Blog review

Although I had heard of blogs before I had never really gave them much thought until I enrolled on the PGCE course, they were just a passing word in someone else's conversation. As my world was firmly rooted in the physical world I found little time or inclination to venture into the virtual realms. This is the first time I have ever created a blog and although my competency is still grappling with itself I have found myself valuing it. 

A blog is like your own personal diary, a place where you can express yourself, upload your art work, a platform where you can share information and knowledge. It's a domain that you can choose to share or not. A blog that I have come across that I find valuable to support my teaching and learning is The Sculpture Gallery Blogsite.  Here there is a wealth of information on Artists, process, articles, sculpture galleries and gardens as well as the relevance of Sculpture in society both ancient and contemporary,from the ritualism of sculpture to contemporary biodegradable sculpture.  
I think now I will be looking out for other interesting blogs for inspiration and creating another more personal and discipline related blog for myself.

http://www.sculpturegallery.blogspot.co.uk/

Assessment Applications for Teaching and Learning

There are many apps out there that can be useful for both the teacher and the student. Here I will look at a two we covered briefly in the ITC module.

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Socrative is an interactive app that can be used to assess your students progress and learning as it happens. It can be used in many ways for example for timed maths tests, for spelling tests or for broad based quizzes. The great thing about Socrotive is that as a teacher you can immediately see the results are therefore measure to what extent learning has taken place. I dont think I would use this app in my teaching but I can see that it would suit a younger audience.

Kahoot is a quiz based interactive engagement tool designed for schools and Universities that  gives the teacher instant feedback. It is easy, free and fun.One way to improve a students learning is to involve them in inquiry based learning and this is what Kahoot does by improving their skills through questioning and answering approaches.It is a platform where a variety of  educational content can be delivered and applies to learners of all ages. Teachers or educators can make a formative assessments through tracking the learners progress. My 14 year old informed me that he has used this in his Welsh lessons and thought it was a fun way to learn. I don' t think I would use it in my teaching although I can see it would be an excellent aid to teaching and learning in a variety of subjects.

Photo Story 3 For the Artist.

Photo Story 3 is a free  programme from Microsoft that  is easy to use and enables the users to create personal and artistic slide shows from digital images. From an artists point of view you can also upload your own personal drawings or paintings which then can be edited. You can also crop and rotate images and add soundtracks, original music or narrations to your slideshow using your own voice. One feature I really think is valuable is that you can zoom into a particular spot within an image. I think this is a great feature especially as a teaching aid, for example, you could be very specific about a certain detail within a painting, in an Art history context. Small file sizes also make it easy to send your photo stories in an e-mail and share them. This is something I would definitely like to use in my teaching although I must admit I have not had the time to fully explore this programme.This story below is the one I created in Jan's ITC class.

My experience with mobile technology

My experience with mobile technology is pretty basic really, even my phone is outdated although it does have internet access which I have used several times for information retrieval on the move.I also have a lap top and have found this really valuable for writing up assignments while I am waiting for my son when he's at football training.This otherwise 'lost' time  has proved really valuable particularly when I have found myself under pressure for written deadlines. Having been introduced to a variety of mobile application for use within education since joining the PGCE course I really do feel that I need to educate myself and pull myself  into the twenty-first century as I realise IT may not replace teachers but teachers who use IT may replace teachers who do not.

The most appropriate applications to support my teaching

Reflecting on my teaching practice, it is mainly practical based and focused within the workshop environment where there are no appropriate places to house computers. There are a number of computers situated in a small hub by the cafe which is open  to all students from all disciplines. Spaces are limited but Sculpture students often use this facility mainly for research purposes.If I need to use a computer for my class I would have to specially book the board room for such purposes. I would only do this if I wanted to present a PowerPoint presentation or if the students were to present their Petcha Kutcha or Exit Strategy presentations which are a mandatory aspect to the B A course. 

It would be very difficult for me to have a space were all the students had access to computers simultaneously to use such assessment apps as Socrative, Kahoot or Nearpod and to be honest I could not see myself using these apps although I can see they would be beneficial to certain disciplines.

Microsoft Word is definitely a programme that I regularly use for typing out relevant documents or handouts. I have also used it for assisting students with any written work, encouraging the use of spell check and for referencing, as Armitage,A et all (2007), inform us, word processing documents are now universal and many educational institutions require that their students word process all assessed work and this is certainly the case with my students. Wordle is also something I have used for my own personal brainstorming and would use for handouts. I will definitely introduce my students to it if they don't already know about it as I feel it would be very helpful to them when they have to create their own personal dictionaries.

Photo Story 3 is an image presentation programme that allows you to create animated picture albums this can be used in conjunction with Audacity to import sound. I have not used this with my students yet but think that it is a creative programme that may help them to showcase their work.I will introduce this programme to them when appropriate.

