One Big Learning Adventure

The article entitled 'Learning to Teach with Technology: From Integration to Actualisation' (2002) raises some important issues for us as pre-service teachers and acts as a reminder not to fall into the habits of some long serving teachers. This article suggests that “a model informed by learning theory can assist teacher educators in designing appropriate and meaningful learning experiences for prospective teachers”. But it also asks readers to question their practises, asking how they can keep up with the changing technology and how they can further develop their own understanding and abilities associated with using technology. For myself this article highlights that effective ICT integration is not simple. If I continue to reflect on the practises instilled in pre-service education through my teaching career and develop as a professional, my ICT integration pedagogy ‘should’ be successful.

This week we further developed our script for our PD presentation. Team members undertook different roles in researching information on the software functionality, current research indicating the challenges of our content, and detailed research into the process and appropriateness of our chosen pedagogy. We each brought different parts together and met in chat forums, online collaborations through Google Docs, emails, texting and face to face meetings. We made adjustments and decided what was important and what could be removed.

In my own time I decided to learn more about interactive Whiteboards. I discovered online a non-profit organisation in the United States run by teachers that conducts free online professionaldevelopment for K-12 Teachers. I enrolled and attended the session through elluminate some of which is recorded below.

   

This week I also examined the world of Quest Atlantis. My initial impressions were extremely sceptical; however I was proven wrong and found many interesting aspects to the game. For me I was most impressed with the way in which current events are incorporated into the learning adventure.  The way in which they made the Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami into a learning adventure was engaging and fun. 

  

 

We utilised a variety of software in our final PD presentation; PowerPoint, Screencast-O-Matic, Camtasia Studio and Microsoft Movie Maker.  We decided to remove the avatar as it wasnt engaging and the image was distorted, we also re-recorded sections of the narration to improve the audio quality.

Also as part of my ongoing ICT ideas for practicum, I contacted the deputy principal at my  school and confirmed my plans were appropriate.

References

Gimbert, B., & Zembal-Saul, C. (2002). Learning to teach with technology: From integration to actualization. Retrieved from: http://www.zagami.info/4001EPS/Readings/Entries/2011/3/28_Entry_1.html