Video

A FINE EXAMPLE OF THE TECHNOLOGY AGE
This clip shows how technology has definitely been embraced :-)

Did You Know 4.0
xplanevisualthinking. (2009, Sept 14). Did you know 4.0 [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8&feature=related

Podcasting

Podcasting is rapidly growing in popularity. So what is a podcast?
It is a form of transporting audio directly from the internet to portable media players such as iPods.

Podcast in early childhood learning
 Students reading a story (Germano, 2008)
 Interviews (Shelley, n.d.)
 Allows students to share learning experiences (Department of Education: Western Australia, 2010)
 Promotes the use of technology – 21st century learning (Department of Education: Western Australia, 2010)

DEMONSTRATION OF THE USE OF PODCASTING IN EARLY YEARS
Here is an MP3 that I found of children recording their names and stating what the first letter of their name is……

Check out this site and download the MP3: http://blogs.scholastic.com/early_childhood_teacher/2008/09/podcasting.html
a_my_name_is_book_scholastic.mp3 (Germano, 2008)

Activity:
What do you see?
Image from: (Lyons, 2010 – Personal Communication)

Types of Questions asked

1. Is this photo 2D or 3D?
2. How does this photo make you feel?
3. What colour, shape and texture do you see?
4. What is the photo showing?
5. What can you see?

Listen to the podcast Number 1 below.

1. http://blackdog.net/midi/bark.wav
Sound from: (Find Sounds, n.d.)

What was it a sound of?
Can you see this animal in the photo?

This could be repeated with different sounds to stimulate thinking and imagination.


References
Find Sounds. (n.d.). Find sounds. Retrieved from http://www.findsounds.com/types.html
Department of Education: Western Australia. (2010). Podcasts in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/podcasts/
Germano, C. (2008). Christina’s classroom. Retrieved from http://blogs.scholastic.com/early_childhood_teacher/2008/09/podcasting.html
Shelly, N. (n.d.). Podcasting in the classroom. Retrieved from http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~nshelley/

Moodle

“The design and development of Moodle is guided by a social constructionist pedagogy” (Moodle, 2009).

Using Moodle in the Classroom – VERY INTERESTING
This clip really emphases how teachers are heading in the direction of fully utilising technology to its full potential in the classroom. The possible usage for this program is amazing. There are also many benefits for parents which is something that I was not aware of.
I highly recommend watching this video …..



Advantages from the student perspective (my opinion)
- support available from teachers and peers
- everything at your finger tips available at all times
- access to resources from anywhere that has a computer
- easy to use, good layout
- collaborative work

Advantages from a teacher perspective (my opinion)
- student work can be monitored closely
- a variety of engagement methods and resources can be used eg: wiki, text, video etc
- can be customized and used in a variety of settings

Can it be used for all students and courses? (my opinion)
- this form of learning does not suit all learning styles
- not appropriate for early years learners as what this program is designed to do is not at their level


References
Moodle. (2009). About moodle. Retrieved from http://docs.moodle.org
stevenputt. (2007, Oct 29). Moodle in the classroom [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9XfwBzt1mY

PowerPoint

Advantages of PowerPoint
- Ability to incorporate and use of a variety of resources eg: photos, images, videos, students work, sounds
- Caters for different learning styles
- Interactive engagement
- Can customise presentations based on the audience level
- Can be used in collaborative learning and therefore promotes peer sharing
- The uses of PowerPoint are only limited by your imagination
- Create diagrams
- You are able to reuse content
- The slide themes allows you to create consistency
- Easy to use layout and editing method
- Can add pages in desired place at any time
- Looks professional and eye-catching
- Promotes literacy
- Able to make 3D effects
Ref: (Stover, n.d.), (Baruch College, n.d.), (Andrew, 2009), (Jones, 2009)

Challenges of PowerPoint
- The risk of overuse of words or images on individual slides
- You are not able provide a lot of detail
- Can be time consuming to develop a successful presentation
Ref: (Goessl, n.d.), (Hasan, 2010)

PowerPoint in Early Years Learning
- Children within this age bracket benefit greatly from visuals & interactivity

Although the analysis above shows that the advantages of PowerPoint greatly outweigh the challenges, I believe that there is room for debate. This presentation that I created in PowerPoint was quite different to the normal slide arrangement that I construct in this program. I found it very challenging even though I was following step by step instructions. In saying this I consequently feel that this is significant drawback for the operation of this tool. It was incredibly time consuming to create what looks like a very basic (nothing fancy) presentation. I do note however that this comes back to my own knowledge and skill level about this program and that I am now aware that it requires development. Although I do believe PowerPoint has many advantages....for this type of presentation though…..not so much.

