Group Q: Critical consideration of the School Visit (2)

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Bloggers Q: Blog post – 09 October

During teaching practice, students were faced with various challenges that theory could not have prepared them for. The module has aided the students on their nine-week journey in many different ways.


The main purpose of computer use was to prepare us for the classroom and its technological aspect, due to the new day and age many schools are leaning towards a completely technology friendly school environment. Moving away from ‘traditional’ schooling. As seen with the wealthy private school, they had a myriad of resources and everything was computerized and iPad focused. Thus the student was able to use the knowledge gained from the module to create new innovative lessons where learners were stimulated and challenged using the resources they had access to. 


Majority of students were placed in underprivileged, low-income schools in which majority of them lacked resources. This allowed the students who came in for their teaching practice to be creative in the way they conducted their lessons and transferred their knowledge onto the learners. Those who were placed in higher income or private schools were surprised to find that they had a drastic lack of resources for both learners and teachers.


Where there were resources available, including technology as well as textbooks, it was few and far between. Thus not all teachers and learners had access to the resources that were available to them. Therefore, teachers needed to adjust their lessons to allow for effective teaching and learning to take place regardless of the availability of resources.


In the underprivileged schools that were well-resourced teachers were one of the main problems. The faculty did a bad job at managing the resources that were available to them. Although resources were available it was not well taken care of or the teachers themselves did not have the training to be able to adequately work with them. Thus leading to instances where they resign themselves to ‘older’ ways of teaching, not being innovative in their lessons sticking to a teacher-centric, rote learning and lecture style of teaching.


The module helped students to be able to navigate the environment, be it a technology-free or friendly zone. The students were able to bring in alternate ways of teaching in order to thrive in both situations. Finding a balance between blended and traditional learning, where they were able to integrate various methods of teaching leading to the enhancement of the teaching and learning experience.

Group P: Critical consideration of the School Visit

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Bloggers P: Blog post – 09 October

Walking through the doors of different schools on the first day of our teaching practice, various expectations and prior knowledge filled our being. We were excited to explore the newest technology and e-learning methods within class-context.

The reality, however, quickly sank in: most schools, particularly public schools, are not making use of e-learning methods, besides PowerPoint presentations. Some schools are privileged to have interactive whiteboards, for example an ebeam, which enables the educator to have an interactive lesson. Unfortunately, very few schools have the financial capacity to provide these boards for every classroom, resulting in many teachers conducting lessons in a teacher-centred manner, using textbooks and a board. Many learners find this unsatisfying.

Too many educators are comfortable using passive methods - is it truly the best way for a learner to explore the content being taught? Are learners truly exploring content in this manner, or are they just receiving information? Reflecting on our teaching practice, we realise that the majority of educators have to work around the available resources and are resorting to teacher-centred methods that they feel comfortable with. This is done at the expense of the learners as there is little consideration for the optimum method to introduce and explore the content. Educators stick to the traditional method when one sees it from the vantage point of adhering and complying with a CAPS curriculum and rarely consider venturing into new methods of presentation. This raises the question: Should educators simply stick to their comfort zones and use what has ‘worked’ up until now and deprive learners from the opportunity of being exposed to new methods of learning?

Apart from this, numerous educators are also not trained to use e-learning methods. This however should not be an excuse to not incorporate new age teaching methods into the classroom. Classrooms have e-learning resources, but are used, because educators lack the training to fully incorporate the system. The potential of various e-learning methods have to be discovered and fully explored in the South-African schooling system.

It should be noted that the South African context is a unique and often challenging milieu to incorporate e-learning. The vast majority of schools lack the resources to equip classrooms with the basics let alone advanced technological equipment. Private schools that have adopted the new world of e-learning have done so with the luxury of resources at their disposal that is out of reach for the majority of underprivileged communities.

Through the teaching experience it became apparent that educators have become exhausted by everything that they are required to do. The least of these are shockingly teaching and doing thorough planning. Living in a digital age, learners are extremely visual and often learn through means of technology. For teachers to use technology as a way to facilitate learning; will require of them to put a lot more thought and planning into each lesson.

