Activity 7b: WebQuests as projects

I really enjoyed activity,7A- taking on different roles to evaluate the various webquest provided. I noticed that i got excited about some of the introductions. It helps to set the tone of the quest and motivates you to complete the tasks at hand.
This helped me to understand what a good webquest should consist of: A compelling scenario, roles for the students, and exciting tasks. I challenged myself to try to re-create an awesome webquest for my students. I thought about a topic they would enjoy and how I could make it engaging for them.  So far I've  had minimal challenges inserting graphics and pictures into my webquest but managed to overcome them.

Activity 9- Cellphones in the classroom

While there are problems with the use of a cell phone in school, many advantages to having one available exist. Schools need to weigh all factors involved in use of cell phones in order to make wise and appropriate decisions. Parents and students should decide together on the wisdom of taking the cell phone to school. This is a partial listing of advantages and disadvantages of cell phone use in high schools. A camera equipped phone can be used to take pictures and video related to school projects or develop photo essays. Camera phones can be used to record school events and field trips. They can prove quite useful for assignments involving photographs, particularly anything going to the web. Just snap a shot with your picture phone and use it for your web classes, which are becoming more and more important these days. This is especially useful given that cell phone cameras are getting better and better with time.

Cell phones can be a distraction in the classroom. Students whose minds wander during a lecture or discussion may find the temptation of texting instead of listening hard to resist. They are also potentially a distraction to the class if the student forgets to set their phone to vibrate rather than ring during calls. Even the vibration can be distracting, and it does not take much for a teacher to lose their momentum.

Pros:

1. Academic Help - The most significant advantage of having cell phones in the classroom is being effective and reliable academic tool. Cell phones have several features like cameras, calculators and internet connection that can certainly help students when doing research and home works. Students can also use several applications beneficial to learning.

2. Emergency Contact - Cell phones are undeniably useful in terms of contacting individuals instantly especially during emergency situations. Knowing that students have their own mobile phones make parents feel relieved and at ease because they can easily contact their children in events like change of schedule and plans, urgent messages and instructions and more. Cell phones also make it possible for parents and students to keep in touch with each other.

3. Security - Not only can students keep in touch with their parents but they can also contact emergency numbers, friends and relatives during urgent and complicated situations. This provides security to students and parents at the same time.

4. Versatility - Aside from school premises, cell phones can be functional in other places. Students can use their phones for all-around purposes such as communicating, researching, making connections and many more.

Cons:

1. Distraction - Texting and making calls during class hours can definitely be major distractions for students and this is one of the common disadvantages of having cell phones in the classroom. Distraction also interferes with the concentration of students and if these scenarios happen frequently, their academic performance might as well be affected.

2. Wrong or Illegal Usage - There are instances that students use cell phones for wrong or illegal activities and purposes like thefts, drug deals and the like. Instead of using these phones for academic purposes, students use these gadgets for taking pictures and uploading videos the wrong way. Cell phones are also being used for cheating.

3. Hostility - Only those students who can afford to have cell phones and this scenario creates social problems such as hierarchy jealously, ragging and thefts.

During my research, online discussion and reading of the course materials I believe the use of cellphones in the classroom pros far outweigh the cons.

Activity 8-Managing online communication and collaboration

Social media is here. It's just another resource and doesn't have to be a distraction from learning objectives. Social media is another tool that you can use to make your classroom more engaging, relevant and culturally diverse. Outside the classroom, many students already are using social media every day to communicate and gather information about various topics. By harnessing this interest, teachers can create an online environment that promotes the exchange of ideas and resources, and allows students to develop an understanding of the benefits of effective communication.

The current generation of K-12 students has been “completely normalized by digital technologies,” and is accustomed to using new media not only to gather information but also to create new things in new ways.

Some students will likely be more comfortable communicating online rather than in the classroom, where they may feel too intimidated to ask questions. Additionally, teachers may gain a clearer picture of their students’ progress through an online forum that is not constrained by classroom schedules and school hours. Through respectful and effective communication via a social media site, teachers can take the pulse of their classroom by identifying areas of instruction where students may be flourishing or struggling.

