The key to change is to let go of fear - Rosanne Cash

Jean Piaget once famously said “the principal goal of education is to create men and women who are capable of doing new things and not just repeating what people before them have done” (cited in Papert, 1999). I have always liked this quotation; however, until recently, I have only ever applied it in the context of the students I teach, rather than in the context of my personal pedagogy. The ever-growing, wide variety of educational stakeholders often call on teachers to be life-long learners, to engage as co-learners with students on an educational journey; however, traditionally, it’s still been the teacher who dictates where and how this journey will take place. Reflectively, I feel that this is not an indication of teacher’s blatant disregard of educational theory; but rather a result of a fear of the unknown. Traditionally, teachers are used to having the answers, to being one step ahead of their students; however, student familiarity with modern technologies changes this. Teachers lose a little bit of control and join students, as what Papert interprets Piaget’s theory to mean, as builders of knowledge (1999).

Obviously professionally, one of my key goals lies in student success. Pedagogically, I understand that one of the key paths towards student success is motivation; the motivation of students has a significant impact on their learning performance (Pei-Luen & Qin Gao, 2005). The teaching in the online environment website identifies that it is variety and differentiation that stimulates interest and gains the attention of students, thus building academic motivation. The 21st century student is clearly motivated by mobile technologies; however, it is in the interest of providing students with a variety learning experiences and differentiation of teaching instruction that I seek to motivate my pupils. I do not seek to replace traditional teaching practices, but rather enrich them with a variety of differentiated learning strategies that include mobile technologies.

As a teacher, I accept that my teaching practices need to reflect the era in which my students live. Although I feel comfortable reviewing the wide variety of online resources, blogs and support available to educators in relation to mobile media, implementing such pedagogical strategies into my current teaching practices will be a challenge. However, I believe that in making small steps in changing the overlying pedagogy of my teaching practices and by embracing the fear I have of engaging as a co-learner of digital technologies with my students, that eventually my pedagogy will transform. In the essence of starting small, below is a list of possible learning experience/ organisational strategies I have found that I can envision using within my classroom

Strategies to allow mobile devices into classrooms



1. The Internet houses a wide variety of potential lesson ideas for embedding mobile technologies into lesson plans. In particular, I liked the Innovative Educator’s example of using a mobile phone and the avatar building program Voki within a poetry unit. Students would not only choose an avatar who reflects the tone and theme of the poem they want read; but also make decisions about the pause, pace and tone of the Voki avatar themselves.


2. Contour Education have some incredible professional development opportunities and online resources that centre around GPS enabled mobile devices being used in conjunction with google maps/google earth for orienteering and virtual field trips in the KLAs of geography and history.



3. Personally, I would be lost without the organisational apps on my iPhone. I regularly keep track of events, appointments, due dates, etc with my iCal app and strategically set alarms to remind me of such things prior to the events. Why then can’t we allow our students to organise themselves in the same manner? Why can’t they use mobile phones to add assessment dates, college events and general reminders?



4. Joseph Rene Corbeil and Maria Elena Valdes- Corbeil explain that students can use their ipods not only as a device to download podcasts of relevant instructional material, but can also download e books and audio books on them. There’s a multitude to free ebook apps available, most with a selection of free books to download.

As a teacher-librarian-in-training, I acknowledge that my role as teacher librarian will be one of digital leadership. It is here that my biggest fear of mobile technology exists. Confidently advocating the viable pedagogical opportunities available for teachers to use mobile medias in their classroom; gaining the support and confidence of school administrative leadership teams to change school policy to enable the use of mobile technologies; and gaining the trust and support of the student parent body along with the wider community to allow modern technologies to be used as tools to shape the educational future of their children is a big ask. Again, I turn to the Innovative Educator who believe the answer to be in building relationships with all stakeholders, including myself. To trust in myself and to let go of the fear.

