A Note

When deciding how exactly my blog would look I went through a number of phases. I tried looking for pictures to use as a banner and I tried hundreds of different colour schemes (the is not even an exaggeration). However when it came down to it I decided that the simplicity of the dynamic view coupled with its ability to be customised by the viewer made it the best choice. In choosing this view however I had to make a few sacrifices :'(. Gone are the picture banners and gone are my gadgets. I've tried everything to get my music player up and running in this view but everything has failed me. for piece of mind I would like to post this 'snip' (thank you Mandy!) of my gadgets, just to prove I have implemented them. 

I hope you can enjoy my blog without them :)

How Technology has Changed the Way we Learn

As I have alluded to in previous posts, new technology has brought with it a whole host of changes. Whether your opinion is that these changes are good or bad there is no doubting that education has been deeply affected by new advances. For this post I will be addressing 3 key ways in which technology has changed the way in which we learn.

Distance Learning

 Before technology infiltrated education the standard student would travel to a school to be taught subjects in a classroom then be given homework to do in their own time. The advent of the Open University however changed this. The Open University used technology to reach those who were not able to afford or attend University and thus developed the first recognised instance of distance learning. These days a computer and internet access are far more reasonably priced than a stay at University and even if a person cannot afford these luxuries local libraries offer these for a much lower price. For these reasons the use of technology in learning has taken students out of the classroom and made education accessible to so many more people. This fact is emphasised by sheer number of examples provided by (Bates, 2005).

Virtual Learning Environments

VLE’s refer to ‘a specific piece of software that enables students and staff to interact and includes content delivery and tracking’ (http://excellence.qia.org.uk/ via (Reece & Walker, 2007)) These systems have been adopted by the vast majority of institutions and include such examples as moodle and blackboard. VLE’s offer the teacher the ability to share any presentations or handouts they have used during the lesson or indeed any information they think is relevant that they didn’t get to go through in the lesson itself. This not only provides reading for the students themselves but serves as an archive for everything that has been covered in the year. Although some have criticised this usage due to the notion that a teacher may choose to use it over spending time with the students, this is not the case. A VLE should be used as an additional outlet for teachers to provide useful information as well as potential support. A further advantage of VLE’s is that it can make learning more accessible for those with disabilities. For example a visually impaired student could use a screen reader to gain information (Reece & Walker, 2007). This type of additional support and information was previously unavailable before the technology was created. Technology has allowed teachers, through little effort and time, to open doors for new ways of thinking for students. It has also allowed them to show students things that, whilst maybe not imperative to the lesson, will help them develop their understanding of a topic more.  

Access to information

The final point to make about how technology has changed the way we learn is now that students have access to effectively unlimited amounts of information. This allows students (and teachers for that matter) to research topics extensively and the potential for further reading is endless. There is no longer a need for a teacher to explain or define every term used in a topic due to the fact that students can easily google search the term and within 15 seconds understand the meaning. Although this ability does allow for a plethora of information to be accessed it does strike the question; is it too much? Will students who google the definition of terms actually take in the meaning of the terms or will they accept the definition without understanding it? Also researching topics independently can lead to a number of pitfalls. Students may be taking information as gospel from websites that are not credible creating further problems when it comes to assessment. It is not possible to monitor what every student researches and it is not plausible to keep up to date with information students have gathered from outside sources. For this reason it is important to ensure students are provided with a list of credible sources or indeed a guide on how to spot false information.

Works Cited

Bates, A. W., 2005. Technology, E-Learning and Distance Education. 2nd ed. s.l.:s.n.

Reece, I. & Walker, S., 2007. Teaching, Training and Learning: A Practical Guide. 6th Revised ed. s.l.:Business Education Publishers Limited.

Barriers to the Effective Use of Technology in Education.

The benefits of technology in the classroom cannot be understated. As I have mentioned in my previous blog post, there are a number of different ways in which technology can be integrated into a lesson providing an enormous amount of variety and interactivity. However, walk into a typical classroom today and you are rather unlikely to see much if any technology being used. Scholars suggest that the adoption of technology in any area follows a certain pattern. To begin with the rate of adoption starts slowly until about 50% of the field are using said technology. There is then a period of accelerated adoption until almost every member of the field is included (Butler & Sellbom, 2002).So why, if usable technology has been around for decades, has it not been adopted by all schools? Despite its potential uses in learning there are a number of issues that can block the use of technology.

