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| Lisanne de Jong |
EDU4UML
What knowledge and skills have I gained from the EDU4UML lectures, workshops and readings?
And why is this important to me as a future teacher?
Lectures
Day 1
Today's lecture has made me more conscious of the meaning 'twenty-first century education' and that it requires very different skills than traditional education. Due to globalization, learners and the economy, such as the workforce, demand changes in education. Education 3.0, which is a new definition to me, involves a shift within educational systems to improve curriculum, teachers, responsiblity and leadership. It mainly includes 21st century education learning methods that is supported by technology, such as the use of the Internet. The skills that are required to be taught in 21st century education include critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, innovation and so forth. As a future teacher, I will definitely try to incorporate multimedia into my teaching, because it will make the students more creative and innovative, enrich their critical thinking and improve their learning process.
Finally, what particularly amazed me was the story of a Dutch primary school teacher, dying of cancer, who gave her pupils (between 4-11 years) one last project: building a coffin for herself. She wanted to teach the children that life and death belong together. This story has been on my mind all day and still do not know whether I think it is right or wrong. On the one hand, I agree with the teacher that young children have to learn what death, mourning and pain is. On the other hand, they are still so young and might not fully understand the consequences of death.
Day 2
The lecture started with a video of teaching via 3D-modelling. The teacher in this video explained the contents of a project with the help of a large touch-screen board. The students had to construct a bridge with the use of their I-pads. It seemed like a 'perfect' example of well-behaved children who happily worked on the multimedia project. However, I do not believe this occurs in the 'real' word, real classroom situations, because there always will be children who are not that motivated. In my opinion teaching with 3D-modelling technology is a good example of 21st century education. I have become aware of the fact that it is very difficult to change whole school environments and that it can take about 5 years to introduce education 3.0. There are still many schools that are lacking technology or cannot cope financially. Multimedia developers should target teachers who are willing to change and gradually upgrade their level of knowledge and skills. As a future teacher, I would also like to improve my multimedia knowledge and skills as well, so that I have the technical ability to use multimedia learning in the classroom.
Furthermore, the risks of the Internet were discussed today. Even though the Internet has many advantages for teaching and learning, educators need to teach theirs students how to behave responsibly and safely online. I have realized that teachers should not only introduce technology in their lessons, but they should also minimise its risks. As a future teacher, I will do this by teaching proper language (no swearing and bullying) respecting people's property and visiting appropriate websites. Teaching how to behave safely includes protecting the student's own privacy (not sharing private information or images), being proactive in reporting unappropriated behaviour and involving parents. I understand how important it is to connect with the home front, because parents should monitor their children's Internet behaviour as well. Schools can do this by monitoring every computer screen in the classroom so that teachers can see what students are doing. I agree with the fact that the Internet is a very valuable information resource, but it is also a marketing tool including advertisements that appear on the screen very frequently. It is important to teach students that not every website is trustworthy and that they should ignore all the advertisements. To secure multimedia learning, schools should introduce a CyberSafety Team, Acceptable Use Agreements/Codes of Conduct and they should educate students and parents on eSafety.
Day 3
The day did not start with a lecture, but with an explanation of the assessments for this course. Then the concept of Design Brief, a definition I had never heard of before, was introduced and discussed. I have grasped that a Design Brief is part of the DCT (Design, Creativity and Technology) domain in AusVELS, in which standards are organised in three dimensions: Investigating and Designing (ID), Producing (P) and Analysing and Evaluating (AE). These standards determine what knowledge and skills students should have at different levels. When starting a certain activity, students have to move directly from investigating to designing, producing and analysing and evaluating. In order to comprehend the idea of a Design Brief, we had to design a jumping frog. With the use of particular material, such as a cardboard card, a paper frog, a rubber band and scissors, we started to design and investigate how to make the frog jump in groups. The idea was to create three different designs and choose one that worked best. The document below describes which design we selected (in the Investigate/Design box), which material we used (Produce box), the problem that had to be solved (the middle box) and the changes made during the process (Analyse/Evaluate box).
To summarize, a Design Brief gives a definition of the problem, sets the constraints that apply and outlines the testing required. I have realized that a Design Brief is a good approach to technological problem-solving, and it is very helpful for students to conceptualize a project via the three stages. I would like to use this approach in my future teaching, because it is a good way to solve any problems. See below a video a video of our product, a jumping frog.
Furthermore, today's lecture slides were briefly discussed, focusing on animation in schools. I have become aware of the importance of teaching animation and that it particularly enhances a child's creativity. Building and creating designs such as avatars, online movies and stories and websites, improves students' artistic talents and encourages critical thinking. It also increases their language skills, for example by using Mindmaps and Storyboards, logical skills, for example by editing videos, and cooperation skills. Due to the fact that I have also had the possibility to experience animation by exploring a number of animation websites, I have discovered that learning can be faster, easier and more amusing. As a future teacher, I will certainly introduce animation into my classroom learning, because it provides excellent support particularly when explaining difficult topics, such as the Offside rule in soccer.