Any growth requires a temporary loss of security (Madeleine Hunter)

References

Corbeil, J.R. & Valdes-Corbeil, M.E. (2007). Are you ready for mobile learning: Frequent use of mobile devices does not mean that students or instructors are ready for mobile learning and teaching. Educause Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/AreYouReadyforMobileLearning/157455

Engel, G, Griffith, R, Newcomb, S, Nielsen, L, Suter,J & Webb, W. (2010). 10 Proven strategies to break the ban and build opportunities for student learning with cell phones. The Innovative Educator. Online: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/11/ten-building-blocks-to-break-ban-and.html

Pei-Luen, P.R. & Qin Gao, L.W. (2005). Using mobile communication technology in high school education: Motivation, pressure and learning performance. Science Direct. Online: http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0360131506000601

Papert, S. (1999). Child psychologist Jean Piaget. Time Magaizine Retrieved From http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990617,00.html

The Flipped Classroom

This entry showcases an innovation I have applied this semester to one of my Senior classes.  My student's use of their laptops made this innovation possible.

I first came across the idea of the flipped classroom at the end of August this year;  I even tweeted about my intentions:

The link I posted above is to an infographic which neatly summarises what the flipped classroom is all about.




That was me, at the top on the left with the bowl cut and the neat-freak outfit; the Sage on the Stage.  Accounting is that kind of subject where concepts, principles and rules dominate.  Often these are repeated and readdressed each topic.  I would diligently and tediously go through these with my PowerPoint presentations.  Days would go by and we still hadn't covered enough of the new work to get to the application, analysis, evaluating and creating end of the revised Bloom's Taxonomy.  We were still concerned with remembering and understanding.

Bloom's Revised Taxonomy

By the time we started applying the higher order thinking skills it was time for the exam.  For this reason, the concept of the flipped classroom was very appealing.

The roll out of the 1:1 laptops at my school has made it possible for me to restructure my lessons.  They each have their own laptop they bring to school and take home each day; we use them extensively in class.  Coupled with this has been the implementation of our Learning Management System (LMS) - Moodle.  I have been able to load on the LMS:

• those PowerPoints;
• relevant YouTube clips, 
• videos I have made of myself working through my PowerPoint presentations and eventually through the process of practical application; and 
• worked solutions of both theory and practical work.  

The videos I have generated have been of my desktop.  I nominate an area of my desktop to tape, and when I hit record, everything I do in that section is recorded along with my explanation.  I use iShowU which is an iTunes computer application for which I paid $23.00.  Two PC equivalents are Camtasia ($100 for the commercial version, here's a link for the free one!) and Fraps ($40).  I am planning to record the processes required in the practical applications as well.  During class, I will record while I am working through a response to a question.

Each week I post the week's Activities which include a combination of those listed above.  The students take on the responsibility to work through these and check their worked exercises against the solutions.  Next, I plan to start them on a vlog, one they can keep on their phones.  They are to record a reflection on their understanding - to think about their thinking; that is, become metacognitive.  They will need to come back into the classroom, share their progress and ask a predetermined question to clarify their understanding.   Previously, I would laboriously mark their homework, then in whatever time was left, progress to the next step.  Now the lesson will commence with their reflection followed by either teacher or peer-led conferencing to clarify understanding. 

What this has meant for us in the classroom is that I still go over the concepts, principles and rules but now it is in the context of the practical work where I am engaged in modelling the process and the students are engaged in doing.  Students are also mentoring one another, they work collaboratively and I have more time to apply group work which includes them working together on the numerous whiteboards around the room.   Once, I would have some students who would not have checked the LMS for days; most now visit almost daily.  A good number of students are actively engaged in their own learning, they are taking responsibility for this and the variety of activities engage a variety of different learning styles.

