Week 7

Activity 7.3 Copyright Reflection

Here are the copyright definitions and citation examples for secondary level.

Week 5

Activity 5.3 Cyberbullying and Social Media

In this activity, I assembled various internet resources on cyberbullying into a Symbaloo webmix. My resources were targeting toward secondary education students and for my reference in dealing with secondary students. Symbaloo is an interesting web tool for collecting resources together, especially by topic, and this activity has given me the tools I need to use it for other branches of my learning.

Symbaloo Web Mix

In developing two strategies for dealing with cyberbullying to use in the classroom, my first thought was to inform students as much as possible about how to behave when online, both for their own safety, and in respecting others online. The link 50 Crucial Rules for Online Behaviour was a very helpful starting point for this plan, as it covers such a wide array of online behaviours, though some of the advice is aimed at a slightly older audience, secondary students can still benefit from hearing those lessons early. Students should know that just because they are online does not mean that they can behave inappropriately, and what constitutes such behaviour on social media sites and the like. Also, for those students who are experiencing cyberbullying, I think they would find this link to be of use in helping them: How to make it stop.

The second issue I want to address with students is a simple one: that they can talk about their experiences. Victims of cyberbullying often avoid telling adults about their online encounters with bullies, and doing so online prolongs the problem. I will make clear to my students that they can talk to me about their problems, and I will help them make the appropriate decisions in dealing with them. Allowing students to talk to you discretely after class allows them to vocalize their problems without all their peers listening in, and not having that audience around emboldens students to come forward.

Week 4

Activity 4.3 Where am I now?

Philosophy of Teachnology

1. One of the least effective ways I have seen a teacher use technology in a classroom was that they placed all their notes on PowerPoint, and used that instead of writing on the board or overheads. Normally PowerPoint is fine, but the teacher sped through the slides so fast that the students had trouble getting all the notes written down, and the teacher did not place the slides online for the students to refer to later. It created a hectic and confusing learning environment. Had the teacher proceeded at a rate similar to what they would be moving at had they been writing on the board, I'm sure the class would have been fine.

2. One of the best ways I have seen a teacher use technology was in a social studies class, to have the students all get online with their mobile devices or laptops and research the topic quickly, then we shared what we had learned with the class. This created participation and stimulated the students much more than listening to a lecture would have, and was entertaining in the process. In addition, the students were learning for themselves, and in a small way, using research techniques they would later need.

TPACK

Week 3

Activity 3.3 Learning and Technology Theories Reflection


    Of the three learning theories presented recently: Connectivism, Constructionism, and Cognitive Load Theory, I find myself relating best to Constructionism. I find that there are few ways for me to understand a concept as concretely as interacting with it, be it by myself or in collaboration with other learners. In addition, breaking complex tasks into several more simple exercises helps to compartmentalize the knowledge into manageable blocks which I find easier to retain. Cognitive Load Theory also has merit when I think about the way in which I learn best, but i find the reduction of complex to simple tasks in Constructivism covers that area equally well. Constructionism also has the nature of project-based learning, where learners are not lectured to, but told to seek out the answers and the knowledge they require to solve problems, and they have the teacher as one more resource they can access in pursuit of this knowledge. In this respect, Constructivist learning is very much free learning, where the student has to take the initiative to seek out and find the answers the lesson requires, and this also appeals to my style of learning.


    In assisting learners to understand a concept through a Constructivist approach, we can incorporate technology in several very helpful ways. For example, when considering complicated geometric or spatial tasks, computers with the appropriate software are able to greatly assist us in visualizing and manipulating these objects. The degree to which I find it easier to work with visualized and tangible representations of some of the more abstract subjects is remarkable, and I believe that other students' learning could greatly benefit from such a use of technology. Technology can assist with the collection of information, and as Constructivist learning is discovery learning, technology finds a natural place in Constructivist methods here. For example, the internet allows learners to discover information much more easily and much more rapidly than in the past, increasing the rate at which pupils can assess the task at hand and formulate solutions. Finally, we can incorporate technology into constructivist learning by allowing students to collaborate electronically in their attempts to solve problems. They can be networked together over long distances, allowing for problem solving in situations where they would previously not be able to collaborate with one another. It is clear from these examples at least, that Constructivism can greatly benefit from the inclusion of technology into it's practices.