Month: December 2019

“The end is not the reward; the path you take, the emotions that course through you as you grasp life – that is the reward.”

— Jamie Magee

My people….my people, my people!!!! 13 Weeks and it’s a wrap!!! Over the past couple of weeks, I have learnt so many things regarding “Educational Technology for Learning.”  I can honestly say that there were weeks that were more interesting than others.  Working and studying online require a great level of personal discipline.  Overall, the course was very enlightening and has taught me a vast of knowledge in developing and managing a technological class.

The numerous hands on activities throughout the course promoted the use of technology and was very enriching.  One of the most rewarding aspect of this course for me was developing my PLN.  Having a team that provides support is essential if we are to keep up to date with the trends of technology and in so doing also allows us to garner ideas from people around the world.  Another key aspect of the course was experienced through the “Diffusion Simulation Game.”  Playing DSG reinforced, that knowledge of your staff is key in gaining success when introducing a new idea/technology.  The time of year at which new concepts are introduced as well, plays a very important role in how well it will be received, executed and evaluated.  Demonstrations and workshops are great ways of introducing new tools, its usages and benefits.  These strategies can be very time consuming and can take up a lot of the school year, but if it is introduced and shared on an accessible website and/or document it can be well received and useful.

Building friendship was also emphasized every week, as we had to comment on other fellow classmates work when posted.  Most of the classmates were super supportive and could be counted on to shed light on unclear concepts.  I had the chance to peer with Sara and Gabby and I can say that these ladies formed part of my “adopters.” Well done ladies and thanks for the support.

It is my hope that as we end this course, we reflect on all that was experienced and take from it not only the good pointers, but also the ones we feel that there’s room for major improvements.  By doing so, it gives us a chance to evaluate those areas and adjust so that we can grow.  After all, “Education doesn’t stop when you get your teacher’s license.  We need to follow the profess we make/give to our students that they are life longer learners – because so are we.” (Tom Whitby – Founder of #edchat).

Technology trends do not exist in isolation.  We must decide what combination of the trend will drive the most innovation and strategies – Gartner.

My own experience using AR, VR and Wearable Tech involves my day to day activity.  I have never used any of the listed trends throughout my teaching career to deliver a lesson.  All exposure involves my leisure activities such as playing games – “Pokemon,” the usage of social media app. – “snapchat,” and through the visitation of museums.

However, I do believe that AR, VR and Wearable Tech can be beneficial within the classroom environment.  Augmented Reality (AR), can help make classes more interactive and allows learners to focus more on practice instead of just theory.  It can turn our ordinary, curriculum based classrooms into an engaging, fun filling experience.  As AR adds virtual objects to the real world, it lets students train skills using physical devices and foster better retrieval of information that they have learnt.  Practice by doing has always been considered “one of the most effective methods” of learning, as it moves information from short-term to long memory (Gleb, B. 2019).  Its usage is also versatile within education.  There is no limit to a particular subject, age group or educational level.

Virtual Reality (VR) is very effective within the learning environment as well.  It places individuals inside an experience. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, students are engaged and able to interact with 3D worlds. This is achieved by the simulation of as many senses as possible, such as vision, hearing, touch, and even smell, the computer is transformed into a gatekeeper to this artificial world. The only limits to near-real VR experiences are the availability of content and cheap computing power.  Reflecting on this course, my VR experience within education was first experienced in week six of this course, where we were engaged in “Alternative Learning Space – Second Life.”  It was very frustrating for me to master this learning space, but I am positive that proper training and more practice of this learning trend can be beneficial within my classroom.

Wearable tech in my opinion is quite remarkable, but at this stage I only see it beneficial for me for exercising purposes.  I am yet to see how it could be incorporated in the elementary level of the education system.

These exposure to future trend is pretty awesome and I am very much interested in the many different ways in which it can be used to enhance my teaching/learning experience.

Reference

Augmented Reality. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2018 from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality

Brownlee, M. (2015, March 27). Virtual reality: Explained! [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/i4Zt3JZejbg

Crampin, T. (2015, April 24). Wearable technology in education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ec4m0hH2H2w

Instructional strategies are techniques teachers use to help students become independent, strategic learners. These strategies become learning strategies when students independently select the appropriate ones and use them effectively to accomplish tasks or meet goals. – Alberta Learning, Alberta Canada.

For my final project, the intent is to have it hosted on the school’s website.   Through this method it will encourage parents to visit the website on a regular basis, so that they are aware of the most updated information through various bulletins and keep abreast of what is happening based on the events calendar.   However, since I am not currently employed within the teaching sector, I created my own website using a free app site, to host my activity.  Once you get to the website, you will be able to navigate it easily to learn about my “Integrated Activity.” It is user friendly and the layout is easy to follow.

The Integrated Activity, provides students with instructional strategies regarding “Simple Machines.”  The lesson targets the fourth grade, but it can be altered for students at the lower or upper grade of an elementary school.  Through various digital tools, this lesson can be executed to meet desired objectives.  My digital tools focus on “Flipped classroom, YouTube and Digital Library.”  Using these tools, I can to maximize on my instructional strategies, as they will:
• motivate students and help them focus attention.
• organize information for understanding and remembering.
• monitor and assess learning.

As it relates to accessibility, the pros and cons must be taken into consideration when developing a lesson that will be web based.  Clear instructions must also be given so that students and/or parents do not become frustrated throughout the navigation process. Below is the link that takes you to my hosting website:

http://5de9d5300cd80.site123.me/

Reference

www.education.alberta.ca Instructional Strategies Retrieved December 07, 2019