What does the future of learning look like? [Bloggers J: Mitra (2010) and Senser (2012)]

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Bloggers J: Blog Post

What does the future of learning look like?

Around the world, there is a common problem where education models are not adapted to the new demands of the world; therefore, learners are ill prepared for their futures. Coupled with this, teachers do not want to go to troubled areas where they are needed most. This situation is creating inefficiencies in the human capital continuum leaving us with the question, “what does the future of learning look like?” and “how do we align new educational models with the support to help it succeed?” Sugate Mitra offers us an explanation through his experiments with Self Organised Learning Environments, or SOLE for short. Mitra says, “If children have interest, then education happens”.

Modern schooling captures the notion of learners making sense of modern technology and holds multiple benefits for learning. The work of Sugata Mitra regarding new experiments in self-teaching demonstrates this idea of learners learning in groups or individually in a Self-Organised Learning Environment. Without any interference from the outside world, this environment developed results in groups of children learning to navigate the Internet and achieving educational objectives on their own.

Applicative educational pedagogies necessitates critical thinking skills from both the teacher and learner alike. The integrative design is not about replication, but selection and integration to form the foundation of a new model of learning. It revolves around addressing all aspects at once, rather than in isolation. Achieving this will accelerate learning and movement towards the learner’s goals. The education system thus teaches children how to learn to face challenges in society.

Future learning models and pedagogies should aim to suit the needs of each learner, and be learner centred, cost-effective, and technologically viable. Ryan Senser (2012) stipulates an integrated design of learning that will allow students to move forward in any direction they wish to go. By selecting the pieces we already have and integrating them, we can create a new model of education where children can be encouraged and equipped to become lifelong learners and graduate on to college or the working world. These learners will be ready for the challenges and opportunities that await them.

The future is something we have to work towards every day – we have to pick up the tools and work on the future that we want. For education, the utopia is a model where accelerated learning takes place in the direction that is in the best interest of the child.

Bloggers I: "Guidelines for ICT integration with NCS subjects Grades 10-12" (WCED, 2007)

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Bloggers H: Blog Post - 29 March 2017

Technology in the classroom does not only contribute to interactive learning but also helps the teacher to prepare the learners for the real world. As the world develops in technology each day, we are becoming more technological dependent. It gets more important to teach learners to be “tech savvy”, to not only help them study but to create successful techno citizens (Wainwright, n.d.).

What ICT integration could like in school subjects:

ENGLISH

Little emphasis is placed on writing with pen and paper. Assignments are typed and research is rather done using the internet. This ultimately results in learners relying on Autocorrect and Spell checks, thus not proofreading their work.

ICT is beneficial in the classroom and teachers can:

• show accent-related YouTube videos
• play songs for listening comprehensions (e.g. cloze exercise) and
• subtitled videos.

Many applications are designed for learning English such as EYE Read (increases reading speed) and Smart Ideas (incorporating visual literacy in a fun way). The use of Interactive White Boards (IWB) means that learners can see the language (enhancing reading skills) and interact with the content rather than just seeing words on a whiteboard.

The use of ICT can make learning fun and it adds variation to the classroom while still focusing on the learning outcomes and develops reading, writing, listening and speaking competence.

MUSIC

Computer software can assist in musical performance, composition, arrangement and music theory, and general research.  Audacity is some of the programs that are free for the school. Assignments and test can be created through notation programs. Electronic keyboards can be used as input into the notation program to create MIDI files. IWB can be a useful assistive tool if the teacher knows how to use it optimally.

Life Orientation (LO)

LO aims to develop skills, knowledge, values and attitudes that could empower learners. Technology (internet) can be seen as a great way to enrich the teaching and learning experience.