In one of his TED talks, Salman Khan notes that flipping humanises the classroom.  In this talk he recounts how Khan Academy first came about.  He started tutoring his nephews in Maths and thought it might be convenient to video his explanations and load them on to YouTube so they could watch  them.  He points out that his nephews preferred the videoed tutorials to the live ones.  They could stop their uncle, replay, listen over and over without feeling like they were wasting his time.  This is another benefit of having such resources available online to students.  Their access to these resources through their laptops has meant that each student can personalise his learning experience at home to cater for his needs.



I do not believe this approach is the answer to engagement and development of higher-order thinking skills.  I do think, however, it plays a part in moving us in that direction.  As a learner, I often need exposure to new concepts from a variety of sources before I feel I understand.  Flipping allows me to expose my students to that variety, at home.  Then, in the classroom, we can start to use that knowledge.

What experience have you had in flipping your classroom?

The walls are coming down

This post is in response to an article in the Weekend Australian Magazine:  Funky School (Overington, 2011).  It foregrounds the move by numerous schools across Australia towards learning in agile spaces; that is, spaces where students can choose what they learn, with whom they will learn, and where they will learn (inside the classroom or outside).  Naturally, these spaces are conducive to the use of mobile technology:  laptops, iPods, iPads.   Whitby (Executive Director of Schools for the Diocese of Parramatta, as cited by Overington, 2011) argues as does Davidson (2011, p.12), "[our] economy ... has been transformed irrevocably by globalisation and the changes wrought by the information age.  If kids must face the challenges of this new, global, distributed information economy, what are we doing to structure the classroom of the twenty-first century to help them?"




The answer at Our Lady of Lourdes School, in Sydney, is to have these open spaces with 120 students and three teachers working together to learn.





The concern raised in the article centres around the experimental nature of the spaces.   "Walls came down" in the 1970s and open learning spaces were all the rage; until the walls came back up because the spaces were considered a failure.  Donnelly (Director of the Education Standards Institute in Melbourne, as cited in Overington, 2011) explains that the reason open learning failed was because students, especially primary aged and particularly boys, require structure, direction; they need rote.  Overington (2011) goes on to report that this time around it is different; technology has changed how these spaces can operate.  Although she does not report how technology has changed the use of open learning spaces, she does allude to how students appear engaged and focused on learning activities when she does visit these spaces.  However, those who are hesitant about these areas state that evidence is required to substantiate such assertions.  Indeed, how will relevant outcomes be determined?  From where will this evidence come?  NAPLAN?  Most realise that there is more to learning than can be examined by such a test.


Teaching is more complex than just having access to technology, infrastructure or spaces.  Poor pedagogical practices cannot hide behind technology.  I heard a story about a young teacher who complained to the Directory of Studies at her school,  "I can't teach.  My laptop's not working."  One thing is certain though; I agree with Turner (cited by Overington, 2011) when he states that spaces, technology or infrastructure alone will not deliver results.  He explains that it is about the teachers, the quality of the pedagogy in the classroom, "If you can get that right, you can pretty much teach in a tent."  However, throw in WiFi and that tent looks more attractive. 

What do you think?

Practice in Formation

Can I Transform my Practice?

“If we teach today, as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” (John Dewey- American philosopher and psychologist)

As a newly graduated teacher (2010), I am thoroughly aware of the responsibilities that teachers have towards all the educational needs of our children. For me as a teacher (and teacher librarian), this means that not only do we need to teach our children, but we also need to provide students with the skills and abilities to engage with an increasingly technological world.

The acquisition and production of information has changed significantly due to the emergence of technologies such as laptops, iPods, reading devices such as Kindles and other mobile technologies. Increasingly, these are being used in a classroom context and have major implications on teachers and students. Instead of transforming my practice- I believe that it is only just forming- I think I will need to form my practice in terms of utilising mobile technology in my classroom.

As the quote above suggests, teachers need to teach their students in ways that are appropriate for modern society, rather using strategies and practices from decades ago. I believe that in my practice, I need to encourage my students to become critical users of technology so that they can develop valuable information literacy skills.

