I thoroughly enjoyed and can sincerely recommend module 6024. I found the content, tutor, teaching style, amtos and activities spot-on. I have been interested in using ICT for teaching since I became a teacher and loved learning about the new tools available. I knew a little of web 2.0 and m-learning before I started the module, which heightened my level of interest.
The group tasks were very well designed- engaging, relevant and achievable- and my group were lovely! Great people to work with. Sufficient time was given for explanation, task completion, presentation, feedback and discussion and our tutor, Bob Fox, guided the whole process with a gentle hand, firm enough to reel back the most off-topic discussions.
The single most memorable thing I learned was "Pedagogy first!" and I thank Bob for that. It made me examine and consider more closely the readings of this module (and the ideas from Carol Chan's Knowledge Building module I took last semester). I believe the unit I submitted for my assignment is better as a result and will lead to better results and happier students when I teach it next September. I learned a lot about how and why to incorporate ICT into my lessons from that quote. Nice one, Bob!
Another reflection that I was rubbish with RISAL and hope that the cool stuff my group and I found in class is on their somewhere and will count! RISAL was fun to surf, though, and is a tremendous idea. I enjoyed Clive's finds and will use some in my school as soon as I get the chance. I'll keep an eye on RISAL and add some stuff I should have long ago.
The experimental classroom was also a treat. It was fascinating to experience other people's vision of the future. I learned that in the future, students will evolve to have exceptional hearing, a low sensitivity to scalding-bright lights, an aversion to eye contact and absolutely no sense of smell. Lucky.
I missed the demo of the room's voting system. The potential for that is staggering: instant Q & A, tracked and recorded? A teacher's dream.
I would like to see the walls better utilised. Cover them and the ceiling with LEDs, project vast images of anything you like on them and back it all up with surround sound and trembling bass and you might just have a winner. Imagine the potential history lessons. Or biology, music, drama, film, chemistry, physical education, art or almost any subject at all. Every lesson a field trip? Gets my vote.
Finally, thanks again to my groupmates Catherine, regina and Kui! All the best, guys!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A brief history of how I've used ICT for teaching
As a classroom teacher I have used technology in a few ways and with varying levels of success. For example:
Hong Kong: Private International School (01-02)
South Korea: private English academy (04-05)
Wales, UK: government-run local high school (05-07)
Hong Kong: Private International School (01-02)
South Korea: private English academy (04-05)
- Small classes and small rooms- no PCs or projectors, only CD players
- About 10 teachers shared two PCs in the staff room so these were used little to prepare teaching materials
- The academy taught using textbooks with no internet/ICT tasks for students
- All assessments and record keeping were done with paper and pen tests but CDs were used for listening tasks
Wales, UK: government-run local high school (05-07)
- PCs and projectors used often in lesson preparation, delivery and record keeping
- Class registers were computerised
- Homework tasks occasionally required online research Hong Kong: subsidised local high school (07- now)
- PCs and projectors used often in lesson preparation, delivery and record keeping
- Homework tasks occasionally require online research
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
My reflection on MITE6024
I have been interested in digital gadgets and internet and thus thinking that this course should be good to relate my work, my studies, and my interest.
I chose "Technologies in T&L in local schools" as topic for one of my previous course. From information search at the time, I realized how insufficient schools in HK have been applying IT. But from this course, I realized how insufficient I have been knowing about technologies can apply in T&L, especially those web2.0 applications and foreign examples.
A few days ago, I attended a seminar about Mobility in Education presented by representatives from Apple Hong Kong. The speaker mentioned that technologies should be used not for substitution, but revolution, or change in experience. This is one of the important points that Bob mentioned during the class. The presentation then demonstrated experience of lots of foreign universities in using iTunes U as a way to deliver teaching materials as podcast and sending push notification through RSS to let students get linked and updated with the courses. I think this is somehow changing students' experiences, both positively and adversely.
Surely, students can change their way to learn as they can watch videos of lectures at any time and place. This has also changed their learning mode that only one-way knowledge transfer happens: from the teachers through devices to students, but students have no way to respond or feedback. Although they probably seldom voice out in traditional classes, it will be even worse to eliminate the option. To me, mobility is important, but the interactivity is the same, and even more.
