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Article 7: Critical and Analytical Reflections about Online Learning

As I reflect upon my online learning journey in EDFD459, I have come to realise how much knowledge I have gained in the past 7 weeks. This unit isn’t my first online learning experience. Past  online learning experience hasn’t been great however, this unit has definitely changed my attitude towards learning online in a more positive way. Being a member of an online community of practice has kept me motivated to learn as we learn together. Socialising with other members, exchanging ideas and thoughts has built my confidence in understanding certain content areas within this unit. Reflecting back to Salmon (2011) 5 stages model, I can now say I fully understand the importance of scaffold online learning. I would use the online space to communicate with parents/careers about what is happening in the classroom and their child’s progress in learning. I would encourage students to be inquiry learners that are always curious about the world we live in therefore I would implement inquiry learning as homework/ extension tasks that allows parents/carers to participate in their child’s learning. Also implementing a variety of learning spaces to cater for differentiation allows engagement and participation.

                                                        Reference

Salmon, G. (2011). E-moderating: The key to Teaching and Learning Online (3rd ed.) (pp. 31-59). London: Routledge. 

Smith, M. (2003/2009). Jean Lave, Etienne Wenger and communities of practice. Retrieved from http://infed.org/mobi/jean-lave-etienne-wenger-and-communities-of-practice/. 

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Article 6: Classroom and Beyond

Excursion to The Rocks Discovery Museum

In one of my professional experience, stage 3 students were learning about Australia as a Nation in history, so I had the wonderful opportunity to come along to their excursion to The Rocks Discovery Museum.  The exhibitions cover the periods:

Warrane (pre-1788)

Colony (1788–1820)

Port (1820–1900)

Transformations (1900–present)

The strength of this excursion were the exhibits. It was filled with interactive fun such as touch screens, audio and visual elements to bring the history of the area alive. Students are encouraged to ask question and develop curiosity while on site. This enhances critical and higher order thinking skills (Voet & De Wever, 2016). The challenge would be the risk management and sizing of the museum. The museum is quite small and limited in space. Valuable European and indigenous items are displayed throughout the museum. Students need to be cautious of their surroundings.

                                                        Reference Voet, & De Wever. (2016). History teachers' conceptions of inquiry-based learning, beliefs about the nature of history, and their relation to the classroom context. Teaching and Teacher Education, 55, 57-67.

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Article 5: Group, Collaborative and Cooperative Learning Spaces

Group work is an everyday teaching strategy used to discuss and share learning in the classroom. Unlike collaborative and cooperative learning, group work is not time consuming and teachers can use this strategy as often as they want.

Collaborative learning focuses on personal progress, while collectively working towards a common goal. Each member is accountable for one another and group is self-managed. A teacher/ mentor does not interfere but can assist when needed. Success depends on individual’s strength.

Cooperative learning is a more structured. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined in the group but still negotiable. Usually cooperative learning involves being assessed after submission of work. The success of the group depends on the efforts of each member of the group.

Although group work, collaborative and cooperative learning has their differences, there are many similarities that students benefit from this. Such as:

- Rely on active student participation rather than teacher talking

- Students assume a degree of responsibility for their own learning

- Teachers act as facilitators to learning

- Develops team building skills and encourage social interaction

- Enhance higher order thinking skills

- Share learning experience

- Embrace student diversity

                                                       References

Shahamat, Ailar, & Mede, Enisa. (2016). Integration of Collaborative Learning in Grade K-5 EFL Classrooms. Education 3-13, 44(6), 682-13, 2016, Vol.44(6), p.682-697.

https://resourced.prometheanworld.com/collaborative-cooperative-learning/

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Article 4: The Liminal Learning Space

Liminal space is between the in between on what has been done and not knowing what happens next. We are always encountering a liminal space. For some it may be wondering if they will wake up tomorrow, others may be waiting for grade results or getting that job they've been waiting patiently for. My personal experience with liminal space on a wider perspective includes my transitions of education such as primary to secondary to university to my teaching career. When I was in primary, I have always wanted to become a teacher because I had an amazing primary teacher in Kindergarten therefore I worked hard to make sure I was going to get into University. I remember the feeling of anxiously waiting for my results. I had doubts because I was the first in my family to consider going to University. Once I got accepted, I was not sure on how I would survive 4 years. It felt like I was thrown in the deep end with no advice about the reality of university. Now that I have reached the final semester of my first ever degree and I worried about getting a job in the teaching profession. I have recently applied for a casual job at an independent school and now I am booked for an interview. It feels great to know that all my hard work and achievements has led to a person interested in interviewing me for a job I've been longing for. Will my interview be a success? I guess we will never know until we know. 

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If we don’t encounter liminal space in our lives, we start idealizing normalcy. The threshold is God’s waiting room. Here we are taught openness and patience as we come to expect an appointment with the divine Doctor.