My PowerPoint presentation is found in this Wiki.
http://michelleuni.wikispaces.com/

References
Andrew, T. (2009) Teach students alternative uses for powerpoint. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/teach-students-alternative-uses-for-powerpoint-a104886
Baruch College. (n.d.). PowerPoint: Advantages and potential pitfalls. Retrieved from http://media.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/jbelland/powerpoint/tips.htm
Goessl, L. (n.d.). Pros and cons of using microsoft powerpoint presentations. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/976269-pros-and-cons-of-using-microsoft-powerpoint-presentations
Hasan. (2010). Steps for creating a professional powerpoint presentation in less time. Retrieved from http://www.articlealley.com/article_1367805_15.html
Jones, J. (2009). Advantages of microsoft powerpoint. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_5806083_advantages-microsoft-powerpoint.html
Stover, E. (n.d.). What are the benefits of using powerpoint and slide presentations in the classroom? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5008796_using-powerpoint-slide-presentations-classroom.html

Learning Framework

BLOOMS TAXONOMY

Image from: www.greameeyre.com

HistoryThis framework was developed by Dr Benjamin Bloom in 1956 (businessball.com, n.d.)

Theory
3 Domains Present within Bloom’s Taxonomy
1. COGNITIVE DOMAIN = critical thinking and knowledge
2. AFFECTIVE DOMAIN = attitudes and emotions
3. PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN = manipulation (Smith, 2010)

Blooms Taxonomy outlines significant phases in the learning process. This framework works well in Learning Experience Plans by starting with the fundamentals prior to moving to complex thinking and learning concepts (Smith, 2010).

Higer Order ThinkingEvaluation
Synthesis
Analysis Lower Order Thinking
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge

Image from: www.techlearning.com

Image from: http://www.uwsp.edu/

The framework was revised to reflect current teaching and learning in the 21st Century.

 

References

businessball.com. (n.d.). Bloom’s taxonomy learning domain. Retrieved from http://www.businessballs.com/bloomstaxonomyoflearningdomains.htm

Blooms and technology integration. http://www.slideshare.net/amwms1/blooms-and-technology-integration 
Smith, S. (2010). What is bloom’s taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-blooms-taxonomy.htm

Weebly

The link below is to a Webquest that I created in Weebly for a previous SOSE assignment

http://localhistory.weebly.com/index.html

This is a direct quote from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
“Although learning now occurs in online environments the principles around safe, secure and stimulating environments remain unchanged. When responding or supporting teachers or students in online spaces schools are advised to “take the technology out” of the issues and focus on the behaviours and expectations they would expect within any physical learning environment.”

“Regardless of whether they are online or offline, the safe and responsible use of digital technologies is always directly related to the values and behaviours of the students and teachers (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2010).”

References
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2010). Learning online support. Retrieved from http://www.education.vic.gov.au/management/elearningsupportservices/www/support/default.htm

Wiki

Below you will find a link to go to my wiki site.

Inside there are details about wikis vs blogs
- the similarities
- the differences
- the learning benefits &
- how wikis are being used in the classroom

http://shelluni.wikispaces.com/

Networked Early Years Learner

Image of Globe from: http://www.digifams.com/

Second Multiple Intelligence Results & Overview

Note: my results are quite similar

"Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do... Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves” (Smith, 2008).

Here is the link to complete the quiz yourself.
http://www.collegesuccess1.com/InstructorManual4thEd/Learning%20Style/MI_quiz.pdf

My Strengths involve
- Interpersonal Intelligence: Having been involved in team environments within the workforce for many years, this result was not a surprise to me. I worked in the administration field which is an area that is ultimately customer service focused. I enjoy being around people.

