Embedded Task 2: Blogs, Wikis and Websites

Embedded Assignment 2: Blogs

For my Assessment task 2 I have chosen to reflect on blogs. I have enjoyed this within my own studies so I thought I’d delve deeper so my students and I are able utilise this tool fully in the future. But what can a blog “DO”I hear you say? (Or perhaps it’s the first question on our criteria sheet?) Depending on the person blogging it can be as private as a handwritten diary or as accessible as a pokie at the casino. It can do everything from linking every relatable piece of information ever written, spoken or drawn on a specific topic to connecting a community of people from all over the world and even low orbit (I have no proof of this). Or it can do nothing and sit untouched for years, silently waiting for an event to happen in your life which you might find blog-worthy. The blogging landscape is rather dynamic, I have found my blog is able to grow with me as I become more confident and capable with the software. This may reduce the sense of being overwhelmed for first time users as linking websites to your blog or uploading content is not essential to its construction. Navigating your space is also fairly basic making it easy to use whilst being able to personalise it can make it feel more like an extension or expression of self. Depending on the purpose of your space you could also customise it to represent a group or even a conglomerate. Privacy setting allow multiple authors and even the ability to block access to those outside the designated audience.

In regard to learning outcomes blogs would support ICT knowledge and manipulation, collaboration and higher order thinking. Having students create a blog on global warming which utilises audio, video and images either linked from outside websites or embedded within the blog requires knowledge of the programme and sound operation abilities. Whilst blogs amongst small groups with multiple authors involves collaboration. These small groups may even link relative information from another group’s blog displaying collaboration with other groups. As mentioned on moodle week 3, blog spaces could be utilised for standard evaluations like essays. Using the space as a hub of information, collecting and categorising information, analysing its importance and applying it correctly. Teachers could even use the blog as a submission method, requiring students to adjust the privacy settings accordingly. Which reverts back to outcome 1.   

As a studying history teacher I am interested in war and its effects on people. I am designing a task that involves students starting a blog and using them as battle field diary entries. Each entry must have at least four actual facts about the war so higher order thinking is being used regarding evaluating and applying. Relating to SAMR this is the lowest level of enhancement, labelled substitution as the students could achieve this with a pen and paper. Perhaps embedding links to YouTube clips or webpages in the blog could fall under the SAMR label, modification. Although I haven’t sorted the finer details, I would like the entries to be read by other students and commented on but, I would like the comments supporting the diggers to be from the students from this time and age. Making their learning based in real life context, leading the students to feel the dangers and sadness faced by soldiers. The final step of the activity would be a collaboration through group discussion about the errors the military had made in attacking certain towns or the weaponry used which I believe supports learning controlled by students. Again, this is only half an idea as it is still growing but I still believe it highlights the correct use of ICT’s

For more info follow the links below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=592ZXOuG7yE

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii

Phone debate - Six thinking hats

The idea that these learning theories are out there and are compulsory knowledge for graduating teachers intrigues me. Personally I never liked high school nor did I do very well. It is difficult for me to believe that my teachers trialed any of the digital pedagogy ideas in class, well perhaps they did, but I had deemed it lame and continued to scratch “Pearl Jam” into the desk with my compass. The purpose of the Wiki activity succeeded greatly for me. Having an idea on where I stood regarding the mobile phone debate it was interesting processing other people’s opinions in a reflective state. Meaning, I was allowed to hear others opinions without having to debate or make my stance clear. I sifted through opinions and extracted fragments that engaged me. Overall the Wiki was easy to navigate and a pretty simple activity but the sharing of thoughts and instant access to differing opinions made my reflection process further informed. Instead of having a thought and noting a few dot points to support it we were given a greater range of opinions which swayed and solidified my opinion. The uncomplicated design and purpose of this Wiki was a success.

The SAMR theory is used well with the Wiki exercise as I believe it falls within the “redefinition” heading. Having the Wiki accessible at all times with a constantly growing community of opinions it truly is technology allowing for the creation of new tasks. Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy goes hand in hand with de Bono’s six hats. We were asked to look from all angles regarding phones in class encouraging evaluation, comprehension, knowledge, analysis, application and synthesis. Digital pedagogy is supported through facilitating higher order thinking, collaborating with conversation and learning situated in real life context. This Wiki activity, by no mistake I’m sure, fully adheres to all our recently learnt theories and is a great example for future teachers.

The purpose of scaffolding the task regarding six hats in the debate of mobile phones supports the students to stay on task whilst having the freedom to create personal opinions and to evaluate their own and others opinions. Once the scaffold is removed and the student appreciates their work standing unsupported they may gain a sense of confidence. This is a valuable tool in future learning.

