Personal Digital Literacy Development
“Creative Pedagogy taps into your students creative wellsprings to make them more aware of their innate intelligences…Merged with technology, creative pedagogy provides stimuli through multiple media” (Carlson, 2004).
Children grow in such a way that without measuring them sometimes it takes you to stand back just to notice the change. The same may be said about my personal progress in the ICT module, my development has taken a steady progressive route that has enabled reinforcement of existing pedagogical aspects and the development of more innovative principles that can be applied to my professional practice. There has been a strong sense throughout the module of highlighting the difference between the ability to use a subject or tool and the understanding required to embed that subject or tool into practice. This point is highlighted within a report from Futurelab on the integration of commercially produced games in education. The report discusses the variation between teachers who were game literate and the teachers who were curriculum literate.
“Where teachers were experienced in the subject/ curriculum area they were addressing, they were able either to appropriate only those game elements that would support their teaching… or to scaffold students’ use of the game appropriately…there were a minority of teachers who were perhaps more fluent with the game than in the relevant curriculum… [their] lessons didn’t go as far in addressing their stated learning aims” (Sandford, Ulicsak, Facer, and Rudd, 2006).
As the report describes curriculum literacy can be more influential than the format of teaching. In a world where children expect instantaneous responses the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning can have a profound difference. The balance between pace, challenge and meeting the needs of the learner can be coupled with differentiation and cooperative working groups to link together both learning and psychosocial development through the use of technology.
During the module a further element that has been evolving is the concept that technology learning and skills development can often occur implicitly within other curricular areas. The animation and digital movie making tasks provide perfect examples of the cross curricular practice that is achievable; within the larger module group there were a number of smaller working groups consisting of 4/5 students. Each group chose a different theme for their personal projects relating to multiple areas of the curriculum. Any teacher created resource can be easily manipulated to suit a desired purpose but the real benefit of using a resource such as a wiki is to foster student ownership (Tonner, 2010). Within the primary school this may be achieved in a number of ways. A teacher may choose to create a resource that pupils will access in order to enhance their learning through interactive media, the teacher may create a foundation area where pupils will add information under certain headings and under instruction or the teacher may choose to allow pupils to create their own area focusing on a particular topic, perhaps following a class project. The later description, although being the most lengthy is perhaps the best format for allowing pupil ownership of a project. When working collaboratively there is room for individualized contributions within a wiki.
Children are exposed to technology on a daily basis and, whether they have the equipment in the home or not, children are drawn towards technology. “For a large number of young people exposure to computers begins at home, at an early age” (Vekiri, 2010) In a classroom of 28 pupils it would not be uncommon that if a problem occurred with the interactive whiteboard you would suddenly find yourself surrounded by approximately 26 ‘experts’ all willing to provide a solution. When any student displays this enthusiasm and confidence in their ability then the obvious choice would be to capitalize upon this as a motivational factor.
When planning for implementation of any lesson careful consideration must always be applied to resources and their suitability must always be critically assessed. If you are planning a literacy lesson with a poetry focus you would not plan to use a calculator. When planning to use technology within a lesson it must be appropriate for the purpose, the progression of the students and beneficial to the completion of the task; the needs of the learner should always override the desire of a teacher to use any resource. ‘‘Nobody wants to use technology to recreate education as it is” (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1994, p. 256, cited in Girvan, C & Savage, T. (2010)).
Variety in activities will ensure that skills developed in any learning experience are transferable and integration of technology should allow for this.
The module layout encompassed a range of tasks that were designed to develop us personally and that could be implemented into our teaching practice. We were to keep a reflective log of our experiences in each input and in relation to any other relevant material. This was to be published via Blogger™. Whilst reflecting on our own experiences we were also encouraged to read the entries posted by our peers and comment on these in a formative manner. For me personally the benefit of maintaining our personal blog has been structured upon reflective practice. During placement reflection is a critical element of our learning journey and practice in this area has provided me with a clearer focus on which to reflect. Reading the work of others and having the opportunity of insight into their personal experience of the same event enables a greater clarity when planning for differentiation and learning styles with a class. This form of empathy for other learners highlights the fact that your experiences can be very different from those of others and this is dependent on many contributing factors; previous experience, prior knowledge, historical viewpoints, cultural differences, variety in learning approaches and willingness to embrace new things are just some examples of influences on personal experience. It is important that teachers recognize and incorporate many of the theories surrounding learning styles and learning theory (Gardener (2006), Klob (1975), Butler (1988), Sarasin (1999)). The nature of learning needs to focus on the learner as the core. Without the learner the process would be pointless, Christensen, Horn and Johnson (2008, P.39) state that
“Student-centric learning opens the door for students to learn in ways that match their intelligence types and at the paces they prefer by combining content in customized sequences.”
Technology allows there to be a regime where students can have individual and personalized learning plans, devised by themselves in conjunction with the teacher as the “guide on the side not a sage on the stage”
In discussing the use of virtual worlds Girvan and Savage (2010) reiterate the fact that the use of technology should bring an extra element to the teaching and learning:
“ there is a need to consider which pedagogical approaches can provide an opportunity to do more than recreate the traditional classroom by leveraging the unique characteristics and potential that the technology can offer.”
