Emerging Web Technologies

Are Learning styles and learning technoloy preferences of our age group geared towards the emegring web technologies?

I would have said a definite no if asked before this course. Yet here we are making a photo story in class and loving it.

Saeed, Yang, and Sinnappan (2009), states that learning styles should be considered before incorporating emerging web technologies in our classrooms. Yet the diversity of learning styles which exist may present a probelm to the classroom teacher. How does one know which styles to target.

Weigel and Gardner (2009) posits that using as many learning styles as possible as an entry into the lesson may be enough to stimulate interest and so engage learners.

These experts provide suitable guidelines for us as educators, but the simple rule of engagement still holds.

Encourage students by making the lesson interesting and keeping them intersted in the lesson is a sure way to achieve success in the classroom.

Just look at us. Our learning styles and preferences were not overly stressed upon. We were definately engaged. What had us engaged? the very nature of the lesson was so exciting, that nothing else was needed.

This excitement, mind you, came from people with no great passion for ICT.

My point is:

If we could be so passionate about lessons with ICT, image how more intersting our lessons in the class could be if we included a little theory, a little practical and a bit of technology.

Photostory Here I come

The digital photo story was super exciting. Firstly working in groups demonstraed to us (fellow teachers) first hand how beneficial group work is to students. We designed our storyboard, collaboratively, took photos, and uploaded them onto the photostory. The greatest excitement came when we began adding words, audio, and then music to the photo story. Indeed at this point, I felt empowered to make many more photostories, having finally gleaned the secrets to those excellent photostories I've seen in the past.

I had often wondered how it was done, convinced as I was that omly professionals in the movie business could turn out the quality I had seen at weddings and in fancy emails from friends.

I would never have believed that I could have made such a profound statement as I did in the photostory I put together.

My excitement was unbounded. I could not wait to put the many files of photos I have into the photostories that would wow my family, friends and co-workers.

I know I say this each time I learn a new skill in this class, but I must say that photostory is by far the best thing I've learnt yet in this technology class.

Why Reading?

Any teacher worth their salt will tell you that reading is the key to academic success for any student at any level of education. Early recognition of this phenomenon led me in my pedagogical practice to place the greatest emphasis on the teaching of reading in my classroom. This emphasis on reading has developed the philosophical underpinnings that guide my planning and practice in the classroom. It has also been the source of success observed in my charges, and realized in their accomplishments.

It is with this in mind that I eagerly chose to study to become a reading specialist. As a reading specialist, I will realize my goal of meeting the needs of many more than one class (through the guidance provided to teachers); and I will be better equipped to help those individual students in need of that extra professional attention. Together this entire group of reading specialists can bring about a situation where our students can not only just read, but love to read, where they can move from a love of reading to become serious ‘readaholics’.

What has been your experience in the classroom and how has it impacted on students? How confident are you that reading specialists can make a difference?

Computers impact on Teaching and Learning

A multiplicity of factors impact on education and how teachers teach and children learn. Factors such as books, television, parents, society and physical infrastructure to name a few; but no other single factor has impacted so significantly in recent times as has computers. Computers, and in particular the internet has changed how users learn. Information and Computer Technology (ICT), according to Vacca and Vacca (2008) has created ' "new technologies" and new ways of learning' (p 416). Reiking (1995) further presents the argument that computers are changing the way we communicate and disseminate information. Other experts and the lay man on the street certainly will agree that computers have made us a more literate and knowledgeable population. Computers and the internet have allowed us a means of instant research, allowing us to educate ourselves in almost all subject areas.

Yet while most of the world has embraced the changes resulting from computer technology, educationalists, its greatest advocate, also stifle its use. Donald Lau (2002), a leading advocate for new literacies points out a major flaw in assessments in the United States (and of course similar trends exist in Trinidad and Tobago), and that is that not a single reading or writing assessment permits the use of anything other than paper and pencil technologies. Can you identify ways in which computers and internet can help students perform better at assessments in any particular area? State the area and how these improvements can be realised.

Webspiration Inspiration

We had great fun with webspiration last week. It was the most exciting activity we did so far on the computer. Our masters class had seen a lecturer do this at one of our sessions. I believe we were more interested in the software and how it revealed itself, than what was actually taught. This concept map holds great potential for me as an educator, and a reading specialist. The wealth of potential I can envision through the application of this concept mapping promises fantastic teaching potential. In addition as a student these maps can store ideas and main points to help me to revise and review for presentations and examinations or simply to refresh my mind with the information gathered in a class. I don't know if any other idea can beat this one, but I look forward to seeing what will reveal itself in future classes.

I can BLOG

Technologically challenged! An appropriate description of me, and one shared by all who know me. It was a sense of jubilation however that overcame me when I realised that I had finally, after one hour, gotten in to blog. I swear that I still don't know much about blogging. Indeed it sounds like that game in "Harry Potter". But based on the UTube videos I've seen, it seems very exciting. I intend to overcome this mental block I seem to have to the computer, as whenever I get a little comfortable and think I can manage it, something happens to remind me of my infancy state when it comes to computers.

A blog can be an invaluable tool for me, I realise. Not only can teachers use this with their students to teach, learn, share, and generally keep in touch, but principals can use it to keep in touch with their teachers and other staff members. As reading specialists, blogs can keep us involved with several schools and many teachers as we share ideas, concerns, and strategies as we strive to improve reading in Trinidad and Tobago.