Incorporating the use of social media, particularly in middle and high school, also allows teachers to discuss the real-world implications of its use and the potential pitfalls, such as bullying, harassment and inappropriate content. Students may not realize that their digital footprint is difficult to erase and that the comments or photos they post online can have life-altering consequences. Creating a safe environment online for students is paramount, as is teaching them how to maintain such safe behaviors outside the realm of school-related posts. Enriched Learning Experience

Social networks and other digital technology can enrich the classroom experience by connecting students with peers and experts around the globe. Through Skype, for example, classes can use real-time video chats as part of collaborative projects with other schools regardless of their geographic location.

Meanwhile, video-sharing sites such as Vine and YouTube allow students to learn about topics from the viewpoint of professionals and other students, as well as providing a platform for students to create their own learning materials to share. Blogs also are a great way to encourage students to express themselves, share their knowledge and develop a following in their area of knowledge.

Pros of using social media in the classroom:

1. Social media sites can increase student collaboration

Social media sites provide an avenue for students to easily contact one another regarding school projects, group assignments or for help on homework assignments.

2. Using social media in the classroom can encourage more participation

Students who do not participate regularly in class may feel they can express their thoughts through social media.   Although this should not completely replace in class participation it can help build the students’ confidence and encourage them to find their voice and be able to participate in class.

3. Social media sites can be useful for homework help

When students have questions about a class assignment they can easily post a message asking if anyone can help.  They can also write a specific question to the teacher on a wall that other students can see.  This allows the whole class to have access to the feedback from the teacher.

4. Share resources quickly when using social media in the classroom

If the teacher needs to direct students to a particular online resource they can easily share the site through social media sites like twitter.  If the teacher wants the class to visit a particular site all they have to do is tweet the website and the entire class can view it with one click.

5. Social media helps keep parents, teachers and students all on the same page

It is very useful for teachers to be able to post on social media sites about class activities, homework assignments and even school events.  This helps the teachers, parents and students all stay on the same page about what is going on at school.  Sites like facebook also allow teachers to easily communicate through private messages to parents and students without having to leave phone messages and wait for a call back.

5 cons of having social media in the classroom:

1. Social media can be a distraction in class

The first concern that comes to mind when using social media in the classroom is how it will be a major distraction to the students during lessons.  Students could easily be sidetracked from an assignment and it could be difficult for teachers to tell who is paying attention or not.

2. Improper use of social media in the classroom

Students might take advantage of being able to access social media in the classroom and use it for personal interactions instead of for school related activities.  If students are not closely monitored it will be hard to know how if they are using social media properly during class time.

3. Using social media in the classroom can detract from human interaction

If students are encouraged to participate in class discussions through social media websites this could impact their ability to interact in face to face situations.  Students still need to learn how to have conversations with people even in this modern technology based world.

4. Cyber bullying on social media websites

Some students have experienced cyber bullying through social media websites.  If social media is allowed in schools this could increase cyber bullying where students write hurtful messages targeting other students.

5. Posting inappropriate content on social media websites

One of the reasons social media sites are not allowed in schools is because it is difficult to monitor how students use social media sites.  A student may post inappropriate content such as pornography or foul language which would be both distracting and damaging to students.

E-safety

What are the guidelines in regards to e-safety provision in schools? How can a school protect and educate staff and pupils in its use of technology?, and what measures the school has in place to intervene and support should a particular issue arise.

As the framework is concerned with safeguarding pupils, it has to be a top priority for schools. Many schools might already have effective policies and systems in place, but those who haven't will need to revise their priorities to make sure this features are in place. As a parent and teacher, I want to know that my child and students are safe in school, I want to know that they are empowered with the knowledge to be safe when they go online, and I want to know that staff have a good understanding of what safe means in any context to do with technology. Many people  get very wrapped up in blaming the technology as the facilitator of risk, but this really isn't the case. Risk and behaviour are the two fundamental principles of e-safety. In other words, if you don't know what an online risk is, your online behaviour can put you at risk.

