Effective Group Work not up in the air

Uluru - Ayers Rock Sunset

Uluru - Ayers Rock Sunset
Originally uploaded by Heaven`s Gate (John)

Courtesy of Flickr

The beautiful Uluru - to be used to show my year 4 class this natural wonder

I think I am in LURVVVV with you tube - my new best friend

Just another demo, but how wonderful is this

You Tube Demonstration on Quilling

Here is a great example of how to use you tube to demonstrate a difficult task or topic. This video demonstrates quilling, which my class did a few weeks ago, to make a mothers day card or fridge magnet.

Floral quilling

Floral quilling (bottom)
Originally uploaded by Inna (Crafts, Kids, Quilling)

Here is another one!

Shows the 2D effect this art form displays

Flowers. Quilling for LEP

Flowers. Quilling
Originally uploaded by Inna (Crafts, Kids, Quilling)

Here is a photo of quilled flowers,used to demonstrate to my class in our art lesson on creating our own quill

You tube video for maths lesson on fractions

I don't know about you, but I really disliked maths at school. I could not understand the concepts and rote learning of times tables really disinterested me! For my year 4 prac class, I decide to use a you tube video as the hook to gain interest at the beginning of the lesson. I also used this tool, as an opportunity to engage a variety of learners and learning styles. In essence I wanted to make the lesson interesting and fun in the hope that students would engage in the topic. I asked the class to focus on the words and think about the upcoming lesson. I also gave them the opportunity to engage in physical activity prior to the lesson to incorporate some HPE into the lesson experience also. Enjoy!

REFLECTIVE SYNOPSIS - ICT'S IN EDUCATION

This reflective synopsis provides an insight into my experiences over the last 8 weeks of ICT’s in GDLT. It provides an overview of the technologies that I have employed as a pre service student, and have discussed in my professional blog. Furthermore, it identifies how I will apply these digital technologies into my pedagogical practice, both as a student teacher and upon teacher registration. This synopsis will explore the use of technology such as blogs, wikis, vokis/avatars, picnik, flickr, video, power point and Google earth, and how I will incorporate them in my classroom.


The technologies discussed, integrate the principles of Engagement Theory (Kearsley and Shcneiderman, 1999) and Active learning (Active Learning, 2000), which when used engage students via technology in learning by doing, creating,  problem solving, and encourage higher order thinking. This in turn creates individuals who are work place prepared, as they have developed the skills required to be flexible, adaptable and interact effectively in a group situation. (Smith  2000).

Blogs are an on line device, which can be used collaboratively or individually for various purposes. Individual students can utilise a blog as an online journal, a reflective tool or as a communication enhancement between teacher and student. The opportunities for students to practice creative writing, display information (reports); complete homework and remark on peers work are just a few examples. A teacher could incorporate this tool into students learning by recording creative stories on individual blogs.  See my blog (http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/03/welcome-to-week-4.html)

WIKIS are an excellent collaborative tool that enables students to work on projects, ideas and tasks together. This tool provides the basis for engagement theory (Kearsley and Shcneiderman, 1999) and active learning (Active Learning, 2000) ) to be employed in the classroom. The very nature of engagement theory is based upon the idea of 'creating successful collaborative teams that work on ambitious projects that are meaningful to someone outside the classroom.' (Kearsley and Shcneiderman, 1999)  (http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/03/welcome-to-week-4.html )  details the use of this tool in my pedagogy and examples of same.

Collaborative tools such as WIKIS, Blogs, and E –portfolios are student centric in nature, allowing students to guide and design their own learning journey, with support from the learning manager. They do not focus solely on what students learn, but in how they learn and apply knowledge to other situations. (Smith, 2000)  This also relates to the Dimensions of Learning and in particular dimension (3) Extend and Refine Knowledge and (4) Use knowledge meaningfully  (Marzano and Pickering, 1997). As learning managers we encourage our students to souce their own information, so that they learn to be independent, resourceful adults able to function effectively in society. As Learning managers we assist students  by guiding them in the right direction.