                So what are these barriers? During a United States survey into the aforementioned barriers it was found that the most impactful barriers were external rather than internal. It was found that issues such as support, money, access, time and assessments were all barriers to technology being adopted (Ertmer, et al., 2012). When looking at these opinions it is hard to argue. It is impossible for teachers to be given full time support when implementing technology much like it is impossible to expect every teacher to be fluent in the use of said technology. Some teachers may not have ever needed technology for their subject and have had no interest in adopting it until now. These types of teachers will need support from others who may not be able to give it. Many of the IT resources that would be beneficial to learners not only need the teacher to learn new skills but to be on top of any new developments also (Reece & Walker, 2007). Two barriers that go hand in hand and will affect a number of institutions are access and funds. It is the case that not every school or college will have the money available to fill every classroom with technology. Some institutions will simply not have a choice. This raises the issue of access. If the institution does not have the ability to provide teachers with the equipment or even the latest soft/hardware then there is no chance that the learners can benefit. This can also discourage teachers who may not have the access to technology in their own classrooms. Teachers of this ilk are less likely to put effort into presentations if they know that the technology in the room they are using is lacking or non-existent (Reece & Walker, 2007). Another two barriers that link nicely are those of time and assessment. When speaking of assessment the general consensus in the reports is that the testing and assessment standards set out by those on high does not allow for the use of technology. If a maths curriculum is set out in such a way that every lesson counts in terms of the subjects on the final exam teachers may be wary about using technology. The perceived time it takes to learn how to use new  technologies can force some teachers to shun the technology all together as it would take them too long to create powerpoints etc and it would take time that they don’t have to teach students how to use the software also (Reece & Walker, 2007).

                These concerns have been backed up by a number of surveys including (An & Reigeluth, 2012) and display the problems some teachers face. It is therefore the duty of those in charge to tailor learning and assessments to incorporate the use of technology. It is the duty of the schools and the community to pull together in order to ensure that, somehow, the students gain access to technology. The benefits of such technologies cannot be understated and it is the learners who ultimately miss out.

Works Cited

An, Y.-J. & Reigeluth, C., 2012. Creating Technology-Enhanced, Learner-Centered Classrooms: K–12 Teachers’ Beliefs, Perceptions, Barriers, and Support Needs, s.l.: ISTE.

Butler, D. L. & Sellbom, M., 2002. Barriers to Adopting Technology for Teaching and Learning, s.l.: s.n.

Ertmer, P. A. et al., 2012. Teacher beliefs and technology integration practices: A critical relationship, s.l.: Indianna University.

Reece, I. & Walker, S., 2007. Teaching, Training and Learning: A Practical Guide. 6th Revised ed. s.l.:Business Education Publishers Limited.

The Value of Mobile Technology in Teaching and Learning

Before the information age having a device in your pocket that could essentially answer any question imaginable would be unfathomable. Today most people take this wonder of machinery for granted. Because of this mobile technology is an unbelievably useful asset. Before the devices of mobile technology became accepted and accessible the only real way to introduce technology into the classroom was through desktop computers. The invention of mobile technology changed this forever. The mobile phone is packed with a number of useful features allowing communication through a variety of mediums, allowing quick and extensive access to the internet as well as access to e-mail and online lessons (Reece & Walker, 2007).

                Mobile Technology has opened up a whole new world of potential teaching and learning techniques. Gone are the days that a student was limited to sitting in a classroom staring at the whiteboard taking in information. In today’s classroom mobile technology has allowed for a great deal of interactivity in ways that have never been previously thought of. It is true that mobile technology is challenging the traditional concept of teaching and is “... inviting a more expansive possibility of ubiquitous learning supported by personal media communicators.” (Sharples, et al., 2010). A valuable way in which mobile technology can be used in education, which I have personally used, is to aide research during tasks. Due to the ease that a student can access the internet in a class and the speed at which students can now navigate web pages it is easy to set them questions and allow them time to research the answers before reporting back. Another way in which mobile technology can be used in the classroom involves much more interactivity. Websites such as TodaysMeet or even the more commonly known Facebook can be used to facilitate in-class discussion that benefits the lesson as a whole whilst not taking away from the teachers’ delivery of information.

                Although these examples are a mere snapshot of the fantastic potential mobile devices hold, they serve to illustrate a very important point. For any teacher that has stood in front of a class or even sat to one side observing a lesson, the words “phones away” are ingrained in their vocabulary. Almost every student these days carries a mobile phone and all of these will bring it into every lesson they attend. As early as 2005 scholars were predicting almost 3 billion people would soon own a mobile phone (Attewell, 2005) and as teachers it is our decision whether to, in a classroom, fight against the use of these devices or embrace them and use them to our advantage. I believe that it is not the teacher’s responsibility to prevent the use of mobile technology in class, but to harness that potential and use the fact that students are so fluid with the technology to benefit their learning. To do this however, teachers must be fully committed to the idea. Research has suggested that the most common use of mobile phones in education is in a didactic scope. This has been described as “pedagogically conservative and regressive.” (Herrington, et al., 2009). For this reason it is not only important simply incorporate mobile devices in a lesson but to use them in a way that aides student learning. As with every lesson it is important to offer a variety of activities including oral and written activities to best help engage the learner (Reece & Walker, 2007). Whilst I personally enjoy lesson in which I have no other activity than listening I can definitely see the benefits of a diverse lesson, especially in further education.

