Practitioners Skills and Knowledge for Effective ICT

This module has developed my understanding of the use of ICT in a variety of ways within pedagogy and educational practice, and has demonstrated the challenges faced with using ICT in compulsory education. ‘Technology has opened up several ways of corresponding with partner schools and has led to possibilities for redefining our relationship with the world’. (Jones and Coffey, 2013, p122). However, without practitioner’s knowledge and effective teaching, does ICT just become an unused piece of technology.

There were often many times throughout my education when practitioner’s skills and knowledge weren’t able to support their ability to use technology, due to insufficient training. ‘Teachers need both awareness of and skill with the latest digital technologies in order to use these tools effectively in their teaching’ (Gibson, S. 2011). In order for students to learn they need to be taught. This may happen if practitioners can provide sufficient learning styles and approaches. For example, through visual, kinaesthetic, auditory and a collection of modes.

 

This is why we must challenge ‘The implicit assumption that speech and writing are always central and sufficient for learning.’ (Kress and Jewitt, 2008, p2). Are they the only ways of learning? Or is it because that is how we are programmed to learn, following on from traditional classrooms.

I believe this way of learning may eventually fade within education as schools begin to explore the future of technology and begin to implement Gamification into the classroom. ‘Gamification is a new technology that incorporates elements of game play in to nongame situations.’ (Prince, 2013). It is designed to engage students in the accomplishment of daily tasks with rewards and other motivators.

 

References:

Beauchamp, G. (2016) Computing and ICT in the primary school. From Pedagogy to Practice. London: Routledge.
 

Gibson, S. Moline, T. Dyck, B. (2011) ‘What Are Education Students’ Perceptions of the Role of Technology in Social Studies Pedagody?’ Albert Journal of Educational Research. Vol.57(1), p.73-87

 

Jones, J. and Coffey, S. (2013) Modern Foreign Languages, 5–11: A Guide for Teachers, 2nd edition, New York: Taylor & Francis.

Prince, J. Dale. (2013) ‘Gamification’ Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries. Vol.10(3), p.162-169

 

 

My Experience of ICT

Considering I was only a school year, maybe two, ahead of you Leah, I remember the Overhead Projectors (OHP’s), which we’d use for everything possible, from hymns in assemblies to diagrams in maths.

Looking back now seeing the change from primary too secondary, the technology was rapidly advancing within the 2000’s. At some part, too quick for the teachers to keep up with so we were still being taught to ‘just read from the textbook and make notes’ instead of interacting with possibly the only computer in the building in the primary years.
Getting into secondary school we saw more computers being rolled out, along with a classroom being dedicated to the ICT department that had the all new models of monitors, although now they would date back to 2003.

As I moved towards sixth form, screens in the hallways were being put up with daily updates of news, the schools twitter page and so on. As I left they gave a ‘school’ iPad to all Sixth form pupil in order to use ‘connect4’ where they could access their documents in a class with no need for a computer.

Shulman (1987, p15) states that the teacher must first comprehend what they are teaching, and then teach the subject in a way all children understand. (Beauchamp, 2012), and as a millennial that way is through some sort of social media or online based.

The video is a quick journey of ICT in education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwWWsz_X9s


References:

Beauchamp, G.K. (2012) ICT in the primary school: From pedagogy to practice. First edn. Harlow: Pearson.

Practitioner Skills and Knowledge

To say practitioners skills and knowledge of using ICT is key is an understatement.



How are teachers meant to teach something they don't understand themselves?  Let alone when technology comes into the equation, too many times I have been sat in a class and the teacher can't quite figure out why the speakers aren't working, or why the presentation isn't loading, when nine times out of ten this issue could've been solved in under a minute.



Jamieson- Proctor and Finger (2008) have stated that the confidence from the teacher can have a heavy impact of the uptake of technology from the children, so the less confident the teacher is, the pupils won't want to use that technology. They won't understand it and therefore are we just setting up for generations of confusion? (Lee and Finger, 2010)



By using the technology this gives the children more power in their learning, they become more engaged and work collaboratively with others in the class. (Hramiak and Hudson, 2011) Churchill (2009) states that ICT can add possibilities for the lesson that you can't normally do in the average classroom. (Shabeeb and Akkary, 2013) Teaching with technology that you don't understand or you don't consider the learner styles, this will be ineffective and possibly reverse the effect of 'teaching'. The children may not learn, but instead get confused and therefore not want to use the information in case of getting it wrong.


Introducing brand new technology can be expensive and then those staff members will need to be trained to use it, this can also rack up the expenditure, so I can understand why some schools might want to stick to the 'normal' method of teaching. However, by using technology the children use at home, they can then feel more comfortable and able to use it, especially when the teacher has gained the knowledge of the learner styles in the classroom. For example Gamification. This is where you use games such as Minecraft and fifa in the classroom to help with subjects like maths or English language. Gamification is the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service:

‘gamification is exciting because it promises to make the hard stuff in life fun’

By ensuring that the teachers are competent enough and confident enough then they can use the technology to emphasis other points made. (Mirzajani et al., 2016)

Importance of Podcasting and Vodcasting in Compulsary Education

In todays society Podcasting and Vodcasting, otherwise known as 'Vlogging', have become a sort of 'go to' teaching method.

 Mack and Ratcliffe, (2007) state that Podcasting is an audio recording, delivered via a URL containing a Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.