Learning about e-safety is a vital life skill. Empowering children at an early age with the knowledge to safeguard themselves and their personal information is something that needs to be nurtured throughout school to see them into adult life. Equally it is important to empower adults, particularly parents and teachers, with the right information so that they can identify risky behaviour, or mitigate the possibility of risk.

Activity7 Tablet devices in the classroom

Tablets have created an Equal Learning Platform in Classrooms

Some students are quick learners while others are not. Tablets provide all types of students an equal learning opportunity. The not-so-quick learners can repeatedly access the virtual teacher, without apprehension of embarrassment.

Education is Convenient on a Tablet 

Numerous educational apps are available which make learning interesting and educators have to select the right app. Teachers can also use their tablet for selecting simulation games for skill training and gauging how well their students learned. These conveniences free them to concentrate more on teaching and less on testing and grading.  

It’s also possible for teachers to try out different methods to turn education appealing.  The use of social media platform by students to post their assignments, hold discussions about it, and encouraging each other with proper feedback encourages collaboration. Educators can oversee this digital behavior to make sure it is along acceptable lines.

Uses of tablets are many. As an educator it depends on how innovatively you use it to maximize these benefits. Over time schools will conclude that the gains far exceed the initial cost spent on giving students a 1:1 learning device.     

Tablets are Cost- effective 

It’s becoming an accepted fact from the various mobile learning projects around the country that by reading on a tablet instead of physical books, journals and newspapers alone, the initial cost of deploying a tablet can be recovered. Being lighter than a laptop, it gives access to an array of study materials, making knowledge available at the fingertips.

Activity 6 Pros and Cons of 1 to 1 learning with ICT

Today’s generation is full of a bunch of little digital natives. Therefore, today’s classrooms and learning tools need to evolve and change to better appeal to and engage these students. Today’s classrooms are moving away the traditional lecture style classroom setting and educators are now focusing in on engaging and empowering their students by utilizing mobile device technology in the classroom as a valuable learning tool.

Mobile devices like iPads in the classroom help give today’s  tech-savvy generation has the ability to experience things like gaming, blogging, reading eBooks, and even taking virtual field trips right from the comfort of their classrooms. Mobile device technology in the classroom has made learning more interesting and exciting than ever before!

Pros:

-Uniform integration of technology in every class eliminates digital inequality.  The school won’t have to worry about who doesn't and who does have the right devices.

-Since everyone has the same mobile device and is on the same platform teachers know whatever apps they use on their device will work on their student’s devices.

-With all the new technologies like iPhones, iPads, and laptops you can easily introduce stimulating online games and listening exercises. You can play games together, listen to podcasts, watch movie clips, or have a heck of a good time exploring YouTube together! Whatever you choose to introduce, be sure that you always have interactive language activities, discussions, and vocabulary exercises to make the most of your time plugged in.

Cons:

-iPad in the classroom With all the cash-strapped schools nationwide, it will be difficult for them to find the funding to support this method.

-The 1-to-1 model will require both teacher and student training of the device the school decides to use.

-With 1-to-1 there are long-term maintenance costs, but with BYOD the students would be responsible for their own maintenance on their mobile devices.

It has the potential to get boring. If this is the case, the student-teacher match-up may not be a good fit, or perhaps your student is just not cut out for all this student-centered attention. You can battle this by having a lot of tools at your disposal and by over-prepping for lessons. If you find yourself stuck in a boring lesson, try to make the best of it and switch gears!

Activity 5 Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive whiteboards are great tools to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. It provides greater means for engagement,interaction and direct manipulation of the learning resources among the learners and teachers. With careful planning and implementation students become more excited about their lessons and collaboration is increases in the classroom.

Some benefits of  IWB are as follows:

•      They help in broadening the use of e-learning because they rapidly demonstrate the potential of alternative modes of delivery.
•            They make it easy for teachers to enhance presentation content by easily integrating a wide range of material into a lesson, such as a picture from the internet, a graph from a spreadsheet or text from a Microsoft Word file, in addition to student and teacher annotations on these objects.
•          They allow teachers to create easily and rapidly customized learning objects from a range of existing content and to adapt it to the needs of the class in real time.
•          They allow learners to absorb information more easily.
•          They allow learners to participate in group discussions by freeing them from note-taking.
•          They allow learners to work collaboratively around a shared task or work area.
•          When fully integrated into a VLE (virtual learning environment) and learning object repository there is potential for widespread sharing of resources.
•          When used for interactive testing of understanding for the entire class, they can rapidly provide learner feedback.

