What is e-learning? E-Learning is an umbrella term that can be explained
in several different ways all revolving around the same ideas and concepts. It
can be difficult to articulate what it actually is into a brief description. In
my opinion, e-learning enhances the teaching and learning experience by the use
of a variety of online and electronic tools that encourage interactivity. These
methods of digital tools can encompass software created for educational
purposes, web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms with
the delivery of the content via network, websites, recordings (audio and
visual), both the tools and delivery can take on many forms – a teacher is only
limited by their imagination. E-learning is an important key to engaging
students of the 21st century classroom. As we move into a world that
is becoming more and more centred around the use of technology, we need to be
able to know how to engage our students minds and one way is to make it as real
life and applicable as we can. Not only using technology but working with
‘ICT to facilitate quality learning experiences’ (Education Queensland 2008). This
all links to learning as it is a way of teaching our student; when we teach,
students learn. Not only do I know of all of this due to the past 6 weeks of
content knowledge we have received from readings and extra research and
exploring ourselves but also from my in class professional development
experience and being a student myself – high school and now university.
Throughout this
reflective synopsis I will explore the important aspects and core ideas that
teachers need to keep in mind when incorporating e-learning and the use of
digital tools within their classrooms such as working safely and ethically,
both you and your students, why pedagogy is important and how it relates to
your learners and how I as the teacher need to constantly be learning to be
able to provide my students with the best education.
It is important to keep in mind safe and ethical work practises when
teaching online. This means that as teachers we have a few keys aspects to be
aware of. One of these areas are when we upload items up to our personal or
class wiki, blog or website. As a general practice and policy schools are
required to get parental permission to take photos of children and to display
their artwork, however it would be wise to first send out another permission
slip explaining what a blog, wikispace or website is, why it belongs in their
child’s classroom and asking for permission to upload photos, artwork or ideas
of their children where appropriate. It would even be a good idea to give them
the web/blog/wiki address so they can have a look at it if they desire to do
so; I would not give them login details to a wikispace as it is for students
and teachers only to be able to edit – it is their ‘virtual classroom’.
Teachers should always be aware of bullying that occurs within the classroom,
knowing this it is also possible for it to occur within the virtual classroom.
With Wikispaces, for a group collaboration project or for student s to all
upload their ideas or work, it is possible to change answers. Experimenting
with wikispaces as university students we are mature enough not to change or
delete the work of our peers but school students will not be. It is important
to go over the rules and etiquette of the virtual classroom and warn your
students that it will not be tolerated. Regarding Blogs, although each child
has one, other students can post comments; these comments would also fall under
the same behaviour as deleting other work on a wikispace. The other digital
tools that I created, Glogs, Photostories and Mind Maps, do not require
specific safe, legal and ethical practises as they are user based created and
then displayed to the class or teacher, depending on the role the creator holds
and its purpose. As per usual it would have to follow the rules laid out by the
teacher, or created by the class, to ensure that it is appropriate and follows
the guidelines. Not only is it students work but also copyright issues of work
and pictures that teachers (and students) get from online sources and the need
to properly reference them. It is important to screen websites, blogs, YouTube
videos and other forms of media on the internet before showing them to your
class as the last thing you want to pop up are inappropriate or violent
pictures or related articles/videos.
