Mahara in the Sahara - Using e.Portolio's in 21st Century Learning

Today came the introduction of Mahara, an online tool used to create an e.Portfolio. With an 'e.Portfolio' assessment looming and time seeming to fly by at a great rate of knots, I very studiously took notes and viewed the tutorial's as instructed... and I'm glad I did! My previous impression was that Mahara was a resume'... a complex resume', but a resume' none the less. Indeed, I had underestimated its potential, both for me as a job-seeker, as well as for my future students.

Mahara allows you to essentially create a website all about you! Its like an iPhone... not just a phone, not just the Internet, it can give you emails, reminders, maps, a camera, a video recorder, a diary, a calender, and much more... but enough about the iPhone, it gets enough marketing already don't you think? My point is, Mahara is not just a glorified resume', it's also a social networking program, a web page, a blog, a forum, and the list goes on. It can be used to communicate with whomever you want, whenever you want, about whatever you choose. It is simply overwhelming to think of the options available - what to include, what not to include, and where to include it. So how does this apply to the classroom?

Obviously, students, particularly those currently or soon to be in the work force, can use this as a professional portfolio tool for employers, on which students can display not only their qualifications and education details, but can also use to demonstrate their very relevant and up-to-the-minute ICT skills.

This, though, is but a mere fraction of the possibilities that Mahara can offer. This program can be a one stop technology shop for teachers in all areas of the school to offer rewarding, engaging and relevant learning to their students. The two examples outlined below involved Mahara as a virtual classroom and as an assessment tool.

Mahara as a Virtual Classroom
This program offers teachers the opportunity to teach and students the opportunity to learn whenever and wherever they choose, in essence making learning possible outside of school hours where once it wasn't. Teachers can upload all types of information and content on a particular topic via links to websites, relevant and current articles, pod casts and videos,etc. which students can then access at will. Essentially, it is a medium whereby teachers can provide students with all of the knowledge and understanding they require from the curriculum. This is described as Mode 1 knowledge in the article Teacher Education and the New Knowledge Environment (Heath, 2001). Displaying the information in this way not only encourages self-directed learning as described in Engagement Theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)and can be made to appeal to a whole variety of learning styles (Felder, 1991), but also frees up valuable time within the classroom for teachers to guide students through higher order thinking skills and complex reasoning, referred to as Mode 2 by Heath (2001) and Dimension 3 in the Dimensions of Learning (Marzano & Pickering, 1997). The classroom could also becomes paperless so trees will love the idea!

Mahara as an Assessment Tool
Mahara could also be used by teachers as a form of assessment, with students preparing e.Portfolio's on any number of topics, from planning a cocktail party in Home Ec to creating a site on a particular sport for PE or perhaps designing and undertaking an experiment in Science. The forum sections can be used to encourage active learning through peer teaching, the blogs to display self-reflecting and the views to promote literacy skills. In this way the flexibility and freedom of choice offered within the program offers students the opportunity to undertake a self-directed learning approach and allows them to make choices about their learning in a student-centred environment. Aldred (2010) explains that student-centred learning "builds students ownership which in turn makes the learning meaningful and engaging."

In all of the ways explained above, the use of Mahara has endless possibilities to encourage students to become life long learners, and ultimately survive and thrive in the knowledge economy.

Reference List

Aldred, S. (2010). Study Guide. Week 2: Learning Design Fundamentals. Rockhampton, QLD, Australia: CQ University

Felder, R. (1991). The Index of Learning Styles.
Retrieved 12 March 2010 from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSpage.html

Heath, G. (2001). Teacher Education and the New Knowledge Environment. Fremantle, WA, Australia: Australian Association for Educational Research Conference.

Kearsley & Shneiderman, (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning.
Retrieved 1 March 2010 from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

The Albiene Christian University Adams Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Why Use
Active Learning?
Retrieved 8 March 2010 from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm

Avatar, More Than Just Blue Aliens

Week 5 of my journey into teacher-hood has seen me create my very own avatar. Here I am thinking an avatar was one of those blue people that lived on Pandora in James Cameron's latest movie, oh how wrong I was! (Image courtesy of Flickr)
I created my Voki avatar quite simply and was a little overwhelmed by the choice and amazed at the price tag... absolutely FREE! And so I ask, why don't we use these in the classroom? To which my husband (a PE teacher) adamantly answered WE DO! Oh how education has changed in the few (ok, not exactly few) years since I left high school. Avatars could have such an impact in the classroom, what an amazing tool to engage, entertain, energise and inform students. Think of the possibilities...