Activity 4 One Computer Classroom

The one computer classroom is basically defined as a classroom that has 1 or up to 4 computers in a classroom. This is beneficial by means of eliminating the need to schedule lab time with the rest of the school. The teacher will have the convenience of having the computers in the classroom  and do not have to regularly travel to the lab to integrate ICT. Groups can now be easily monitored by the teacher while others are meaningfully occupied and the teacher has quick access to online resources saving time.

Assignment 2

This was an awesome assignment. I really enjoyed planning the budget. I tried to make it as realistic as possible and related it to my school. I choose to allocate some of the funds towards teacher training and initial setup etc... The reason I did that was because I believe if you are going to spend that amount of money USD 50,000 on purely hardware, it would be unwise to not consider installation cost and other additional expenditure that comes with the process. Secondly why have all this new computer labs or one computer classrooms when teachers are not proficiency and unable to use them effectively to improve teaching and learning  and helping the students to develop 21st century skills? However, I did enjoy the experience of creating my presentation and adding my voice to it. I would have like to do the YouTube video but was pressed for time. I will definitely try and use that in the future.

Activity3a- Pros and cons of computer labs reflection

High density labs could be difficult for a teacher to manage depending on the size of the class.
It is my experience that the computer labs that I have worked in are small in relation to the size of the class. When lots of students are cramped into a small space the working environment may not be condusive towards learning. Most of the time students will have to share computers and get distracted easily. This has to be taken into consideration when planning classes and can become quite tedious. However, I like the idea of a U shaped layout for computer labs. This configuration allows the teacher to monitor the students screen while they are working and the teacher can  have access to each student easily to provide guidance and support.
Another issue with high density computer labs is that students need to leave the classroom and travel to the lab which means that technology is not being integrated into the curriculum. Its not in the classroom where core subjects are being taught. In St. Vincent the Ministry of Education has recently introduced the one laptop per child. This I believe is more beneficial to me as a teacher as opposed to the high density labs, because this gives learners the freedom to access their computer in the classroom providing there is wireless access to the internet as and when the teacher need them to. With regard to security and storage the students are solely responsible for their equiptment as they would take it home with them when it is not required by the teacher.  

Activity 2B pros and cons of ICT in the classroom

After my research, I believe that ICT enabled classrooms are a great way to enhance teaching and learning. It encourages students and teachers to learn 21st centuary skills.These skills not only prepares students for work life, but also fosters skills for creativity and social life. I found it interesting to read about the 'Grade 1 farms and food' document. The students got an oportunity to study farms and food. The project involved on site and classroom research, visits by experts, hands on work with food, expeditions, literacy activities such as writing and labelling, as well as cooking ,sketches, observations and taste tests. I realized that this project would have been able to take place without ICT, and the students would have learnt many valuable life skills. However, the ICT was used to record, document and share their work. A full colour calendar, professionally printed was able to be sold, which helps provide money which can be reinvested into similar projects. In this instance, using ICT aided the learning process and provided a product of their work. I believe this is a great balance. Having a useful ICT enabled classroom requires careful planning, guidance, and allocated times of use in order for it to be positively effective.

Module 8- Managing Learning and Teaching with ICT- Activity 1 Reflection.

Before this module it would have been perceived that learning with ICT tools could pose as a distraction and there could be scenarios arising such as not all learners would be provided for with a device. After all the readings and research. I have learnt a lot of strategies and the benefits of embracing diversity. I can now encourage students to bring their own devices to class. The result may be students walking through the door with a diverse assortment of technology tools — iPhones, androids, tablets, iPod touches and the occasional laptop. Therefore the moment they enter the room, my low tech classroom is instantly transformed into a buzzing technology hub. By allowing them to use their own devices they become more comfortable with the technology and tool they choose to use. This is also the device they use to navigate the world. Both of those factors translate into more meaningful, relevant and engaged learning.