For teachers, Podcasting can mean that:

1.  If a child is absent then they can upload the lesson onto the schools network, or the parents area of the network, this way that child can still keep up without getting behind. (Copley, 2007)
2. It enables the practitioner to involve the children in group projects that aren't posters and are slightly more fun for them. ( Ralph et al, (2010); Stokes et al (2008); Lazzari (2009))
3. Day and Foley (2006) have found that when they gave some children a podcast to listen to prior to their lesson, their scores at the end of the course were 8% higher than those children who kept the normal pattern. Thus proving that they can be an effective tool if used appropriately.

For Students, podcasting can mean that:

1. It is more engaging than just sitting there writing notes from a textbook or from dictation.
2. Fun in groups for the younger years like years 3 and 4. If they used it as an introducing the topic for them to produce a podcast at the start and end.

Please follow this link to my Prezzi of Podcasting: http://prezi.com/48nwdzlakypq/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy



However with podcasting you don't get a visual, this is where Vodcasting becomes slightly better as the practitioner can then explain things with visual aids, which as covered in previous posts this can help a wider audience.

Please follow this link to my prezzi of Vodcasting which will go into more detail: http://prezi.com/hhn8mqtbsgyp/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

The Effectiveness of Podcasting and Vodcasting

Podcasting and vodcasting create many educational purposes for both teachers and students. It allows teachers to reach out to students using a form of medium they are familiar with and creates a great facilitator to promote student’s engagement. Podcasting is an audio recording that is often hosted on a school website for teachers, students and parents to access (Beauchamp, 2017). Podcasting allows:

Teachers:  

-       Podcasting is a great alternative for delivering lessons and content to students who may need extra support such as, SEN students.

-       Teachers are able to record audio podcasts to provide additional learning materials and revisions for students to view often on school websites, allowing students to access the work at what time suits them best (Hall, 2010).

 Students:

-       ‘Educational podcasting can be effective in enhancing socially constructivist learning environments and promote collaborative opportunities to build and share knowledge and opinions amongst peers’ (Poore, 2016).  

-       Students are able to create their own podcasts and share experiences with one another

-       Students who benefit from auditory materials have a great advantage when using podcasts

-       Podcasts provide important skills that allow students to develop: writing, solving problems, speaking effectively, researching, attaining attention, manage time and improve vocabulary (Hall, 2010).

I have attached my created voki which talks about vodcasting.
http://tinyurl.com/z5o4ntx

 

Below I have  also attached informative videos which explore podcasting and vodcasting in the classroom:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL1bX1gepEc (podcasting)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPAoiUM9JZs&t=8s (vodcasting)

voki text:

Hi everyone, my name is Leah and i am a voki avatar. I will be talking today about Vodcasting. Vodcasting is described as a video recording, which can be edited using a variety of devices and software (Beauchamp, 2011).
Vodcasting is effective for creative learning within education, as students can apply a tool called a green screen, to create realistic and memorable settings for their work.  Teachers can make videos that they can apply directly to their students, e.g. by using their names within the video to keep them intrigued.
The great idea of vodcasting, is it allows students who may not be as confident,  to use additional mobile learning such as, me, voki (http://www.voki.com). 

References:

Beauchamp, G. (2016) Computing and ICT in the primary school. From Pedagogy to
Practice. London: Routledge.

Hall, D. (2010) the ICT Handbook for Primary Teachers. A guide for students and professionals. Oxon: Routledge

Poore, M. (2016) Using Social Media in the classroom. London: Sage

Importance Of Multimedia and Multimodality

Please follow the link to my Popplet :)
http://popplet.com/app/#/3737246



References:

ADEWARA, A.J. and LAWAL, O. (2015) ‘NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND SCIENCE TEACHERS EDUCATION WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF DISTANCE LEARNING: A case study for the university of Lagos’, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 13(2), pp. 112–118. doi: 10.17718/tojde.34947.

Beauchamp, G. (2017) Computing and ICT in Primary School: From Pedagogy to practice. second edn. London: Routledge.

Beauchamp, G.K. (2012) ICT in the primary school: From pedagogy to practice. First edn. Harlow: Pearson.

Kennewell, S. and Beauchamp, G. (2007) ‘The features of interactive whiteboards and their influence on learning’, Learning, Media and Technology, 32(3), pp. 227–241. doi: 10.1080/17439880701511073.

Multimedia and Multimodal

Below I have linked my prezi which explores multimedia and multimodal within education

https://prezi.com/r5zwhmqazsib/multimodal-and-multimedia/ 

 

References

 

Beauchamp, G. (2017) Computing and ICT in the primary school. From Pedagogy to Practice. London: Routledge.

Gunter A, Glenda and Gunter E, Randolph. (2014) Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology in a Changing World. Boston: Cengage Learning

 

Hall, D. (2010) the ICT handbook for primary teachers. A guide for students and professionals. London: Routledge.

 

Higgins, S. Beauchamp, G, and Miller, D. (2007) 'Reviewing the literature on interactive whiteboards', Learning, Media and Technology. London: Routledge.

Reigeluth M, C. Beatty J, B and Myers D, R. (2017) Instructional-Design Theories and Models, Volume IV: The Learner-Centred Paradigm of Education. London: Routledge.

Twiner, A., Coffin, C., Littleton, K. and Whitelock, D. (2010) 'Multimodality, orchestration and participation in the context of classroom use of the interactive whiteboard: a discussion', Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 19: 2, pp.211 — 223.