Reflection on Session 8

These are our reflection of the whole module in point forms below

• describe the educational change in HK
• how to facilitate learning in classroom with ICT
• apply SOLO taxonomy in our learning and also assessing our students
• style of presentation in using ICT
• understanding a wide range of web 2.0 tools
• integration with different learning theories in ICT
• setting of  classroom-of-tomorrow
• use of free online learning tools in teaching/learning
• promote ICT in a pedagogical approach in education
• how teachers could prepare themselves well in ICT
• relate web 2.0 tool into real life practice
• analyze and compare the pros and cons between traditional education and ICT education
• effectiveness in using media as a teaching resources 
• how to apply mobile technology in education and relate it to web2.0
• how to evaluate a product using the 14 pedagogy
• how ICT affects our teaching strategies and learning styles
• reflect on our teaching style and learning theories
• evaluate our lesson design

Going through these days, we've learnt a lot of theories underneath of all the new pedagogy. In addition, we believe that group work is a good strategy in learning. We could always share ideas with people in different groups. We might also listen from other point of view. This is a valuable chance for us and we really enjoy. 

We would like to thanks all for your effort in this course! We really learn a lot from this module and also our classmates' blogs! We are certainly inspired by your great ideas and helpful suggestion!

Last but not least, we would like to share the following videos, which discuss on innovation and education, with you with a view to inspire you more on the topic: Teaching and Learning with IT.



Bring on the learning revolution!


Do schools kill creativity?


Videos from Youtube

Reflection on Mobile Learning

Mobile learning is definitely not a new term in the 21st century.  However, to imply in teaching and learning in real setting is yet to be developed. All the portable mobile devices are out there for teachers to choose and purchase. But as far as we know, at least in local schools, teachers would usually purchase new items but seldom had a chance to use it in real teaching. So it's really importance to maintain a good policy in using IT for teaching and learning. We believe that teachers are playing important role in implementing all the new pedagogy or else no learning would be undergoing.


Besides the role of teachers, where to use the mobile technology is also an important issue. We normally have lessons in the classroom. Bringing in mobile technology implies that the lesson would become more 'mobile'. Teachers could consider using all these outside a classroom setting so to further develop students' motivation in self-learning. For example, when assigning students to a field trip visiting to a reservoir for lower primary students, teachers could bring in mobile technologies like video cameras/tablet PC for taking data of what the students have found at that site. Then those learning materials outside school could then eventually bring in into a classroom.


All in all, mobile devices are hardware. Teachers should also prepare their 'heartware' when giving a lesson with mobile learning. This would be the most benefit to both students and teachers.


Further readings on Risal:

Mobile Technologies in Education (mobile learning)

There is no mobile technology in our workplace, therefore, we would like to introduce you some interesting mobile learning practices.


The following examples show us teachers try to adopt latest, attractive and interactive mobile technologies in classroom so that students are motivated to learn. Students usually are very interested in using mobile technologies since they are allowed to move freely in the classroom and more easy to "play" with their classmates. Also, It helps them understanding the concept through mobile technologies rather than memorization.


(Youtube videos below are embedded from Youtube, rights belong to contributors/uploaders in Youtube.) 


 Students and professors use their iPhones in the classroom at Abilene Christian University

QR Code (2-dimension barcode)

iPad

Using Mobile Devices to Bring Rich Media Content to Underserved Classrooms

Further readings,

Video Tutorial Using Jing

It is our video tutorial about the collaborative tool, Google Docs.

Direct Link: http://vimeo.com/31713109, http://www.screencast.com/t/jP3zU35nX



We all agree that Google Docs really helps people to collaborate each other in groups since the group members can edit the same document simultaneously. And members also can share resources by uploading files to the Docs. With the permission settings (in Docs, it is called sharing setting), teachers can easily share online resources with different classes or students. Students can also allow their groupmates to access their documents to give comments or replies. It shows there is interaction between people.

Further readings,

Mashing IT Up Activity

In the activity, we can make use of Google Map, Google Translate, J2E and Youtube to create a webpage to describe an island called Wong Yi Chau.

Through the activity, we can make our own interactive map easily without any professional skills. We can also share our experiences with the world coz we have Google Translate to do the interpretation. This is a nice trial for us to understand and relate recent technologies of Web/Cloud Computing. Harvesting digital resources on the Internet can be useful for interaction.

Fig 1. Using J2E to make webpages

Fig 2. Final product

further readings,

Experimental Classroom - Room 321

What do you think of this experimental classroom?
Would you like to teach here? What are the room’s affordance and what are its weaknesses and disadvantages?