Idea Intergration

I've broken down what ideas may work most effectively with each level of higher order thinking. Some do overlap which was unavoidable but I tried to be precise and chose only one method for each category. (Forgive the chicken scratch like writing)

I have chosen the 6 higher order thinking categories as most activities planned for students should contain them. Breaking the categories down and filing them under one (or more) of the three Bloom’s, SAMR or Digital Pedagogy areas should allow for efficient and effective delivery. 

Pedagogy table

Pedagogy	What does it “Look Like” in practice	What does it NOT “Look Like” in practice
Facilitating deep knowledge through higher order thinking	Lower order thinking is simply completing a task by following specific steps. Higher order thinking facilitates a deeper knowledge through creation, evaluation and analysis. Encouraging learning “from the ground up”. Tools include de Bono’s thinking hats and Blooms taxonomy	As stated in box A, just delivering answers to students with no involvement on their behalf dulls their inquisitive nature and damages vital skills needed for the future.
Facilitating collaborative learning in which conversations are important	Collaborative team learning is said to achieve higher level thinking through “discussion, clarification of ideas and evaluation of ideas”. To facilitate conversation based collaboration it is ideal to keep the groups a manageable size, establish group goals and to promote trust and open communication.	Allowing groups to randomly discus whatever topic they decide and rejecting others ideas are counter-productive.
Supporting students in knowing how they learn best	Differentiated curriculum. All students are not only intellectual but social and emotional beings. Understanding their prior knowledge, cultural background, generation and development is key for supporting students. A differentiated curriculum focusing on an array of learning techniques is important	Delivering the same material and resources year after year and force feeding diverse students with traditional rhetoric.
Planning learning that is problem-based, and situated in real life contexts	Problem based learning requires students to clarify the problem and collect the appropriate information and analyse the data situating this in real life context would include field trips, role playing or even classes held in the school gardens.	Not offering a problem and just demanding an answer for an abstract, irrelevant situation which the students have rote learnt.
Is relevant to students, and connects to their background knowledge	Background knowledge is simply what the students already know about the content being delivered. Strong background knowledge (BGK) on any topic is important to the amount of new information that will “stick”. Measuring a student’s BGK with simple activities like prediction guides may be advisable.	Teaching in-depth content to a class that may not have heard about the topic. Assuming the topic is common knowledge.
Supports learning that is owned, controlled and managed by students themselves	AKA Student-centered learning give students the power to choose what and how they learn. This increases content knowledge through actively making meaning from experience, which also builds lifelong learning practices.	Treating students like voiceless vessels into which we cram information
Is socially supportive, engaging, and values cultural knowledges	Ensuring your classroom is all inclusive and students are respectful of all cultural and racial differences.	Allowing students to exclude ideas or participation based on race or background.
Is supportive of the development of active citizenship, and strong group identity.	School may be one of the first clubs or organisations the students are a “member” of and allowing students to be part of decision making may nurture a strong identity with the school.	Forcing the students to conform to school policies that may be dated and treating the school as “us” and the students as “them”

Week 1 reflectionings

After processing the presentations I noted my perceptions of the main points. Presentation one “Meet Generation Z” left me with a thought of, maybe they should be teaching me, but also with a sense of respect and admiration. They really are the generation of innatism, maybe not in the philosophical sense, but as in all of the human races’ lessons, mistakes, theories and ramblings are a click or swipe away. Our goal as a species is/was to pass all the lessons we learned to our children so they could advance their position in life without making the same mistakes we did. The internet is that collective conscious and Gen Z are using it!

With teachings like Dr. Willis’ regarding tailoring education to Gen Z with “bite sized” parcels of information and her four main objectives of creating SAFE, CURIOUS and FOCUSED individuals who can EVALUATE INFORMATION supports my vision of a classroom.

Sir Ken Robinson delivered a deep and somewhat futuristic view of education. Although, he made many valid points it was the basic theory of intelligence being dynamic that supports my pedagogy.

These three ideas support my general pedagogy within digital literacy which is trusting the students to complete tasks with their own methods unless specific criteria is required (Meet Gen Z). Education is for the students, do not bog down in convention, move with the time, keep them curious and focused (Dr. Judy Willis). Don’t be afraid to change traditional processes, be dynamic and reward creativity (Sir Ken Robinson).  

The benefits of equipping students with ICT knowledge is the real world applications. Understanding and being comfortable with investigating, creating and communicating with technology prepares them to be part of the global online community thus, building current and informed individuals.

Traditional classrooms ask for opinions of set texts, which makes sense, but may narrow the mind to traverse an already well-worn track. Whilst proven, peer reviewed information is critical to advancing knowledge I believe it may not be critical to gaining knowledge. For example, only using the proven way to achieve a result constricts the mind to the specific steps needed to get to your goal whilst not understanding the reason those specific steps are important. My classroom could use social media and opinion pieces as a source of debate to weed out the ridiculous and form a united theory, give or take a few unique ideas, on the chosen topic.