E-Learning in the K-6 Classroom

As Mia mentions in her blog, this video gives a good introduction to the variety of uses computers can have in giving people with a variety of disabilities the power to learn, communicate, access information and be placed on a more even playing field with their fellow students. It covers a wide range of technologies and disabilities which gives a good overview. ICT is an extremely important aspect in the education of a child with a disability, it levels the playing field a little and makes life just that bit easier for children struggling with being different every day. I think it is important for teachers to be aware of the options available to children with disabilities, it worries me that this is not always the case.

VIDEO

I am currently trying to get my mind around the whole LAMS concept to see if it is a viable option for an upcoming assignment – not sure that I am techy enough to take it on.

I had a look at this short video which gives a good basic introduction to how schools (a highschool in this case) use the software. You might like to check it out if you are as confused as I am.

Creativity = Original ideas with value 

Like Richard, I think this is a very thought provoking and humorous video where Sir Ken Robinson talks at a TED (Technology,Entertainment,Design) conference about the teaching of creativity in schools. He asks the question – How do we educate children for an unpredictable future? Ken believes creativity is as important as literacy and should have the same status in society.
Ken remarked “Kids will take a chance. If they don’t know, they will have a go… they are not frightened of being wrong”. I wish this were true – possibly it is for most children in the first couple of years at school. In my experience (which is limited to a few teaching practicums and through watching my own 9 year old daughter progress through school), children hate to fail. An important aspect of a teachers job is to create a classroom environment where children feel safe to make mistakes.
A safe environment is necessary if children are going to be creative. Sir Ken says if people aren’t prepared to be wrong they will never come up with anything original.

He makes some interesting points on the value society places on the different subjects taught at schools which had me reminiscing on the heartbreak I felt when the 3 creative subjects I studies for my HSC (Visual Art, music and dance) were not valued in the same way as the other more ‘important’ subjects such as Science or Maths and English.

Are we really educating children for a creative future or merely following an old recipe?

This podcast is by the LEGO group and features an interview with Mitch Resnick from MIT’s Media Lab. He is talking about the importance of creative play in learning. He asks the question “What happens when you ask kids to be creative doers rather than passive learners?” He believes most learning occurs when people have an opportunity to actively engage with a task, rather that having information delivered to them by a teacher (the transmission model of learning). He says that when a student gets an opportunity to test things out, experiment and test boundaries while learning they are using the same skills they would during play – “One of the best ways to get people learning is to allow them to playfully explore the world around them.”

Resnick and his team have designed a miniature computer called a ‘cricket’ that children can program to add elements, such as sound effects and coloured lights, to their constructions. Tools such as this give children opportunities to develop creative thinking skills and prepare for a futures in society as life-long learners.

Resnick’s goal is for a future world of creative thinkers who are constantly inventing new opportunities for themselves and for their communities – active rather than passive participants of society. As John Dewey once said “The purpose of education is not just learning to make a living but learning ot make a life.”

Click the play button below to listen to podcast

http://www.legobuildersoftomorrow.com/podcast1.mp3

Here is my first vodcast where I give a quick overview of the Australian Museum’s website for kids called Wild Kids. Please excuse the fact that it isn’t very polished and there is some background noise, enjoy.

(Needed to remove embedded video until edublogs problem fixed)

Download Video: Posted by jsdt4 at TeacherTube.com.
This is a great presentation which is one of the most viewed videos on Teacher Tube, as it has you thinking about the huge number of possibilities for using technology in the classroom. The video asks “Why not use the technology that our students love to teach more effectively?” followed by some good ideas on the use of mobile phones and ipods for learning. We are living in a digital age and children are ‘digital learners’. It concludes with the statement “If you’re not using technology to teach, You should be!”

The video is created by T4-Jordan School District (in USA). T4 stands for Transforming Teaching Through Technology. They have a good podcast section where you can download podcasts on a variety of digital teaching topics. Their podcasts include video (so I suppose they should be called vodcasts) and are really informative for teachers learning how to use the various digital tools.

Some of it may be more relevant to highschool teaching (I am not sure many primary school kids have mobile phones) but much of it can be incorporated in the primary school.

This is my first podcast where I talk about my dreams for my future as a teacher.. There is a bit of noise in the background but I hope you like it anyway.

Wildest dreams

What makes a good kids’ website? highlights the necessity for parents and educators to ensure their children access websites that present a worthwhile opportunity for learning. It provides points to consider when assessing the value of kids’ sites, including design and safety issues. The article also acts as a promotional opportunity for the author’s own website for kids MaMaMedia where kids can complete a survey answering questions relating to what they think make a good kids’ website. This is a good way to find out from children what they would like to see on a website.

This is an interesting and thought-provoking piece of writing because it uses a ‘fairy story’ about rare and valuable pencils being introduced into schools to describe the way schools may be using technology (mainly computers) today. It tells the story through the experiences of 2 schools who were given some of the ‘pencils’. School ‘A’ sees the pencils as far too valuable for anyone to use without extensive training in their use and are only used by elite students and teachers trained in the area of pencil use. School ‘B’ took a very different approach and gave everyone access and trained all teachers in their use. Everyone had a chance to experiment or play with them and realised their potential as tools for learning. It asks the question “Is it necessary for every student to have a pencil each or could they share or work in groups?” which has me wondering about the possibilities for student learning if computers were commonplace in our state schools, with every child having their own to use.