Teaching always happens with learning. They are in a pair and cannot be separated. Success in teaching can only be counted by efficiency in learning. Teachers are the sources of information and knowledge to students. But new knowledge and idea from students after digestion from previous information is the force to turn the world to improve. It has been happening from long ago. Technologies are the means to facilitate the process, but those focus on sharing idea between both directions back and forth teachers and students should be the solution, and I believe it will be the trend.
Assessment with group assignment is a common practice. But presenting in a web blog is a new experience to me. This allows members in or not in the group to share experience not limited by time and space, which is a good reflection of advantage of information technologies. Hoping that we can keep the practice to share what we have newly found or lately experienced to this common space and let the others to keep in the pace.
I chose "Technologies in T&L in local schools" as topic for one of my previous course. From information search at the time, I realized how insufficient schools in HK have been applying IT. But from this course, I realized how insufficient I have been knowing about technologies can apply in T&L, especially those web2.0 applications and foreign examples.
A few days ago, I attended a seminar about Mobility in Education presented by representatives from Apple Hong Kong. The speaker mentioned that technologies should be used not for substitution, but revolution, or change in experience. This is one of the important points that Bob mentioned during the class. The presentation then demonstrated experience of lots of foreign universities in using iTunes U as a way to deliver teaching materials as podcast and sending push notification through RSS to let students get linked and updated with the courses. I think this is somehow changing students' experiences, both positively and adversely.
Surely, students can change their way to learn as they can watch videos of lectures at any time and place. This has also changed their learning mode that only one-way knowledge transfer happens: from the teachers through devices to students, but students have no way to respond or feedback. Although they probably seldom voice out in traditional classes, it will be even worse to eliminate the option. To me, mobility is important, but the interactivity is the same, and even more.
Teaching always happens with learning. They are in a pair and cannot be separated. Success in teaching can only be counted by efficiency in learning. Teachers are the sources of information and knowledge to students. But new knowledge and idea from students after digestion from previous information is the force to turn the world to improve. It has been happening from long ago. Technologies are the means to facilitate the process, but those focus on sharing idea between both directions back and forth teachers and students should be the solution, and I believe it will be the trend.
Assessment with group assignment is a common practice. But presenting in a web blog is a new experience to me. This allows members in or not in the group to share experience not limited by time and space, which is a good reflection of advantage of information technologies. Hoping that we can keep the practice to share what we have newly found or lately experienced to this common space and let the others to keep in the pace.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Reflection on MEDD 6024
To me, the chief learning priority of Teaching and learning with Information Technology should be the enhanced ability of students to manage knowledge, in a technological world that effective education should connect knowledge across fields and age levels instead of segmenting it particularly in higher education setting. The learning experience we gained throughout the eight lessons provided us an important e-learning platform that can be woven into the fabric of classroom-based education; this is better to cultivate connection and collaboration between students and teachers. To this end, it helps to transform the classroom into knowledge rooms that was shown in our digital portfolio – blog presentation and the collective contribution of knowledge management via RISAL upon completion of the course. I think this is an important process to build an infrastructure and horizons for depth education beyond just the provision of virtual classroom.
Another aspect in learning, we achieved, is the ability to solve problems that students can learn in any setting. I think learning objects and cognitive/mind tools provide us the learning strategies for provoking higher order of thinking and problem solving. Students are engaged into understanding processes and search processes that facilitate us to define and represent the problem, explore possible strategies, acting on them and evaluating the effects. To this end, students can achieve learning by continuous practicing, trial and error, doing and reviewing, as well as when the students is supported through interactive learning environments such as the experimental classroom to engage learners in critical thinking and support how to learn to solve different kinds of problems.
Last but not the least, is the role of teacher, who should be able to empower diverse learners to connect, communicate, collaborate and create in an interactive technology-rich environment.
Regina Chan
To me, the chief learning priority of Teaching and learning with Information Technology should be the enhanced ability of students to manage knowledge, in a technological world that effective education should connect knowledge across fields and age levels instead of segmenting it particularly in higher education setting. The learning experience we gained throughout the eight lessons provided us an important e-learning platform that can be woven into the fabric of classroom-based education; this is better to cultivate connection and collaboration between students and teachers. To this end, it helps to transform the classroom into knowledge rooms that was shown in our digital portfolio – blog presentation and the collective contribution of knowledge management via RISAL upon completion of the course. I think this is an important process to build an infrastructure and horizons for depth education beyond just the provision of virtual classroom.