Workshops
Day 1
Today's workshop consisted of the introduction of some software that teachers can use in their lessons. One of my favourite tools so far is a programme called Jing. With this tool, you can crop anything online and then capture a photo or video. Print-screen and paste in paint is finally history. The rest of the day, I have been using Jing for all the other tools that were introduced. For example, Inspiration 9.0 IE is a very easy thinking and learning programme in which you can create mind-maps and diagrams. This is especially helpful for students, because they can create visual maps to brainstorm ideas and structure their thinking, steps that are necessary for writing essays etcetera. I have created a simple concept map of ball sports and captured it with the help of Jing (see below).
Another tool is to be found on this Planet Creation. It is an online Avatar generator to create large varieties of avatars. Students are able to make their own avatars, of themselves or others. As a future teacher, I would use this website in my classes to introduce the topic of cultural differences and differences in appearance in order to discourage stereotype perceptions. Also, this website can be used when creating a game including different characters. My Avatar creation, or alter ego, can be found on the right corner of this Blog page. I also created another character, which can be seen on the left corner of this page, with DoppelMe.
Additionally, there are several other programmes that can be used in lessons. With Microsoft Publisher students can build websites or create advertisements, flyers or brochures etc. I would also use this tool to introduce resume writing or certain projects. Wordle and Tagxedo are websites that create word clouds with a variety of fonts, styles and colours. This tool really appeals to me and as a future teacher I would use word clouds to brainstorm a particular topic, teach vocabulary, highlight class expectation and so forth. Finally, Jing also captured some photos of my word clouds.
Story Bird is a website that especially primary school teachers can use to develop their pupils' creative writing skills. Also specific topics can be dealt with in story writing, such as a story about how to stop bullying. In my opinion this website is well-structured and appealing, but it would not be my first choice to use in the classroom.
Day 2
Another good range of multimedia programmes have been introduced today, mostly focusing on animations. I will share which multimedia tools I find most valuable to introduce in the classroom. I have discovered the concept of Learning Objects: an audio file, film, video, text or music that are combined in order to provide a learning context. My favourite Learning Objects website, which I will definitely use as an aspiring teacher, is Scootle. This website consists of numerous digital resources that can be used to support a teacher's curriculum. When I explored this website, I came across a lesson plan from the English Language section. It contained a digital excursion to Manly Beach in Sydney (see the Jing pictures below). It is a very interactive resource including a video providing information about the excursion and activities like practicing vocabulary and sentence structure.
Another fun and educational tool is Make Beliefs Comix. On this website you can create your own comic strip. Particularly foreign language teachers, or English teachers like me, can introduce this programme in their lessons to let students play with the language so that they practice new vocabulary, creative writing and conversation skills etc.
Another animation website is Dvolver Moviemaker. On this website you can make movies with a selection of characters, music and settings. I have also created my own short Movie. Go Animate is more professional website for teachers and students to exercise higher order skills, such as creativity and critical thinking. I would use both websites in the classroom, but Dvolver for less serious times since the characters are slightly inappropriate. Also, both websites are more suitable for older students.
Furthermore, Stop Motion Pro is a website on which you can your own high quality animated films. Explained in one of the day 3 lecture slides: “Stop-motion (or frame-by-frame) is an animation technique which makes a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved by small amounts between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames are played as a continuous sequence. Clay figures are often used in stop-motion animations, known as claymation. Stop-motion animation also includes cell animation, pixilation, puppet animation, and time-lapse.” After exploring the website, I believe it seems very professional and quite time-consuming to create a film in that way because a video camera is needed. This tool should be introduced in classes with older students, like year 11 or 12 students. I would recommend design and craft subject teachers to use this programme, and not English teachers like me.
Example of Stop Motion Pro animation
Zimmer Twins is a site particularly suitable for children where they can create and share their own animated stories. I would advise primary school teachers to use this website in order to enhance the pupil's imagination and creative storytelling. Another suggestion for primary school teachers is Myths This website can be used as an introduction to myths, folktales and legends. An student activity could involve creating and publishing a story about a myth, folktale or legend.
Sketch Swap is also an animation website in which you can draw whatever you like. In return, you will receive a drawing of a random person in the world. Its educational purposes are not quite convincing. Therefore, I would not generally use this website in the classroom, perhaps as a fun leisure-time activity at the end of the last school day (before the holidays).
This is what I created.
This is what I received.
Additionally, Build Your Own Wild Self is an animation website in which you can create a character of yourself with animal parts. As a future teacher, I would use this tool to introduce a creative writing assignment in which students have to write a story about their wild self.
