy9.dpuf

Gallagher, S. (Feb 9, 2012). Study Tips for Kinesthetic Learners. Retrieved July 9, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__qPxeg0EdU

- See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.WXH78iBl.dpuf

Google images