Digital Citizenship

In this lesson I have discovered that it is easy to collaborate and share information within a wiki with your peers, and that a number of topics could be addressed within the same wiki. Apart from sharing the information, a discussion can be easily held and people are free to post their views and opinions about the topics.

Unique challenges to collaborating online?
Collaborating online has its own challenges.
·       First and foremost, the time allocated for the discussion is always not convenient for all the members. Sometimes some members may take time to join the discussion because they are probably still addressing other issues.
·       Secondly, there is the challenge of electricity. In some areas members experience continuous black outs and if there is not enough energy stored on the laptop it becomes difficult to participate or make contribution on time.
·       Internet Access is another challenge. Staying online for a long time is very expensive here in Uganda.
·       Other commitments such as family, work related issues etc.
Resources I intend  to use in my classroom and how I will adapt them to my needs?
Amongst the resources that I discovered, I intend to use the following in my classroom
1. http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280.shtml
2. http://www.teachingcopyright.org/
3. https://zsr.wfu.edu/services/research/copyright-information-resources/
4. http://www.copyrightkids.org/cbasicsframes.htm
5. https://www.oercommons.org/
6.  http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/02/10-must-have-resources-to-teach-about.html
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning.
 7. http://ed.ted.com/on/K7c4MMyM#review
These sites are very good and informative and I could use them to teach the learners about the copyright law and intellectual property.  
·       get the students to visit the sites and learn how to acknowledge the sources they have consulted for information
·       I would use the resources to educate them on their own rights about their own original and creative work.
·       guiding them on the copyright issues and how they can maintain good digital citizenship without violating the law.

 

Integrating the Teaching of Search Literacy and Information Literacy Skills in My Teaching

Having learnt a lot this far and continuously getting information that is making me a better teacher and helping me to grow professionally, I would also like my students to benefit from my learning and become digital citizens.
In this case I would go about integrating my teaching of search literacy and information literacy skills in my teaching through the following ways;
·        I would come up with Tutorial sites that I would ask my students to browse that would teach them how to search for information.
·        I would guide them into picking the right starting place ie there is need to define their topic of research before they engaging in the searching.
·        I would guide them into creating a concept map which of course includes them deciding on the central topic or problem etc. that they are going to search for.
·        I would get them to work together in groups and learn how to select key words that are related to the type of information they would wish to look for and also teach them to test run these words in Google.
·        I would also get them to work in groups as I guide them to learn to search in cycles. In this case I would be getting them to realize that they need to view their search from different angles and have different approaches.
·        Teach them about the Boolean logic, get them to work together. With the Boolean logic they would acquire the skill to narrow down the aspect of their search.
·        Introduce the students to online collaborative tasks/ projects in which case I would try to include things such as course integration instructions, tutorials etc.
I cannot assume to be an expert in the field but what I have learnt has taught me that the best ways for one to learn is through Hands-on and collaboration, and I think that is how I would integrate the search literacy and information literacy skills in my teaching.

 

 

Media Literacy and How I can Regularly Integrate the Principles in My Teaching

I have learnt quite a lot with media literacy. Media literacy involves being in position to analyze, evaluate, examine and understand the information, being able to critically think and  create media that communicates the intended message. Media involves television, Radio, posters, images, billboards and so on. When  media  is being used certain things  are put into perspective especially whether the media communicates what it is supposed to. It may not be a hundred percent perfect but it should be in position to carry a clear message that could easily be decoded by those viewing it or the intended audience.
If a  media is not clear, it will be misunderstood or the people for whom it is intended may miss out on the information.
As learners have multiple intelligences, students who learn through using images would benefit a lot from the use of posters and images. That means that category of learners would be catered for in that respect. Even others can reinforce their learning through visuals. An educator or teacher has to make sure they select media whose message will not be missed or doubted for that matter.
I have viewed a number of posters and images on The Government Inspector and I feel I am going to make use of most of them in teaching the text. They give a clear picture of the entire play and bring it to life. I think I am going to use the posters and images more often especially now that I have realized the impact they can have on the teaching and learning process.  Share this poster with me.

