It is amazing as one scans through the vast technologies that are now available and still rapidly being created, to where it could take teaching and learning.
It is hard to keep up with the rapid growth, but at the same time very exciting to introduce it in learning design and pedagogy.
Admittedly, I was somewhat overwhelmed by all the different technologies and programs available and its capabilities of creating and combining multimedia elements so instantaneously.
But we live in an instant age where 21st Century learners are concerned and Information Communication Technologies that encompasses visual literacy is now playing a crucial role in today’s learning.
“Unlike the traditional notions of language and literacy, which are primarily unimodal and textual, this new form of communication and self-expression occurs multimodally, incorporating visual and aural elements with textual elements, and an immediacy which itself is a dimension of the new language. Tools that allow sophisticated manipulation and creation of images, video, and sound are more and more commonplace, and they are especially well known among those most fluent in these new language forms,” A Global Imperative, The Report of a 21st Century Literacy Summit.
I have chosen to analyse blogs, images, glogster and concept mapping out of the four digital technologies presented in the course.
I have chosen these technologies specifically for my secondary teaching areas in the Arts to show that extending a learner beyond the classroom and relating learning experiences in a real world context can enhance, support and transform learning.
These technologies would link to the Essential Learning’s, standards and assessments of my KLA.
With all these technological tools integrated in teaching and learning, functional considerations and control measures for legal, safe and ethical practices will be discussed as well.
Blog
I would use a blog specifically as a reflective process for a unit of work, project or task and to assess thinking, research and management of own learning.
Because a blog is a public forum and shared amongst peers, students will have more responsibility for quality content.
A blog is a constructive learning process, that Vygotsy (1978) states where more learning can be achieved where community plays a central role in the process of “making meaning.”
To enhance learning a blog will be used to:
- Reflect on own creative process, readings and or classroom discussions.
- I can focus on students expressing their ideas assess their development and ability to critically analyse.
· Investigate and research topics online, beyond the classroom linking to other resources such as videos, images, urls, blogs, quotes and students to report on their research.
- Students use other researchers ideas and quotes and than offer their thoughts.
- A portfolio/evidence of work is constructed that demonstrates thinking, investigative, research, analysing, rethinking skills and evaluates whether students are constructing knowledge and exchanging ideas.
- Building on own knowledge - Acquiring knowledge (Dol2), extending and refining knowledge (Dol3) and use knowledge meaningfully (Dol 4).
- Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning and Learning Engagement Theory.
· Use thinking routines such as SWOT, PMI and DeBono’s Six Thinking Hats
- Analytically and higher order thinking skills that informs Blooms Taxanomy of learning to provide deeper meaning and broader understandings.
· Report on the groups progression in a project
- Collaborative learning, assessing and reflecting on learning processes.
· Encourage or invite professionals to provide feedback
- Testing, refining and validating progression.
- Provide feedback or make comments on peers blogs
- Glogoff (2005) suggests as a requirement that students comment on their peers’ blog to avoid apathy towards a blog and to encourage participation, validation and a platform for continual learning. Glogoff also stressed the importance of teachers making comments on blogs.
- Forces students to view peer’s blogs to gain different perspectives and understandings.
- Helps those who are too shy normally to say something in class discussions or who are “drowned” out by other vocal students. It becomes inclusive of all learners.
Images
Images are an engaging tool that has an immediate connection to visual literacy.
Melissa Thibaulf and David Walbert from, Reading Images: an Introduction to Visual Literacy, LEARN NC, states that, “Literacy” usually means the ability to read and write, but it can also refer to the ability to “read” kinds of signs other than words — for example, images or gestures. The proliferation of images in our culture — in newspapers and magazines, in advertising, on television, and on the Web — makes visual literacy, the ability to “read” images, a vital skill. The ability to see, to understand, and ultimately to think, create, and communicate graphically. The visually literate viewer looks at an image carefully, critically, and with an eye for the intentions of the image’s creator.”
All of the above enhances, supports and transforms a learner.
As a Visual Arts and Media teacher I would than use images to broaden vocabulary of communication skills and teach how to creatively and powerfully communicate using images.
- Students studying images in all media contexts, online, print and moving.