- Devices also need to be treated as learning tools.

- Teachers need to establish new norms.

- Students need to be connected to educational apps and websites

- When using I.T Labs rules need to be established. Students can be paired or work in larger groups. Clearly posted timetable should be visible for all.

- If there’s one computer in the classroom there need to be a roster with set time so students can have equal time for computer use. Ensure computer and all software is up to date. Ensure that software is age and subject appropriate. 

Activity 11 Blog Reflection

The resources I developed were fun. From observation of the learners doing the activities, and general feedback from the learners. I can determine that it was a  success.The learners enjoyed doing them. The most rewarding part was watching them having fun while learning with the resources I created.My peers also created some excellent resources which I may be able to use if I modified them to suit my grade level.I can also use the one Jannis created as we teach the same grade. I also feel that one of my biggest challenges is the time I have to work with to complete the resources because It  was constrained it was difficult to produce the quality of work I wanted to create.

Activity 10 Blog Reflection

There were challenges encountered during this activity. I had to do quite a bit of reading, research and source the relevant information, graphics ,videos etc.. to produce my resource. Once I had all my information, creating the resource became more exciting. I had to ensure that my layout is simple,clear,easy to follow,informative, has vibrant graphics to illustrate the content making the resource fun and captivating and the language is age appropriate for my learners. Some of the information sourced needed to be adapted/modified to suit my lerner needs. The knowledge and tools I gained from this module helped me in creating this resource. I was able to manipulate graphics and use them for my needs.

Activity 6a,b,c.

6a- Math - My experience using drawing tools.

I found this activity quite easy to complete, as I have often used Microsoft Word to make shapes and drawings. I made a simple math worksheet- identifying 2d shapes. The only challenge I was having, was that the instructions in the course was for the older version of M.Word. I was having some trouble making my shapes have 3d effects. I achieved this in the end by playing around with it some more, and experimenting wih different colour fills and outlines. Also, I couldn't upload my M. Word document onto Google community, so I ended up making the same worksheet in Google doc. I discovered that Google doc also has the same options to make shapes and lines.

6b- Science- Using paint to manipulate images.

I really enjoyed this one as I have never used paint to manipulate an image, and did not know that this was possible. I often give my students pictures to label and colour. I found a labelled template of the body. I edited it by erasing the labelling words, so that the students could label it themselves. I think I will find this tool very useful! I uploaded the image on Google doc and shared in the community.

6c- Language 4- promoting writing with ICT.

Even though Kindergarteners cannot write fully, we still practice creative writing, and I always use worksheets to help prompt them with instructions. I find Microsoft Word very handy for this. I decided to add to one of my creative writing classes by creating a worksheet: words with energy. The little boxes and lines guide the students on where to write. I had a good experience with this, and did not meet any challenges.

Activity 5a: Explore website resources.

I chose Kindergarten Science as my subject. I enjoy making my science lessons fun, and I'm always looking for interesting experiments. I have not yet explored this subject area in terms of useful websites, so i was keen to see what i might find.

Concluding comments about the quality and variety of web resources available for my subject.

I discovered many credible websites while searching through the list of sites provided in the course materials.  However, it was challenging to find one which caters specifically to Kindergarten age group. My initial research came up with a lot of sites with games and simulations. It took a bit more time to find those sites which incorporate a variety of items on the checklist provided in the course materials. Below is a list of sites i chose to suit my needs, and a brief description of what they have to offer or may be lacking.

- www.education.com - A well rounded site offering free lesson plans, curriculum frameworks, printable worksheets. It has shareware.You have to subscribe for $3.99 US a month in order to access everything. In order to get some of the free things, you have to sign in using FaceBook. There are interesting science experiments. It lacks relevant games and simulation software. I would use this site more for general information and ideas.

- www.sciencekids.co.nz - This site is very informative, teacher and child friendly. It offers lesson plans in accordance with my curriculum topics, homework in the form of projects, printer friendly resources, freeware, general information, drill and practice games, and educational videos. It lacks any links to social networking but overall it is a fantastic site.

