Kristie's Blog

Teacher tube

kris82 — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:10:58 +0000

I’d just like to mention for those who haven’t used teacher tube that it is a fantastic resource when trying to explain a diffiucult concept. During my prac I did a lesson on thermoregulation in sport and at the conclusion of the lesson i showed the class a teacher tube clip on thermoregulation that only went for three minutes but concisely and accurately explained the concept using athletes and diagrams, which i couldn;t use. The students responded really well and said it was cool that i showed them videos and even my supervisor asked for the link so she could use it as it was just so easy to understand and only took three minutes. I also used teacher tube for a demonstration of how to strap a sprained ankle and again, it showed students how to do it in a couple of minutes, it was done by a professional and meant they had a clear understadning if how to do it. I thoroughly recomend teacher tube to support your student’s learning and feel i’ll use it a lot inmy teaching practises.

Reaction to Tommy’s blog

kris82 — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:04:35 +0000

I just read Tommy mac’s blog entitled “COmputers in every classroom- What a world!” available at http://tommymac.edublogs/org/. It is arouses my thoughts that wow, a computer for every child would be fabulous but is this likely to ever happen? I don’t think we can count on every school having these wonderful resources however we still as teachers need to work our hardest at wherever possible using them to meet the needs of our students. Maybe in our next lifetime ALL students will have the priveledge of using computers in all apsects of their learning etc, but for now i think we’ll just have to make do with what we have.

Technology in PDHPE

kris82 — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:11:35 +0000

I was wondering how I could include technology more in my PDHPE classes, and after reading the PE chapter of ‘Integrating Technology into Teaching’ (Roblyer, M., 2006) I have realised that there are many sources that I use that I hadn’t realised were really technological. Technology devices and software are available for many PE activities to help analyse, monitor and improve fitness. Some of the exercise equipments used in school gyms such as treadmills, stair steppers and stationary bikes all meet the criteria of a technology device designed to improve fitness. An when used in combination with monitors (eg. heart rate monitors), these devices can show students the results of their efforts in terms of heart rate, speed, and power. ANd then there are the electronic blood pressure machines, body composition analysers, pedometers and spirometers…the list is almost endless for devices that assist with analysing and monitoring fitness levels. Each of these devices is measuring a different aspect of the students’ health and fitness, allowing them to use their own bodies for data collection and analysis. Put their results into a computer spreadsheet and students can monitor their own progress along with the development of their own fitness goals and plans. So you can see…these are just some of the technolgies I’ve been using without really thinking that I am.

The Net Gen: constructivist learners

kris82 — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:58:23 +0000

Another aticle about the Net Generation…ther appears to be much research into their needs and ICT. This one was by Diana and James Oblinger (Is it age or IT: First steps toward understanding the Net Generation). Again it highlights the diiferences between generations, and what us educators need to tap into to achieve well with our students. One intersting point made is that most net gen learners prefer to learn by doing rather than being told what to do, and they learn well through discovery by exploring for themselves or with peers. This is where the role of constructivism comes in I guess, where knowledge is constructed, not transmitted. SO this means we should let our students do activities that help them generate their own knowledge. Perhaps a web quest for finding out about issues like mental health would be a good idea, where they find the resources and learn it for themselves.

When it comes to assessment stratgeies in PDHPE, constructivist methods would include things like web pages that students have to design for a health website, multimedia products, and portfolio entries. Electronic portfolios are often used as products in themselves or as organising devices for porducts created over time…and would be a good idea in PDHPE for use as a reflective journal for a PE training plan.

Meaningful Learning

kris82 — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:39:26 +0000

I’ve been reading an article by Barbara Means entitled ‘Technology Use in Tomorrow’s Schools’ (Educational Leadership, 2001). One area of her paper I’d like to highlight is technology for meaningful learning. I guess nowadays, making work meaningful is relating it to technology as this is what our students use and can relate to in the real world. The use of technology in PDHPE classes would definitely be using for visualization and analysys (eg. video a javelin throw to analyse the components of). Technology in the form of a class blog would be useful for students to keep a reflective journal on their dietary habits for the week or as a class site to add links to various health websites that the students can visit. Also, technology would be useful for keeping a log of students’ running times, and over time they could track/record their progress and eventually graph it and it would provide an axcellent source of feedback and allows them to reflect on their achievements. I’m sure there are many more ways I can utilise technology in PDHPE…stay posted for more.

ICT: Is it worth the hassle?

kris82 — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:19:26 +0000

I’ve just had a look at a paper which was written by Dr. Cameron Richards for the AARE 2001 conference in Fremantle in 2001. It is entitled ‘Electronic-age education and the need to revamp the action research model’. Dr. Richards notes that in the electronic age, there are increasing social expectations and professional requirements for teachers to promote effective integration of ICT’s in education. He also says that it is becoming increasingly clear that ICT’s are not just add-on teaching or learning tools, but represent a new medium of literacy and learning which extend beyond the spoken and written word. However, his paper also got me thinking….is ICT always worth the hassle? I mean sure the students find it motivating and it certainly has its place in education but I’m going to present a different side.