• Use an avatar as the bait, the attention grabber that will snap students into action from the first second of the class. The avatar can introduce any topic in a far more interesting way than any teacher ever could, purely through the use of technology... and kids LOVE technology! Linus (2005) states that “attention-grabbers...sustain students’ interest in your topic, thus enhancing your lesson.”

• Getting students to create their own avatars in order to teach their peers something new within the topic is a great way of using this technology. Students who have the opportunity to teach a topic will not only be more engaged but will ultimately have learned the topic at a more complex level than if they were simply 'talked at' by a teacher at the front of the class.The Learning Pyramid shows that the highest retention rate is achieved when students teach others. Additionally, avatars would give students another 'tool' in their ever-expanding 'ICT toolkit', a skill which they will no doubt find useful in the emerging knowledge economy, “It is now necessary to master the increasing range of technologies available.”(Literate Futures Project, 2002)

• In embracing diversity within the classroom, avatars could easily be used as a language tool for those who speak English as a second language, when making presentations to the class e.g. an oral presentation or speech as part of assessment. Ultimately, peers will benefit from the clear presentation of information (and be more engaged because it’s an avatar speaking, not a person... oh the excitement!) and indeed the student will be more able to demonstrate his/her knowledge successfully. Similarly, students who struggle with shyness do not necessarily have to be disadvantaged during oral presentations, they can simply be given the opportunity to present information to the class via an avatar instead of having to complete the daunting task of public speaking. (Hey, some people just aren't made for public speaking!) I can relate to this personally, although a confident adult, as a student I was frozen with fear at the thought of having to do an oral assessment in front of the class. Wanting desperately to achieve high marks I was forced to deliver an over-practiced, monotone (except for the quiver in my voice) presentation spoken as quickly as my (dry) tongue would produce the sounds! I had the knowledge, I had the understanding, but alas I was simply not able to speak publicly, especially as an awkward teenager in front of a bunch of potential bully's... yuck! What happened to feeling safe in the classroom? Well, avatars have the potential to make the classroom an accepting, safe, fun environment and thereby help to achieve of Dimension 1 of the Dimensions of Learning, “a primary objective of every teacher, then, is to establish a climate in which students feel accepted by teachers and peers and experience a sense of comfort and order" (Marzano & Pickering, 1997).

• Lastly, if an avatar can help those who struggle with speaking skills, it also has the potential to help those who struggle with reading skills. Reading ability is indeed an issue for many students in schools today, and perhaps the prospect of taking away some of the reading opportunities students have in the classroom will meet with some criticism. But I have to ask, is it fair to impede the learning of a student merely because they struggle with one element of literacy? Isn't listening also an important component of literacy? Cope and Kalantzis (2008) give “Audio representation” as one of their Modalities of Meaning, signifying its significance amoung the other elements of literacy.

In these four simple yet effective ways, avatars can be used, not simply as a medium to present information, but as a way of engaging, including and encouraging students to participate in learning.


Reference List

Cope, Bill and Mary Kalantzis. (2008). Multiliteracies: New Literacies, New Learning, forthcoming in Pedagogies: An International Journal.
Retrieved 13 January 2010 from World Wide Web: http://newlearningonline.com/~newlearn/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Kalantzis/ResearchandWriting/M-litsPaper13Apr08.pdf

Linus, M. (2005). Ideas on Teaching: 10 Attention Grabbers that Work. National University of Singapore, Singapore: Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning.
Retrieved 30 March 2010 from http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/Ideas/iot96.htm

Marzano, R. & Pickering, J. (1997). Dimensions of Learning. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

State of Queensland (Department of Education, Literate Futures Project). (2002). New Times, New Literacies. Brisbane: Author.
Retrieved 8 March 2010 from the World Wide Web: http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning/literate-futures/pdfs/reading-part2.pdf