- www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/science/ - A credible site with mainly drill and practise games, simulation software, worksheets, general information, and topics in accordance with my curriculum. It lacks lesson plans but the educational games are excellent. The site is linked with the BBC community, which means there is a vast amount of other information, chat rooms and community forums- not science related.

- www.teachers.cr.k12.de.us/~galgano/elemkids.htm - Offers a lot of kindergarten science links to games, simulation software information, slideshows, etc. It is totally free and has general information on science education. It seems to be a site rreated for Caesar Rodney elementary school. It links to Caesar Rodney Instructional Technology Resources, which has a lot of information on using ICT in the classroom - very handy.

I am pleased with what i have found, and will definately be refering to these sites for imformation, ideas, worksheets and software. I realize that i have not found a site which ticks all the boxes, but by taking the best aspects of what the sites in my list have to offer, I have some excellent resources to work with.

Module5 Activity 3b Reviewing Educational Software Reflections

For this activity, i first read about the purposes of  educational software. The most important purposes of a tool to suit my needs would be one which builds learners retention, allows for drill and practice, encourages exploration & creative thinking, and presents problems to solve. I often use educational tools for group, individual and remedial work.
Other purpposes of educational software that i can think of would include:
- Simulating or displaying information in a way that would stimulate discussion and sharing of feelings for group work/classroom discussions.
- interactive demonstrations of particular topics or concepts followed by activities which can be used to help slower students or build on what the students already know.
While reading, I discovered a handy tool called Kidspiration, and i was glad to see starfall.com as part of the list, as I regularly use this in class, and I also agree that it is a very handy tool with a lot of free, useful phonics and reading activities.
Other types of online tools I have come across include:
- www.turtlediary.com - a unique collection of interactive and fun educational games, age appropriate yet challenging, which tracks progress on skills.
-www.funbrain.com - provides various free educational games in various areas of the curriculum. Presentation is colourful and fun.
-www.coolmath4kids.com - lessons and cool games in math, especially for older students.

The software reviews I found most helpful were focused in the category of basic skills development, repetition and practice, and remedial and special needs.

Readers are leaders
I found this review helpful because it is clear and to the point. The aim of the software was highlighted, and it mentioned that the installation process is easy. It showed how the different levels in the software relates to the curriculum, and that there are different levels and a variety of topics to relate to the user. It also explained how it manages assessment and feedback.

Clicker 4
This review had similar criteria to the Readers are Leaders review. I like that is was detailed enough to say that there is no specific content and that it can be used across the curriculum to help students learn to write whole words, phrases and pictures.

One important criteria that was not mentioned in both was cost/ membership fees, which I will add in my evaluation criteria for my activity, as this is important to my needs.

I explored a few of the various software review sites and found that some teachers evaluated them after using with the class, and some did not. I have yet to find some learner reviews, and one related to St. Vincent or a similar country, but I found some relating to Kindergarten level. During my own research, I also found some reviews by parents on forums, sharing ideas and opinions, which were imformative.

Activity 2- Experiencing Educational Software Reflections

Educational software is an asset to any classroom  school or educational institution regardless of students age or level of development. It enhances learning with direct manipulation of the tool. Students are in control of their learning they become more effective, independent learners and learns to develop social skills. Learning takes place through creating and utilizing hands on knowledge.
Although there are a number of free software online, most educational softwares will require a paid subscription so Educators  need to carefully review the software and  select the right one to match their students needs.

Activity1 Reflection- The Value of Social Bookmarking

Social Bookmarking is a great way to collect, save and share favourite websites, ideas or resources online instead of the regular bookmarking on your computer. It also helps you to organize your websites that are useful and provides quick access to other people with the same interest as you. As an educator this tool would be very useful to me as I can access my sites anywhere even if i dont have my personal computer with me.