Another aspect in learning, we achieved, is the ability to solve problems that students can learn in any setting. I think learning objects and cognitive/mind tools provide us the learning strategies for provoking higher order of thinking and problem solving. Students are engaged into understanding processes and search processes that facilitate us to define and represent the problem, explore possible strategies, acting on them and evaluating the effects. To this end, students can achieve learning by continuous practicing, trial and error, doing and reviewing, as well as when the students is supported through interactive learning environments such as the experimental classroom to engage learners in critical thinking and support how to learn to solve different kinds of problems.
Last but not the least, is the role of teacher, who should be able to empower diverse learners to connect, communicate, collaborate and create in an interactive technology-rich environment.
Regina Chan
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
6024 Reflection and Experience
It is the most enjoyable module that I have attended in my past 10 years of life-long education.
The learning objects are trendy, hi-tech, also a necessity of our daily life. What can we do with Web2.0 applications? How to improve the teaching and learning in virtual learning environment (VLE)? How can we share our literature review in social bookmarking?
The cultural mix of this 6024 class has demonstrated that study is not only for a degree or qualification that we need, but also the active learning attitude that we should have. Most of our classmates did the preview of the course material before class, uploaded the information and sharing to enhance the motivation of others. Also, in the blogs of each group, all of us shared as much as information links and sharing the experience of learning and teaching with the new technology.
E-learning, student-centered teaching, mobile learning, web2.0/3.0 applications and other technology in classrooms have become the “Blue Ocean” for my career development as well as my study goal.
As member of “Never Too Late”, though, I have missed the first two sessions of this module because of the administration procedure, I am so lucky that I joined this class and worked well with my group & classmates!
Thanks Bob, I will never forget the motto of teaching you have mentioned,
Always needs: “A.I.R- Active, Interactive & Reflective”.
Thanks for your support and guidance.
The learning objects are trendy, hi-tech, also a necessity of our daily life. What can we do with Web2.0 applications? How to improve the teaching and learning in virtual learning environment (VLE)? How can we share our literature review in social bookmarking?
The cultural mix of this 6024 class has demonstrated that study is not only for a degree or qualification that we need, but also the active learning attitude that we should have. Most of our classmates did the preview of the course material before class, uploaded the information and sharing to enhance the motivation of others. Also, in the blogs of each group, all of us shared as much as information links and sharing the experience of learning and teaching with the new technology.
E-learning, student-centered teaching, mobile learning, web2.0/3.0 applications and other technology in classrooms have become the “Blue Ocean” for my career development as well as my study goal.
As member of “Never Too Late”, though, I have missed the first two sessions of this module because of the administration procedure, I am so lucky that I joined this class and worked well with my group & classmates!
Thanks Bob, I will never forget the motto of teaching you have mentioned,
Always needs: “A.I.R- Active, Interactive & Reflective”.
Thanks for your support and guidance.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Lesson on 29 March 2010
Hi, Kui and Gareth,
Don't worry, it was fine in the last lesson. We have presented our in-progress of the ditigal portfolio that is our blog presentation, Cat and myself shared with others our personal learning experience.
Secondly, this was the last session, we completed the questionnaire on course evaluation as well as the evaluation on the experimental classroom. What's more, we played the clicker to experience how it added value to teaching and learning in the class for collecting online feedback from students. We raised questions about our assignments as far as we were concerned. You may just refer to this from the course outlines from the moodle.
One thing we suggest everyone to do is to post our reflection in the blog about our own learning experience through this collaborative project before Cat upload this to Bob on 19 April 2010.
What do you think?
Regina
Don't worry, it was fine in the last lesson. We have presented our in-progress of the ditigal portfolio that is our blog presentation, Cat and myself shared with others our personal learning experience.
Secondly, this was the last session, we completed the questionnaire on course evaluation as well as the evaluation on the experimental classroom. What's more, we played the clicker to experience how it added value to teaching and learning in the class for collecting online feedback from students. We raised questions about our assignments as far as we were concerned. You may just refer to this from the course outlines from the moodle.
One thing we suggest everyone to do is to post our reflection in the blog about our own learning experience through this collaborative project before Cat upload this to Bob on 19 April 2010.
What do you think?
Regina
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