The 5 minute lesson plan

 So being in H E is tough as far as lesson planning goes, the lecture is a straight forward chalk and talk really so easy to plan for but doesn't really show depth of teaching strategy or application of teaching knowledge.  I am roughly spending about an hour per plan and that's time consuming as taking 9 hours of teaching on just my second week. So I found some very useful tools which I could use to speed my lesson planning up. The 5 minute lesson plan is perfect for me, As I have to spend a lot of time brushing up on my knowledge. Those undergrads take no prisoners.  The 5 Minute lesson planis now a daily feature in daily work.

I also found a quick guide to lesson planning which I have now posted on to my office wall until it becomes like second nature to think of my lesson aims and objectives. What I found more useful here was the evaluation section, we all hear the buzz word "reflective" and I am trying to evaluate each of my lessons at the moment as a tool to enhance my teaching so this will only make that "reflective" practise easier for me.

Another useful tool I found in my research for quick lesson planning was a glossary of teaching strategies, this is perfect for seminar preparation when I am trying to think of ways to make learning experiential rather than just the normal boring look at a journal and discuss seminar work that I was victim too. All in All a few hours research has saved me hours of planning and thinking in the future.



 

Blended Learning becomes Real

So here I am scratching my head thinking how do I do a flipped class room lesson?

I have a cunning plan a little voice in my head says and off we go. You tube is first point of call for my cunning plan, I don't want to pester my mentor and feel I can work this out if I just dedicate a few hours to it. I have already at this point researched the topic I am covering so I know that's ready to go at least. I found a very useful little clip which enabled me to learn how to put audio on a power point with timings so the slides move as and when I want them too. It is at this point PANIC sets in. I haven't done a power point yet..... In my haste I overlooked the one thing I needed most. All I can do now is smile and start work on the power point presentation.

Qualitative research SMALL AUDIO pp from Sarah Rees

The power point was ready just a few hours later and hopefully you can see it here!  now I haven't worked out yet how to blog a Power Point with audio but I am sure I will no doubt work it. Anyway back to my story so after watching the You tube clip and finally completing my presentation I record my audio, It goes well and I am happy with it, but I can't get the darn thing to play back, nothing, not a word, so I record it again and then again and still nothing, panic and frustration set in. I walk away from the computer, stand back to take a deep breath, think, think, think, means I can't think.... eventually I check it is not on mute...bet you can't GUESS the issue... It was on MUTE... while I was happy and pleased, I felt so dumb, technology and me just don't seem to mix but I did learn a new skill and was super pleased sending the finished presentation to my mentor for uploading to the VLE.
It did make me think though about the pro's and cons of a blended learning program and I can across a good web page reagrding the Pro's and Cons of Blended learning.

 My own experience was overall a great one when I used a system designed by the Open University, but I can see how easy it would be for students to fall behind when registered upon a self-directed learning course. One of the benefits of seeing your students is that you remind them, encourage them and offer extra support, but when everything is done via email I think it may not have the same impact. Another issue would be how do you keep the students motivated if they are self-directed? It is a tough one for an educator to balance out but I am sure those are skills I will no doubt learn soon enough. The main pro for blended learning which makes me a great advocate for it is that Increases accessibility, which no doubt means individuals who may never get access to education surely have a better chance now.

References
Bright, S. (2014). Pros and Cons of Blended Learning. Available:http://www.digitalchalk.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-blended-learning . Last accessed 17/11/2014

Barriers to the effective use of technology in education.

Education was changing when I was in compulsory education just a few decades (cough, cough) ago. We had the choice between typing class or computer class, I opted for the later much to all my class mates amusement. Comments such as "we will never use it in work" "What's the point of it?" and "it will never take off" still make me laugh, and most of them were from staff. The computer or I T  teacher was not very clued up either if I am being honest.

Modern day education is technology driven and vice versa, but do the barriers that existed when I was a child still persist?  Going back into education after a long gap did provide me with an ability to contrast the old view of technology in education and the new view.