Examples of ICT in LO:

• A projected educational YouTube video.
• Learners are able to research different careers and see whether there’s a need for it in the job market.
• Learners are able to research causes, symptoms, treatments for different diseases through MayoClinic.
• A website like the LoveLife can enlighten learners about issues that young people face and dealing with the consequences of risky behaviour.

Mathematics:

According to the Guidelines for ICT integration with NCS subjects Grades 10-12 (WCED, 2007), the use of a computer in all learning outcomes and assessment standards will enhance teaching and learning, especially where the mathematical concepts depend on visual representation. “This is especially so when dealing with graphs and Space, Shape and Measurement.”

Computers are really useful with the drawing of graphs and exploring geometrical shapes and patterns, (especially transformations and tessellations).

Life Science (LS)

Other than whiteboards and projectors, software programs (Crocodile clips) can be used in an LS classroom to support learning and teaching. Simulations and/ or animations can be used to illustrate the most important information. Computers can furthermore be used to critically analyse data (in table form) through Excel or Dataharvest. Programs can also be used to show images and videos of dissections.

CONCLUSION

It is important to keep in mind that every subject has its own software needed to ensure successful learning. Thus, the content must suit the outcome of the curriculum. Although using technology and software in the classroom are encouraged, not all subjects are provided with digital resources. The Mindset multimedia is also just for specific subjects like; Mathematics, Physical Sciences, English and LO. This creates inequality to other subjects.

Digital Pedagogy [Bloggers H: Stommel (2014), UCF (2017), and Hypothes.is]

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Bloggers H: Blog Post - 29 March 2017

Critical pedagogy is an approach to teaching and learning that fosters agency and empowerment in learners. Therefore, critical digital pedagogy is the addition of technology into this approach. Additionally, technology opens a new educational space across the world to come together and discuss the content. However, “Far too much work in educational technology starts with tools, when what we need to start with is humans.” (Stommel, 2014).

When focussing on Critical Digital Pedagogy we must ask: “How can we build platforms that support learning across age, race, culture, gender, ability, geography?”. Consequently, critical digital pedagogy needs to start by allowing equality in learning across these groups that ultimately empower them. (Stommel, 2014)

An example of integrating technology in the classroom is blended learning (UCF, 2017). This entails reducing the teacher centred approach while incorporating technology. The learners can complete digital tasks anytime and anywhere thereby reducing the contact time the teacher required to relay content. However, critical pedagogy still needs to be incorporated to promote equality among the learners. This can be achieved by making full use of the reduced class time to focus on enhancing the learner’s literary and conceptual skills. Thus, the teacher can focus on the developing the learner's skills and abilities to increase their ZPD . Additionally, an example of ‘blended teaching’ is through an efficient concept called ‘e-exams’. ‘E-exams’ remove the process of the learner physically writing the exam, and the teacher marking it, as the system marks the exam seconds after the learner has finished typing and submitted it (UFC, 2017). 

To enhance the learner’s literacy and conceptual skill you can make use of Hypothes.is. The fact that Hypothes.is can be used to hold learners accountable for having done the reading of an article or context being discussed in class, could help learners with their annotation and reading skills which leads to granular feedback and improving literacy skills. Hypothes.is allows you to reach out to other learner’s notes. This will build a platform supporting learning across all races, culture, gender and abilities, which links with the use of digital pedagogy. Consequently, minimising inequality and empowering learners across all pedagogical capabilities. 

Before the use of technology is incorporated, one must first assess the learner’s literacy and critical thinking abilities. Therefore, critical digital pedagogy is a discipline that merely incorporates technology into the classroom but does not allow it to run the classroom.

Digital Pedagogy [Bloggers G: Morris (2013), Stommel (2013), and Hamilton (2014)]

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Bloggers G: Blog Post - 22 March 2017

Digital pedagogy broadly refers to "the use of electronic elements to enhance or change the experience of teaching" (Stommel, 2013). Digital pedagogues should not only possess knowledge on how to use digital technologies critically within the classroom, but use these technologies to change the way we have been thinking about teaching. In this way, technology in the classroom can become advantageous to both teachers and learners. To examine the good, bad and ugly aspects of digital pedagogy, we look to three independent blog writers and their takes on the topic.