The first impression is, the classroom (maybe an entertainment center?) is big! 
Innovative and clean design.

Affordance

• Clean and tidy, a simple elegant design that make teachers and learners feel relax and comfortable
• High ceilings, steps separating different groups of tables, no teacher desk: make the classroom like an open space, learners enjoy this kind of informal classroom, and feel much closer to teachers
• Bright white light, white wall, students could concentrate during lessons
• Round tables with notebook and overhead projector on it, and also every table has a monitor nearby. allow collaborative work and discussion. presentation of every table is much more easier and convenience.  let learners engage in groups easily.
• Wifi available. students and teachers can move freely to access internet.

Weakness and disadvantages

• Wifi is unstable and bandwidth is low. It really discourages students to collaborate in class
• A lot of monitors and 2 big screens that may distract students’ concentration. Students hardly find what screen they have to focus on.
• No LAN ports provided. Some devices may only support LAN. And LAN is supposed to be a much faster network.
• Steps (isolated tables and level of partitions) avoid activities for students to collaborate and discuss among different groups, students may not know their classmates well other than their groupmates.
• Air-conditioning control is bad.Temperature always drops or rises irregularly.

Potential Research Topic

What is educational research to you?
Chance to explore different pedagogy
Can compare different teaching effects of different countries
collecting data, such as teaching styles, tools used for education
analysis education problems

Potential Research Topic:

Student perception of their learning experience using ICT in secondary school in Hong Kong

Research Question:
Does ICT help improving learning?
Are students willing to take opportunities for learning with blended learning approach with sufficient ICT support?
Does ICT motivate students to learn?
How ICT encourage students’ engagement in groups (blended learning)?

Short Movie

This is a short movie produced at www.xtranormal.com.


The topic of the movie is Halloween. We can use this to teach vocabulary about Halloween to younger learners.



Further readings for session 4,

Web 2.0 - Voicethread presentation

Hi, everyone, please visit our 1st presentation on Voicethread !
Direct link: http://voicethread.com/share/2286529/



further readings for session 3,

Learning theories mind map

We have created a mindmap using bubbl.us
(click on the image to enlarge it)

Discussion of week two 26-30/10

Magnetic Fields
http://people.cite.hku.hk/dchurchill/examples/magneticfield/main.htm



Looking through all the links, we’ve selected the ‘Magnetic Fields’ for our reviews. This is an instructive lesson which is actually a ‘computer’ version of the tradition handouts. Here are some points that need to be improved.


1. didn’t make good use of IT resources and multimedia, no resources for learners to learn better in terms of the visual/audio perspective. It’s justa hard copy of worksheet putting up on the internet.
2. the design is not attractive, not user friendly and the layout is dull
    Just an "e-Worksheet", all the content is not organised in a proper layout.

3. their learning object is presented in an uncommon way that leads to inconvenience
    (using out-dated technologies, users may find difficulties to use the learning tools)

 old technology

can't read the LO

4. the rubrics at the very beginning starts by ‘Read’ which is not a good motivation
5. there’s no collaboration of work and no critical thinking; students are only required to send their works and reports to the instructors, which means that it is only a summative assessment, but not a formative assessment.
6. the links are not guided, not even with a brief description. Students may not easily find by topic. It is not good for different learning styles.
7. email is the only way to submit work, a forum/e-learning platform should be set up for teachers and students to share resources.
8. teachers can’t trace students’ learning process, and which can’t facilitate every single student’s learning style
9. no sharing/celebrating of others’ works


We think that IT could help students to learn better instead of making something on computer only. More multimedia should be applied and some thinking tools like mindmap should be introduced.

Discussion of week one 19-25/9

Hi all! This is the JVZ group.

J for Joyce. I'm working as a school librarian at a local primary cum secondary school. I often use IT as information managing and for the library system.

V for Vicky. I'm working as a General Studies & Music teacher in an EMI primary school. Small group teaching is always promoting at school. I usually facilitate learning with group activities and would like to develop more in depth with IT support.

Z for Zachary. I'm working as a software engineer and I am also a scout instructor. I usually encounter many problems about integration of ICT and education. Therefore I would like to explore more in  education. Hopefully I could apply what I'm working in education.



Our Vision
Our vision is to help students to prepare well for their future esp in the 21st century. As a global citizen, IT is essential and they have to capable in dealing with new technologies as well as to develop their own creativity.


Our Learning Goals

• Understand trend of technologies used in 21st century
• Identify and apply different ICT in education
• Understand teacher and students' role when adopting ICT
• Generate our own innovation to support/promote formative learning
• Develop practices using ICT with a pedagogical approach