It is clear to see that while the number of computers in the classrooms increase that there is now  tremendous support for technology integration within academia, a major discrepancy exists between the level of technology which is expected of educators to be used  and the actual use and integration of technology in the classroom Semary,(2011)

I must admit through my own experiences of teaching in higher education it has been very difficult for me as an educator to involve technology. The students know they are READING for a degree, now if that reading takes place on a mobile device through the use of pdf's or online journals great, but as an educator I cant really incorporate technology in to my lessons. How can a lecture be made more interactive? Ramey, (2013) discusses one of the barriers as being lack of innovation and I agree, I feel clueless as how to integrate technology into my teaching.  Using technological tools requires a certain degree of creativity and I don't feel I am creative enough, I have basic understanding of most applications. The issue with technology is that is fast moving and changes hourly sometimes, through updates and newer versions, it is easy to see how those who are not so technology savvy can easily shy away from using technology in the classroom.

Now don't get me wrong I am all for technology in classrooms, I can see how my children are far more advanced than me when it comes to anything technological, but it must be said their are a lot of educators out there who lack the ability to use technology in education. As I have said it takes creativity to  integrate technology into the curriculum and there does seem to a resistance to change attitude from old school educators, Kappan, (2009).

 The issue of access to technological tools is a great barrier for many educational establishments. The cost of installing and maintaining smart boards and projectors in each class is a real concern, the black bored would have one cost and not much upkeep, but in comparison the technology is updated constantly, and when damaged or broken can be very costly. Take for example the cost of being connected to internet servers and running a virtual learning environment, it is expensive and requires constant up keep. Schools and colleges have tight budgets and this must be factored in when considering the  pro's and con's of technology in education. Many generations have been taught without the use of modern technology and this has been successful.

The list of barriers to the effective use of technology in education goes on and on, but I have given you a flavour of the ones I think are the toughest to face, without capital the technology cant be installed or utilized, without educators being willing to adapt and change their practises, and without educators being able to think outside of the box and be creative in the use of technology  for education, this debate will keep going round and round. I will be looking at my own barriers closely from now on, and use reflective practise to ensure I am giving my students the best chance possible to have technology integrated into their education.


References.

Kappan, P. (2009). What Can We Do About. Available: http://www.updc.org/assets/files/professional_development/umta/blue-guild/Coaching%20-%20Teacher%20Resistance.pdf. Last accessed 20/11/2014.


Ramey K. (2013 ). Barriers To The Effective Use of Technology In Education. Available: http://www.useoftechnology.com/barriers-effective-technology-education/. Last accessed 20/11/2014

Semary, H. (2011 ). Barriers to the effective use of technology in education: Case study of UAE University. Available: http://library.iated.org/view/ELSEMARY2011BAR. Last accessed 20/11/2014

How technology has changed the way we learn

Michael Gove the Education Secretary gave a speech recently about how technology is changing the way we learn, the speech started with a reflection of how technology has changed the world in general and Grove stated "“Most of us carry more advanced technology in the smartphone in our pocket than Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin used to reach the Moon" but he also went on to reflect how much technology has moved the world forward but how the education system has not really changed since the Victorian aged, He even went further to note that a Victorian teacher could probably work just fine in a modern classroom (Gov.uk, 2012).
Now Gove's speech was a few years back but I agree with most of what he said. The technology we use today in all walks of life is so advanced that we do not understand how they work. We have a generation below us who are more likely to learn differently from previous generations and therefore will need teaching in a completely new way. Education has to catch up to society or educators may has well be from the Victorian age for the use they will be to learners.