There are many tools available for collaboration but many of these could be termed asynchronous (Tonner, 2010). For true collaboration real time editing is essential for users to benefit from instantaneous reactions and participation. Without the real time function there is a danger of users switching off and becoming disengaged. An example of a real time collaborative tool would be PrimaryPad™, this is a tool that has a writing area and a separate chat area. It is now widely accepted that conversation is beneficial in the classroom therefore it is only logical that conversation be possible in a virtual classroom. The Vygotskian perspective of the Zone of Proximal Development (Kyriacou, 2009) and the extension of this with Bruner’s scaffolding metaphor are relevant in the area of Collaborative working as the onus falls on the student to progress with the aid of both the teacher and their peers within and beyond the collaborative working group.
As children are drawn towards technology, in particular new technology, and the fact that the world is becoming more technologically driven on a daily basis educators have a duty to capitalize on these in order to spark motivation in their students. The motivational and engaging element of technology is not entirely focused on technology itself. The delivery method and the presentation of a particular tool is the selling point for students if they are to continue to be engaged beyond the initial ‘wow’ reaction. It is not necessarily the tools that promote engagement but a myriad of effective, comprehensive planning, clear curricular links, an enthusiastic approach and a relevant context.
The possibility of extending learning beyond the classroom confines is a reality. It always has been, to a certain extent, but developments in mobile technology enable more opportunities for comprehensive and active learning, with the support of technology such as handheld learning devices. There are less barriers in learning for those who may not meet the traditional persona of the pupil. The thread of inclusivity for all is very strong when using a multi-pronged approach to teaching and for pupils who may struggle in a traditional learning environment this is more important. Developing contexts for them to construct meaning can often take untraditional formats. A prime example of this would be the increase in games based learning projects in schools throughout Scotland and beyond.
Games based learning incorporates a mixture of both contextualized learning and the tools that pupils choose for their leisure time. Popular examples would be Guitar Hero™, Nintendogs™ and Myst™. When introducing a console game into a classroom it is very probable that the majority, if not all, of the pupils will have had experience of the game play. An outsider may view the pupils as the game experts while the teacher could be considered the curriculum expert. It is when these two concepts marry that collaborative exchange and synchronous learning between the educator and learner takes place. For pupils the process of discussing the game with the teacher and other pupils will increase their metacognition and awareness of their own learning journey, from experience in the classroom this can stimulate pupils into leading their learning rather than being led in their learning. Gee (2007) describes the “Psychosocial Moratorium Principle” in relation to games based learning and a real life context for learning.
“Learners can take risks in a space where real world consequences are lowered.”
Risk is a vital element of life and experience of calculated risk taking will provide skills necessary to make judgments regarding risk taking in the future. The immersive nature of gaming therefore becomes a safe place to experiment with risk.
Linking back to the earlier analogy of development going by unnoticed, I would say that while I was enthusiastic about the use of technology and willing to try tools in practice, I was naive in the supporting evidence to substantiate this. I still am greatly unversed in the theory and current research as the field is so broad and moving at such a pace yet I have a much better understanding of the need for theoretical influence and the extent that research informs practice both explicitly and implicitly. Critical evaluation and the rules of engagement are the areas in which I have developed greatest during the course of this module. Critical evaluation of resources, activities and tasks and personal critical evaluation and reflection have been an underlying theme of the module which is something that I would say is highlighted within my blog. Rules of engagement, how students engage with their learning, how they are motivated (intrinsically and extrinsically) and the resulting effect that this can have on enjoyment during the learning process and on retention rates are all areas that I aim to research further as a result of my experiences within the module.
“Unless students (and teachers, for that matter) are motivated, they will reject the rigor of any learning task and abandon it before achieving success” (Christensen et al, 2008, P.7).
References and Bibliography
Butler, K. A. (1988) Learning and Teaching Style: In Theory and Practice. Columbia: Learners Dimension
Carlson, G. (2004) Digital Media in the Classroom. San Francisco: CMP Books
Christensen, C.M., Horn, M.B. & Johnson, C.W. (2008) Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns. New York: McGraw Hill
Gardener, H. (2006) Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books
Gee, J. P. (2007) What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan
Girvan, C & Savage, T. (2010) Identifying an appropriate pedagogy for virtual worlds: A Communal Constructivism case study in The Journal of Computers and Education: 55: 342-349 Available via www.elsevier.com/ locate/compedu
Accessed (19/04/2010)
Kolb, D. (1975) David Kolb on Experiential Learning. Available via http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm accessed (19/04/2010)
Kyriacou, C. (2009) Effective Teaching in Schools Theory and Practice (3rd Ed) Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd
Sandford, R. Ulicsak, M. Facer, K. & Rudd, T. (2006) Teaching with Games Using Commercial off-the-shelf computer games in formal education Bristol: Futurelab
Sarasin, L. C. (1999) Learning Style Perspective: Impact in the Classroom. Madison: Atwood Publishing
Tonner, S. (2010) Social Media Tools. ICT elective module, School of Education, Social Work and Community Education, University of Dundee.
Vekiri, I. (2010) Boys’ and Girls’ ICT Beliefs: Do Teachers Matter? In The Journal of Computers and Education: 55: 16-23 Available via www.elsevier.com/ locate/compedu
Accessed (19/04/2010)
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