'Teachers will be key professionals who can guide students to produce, mediate and use knowledge in a socially and personally useful way.' ( Smith, 2000)   This is supported by ( Houghton and Sheehan, 2000) who state that 'What organizations need is the production of people with broad based problems solving skills and with the social and interpersonal communication skills required for teamwork, along with the skills and attitudes required for flexibility.' Learning Engagement Theory (1999) effectively incorporates these skills in students allowing them to be utilised in the future and in a working environment. The use of wikis in education enables students to acquire these attributes and will be implemented in my pedagogical practice.

E portfolios such as Mahara are a wonderful tool that incorporates collaboration and file hosting. My Blog post discusses this further (  http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/04/mmmmmm-mahara-e-portfolio-way-of-future.html )  In the social sense students can engage with each other on line, create groups of interest and share resources. As a personal tool they can store blogs, video, pictures and files and are the way of the future in presenting a resume.

A voki or avatar is a fun, interactive and interesting form of digital enhancement. (Refer to my blog posting) to see how I have incorporated this tool into my blog. (  http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html )  As a learning tool, it can be used to encourage students to write, type and speak. Students can also use vokis to aid in writing sentences. These could either be spoken or typed, with students being able to show peers their work. As a “ hook” it could be used by either learning manager or student when presenting a topic. In a blog or wiki, a voki could be used to provide a snippet of information. In a wiki, each contributing member could incorporate a voki into the authentic task and use it to introduce or conclude the topic.

Picnik and Flickr are photo hosting sites that can store and edit photos. Digital images can be uploaded to Flickr for classroom projects, reports, creative story writing, blogs and wikis. Picnik is the tool that can be used to edit the image, ensuring that it is the appropriate size, tone etc for it’s particular use. My blog post(  http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/04/flower.html.  In the classroom as students use digital photography for their projects, flickr is able to store the images for the project. See my blog posting for examples      http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/04/p1040181.html


The benefits of using a storage service such as flickr are that students are able to access the site as required (which may be outside of school hours) and work on the project whenever they have time. Provided all the students are given the log on details, they can access their images at their leisure. To encapture a range of learning styles, using digital enhancements assists the visual learner greatly.

The use of PowerPoint in my pedagogy is shown in my blog posting, and demonstrates the capabilities of this tool in education  (..http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/04/voice-over.html)  Powerpoint can be interactive, show pictures; brief summaries of topics, and even young students would be able to use this tool. A must in this day and age and a tool that I will utilise.

The interactive white board (IWB) is the latest innovation used in schools to aid teaching. Look at my blog posting(  http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/04/interactive-white-boards-wooh-hoo.html.)  This type of technology brings the senses of sight, touch and sound to learners, and allows the learners to guide their own learning journey; hence the learning manager takes on the role of facilitator. (Active Learning, 2000) The IWB fits in with Dimensions 1 and 3 (Marzano and Pickering, 1997) by creating positive attitudes and perceptions to learning, and extending and refining the knowledge. Whilst students use this technology they may discover new information, add to previous knowledge and compare this new knowledge to other situations. Engaging students in learning is easily achieved when using technology such as this. Students are able to draw pictures, graphs, spell words, create sentences- the list is almost endless. As most schools have at least one IWB it would not be difficult to incorporate this into my pedagogy.

The use of video (you tube and teacher tube) in the classroom is an excellent auditory and visual tool. See my blog post(  http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/04/teacher-tube-video-on-fractions.html.)  I will be using video such as you tube and video in my pedagogy as a hook and a learning tool. It caters for a range of learning styles and can be used for demonstration purposes and to engage students in learning.