 

It shows how the town folks are clamoring to get to Hlestakov and present their petitions against the town officials who are also laboring to stop them from reaching their destination.

 

My New Understanding of Digital Literacy

My research about digital literacy has made me realize that digital literacy encompasses a lot of things. It all starts with the attitude towards technology and the access. After which a person goes on a self professional development and growth through a hands-on experience.

Digital literacy means that one should in the process acquire ICT skills and these include;

·        basic computer skills
·        internet skills
·        Social skills.
It also includes acquisition of information skills and these include;
·        managing information
·        searching
·        analyzing
·        and evaluating it.
And also acquiring transferable skills such as'
·        creativity
·        communicative
·        reflective
·        constructive knowledge
In short, know how to use various digital technologies and how to access legitimacy of web resources.

The funnel is a symbol of what and how much knowledge, basic skills and generic skills are obtained when one has an open mind set.
There are some areas that I am just getting to understand. Originally, digital literacy to me meant having the basic computer skills and being in position to search for information on the internet. Now I realize that it means a lot more than just that.

 

 

 

Digital Literacy Infused Lessons, Digital Citizenship and Evaluation of My Earlier Technology Infused Lesson

Most lessons that infuse digital literacies and educate about digital citizenship show that there are many generic skills that are passed on to the learners in the process of teaching and learning. As the learners are fully engaged and involved in their own learning, they get to collaborate and share information, they research and get deeper understanding of issues on their own, they build and recreate knowledge to a certain level that depicts higher order thinking, the learners enjoy what they are doing because of the hands-on experience and the challenges they are given chance to resolve on their own with only guidance from the teachers.  In the process of all this, the learners acquire a number of generic skills such as creativity and innovation, social and interpersonal skills, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, a range of digital literacy skills such as knowledge of the basic principles of technology devices, using computer networks, ability to engage in online communities and social networks (developing and acquiring concepts of democracy and global citizenship), ability to search, find, evaluate and capture information, not to mention an understanding of issues that accrue to society that may be raised by digital technologies . It is also easy to do an assessment of the learners during the course of the lesson to know how much each one of them has learnt and how each one of them has responded to collaboration, getting the problem solved, and creating new information. There is a lot to explore a wide variety of topics, including how people find, use, summarize, evaluate, create, and communicate information while using digital technologies. With digital literacy, knowledge and understanding of the applications and implications of the different technologies are included.       
When I review the lessons I prepared earlier in this course using the assessment tools I set in place, I find that this lesson to some extent meets;
·        Equipping learners with the ability to read and deduce information from books, notes, as well as visuals. This has encouraged and fostered critical thinking.
·        Sites were bookmarked for the learners to search for information but still have to be given the website traffic light to help protect them. 
·        The task given required collaboration; they were put in groups to discuss and make presentations.
·        I created and supported by identifying Resource sites as well as providing the digital tools to use in the accomplishment of task.
·        The learners had the necessary skills to accomplish the task. Technology was applied at the Substitution and Augmentation levels of the SAMR.
·        No online collaboration activity between the teacher and the students was carried out but now I know it can be done.
·        The learners are very interested and have the skills to begin with. The rest of the digital skills they will learn along the way since this is a Hands-on learning experience.
·        At the end of the lesson the assessment indicated evaluation of their interpretation and analysis of task, organization and presentation using PowerPoint or Microsoft Word Processor, content, and voice projection.
 I notice that although I infused literacy in my lesson, there are areas that could be improved upon such as online collaboration between teacher and learners, getting the learners to be more involved in searching for information and evaluating information obtained from educational websites, and encouraging the learners to reflect on what they have learnt.