Morris (2013) looks at teachers who incorporate technology into the classroom and how this does not automatically make them digital pedagogue. One can look at the invention of the Learning Management System (LMS) as an example thereof. According to Morris (2013), LMS was unsuccessful due to its prematurity. In other words, it did not push the capability of the internet nor did it motivate innovation within the classroom. LMS was thus a dull teaching method which could not match the vastness of the internet. Digital pedagogues should reach beyond the limitations of the LMS (Learning Management system), because to them teaching begins with inquiry, not authority or expertise.

According to Hamilton (2014), educational standards can limit the aims of a critical pedagogy. This means that educational standards can often dominate teaching circumstances. The reason being that a critical pedagogy exists for helping students question and challenge these standards. Standards, on the other hand, would limit them to do so. Hamilton (2014) states that there are three degrees to developing a richer notion of access that should be taken into consideration; access, which includes functional access (ability to use), experiential access (ability to use in personal context), and lastly critical access (ability to choose to use). These can all be considered limitations of digital pedagogy.

Practice makes perfect, right? Well, to become an expert at digital pedagogy one needs plenty of practice, patience, and experimentation. Digital pedagogy is not a path through the woods, instead, it is a compass which requires people working together towards a common goal for it to function well (Stommel, 2013). Generally, teachers will want to embrace digital pedagogy as a tool in their belt of teaching models. Nevertheless, it may not be as easy as reading up on the subject and inserting the techniques into the classroom. It seems that the process of becoming a digital pedagogue will be similar to the process of learners learning from a digital pedagogue.

Digital and Media Literacy [Bloggers D: Ericsson (2012) & Media Smarts (2017)]

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Bloggers D: Blog Post - 29 February 2017

The development in the industrial sector has led to huge technological advances, which in turn has led to changes in the ways we go about our daily lives. An example of where said changes have taken place can be seen in our approaches to teaching and learning. We are engaging in a shift from the chalkboard to the computer screen in the classroom. The following discussion will briefly explore how digital and media literacy can benefit both the teacher and the learner.

Traditionally, digital literacy refers to personal, technological, and intellectual skills necessary to participate in the digital world safely, wisely, and ethically (Media Smarts, 2017). Media literacy refers to the consumption of mass media in a critically engaging manner. The infiltration of digital practices in media means we cannot posit that digital literacy and media literacy are separate concepts. They are interrelated and mutually supporting in their constant flux of change and adaptation. Although most learners are digitally inclined, they still, however, lack the digital literacy skills to apply critical thinking to digital texts and approach the internet in a responsible and ethical manner. (Media Smarts, 2017). Therefore it is now the role of the educator to guide the learners and provide them with the necessary skills to do so. Thus, the educator aids the learners in the development of their digital literacy in order for digital pedagogy to function successfully.

Ericsson (2012) argues that textbooks and chalkboards no longer interest students, seeing as they are so reliant on digital stimulation. Through the implementation of digital pedagogy, learners will be able to comprehend, contextualise, and critically evaluate digital information in order to make informed decisions (Media Smarts, 2017).

“Knewton” and “Coursera” are examples of programs that can be used in the classroom to aid and develop the learning process. One of the major benefits of “Knewton” – which is an online aid – is its ability to predict failure in advance and, then to prevent it from happening again. The more people use it, the better and smarter the system gets which allows for more effective learning. It allows access to a lot of information and not just a textbook. “Coursera” offers high a quality product at a very low marginal cost for a student. Interactive videos allow the students to exchange ideas and questions. It also has various meaningful assessments and not just multiple choice exercises. The interactive basis allows the learners to form a community and ask questions that will be answered, and also creates a social experience.

One can thus argue that digital pedagogy benefits the learner, seeing as digital and media literacy is developed, and the learner is provided with a functional skills set in terms of searching for online information.