Google earth and wikipedia will be touched on briefly, as I have not had the opportunity to explore these in depth. Google earth is a valuable digital tool that can be used in class to show maps of the world, find positions and show distances between countries and towns. It could be used to engage students in interesting activities such as ‘ a race around the world’ find my country (using clues of culture, climate and food) to determine geographical locations and to show actual pictures of geographical locations such as the North Pole, and the desserts. Refer to my blog post (http://megirwin073.blogspot.com/2010/05/google-earth-and-wikipedia.html.)  As a tool to enhance students learning wikipedia is an online encyclopedia. There is a large array of information on the web, and wikipedia is safe, up to date and has stringent publishing standards ensuring that correct knowledge is placed on the web.

The use of technology in teaching is essential to providing the most appropriate, up to date and relevant resources to students. As a beginning practitioner, I have learnt a great deal over the past 8 weeks and am keen to apply these tools in my pedagogy. As technology adapts and changes, we as learning managers must keep abreast of new advances, and be prepared to integrate these into our classrooms. Social interaction with other students and professionals can assist in acquiring new skills. The tools that we are using now, may not be relevant in five years, however we must be prepared to learn and advance our own knowledge, so that our students have the best possible chance of success both in education and as life long learners.


Here is documentation related to my professional conversations with other students and posts that I have commented
  http://annefletcher.blogspot.com/2010/04/poetry-powerpoint.html
http://samanthasjourney-gdlt.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-powerpoint-how-great-are-these.html?showComment=1271500615802#c2234493359942042908
http://anjalidatar.blogspot.com/2010/04/wikipedia.html
http://kylieslearningjourney.blogspot.com/2010/04/avatars-and-education.html?showComment=1271977029138#comment-c6842235099299583538
http://bean-the-teacher.blogspot.com/2010/03/engaging-with-wiki.html?showComment=1270680403070#comment-c8712395788965606498

Here are the students that have posted comments to my blog. http://anjalidatar.blogspot.com/2010/04/wikipedia.html
http://samanthasjourney-gdlt.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-powerpoint-how-great-are-these.html?showComment=1271500615802#c2234493359942042908
http://anjalidatar.blogspot.com/2010/04/wikipedia.html



REFERENCE LIST

Active Learning (2000) The ACU Adams Centre for Teaching Excellence retrieved on 2/5/10 http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/team.htm

Houghton,J,  and Sheehan, P (2000) A Primer on the Knowledge Economy, Melbourne, Victoria University

Kearsley, G.and  Shneiderman. B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning.

Kunc, N. (1992). The Need to Belong: Rediscovering Mazlow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Marzano, J and  Pickering, D (1997) Dimensions of Learning: Teacher's Manual 2nd Ed. McRel, Colorado, USA.

Smith, Richard. Lynch, David.and  Mienczakowski, Jim. (2003, November). The Bachelor of Learning Management (BLM and Education Capability)

Lets explore the Ocean

I have just been researching google earth again - on you tube mind you. What a fascinating tool for educational purposes. Here google earth examines our oceans, and you can even engage in quizzes along the way. I am sure kids in the classroom will love this!

Google Earth and Wikipedia, using you tube to demonstrate!

The use of these tools in the classroom is invaluable. Google earth can be used to locate countries, discuss climates, and view parts of the world, which one may have never seen before. There is another aspect of google earth which is worth mentioning. That is of it's creativity in designing buildings in 3D. You can design your own town, make changes to existing cities and live in hope that perhaps one day the budding architect could visualise it in all it's glory. As a tool to help with longitude and latitude, plus measurements for building, it is a fabulous tool to have in the classroom.