 

Evaluation of Cool Schools

I have assessed Gr 8 Languages: Newspaper project. The lesson plan equips the learners with the ability to read and also to use visuals and deduce information. It also equips them with the ability to find support information and illustrations on Internet. With the teacher's guidance the learners develop the skill to screen for relevant information and later on carry out a Reflection on what has been learnt. The teacher first develops knowledge and understanding of what the task is about, and also involves activities on how the newspapers communicate information; and then gives support to the students to evaluate both the material they found on Internet and their own written work.  This gives the learners the opportunity to develop the skill of critical thinking, and evaluation. Further still, learners collaborate in groups of threes and fives fostering one of the most important generic skills; interpersonal skills.  This is the substitution level of the SAMR where the learners are engaged in using their PCs and can make a choice between using either Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher activities. On top of that they go ahead to film each other's presentations. An assessment of learners indicates great interest in the project, inspirational and has yielded highly positive results.
The second assessment is on a Technology-supported lesson plans; and that is Language Arts- Book Review.  In this lesson plan Students work together in pairs to read to acquire knowledge through evaluating the information obtained from the reading and that got from the websites. This promotes collaboration thus equipping the learners with interpersonal skills. It gets them involved in working out the task and presenting their final product. The teacher only comes in to draw a template that students use, and also expose them to some book reviews. The learners have some skills although they still need beginning key boarding skills and beginning PowerPoint skills and are at the Substitution level of the SAMR. They gain some competence in general skills such as using PowerPoint and Word Processor. They exercise some critical thinking in reviewing and writing their presentations of the story. At the end of it, an assessment is carried out which shows that the children were very much interested in the topic, collaborating and integrating technology with reading and writing. They make reports and carry out presentations.

 

Comix, Collaboration and Digital Pedagogy

I have had the chance to read articles written about cyber slang and I have come to understand the obsessive behavior of the learners to use acronyms and slangs. This is the twenty first century characterized by technology and a fast changing world. You try to fight the system, you are left behind and have no one to blame but yourself.

Online collaboration is not an easy task. As a student of CCTI, I have had some collaboration online in the previous three courses working on one task or other. It is not an easy thing if the people you are grouped with are facing challenges such as electricity or internet problems or are hindered by family issues here and there. However, it is fun being in position to collaborate with colleagues and sharing ideas. It eases the work and reduces the tension in fulfilling the task.

I have learnt to create a comic strip and it has been an exciting experience. I have always admired the people who created comics for newspapers. I have now discovered the secret. Presenting my understanding in a comic strip has been a bit of a challenge too but once one masters the steps it becomes very easy.

The potential this holds is that;

·        It creates room for social media to develop its own language of communication that will embrace all users of technology because of its ease and minimization of time and space.  

·        It encourages even those who would have been reluctant to join digital globalization to come on board, since they do not want to be left out.
·        It promotes understanding of how technology can be used to serve our interests and the interests of the learners and much more.

 

How a Changing Education Landscape is Affecting Me and My Teaching Practice

 
The Changing Education Landscape is giving me an opportunity to explore various ways of teaching so as to make a greater contribution to the education of my learners.  First of all, the education system has been so static that it has failed to address the problems of society, and yet so many cultural and social changes have taken place since the designing of that system. The system is so boring to the students, places the children of given ages at the same level and subjects them to standardized testing. This is wrong since children have differing abilities and interests.  The Changing Education Landscape is meant to address such issues and has awakened me to the fact that there is need to think differently about human capacity.  I have learnt that in order for effective learning to take place, children should be allowed to mix according to their interests, and they should be allowed to explore, and that learning is more effective when there is collaboration involved as Sir Ken  says; 

"Most learning happens in groups" and that "Collaboration is the stuff of growth".

Separating the learners and judging them separately is not the best way to educate. The Changing Education Landscape promotes Information revolution. As people comment on a given topic, more about that topic is likely to come up through investigations and research. As users of digital technology, we are still failing to differentiate between its intended use especially the students who engage in watching porn movies and entertainment mostly.    

