Week 3: Reflection on Blogs

For this week’s blog I have decided to focus on what blogs are, the technical aspects of a blog, how blogs can be used to support learning outcomes within a classroom and how a blog can be used with regards to the SAMR Model.

Technical Aspects of a Blog:

o   Essentially a blog is a web page were an individual can post anything in which they desire (blogs can generally be seen as an on-line journal).

o   The settings of a blog include: adding posts and pictures, editing pervious blog posts and deleting aspects of their blog. Another important setting of a blog is that blogs occur in chronological order.

o   Blogs are generally used and operated by one author however, if the creator decides to make the blog open to a small group of people then one blog can be accessed by that group and not just one individual. However you must be initially added by the creator you cannot just join anyone’s blog, like a wiki.

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 A blog can be customised for example, you can change the background colours of a blog and you can change the font style and size.

 

o   Blogs are very easy to access and use. If you have access to a computer you can use a blog. No advance technology skills are involved in using a blog, as you simply create a blog page by using your email address or if you do not have one setting up a Gmail account.

The learning outcomes in which a blog can support can include: getting students to reflect. This could be on what they have just learnt, either a lesson or a topic or to reflect on what they may have learnt that they did not previously know. Another learning outcome supported by blogs may include improving their digital typing skills, as instead of writing down in their notebook they have the opportunity to type it up in their blog. From here they can show their technology skills by customising how they want or choose their blog to be presented.  

SAMR Model

The SMAR Model is a very important model that shows four very different levels of how technology can be used to complete, modify and change a given task. These four levels include substitution, argumentation, Modification and Redefinition. (A link to a YouTube clip that explains the SMAR Model in more depth can be accessed though https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us0w823KY0g) An example of how the SAMR Model could be used within a classroom with relation to a blog could be a simple as getting students to blog what inspires them.

SUBSTITUTION: Instead of writing down in their notebooks, students are to post in their blog what inspires them most in life.

ARUGMENTATION: From here students are then asked to upload files, documents or images that represent this inspiration.

MODIFICATION: Links must now be embedded or added to their blogs that shows where this initial inspiration started. This may be links to YouTube clips, personal recordings etc.    

REDEFINITION: Students must now design a short film clip or series of images that will be presented to the rest of the class that shows what interests or inspires them.

Image of the SAMR Model.

  

Week 2: de Bono's Hats

After attempting and completing the de Bono’s Hats/Mobile phones Wikispace activity, it became very clear to me as to why the information within the course materials, course readings and activities were provided. Not only were the course activities relevant to the whole course (Digital Pedagogies in Secondary Schools) itself, but I believe that they gave me the insight and foundations I needed to be able to answer the chosen question through  de Bono’s Hat activity. One example of this can be seen throughout Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy activity within topic 2. Based on my understanding of Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy was that it was used as a way to develop and support different types of thinking and questioning to develop a higher order of thinking. This was achieved by learners analysing, evaluating and synthesising concepts or processes. Based on this, I believe that the same method was incorporated into de Bono’s Hats activity as each different coloured hat had me evaluating, analysing and synthesising the same question just in a different perspective. Having said this I also believe that the learning theory and pedagogy that was based around the wikispace activity was re-enforced through Bloom’s Taxonomy as in order to promote and achieve higher order thinking the processes again of evaluating and analysing needed to be developed and scaffolded. This was certainly done within the wikispace activity as the course materials gave the needed scaffolding to complete the task at hand. Due to this scaffolding I was able to achieve many learning outcomes. These include:

o   Being able to identify different ways of thinking and different perspectives to the same question

o    Understand and reflecting on the wikispace question by involving the process of high order thinking, and

o   Identify both the positives and negatives associated with mobile phones within classroom settings.

Overall based on the learning design of the wikispace activity, by incorporating the course materials, readings and activities as scaffolds to complete the Bono’s Hats activity I believe that it added an extra understanding on how to complete or how to go about completing the given task. Therefore I believe that the learning design of this activity was very interesting, useful and one learning design to keep in mind that could later benefit my own style of teaching.

My name is Rebecca Wade. I am currently in my 2nd year of University at the Central Queensland University. While aiming to complete my Bachelor of Secondary Education my two discipline subjects are, Home Economics and English. I am very passionate about both my chosen disciplines and hope that when I complete my courses and become a qualified teacher, that I will be able to inspire my students through the passion and love I have for these specialised  areas.

Rebecca and technology or digital skills are two words that should never go in the same sentence. However, as we are now faced with
a generation that has grown up with technology including; IPads, IPhones, Apple computers etc, I know that it is vital from me to change the way I think and use technology. Having said this, throughout this course (EDSE12024 - Digital Pedagogies in Secondary Schools) I hope to gain the knowledge and confidents to improve my digital skills. By being able to improve my digital skills I believe will open news pathways for me to be able to interact and teach the students of today.