Wikipedia is an online encycopledia, that details the most current and up to date information on just about anything. Most of my google searches always revert to wikipedia and I know that the information is reliable as it has passed strict publishing guidelines. As a tool in the classroom,  I am certain that it would be used regularly

Theres a gecko in my garden

 Well, I have just used one of the photos on my  computer and uploaded it to flickr. This is to demonstrate my ability to upload personal photos, and use a photo storage service such as flickr as the host.  After this process I believe that a service such as flickr  is a very useful tool. Relating this to my personal experience of not having photos on my new laptop, flickr solves this problem. Currently most of our photos are stored on the family computer. This means that if I need to use a photo or even just browse through them, I must use this computer.  This has been a big issue for me, as my husband has needed to use the family computer as an extra screen ( for his webinars )  over the past two weeks.  The end result is that it has been very difficult for me to even look at photos. Flickr solves that problem all together. Simply log onto the sight and you can view your photos, anywhere, anytime! How great is that. When I have some free time ? -   I will be using flickr to host many of our photos, so that if my something unfortunate happens to my computer, all is not lost!!  Further discussion in my next post.
P1040181
Originally uploaded by meganirw
A gecko in my garden

Flower

Here is a  photo that I uploaded from flickr to my blog. This could be used to show students various flowers to draw or in covering a unit about flora and fauna. This photo is courtesy of flickr. The process of uploading a photo stored on flickr and applying it to my blog is quite simple. It is just a matter of checking that you have the right  to use the photo (creative common) and attach it to your blog. Very simple, but also very useful.  Photos from flickr could also be used  on wikis, aiding students in project development.
Flower
Originally uploaded by Joe Shlabotnik
Courtesy of flickr

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Flickr and Picnik

Here is my attempt at uploading photos from flickr into my blog. Here we go

MMMMMM MAHARA E-Portfolio- The way of the future

Mahara is an e-portfolio which can be used in a variety of ways. As a student teacher it has become a place for me to store resources, files, lesson plans and communicate with other students. As my portfolio progresses, it will also become my resume, when I apply for teaching positions after completion of the course. I will be able to provide a specific link to a potential employer who will be able to view many of my achievements over the past two years. Another student use is in the primary school setting. Students could again use it in the ways already mentioned. Another aspect is that it could have examples of student work made available, to be viewed anywhere anytime. This would allow parents, friends grandparents etc, to see what students are achieving in the classroom. Students would be proud to show others their work, as it is " their portfolio". As opposed to booklets which can get lost and broken, this is a fantastic tool that will never get lost! Students could use their creative abilities to design their own portfolio, adding pictures and files. If a student transfers to another school, it is a tool that could be used to view student achievement, enabling the school to assess students prior learning and create an individual learning journey. Another use for mahara is in collaborative communication amongst students. Mahara has the ability to create groups of interest, which allows for student communication to occur outside school hours. This makes students responsible for their own learning and lets them take the lead in developing/pursuing activities which are of interest to them.

Setting up my Blog!!

Here I am setting up a blog. It is just a matter of trial and error - or so I keep telling myself!

  Blogs are an on line device, which can be used collaboratively or individually for various purposes.  Individual students can utilise a blog as an online journal, a reflective tool or as a communication enhancement between teacher and student. The opportunities for students to practice creative writing, display information (reports); complete homework and remark on peers work are just a few examples. A teacher could incorporate this tool into students learning by recording creative stories on individual blogs. Storybird, can also be used to display the writing with graphics as well. By making the blog address available to other students in the class it would enable students to review peers work and make critical comments for improvements/changes. It also would allow the classroom teacher to check on students progress in this area, as they could view it outside of class hours. The blog can also be viewed by anyone on the web, so can encourage conversations with anyone who has an interest in the blog information. 

Teacher Tube video on Fractions

Here is how you tube and teacher video can be utilised in the classrooom. Definitely something I will use greatly and here is why? To introduce, explain and examine in depth topics/issues, videos assist a range of learners and learning styles. Students could record their own video and post it to you tube for real world feedback and authentic task evolvement. To explain a difficult or uninteresting topic, video could be used as the “ hook” to engage students. Students could complete a topic on the media, and use video to demonstrate various components such as news commentaries, advertisements, sports, financial/stocks etc. Written, oral presentation and active learning techniques, aids in the complete understanding of a topic and higher order thinking skills to be developed. Ipods, cameras with video capabilities and video cameras are some of the tools that can be used to record video. I will be using video such as you tube and video in my pedagogy as a hook and a learning tool.

