The key concepts for ICT education we learned about this week were; using blogs, concept mapping software, using VELS to guide ICT education and the use of technology for the 21st century.
This is the first time I have ever used a blog! We set our own blogs up today in the workshop which was a lot easier than I thought. This blog assignment is a very creative, hands on task which I am enjoying. I have never been a great user of technology but this task has shown me just how easy and fun using computers can be. Using the blog template at http://www.blogger.com/ was easy and comprised our first task.
I would now feel confident in setting up a blog for a class as an educational tool. The whole class could use it to display the work they do and their parents could view it from home via the web. The students could also use their own blog to present a project. It could become a great team building tool for everyone to contribute to on a daily basis just like a class diary of daily learning activities and reflections.
MS Paint was the very next software program we got to use. I have only ever used MS Paint to draw silly pictures so I was quite surprised to see how useful it really is. As you can see below, I have used Paint to cut and paste images of my work.
Inspiration 8 IE was the next software we looked at and used. I used MS Paint to show images of my work. I have never used or heard of Inspiration before. I was able to:
- create a diagram
-create a mind map
Inspiration can be purchased from http://www.inspiration.com/. It would be a great tool to use when teaching a topic and performing brainstorming exercises. I think students would find using this program fun, useful and engaging. It allows the user to control all aspects of the layout and presentation of their work.
The 'White paper', found on the Inspiration website outlines how using Inspiration in the classroom can improve student learning and prepare students for the 21st century. It concludes that the use of images, charts and maps help children learn. As the students create maps of their ideas they develop a visual pattern of the information and are able to remember and recall it more clearly. A visual map also assists children to link ideas and concepts together leading to higher order thinking and comprehension.
I also tried out http://www.bubbl.us/ for mind maps (although I found Inspiration a little more fun to use):
EDUCATIONAL USES
I can see how easily ICT can be integrated into other domains of the primary curriculum just by presenting common activities on software. For example, when I decide to do a brainstorm with my class I could bring out this program onto the electronic whiteboard and start creating a mind map with the students. We could print it and place it around the room or have it on the students computers to edit and change as they think of more ideas. The students could use the diagram section of the program to create a project to present to the rest of the class. Or I could use it to provide students with information on certain topics.
I do think I would have to spend some more time practicing and playing around with the program in order to get the most out of it before using it in a classroom.
Similar programs offered on the websites http://www.mindmeister.com/ and http://www.mindomo.com/ are based on mind maps. They suggest that teachers could use the programs to maintain permanent archives of mind maps, perform brainstorming from different locations (if working with a sister school or students in remote regions) and use them to perform interactive presentations. All of the software mentioned provides the teacher with a great way to focus on the visualising and communicating aspects of the ICT domain within VELS.
All in all, I think using any of this software as well as blogs would be really great for students who are visual or spatial learners and those who learn better when using 'hands-on' materials. A blog would be a great way to integrate technology into the classroom on a daily basis. It could be used as a diary to archive the students learning each day. The blog would also be of great use in communicating with students who are learning from home or in rural areas where it is harder to come together. The blog and mind mapping software are a great way to integrate and support other domains within the curriculum. Any projects the students have in any domain could be designed and possibly implemented by using these programs as a visual, creative or communication tool. Using technologies such as the software mentioned above improves student skills necessary for the information age and employment in the 21st century. Technology is evolving at such a fast rate and although I may not be very technology savvy, my students probably will be. Technology needs to be embraced as it becomes part of our everyday lives. The next generation of students will probably rely on technology to an extent we have never seen before and it is up to the teachers to ensure they are well equipped to deal with it.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The only practical consideration I believe needs to be taken into account is how far does a teacher take technology? Does every student have access to it and are they able to use it whenever they need to? I believe if a teacher is going to use technology in some way everyday then they need to ensure that each student has equal access to it. Some schools may not yet have enough computers for every child. Technology costs money and a school placed in a lower socio-economic area may not have access to computers for every child.