Diggo Link

 https://www.diigo.com/profile/chadgrant

Module1- Activity 12 Reflection Problem Solving

This activity was really fun. My students enjoyed going outdoors and getting their hands dirty, they were very driven and passionate about this topic of littering at our school. They also came up with some realistic/practical solutions on how to effectively manage the problem of litter on our school grounds. They made some very creative posters and did a fantastic job with their oral presentation. The brainstorming strategy used  allowed us to exhaust all possible ideas and helped the students to think out of the box and come up with some great solutions.

Module 1- Activity 11 Encouraging learners to ask questions

This was definitely my most favorite activity throughout this module. I love the idea of using the contrast picture to stimulate my students thinking. It was great to see them so excited and engaged in this activity. I would definitely recommend this strategy to my colleagues and will be using it again in the future.

Module 1-Activity 10 Reflection Promoting Discussion

I had fun with this activity as it allowed me to use what I’ve learned and put it into practice with my students. My students thoroughly enjoyed the activity and were very engaged. The strategies I used to manage the discussion were very effective and the level of participation was great. The students respected each other opinion and gave constructive feedback. This was an excellent experience.

Module 1-Activity 9 Reflection What questions do I ask and why?

I find this activity very helpful as it equipped me with some very useful tools with which I can use throughout my teaching and learning. I now use these questioning strategies with my students very frequently. I model this in hopes that my students also will adapt this and use it as it will improve their learning and thinking if they ask the right type of questions which encourages thinking.

Module 1-Activity 8 Reflections Piaget’s Theory on Cognitive Development

This activity was very valuable as it helped me to assess my learners’ current level of thinking and construct learning experiences which are appropriate to my learners’ levels of thinking. I learnt that all learners in my class would not be at the same stage of cognitive development and that they each develop at their own pace and as an educator I need to provide a variety of learning materials to meet the individual needs of each learner. Jean Piaget has made a significant impact on my teaching and learning practices. I regularly reflect on any lesson I teach and always find new ways to improve, adapt and make necessary changes.

Module 1-Activity 7 Reflection Collaborative Learning

Co-operative learning in the classrooms is a great strategy which can be very valuable when planned effectively. When learners work in and collaborate with heterogeneous groups they are exposed to the diverse experiences of that group learning is experienced on a variety of levels and many talents are brought together in the workspace. Learning is also Scaffolded in a process where the students supports each other needs as the teacher supports and facilitate the process.

Module 1-Activity 6 Reflections Vygotsky’s Understanding of cognitive development

During this activity I learnt about the social construction of learning and that it is a process which happens by means of interaction between people. The learning activity first happens between people before it is represented cognitively or internally within the child. I especially enjoyed the readings about the ZPD the gap between what learners can achieve alone and what they can achieve with help from others.

Module: 1 -Activity 5 Reflection Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology is a continuous process which happens throughout our lives. It determines how individuals change over a time and what factors contribute to these changes. This activity helped me to better understand how learners differ from each other and that they are not necessary at the same stages of development. Knowing how my learners grow and develop will enable me as an educator to create learning experiences suitable to meet their needs.

Some contributing factors:

·         Physical development

·         Social relations

·         Emotional development

·         Personality development

·         Moral development(perceptions of what is right and wrong)

·         Cognitive ability(thinking, processing information, learning)

As an educator I play a significant role in my learners’ development. I work closely with them on a daily basis along with the parents and other members of the community. With that level of understanding of what my learners needs are I can support them to develop in the best way possible. Most importantly I learnt that learners need love, care and support and teachers and parents play a major role in shaping our learners future.

Module:1 Activity 4 Reflection Behaviorism

In this activity we looked at behaviorism in children and how certain behaviours are connected to observations, imitations and experiences, stimuli from the environment. From the readings I have learnt that the motivation to repeat behaviours is linked to rewards and punishments. As an Educator we need to provide learners with a clear description and a model of desired behaviors. Be slow to punish and look for every opportunity to praise and encourage learners. We can create a much more positive, creative and respectful climate in our classroom. It is also helpful to offer reinforcers to our learners. Different reinforcers will be effective for different learners. Sometimes praising a learner’s good behaviour and being alert for consequences that learners prefer and appreciate.

Some examples of reinforcers that can be effective:

ü  Praise and encouragement.

ü  A special privilege or a preferred activity.