With digital technology and literacy we agree that as teachers the process of dictating notes to students cannot be part of this program instead we should give them room to find out things for themselves. At the same time there is need to give them a conducive environment that would enable them to carry out their own research and to learn. Allow them to curate the relevant sites for learning. Encourage and give them room to freely explore and just watch them being captivated by their discoveries. Through collaboration, research and investigation the learners can get more informed about a topic or issue. Learners can make their own choice of their publishing platform since there are a number of them available already, and they can also use technology to create anything beautiful like a wordle.

However, all this is not without challenges. First and foremost, the learners may end up more knowledgeable than the teacher and this is embarrassing the more reason why teachers need to be on board. Secondly, the time allocated for the subject on the time table may hinder rather than promote progress in cases of face to face programs. Thirdly, some of the students come from poor families and may end up left behind because they lack the tools. Also, there is a danger of the learners being misinformed in case the sites have not been properly evaluated since this is a platform where everybody is free to post anything.  Lastly, the students can easily divert to irrelevant and destructive sites especially when they are working on their own or away from everybody else.

 View my wordle. 

Technology Enriched Teaching

I have learnt that in order to have a successful technology enhanced lesson I need to take a number of things into consideration. Through the ASSURE model lesson plan I have realized that in order for the teaching and learning to be effective, I need to take the following important issues into consideration. 

·        I have to know my learners thoroughly i.e. age, status, their problems both financial, social and cultural, whether they have some prior knowledge of the topic or not. Knowing them helps me to plan for them accordingly.
·        I have to have the objectives of the lesson properly stated so as to conduct the lesson in a way that would lead to the achievement of those objectives. The objectives should be aligned in such a way that they ensure that there is learning expected to take place. As I teach I keep in perspective the objectives set out for the lesson. This helps me to keep in line with the requirements of the lesson.
·        Lessons require specific materials for successful learning process to take place.  Identifying and assembling these materials makes the lesson easy to conduct and the objectives easy to achieve. 
·        The teacher needs to select appropriate methods to use to conduct a lesson. This course has taught me to put into consideration the methods I intend to use for each lesson. You get the opportunity to select the appropriate methods required before hand and match them to meet the objectives of the lesson. 
·        One gets the time to decide which media is appropriate for that lesson/topic and also have websites lined up for students to visit to enhance the mastery of the concept/skill/ topic.
·        I have learnt that utilizing the methods, media and materials lined up for the lesson eases my work as a teacher and at the same time helps me to conduct the lesson in a systematic way that enhances the learning process. The utilization of these materials helps in providing a deeper understanding of concepts/ skills/ topics. Getting the students to use the media and the materials gives them the chance to experience the things and learn more through experiencing.
·        Learners also get chance to participate in their own learning. They get to experience and carry out hands-on activities that are very essential in the entire process. Experiencing something is the best way to learn. Getting the students/ learners to experience is the best way to teach the learners. Children love to work with computers. When brought in touch with the computers their interests are aroused, they are eager to touch and explore and tin the process they are acquiring deeper understanding of the concepts/ skills/ Topics.
·        There is need to carry out evaluation and revision during and at the end of the lesson. This gives me a chance as a teacher to ascertain if there is any learning that has occurred and to what degree it has been achieved.  At the same time it helps me to ascertain whether the objectives set out for the lesson from the start have been achieved.

ASSURE - Plan Participation

Have you succeeded in planning for your students to be actively engaged?

The ASSURE model has helped me to successfully plan for the activities that will engage my students. The activities indicated in the 'utilize materials' section require the learner to be actively involved in problem identification, problem solving and creation of final product. The activities emphasize the importance of researching, networking, collaboration and sharing ideas in the learning process.  