                 To limit the scope of mobile technology to phones however is severely limiting the potential of other devices. (Naismith, et al., 2004) take a broad definition of mobile technology and include such devices as tablets, laptops and PDAs. This definition only furthers the potential uses of mobile technology in a classroom. Whilst mobile phones can be considered pocket sized computers tablets and laptops offer much more in terms of learning. Flash support on tablets and laptops allows for access to flash animated quizzes and websites that use animations to help engage learners. It may also be the case that a teacher could incorporate a whole lesson onto a downloadable file fully equipped with video, audio, interactive games as well as links to further information that would previously not have been accessible on a mobile phone.

                In conclusion it is clear to me that the move towards a technology basis of learning is more of inevitability than choice. The fact that mobile technology has become such an integral part of society as a whole means that its benefits will be felt in education sooner rather than later.

Works Cited

Attewell, J., 2005. Mobile Technologies and Learning. s.l.:Learning and Skills Development Agency.

Herrington, A. et al., 2009. Using mobile technologies to develop new ways of teaching and learning. In: NEW TECHNOLOGIES, NEW PEDAGOGIES: MOBILE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION. s.l.:Unicersity of Wollongong.

Naismith, L., Sharples, M., Vavoula, G. & Lonsdale, P., 2004. Literature Review in Mobile Technologies and Learning. HAL archives.

Reece, I. & Walker, S., 2007. Teaching, Training and Learning: A Practical Guide. 6th Revised ed. s.l.:Business Education Publishers Limited.

Sharples, P. D. M., Taylor, P. D. J. & Vavoula, D. G., 2010. A Theory of Learning for the Mobile Age. In: Medienbildung in neuen Kulturräumen. s.l.:VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 87-99.

The 3 A's of Awesome

When I was looking for an inspirational TedTalk for my blog I thought I had stumbled onto a winner when I discovered that I could order the videos by most "inspirational". I thought that I could pick any one of the videos, not really pay attention, write a short blog about it and be done. What I didn't think would happen was that I would find such a captivating and truly thought provoking video as this.

Neil Pasricha is the Canadian son of two immigrants who has had a few set backs. He starts his talk by introducing his parents and explaining their wonder in all the new things they were experiencing. He then moves on to talk about his wedding and a road trip he took with his two best friends and does all of this in such a lighthearted and funny manner that I found myself smiling and laughing throughout. This is when things changed. He explains that in 2008 and 2009 two things happened that would change his world. Firstly, his wife came to him one day and told him that she didn't love him anymore. Secondly, his friend Chris, with whom he went on the road trip, took his own life. It is clear to me that even during the talk the thought of these events still hits Neil. He talks with such sincerity and honesty about how these things made him feel and it is very hard not to be drawn into his world and feel a huge amount of sympathy for him.

One day he told himself that he needed a way to start seeing the positives in life and thus started a blog. Neil's blog, 1000 Awesome Things, documents all the little awesome things that happen in everyday life which people either miss or take for granted. These awesome things are the true wonders of the world and, as Neil explains, make you feel a little bit better at a time. Little things such as putting on warm underwear or the cashier opening a new line for you are things that help you get through the bad times.

In the next segment of the talk Neil introduces the notion of the "3 A's of Awesome". These A's are: Attitude, Awareness and Authenticity. Neil introduces each one and gives a description of their benefits. He explains that everyone will hit a road block in their life. Everyone will have something happen to them that stops everything and hurts like hell. At this point Neil believes we have 2 choices; give up and mope forever, or you can grieve then face the future with newly sober eyes. Neil believes that having the right attitude to your problems in life can help you move on and see the positives once again as he did. This is something I love about this talk. Neil has been through the bad experiences and has come out the other end a more 'Awesome' man. he can speak from experience and you can tell he feels so strongly about what he is saying. 

The second A, Awareness, is introduced and is described as embracing your inner 3 year old. It is about noticing the first time you experience things like walking past a bakery and smelling that air or hitting a row of green lights on the way home. It is about not letting those moments pass you by because you're too busy or too high strung to acknowledge them. A 3 year old can wonder about the smallest things for hours on end and if we all did similarly we'd be a lot more awesome.