Reviewing my Blog

I am just in the process of reviewing my blog in preparation for my synopsis. I have just noted that I have not enabled comments to my blog! However I have managed to add this feature on this morning. So now I will be able to view any comments, and refer to these in my synopsis. I only wish I had checked this earlier!!!!

Quilling Power Point for Art Lesson

Quilling ppt

View more presentations from meganirw.
This powerpoint demonstrates the use of this tool in classroom pedagogy. It can be used as brief introduction to a topic, to highlight essential parts of a topic and to provide graphics and visuals to assist  the various learning styles. Students can use them to present a topic to the class.  Highlights of this tool are that they are simple and easy to create.

Democracy powerpoint

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: Includes references

Democracy powerpointT

View more presentations from meganirw.

Interactive White Boards-wooh hoo!

I am very excited that there is an Interactive White Board (IWB) at my prac school. It is located in the ICT's room, which is large and new also. My MT said that I would get the opportunity to see how it could be used, so that will be wonderful.

On Tuesday my year 4 class had an ICT lesson in the afternoon, whereby they were doing typing activities and beginning on a pamphlet for the school to utilise for the community. Learning Engagement Theory (Kearsley and Shcneiderman,1999) is the basis for an activity such as this. The use of technology, along with create, relate, donate, encourages student motivation, interaction and creative thinking. These are all important skills to be acquired, as they incorporate Dimension (3), extend and refine knowledge and Dimension (4), use knowledge meaningfully. (Marzano and Pickering, 1997) Hopefully what I have learnt over the past few weeks will assist in the development of this pamphlet ( which will probably become my authentic task). More to follow! Interactive whiteboards bring many dimensions to the class environment. Dimension 1, 2 and 3 ( Marzano and Pickering, 1997) are used in this technology IWB utilises the senses of sight touch and sound to engage students in learning. "Technology can facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve otherwise." (Kearsley and Schneiderman, 1999) The vast array of information provided on the IWB covers many topics and stimulates interest in all age groups. It encourages student interaction, creativity and provides an environment that could enhance student centric learning. The learning manager becomes the facilitator and not the provider of information. These quality aspects of learning managers encourage students to use the processes of active learning ( Albine Chrisitan University, 2000) This in turn requires that students use essential life long learning skills. References Albine Christian University (2000) the ACU Adams Center for Teaching Excellence Marzano, R. & Pickering. D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning. Teachers Manual (2nd ed.). Victoria. Hawker Browlow Education. Smith, Richard. Lynch, David. & Mienczakowski, Jim. (2003, November). The Bachelor of Learning Management (BLM and Education Capability)

Edutopia in Action - Authentic Tasks

I have just found this wonderful video from edutopia which is about engagement theory and authentic tasks. While I fully understand the concept of engagement theory (Kearsley and Shcneiderman 1999) which incorporates the relate, create and donate method of student centred tasks, I was struggling to think of actual ideas for ' authentic tasks. So I did some research this morning and found this wonderful video (edutopia,2010) which demonstrates this concept. Engagement theory (Kearsley and Shcneiderman,1999) as identified by this school encourages problem based learning and real world task involvement, which in turn encourages life long learning. Students are directed to think about how and what they want to learn and begin to take responsibility for their own education, by guiding, developing and enhancing their own learning. This is in essence active learning. (Abiline Christian University,2000) References Abiline Christian University,( 2000)the ACU Adams Center for Teaching Excellence Edutopia (Youtube) 2010 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeOpDAPaNYQ) retrieved 1/5/2010 Kearsely, G & Shneiderman, B (1999) Engagement Theory: A Framework for technology based teaching and learning. Retrieved 18th April, 2010 from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm Have a look, it certainly makes me so excited and I just want to get out there and teach! Video has been embedded at the bottom of the page.

What are Blogs, Wikis, Vokis, RSS feeds and Hyperlinks?