In what ways will they be involved in activities you have not previously tried in your classes?
In my class I have always had the students to read the text aloud and once in a while view the video of the text using a VCR and TV. This has always allowed for general comments and various view points from all corners of the class about different aspects of the play ranging from the plot, costumes, characters, events, themes, stage use and directions, and relevance of the play to contemporary society.  Once in a while they have been engaged in role playing too. The role play has always been done in smaller groups to help them to identify with the characters and try to understand their actions or why they behave the way they do and this has been a very valuable tool in enhancing their views and perceptions of the characters. They have also had to work in smaller groups on a task assigned to them and this has always promoted sharing of ideas.  

What I have not tried in class before is using technology to teach a lesson; or even getting the learners to search the web for information let alone using PowerPoint for presentations. Our classes are designed in a way that there are no computers and no sockets to tap into the power in case a teacher wanted to use technology to teach. Activities such as searching the World Wide Web for information on a task that has been given to them will be an interesting new thing to them. Children like to work with machines. Putting them in groups to search the web, collect information from the sites given to them, writing out the reports together and preparing presentations to be done using PowerPoint; are things they have not been subjected to before.

Is it an effective way of planning a technology-enhanced lesson?
I should think so. I really think it is an effective way because it allows the teacher to organize a lesson that provides for room for sharing for the learners as a group and as a class. The teacher in a way is promoting collaboration among the learners. It also caters for getting the learners to learn to work together and assist each other in the group to use the technology tools available to get deeper understanding of the concepts or skills. Furthermore, it helps the teacher to have focus and have systematic handling of the lesson.   In addition to that, it is good for disrupting the usual and boring order of classroom sitting and lesson planning; and introducing an aspect of excitement and change. Planning for the students to carry out their researches, identifying the websites for them to visit eases the teacher's work as well as the students' role in the whole learning process.   The idea of them getting the opportunity to use the projector and make presentations using PowerPoint is sure to fascinate them and they are likely to concentrate on accomplishing the tasks. The mere thought of interacting with the machine and carry out a hands-on exercise, already capture more than enough interest for the lesson. It is enough motivation in itself. 

How would you change the process to make it more effective?
Allowing the students to search other Sites that they come across that are related to the study topic. Limiting them to the sites given them may not yield the desired results 100%, but giving them a chance to navigate through the links they come across might motivate them to learn about other essential things related to the subject or topic under study. The nature of the timetable may however not allow for this to happen.

 

ASSURE: Designing Technology-Enhanced Lessons

When objectives are clearly stated, it gives the teacher a chance to prepare a lesson with the materials that align with the stated objectives. The set objectives for the lesson help the teacher to select the instructional methods, media and materials which help in achieving those objectives. Having to select the methods, media, and materials before the lesson is such a lesson enhancing tool that I feel gives the teacher confidence knowing that all the materials required for a successful lesson have been put into consideration and gathered, and are at hand and ready for use. In most cases teachers stammer during a lesson when they realize that some of the items required for an effective learning process have been forgotten. Planning for these things before hand helps to reduce this lack of confidence. With technology, if any of the materials needed for the lesson is missing it becomes a big problem. There is no way students will access the resources/ websites in class if the teacher has forgotten to bring a computer/laptop; or how Microsoft PowerPoint presentation will be carried out without a projector? Therefore, the need to select the methods, media and materials before-hand to ensure that effective learning takes place.

Secondly, once the methods, media and materials have been selected and put together, the teacher indicates which of them will be used at which step of the learning process. The ASSURE model therefore helps the teacher to think systematically and know how to handle the lesson effectively.

 

The Value of Analyzing My Students

It is good to know my students in order to help them learn effectively. If as a teacher, I understand my students I will be in position to get them to produce very good grades. I would find a way of getting closer to them and develop good rapport with them, identify with them in their problems and always try to make it easier for them to approach me and also get them to love the subject. Analyzing my students empowers me with information and gives me an advantage over them that enables me to operate effectively. Through analyzing my students I get to

·       It makes me more aware of their strengths, weaknesses and challenges and plan well how to maneuver them, help the students to overcome them and get my students to learn effectively.