- Intrapersonal Intelligence: I benefit from working on my own, but am happy to work as part of a team when required. I am strong minded (some would say stubborn lol :-) and I recongise the value in being aware of my feelings.

- Logical-mathematical Intelligences: For as long as I can remember I have absolutely loved planning!! I prefer routine and therefore am not very spontaneous (which can be painful for some I know). Everything in my life has to be organised.

My Intermediate Strengths involve
- Linguistic Intelligence: I find that some times I stumble over words when speaking. It sounds good in my head and then it comes out wrong. Reading is something that I am doing a lot of at the moment due to being at University. I will admit however that sitting and reading a novel on the weekend is not appealing to me.

- Spatial Intelligence: I enjoy puzzles and believe that I am quite observant. However in saying this I do have trouble in viewing things artistically and objects that are abstract.

- Musical: Music is something that I use to escape and tune out to my surroundings. I was surprised that my scores were quite low for this. Maybe it has something to do with my lack of knowledge regarding the making, playing or production of music??

Areas needing improvement
- Naturalistic: I need to take more notice of my surroundings (environment).

- Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence: This result was not a surprise to me. I would not class myself as “sporty” at all. I personally learn best visually and from others. I do though understand that not everyone learns best in these manners.


References
Smith, M. (2008). Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences and education. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm

Multiple Intelligences

When it came to analysing these results and asking “why” I did find it quite challenging.

Below is another Multiple Intelligences Quiz which I found in the “Innovative Teachers’ Companion”.
Primary Edition 2011. Authors: Eric Frangenheim, Gerard Alford & Paul Herbert.

itc Publications

I thought it might be interesting to compare results with the first quiz.

Here is the link to complete the quiz yourself.
http://www.collegesuccess1.com/InstructorManual4thEd/Learning%20Style/MI_quiz.pdf

Concept Maps in Early Childhood

“One of the powerful uses of concept maps is not only as a learning tool but also as an evaluation tool, thus encouraging students to use meaningful-mode learning patterns” (Novak & Cañas, 2008).

The History
The idea of a concept map was first developed four decades ago in the early 1970’s. Since this time these graphic organisers have become a tool that is used widely in learning environments (Novak, 1998).

Description
Concept maps can be created manually or through utilising technology and using specific software programs. They show representations and clear relationships between ideas and topics (Birbili, 2008).

Introducing concept maps in the early years
The use of concept maps in early learning has great significance. Children are in the ‘sensorimotor stage’ (birth-2 years of age) and ‘preoperational stage’ of cognitive development (2-7 years of age) where they are beginning to discover the world around them (Snowman et al, 2009, p.29). In doing so children start to uncover and notice similarities and patterns (Novak & Cañas, 2008). Therefore there are numerous ways in which using concept maps can assist in productive pedagogy (Birbili, 2008).

Example
Although young children may not be able to create a concept map on their own, using familiar topics will assist the students in understanding the connections and relationships between concepts. It is a necessity that the Learning Manager models a variety of different concept maps for the students. Drawing and using concrete materials instead of text are a helpful method to introduce this tool to early learners (Birbili, 2008).







Images retrieved from clipart

When are “concept maps” a useful tool in an early childhood setting?
Concept maps are a great way for children to display and show their awareness and level of understanding about specific topics. This approach shows the current knowledge of the learner and offers the Learning Manager a starting point of where to extend the students understandings. Students are then able to add to this concept map as their knowledge increases and understandings develop further. (Birbili, 2008).

- The above concept helps the Learning Manager in planning.
o Scaffold = plan
o = do
o = reflect

Connecting learning theory
Constructivism: The prior knowledge of the students is drawn out through discussion. The students are able to actively “construct” new meanings through the learning experiences (Snowman et al, 2009).


References
Birbili, M. (2008). Mapping knowledge: Concept maps in early childhood education. Retrieved from https://pkab.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/peta-konsep-pada-pendidikan-tingkat-awal/
Novak, J. (1998). Learning, creating, and using knowledge: Concept maps as facilitative tools in schools and cooperation. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaurn Associates Inc.
Novak, J., Cañas, A. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them. Retrieved from http://cmap.ihmc.us/publications/researchpapers/theorycmaps/theoryunderlyingconceptmaps.htm
Snowman, J., Dobozy, E., Scevak, J., Bryer, F., Bartlett, B., & Biehler, R. (2010). Psychology: Applied to teaching. Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Learning Theory in Early Childhood

Constructivist Theory
"Constructivism is the view that meaningful learning is the active creation of knowledge structures rather than a mere transferring of objective knowledge from one person to another" (Snowman et al, 2009, p.28).

