Synopsis

Generation Y has been characterized as the ‘tech-savvy’ generation (Apps, 2008) this is the generation I was born into and supposedly I am a ‘technology native’ Bryan Patterson of the Sunday Herald Sun suggests that Gen Y, “…is the most influential generational group since the baby boomers. “
Technology became increasingly advanced as I grew older; however, technology was not a prime tool for teachers when educating us as students. As we cross over to Generation Z (born 1995 to the end of 2009) these students are the world’s first 21st Century generation; they are the digital natives, the dot com kids and the generation media. “Generation Z are not tomorrow’s students - they are the students of today.” (McCrindle, 2010) Today’s students are not only growing up in different times, but they encounter different characteristics, values beliefs and priorities. It is a necessity that teachers have an understanding of Generation Zs learning styles, attitudes and perceptions and expectations when effectively engaging these students into a positive learning experience. (McCrindle, 2010)

In today’s schooling environment students are completing homework from Wiki sites, listening to lessons via podcasts, reflecting their thoughts through blogs and even retrieving the latest information from favourite sites and blogs through RSS feeds. Students in today’s society have grown to become extremely technologically literate; therefore, it is vital for us as Learning Managers to become future orientated when teaching students of this digital age.
Throughout this course I have examined many technologies that could effectively be used in the classroom to engage, transform and enhance student learning.
The technologies I believe are most effective in a classroom are blogs, concept maps, PowerPoint, YouTube, Vokis, and Wikis.

Regularly updated and written in a personal point of view, a blog is a diary or an online journal where the writer or “blogger” can write observations on the world or provide links to websites. All bloggers have different themes and attitudes and perceptions about different topics and issues. (Refer to blog post 3- Blog)
Blogs are ideal for students because they can be accessed at virtually anytime, any place with an internet-enabled computer. In addition to providing teachers with an effective tool for communicating with their students, there are various educational benefits when using blogs. Some of these examples are;
• Blogs are highly motivating. Students who lack participation in the classroom can benefit from using a blog.
• Blogs give opportunities for students to read and write allowing them to further develop visual and fine motor skills
• Blogs are an effective forum for collaboration and discussion
• Excellent tool to enable scaffolding or mentoring

As students persevere through their research and continue to ask questions related to the specific unit of work, they will need to effectively organize the information they obtain. Concept mapping is a simple and useful way to organize information whilst showing the connections between the information found.
In my blog I created a concept map as an example from the site called Bubbl.us. Bubbl.us is a simple online concept mapping tool which effectively allows students to create a mind map around the specific unit of work being studied at that time. (Refer to blog post 4- Concept Maps)
Using Bubbl.us will successfully create a positive learning experience for concept maps are used as “Visual road maps of cognitive organisation.” (Novak & Gowin, 1984) Bubbl.us allows students to create a concept map, save the information and come back to further add information when necessary. Students can create a before and after concept map to reveal how much knowledge the students have gained and to gain an understanding of the changes throughout the unit. (Refer to comment 1 blog post 4- Concept Maps)

PowerPoint is a software tool used when presenting information in a dynamic slide show arrangement. This tool can incorporate texts, images, graphs, videos, sound effects and many other elements which enables you to create a presentation with ease. PowerPoint is a powerful tool for learning in both a student and teacher directed situation. It can promote a new dimension of learning; allowing teachers to explain abstract concepts, while catering to all learning styles. Used and taught correctly PowerPoint can be used for classroom lessons, to exhibit student work, oral presentations and many more. PowerPoint can have a powerful impression on your audience and can actively engage students into a successful learning experience. (Refer to blog post 6 – PowerPoint and Mahara)

YouTube is a popular and engaging online public communication site. Youtube is one of the ten most popular web sites on the internet which enables you to watch videos from entertainment and music to marketing and effective learning videos. (Fieldman, 2007) When used correctly and with supervision YouTube can be used as the most engaging online technological tool. In the classroom the Learning Manager could use YouTube videos to model what students have to do for a particular task (instructional videos). The video I used in my blog for Reduce, Reuse and Recycle could be used to portray an effective and positive advertisement. (Refer to blog post 8 – YouTube) Youtube can be used to deliver complex knowledge in a step by step format which engages the learner and allows the student gain an understanding of the specific unit of work which enhances their knowledge. (Refer to comment 1, blog post 8 – YouTube)

Trying to engage and “hook” students can be a daunting experience for both the teacher and students. The topic introduced must be presented in a way which engages the learners and makes them motivated to learn due to the meaningful nature of the work environment and the activities. Technologies such as Vokis are an excellent way to facilitate engagement which can become difficult to accomplish. Vokis are an authentic and new technique for teaching and learning. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) (Refer to blog post 9 – Vokis) Vokis (created by the learning manager) can be used as instructional videos enabling students to be engaged and follow instructions one step at a time.