Finally, Explania is a website with many interactive tutorials and videos including animated explanations of different topics. For teachers, this website is a very helpful extra resource for the teaching curriculum. If you want to introduce a discussion in the classroom, you can first show students a video of a specific topic, such as 'The growth of Social media' or 'What is ADHD?'.
Fossweb is also a website that consists of many digital resources. However, it is more focused on younger children who are in grade 3 - 8. I am not going to work as a primary school teacher in the future, so it is not very useful to me.
Splash has thousands of videos and games, all mapped to the Australian Curriculum. The teacher resources are all formed around popular topics, and designed as lesson ideas for use in class. They are both appropriate for primary and secondary school students. I would definitly use this website as a resource to support my teaching. It consists of numerous videos, topics, games etcetera, that I would use in the classroom. For example, as an English teacher, I would use the Shakespeare page to introduce Shakespeare's work and its importance to the English literature and language.
Day 3
As mentioned previously, today's workshop began with an introduction to Design Briefs, including an example activity in which we had to design a frog that jumps. Furthermore, another part of Inspiration 9 IE, namely Mind mapping, was discussed. According to Inspiration: "Mind mapping is a visual form of note taking that offers an overview of a topic and its complex information, allowing students to comprehend, create new ideas and build connections. Through the use of colors, images and words, mind mapping encourages students to begin with a central idea and expand outward to more in-depth sub-topics". A number of different Mind Maps were shown in the classroom and I have realized that you can create such a wonderful piece of art by exploring ideas and writing down everything that comes to mind. Tony Buzan is the man who introduced the world to Mind Maps. On his website several Mind Map examples can be found.
In my opinion it is a wonderful tool to help students and teachers to brainstorm and explore an idea or problem. When I was doing my intership as a trainee teacher of English in The Netherlands, I often created a Mind Map on the white board, particularly when introducing a new learning topic, with the help of students. However, I can now use Inspiration, which is much more creative, colourful and faster.
The education website of the Victorian government contains a part called the Software Product List that shows which computer programmes a school can introduce. By clicking on one of the programmes, such as Dingo Bingo, a description of the tool and its costs for Government Schools and Independent and Catholic schools will appear. This information is important for schools when it comes to making decisions about introducing computer programmes. Teachers can also buy software on Edsoft. However, teachers registered by the Victorian Institute of Teaching can get a discount on programmes, which will be cheaper than buying it at computer stores. As a future teacher, I would definitely keep this in mind.
Finally, Scratch is a website where you can create your own interactive stories, games and animations and share them in a online community. According to Scratch: "Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively - essential skills for life in the 21st century". I believe this website is a good tool for students to enhance their technology skills, because they have to code a computer programme, which seems like a difficult task. I explored Scratch and tried to create a movie, but I found it quite hard without explanation. If students learn how to work with Scratch, by giving them workshops, I believe the students will gain important skills like problem-solving strategies, designing skills and communicating skills. However, it would not be my first choice to introduce this website, especially because it seems like a difficult and time-consuming process.
Readings
Roger Schank's article 'Active Learning through Multimedia' really appealed to me. I agree with the author in that most schools still heavily depend on books and therefore only introduce passive educational software including online books. There is a demand for educational software that is active so that students learn by doing, in stead of merely reading or watching. Furthermore, the author explains several teaching architectures that include computer-based learning. In my opinion particularly the incidental learning architecture is interesting because it transforms dull information into fun tasks, which I will try to apply as well in my future teaching methods. For example, creating the 'Road Trip' task to enlive geography is a very well-thought idea. I believe students can also learn the location of the countries in the world (and its capital cities) in a fun way by creating a game in which students have to click on the right country in a map when they hear its name.
Mai Neo's article 'Learning with Multimedia: Engaging students in Constructivist Learning' was also interesting to read. I have gained knowledge about the concept of Contructivist Learning and that it focuses on the learners, for example they understand a situation better if they construct their own knowledge and solution to the problem. The teacher's role has shifted from the authority in the classroom: the teacher-centered mode, to the facilitator of learning, guiding and supporting students: the student-centered mode. Students have the responsibility to become active learners and set their own goals, monitor their processes and cooperate with fellow students. In the future, I will definitely teach in a student-centered environment in which I will try to guide my students in their learning instead of implementing a mode of teaching which Neo calls 'chalk-and-talk'.
Chris Dede's article 'Comparing Frameworks for "21st Century Skills"' has made me realize that there is a diversity of definitions for '21st Century Skills' and a variety of frameworks between different organisations. However, this article was quite extensive and difficult to read, and I have not found information that is valuable to me as a future teacher, apart from my awareness of the presence of the different 21st century skills frameworks.
