Week 9 - The Reflective Synopsis

Since I had this unit, I had so much fun in this unit. To be honest, although I hated the applied technology sometimes, I still would like to learn those new technologies. As long as I master those new technological skills, I will not be afraid of that. I think this is my learning journey, at same time, English as my second language, I need a lot of time to understand the topic of each week which lecturer provided to us.

Due to I started this learning journey, I have been learning plenty technological tools in this course. Such as, what is the Web2.0, PBL, Blog, Wiki, Mahara, Google Earth, InMesh, YouTube, PowerPoint, Animations and Digital Storytelling. I think not only those tools for us are very new, but also are very new tools for school students.

As I am doing the Learning Management Theory, according to Smith, R. & Lynch, D. (2010), they mentioned their design of pedagogy which is 8 Learning Management Questions which make me understand what is Learning Management. How are we going to design a lesson plan for the students? When teachers do the lesson plan, we must think what technological tools which can enhance students' learning. Furthermore, I am doing this unit which help me sort out some ideas which I struggled with. Some ideas as below, it just show what I have understood from this unit.

The first step is that how we are going to engage students in the class or subject matters. As we know the 21st-century of Teacher Education, technology drives our knowledge and learning. Students in 21st-century no longer are like previous students who sat in front of table and listened some educators who were so bored to talk about some subjects with blackboard and chalk. Now as the learning management, we can use the technology to help student learning. Technologies can be used in each subject and every lesson. In here, I will bring some new technologies to student who has to have some basic knowledge on that. For Example, In first day class the teachers can introduce some technological tools to students, Internet(when use this, teachers have to consider the Cyber safe). Blog, Skype or wiki....

The next step is that design a learning plan for students and engage students in this lesson plan. As I have explored in this unit, I have learnt a lot of knowledge to assist students to use the technology. According to Kearsley and Shneiderman (1998), Learning Engagement Theory presents three very vital points which are Relate, Create and Donate. As for the Relate, we must make the lesson plan which connect to a real world. With the Create, how can students use their knowledge in the real world to finish this task? 'Donate' must mean students would work together effectively and collaboratively and each of group has to contribute their idea in the lesson plan.

I have investigated the PBL (Project-Based Learning) which is one of examples of learning engagement theory. Teachers design the topic to students and students can use their way to finish the task during a period of time. As it can be seen, in 21st-century there are so much technologies were brought in the world. It is very essential to use technologies to enhance student's learning. In here, Teachers can introduce The Blog to students who can write their daily learning journey.

The third step - make it happen. As an educator, I believe the technology will be full of our daily life in present and future. For me, without mobile phone, Internet and television, it is just like the end of the world, so do the students. Developing an authentic lesson plan to student are necessity. In here, teacher can bring some topics to students who can work with their peers to finish the task. For instance, having a patch to plant some vegetables. Students have to decide what they are going to plant. They also have to check the soil whether suit for the vegetables. And also they have to know how to use the tools. How much fertility are they going to use? When allowing students to search for the Internet, teachers must notice the Cyber safety. Teachers can provide the selective websites to students and allow students to access the Internet. As long as students read through the selective information, they would be able to work together and to create their own idea. In here, teacher can invite some farmers to come and teach students some skills and students can gain knowledge from them as well. And students can use their blog to write down their reflection or use the photos /video to show teacher what they have done this week. By the end of the task, a learning journey will be presented to teacher, self-evaluation will be showed in each student's Blog. and Video as a digital storytelling to post in the school website to show everybody.

What is the teacher's role in here? I think teachers are a scaffolder. Teachers provide the information to students and help students resolve the problem, but also teachers can learn knowledge from students.


New technologies are invented rapidly, as an educator, it is a long life learning journey.



References:

Lynch, D. & Knight, B.A. (2010). The Theory and Practice of Learning Management.
Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Education Australia.

Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement Theory:
A framework for technology-based teaching and learning
retrived from website: http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

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