In order for me to be able to guide my students successfully through the quagmire of modern technology, it is highly important that I am able to understand and use it successfully. If I do not have this ability, I cannot expect to implement it in my classroom or library to its full potential. This is where professional development comes in. Within a staff community, it is important that teachers share their ideas regarding the implications of mobile technology in the classroom, and also their strategies for implementing it. In my future practice as a teacher and teacher librarian, I hope to be part of these sorts of professional partnerships. Often, people are willing to give up time to collaborate with peers and colleagues in order to learn and contribute (Kukulska-Hulme & Pettit, 2008). It would be my hope that with these teaching and learning opportunities, I would be able to be part of a hands-on learning experience to assist me in successfully implementing and using mobile technology (Kukulska-Hulme & Pettit, 2008).

Also, for mobile technology to be successfully implemented in the classroom, I think teachers and/or schools need to implement or develop a framework that is always under re-evaluation due to changing technologies and uses. Approaches to pedagogy need to be continually re-evaluated and respond directly to students’ and teachers’ changing capabilities (Cobcroft, Towers, Smith, Bruns, 2006). If I were formulating a framework of mobile learning I will ensure that is assessed using the following criteria:

- Is it significantly different form current theories of classroom, workplace or lifelong learning?

- Does it account for the mobility of learners?

- Does it cover both formal and informal learning?

- Does it theorise learning as a constructive and social process?

- Does it analyse learning as a personal and situated activity mediated by technology?

(Cobcroft, Towers, Smith, Bruns, 2006)

During this unit, and also others, I have learnt the importance of information literacy and student-directed learning. In my forming professional practice I hope to implement mobile technologies in such a way that teaches students about information literacy and optimises opportunities for exploration and growth. As a result of the application of mobile technologies within learning designs, students can be further empowered to undertake ‘user-led education,’ (and inquiry based learning). The introduction of mobile technologies in my pedagogy means that students will be creating their own content and collaborating with peers and communities within and beyond the classroom (Cobcroft, Towers, Smith, Bruns, 2006). Furthermore, my engaging with these new mobile technologies in my professional practice, I will be allowing my students the opportunities to be creative, collaborative, critical, communicative and engaged learners (Cobcroft, Towers, Smith, Bruns, 2006).

It is also important for me that parents and caregivers are engaged with what it happening in the classroom. Through my teaching and practice, I will be encouraging the use of mobile devices for educational purposes at school and at home. This way, parents will be able to see how their children are using technology and why it is valuable to their specific learning at school. Additionally, Pearson (2010) suggests that learning can become richer as mobile devices allow learner to access a variety of sources easily. The use of mobile technology such as laptops allows students to continue the work they do at school directly at home, which can then increase learning opportunities and outcomes of the students (Pearson, 2010). In my classroom, if I had access to mobile devices such as iPads or Nintendo DS’s, I would use these as early finisher or reward activities and provide ‘brain gym’ activities, literacy and numeracy puzzles and games, and other programmes that are engaging for students, yet have educational value.

I wish to leave you with another quote that has inspired my forming pedagogy in terms if the application of technology. If I am not able to use it correctly and successfully in the classroom, then there is no great benefit to using it at all.

“There can be infinite uses of the computer and new age technology, but if the teachers themselves are not able to bring it into the classroom and make it work, then it fails.” (Nancy Kassebaum- US Senator).

References

Cobcroft, S., Towers, S., Smith, J. & Bruns, A. (2006). Mobile learning in review: Opportunities and challenges for learners, teachers, and institutions. In Proceedings Online Learning and Teaching (OLT) Conference 2006. (pp. 21-30). Brisbane, Australia: Queensland University of Technology,

Kukulska-Hulme, A. & Pettit, J. (2008). Semi-formal learning communities for professional development in mobile learning. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 20 (2), pp. 35-47. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from ProQuest Database.

Pearson, C. (2010). Mobile learning in education – what to consider. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from http://learningdigitally.org/blog/archives/377