After conquering some of my own barriers to the use of ICT and creating this blog, this is something else I could see myself encouraging my students to create to use as a positive affect upon their own learning and self reflection.

As Armitage et all(2007) acknowledges , these are exciting times in the field of teaching and learning, with new technologies playing an important part. Teaching and Learning resources should be used to promote and enhance student learning but not to replace the teacher.

Armitage,A and all (2007)Teaching and Training in Post-Compulsory Education,
Berkshire:Open University Press.

PowerPoint V Prezi

                                       

If you need to put together a presentation and are trying to decide between the traditional Microsoft PowerPoint, and the newer, non-linear software tool Prezi. Which software should you use and which presentation tool works better? While each program has its benefits, both have come under criticism at some point.Lets look at Prezi, it is a whole new concept on the take of visual aids with a newer flash-based application that allows the user to create a presentation using a large, blank page instead of traditional slides. The main differentiation with Prezi is that, unlike PowerPoint, a Prezi presentation is non linear , meaning it presents a story to the audience with multiple paths from point A to point B Instead of slides, Prezi gives you an unlimited canvas on which to layout your ideas and can zoom into different locations in the presentation . Each presentation can then also be shared online. One of the main disadvantages I can see with Prezi is that the over use of the zoom function , which could make the viewer feel dizzy ultimately taking away from the message of the presentation. Although when I tried Prezi I found it was fun and enjoyed the zoom aspect but ultimately I think I would soon get bored with it and I prefer the simplicity of  PowerPoint. Possibly Prezi may suit a younger audience and it is always worth introducing students to the programme but I can't see myself using it in my teaching.

Whether you select PowerPoint or Prezi, you need to continuously practice your presentation skills for best results. PowerPoint and Prezi both have their place but in my opinion should be used sparingly and creatively.

Barriers to effective use of technology in teaching and learning

There are many barriers to the use of technology in education. Not every school or institution has the opportunity to use the latest technological tools like smart white boards with cost being a major factor. Another barrier may be that some schools and higher education institutions find it difficult to find the time to integrate it into their existing curricula and that many of the teachers feel unprepared to learn. Lack of access itself poses a great barrier towards the use of technology in education

According to  Sabaliauskas , T and Pukelis, T the integration of information technologies into the system of education has been discussed by a number of authors such as Hargreaves (1994), Lawton (1994), Lai (2001),  and others, and it was emphasised that the change in teaching and learning while integrating information and communication technologies is a long process which requires a lot of resources.Many barriers and difficulties are encountered such as, lack of support, lack of teacher competencies, insufficient financing (of teacher professional developments in ICT and lack of cooperation among academic personnel. 

Another major barrier can be the resistance to change with teachers refusing to change the old way of doing things. According to Murphy, J.W. (1986)  many writers have suggested that this technology may destroy the humanistic character of the typical classroom ,technology, it is thought, is to do with machines, and education with human beings. Murphy informs us that The dehumanizing effects of technology are described by  (Bjorn-Anderson and Rasmussen, 1980). as thought to violate the sanctity of the student -teacher relationship, altering the teacher's role in order to accommodate what are believed to be shifting aims of education.

Sabaliauskas, T. and Pukelis, K.(2004)
Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania

'Barriers to integration of information and communication technologies into the teaching and learning process'

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00003861.htm

Humanizing the Use of Technology in Education: A Re-Examination Author(s): John W. Murphy Source: International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft / Revue Internationale de l'Education, Vol. 32, No. 2 (1986), pp. 137-148 Published by: Springer Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3444262 Accessed: 15-01-2016 11:41 UTC

How technology has changed the way we learn.

 

                       

There are many ways in which technology has changed the way in which we teach and learn. The classroom in 2016 has embraced digital technologies to aid teaching and learning and is completely different to the classroom when I was a child.  According to Olshanetsky, D.(2013)"Many people remember the wheeling in of a small television, and a VHS/DVD being played, but in 2016 it’s simpler for the teacher to have a MacBook attached to an ActivBoard to play a Channel 4 OD/BBC iPlayer,Hulu or YouTube video."

I remember burying my head in a book as a child totally engrossed and even loving the  musky smell of a hardback book! Nowadays youngsters can simply log on to a laptop, kindle or tablet or access an e book, how times have changed.

Now, online resources allow us to access information wherever  we are ,in the classroom, on the go,or at home as a means to support our learning.

Olshanetsky (2013) goes on to inform us that "Groups like BrainPOP specialize in creating multimedia content for all ages and types of students, from flash games, to interactive quizzes." These apps can be very useful in assessing a students learning. 

Students can now cross international language barriers and access articles from foreign newspapers with full page translators, all this proving that education is embracing new technologies, giving the student a much wider based platform of information to access.