Responsible Kids Network. (n.d.). The Learning Pyramid.
Retrieved 8 March 2010 from http://www.responsible-kids.net/learningpyramid.html

Wiki-Wiki Wild Wild West - Using WIKI's in the Classroom

Along with my blog and RSS feeder, I have now successfully developed a WIKI (http://phebemoore.wetpaint.com). Barely two weeks ago I did not have the faintest idea what a WIKI was or why one would be used, let alone that they could be useful in the classroom. So for me, this creation has been a significant achievement. From my understanding, WIKI's are a web page that, when created for a specific purpose, can be contributed to by other people in order to share ideas and communicate effectively online within a group. The author or creator of the WIKI is in complete control over who can see and contribute to the page making it a valuable tool both inside and outside the classroom. The WIKI I have created, ICT's for Learning in Science, is designed to be a collaborative effort by science teachers wishing to implement ICT's into their classrooms. It is a place to pool ideas, suggestions and experiences with the vision that it become a resource specifically for teachers of the science field.

As a tool in the classroom, WIKI's have enormous potential. As a student-centred planning tool, students can use a WIKI site as the base for developing, monitoring, editing and contributing to the 'plan of attack' for the project on which they wish to embark. With security settings available, access to the plan can be limited to just the students within the group, but students can also invite experts to contribute and suggest ideas and provide links on the site, such as possible sources of information, possible hurdles and encouragement. In this way, the project encourages active, self-directed and collaborative learning with a meaningful goal. It focuses on the "Create" component of engagement theory and Dimension 4 of the Dimensions of Learning: Use Knowledge Meaningfully, as it enables students to "define the nature of the project" and mould it into a topic of interest. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999; Marzano & Pickering, 1997). It also enables students who would normally not feel confident enough to contribute ideas in the classroom environment to participate in online discussion and allowing students to feel safe in their learning environment, as encouraged by Marzano & Pickering (1997) in Dimension 1 of their Dimensions of Learning.

WIKI's could also be used to provide additional resources to students, including articles, images, pod casts and links to websites, either for assignment work or to enhance understanding of a topic discussed in the classroom, in a format where they can make notes, express thoughts, summarise, answer questions and reflect. These resources could be used to assist those struggling to grasp concepts and also for those wishing to excel and move ahead.

WIKI is yet another addition to my teaching 'tool box' and I look forward to implementing these ideas and more in my teaching career to engage learners of the 21st Century.

Reference List

Marzano & Pickering. (1997). Dimensions of Learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Kearsley & Shneiderman. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology based teaching and learning.

Retrieved 1 March 2010 from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Felder, R & Soloman, B. (1991). Index of Learning Styles.

Retrieved 10 March 2010 from http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ILSpage.html

RSS Aggregator's - Keeping Up to Date

I have recently discovered the rather complex sounding but very simple RSS (Really Simple Syndication). It is currently allowing me to monitor every new post made by my peers in a single place. A simple tool you may think, and indeed it was easy to set up and is relatively user friendly, but it has become essential when trying to keep up to date with online information. The world wide web is complex, changing and continually growing and it is important that, when a relevant piece of information or source is found, that it be useable and monitorable. RSS Feeders give us this ability.


Its applications for the teacher are just as important as those for the student. There is a maze of information and suggestions available online that can become an important resource for teachers. By using an RSS feeder, teachers can monitor favorite and useful websites for up-to-the-minute information, ideas and suggestions. An RSS Feeder could also be used to monitor new postings from student blogs and is a way to streamline ongoing formative assessment of these activities.


Students too can benefit from using RSS feeders in conjunction with blogs so as they can monitor their peers posts and respond appropriately. Responding to peers ideas and thoughts allows students to learn and operate in a collaborative environment and is associated with the "Relate" component of engagement theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). Within a project such as the 'Creating a Diet' idea explained in my posting "Blog-a-what? Discovering Blogging in Education," an RSS feeder could also be utilised to monitor incoming information from relevant online sources, and thus be able to contribute new information to the project as it becomes available. In this way student learning is self-directed, gaining a "sense of control over their learning" (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) and the teacher, rather than being seen as an authority on the topic, can become a 'learner' too.


RSS Aggregator's can be used in many simple ways to benefit both teachers and students and to enhance the learning experience.


