I believe augmented reality opens a window of opportunities for learning to be maximised and fully interactive. Teaching and learning would be seen as something enjoyable and fun. Students would want to engage in learning. I would use this technology within my classroom to explore different aspects of the world and use as an alternative for class excursions. The flexible displays discussed in the article would provide interactivity within text books; I would use this application to assist students in making meaningful connections between the text and images.
« Week 7 – Reading Four: Mobiles
Although this technology within the classroom seems like a good idea, as it reflects students’ daily interaction with this technology. I personally wouldn’t allow students to use their mobiles within the classroom. However this article did bring up discussion about the use of ipads within learning experiences. I would be a strong advocate for ipads if they were available within the classroom. I would primarily use this technology as a source of information, similar to a dictionary but allow students to access information on their devices to further enhance and support their learning.
Week 7 – Reading Five: Augmented Reality/ Flexible Displays »« Week 7 – Reading Three: Game-based Learning
Game-based learning offers fun and interactive opportunities for students to engage in learning. This sort of technology provides teachers with opportunities to be creative with learning experiences where concepts and further enhance their critical literacy skills. I would integrate this technology within future practices as tool to enhance students’ maths and literacy skills. As teachers I believe that is imperative that students enjoy and are motivated to learn as it makes the teaching and learning easier on behalf of both teacher and student.
Week 7 – Reading Four: Mobiles »« Week 7 – Reading Two: Collaborative Environments
I was particularly interested in the article about collaborative environments, as a future teacher this provides effective ways in which students within the class can collaborate, share ideas, enhance creativity and provide insight into different perspective of people around the world. Within my classroom I would use this technology to provide students with the opportunity to social network through this technology to explore aspects of the world that are of interest to them.
Week 7 – Reading Three: Game-based Learning »« Week 7 – Reading One: Cloud Computing
I believe cloud computing can offer new engaging and authentic ways of teaching particular concepts within the curriculum. From this reading I gained understanding of how I can integrate ICT purposefully, in regard to how we can engage students in using a variety of ways in which they can edit, review and learn from each other. I would personally use this application to communicate with my students and allow for students to access information about assessment items or upcoming planned lessons.
Week 7 – Reading Two: Collaborative Environments »« Week 5 – Reading: Behaviourism, Constructivism and Cognitivism
The idea of behaviourism needs to not only be encompassed within all aspects of teaching and learning but used as a guide in which learning can be seen as something fun. By using positive reinforcement I believe students, especially early years, are able to correspond to wanted and unwanted behaviour within the classroom. However it is important to understand where students are coming from and why the behaviour is occurring in the first place. As a teacher entering the classroom for the first I will value the importance of positive reinforcement, using reward systems as a tool to manage students’ behaviour. By doing this I believe this will create a more positive environment where students don’t feel threatened and the intended learning can be successfully achieved.
Knowledge of constructivism is integral to students learning. I believe learning should be seen as an active process, where students need are actively involved and construct their own meaning through hands on experiences. This view of learning entails that teaching is less content driven and more learner-centred. As teachers I believe we need to create opportunities and learning experienced in which the primary focus is on each learner’s construction of his or her own mathematical concepts. From this reading I gained further insight into instructional strategies in which I can implement into future learning and teaching practices. I believe it is important that students are given experiences where they can control their own learning. An example of how I would foster constructivism within my classroom in through the use of authentic assessment, where students are able to make realistic connects to learning beyond the classroom.
This reading allowed me to recognise the importance of understanding Cognitivism in order for me to improve my instruction and facilitate meaningful learning experiences. As teachers I believe by creating experiences that are meaningful and relate to our learners it can fundamentally enhance how they learn and retain information. From this reading I was enlightened with how I can foster students learning successfully through posters displayed around the classroom that display images that represent particular concepts taught. This is hoped to provide students with visual cues where their students’ memory is triggered to further promote independence and understanding of previously taught concepts.
Week 7 – Reading One: Cloud Computing »« Week 4 – Reading Five: Radical Change
Our group discussion was based on use of picture books to foster interactivity within learning. This article inspired me to be more engaged in interactive texts that demand more thought. I believe it is integral that as teachers we allow students to engage in books that provide an abstract experience where students are engaged in finding the hidden message within the text and pictures. I feel this can fundamentally enhance students’ critical thinking and literacy skills as well as value books as they value technology.
Week 5 – Reading: Behaviourism, Constructivism and Cognitivism »« Week 4 – Reading Four: Teaching Children Thinking
This particular article promoted discussion about how teachers aren’t teaching students the relevancy of computers for their own benefit. As teachers I believe that we should educate students on how computers can be used to enhance their learning, by providing opportunities for them to reflect on effective uses of computers, for example, using it to access information from reliable search drives, the safe use of social networking sites to facilitate effective communication skills and the importance of using effectively programs to assist them in planning assignments.
Week 4 – Reading Five: Radical Change »« Week 4 – Reading Three: Myths and Realities about technology
This article was very informative and particularly created discussion about Myth#3 “Once teachers learn the basics of using a computer they are ready to put the technology to effective use”. I believe that although it is important to know the technical skills of computers, as teachers we shouldn’t just limit our teaching practices to this. In future applications of ICT I will make a conscious effort to embrace new technologies within my classroom and foster these technologies effectively my teaching. I have learnt that by doing this it does have the potential to engage students more effectively in learning.
Week 4 – Reading Four: Teaching Children Thinking »« Week 4 – Reading Two: Interactive Learning
This insightful article promoted discussion about a particular question, “What kinds of learning opportunities should we ideally provide students in our classroom?” As teachers we need to constantly update and expend our networks with technology. This means finding ways in which we can integrate valuable experiences where learning is interactive. As pre-service teacher I am constantly updating on my personal bank of technologies in which I can use for future practices to integrate into my classroom. This includes interactive whiteboard programs where students, books that offer digital interactivity online and through educational games as well as the use of the digital camera to capture students learning and engage them in meaningful reflections about learning.
Week 4 – Reading Three: Myths and Realities about technology »« Week 4 – Reading One: Should the Computer Teach the Student or Vice-Versa?
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