A Wiki is on online type of website that allows visitors to easily add, remove and edit some content. (Wikipedia is one of the most well known examples of a public Wiki). I personally believe that Wikis are an excellent online tool that can provide appropriate information and instruction and also actively enhances student learning. Wikis encourage group interaction and constructive collaboration which can be contributed at any time or place. Students find that learning is more effective and engaging when they are actively involved in the construction of their knowledge. (Department of Education, 2010) If you refer to blog post 5 – Wikis, you will see that I used Wiki as a source of information, question and answering and homework. This tool allows students to refer back to information at home and successfully follow through activities and read information provided by the Learning Manager. This benefits both students and parents for parents are able to view the knowledge being taught by the Learning Manager. Wikis enable students to acquire knowledge and further benefit student learning.

As previously stated students in this generation are technologically literate and born as a digital native. “Children are establishing a relationship to knowledge gathering which is alien to their parents and teachers” (Klopfer, Osterweil et, al. 2009) When incorporating technology into the classroom it is imperative that the Learning Manager also accompanies the students as “life-long learners.” If the Learning Manager is future orientated there is a great chance that students will engage in a positive learning experience through technology.

Reference List

Apps, P. (2008), Generation Y, http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSL3168385920080131(24/08/10)

Department of Education, (2010), Wikis in the classroom,
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/wikis/(26/08/10)

Fieldman, B. (2007), What is it and why use it? Http://www.surfnetkids.com/safety/youtube_what_is_it_and_why_ use_it-19026.htm(22/08/10)

Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1999), Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm (17/08/10)

Klopfer, E. Osterweil, S. et al, (2009), Using the technology of today in the Classroom of today, http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf (26/08/10)

McCrindle, M. (2010), Understanding Generation Z as students, http://www.generationz.com.au/pub/ss_students.pdf (24/08/10)

Novak & Gowin. (1984), Learning How to Learn, www2.ku.edu/~iracda/documents/.../Concept%20Mapping.ppt (26/08/10)

Patterson, B. (2007), A-Z of Generation Y, http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/sunday-heraldsun/a-z-of-generation-y/story-e6frf92f-1111113909372 (24/08/10)

Appendix – Links to Comments

Mrs. Daisy - YouTube
http://mrsdaisyelearning.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=13

Sadi’s E-Learning Journal – YouTube
http://sadimyers.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-tube-video.html#comments

Ornella’s E-Learning - Youtube
http://ornellaelearning.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Ornella’s E-Learning – Concept Maps
http://ornellaelearning.blogspot.com/2010/08/concept-map.html

Justine’s E-Learning – Digital Video
http://justinewatson.blogspot.com/2010/08/links-to-comments-and-conversations.html

Ornella’s E-Learning - Vokis
http://ornellaelearning.blogspot.com/2010/08/vokis.html#comments

Shona’s E-Learning- Concept Maps
http://s0173599cqu.blogspot.com/2010/08/concept-mapping.html#comments

Images - Picnik

I think Picnik was a really enjoyable and creative tool that would be excellent for educational purposes (more for high school students then primary) and if you are the type of person who loves to create!
Picnik is a webpage which allows you to edit any photo you have saved onto your computer. It allows you to change colours, make effects, and add texts, touch ups, stickers, frames and other cool creative things to just one photo!

Learners are to attain a photo, and represent it in as many ways as possible using Picnik (premium) as the editing tool. Learners could then justify their editing to each photo and discuss how what they did represents the chosen ‘spin’ on each copy of the photo. This would be a fun, creative activity that I’m sure all learners would highly enjoy participating in.

Below is a picture i created using Picnik...

Vokis

Vokis are an interesting and a really fun tool when engaging students.
Vokis may be used as a hook to start off a topic of discussion that students are un aware about. Technologies such as Vokis are an excellent way to facilitate engagement which is usually difficult to accomplish any other way. Vokis are an authentic and new technique for teaching and learning. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)

Sometimes starting a new topic can be daunting for both teachers and students, the topic introduced must be presented in a way which engages the learners and makes them motivated to learn due to the meaningful nature of the work environment and the activities. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)
For the Voki I created I used the topic Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The KLA for this topic is SOSE. Though this topic is important and a necessity to learn. Students may be put off from learning this topic; this is why teachers need to create a new and exciting tool to introduce this topic as positive and stimulating as possible rather then an overwhelming learning experience.



Get a Voki now!



Reference:

Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1999), Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning,
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm (17/08/10)

YouTube

YouTube is a popular technology that I have been familiar with for many years now. YouTube is one of the ten most popular web sites on the internet. (Fieldman, 2007) YouTube is a web video sharing site founded in late 2005. YouTube is a venue for sharing videos amongst friends, family and can shown to millions of people around the globe; people who subscribe to YouTube can also comment on any video and receive information showing videos that may be of interest to them. (Ziff, 2009)
I think YouTube is an excellent technology to bring into the classroom environment for there are millions of excellent educational videos that can hook and engage learners.

From experience in high school I know that I would love to have used YouTube as an educational tool for assignments across most subjects.
Though due to the issues of internet safety YouTube was banned at my school and not only my school but all schools across Australia.
An article from The Australian explains how all schools have banned YouTube because “The website was considered unsafe because it was impossible to determine what sort of video material might be accessed by students” says Queensland Education and Training Minister Rod Welford (2007). Also a spokesman for the state's Department of Education and Training says, “There's no educational value to it and the content of the material on the site.” (2007)

I personally think that there are inappropriate videos on YouTube but it is a different matter to say that there “is no educational value to it.” I believe that there are many educational uses for YouTube when used appropriately. For example I chose an appropriate YouTube clip for the topic Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This clip will be used as a friendly and fun clip to engage learners into this strand of SOSE and should result in a positive learning outcome for all students.
There are many other eductional videos I have found when looking through YouTube for example: Maths- Learning your times tables or English- examples of shakespeare. YouTube should not be recognised as a negative site and portrayed as completely harmful to all students because behind all the negative media you hear of a couple of mischievous boys looking up rude or racial things on YouTube (as stated by Andrew Colley, 2007) there are videos on YouTube that are decent for the educational environment.
I am not saying it is acceptable for students to be exposed to such crude videos but YouTube videos should be acceptable under certain curcumstances for students to gain appropriate learning opportunities with appropriate teacher supervision.

Have a look at this cool little hook for Reduce Reuse and Recycle.


Reference:
Colley, A. (2007), States still hold out on YouTube, http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,21330109-15306,00.html (22/08/10)

Fieldman, B. (2007), What is it and why us it? http://www.surfnetkids.com/safety/youtube_what_is_it_and_why_use_it-19026.htm (22/08/10)

Ziff, D (2009), YouTube http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=YouTube&i=57119,00.asp (22/08/10)

What is RSS?

When I first heard of RSS I had absolutely no idea what this term meant whilst learning the meaning overtime I realized that RSS aggregators are a very useful tool.
RSS actually stands for Really Simple Syndication. The RSS feed is a useful format for delivering web content which regularly changes. RSS allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest information from the sites and blogs you are most interested in. (Lorna, 2009) By allowing you to be updated with new information from you favourite sites it prevents you from frantically checking websites to see if there is any new information; because the RSS aggregator (e.g. Google reader) will show you what new information has been displayed on your favourite sites. (Software garden inc. 2004)

RSS aggregators can be an excellent format not only for students but for teachers as well. RSS aggregators can be taught to students so that when it comes to assignment work they can save their favourite sites to an RSS aggregator (such as Google reader) and when it comes to finding information for their assignments all students will be well equipped with new information from sites relevant to their task.

Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson describe RSS feeds as, “A great way to provide constantly updated content for young people. Although your students might not read the newspaper each morning, they can still get a great dose of timely information through RSS feeds. Unlike bookmarks that involve wading through the content of individual websites, aggregators provide students with access to the latest information.” (2008)

An RSS feed is also useful for teachers who spend their time on the internet discovering new information from their favourite teacher sources. An RSS feed will allow teachers to save time that they desperately need when teachers already have a lot of things to organise for the classroom.




References:

Lamb, A & Johnson, L. (2008), RSS feeds in the Classroom, http://eduscapes.com/sessions/rss/ (22/08/10)

Lorna, W. (2009) What is RSS? (Really Simple Syndication)?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-rss.htm (22/08/10)

Software Garden inc. (2004), What is RSS? http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.html (22/08/10)