Welcome to WEEK 4. This was the week that probably spun most of us out - especially me. I attempted to "help" myself, by organising my blog at least two weeks prior, however this was the week that we are required to make a professional posting. It has taken me a lot of time to acquire the skills needed to create my blog in the first place, let alone work out what to do with it! I have followed a few fellow classmates blogs, and am astounded at what they have been able to design. Blogs can be used as an online journal, creative writing, report writing, peer and teacher communication and interaction, and homework tasks. They can be viewed by other students, or on the web for the world to see. They can encourage online conversations and interest to be developed. As professional bodies, we can keep abreast with others who have similar interests. Teachers could get the URL address for students and check that work is being undertaken. Blogs also allow for engagement by both students and staff after hour,as it is available for use anytime, anywhere.

The world of new words such as" rss feed, wiki and hyperlink"have been discovered this week. I have found you tube to be great for demonstrating new ideas and incorporating items into my blog. At times, it has taken me quite a few hours to comprehend and then integrate these significant objects into a realistic notion. However one thing I have learnt about myself is that I am determined.This is not an endearing quality of mine, and in the past I I would often give up instead of persevering. I am still in the infant stages of my wiki, but I know what I want to include in it. In the initial stages, it will be a place for importing educational resources, either via the web or text, with the hope that it will be utilised at some stage. I also envision that I would involve students in the wiki. This may entail a question and answer section, a place to post new information that students may have found on the subject being discussed, and a way of students acquiring information about each other in an informal way.

In the classroom I would use a WIKI for pairs, groups and whole classes to work on a topic together.  Students would be motivated to work on a topic, when they feel it belongs to them as described in Mazlows hierarchy (Kunc,1992)  Students are able to design pages, add files, pictures and videos to their WIKI. The other advantage to a WIKI is that students can work on it after school and on weekends. They simply go to their wiki and contribute information, anytime. A WIKI can be viewed by anyone, so the donate aspect of learning engagement theory can be conceptualised.   Reports for outside organisations, information and resource sites that can be donated to the real world can be undertaken on a WIKI(Kearsley and Shneiderman, 1999) Year long projects, whole class pictures including artwork and examples can also be placed on a WIKI. As an end of year overview for parents, the WIKI could be used to demonstrate classroom achievements.

An activity that I have been doing with my own children this week, could be utilised in the classroom. A voki was used as a form of sentence building, structure and sight word involvement. First I asked my son ( in grade 2 ) to write down three sentences using his sight words. I then asked him if he would like to type the sentence in to the voki, or record it. He chose to type it ( which took some time, however he probably learnt a lot at the time also), and then took great pleasure in hearing the cartoon character repeat his sentence. Such a simple concept, but to see how engaged and excited he was, demonstrates the positive use of this object. This concept could also help children who have difficulty writing a sentence. When completed they could listen to the sentence and realise if it sounds correct or not. This use of technology incorporates both sight and sound in pedagogy which would assist a diverse range of learners. A voki could also be used by the learning manager as a " hook" to gain interest and engage students in a topic. The use of animation appeals to many students. Ultimately if students are engaged in the topic,  learning outcomes are more likely to be achieved. Students could use a voki if they are required to do a presentation for the class. It would also help students who are not confident to stand in front of the class, by providing a distraction. I guess the possibilities are endless.

Residential School

Residential School Well it was a long train ride from Brisbane to Rockhampton (10 hours), but it was nice to have a bit of time to myself. Finished off my Jodi Picoult novel, as I new that after February 25th, there would be no time for relaxing! Checked into the accommodation and fell blissfully asleep. Day one of residential school. Got to meet fellow students living on campus and make our way to the lecture room. After a full on day, my mind was overloaded, yet I still managed to make it to the Mahara workshop that evening. Feeling a little confused and overwhelmed, I quickly figured out that I was going to have to learn about technology very quickly! The three days went fast and I think I am going to like this course. Even though there was a lot of information to take in, I am sure it will all come together when I return home to hit the books. After trying to read some journal articles on the train ride back to Brisbane, I felt that I was going to become well acquainted with books and articles very rapidly. Since it has been such a long time since I have studied, I really had to look at how I was going to complete these tasks every week, and understand the important information. With a bit of trial and error, plus highlighters, pens and sticky notes, I quickly realised that it was taking some time. However by the end of the first week, I learnt how to skim the information, plus highlight the important sections. Then to finish the process I would write the important parts in my notebook. I found this helped to consolidate everything for me. It soon became apparent, that this was going to be very time consuming, but necessary. It is the way that I learn!

