Cyber bullying is a serious issue and one that I did not even know existed until my most recent practicum. Throughout our e-learning course we have exposed to so many of the benefits of technology however we have not really addressed the issue of cyber bullying in schools.
Maree’s post, Cyberbullying – are you aware of this? explains that so many students are exposed to cyber bullying and many parents and teachers do not even realise it is happening. When I was at school this was not an issue, however this generation are so susceptable to cyber bullying becuase they use technology on a daily basis.
At my most recent practicum a teacher had accidentally left a list with all the students’ email password in the computer lab and when they returned to get it, it had disapeared. A student had taken this and sent nasty emails to a number of students in the school from different people’s email addresses.
Student’s as young as seven years old had been exposed to cyber bullying. As a result, students were given instructions to change their passwords and the students involved were ‘dealt with’. Do you think this incident was handle appropriately and what other action could have been applied?
After reading Maree’s posting Who’s teaching who it made me reflect on my own teaching and learning experiences.
Students today have been brought up with Google, My Space, Face Book, Hotmail, Playstations, Laptops, Ipods, mobile phones and the list goes on…
Recently on prac, my students where showing me how to embed images into a PowerPoint presentation. I thought to myself – How did they learn this, who taught them and how do teachers compete and stay up to date with the language and skills of ‘native’ students?
There are so many digital “immigrants” within the teaching profession and in many cases the students are the ones doing the teaching.
Maree’s posting focuses on professional development in ICT. At my prac school they recently installed five interactive white boards and two teachers were sent to a course to learn how to use these. Upon return, they demonstrated their new skills to all of the staff as if they were teaching it to students (rather than just handing out an informaton sheet and letting the teachers figure it out on their own).
This allowed the teachers to become students, see the benefits of interactive whiteboards and actively learn how to use the technology. Teachers who needed extra help were given support and a folder was created on the intranet so that teachers could share their ideas and lesson plans with other staff.
One teacher said “There is no way I could have figured that out on my own … it was so helpful to see other people use it and be given practical and real lesson ideas”.
This professional development program seemed to be extremely sucessful and shows the importance of continual and ongoing learning for teachers.
I have just finished watching Lucy’s digital story about her experiences working at Barnier Public School.
This proved that some schools are really embracing technology and using it as a tool to promote and encourage learning. Lucy mentions that the students at Barnier Public School rarely use pen and paper and have computer pods at their desks. This allows them to access a range of knowledge throughout the day (not just during their computer lessons).
Lucy also mentions that technology helps students with their life-long learning journey. I think this is important as their learning will not end when they finish school. The world is always changing (especially technology) and it is important that students are given the values and skills to continue their learning journey – technology will be a big part of this process.
How can you ensure that your students will continue learning after they have left the classroom?
October 30, 2008, 9:12 pm
Filed under: Regular Post
I was recently searching through “the most discussed” video’s on TeacherTube when I came across this clip. It is definately worth watching as it talks about how students learn and argues that teachers should be using technology to enhance learning.
It argues that students already know how to use mobile phones, ipods and other forms of digital communication - so why wouldn’t you use this when teaching? I agree that this would benefit students’ learning as it integrates aspects of ‘real life’ and uses things that student find engaging.
I work in an after school care where a large percentage of students have mobile phones, ipods and portable games in their school bags. However, they are not allowed to use these at school as they are seen to be a distraction or liability. Prior to watching this clip, I had never considered the benefits of using a mobile phone or an ipod in a lesson, however it is beginning to make sense. I was particularly motivated by the following examples:
“Ipod + Podcast = Anytime Learning… If you can’t reach you’re students by speaking directly to them … Teach them via podcast…”
and
“You’ve got 10 minutes to receive a text message from anyone outside of this school… You must find out what the weather is like where they are and what they had for breakfast… extra points will be given for messages recieved from people in another country or using languages other than English.”
I believe teachers should be using this technology to their advantage. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEST) states that “schools must produce graduates who are equipped to use information and communication technology (ICT) effectively in all aspects of their lives as students, future workers, and citizens” (DEST, 2008).
If this is the case, you must then ask, why aren’t todays students allowed to take their mobiles and ipods out of their school bag?
I have just read Amy’s post about digital stories. Until recently, I had never heard of a digital story. It was not until actually watching Buras’Digital Story, about the affects of Hurricane Katrina, that I realised the impact a digital story can have.
The digital stories I have watched, since recently being introduced to them, have really drawn me in. I feel like I can connect with the narrator as they share their personal views and experiences. In my view, having a narrator tell the story with music, sound effects and pictures to complement the story has a much greater impact on the viewer.