Reference List
Kerasley & Shneiderman. (1999). Engagement Theory: A Framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved 1 Match 2010 from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Blog-a-what? Discovering Blogging in Education

The concept of blogging was a relatively new concept for me, surprising considering I believe myself to be a member of (or at least on the cusp of) Generation Y and (at least somewhat) computer savvy. And so here I sit, my blog (Web Log) created, a relatively simple process thanks to You Tube, I am making my first blog posting and feeling, well in all honesty, daunted by the prospect of my work being read and scrutinized by any number of peers and experts in the field. What a wonderfully motivating prospect, for me as a pre-service teacher, as much as it would be for a student in my class.

The applications of Blogs in the classroom are endless, and I will endeavor to share my ideas later in my post, but it is this motivating factor that I believe holds the key to engaging students, giving them the opportunity to share their very best work with the world in a meaningful way. Too often students, particularly adolescents, feel demoralised and misunderstood in the tumultuous teenage years that we can all associate with. Imagine giving them an outlet through which they could truly be 'heard.' It is an outlet that, as well as giving them valuable ICT and literacy skills, is a way a sharing there thoughts, reflections and ideas in an ideal environment - where they are safe from judgement, an important ideal according to Marzano and Pickering's (1997) Dimension 1, and yet motivated to share their very best work. "When student projects are put up on the web, this provides an incentive for them to do the best possible work, since they know their work will be viewed by their classmates and possibly the whole world." (Kearsly & Shneiderman, 1999).

So, how might we implement such a useful tool in the classroom? My first instinct is always to first take note of how I am using it to learn, I am after all a student too. Reflective Journaling is an excellent way of incorporating "Text User" and "Text Critic" literacy skills (Luke and Freebody, 1999), along with ICT skills, into whatever subject content is being taught at that particular time. For example, within science, students could blog about what they had learned in class on the digestive system. Using guiding questions, the students could share their ideas on how the knowledge they have gained could be used to discover the effects of diet and nutrition (Text User). As their knowledge progressed, the students could compare and contrast different diets regimes and who developed them (Text Critic) and ultimately decide on and design a dietary plan for a particular group of people, e.g. athletes, obese, Coeliac's Disease. In this way, whilst ICT skills are used in the blogging process, various "roles" of literacy within the Four Resource Model (Luke and Freebody, 1999) are are also being practiced. Teachers are then able to assess both formatively and sumatively whilst students work toward a meaningful goal, the 'Donate' stage of engagement theory (Kearsly & Shneiderman, 1999) and Dimension 4 of The Dimensions of Learning: Use Knowledge Meaningfully (Marzano & Pickering, 1997).

Alternatively, students can use a blog to post questions regarding homework, assignments, class work and concepts in a way that encourages discussion and help amoung peers in a group learning environment. This ties in with the "Relate" component of engagement theory, whereby student collaboration encourages students to "clarify and verbalize their problems" (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). This concept also links with active learning and allows students to drive their own learning in a student centred pedagogical approach.

These ideas are practical applications of the theories I have discovered within an e.Learning Pedagogy, I'm sure there will be many opportunities to learn, design and implement such ideas as I progress in my Embedded Professional Learning (EPL). I wonder now, as I suspect I will many more times over the coming months as I discover more ICT's for my ever-expanding classroom 'tool kit', how on earth did we ever survive without it?!

For some inspiration, here is a video about the use of blogs in the classroom:



References:

Luke, A. & Freebody, P. (1999). Further Notes on The Four Resources Model. Reading Online.
Retrieved 2 March 2010, from http://http://www.readingonline.org/

Kearsley & Shneiderman, (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning.
Retrieved 1 March 2010 from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Marzano & Pickering. (1997). Dimensions of Learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The Albiene Christian University Adams Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Why Use
Active Learning?
Retrieved 8 March 2010 from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm

Allow me to introduce myself...

My name is Phebe Moore and I am currently studying a Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching at CQ University. I will be commenting regularly and sharing my thoughts, ideas and reflections as I immerse myself in the world of teaching in the 21st century.

Something to make us all think about where education is heading in the 21st century...


Please feel free to comment on my ideas. Enjoy!

Phebe.