I am a Primary Teacher in Christchurch, NZ, who is passionate about developing e-learning in school. Here is my blog to record my findings and thoughts.

Readings


  • deployment must be conssitent.
  • low or sporadic use evidence of lack of teacher buy-in, school readiness or whether computer are a maningful part of the curriculum.
  • Computers need to change traditional teaching and learning paradigms.
  • collective efforts improve practice and outcomes.
  • development of a community based schema to serve as a framework for what teaching and learning is about.
  • How do we turn our aspirations about teaching and learning into practice.

"While less time in the waiting room or ease of getting a table may result from using a software application, in neither situation is a better surgical outcome or tastier meal guaranteed. In similar fashion, schools may believe that a computer for every teacher and student is justified because they have automated their grade reporting or other systems. However, to affect learning and achievement you have to affect what teachers and students do. This is only possible when members of a learning community agree upon what it means to teach and learn."


  • predictors of use of classroom technology include openness to change and preparedness to put in time and effort.
  • teacher mover from keeper of knowledge to facilitator.
  • increased student creativity demonstrated.
  • beliefs about teaching and learning shape computer use.
  • lack of technical knowledge can impede integration of computer technology.
  • the less there are technical issues the more time to focus on curriculum integration.
  • laptops as a way to perform traditional tasks "better" and more efficiently vs a paradigmatic change.


  • impact on one-to-one largely a function of the teacher.
  • laptops as "add-ons" - digitalise a task vs redefining the curriculum.
  • for a 21st century knowledge worker a laptop is an essential tool.
  • focus on facts, recall, drill and practice does not leverage potentialities of the computer

This is interesting as the headline suggested the laptops were a problem. In fact it is the teacher/school approach. The use of mindmaps, blogs, forums and Prezi collaboration are '21st century knowledge' experiences. The three Cs are a good guide to our future curriculum - Collaborating, Creating, Communicating. I will now think about other activities I do and ask myself if they come under the catogary of 'add on or 21st Century knowledge worker'



  • from Irving ISD
  • teachers are facilitators
  • individualised learning
  • moves from whole class instruction to guiding and facilitating
  • locus of control from teacher to student
  • effective use of course management tool - Blackboard as a LMS
  • behaviour management - clear expectations and consequences
  • instructional strength keeps students focussed on learning.
  • change takes time.


  • discussion of how one-to-one can provide added value
  • environments - learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, community-centered.
  • wide use online research and productivity tools notice in classrooms.
  • page 445, online individualised research project cf answering online worksheet via e-book.
  • for drill and practice activities focus on individualisation, learner centered and with feedback.
  • watch out for websites that are "engaging distractions " rather than delivering "challenging curricula-aligned exercises."
  • Communication - asynchronous and synchronous.
  • page 448 - useful discussion re writing and sharing of poetry.
  • challenges in two categories - management and hardware issues.
  • use of embedded scaffolding features in programmes and online - independent learning.




One of the above documents is a literature review re efficacy of laptop classes - the other is a pdf of a slide show about the Literature Review.

No comments:

Post a Comment