ü  Positive feedback on achieving success.

Module: 1 -Activity 3 Reflection Social Cognitive Theory

What have my learners reaction taught me about learning and teaching? Based on my teaching, learning and interactions with my learners and doing the readings from this activity. I have learnt that we can acquire new behaviours from simply observing and imitating others. This is referred to as modelling. This theory was originally referred to as social learning theory, but increasingly cognitive processes to explain learning have been included in the theory; hence the name social cognitive theory. As an Educator we have a strong influence on our learners they mimic us and it is important to use this position to be good role models for them, even more so in our teaching and learning practices.

Module: 1 -Activity 1 Reflection What is learning?

Learning is a creative ongoing process where the learner takes an active role in the development of his or her ability and is willing to experiment, discover and try out new ideas. Every child has the potential to learn. As an educator we have to take on the role of facilitating this process by encouraging, and stimulating our learners potential and creating conditions necessary to foster this growth. During learning the learner has to take responsibility and assume certain roles because learning is a voluntary act. Learning is also based on experience. When something new is experienced we actively create a set of mental schemas to incorporate this new information in order to make sense of it and store it in memory. Social interactions are also an important contributor towards learning.

Module:1 Activity 2 - Information Processing Approaches Reflection

Many things are involved during thinking, remembering and problem solving. We have to consider the way the mind process the information which is gathered from the environmental stimuli and then goes to our sensory register (SR). If the learner is unattentive,distracted easily or disinterested in the subject matter some information will be lost before it goes to the short term memory (STM). Information which is fascination or appears to be interesting to the individual will be encoded meaning it's linked to something the learner already knows making it meaningful and easy to remember,so it is stored into the long term memory (LTM) for retrieval later on by the working memory when the learner needs it. If the learner does not access the information from time to time he/she will forget how to retrieve it resulting in the loss of  information or forgeting the codes for remembering the info.

The process of information can be assissted if we get learners to:

•  think about their thinking (metacognition). 
• By focusing on the most important aspects of thinking: encoding, storing and retrieving information.
• Teaching the learner how to develop a learning strategy to achieve their learning goals.
• Using various learning tactics, such as: sumarising, taking notes and skimming through text for main ideas.

Self-activity 1.5

My experience of it. The first example was quite easy as I use the coin on a regular basis so I was able to recall information from LTM and use it in my working memory (WM). It was far more difficult to remember all the letters from the second example because they were just random and not meaningful so my thought processes did not percieve them as important.  As a result i only managed to memorize just a few  which i beleive will only last for the purpose of the activity and will not be stored in (LTM) but rather the (STM). The third example i was able to recall the information more easily and store it at a quicker rate because it was linked to things i already know so i could make a more meaningful connection and draw from prior knowledge.It was also grouped together in words making it easier to remember. I was able to encode , store and retrieve the information with ease.

Self-activityb1.7

Two important processes here are paying close attention to the stimulus. By doing this the working memory is free and is able to store new information. Perception also plays an important role. It helps us to recognize familiar things and find meaning to the stimulus. We as educators can assist learners to focus on what is important when planning, by focusing on the six elements which makes up a learning strategie.

1. Metacognition
2. Analysis
3. Planning
4. Implementation
5. Monitoring
6. Modification

Help learners learn by developing strategies for effective learning and tactics for remembering information. Assisting the learners to develop and effectivly use their cognitive abilities. Enabling them to create a learning plan, skillfully implement appropriate learning tactics, regularly monitor their progress, modify and make necessary changes.

We can help learners to use their short term memory and working memory better by encouraging them to keep revising, going over the information in different ways in the working memory to help them think about and  remember it. If this is not done the information would not be processed  and therefore the short term memory will quickly loose the information.

Hints for exercises we can use to assist learners to store important information.

• When planning lessons link it to students prior knowledge so they can make a connection to the information.
• Reherse or go over the information a number of times in using the working memories.
• Try and make lessons meaningful and impact the learners in a positive way so the information last longer in the LTM.
• Ascess the information from time to time, revisit the information so the learner can practice retrieving and recalling the information.