Synopsis

E-Learning. Is it purely a growing fad or an emerging necessity?

Snowman (2009) state that, under the right conditions, computer based learning can effectively increase classroom instruction. I believe the challenge of today's world is not finding technology to use in classrooms, it is finding ways to use this technology to the benefit of students.

Whilst it is becoming apparent that the students of today are becoming reliant on technology, does this mean technology is becoming an essential tool of the teacher? Technology can certainly help in a classroom environment, however it can also be detrimental if used incorrectly, or when it isn't required. As such this synopsis of my learning journey will focus on specific 'e-learning' tools, and how they could be implemented in a high school environment to the benefit of the students.

Blogs and the classroom don't seem to fit together when the idea is first introduced to most people, however this could change. In my first blog, I mention how the idea of a 'journal' was used during my schooling years and how I wish it could have been approached differently.

Depending on how a blog is used, it could be used to focus on multiple Habits of Mind, as defined by Art Costa:
Thinking about thinking: To have the students blog not necessarily their thoughts, but more how they think they came across their thoughts would increase their ability for metacognition, allow them to understand how it is their mind works and then increase their efficiency in the classroom.
Taking responsible risks: To some, writing their thoughts on something, regardless of how impersonal the thoughts are, is regarded as a huge risk. This is definitely true for adolescent students, who according to Snowman (2009) are going through a stage where self-esteem and their self-image is of great importance. To openly write something for anyone to see, no matter the context, becomes a very personal and sometimes frightening experience, however if the students can learn to take responsible risks such as this, perhaps it is possible to help students "be prepared to be wrong", as Sir Ken Robinson stated in his 2006 speech at the TED conference.

Concept Maps can be a curious tool. When I first started the topic of E-Learning I had used concept maps before, although not very effectively I must add. During classroom time and lectures, when the teacher would instruct us to construct a concept map, without much more instruction then that, was essentially my only experience. As such I was stuck with one idea of how to use a concept map, which was to plan, or to organize what was going to happen and how it was to be approached. It wasn't until I had studied the task, and consolidated with other students (two examples - of this) that I truly realized the true potential of this tool.

It could be used as a tool to revise a unit of work as well as plan, which is an idea that personally appeals to me, because this can then demonstrate to the students precisely how their frame of minds might have changed.


During my high school years I genuinely wish a teacher had introduced the concept of The Big 6 Skills to me. As stated on The Big6 website, I would generally go through the stages when working through a work task, however had I been consciously been working through this list then my work could have been completed with more efficiency.

Persisting is a habit of mind the majority of today's students seem to have a problem with, and if this list is presented to them it could help change that. To have something to tell them what stage they should be on, or guide them through any task can help redirect their learning to what they need to be doing.

The Big 6 is a rare commodity in teaching in that I don't think a learning manager could go wrong in introducing and refining this with a class. This list also working well with Marzano and Pickering's (2009) Dimensions of learning 2 (Acquire and integrate knowledge), 3 (Extend and refine knowledge) and 4 (Use knowledge meaningfully). Skills 1 (Task definition), 2 (information seeking strategies) and 3 (location and access) focus on Dimension 2, allowing students to consciously learn how to use this dimension to their advantage and encourage the use of it in their future. Skills 4 and 5 assist students to use dimension 3 in their learning and their assessed work, to establish relevant information instead of attempting to place as much information as possible to give the impression that their work is of a high standard, and to focus on organizing their work in a way to effectively communicate it will refine their knowledge, creating a habit that could help them for the remainder of their lives. Finally 5 and 6 instructs students to use knowledge meaningfully. Yes there is an overlap for synthesizing the information, and essentially it could be argued that there are many more overlaps throughout the skills, but I feel it is essential to point out this particular incidence. Before students can meaningfully use their knowledge the information must be organized, and from looking at students work I think this is a basic piece of knowledge being overlooked by this new generation.

Alas, I digress from the use of technology. A Wiki, which, as it turns out is more then just using Wikipedia to find more references, can be a great tool for collaborative learning. Prensky (2001) suggests that there are digital natives, and digital immigrants, and for the digital native, the idea of setting up a week for collaborative work will not phase them. However this does not mean a digital immigrant will find them self in troubled waters should they come across this task, a wiki is simple enough to make and/or use that the newest digital immigrant should have little trouble either setting up, or using a wiki to coordinate a group work effort.