·       It helps me to choose the appropriate instructional method that would best suit the learning process.
·       It makes me aware of the dominating learning style of the students and gives me the opportunity to build from that to ensure effective learning.
·       When I am aware of their preferences in terms of style of learning, I can mobilize what is required, design and set aside tasks that fit within their preferences.
·       I get to know how to handle each of my students so as to get them to learn effectively.

Apps and Software for Teaching

In Designing learning there are several principles of learning that are presented and they all have areas that they emphasize in the process. Authentic learning theory and Constructivist theory give learners chance to experience things in the real world by creating an environment that gives them chance to play their role in increasing their knowledge. It allows them the opportunity to observe, engage in, invent and discover in the way that makes sense to them. It also emphasizes continuous assessment of the learner.  Learners interact with the problem and also have an active role in the problem solving for instance in  drill and practice, quizzes, games and puzzles. The learners are given chance to control their own learning and they set pace and time for it and are given immediate feedback.  There is a vast supply of software on the net that caters for Authentic learning and Constructivist theories. With online learning, learners have a hands-on experience, they do everything themselves, navigate through the links and get answers to the many questions they have, and are also in position to create their own products. With Multiple Intelligence Theory on the other hand, where the teacher or educator is expected to take into account the fact that learners have differing intelligence levels and learn differently, the various software online provides for all levels too. There are instructional games such as brain games like Sudoku, Metrix, mind games, Lumosity , Crossword puzzles. Others software include; Quizzes, Tutorials, Typing lessons, Exam software, developer and programming and e-learning programs. Socratic Approach lays emphasis on getting the learners to think and think of thinking. It also makes it clear that there is never one answer to a question, and that when one question is seemingly answered it raises a string of questions in its wake. As is evident with the software available, there are many questions that are answered and yet there is much that still need to be answered and the process is continuous. Some software is meant to task the students with thinking. Through using the software, the students will also be inspired to also come up with their own questions about a topic. Navigating through the software arouses students' interest and thinking. They will not be satisfied with one answer and that they are made aware of existence of other answers to the same problem. TPACK and  SAMR theories introduce the aspect of technology into the teaching and learning process and offer various ways in which technology can gradually be introduced without causing dismay or panic among the students and teachers.

In all these principles the major/ key issues emphasized include; Collaboration, experiencing, researching, recreating, different intelligence levels, Reworking and observing and giving the learner a chance to make meaning out of these learning situations. In all these situations, the learner is encouraged to make use of technology in their learning process. The principles help the teacher to determine what kind of software to use with each category of learners. Since amongst the available software we have quizzes, puzzles, instructional games, and others about different activities that could be used to engage the learners, the teacher will find little or no problem in identifying the software and apps that would best suit the learning situations of his students.

The different kinds of software have activities set out for students as well as teachers. Some of the activities specified include classroom activities, group discussions as well as individual tasks all of which require collaboration, experiencing, researching, and recreating, reworking, observing e.t.c. The most engaging educational software is the instructional games, and drill and practice software. Adults as well as children are easily captivated and taken up by the online games and quizzes.  Aside from that, the attention is very concentrated and intense when it comes to games. The nature of activities in these software are such that all areas of a topic are touched upon however briefly.

 

The Potential of Web Resources in Enhancing and Modifying Teaching and Learning of Literature in English.

 

I am an English language and literature in English teacher. From my research on the internet I have discovered a variety of information regarding the Literature in English subject which is useful to the learners as well as the teachers. Aside from The Government Inspector, I have noticed that there are more Web  Resource Sites with information on other Literature books such as Romeo and Juliet, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Burdens, Prose, Poetry, the list is endless. Some of the Sites offer content information that enhance teachers understanding of the text The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol. The information they offer range from the themes of the text, character role and characterization, plot, setting, language and style not to mention background information on the authors. Examples of such Sites include; http://www.sras.org/gogol_the_government_inspector_in_text_and_presentation_1836_1938
http://study.com/academy/lesson/methods-of-characterization-in-literature.html.