- Students will analyse the purpose, messages, elements used to convey a message and study the use of its context – news, advertising, social, political and cultural messages.
- Ability to critically identify the techniques used that makes the image useful in its context, identifying the emotion or attention the graphics demand. Such as in advertising, why have they used the image and what techniques, target audience and feeling it produces. Did it accomplish what it set out to do, why?
- Activating higher order thinking skills that informs Blooms Taxonomy of Learning and Learning Engagement Theory:
- Brainstorming in groups analysing and categorising different images.
- Students explain techniques, elements, like colour, mood, lighting, composition and perspectives that informed that categorisation.
- Create own visual message in a context that includes social, political and cultural content.
- Combine above thinking skills to inform creative expression through sourcing images and using in its chosen context.
· Editing images see Appendix A
Glogster
What an exciting tool glogster is to have an interactive poster that includes multimedia element such as images, sound, video, animation and text.
I would use this tool as an art and media teacher to be a platform to present projects generated from student’s original works, such as videos, podcasts and images and other creative art forms they make. I would also use it as a research project forum.
By introducing Glogster as an exhibit of work it would enhance students learning as they are applying the techniques that they have learnt to a global space for people to interact and learn as well. This becomes a very constructive learning tool where applying and making meaning of the learning process by contributing to “real world” exposure. This tool would give students a purpose as an end product of their learning.
It is important, as an art teacher to not move too far away from the art of creating an art piece, like painting, sculpture, printmaking when introducing this tool in those areas.
Glogster can be used to:
- Upload own portfolio of work.
- Can be shared amongst peers, teachers and potential employment/work experience agencies.
- Create own research poster on artist and art history.
- Research, linking to other websites and interaction
- Create poster about specific teaching of art techniques, record own learning process and incorporate in poster.
Concept Mapping
Brainstorming can gain more viewers and participation through online concept mapping.
Centralising an idea and mapping out concepts with the ability to share that idea instantaneously through online publications and peer sharing supports a learner’s ability to construct and develop ideas.
As an art and media teacher it is important that students research the purpose of their artworks and the message they want to convey to the targeted audience.
The Essential Learnings, knowledge and understanding by the end of Year 9 states that “ideas are researched to inform visual responses that consider social and cultural issues.”
That is why I have chosen the concept mapping, to demonstrate and activate brainstorming concepts to initiate thought processes and introduce complex ideas. Marzano & Pickering (1997) state in the Dimensions of learning teacher’s manual that students need graphic tools such as a concept map to help them “construct a clear, accurate model for themselves” when acquiring and integrating knowledge.
Using concept mapping:
- Brainstorming ideas
- Explores knowledge, gathers information and communicates complex ideas.
- Creates own works generated from concept mapping
- History can be tracked
- Evaluate concepts of media
- Make reviews and analyse media
- Study elements
- Sharing
- Shares information in blog or wiki
- Save as an image jpeg file, share with peers and teachers, and print it out, upload
- As a teacher I can demonstrate assignment structures on what to cover in an online setting or shared file.
Appendix B demonstrates my experience and a comprehensive analysis.
Having analysed how I would use all the above tools to enhance learning experiences, I will now discuss the considerations and control measures for legal, safe and ethical practices to minimise risk.
To start with, teachers need to learn the functions of the tools first and make clear instructions for students to follow to avoid frustration and disengagement.
Also, when dealing with multimedia tools it is important to make sure the available technology supports its operation.
- Computer hardware has enough RAM, a good graphics card, processing unit and large hard drive to store information.
- Glogster in particular hosts a lot of multimedia files, which should be compressed. Files take up a lot of memory and processing time to upload. Please refer to my posting to view my experience and SWOT analysis. Appendix C
Follow risk management procedures to minimise exposure to online risks, such as cyber bullying, publishing inappropriate content and sharing personal information.
· Include legal documents/agreements stating consequences of actions for students to sign.
- Gain knowledge of the school and districts Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) and convey them to students. For example Cyber smart, http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Schools.aspx
- In Education QLD, Smart Classrooms have risk management around web filtering: http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/mis/filtering-management.html.
