Reflective Synopsis

As a teacher in the 21^st century it is important to utilise technology (ICT) in the classroom, and use ICT advancements to further the students learning. It is important for teachers to give students the tools to develop their learning techniques through the use of technology, and for the students to become comfortable using a variety of ICT resources.

Blooms Taxonomy is great resource to use and refer to during planning classroom activities. The biggest impact of ICT on learning outcomes is where you are working towards complex outcomes, such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation. This is generally where learning occurs as an extended task or experience.

Through the teachers use and reflection of the SAMR model, teachers can utilise ICT in their teaching. The SAMR model can be used to aid in design and to redefine learning experiences to incorporate the use of technology.

At the substitution level of the SAMR framework it asks teachers to use technology as part of their activity. From my embedded task 4, I can use an example of an effective PowerPoint presentation while I am explaining the assessment guideline. This will also make the activity more engaging for the students. At the modification and redefinition level of SAMR, allow for teachers to redesign tasks and incorporate student centred learning and of course, the use of technology. Through the use of Prezi, as seen in embedded task 5, it is useful for both students and teachers to brainstorm and present presentations, as well as provide digital resources across a range of different learning settings. Overall, the SAMR model/framework is a great tool for teachers to utilise to improve ICT capabilities among students and to focus on student centred learning.

To follow on from this, productive pedagogies can be incorporated to help students with their learning. There are 4 different productive pedagogies, which are included in the picture.

These pedagogies can become part of the inclusion of technology in many different ways. The first aspect of productive pedagogies is connectedness; it can be included in the classroom through either blog entries or wiki pages. In my analysis (embedded task 2) I discussed how students can communicate online with one another and share their ideas on school work/assessment. Blogs can also be useful for teachers as they can collaborate online with other teachers and even share some resources. Blogs can be used to improve the student’s educational outcomes and allow them to engage in higher order thinking. Another part of productive pedagogies is intellectual quality. To relate to this, embedded task 3 students had the opportunity to design a digital artefact to create a movie about the how they completed different skills and drills relating to basketball. This is relevant to me as Physical Education is one of my discipline areas. This particular task had students engaged in designing videos for their assessment item. This activity met productive pedagogy guidelines and engaged students in using technology. It is important to be aware of students communicating online and  as the teacher, make sure that there is a safe learning environment online. This is one of the only draw backs in implementing the use of ICT in the classroom, however there are far more positives than negatives.  As the teacher it is important to check if ICT resources have safety settings. If they do then they are safe to use for educational purposes.

Also some small parts of the AITSL standards for teachers can be related to the incorporation of ICT in the classroom, and online safety. Standard 2.6 is implementing teaching strategies for using ICT in order to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. Standard 3.4 is selecting a range of resources including ICT that engage students in their learning. Standard 4.4 is to describe strategies that support student’s safety working within school systems. Lastly, standard 4.5 is using ICT safely and responsibly in learning and teaching. All these are helpful for teachers when they are implementing ICT in their classrooms.

Lastly, collaborative learning is an integral part of digital pedagogies. It gives learners the opportunity to take full responsibility for their own learning. It also allows students to engage in a number of different perspectives, engage in activities that develop their higher order thinking and become autonomous learners on a global scale. An example of collaborative learning is from embedded task 1 involving the de Bono’s hats activity. This activity got our class involved in online collaborative learning on the wiki site. It engaged our higher order thinking skills and allowed us to demonstrate the effectiveness of online learning. It is extremely important to engage students in e-learning on a local, national and global scale, as it allows them to be connected with people all across the world.

To conclude, these ever evolving technologies are allowing 21^st century teachers to further develop their teaching methods and techniques to accommodate these. Through the use of Bloom’s, SAMR and AITSL frameworks, successful learning experiences can be created, which in turn will enhance students abilities to effectively use technology.   

References

AITSL. (2014). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list

Curtin University, (2015), Collaborative Learning, Retrieved from https://ctl.curtin.edu.au/teaching_learning_practice/student_centred/collaborative.cfm

Luck, J, (2013), Productive Pedagogies, Retrieved from http://joluck.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/eded20491-week-2-engagement-activities.html

Schrock, K, (2011), Resources to Support the SAMR model, Retrieved from http://www.schrockguide.net/samr.html

Vanderbilt University, (2015), Blooms Taxonomy, Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/