Digital Pedagogy and content of learning is essential as a
students’ ability to find
and then evaluate information and construct new knowledge is enhanced through
connecting with the world outside the classroom. Using digital tools we are opening
new possibilities that will enable individuals to build new ways of attaining
knowledge, this comes down to their individual needs and learning styles
(Education Queensland 2008). As teachers we need to link our content and
curriculum to the appropriate digital tools. We can have the most flawless
knowledge, or so we think, but it is nothing if we do not know how to teach it,
and now teach it with the use of technology. Pedagogy is simple, it is the
science and art of teaching therefore Digital Pedagogy is the art of
facilitating learning with the use of digital tools. It is important to have a
strong handle on the correct content knowledge for student learning, understand
and use the pedagogies that best support the learning and know and use the most
appropriate ICT/digital tools – combining all three will take learning from
traditional to transformational. This system is also called the TPAK framework,
where Technology (ICT) Pedagogical (and) Content Knowledge are all
entwined. The TPAK framework is best utilised when it works in
conjunction with knowing and encompassing students’ learning styles, multiple
intelligences and alongside Blooms Taxonomy to create higher order thinking. As
a student, at high school, two of my teachers had their own Weebly website. One
of them were interactive and the other just had the work sheets and past exams
to download – obviously the engaging one was more fun to participate in and
visit. Not many digital tools were used in my classrooms throughout high
school, or school in general, we had the ‘death by PowerPoint’, however some of
the presentations had funny videos (that loosely related to the topic) or
various animations that explained several concepts in a different way but that
was the extent of it. When I was on Professional Development, many more
teachers used Weebly websites. They had become a lot more interactive and
exciting – group work was initiated and students were engaged in lengthy
discussions and produced excellent work and ideas. Having researched into
different digital tools that are available, I have so many ideas that I can use
to brighten up a stereotypical ‘boring’ English lesson – I can get the students
to create an online timeline of an author/poet or the story line and plot then
compare the two (not always do they follow the same chronological order). We can create mind maps for stories and
essays using online tools. I can make a Glog (essentially an online poster) and
to present the lesson but
students can also present, submit and create their assignment in the form of a
'Glog'. It can accommodate any subject, to any depth. Wikispaces can be used
for group collaboration and Blogs can potentially, for some aspects and
assignments be a replacement for workbooks. However with using all of these
tools in the classroom they need to be properly scaffolded and taught to ensure
that they are being used properly and meet the outcomes. When TPAK,
Multiple Intelligences, understanding Learning Styles, digital tools and Blooms
Taxonomy are all understood by the teacher and used daily within their
classrooms, physical and virtual, this ensures efficient, engaging teaching
which meets and more than fulfils required outcomes.
Technologies
have changed and the world around us continually changes and it will continue
to do so at a rapid rate. As a teacher this means that our teaching methods
must also be flexible and adapt – traditional classroom learning is limited to
the knowledge the teacher has and can access (Education Queensland 2008). I
need to keep learning and updating my professional knowledge, pedagogies and
understanding of different technologies and available tools. We have to
constantly keep our students and their best learning methods in mind and design
our lessons around how they will best learn, and also push them. It is also
important for teachers to work together and share ideas. This has worked well
with our individual blogs, I am able to read and understand other ‘teachers’
view on the same and different digital tools. In doing so I form stronger and
even new opinions, ideas I hadn’t thought of before and understand different
tools that I didn’t look into.
After learning all that I have done, via the use of e-learning and
various digital tools, I have come to the realisation that to be the best
teacher that I can be and to make the most lasting impact on my student’s I
need to incorporate e-learning and digital tools into my curriculum. And not
the same tools over and over but a wide variety that provides my students with
engagement. I do not want to just initiate surface level and superficial
learning but rather deep learning that creates excitement and self-directed
learning among students. After looking and diving into research I found that
there are so many resources out there available for me to use: to present
lessons, for students to collaborate with each other and create assignments
themselves and for me to direct learning. There is so much potential within
these digital tools I looked into, and ones that I am yet to discover, for
classrooms to be engaging, exciting and for authentic learning to take place. All
the excitement aside, I learnt significant lessons regarding the authenticity,
appropriateness and relevance of digital tools and not using them out of
context or too much that they become boring. The fact that every student will
have a different learning style and intelligences ‘struck home’ again and that
I will need to cater for many different students who are all individual. I will
encourage and gently push, with me as the safety net, the students who are not
so keen on the concept of electronic ‘concept mapping’ and will also have to
‘bottle’ the knowledge and understanding of other students who’s knowledge far
exceeds mine and learn from them.
I find it so
exciting the whole ‘parallel universe’ out there waiting to be explored by my
students and I as we journey together.
REFERENCES
AADM Learning.
(2009). What is e-learning. Retrieved
from http://www.aadm.com/moreinfo.htm
Birt, K. (2013,
March 13). Digital tools 1. Retrieved
from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 – Managing e-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=88234.
Birt, K. (2013,
March 6). e-Learning design principals.
Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 – Managing e-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=88234.
Dornford, E.
(2013). Miss emily’s learning journey [Web log posts]. Retrieved April 5, 2013,
from http://emilyslearningjourney.blogspot.com.au/
Education
Queensland, Department for Education, Training and Employment (DETE) (2008). E-Learning for smart classrooms. Retrieved
from http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/documents/strategy/pdf/scbyte-elearning.pdf
Hokanson, K.
(2013). 21st Century classroom. Retrieved April 5, 2013, from http://theconnectedclassroom.wikispaces.com/Classroom
Imperial College London. (2012). What is e-learning?. Retrieved from http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/teaching/elearning/what_is_elearning/