Richard Rohr

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Article 3: The Digital Learning Space

Digital technologies has made a huge impact on how students learn today. When I was out for community engagement, the school that I was at offers a maths program called ‘Jump Start’ for their students in the holidays. I came across a robotic device that I have not seen before called ‘Spheros’. I was amazed with the device as you can create a wide variety of lessons with it. Spheros allows students to develop coding and programming skills which fits well for Mathematics and also be integrated with other KLAs such as English and Creative Arts. For example, students can used the spheros to create a story then film there work. This innovative lesson allows students to be highly engaged and motivated to learn as it enhances creativity and innovation. 

“When students are inspired to get their own Sphero from JB-HI FI after the Jump Start program”

The digital learning space also includes online communications (Social media platforms). By using social media such as Facebook, allows students to communicate and collaborate wherever they are. Online discussions are widely viewed as a valuable tool for encouraging student engagement and promoting interaction with course material outside of the traditional classroom. Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy that is used in every class. A lot of my learning has benefited from cooperative learning. Facebook has helped me connect with group members. It has benefited me as it increases participation, achievement of learning goals, and overall performance. Although Facebook is not appropriate for a primary setting, it is very beneficial for other learners such as high school students, tertiary students and teachers.

Reference 

Camus, M., Hurt, N., Larson, L., & Prevost, L. (2015). Facebook as an online teaching tool: Effects on student participation, learning, and overall course performance. College Teaching, 64(2), 00.

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I’m not going outside of my comfort zone - I’m expanding it // Mine

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“ Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” My favourite TED Talk of all time. 

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Article 2: Personal learning space

Challenges, Capabilities and Goals

Teachers play an important role in strengthening students self-efficacy as learning is all about challenges and achieving goals. According to Bandura cited from Cherry (2017), self-efficacy is the person’s belief in its own ability to succeed in various situations. It can play a role in not only how you feel about yourself, but whether or not you successfully achieve your goals in life. 

Individuals with a strong sense of self-efficacy view challenging problems as tasks to be achieved, engage in the activities in which they participate developing deeper knowledge, form a stronger commitment to activities and recover quickly from failures and disappointments. People with a weak sense of self-efficacy avoid challenging tasks, under mind their capabilities and believe that difficult tasks and situations are beyond their handling and quick to judge to a negative outcome. 

Therefore if we support students to be confident learners, the stronger they develop self-efficacy. Some strategies including structuring and scaffolding student learning, protecting their response opportunities, act as their model and manage to apply their sense of efficacy in students daily lives beyond school grounds  (Brophy, Alleman, & Knighton, 2010). 

The irony with the teaching profession is that teachers sometimes doubt their own capabilities. Well, we do deal with an overcrowded curriculum, modify lessons for 30 diverse students, plan and attend extra schools activities, arrive at school 7:30am to prepare for the day and leave around 5:30pm because you were preparing for tomorrow, take home unfinished work and continue with our personal lives. No wonder teachers have burnouts.

References

Brophy, J., Alleman, J., & Knighton, B. (2010). A learning community in the primary classroom. New York: Routledge.

Cherry, K. (2017). Self Efficacy: Why Believing in Yourself Matters. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-efficacy-2795954

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I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.

Albert Einstein

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Article 1: Learning to learn online

The way we socialise and learn has drastically changed since the birth of the internet. The internet has allowed to create an online community by interact with people all over the world, opportunity for self-direct in learning as well as sharing ideas, stories and experiences. It was interesting to read that they were the characteristics of a community of practice according to Etienne Wenger (2007) cited from Smith (2003/2009). Another interesting read was Salmon (2012). To my understanding, e-learning strengthens an individuals attitude and willingness to learn as it caters for diverse learning needs. Online learning may be the greatest revolution in today’s education however, e-learning does have its limitations such as risk of privacy, negative affect on an individuals well-being such as social and emotional health, cyber bullying and exposure to inappropriate content. As an educator, it is important to remind people the netiquettes of using the internet. Let me remind you that netiquette is a set of rules or guidelines for appropriate academic behaviour in an online course. 

“Remember the Human”. This particularly stood out to me from Teaching Online (2014). Often people are so emerge in their own feeling that they forget the person on the other side of the screen. It is crucial to keep in mind that when active online we remain respectful with good ethical behaviour as we do offline. 

References

Salmon, G. (2011). E-moderating: The key to Teaching and Learning Online (3rd ed.) (pp. 31-59). London: Routledge.

Smith, M. (2003/2009). Jean Lave, Etienne Wenger and communities of practice. Retrieved from http://infed.org/mobi/jean-lave-etienne-wenger-and-communities-of-practice/.

Teaching Online. (2014). Course netiquette and guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.epigeum.com  

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Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world

Nelson Mandela