The final A, Authenticity, is all about embracing yourself. Neil uses the example of 'Rosey' Grier an absolute monster of a man who was feared throughout the NFL. Mr. Grier however had a rather peculiar hobby for a man with such a tough persona, and that was needlepoint. Neil uses this example perfectly to show how, to live a more awesome life, you must do what makes you happy. You should have no heed for what dissenters may say because being authentic to yourself allows you to follow your heart and fulfill your every dream.

As a closing thought Neil applies these 3 A's to his parents. The wonder of his father when he stepped off the plane to a welcoming feast and the sheer distance Moroccan dates travel to be sold for 25 cents. This just emphasizes the fact that the if you; come into things (travelling to a new country) with the right attitude, having the awareness of a child (being astounded by the dates) to be enthralled my the littlest of things and being authentic to yourself (researching Morocco) and doing things that make you happy can help you live a more awesome life.

On the face of it this talk seems like a cliche story about overcoming adversity, but it is much more than that. This talk isn't just about being strong in the face of trouble, it is about embracing everything that this world encompasses and not letting the things get in the way of you being awesome. This talk has really opened my eyes to the little things that are so wondrous in everyday life and I can't wait to go out and experience them with new eyes.

And that's why I believe that if you live your life with a great attitude, choosing to move forward and move on whenever life deals you a blow, living with a sense of awareness of the world around you, embracing your inner three year-old and seeing the tiny joys that make life so sweet and being authentic to yourself, being you and being cool with that, letting your heart lead you and putting yourself in experiences that satisfy you, then I think you'll live a life that is rich and is satisfying, and I think you'll live a life that is truly awesome.

  

Technology on the Move

Mobile technology is everywhere. Today kids are learning to surf the web on iPhones and iPads before they learn that 9 comes after 8. It's even more astounding to me because after managing to get my first phone, at about 8 years old, I immediately locked myself out of it by forgetting the password. Because of the advancements in handheld tech, mobile technology has become far more accessible to the majority of people. It is indeed the case that a lot of people will choose a tablet over a desktop PC and it is for these reasons that mobile technology has found a place in education.

But what of my experiences? 

Well apart from my initial mishap I have adapted quickly to any new device of  mobile technology I have come across. As I have mentioned I have been using mobile phones since around 8 and I believe I got my first 'smart' phone at the end of Year 10 of Comprehensive. I use the term 'smart' as although it had access to the internet enabled, that internet access was run off a pay-as-you-go contract and cost an arm, a leg and six ribs to load a single page. Even though this might take away from what most people consider mobile technology these days I still consider these early phones in the same bracket. Before these comparatively small phones (my first phone could only be described as an antenna strapped to a boulder), the only way you could communicate to your mum that you'd be late home because you were defending your honour on the FIFA pitch was either through a land-line or carrier pigeon. It was amazing that you could speak to people anywhere in the world using a device that would fit (eventually) into your pocket.

My first modern mobile phone came in the form of an iPhone 4S. I was slightly late onto the iPhone train but was hooked the minute I stepped aboard. The sheer amount of data and applications that could be stored on a device as thin as a pack of paper was, and still is mind blowing. I never really considered an iPhone as a tool for us in education. Since learning about ICT methods of teaching in University however I can really see the benefits. So much so in fact that I incorporated the use of mobile phones into a lesson I taught. As part of a task students were challenged to answer a set of questions using their mobiles to conduct research. This experience went very well and I feel that I will be using it a lot more in future. The use of mobile phones to answer questions or research arguments allows for students to be more detailed an thorough in their work in an environment away from computers. For this reason I am an advocate of their use.

Away from mobile phones I have experiences with a number of other devices. Most notable would be MP3 players and a short period using tablets. As my experiences with tablets have been very limited the only other piece of mobile technology that I have used which is related to education are laptops. Throughout University I constantly brought my laptop to lectures and seminars to not only record notes but to quickly do further research into topics. One problem I found with this usage however is that my mind tends to wander... 

This would mean that I would occasionally stray to Sky Sports or Facebook during lectures and although this (believe it or not) helps me listen, it was not long before I wandered further afield. This was the point at which I tried to play Football Manager during a lesson. My laptop, being a few years old, decided it was not happy with a worldly existence and wanted to join the birds in the sky. To achieve this it kicked its fan into overdrive and tried to take flight, the noise this created was rather distracting and I quickly closed the game and listened intently to the rest of the lesson. Despite its facilitation of procrastination a laptop is an unbelievably useful tool of mobile technology. During seminars if I didn't know the answer to a question coming up I'd be able to quickly research the answer and interact with the class. Also, using a laptop to take notes means all notes are well presented, organised and in little danger of going missing. 

So those are my experiences, a decade or so of forgotten passwords, procrastination and, most importantly, learning.