Dimensions of Learning and Creating Positive Habits of Mind

Week three threw me into a deep, deep spin. Between the two subjects, I became a little nervous about the amount of reading this week. The textbook by Marzano and Pickering arrived on Monday ( thank goodness), and there was a lot to do. Earlier in the week, I focused on reading chapter 2, which was about declarative and procedural knowledge. I found this topic very difficult to comprehend, and used note taking to excess. There was a lot of very important information, which I felt could not be skimmed over. By the weekend I was ready to read chapter 1 and 5, and found that I could understand the concepts outlined in the book. The textbook is great as the summary at the end of each chapter provides enough details to obtain a grasp on the key points discussed. The key topics for discussion this week included ' The Habits of Mind' and Dimensions of Learning. Two articles were read containing information about both ideas and how these could be linked to the LMQ's. The predominant concepts that evolved this week relate to how we, as learning managers will utilise this in our pedagogy. (Marzano and Pickering et al, 1997) identify that " attitudes and perceptions" are key elements in classroom design and functionality. Without positive attitudes and a welcoming, stable environment , effective learning will not take place.' The authors provided the reader with ideas on how to incorporate activities into the classroom, that will enable an effective learning environment to be achieved.  Continuing along the path the Dimensions of Learning discusses number 2 , which is acquire and integrate the knowledge. This section explores how teachers can ensure that students acquire the knowledge required to understand the topic/concepts. Some of these techniques include --- Dimension 3 ( extend and refine)  and the fourth is to( make meaning out of the information.  Marzano and Pickering et al, 1997)  From discussions on the forum with other students about this topic, I fully agree that the Dimensions of Learning are very beneficial concepts, which I would hope to integrate into my practice. Comparing Marzanos Dimensions of Learning with Kosta's Habits of Mind, there are some similarities between the outcomes that both believe should be achieved. Personally, I find Marzano's easier to understand and comprehend, and can see it's benefits in the classroom environment.