- Meaningful activities need to be planned that incorporate the experiences and interests of the students.
- Appropriate materials are required to be available for young children to play with and manipulate.

Behaviorist Theory
Behavior is shaped and formed through both negative and positive reinforcement. These forms of reinforcement (both positive and negative) encourage for the behavior to occur yet again. Punishment (positive and negative) reduces the likelihood of the behavior reoccurring (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2010).

- Rewards and positive reinforcement such as praise.

21st Century Learning
This is known as the digital age with new technologies emerging all the time. These new technologies are altering the way in which students learn in the classroom (Billington, 2008).

- Interactive whiteboards

Social Learning Theory
Learning occurs through interaction with others and observation of others actions (Merriam & Caffarella, 1991).


References
Billington, J. (2008, Mar 17). 21st century learning matters [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L2XwWq4_BY
Learning Theories Knowledgebase. (2010, November). Behaviorism at learning-theories.com. Retrieved November 4th, 2010 from http://www.learning-theories.com/behaviorism.html
Merriam, S.B. and Caffarella, R. S. (1991). Four perspectives on learning. Retrieved from http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/orientations.html
Snowman, J., Dobozy, E., Scevak, J., Bryer, F., Bartlett, B., & Biehler, R. (2010). Psychology: Applied to teaching. Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Designated Learning Theory

Constructivism

Definition:
- "Constructivism is the view that meaningful learning is the active creation of knowledge structures rather than a mere transferring of objective knowledge from one person to another" (Snowman et al, 2009, p.28).
- ….. “children construct their own understanding through interaction with their environment – that is, through their actions on objects in the world” (Mcinerney & Mcinerney, 2006, p.37).

Theorists that pioneered constructivism:
- Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner (Lein, n.d.).

Pluses:
- Learners take an active role in their own learning (Lein, n.d.).
- Learners find information for themselves and therefore obtain a more thorough understanding of the material (Lein, n.d.).
- Teaches learners to pose questions and find the answers (McInerney & McInerney, 2006).
- Knowledge is constructed from experience (Mergel, 1998).
- Learners engage more through this active form of learning and therefore learn more (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004).
- Learning is personal and therefore the learner has the control (Mergel, 1998).
- Learners are given the opportunity to actively participate in their own learning (Krause et al., 2006).

Minuses:
- Because constructivist approaches are student-centered it may be hard for a teacher to completely plan a lesson because the lesson would constantly change due to student response (Snowman et al, 2009, p.346).
- It is more time consuming to teach in a constructivist way (Snowman et al, 2009, p.346).
- Not all teaching can be done applying a constructivist approach. The memorisation of certain facts, for example, has to be taught differently (Snowman et al, 2009, p.346).

Interesting:
- "Constructivism is often applied in an e-learning context through real-world simulations, collaborations with other students, and by giving the learners access to point-of-need knowledge responses (Lein, n.d.).
- Learners construct and use individual tools for understanding, learning and discovering (McInerney & McInerney, 2006, p.37).


References
Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2004). Constructivism as a paradigm for teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html
Krause, K., Bochner, S., & Duchesne, S. (2006). Educational psychology for learning and teaching (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Thomson.
Lein, K. (n.d.). Elearning pedagogy. Retrieved from http://elearningpedagogy.com/index.html
McInerney, D., & McInerney, V. (2006). Educational psychology: Constructing learning (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional design & learning theory. Retrieved from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm
Snowman, J., Dobozy, E., Scevak, J., Bryer, F., Bartlett, B., & Biehler, R. (2010). Psychology: Applied to teaching. Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Concept Maps (Tools) – Content Week 1

Text 2 Mindmap = http://www.text2mindmap.com/

Bubbl.us = http://bubbl.us/

I explored the above tools and found both relatively straight forward to use. Personally my preference was the tool “Text 2 Mindmap” due to the ease of typing in the data and the program automatically converting the information into a mind map format.