So what's the answer to the question of how technology has changed the way we learn? Lets go on a journey and find out shall we? I recently gave a lecture on Trans Humanism and how we are through the use of technology able to become more than human. Surely this is already the case for most of the western world and with more and more children being brought up in a technological society it means we must learn fast how to adapt so we don't get left behind. It wasn't so long ago that children learnt through face to face interaction, story books, play, and handwriting exercises. But in 2014 most of those methods are outdated, the use of mobile technology in schools has changed how the lessons are structured, the interactivity of  student and teacher are no longer paramount to learning as the students can be much more self directed with the use of technology.

Prof. Yoram Eshet, (2014) notes that research is currently showing that children already have a high dependence upon technology and computers,  and is currently at the forefront  of many studies on all facets of learning and technologies. One of the most important changes that as evolved from technology is the  shift from passive to active learning or from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach. This a huge advantage for a student like me who has a learning difficulty, as it puts them in control of their own learning. I came across a great blog,  SHIFT's eLearning Blog written on the topic of technology and learning, the author gutierrez (2014) states "Technology, then, becomes a tool for active learning. Through it, learners are able to research, communicate and solve problems" and I tend to agree, however it must be noted that not everything about  the use of technology  in education is positive. There have been many ways in which we have made changes to the way we has a species learn. Technology can be used as crutch, spelling is no longer something we learn as everything is autocorrected and spell checked.

  Harven (2013) even goes further and states "This may be a larger issue of technology on our memory and brain-strength, but if we are using the Internet in schools, then kids are being taught to use Google to answer all their questions and to essentially, copy and paste their knowledge.  Education needs to figure out how to use technology in a way that does not replace knowledge, but reinforces it." so how do we do this as educators and get a good balance? The way I see it is that education and technology are both tools to improve society and as educators I feel the two should work hand in hand.  In agreement is Gillis (2014) who addresses the fact that technology is a tool and tools work best when used for the purpose they were designed for. Much of technology used in classrooms today is in it's infancy and the efficacy of those tools wont really be known until a generation has passed.

 One thing is for certain that technology has changed the way we learn and the way we teach. Teaching is now an exciting profession to be entering as who knows what the future of learning holds.

 
 References

Gillis, S. (2014). Finding a balance between technology and teaching. Available: http://www.classroomtechnologyhelp.com/finding-a-balance-between-technology-and-teaching-style-in-your-classroom/. Last accessed 13/11/2014


Gove,M . (2013). Michael Gove speech at the BETT Show 2012. Available: Michael Gove speech at the BETT Show 2012. Last accessed 10/11/2014

Gutierrez,M. (2013). How technology has changed us. Available:http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/author/karla-gutierrez . Last accessed 11/11/2014

Harven, M . (2013 ). Top 5 problems with Technology. Available: http://edtechtimes.com/2013/11/06/top-5-problems-technology-education-today/. Last accessed 09/11/2014.

Review of Learning with E's Blogging!

I spent a good few nights sat at my desk in the dark with just the only light coming from my screen to illuminate my face, looking for a good blog which I felt would be useful to me in my teaching  endeavour. There were so many to plough through (almost like a needle in a haystack), lots of  good pictures, catchy titles and great information but nothing really got me locked in. Until one night just by chance I stumble into this page  I am hooked. He uses all the right buzz words for me and my brain.

Steve Wheeler  states "I'm working through the alphabet of psychologists and theorists, providing a brief overview of each theory, and how it can be applied in education" and this fits perfectly with my outlook on teaching, I love theory and so need to read more on it but just don't have time, now I can read one post a day and all will be revealed.

The blog is set up in such a easy to use way and even has the options to change the design and layout which I think make it so interactive and for my dyslexic issues it makes it easy to read (as I can change the options which suit me best). He looks at how effective are the P L E 's and has posts regarding  the future of technology in education which can be seen here. Every post I come across I find I am super involved and just wish to know more for example what is digital learning.  The blog not only will be useful to enhance and assist my own teaching skills, but I feel the blog has such amazing insights and information it would be useful for almost anyone. I am very excited to have found his blog and that either makes me need to get out more or fully committed to my new role as an educator in the 21st century. Maybe I should let u decide?