The knowledge Economy and it's impact on future teachers

Week one articles were interesting to read and I enjoyed discovering new information. I had never paid much attention to world issues, or thought about how education has changed over the past 30 years. (Houghton and Sheehan2000) note that communication and computing technologies used in business and community life have dramatically increased over the past 20 years. Technology is utilised everywhere, everyday and in many different ways. The Global economy is reliant on technology for survival. The knowledge economy as described by Houghton and Sheehan 2000, implies that " the creation and diffusion of knowledge are essential to it's success. As students of the future are being taught, it is essential that new technologies are integrated into their curriculum. Innovation, education and learning underpin a knowledge based economy. The diffusion of knowledge is essential to a successful knowledge economy." As learning managers we must look at ways of allowing knowledge and information to be distributed effectively. This article also highlights the importance of learning, and in turn creating life long learners. Houghton and Sheehan 2000 state that " learning involves both education and learning by doing, learning by using and learning by interacting." The highlight of these articles was that employers are looking for employees who are flexible and adaptable, able to problem solve, work collaboratively with others and share knowledge and information. How can we, as learning managers facilitate this process? Simply, it requires learning managers to recognise the importance of mode 2 knowledge, and use this as the backbone for teaching students of the future. We must always question who are we teaching and what are we teaching them for? As the future changes rapidly, we may not always know what types of employment will be available in 10 - 20 years. However if we support students in the process of knowledge acquisition, problem solving, critical thinking, flexibility and collaborative learning, they will be able to deal with the demands of their future careers. Upon reflection of my personal educational experiences the dominant paradigm was a teacher centred approach. It was mainly comprised of chalk and talk, and very little student interaction. Students sat at their desks and were " taught at " instead of "taught to", with very little opportunity for interaction, discussion and problem solving skills to be expanded upon. At the opposite end of the scale is a student centric learning environment. This revelation entails student directed activities, peer involvement and collaborative learning. (Heath 2001) As learning managers we need to recognise the importance of enabling students to take the lead with their learning, and support pedagogies that enhance this. Curriculum is vitally important, but incorporating a student centred approach that provides the learner with opportunities to develop problem solving skills, creative thinking, flexibility, sharing, and working effectively in groups lies the basis for their future. Lynch's 8 Learning Management Questions underpins the pedagogy of learning managers. This learning management plan focuses on the important steps required in the development of individual students learning journey. In essence it is a plan which takes into account students prior knowledge, where they are now and how to provide the best opportunities to enhance a students learning journey. I will use this approach in my pedagogical practice, as I believe it covers the important aspects required, and in turn provides the best learning opportunities for my students. The corresponding readings for week one suggests that active learning, engagement theory and the use of ICT"s in education are very valid. Kelsey and Schneidermann, 1999 (relate, create, donate) detail how engagement theory promotes problem solving skills, dynamic thinking and collaborative learning as students focus on an authentic task. This will have a positive effect on students futures as employers are looking at employees who have a broad range of skills and are lateral, critical thinkers and have the ability to reflect on their learning. The ability for students to be involved in authentic activities encourages active learning techniques. In an active learning approach students do not just recall facts, but reflect and use the information, skills and problem solving abilities to future learning experiences. This in turn provides students with life long learning skills that can be adapted to any situation. My conclusions in relation to active learning and engagement theory highlight the importance of teaching in this manner, and something that I believe will be embedded in my pedagogies. My education certainly lacked student interaction, which negatively impacted on my being able to express my opinions and think dynamically. Learning Managers must incorporate fresh approaches, that will positively impact on the futures of the students that we are teaching.

STUDENT CENTRIC V TEACHER CENTRIC - I PREFER STUDENT CENTRIC

My experiences to date have not been all that positive, as the majority have been a teacher centred approach. During my schooling this was the way we were taught and upon reflection I can see the negative impact that it has had on me. We were not encouraged to enter into discussions about topics, nor have an opinion, nor understand ' why' we were undertaking tasks. The teachers were presenting the information to the students and required that we remember it, with little thought about what relevance this would have on our future careers etc. In relation to Dale's Cone, my experiences are at the other end of the spectrum. ( ) However, when I first started university in 1991 (nursing) - this was the first year of commencement- it was a problem based learning course(PBL) Coming from an environment where information was handed to me and I was told what I needed to learn, university was very daunting for me. As a very young person I struggled to learn how to be self directed, motivated and was thrust into the adult learning world very rapidly. Although technology was still in the infant stages, the type of course we well ahead of it's time. ( Well for me anyway) Perhaps if I had a better understanding of the course, I may have been able to cope better, but I soon learnt that I was in control of my own learning, and did the absolute minimum. Problem based Learning (PBL) is in line with Active Learning. ( ) These concepts encourage students to be responsible for their own learning, by asking questions, undertaking their own research, working out problems and working in groups. The long term benefits of engaging in this type of pedagogy are essential in creating life long learners who are responsible for their own learning. Students today are taught how to source information, discover it's relevance, co-operate and negotiate with peers, and are educated in a way that is meaningful to them. These are all skills that employers regard as important in our modern world. Technology offers students the opportunity to be in charge of their learning, and to use approaches that will encourage creativity and engage the learners. This approach will also encourage learners to apply real life knowledge into everyday learning situations, thus making lessons meaningful to both learning manager and students. ACU Adams Center for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Active learning online. Retrieved from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm