Blog

A blog (also known as an online journal) is a useful website used by an individual to obtain specific information or data, personal reflections, opinions, links to other blogs, web sites and other resources such as graphics or videos.
In this generation, students are extremely technologically literate which means in a classroom the learning manager must use technology in order to engage each learner.
Using blogs in a classroom is an effective tool when engaging each learner; for a blog can be used for question and answering, allowing students to view and comment on other student’s opinions and also personal reflection. Students would be able to use the World Wide Web to further their learning by gathering information on each topic given by the learning manager and paraphrasing the gathered information into their blog then eventually reflecting on their own work.
When engaging students, using technology is vital, for students thrive off using any means of technology. Using blogs and other technological tools are useful and appealing to students in this generation.

What is your learning style?

The memletics learning style inventory test conducts each individuals dominant learning styles. Understanding your learning style has a great impact on the way you interpret different situations in everyday life, “Your preferred styles guide the way you learn. They also change the way you internally represent experiences, the way you recall information, and even the words you choose.” (Advanogy, 2007)
After undertaking the memletics learning styles inventory test; I have been informed that my dominant learning style is Aural; which means I like to incorporate sound and music into my everyday life which enables me to learn more effectively. As a future learning manager I could integrate sound and music into everyday learning experiences to engage my students. This allows me to use my dominant learning styles to learn about each student. Below is my learning style chart:

To engage each learner the learning manager must profile each student correctly to find their personal strengths and weaknesses and incorporate them into classroom lessons. For example:

Visual Learner: The learning manager can cater to a Visual learner by increasing the amount of images, pictures, colour coding and maps in the classroom whilst teaching. This enables the visual learner to understand and be engaged in the school work.
Social Learner: A social learner communicates well with others, therefore to cater to a social learner creating activities where students work collaboratively will effectively engage a social learner.
Physical Learner: Incorporating physical learning such as classroom experiments, gardening, jigsaws, making models etc. into the classroom would greatly engage a physical learner for this type of learner may become fidgety, frustrated or unmotivated if they are sitting in one spot for too long.
Verbal Learner: A verbal learner increasingly finds the need to express themselves. To cater to a verbal learner the learning manager may constantly ask the learning to read something out to the class, ask the learner questions, asks the learner to share their response to the class.
Solitary Learner: A solitary learner is introspective and independent. This learner spends some time on self analysis and reflection. To cater to a solitary learner the learning manager must give this student time to reflect on each piece of information given at the end of each lesson and to re-evaluate what the learner has learnt throughout the lesson.
Logical Learner: A logical learner best learns with figures and numbers. This learner has excellent mathematical and problem solving skill. The learning manager can pose complex mathematical questions specifically towards this learner to maintain their logical skills.

Using various ICTs in the classroom is very important in today’s technologically literate society. Students in this generation thrive off different technologies, with this knowledge it is vital for the learning manager to incorporate ICTs in the classroom. ITCs such as PowerPoint, YouTube, Interactive whiteboards, WIKIs and various other ICTs, are excellent tools when engaging various learning types. ICTs effectively increases the knowledge of each learner and successfully caters to each learning type.

Reference List:
Advanogy, (2007). Overview of Learning Styles, http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/ (18/07/10)

My Experiences So Far!

Hello Everyone,

There are various things I have learnt from this course already that I had no idea existed! Of course I knew about Google because Google is recognised as the world's leading search technology company. (Page, 2009)
According to Larry Page the co-founder of Google says, “Google is the perfect search engine that would understand exactly what you mean and give back exactly what you want.” (2009)Personally I agree with this statement.
Until recently I had no idea about blogging, Google reader, Wiki and other online recourses. Becoming Learning Managers and being in a highly technologically literate society we need to learn technology as much as possible to be able to engage our students.

I believe the Managing eLearning course effectively teaches us as Learning Managers how to appropriately use technology to hook our future students into fun, relevant and effective classroom learning.
I can honestly say that I have had hardly any experience with any new technology besides the basics that I learnt from high school, for example: Google, PowerPoint and Youtube but for our own safely Youtube was blocked by Education Queensland.

I am excited to learn new and exciting things about technology so that as a future Learning Manager I will be able to use technology in many aspects of teaching. Feel free to read and comment on each blog.

Cheers, Ornella

Reference List:

Page, L. (2009). Larry Page, http://www.crunchbase.com/person/larry-page (Access date: 16/07/10)