If, as a learning manager I find myself in a classroom of digital immigrants, I could easily set up enough easy to find Wiki's that the groups need only access, instead of create. As a learning manager I also see a wiki as a great way to see how a group is progressing, and if there are particular group members doing all the work, whilst others contribute a minimal effort. As McMillan and Weyers (2009) point out, it can be essential that the workload be distributed evenly when working in groups, and if this is not encouraged and enforced through a fair marking system, then student morale and attitude towards a topic can decrease to the stage where they no longer want to learn.

The final ICT tool to be spoken of here will be video. I leave this last because it has the potential to be a great help, but also the greatest danger. It is easy to show students a video in relation to the topic and believe it engages them, it can be easy to instruct students to film something of interest, and make an assessment based on this; However it can be even easier for this type of pedagogy to fail.

To show a video clip in the classroom effectively, then the clip must not only be related to the task, but it is my belief if should only introduce, or reiterate information already given to the students. A video clip should be insightful, encourage questioning, be thought provoking instead of thought providing, otherwise the learning manager runs the risk of encouraging students to blindly follow what they are shown.

To have the students make a video can be even riskier, asking students to demonstrate creativity in a public forum can almost be like asking them to make a speech on world affairs without any time to study the topic. Some students will thrive at the challenge whilst others will constantly worry about what others will think if they do something 'wrong', and it is this type of thinking that many secondary teachers must address in a lot of tasks. Once this issue has been dealt with however, the learning manager must focus on time management of the classroom; when given the task of creating a video, students can easily become focused on the non essential/assessed items of the task because they are more interesting and engaging. A lot of time is wasted during the class time ensuring students are on task and where they should be in regards to the assessment items due to the task being, perhaps too engaging.


So finally, is E-learning a growing necessity? I believe the answer is yes, however the reason it is still a growing necessity lies only with the way ICT is implemented in a classroom environment. Teachers and learning managers alike need to be aware that because they are using a PowerPoint, this does not mean they have stopped using 'chalk and talk' methods of teaching; or just because they encourage students to use concept maps, this is no way means they have used them effectively.

If ICT is implemented correctly, then students learning can be enhanced, their desire to learn will be increased, and their entire view on education could be transformed. However if ICT is used, purely for the sake of using ICT, then the complete opposite effect could occur.

Incorporating technology into existing pedagogical techniques is the true growing necessity, unfortunately a growing fad seems to be the idea of using technology as a pedagogical technique.


References:

Costa, A, what is the habits of mind. The art costa centre for thinking, viewed 25 August 2010, http://www.artcostacentre.com/html/habits.htm

Eisenberg, M., & Berkowitz, B. (2001). Big6 Skills overview. Retrieved August 20, 2010 from http://www.big6.com/

Snowman, Dobozy, Scevak, Bryer, Bartlett & Biehler 2009, Psychology applied to teaching, 1st Australian edition, John Wiley & Sons, Milton.

Marzano, R & Pickering, D 2009, Dimensions of learning, teachers manual, 2nd edn, Hawker Brownlow education, Victoria.

McMillan, K & Weyers, J 2oo9, The smarter study skills companion, Prentice Hall, London.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. 9(5), 1-6. Retrieved from http://marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

TEDtalksdirector 2006, Do schools kills creativity?, viewed 28 July 2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Video educated the radio star?

Making a movie, to me at least, is very much a double edged sword.

As a student of Film and TV during my high school years, I know just how well it can be used. To anyone that did it, it was almost certainly their favourite subject of all. Creating our own movies, coming up with story lines, using different formats to make different (or even the same) outcomes.

It wasn't so much that we were thinking about how to use the equipment, it wasn't so much that we were thinking about how to make a good story line, it wasn't even that we were thinking about how to be the funniest movie maker in the class.

It was that we were thinking how to. We could spend all of our time thinking how to, constantly creating, imagining, discussing ways that we could do things, personally it was my brain's heaven. creativity would win out over all else, and I loved it.

However the reason it worked, is purely because we had the time to do it. an entire subject was devoted to it, and that was the bare minimum amount of time required for it. For students to make their own movies, there needs to be an adequate amount of time available, otherwise it will severely detract from their learning.

However when there is limited time, simply watching a movie could increase learning immensely. it can be something the students can reflect upon, discuss and evaluate certain aspects, how they relate to the student and their work. Show students a new perspective, or reinforce their own.

Which is why YouTube can be great. Showing students a video that is readily available on YouTube allows them to view it easily when they get home. If they are to reflect upon the video, then no longer will they either be required to do it by memory alone, or in the short amount of time offered in class.

...Of course problems may occur when the distractions of YouTube are taken into account... have you see that dog running into the wall?!?!