Reflective Synopsis
Source: http://www.voki.com/
Transcript:
Welcome to my reflective synopsis. This Synopsis will be a reflection of my
understanding and knowledge that I have gained about the importance of
e-learning and how it is used in the classroom to enhance, transform,
facilitate and support student learning.
It
is important for teachers to understand the important impact e-learning has on
education today. E-learning is the combination of electronic resources coming
together to support teaching and learning. Mirtschin (2011) discusses that,
“Technology has the power to transform education. It is essential to bring it
into the classroom to empower learning.”
Throughout
the course of ‘Managing e-learning’ there has been a vast range of digital
technologies that have been reflected upon. Each individual technology has its
own way of impacting student engagement in the classroom. I have learnt about a
range of different technologies that will benefit my teaching and students
learning within the classroom. Some of the Digital technologies reviewed in this course, I have had previous experience with, such as Weeblys, PowerPoints, Photo editing and re-sizing tools and the use of apps on iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. Although I had prior knowledge of these elements, I was able to gain a more professional understanding of how to embed these digital tools into a classroom environment effectively. While there were a number of digital resources I was familiar with, there were also a number I had no prior experience with. I am privileged to have increased my professional understanding on a number of valuable digital tools such as, Wikis, video recording devices, podcasting, Glogsters, Prezis, QR codes and of course BLOGS- Plus so much more.
It
is important for teachers to be aware of the different safety implications when
working with digital technologies. It is important that when using digital
technologies to not only make sure that you are using them legally, but both
safely and ethically as well. The department of Education and Early childhood
Development state that, “Schools
need to use Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) as an integral
component of their teaching and learning programs safely and responsibly.” It is vital that teachers
understand the risks involved with digital technologies, including privacy and
unsafe conduct such as cyber bullying. Smart Schools (2010) discuss the risk
students could be faced with when using digital technologies, “Young people are
at risk of unsafe, abusive, or aggressive behaviour online and through mobile
phones such as: cyber bullying, sexual predation, stalking, accessing
inappropriate content, sending sexually suggestive images and identity fraud.” It
is essential to be aware of current policies in place and to teach students the
importance of conducting safe practices when online and ensuring that these practices are ethical and following school procedures.
A
great advantage of using digital technologies in the classroom is the
collaborative construction of knowledge, which facilitates the engagement of
collaborative learning. There are many different online digital resources that
promote this. These are often referred to as Web 2.0 sites, such as Blogs,
Wikis and Websites. This was analysed deeply in Reflection 2, Week 3, see Appendix 1. These
kinds of sites are known as ‘read-write’ sites, which allow users to acknowledge their
view and allows them to engage and interact with a variety of opinions, ideas,
resources and perspectives of other users.
It
is essential for teachers to have pedagogical knowledge but also have an
immense knowledge of digital pedagogies. This is defined clearly in the TPACK
Framework, which is an outline of the three main essentials to being a
successful teacher; Technological, Pedagogical
And Content Knowledge. This was discussed in Reflection
1, Week 2, see Appendix 2. This framework supports Digital technologies while
promoting higher order and creative thinking, which relates back to Blooms Taxonomy (Appendix 2). I learnt the value of Blooms Taxonomy and how embedding ICTs help to promote and ensure students are succeeding at their highest potential.
In
conclusion, I have benefitted a great amount from engaging in these weekly blog
posts. I have learnt about the importance of digital technologies. Digital
technologies can be embedded into all curriculum areas (English, Mathematics,
Science, History, Art, music and special education) and digital pedagogies can enhance teaching and learning while promoting Blooms Taxonomy of higher order thinking.
I have learnt a significant amount of new knowledge and I look forward to putting it into practice by ensuring and being aware of students safety when using digital technologies while promoting higher order thinking for my students to be successful learners.
References
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development. (2012). Using Technology to
Support Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/curriculum/pages/techsupport.aspx
Images sourced from: https://www.google.com.au/imghp?hl=en&tab=ii&authuser=0
Mirtschin, A. (2011). On an e-Journey
with Generation Y: 10 reasons why e-learning is essential for students. Retrieved
from http://murcha.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/why-elearning-is-essential-for-students/
Smart schools. (2010). Cyber-risks. Retrieved from https://www.esmartschools.org.au/cyber_risks/Pages/default.aspx
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