- Don’t provide full personal information online – names, date of births, email or physical addresses.
- Get parental permissions.
- Observe the content students are looking at on the web all the times.
· For online publishing
- Avoid blogging sites that publish personal information and find out whether schools allow certain sites.
- Blog sites such as Edublog, http://edublogs.org/ can be custom blogging for teachers and students, allowed by most school filters and can be made completely private.
- kidsblog, http://kidblog.org/home.php, teachers can have full control over content, viewable only to classmates, teachers and parents.
- While it is safe, private and secure, Glogster can be used by anyone. Create secure and private setting when creating it in the classroom.
· Make it clear to students the rules, expectations and consequences and teach the importance of appropriate communication, content and subject matter is portrayed correctly online.
Copyright:
- Copyright for use of images, artworks, ideas are found mainly on the Internet.
- I would embed copyright into lesson plan for students.
- Navigate websites that offer free use of images or artworks. For example, Flickr and Pics4learning websites.
- Explore creative commons or copyright issues for this generation Appendix D
- Referencing other ideas and works that support research when uploaded in an online forum.
- Consent forms for parents/caregivers for use of own photographs, recordings or moving images
Conclusion.
Technology provides opportunities with teaching and learning that enables students to open their minds to learning experiences beyond the classroom, as demonstrated above.
Essentially technology enhances knowledge, understandings, thinking skills and offers a transformation of learning, whilst reaching more learners.
While we stress that 21st Century Learners have a whole set of technological skills, the reality is that some still do not have mobile phones or computer technology at home to keep their skills relevant. However, today’s students easily adapt to technology and developing these skills through ICT in print, web and other dynamic media is important.
It’s also important to consider pedagogical content knowledge and incorporating it in e-learning. To develop higher thinking order skills to ensure students gain deeper knowledge and understanding and do not get caught up in aesthetics and “clicking” techniques.
Analysing these tools also has its vulnerabilities and it’s important to incorporate and regulate risk management. To not heavily rely on technology to be the answer, but rather integrated and embedded in the fundamentals of teaching to engage, enable and enhance learning.
Appendixes:
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
References:
Thibaulf, M., & Walbert, D. (2003). An Introduction to Visual Literacy. The University of North Carolina School of Education. Retrieved from
The New Media Consortium. (2005). A Global Imperative, The Report of a 21st Century Literacy Summit (Pg 8-9). Retrieved from http://archive.nmc.org/pdf/Global_Imperative.pdf
Queensland Studies Authority (QSA). (2011). The Arts: Essential Learnings Year 7 Els and Year 9 Els- All KLA. Retrieved from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/7301.html
Department of Education and Training (DET). (2011). Smart Classroom, Web filtering: School management issues and strategies. Retrieved from
Department of Education and Training (DET). (2006). Consent to use Copyright Material, Image, Recording or Name. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/eppr/legal/lgspr001/
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). (2009). Developing Cyber Safety Policies Retrieved from http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Schools.aspx
Glogster - Poster Yourself, (2011). What is glogster EDU, retrieved from http://edu.glogster.com/what-is-glogster-edu
Glogoff, S, (2005). Instructional Blogging. Promoting Interactivity, Student-Centred Leaning and Peer Input. Retrieved from http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=126
Marzano, R.J, Pickering, D.J, Arredenno, D.E, Blackburn, G.L, Brandt, R.S, Moffett, C.A, Paynter, D.E, Pollock, J.E, Whisler, J.S. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: teacher’s manual, 2nd edn, ASCD, AlexandriaKearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning Retrieved March 7, 2011, from
Vygotsky, L. (1962). Social Development Theory Retrieved March 1, 2011, from http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.htmlBlooms Taxonomy of Learning (2010). Retrieved March 8, 2011, from
Edublog (2011). How does Edublogs compare to other blogging tools? Retrieved March 30, 2011 from http://edublogs.org/how-does-edublogs-compare/
Kidblog (2010-2011). About Kidblog, Who we are? How we are different? Retrieved March 30, 2011 from http://kidblog.org/about.php
Lessig, L. (2007). How creativity is being Strangled. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q25-S7jzgs&feature=player_embedded
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