There are Resource Sites that offer very useful information to learners about the same play and two of them are,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Government_Inspector#Plot_summary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Government_Inspector.

There are also Resource Sites with interactive educational activities that are very interesting and suited for learners and would enhance the learning environment as well as promote collaboration for effective learning and one such site is; 

http://www.brown.edu/about/administration/sheridan-center/teaching-learning/effective-classroom-practices/interactive-classroom-activities.

Let me also include some Resource Sites on the lesson plans that could be useful for Literature teachers such as; 

http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/hi-can-some-one-someone-tell-me-where-can-find-470714

http://teachers.net/lessonplans/subjects/literature/

These Sites are authoritative. They have credibility, authenticity, currency, authority, accuracy and their scope of information is wide. There are so many links coming off these Sites and each addresses a particular aspect of literature. I have curated these Sites and added them to my Library "Serabidde2014 Public Library Diigo" and I hope to revisit them in the near future and to use the information to teach my Literature class. I recommend that you visit the above resource sites you won't regret. With Literature in English, I shall go with the organization Sites and the commercial Sites which seem to offer a lot of information. On YouTube I can definitely view the videos but the important thing here is identifying what is helpful to both the students and the teachers in the process of teaching and learning

 

 

A Day at the Office

Amongst the software I have viewed in this lesson I would say that some of them are good as a resource for teaching and learning of Literature in English. There are a variety of tools that one could choose from but it is also important to choose the most appropriate of them for that particular subject. The subjects differ in presentation as well as in content and can therefore not use the same App across the board. Maths is not English just as History is not physics. The choice of the App to use depends on the subject the person teaches.

I have tried out some like Microsoft Excel and discovered that the arrangement of the cells is not the best for subjects that use so many words. In their nature they have cells and literature rarely needs them apart from when one is just highlighting points without using so many words. However, in cases where the teacher or learner is interested in brief outlines, it serves the purpose well. Microsoft Excel would do well more with numbers and keeping of students data regarding grades and marks. Just like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access is structured in cell like divisions and good for keeping a tab on students performance as well as the important things about them (Bio-data).

Literature being a wordy subject requires an App that allows for as many words as one would love to use.  Microsoft PowerPoint on the other hand uses slides that can accommodate the alignment of points as one would wish to present them and also offers space for giving comments or adding notes and is therefore a more appropriate instrument to use in Literature. I have actually enjoyed myself working with Microsoft PowerPoint. It has designs you could choose from to make your product more attractive to the learners and hence chase boredom. You can also put sounds in the background of the text as well as decide how you would wish the slides to move. All those options are there and they are geared to give us the skills to have more interesting products and also make lesson more interesting as we discover more and more about technology. If students were to use Microsoft PowerPoint, they would find it very interesting and captivating because of what it has to offer.

Another tool that I have grown so accustomed to using is Microsoft word processor. This is also a very valuable tool as it allows for spelling checks, can offer substitute words and has dictionary facility that learners can use in the process of typing. Mine being a subject that requires one to get the spellings of words right, this is an appropriate instrument of technology integration for teaching and learning processes.

I do not think that these software stifle in any way the depth of knowledge of activities. Personally I think it depends upon what the person who is using the App wishes to include. It is up to the learner or teacher to choose whatever App is appropriate for the task at hand, and having the choice to do so gives one the opportunity to choose the best.

Where in Tech are We?

In this lesson I have learnt how to apply or integrate technology in my teaching. I have discovered that technology can be integrated into teaching starting with the simplest and basic ideas and moving onto the more complicated and modified forms of integration. Slowly by slowly it is easy to introduce the learners to this method of teaching and learning without scaring them into thinking they are getting into something that is more modified and challenging.

