Overall Course Experience
This course has provided a multitude of learning opportunities both for myself and for my students. The thought that resonates most strongly with me is that of “Prensky asks not how students learn, but more specifically how do they learn what?” (Anderson, 2008, p. 62). This course has provided us with many options for best learning under a variety of learning situations.
As educators, we are frequently asked to evaluate appropriate technologies for our school. This can be a daunting task, particularly with the large volumes of apps, devices and sites continually becoming available. Developing an understanding of the SECTIONS framework (Bates, 2014) gives us a frame of reference for evaluating technologies that is comprehensive and easy to follow. I found it amazing that it could be used for massive choices such as an LMS for a University and yet still be relevant for a classroom based app application. Not every section is applicable each time or to the same extent each time we use it, however it gives us a solid framework to delve into these decisions. We can feel confident we have considered most angles effectively after applying this framework to the decisions.
The assignment for designing with an LMS was a challenge worth pursuing. Although I have experience with a similar platform, it was interesting to see the limitations and opportunities that differ between the various LMS platforms. Using Moodle allows me to better understand LMS as a whole and also the technical applications of the program. I typically have used an LMS platform as a supplement to my regular classroom. I have not to this point, ever developed an entire unit to be delivered almost entirely online. Within the elementary setting, students typically perform their unit as a blended experience, however this unit would afford me the time to spend with individual students rather than on instructing each segment as we go. It also allows students to adjust their pace of learning and extend their learning to their home environment. Parents being able to view the assignment from start to finish develop a stronger understanding of the way project based learning works in schools. Spending time developing the unit in consideration of all elements the students would need to perform in order to be successful in advance of them undertaking the unit, made for critical thinking and planning. The challenge is losing some level of adaptability as the course progresses, that would normally be found in a f2f classroom.
The case studies were an effective way to apply the knowledge gained in the reading. It was a helpful process to read the reflections of others, who are tackling the same case. Seeing the perspective of our classmates helped to fill in gaps or perspectives we had not considered. The collaborative nature of the discussions sparked new ways of thinking. Putting the learning in context defines and synthesizes the content bringing an authentic experience to life. I would like to use case studies more often with my students in a variety of curricular areas.
Personal Goals- Reflection of Flight Path
Teachers as Learners
After participating in the learning tasks for this course, I feel better prepared to assist teachers in implementing technology into their classrooms. Have a task such as designing a digital story for a course they are teaching, results in teachers learning a variety of digital story programs through a meaningful product. Rather than simply showing them a digital story program first and asking them to create a story, the reverse was used in this course. Envision your digital story and then determine the program that best suits your needs. This does take a much greater amount of ‘play’ time, however I believe it would be worthwhile. As teachers move through a project they learn the components of the program that they need, expanding as they go. For example, with the digital story in Videoscribe, I learned how to place objects first, and then add sound later. Unfortunately I watched the section of the tutorial after the fact that explained to do the voiceover first. This is all part of the learning experience. As teachers gain familiarity with a program, they are able to assist others and look for additional possibilities for application in their classrooms. Effective implementation begins with visible support of technology by the school leadership team. Modelling new strategies, supporting trying new things, recognizing the effort and progress of staff, providing time for technology learning and resources, positively impact implementation (CITEd, 2015).
Effective PD needs to be ongoing and anchored in authentic learning tasks. It is beneficial to create an environment where teachers have input into their PD options, are encouraged to take risks, participate in conversations that critique current pedagogical strategies and determine ways to implement technology in meaningful ways. (CITEd, 2015). PD that implements relatively simple uses that help teachers achieve their current goals is often more effective than introducing technologies to achieve new goals (Ertmer, 2005). Building knowledge through incremental steps, increases teacher confidence and willingness to attempt larger changes (Ertmer, 2005). I now feel more capable of implementing these ideas.