How many times have you been in class, whether school or university and the teacher says, “I’ve got a great presentation for you today, but the computer/data projector etc isn’t working”. And then they spend half the lesson trying to rectify the problem, calling in the IT boy and in the end they give up and go to plan B (minus the technology). However, if you’re making plan B, you might be questioning if ICT is forcing you to duplicate work, and is it really worth it? Well Dr. Richards thinks so! He says that teachers who integrate ICT into their lessons are much more likely to a) create an effective learning environment, b) model the kinds of indirect attitudes as well as teacher interventions needed to effectively use ICT’s and more importantly, send a message that they and their learning are important enough to warrant the effort and mutual respect.

Now, I do believe the incorporation of ICT into our classrooms is a necessary tool to teach effectively, however do computers make learning easier and better? Should schools be spending more and more of their resources on computers and software? I have always thought of teaching and learning as being fundamentally social, interpersonal activities, and therefore wonder sometimes whether we as future teachers should be worried that computers may increase the efficiency of teaching andthus fewer teachers will be needed!

Although I pnder the thought of computerstaking over our jobs, I do recognise that technology does allow students to find out more things faster, as well as keep up to date with the latest information. Certainly, using google and wikipedia are pretty much givens these days. And then there’s that fact that the Net Generation are in some way different to previous generations…and need new ways to inspire and engage them. Today’s students are also so used to being around technology that they will do their homework in front of the telly while texting their friends and chatting in some internet chat room!!

It is clear in Dr. Richards paper that most students find technology both motivating and fun, and most importantly, in today’s world, using ICT at school develops a key life skill. SO you can see, whether we are in favour of ICT or not, it is something that the students now expect to use and us as educators need to respond to by identifying the challenges and benefits the information world throws up.

Using the interactive whiteboard

kris82 — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 06:48:56 +0000

It seems that the craze in schools nowadays is the use of interactive whiteboards (IWB). I personally haven’t used them for myself but i’ve done some reading into the effects of them on students’ learning. One article I read by Benjamin and Hughes (2006) talks about engaging students using the IWB, and intersetingly most teachers have reported significant improvement in student engagement. Teachers also noted that they were getting through the syllabus faster than before, and time in class is concentrated on learning, with less ime spent copying notes. This must be a huge advantage for us teachers who are struggling to get the masses of content that the syllabus states we must get through in such a small amount of time. Another interesting point made is that the IWB is very convenient when recapping a previous lesson, or when students have missed a class. Again another plus surely. This article is a great advocate for the benefits of the IWB but I wonder whether there are any negatives?? Perhaps the fact that in my experience, the technology either takes forever to get started or simply refuses to work at all…..then you’re left with nothing prepared. I think it’s still important to have a back up plan and not rely on these wonderful pieces of technology as your only tool in the classroom!

Youtube….hilarious

kris82 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:33:32 +0000

I’ve never been into youtube until I did my prac. What a great resource it is and can be such an effective teaching tool. Not only do the kids think it’s cool, but it can explain a seemingly difficult concept far better than I can in around 3mins.

Anyhow, I went on and searched for some on technology in education, and boy is there a lot out there. Thought I’d put some links to the ones I found to be the funniest and most relevant to this topic. Go have a look cause there’s stacks to see.

“Why we need to teach technology in school” www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VnHdqpE4RM

“Education today & tomorrow” www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnh9q_cQcUE

“A vision of students today” www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

“Web 2.0…The machine is Us/ing us” www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

Computers and problem-solving

kris82 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:56:15 +0000

I’ve just been reading a section in a book entitled “Effective teaching strategies” by Roy Killen 2005 (Social Science Press: South Melbourne). In his chapter on problem solving as a teaching strategy he talks about incorporating computers into problem-solving, as it is a teaching strategy that readily enables you to use computers as a teaching tool. I think the world wide web is a valuable recource because of its ability to engage learners actively in the process of seeking information and solving problems. It’s great as students can use computers either as a means of obtaining information relevant to the problem they are investigating or as a tool for processing and reporting the information they find and generate. It is however important to note that the most important thing that students have to realise is that finding relevant information on the Web is not necessarily a simple or easy process. It requires skill and practise. Therefore, using the web as a strategy is useful, but be wary that students understand how to.

Response to blog by Julie

kris82 — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:22:20 +0000

I’ve just read Julie Park’s blog entitile “Are kids too wired?” posted Spet 19, 2008. She raises some intersting points about whether kids ( and ourselves as teachers) spend too much time using the various technologies. I tend to agree that we do and I know I certainly don’t go anywhere without my mobile. Kids nowadays don’t go out without their mobile, ipod, and some little computer hand held game thing. There’s a place for all these gadgets, but like anything I think moderation is the key.