I have learnt the four stages into technology integration substitution, augmentation , modification and redefining from watching the SAMR model videos.  The first stage of substitution is not any different from the old way of teaching because you only get the students to transfer what they could have written down in pen into a microsoft word document.  A simple process but captures the interest of the students since they are doing it hands-on. Then Augmentation which is also similar to substitution improves a bit on the original format of task i.e allows the learners to do spell checks using the computer, access online dictionary and using clip art or digital pictures where they would have done it manually. Modification on the other hand allows for complete transformation of task through redesigning it such that the students can do the task but cannot complete it without using technology. e.g creating something like a book report or comic out of a book report. Redefining is almost similar to modification but it emphasizes use of technology. The students have to do something with technology in order to complete task/assignment. In this case the students would need to have all the materials they are to use lined up. In this process, the more one interacts with the technology the more they get used to it and the more they feel at ease with it. The process is simple and clear and it keeps taking you into the next step and by the time you realize it you are already there and ready to use TPACK.

TPACK is basically integration of technological knowledge with content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. In integrating the three there is need to have the technical knowledge and know how it relates to content. Know what it is that you want to pass to your learners. What is that that you wish them to learn. After which you should know how to teach, what technology you are to use to teach the content you want to pass on.

 

 

Designing Learning - My Experience with Online Learning

This entire course has taught me a whole lot of things I did not know before and never thought to accomplish in such a short time. From the start of the course it has been one road of discovery after discovery of the advantages and highlights of online learning vis-à-vis the problems and pitfalls. The info graph has been such a challenge but a welcome one at that, let alone knowing how to keep notes in an Evernote application. The Virtual school, the Flipped classroom has been yet another wonderful experience for me as a teacher and for my learners too after having taken them through one of the most interesting and engaging lesson online. Online learning requires the learner to visit wikis, webinars, blogs, podcasts, Khan Academy videos, YouTube videos and all the resource sites available on the Net. In reality, it looks like an ocean of knowledge where one would fear to venture because of the diversity of the information there. But once there, the learner will discover that it is easy to navigate through this ocean and get to the desired information in just a matter of minutes or seconds or utmost hours. And the most wonderful thing about it all is the fact that most of these sites, once you are connected to Internet, you access them free of charge.  

Advantages include;

·        Learner-centered with the teacher as a facilitator

·        Teacher's role as a monolithic node is taken away.

·        Learners can study from anywhere ie at home and in the confines of their bedrooms. 
·        No fear of being embarrassed.
·        Ability to view lesson as many times as one wishes for clarity and further perception of concepts.
·        The learners who have jobs can also find time to read and learn without worrying.
·        Tutoring is possible across continents
·        Supports the learner to take charge of their own learning and decide what they want to learn.
·        Allows learners to experience things in their own learning and construct knowledge basing on their own experiences.
·        Encourages collaboration amongst students/learners.
·        All learners are treated according to their abilities since online learning takes into account the multiple intelligences of the learners.
·        Promotes continuity of data.
·        Gives immediate feedback.
·        Does not affect the final grade.
·        Provides for an all inclusive environment.

Highlights

·        It is up to the learners to dream big in every community.
·        Be a learner and be willing to be transformed.
·        Let the learners decide what they want to learn.
·        Give the children a chance to realize themselves.
·        Ensure that children can make sense of the world, the images, the ideas, and information they are bombarded with every day.
·        Learning to accommodate the differences.
·        Understanding how TPACK's three domains of knowledge interact including the subject domains that are in actual fact essential to support effective technology integration in the learning process.
·        Use technology to humanize on a global scale what is happening in education.
Disadvantages and pitfalls include;
·        Requires a lot of time.
·        Reduces memory span.
·        Reduces the ability to think.
·        Reduces concentration since most of the time there is skimming through texts to get to what one is looking for.
·        The culture of reading is killed.
·        A sea of information that may be too much for the learner to digest all.
The disadvantages and pitfalls are minimal as compared to the advantages and highlights of online learning.  Technology allows learners to research, collaborate, create, network and present in all kinds of new ways.