There are no doubts that information technology can have its downside, but there is little evidence to suggest that computers are damaging our brains.Infact could computers make us more intelligent? 
According to Robson, D.(2014) "The potential for technology to enhance the mind was explored by, Google’s vice-president of research, Alfred Spector, at the 'World changing ideas summit' in New York on 21 October. He outlined the ways that even simple apps could improve the way we think and learn." Spector looks at research that suggests that average students can dramatically improve their learning if they have a personal tutor who can adapt their teaching methods to the student’s style of thinking and learning. So if technology was employed to become custom tutors, then it may be possible to dramatically improve educational attainment. Spector goes on to say that technology could fundamentally change our society – perhaps even abolishing the need for schools. To me this is a scary thought as schools are as important for social interactions as they are for learning.

 Olshanetsky, D (2013) 

https://econsultancy.com/blog/63456-the-digital-classroom-how-tech-has-changed-the-way-we-learn/

Robson, D. (2014) World changing ideas.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141022-are-we-getting-smarter

The value of mobile technology in teaching and learning

It can be said that the adoption rate of mobile devices has increased dramatically in recent years and that this has been driven by technological improvements and lower costs. These devices provide an array of applications that impact almost every facet of our lives. They have become a basic necessity for many people and for students they represents a way to address a number of educational problems. Devices such as smart phones and tablets enable innovation and help students and teachers gain access to digital content, personal and academic. E mails, Facebook and also such things as journals, google scholar etc. can be instantly accessed for dissertation and essay research through such devices and this mobile research and information retrieval can happen anywhere , in the classroom or outside it. Mobile learning offers modern ways to support learning process through mobile devices, such as handheld tablets I pads and smart phones. It is not surprising, therefore, that lecturers, distance education providers and teaching institutions at all levels are increasingly using these devices as a medium to connect, communicate and relay information.
Sadly, not every student has access to a computer, however, most young people have phones with internet access.
According to  Naismith,Lonsdale Vavoula and Sharples, (2006), research on informal and lifelong learning recognises that learning happens all of the time and is influenced both by our environment and situations we are faced with. Such a broad view of learning takes learning outside the classroom and therefore embeds learning in everyday life. Here  the value of mobile technologies in supporting this learning is paramount and these technologies can have a great impact on learning. In higher education, mobile devices may provide course material to students this could include such things as due dates for assignments and information about timetable or any changes that may affect them. With the increase of mobile technologies being used for educational purposes learning will move more and more outside of the classroom and into the learner’s environments, thus becoming more personal, collaborative and lifelong.  The flip side in my opinion is that too many young people spend too much time on such devices and not enough time really communicating or exercising. The obesity levels especially in Wales has risen dramatically in recent years and many young people although connected, actually find that on many levels they have become more isolated.

www.futurelab.org.uk/research.
Literature Review in Mobile Technologies and Learning. Naismith, L, Lonsdale, P Vavoula,G and Sharples ,M. University of Birmingham 2006

Power Point In Higher Education

Slide presentations software such as PowerPoint have become an ingrained part of many instructional settings, particularly in large classes and in H.E courses more geared toward information exchange than skill development.It is probably the most popular presentation software and is regarded as the most useful way to present visual aids to an audience. It can be a highly effective tool to aid learning, but if not used carefully, may instead disengage students and actually hinder learning.There are many advantages to using Power Point such as ,engaging multiple learning styles,  providing annotations and highlights,  increasing visual impact, and enriching curriculum with interdisciplinarity. However the down side to the use of this tool is that it is teacher centred with little interaction from students, presentations can be long and boring with too much text and transitions should be used sparingly to avoid distractions that ultimately may result in student disengagement. 

Power Point is a presentation that I have used in the past and is in fact a mandatory aspect of the BA course in Sculpture in the form of a Petcha Kutcha presentation. It is therefore definitely something I would use in my teaching practice and encourage my students to become familiar with and use creatively. 


Here is a PowerPoint presentation I created a while ago.

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Reflective Teaching In Adult Education

One of the great exponents of critical reflection is Jack Mezirow. His fundamental approach is that we should critically reflect on our assumptions (CRA) as to have a principled approach to our thinking. He suggests that if we do adopt this approach, the results will be transformative. Mezirow called critical reflection of assumptions and self- reflection on assumptions the ‘emancipatory dimensions of adult learning’.

By reflecting critically, instead of continuing with our feelings of self-doubt, that we are imposters in our classrooms, or that we are failing as teachers, we can become positive in our search for new understandings of our practice. Ultimately we can be in control of our professional practice and acknowledge that we cannot transform everything, but can identify the spheres in which we can , that this process is truly emancipatory. Hillier (2012)

Experience in itself does not guarantee learning. In order to learn from experience we must reflect on our experiences, try and relate them to theory and then improve on them. This is a continual process that is repeated, a cyclic experiential learning process. The ‘experiential learning cycle’ was first suggested by Dewey but developed by David Kolb. Petty (2014)