Assessment Through Technology
I was fortunate early in my career to be introduced to an LMS platform. Although neither Moodle or Connect has been approved by our school board, they are both similar to D2L which is the platform we currently use. Having this background allowed me to explore more of the pedagogy that goes with an LMS system. I typically use our LMS for delivering course content, housing links for further exploration and class discussions. Having assessment as an assignment component was a new way for me to leverage technology. I found creating the online quiz particularly useful. Providing feedback to 25 grade 5 students can be extremely challenging Understanding the importance of feedback thorough the work of John Hattie, who states in his bookVisible Learning, that feedback was one of the top 10 influences on student achievement (Hattie, 2009). The more ways meaningful feedback can be provided, the greater the impact on student achievement. Designing a quiz that provides corrective feedback for incorrect answers and positive affirmation in terms of score for correct answers is a way to increase immediate formative feedback with minimal teacher time. Inserting hints into questions can also be used to trigger memory and review content. Adjusting the settings so that students can take the exam more than once to demonstrate improved learning is also a great way to increase achievement. Lastly, using the question bank, weekly exam questions could selected as a unit review before summative testing or as a review throughout the unit.
Social Media
I do not feel I met my social media goal. I did gain a greater understanding of the possibilities but did not apply these programs in meaningful ways. I appreciated the Twitter feed on the side of the course and did use these suggestions throughout the course. I did renew my Twitter account and follow the class conversation, however I do not find Twitter intuitive and it is a struggle for me to participate in this way. I was hoping as I became more familiar with the program, I would become more comfortable and see a stronger fit into my teaching. This did not develop which perhaps speaks to the fact that technologies are personalized and not every technology works for every person. I much prefer to read blogs, webpages and chats. I will continue to persevere in improving my Twitter comfort zone.
Next Steps
Next year I will likely be tasked with teaching Kindergarten for the first time in my career. As a Learning Leader I have consistently challenged the concept that Kindergarten kids are not able to use technology effectively in school, as has been often suggested by the Kindergarten teachers I work with. This will be my chance to demonstrate my belief that in fact, all school age children can use technology in tremendously valuable ways. I would like to challenge myself to use the technologies we have explored such as LMS and digital stories with this age group. When many students are pre-literate, a reliance on visuals and auditory cues becomes highly important. Watching my son and his friends play on the iPad and our computer, I have no doubt about the ability of children to navigate technological resources when they are motivated by a purpose. An LMS at this age would also be largely geared towards engaging the parents. Information, educational links, videos, student work, responses to homework, etc. can provide a consistent home/school link.
In terms of assessment, I would like to produce an attempt at using computer-aided assessment as suggested by Jenkins. “It is also possible for CAA to be adaptive, in that the outcomes of an assessment can be used to determine further questions or information that the student needs to address. Thus it is possible to guide students through a programme based on their responses at key stages, in a way that is appropriate for their specific learning requirements.” (Jenkens, 2004, p. 69) I am as of yet, unclear of how to use the technology available in an LMS to program responses to personalize next steps in learning however I motivated to try. This would be another example of improved feedback for learning with a reduction to teacher workload.
As new technologies are constantly being introduced an evolving, I plan to continue to delve into new products and possibilities. I plan to apply strategies that align with the future trajectory as outlined in the NMC Horizon Report (NMC, 2015). Forecasting where our students are going and what they will need to be successful is highly valuable. I will continue to read this report in the future to keep up with trends and new possibilities for our staff and our students.
References
Anderson, T. (2008). Toward a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, Chapter 2 (pp. 45-74).
Retrieved from: http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120146
Bates. T. (2014). Teaching in a digital age. Retrieved from http://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/chapter/5-8-assessment-of-learning/ (Appendix 1. A8)
CITEd (2015) Technology Implementation in Schools: Key Factors to Consider. Retrieved from: http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=187.
Ertmer, P. A. (2005). Teacher pedagogical beliefs: the final frontier in our quest for technology integration? Educational Technology Research and Development , 53(4), 25-39.
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London: Routledge.
Jenkins, M. (2004). Unfulfilled promise: Formative assessment using computer-aided assessment. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, i, 67-80. Retrieved from http://www2.glos.ac.uk/offload/tli/lets/lathe/issue1/articles/jenkins.pdf
New Media Consortium. (2015). NMC Horizon Report 2015: Higher ed edition. Retrieved from http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-HE-EN.pdf