Furthermore, reading Passig & Levin's article 'Gender interest differences with multimedia learning interfaces' made me realize that there are differences in learning styles or preferences between boys and girls (kindergarten pupils) concerning multimedia activities. When creating a multimedia tool for educational purposes, one should efficiently brainstorm how to tackle these differences. In the paper, the authors explain that boys were more familiar with games and they asked for help with navigational buttons whereas girls asked for help with the game. Also, girls preferred writing in the game, drawings, a calm environment and colourful screens, especially the colours red and yelow. Boys tend to like green and blue colours and they preferred to have more control in the game together with many movements. Therefore, it is recommended to develop a model of styles of design for learning interfaces in multimedia, so that boys and girls have equal opportunities to reach their full potential. I believe it is quite a difficult task for the multimedia developers to create a game that will appeal to every boy and girl in the classroom. Every child has a different learning style and some might not even be interested in learning with the help of a computer. However, with the help 21st century technology skills it should be possible to create interfaces which are suitable for students with different learning styles. As a future teacher, I will keep in mind that students have different learning styles and I will introduce multimedia learning activities that are suitable for both boys and girls.
The article 'The promise of multimedia learning: using the same instructional design methods across different media' by Richard Mayer illustrates that multimedia messages can be designed in ways that support human learning and that students learn more deeply from well-designed multimedia presentations than from traditional verbal-only messages. I agree that the verbal-only method does not always work for every student, because students have different learning styles. Students who listen to, or read, explanations that are only given as words, have difficulties with remembering most of the important ideas. Consequently, students find it harder to apply these ideas to solve problems. As a student, I am a visual learner and I remember new information best when it is presented with the help of multimedia, such as PowerPoint Presentations, videos, games etcetera. As a future teacher, I won't only apply traditional teaching approaches that involve a lot of talking, but I will try to use as much multimedia messages as possible including words and pictures.
Moreover, Niall MacKenzie and Andrew Walsh's article 'Enhancing the curriculum: shareable multimedia learning objects' shows that the creation of shareable multimedia learning objects can enhance and transform the curriculum if they are introduced with concideration and supported by pedagogical theories. The research in this paper was conducted because there was a barrier to the uptake and use of multimedia resources by university teachers due to the lack of technical ability and support. After reading this article, I have become aware of the fact that creating innovative and exciting multimedia resources can be time-consuming and financially and technically difficult. Merely adopting new technology does not ensure its quality. I had never heard of the term 'death by PowerPoint' before, but now I understand its meaning. Only using the Internet and PowerPoint Presentations as multimedia resources does not contribute to effective learning outcomes. Teachers should be trained in the use of e-learning resources and IT equipment, but it is often an expensive process. In this article, a British university found a solution for these problems. The Art and Design students created advanced multimedia contents for the lecturers from other departments. In this way, the lecturers do not have to worry about creating their own multimedia resources, they only had to introduce them into the classroom. In my opinion this is an excellent solution for teachers who do not have the technical skills, time and money to create multimedia resources themselves. Instead of only using PowerPoint Presentations, which won't properly enhance the students' 21st century skills, teachers can use the multimedia resources without any barriers. When I am working at a school that does not have many multimedia learning options, I will still try and introduce this way of learning in my curriculum by using websites like Explania, Quia, Splash and so forth.
Reading 'Unpacking the potential of educational gaming: A new tool for gaming research' by Herbert Wideman and co-authors made me realize that not all educational games are of the same quality. In this paper a tool is explained and used, the Virtual Usability Laboratory (VULab) with which students' gaming behaviour and opinions is recorded. It has been used in researching and evaluating educational gaming environments. For example, if I want to know whether my students actually learn anything by playing a specific game on the Internet, I can use VULab. As a teacher I do not have to perform difficult techniques, like setting up a camera, because this tool captures process data itself. VULab video records game play by using screen recording suftware running on a server together with audio recording. I can also create questionnaires about a specific game that will appear when the students have finished the game. All this data is stored in files so I can easily acces it, or I can use special software that will analyze the data. If this tool really works as simply as it sounds, I would definitely use it when I want evaluate what the students have learned and advance their learning strategies.
Finally, I have become aware of the idea of Engagement Theory after reading 'Understanding Engagement in Educational computer Games' by Nah, Zhou, Boey and Li. The Engagement Theory emphasizes that engagement influences students' learning processes. In order to learn something effectively, students have to be engaged in learning activities through interaction with other students and useful assignments. Engagement is similar to intrinsic motivation, which involves meaningfulness, choice, competence and progress. To be intrinsically motivated in an educational gaming context, the needs for fantasy, challenge and curiosity have to be fulfilled. This research has shown which factors are important to keep students engaged in educational computer games. It is now the role of multimedia developers and teachers to create games including elements that will intrinsically keep the student motivated, such as entertainment, role playing and collaboration.