Text 2 Mindmap

Benefits:
- Easy text to mind map converter
- Convenient (takes little time)
- Simple colour change of font, lines and boxes
- Font can be edited easily
- Uncomplicated screen layout
- Able to change mind map layout easily

Challenges:
- Not able to save to edit mind map at another time
- Unable to insert images which would be beneficial to early years learning
Bubbl.us

Benefits:
- Step by step instructions on screen
- Easy colour change
- Able to save mind map for editing at a later date
- Looks professional
- Undo option available

Challenges:
- Can get messy with lots of boxes involved
- Need to type in and position each box individually
- Unable to insert images which would be highly beneficial to early years learning
- Time consuming

Blogs in the Classroom

Definition
- "Blog is an abbreviated version of "weblog". Blogs are web sites where people write on an ongoing basis. New articles or 'posts' show up at the top of the page, so its easy to read what's new” (Griffith University, n.d.)
- “A blog is a personal website that contains content organized like a journal or a diary. Each entry is dated, and the entries are displayed on the web page in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent entry is posted at the top. Readers catch up with blogs by starting at the top and reading down until they encounter material they’re already read” (Downes, 2009).
- Lee Keller asks Kim Cavanaugh about what blogs are how they are being used in education http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7XiCg_wpzE (Palm Breeze Cafe, 2008)

Pluses
- Blogs encourage and create enthusiasm for reading and writing (Downes, 2004).
- Tasks and activities that are different, fresh, and surprising engage students (Snowman et al., 2010).
- Learners enjoy being involved in active learning (Snowman et al., 2010).
- Provides learners with the opportunity to express views and learn from others all over the world (Downes, 2004).
- “Blogs provide a communication space that teachers can utilise with students whenever there is a curriculum need to develop writing, share ideas and reflect on work being undertaken in the classroom” (Department of Education, 2010).

View the hyperlink below to find “11 advantages of using a blog for teaching”
http://www.slideshare.net/frankcalberg/11-advantages-of-using-a-blog-for-teaching

Minuses
- Every student may not have access to a computer (Online Education Blog, 2008).
- “Regular writing may give rise to slangs and sloppy way of writing spoiling the quality of proper usage of language” (Online Education Blog, 2008).
- Online bullying (Downes, 2009).

Interesting
- “The process of reading online, engaging a community and reflecting it online, is a process of bringing life into learning” (Downes, 2004, p. 7).

References
Department of Education. (2010). Blogs in education. Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/
Downes, S. (2004). Educational blogging. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0450.pdf
Griffith University. (n.d.). What is a blog? Retrieved from http://www.griffith.edu.au/blogs/what-is-a-blog
Online Educational Blog. (2008). Blogs: Advantages and disadvantages. Retrieved from http://www.onlineedublog.com/tag/advantages-disadvantages-blogs/
Palm Breeze Cafe. (2008, Jan 20). Blogs in education [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7XiCg_wpzE
Snowman, J., Dobozy, E., Scevak, J., Bryer, F., Bartlett, B., & Biehler, R. (2010). Psychology: Applied to teaching. Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

ICT's in Learning and Teaching

Well to be honest, this concept of "blogging" is a whole new thing to me. Now I do know that we are living in the 21st century ("the technology age") but I will admit that I am one who is nervous about ICT's. Previously in other courses during the year we have briefly touched on technology in the classroom and its beneficial effects on learning. However in saying this I will confess that besides using a computer for typing and the Internet, ICT's has never been something that I have been fully open to, not even the crazes of ipods and iphones...........

............well in saying this I was amazed by the impact that the 2 images below had on my opinion. They changed my view and ideas about ICT's in learning and teaching. They were the kick start that I needed to get my thinking processes going. These images slapped me in the face and showed me plain and simple how much we are truly limiting ourselves by not embracing these amazing technologies around us.

I hope they have similar impact on you!! Please do let me know....


Images from: Technology in the Middle. (2007). 21st century literacy: Network literacy. Retrieved from http://pwoessner.com/2008/12/15/21st-century-literacy-network-literacy//