I just recently finished creating my own digitial story. It is about an experience I had observing a deaf girl, learning to read. I really enjoyed this entire process of creating a digital story and can’t wait to use it with my students.
October 28, 2008, 3:58 am
Filed under: Regular Post | Tags: K
I recently read a case study about a disadvantaged school in Perth that was chosen to be a Technology Focus School, an initiative by the Western Australia Education Department. This school was given funding to improve information technology (I.T) resources, training and infrastructure.
The schools vision is “to enable students and staff to access technology effectively and with confidence to enhance learning” (North Parmelia Primary School, 1998). They believe that mastering technological skills only meets part of students learning needs and that communicating, exploring and discovery are also important aspects of students learning in IT.
I found this case study very interesting as it shows how a low socio-economic school, with students who have minimal access to computers at home, are able to integrate technology into their school so effectively and win the Australian Schools Web Challenge (1998).
At the end of the case study it questions – Why was IT so successful at this school?
I believe it is successful because staff were well trained and resourced, students were treated like ‘produces’ rather than ‘consumers’ and the whole school integrated technology across the entire curriculum instead of just teaching it as an individual subject.
This case study provides further evidence that technology is an integral part of education and it has great impacts on students’ learning and development.
I have recently read Amy’s posting about digital sand castles. It refers to constructionist learning and how simple forms of play, such as building sand castles, help children engage in new learning experiences.
Harel believes that “children learn best when they are in the active roles of designer and constructor”. I agree with this belief and like Amy, I have also learned many things using this constructionist approach. It is important to acknowledge that not everything is linked to a syllabus or curriculum and that many learning experiences are based on the informal or ‘hidden’ curriculum.
Nobody teaches children to build sand castles, they design and create their own.
Unfortunately, sand castles don’t last very long. However, by allowing students to create ‘sandcastles’ in a digital setting, it enables them to reflect, share, extend and discover on an ongoing basis.
Harel also states building ‘digital sand castles’ is not just for children. Learning is a lifelong process and I since the beginning of this e-learning subject I have made many digital ‘sand castles’.
October 28, 2008, 12:36 am
Filed under: Regular Post
During our e-learning tutorial today, it was recommended that we watch a YouTube clip called Melissa’s World. The clip shows a young girl who has cerebral palsy, using newly designed software, which allows her to communicate what is in her mind. It allows her to to control a computer mouse by gazing her eyes at a special computer monitor.
I was extremely impressed by this software as it showed how technology can help people with special needs to communicate. I am very passionate about helping people with special needs as I have a brother with an intellectual disability. Although he has limited speech and can not read or write, he was recently shown how to make a PowerPoint presentation for his 21st birthday. I am sure many people would make the assumption that people with special needs are unable to use and benefit from technology, however this YouTube helps to change these views.
This clip has given me greater insight into the benefits of technology and new perspectives about how and why it can be used. I thought this story was extremely inspiring as it shows that someone who is unable to speak and has limited use of their body is still able to express exactly what they are thinking.
My lecturer Matthew Kearney is always saying that “technology gives students a voice”…
Doug Brown argues that they are extremely relevant and beneficial in class rooms as the improve teacher preparation, pace of lessons, student motivation and student engagement.
I have mixed feelings about this technology due to my recent experiences at prac. I agree with Brown that IWB’s can increase motivation and engagement and there are endless lessons, flipcharts and resources available on the internet. However, during two different lessons that I planned to use the IWB, I had major issues. The software would not load, I could not alter the flip chart prior to use, the markers did not write properly and the projector was not fixated to the roof which meant it was sitting in the middle of the classroom on a stool.
I began to question “is all this technology is worth it?”
However, I now realise it was simply bad luck. Since listening to Brown’s argument I have decided not to give up on IWB’s and hopefully i will be lucky enough to have a IWB in my own classroom.
October 12, 2008, 10:52 pm
Filed under: Regular Post
Recently in our E-learning tutorials we have been discussing our views about student learning. We have talked about how students learn and how technology can improve learning.
I believe students learn best when they are engaged, involved and learning relevant skills and knowledge. If used effectively, technology can be an integral part of student learning.
The YouTube clip A Vision of K-12 Students Todaysupports my views about learning and shows that technology is extremely relevant to ’21st century learners’. Technology has become a common aspect of their lives and they want to use it to help them learn and engage. For example, we see a learner who prefers to listen to Harry Potter on his Ipod rather than reading it from a book. This shows how technology can enhance and improve learning.
The most important thing I have learnt is that teachers need to focus on how students’ learn. Teachers should regularly reflect on their approaches to teaching and learning and actively talk to students about how they want to learn.
