Kristin's+Day+Trip

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__Kristin's Day Trip__ Today we will travel to the south part of the island to a valley nestled in between the hills on PedTech. It is here that a special community has been set up to research e-Learning specific to New Zealand schools. Currently, participants are analyzing part of a document produced by New Zealand's Ministry of Education. On our trip South, read this article and reflect on your current teaching practices.

// Journal Article: // ** Pedagogy and e-Learning **

This article is an extract from the MOE (2010) 'E-learning and the implications for New Zealand Schools: a literature review.' p.23-32. Please join us for a discussion, at the bottom of the page, for a closer look at the pedagogy behind the technology in New Zealand schools. From the MOE (2010) article we can see that there are many tools which can enhance learning in primary and middle schools. I have chosen wikis as the tool from the article to focus on for this page.

Examine The extract from the MOE (2010) article reinforces the importance of pedagogy and its adaptations to e-learning. It looks at how e-learning has been developed in three broad categories; learning //about// technology, learning //with// technology and learning //through// technology. It drives home that the use of technology without pedagogy has little value and that the ‘glitz’ of new technology wears off quickly when essential nothing changes but the vehicle used to transport content. The extract looks at the tools currently being used in New Zealand schools and the resistance of some teachers to ‘come on board’. It outlines both the advantages and issues facing the use of e-learning.

So what do you think about Pedtech Island? Does this wikispace have an appeal for you? Here's an article by Alison Ruth and Luke Houghton //[|The Wiki Way to Learn],// which encompasses the reasons for touring Pedtech and other wikispaces. We would like to think your tour has provided you with many of the benefits of wiki learning and that you can reflect on the types of learning you have done so far.
 * Learning Outcomes ** By the end of this discussion we hope you will be able to:
 * Reflect on the effects on learning when appropriate pedagogy is not in place.
 * Suggest ways in which we can create an online presence in the design of a wiki for classrooms.
 * Explain why it is crucial for the pedagogy to be in place in New Zealand schools with regards to technology.

Unpackage Consider these questions and post your response below.

** Q1 - Pedagogical Statements: ** Which of the statements at the beginning of the MOE article do you think is the most important in relation to our primary and middle schools? Explain the reason why you chose that statement. ** Q2 - Pedagogy is Crucial: ** "..effective e-learning opportunities do not happen without a teacher's deliberate pedagogical actions." Can you think of a situation where you were the learner and could not reason the pedagogy behind the task you were set? How did this affect your attitude/motivation towards learning? ** Q3 - Creating an Online Presence: ** A wiki is a great space for collaboration. How do you envisage creating an online presence if you were to incorporate a wiki into your course design? What other tools could you use in conjunction with wikis to enhance this?

= Toolbox =

Wikispaces This is an great website which is free of advertising and easy to design and edit. It is friendly for first-time users and great for students. There is a lot of support in creating, designing and editing your wiki. Probably the most well known wiki using this tool is wikipedia. [|Wet Paint] This wiki has a simple interface and password protection. You can easily add RSS feeds and collaborate with others. This space does have GoogleAds. [|PB works] "As easy as making a peanut butter sandwich." Again this is an easy to use wiki with a simple interface, which can be upgraded for a small fee.

Feel free to add tech tools integrated with sound pedagogy to ** @Our Toolbox. **

= Twitter =

**Hoot! Hoot! Have you Tweeted yet? #pedtech** media type="custom" key="15473948"

= Discussion = Add your thoughts and relate your experiences in the ** Discussion Area. ** include component="comments" page="Kristin's Day Trip" limit="20"

s  Summary and Reflections I can see by the responses to our discussion, that there is no doubt we are in agreement, technology without appropriate pedagogy is just another mode of delivery. It strikes me that the greatest benefits we see in using technology are collaboration and the depth of learning that this provides for the participants. The reflections you have made on your own personal learning and teaching environments would support the assertions presented in the MOE (2010) article: ¨ Learning must be developed around active construction of knowledge, not content retention ¨ Constructing knowledge is a skill that needs to be learned ¨ Deeper learning is most likely to occur through collaboration, interaction and reflection using technology ¨ Facilitators must provide authentic practice of the tools students are using when learning through technology ¨ Teachers need to be prepared to change their practice to interactive, collaborative and student-centred learning which embraces technology

Through PedTech Island we have tried to showcase some of the benefits of the wiki. With your contributions and the design of the wiki, we have been able to establish an online community, which I feel has a relaxed and positive social presence. Some of the other benefits of a wiki you have described as effective for learning are: ¨ It provides a platform for collaborative work ¨ It allows students to critique others work and respond in a constructive manner ¨ It provides practice for the skills of authoring, editing, and publishing ¨ It can provide a world-wide audience (if an open forum) ¨ It promotes creation and building of knowledge with and for others ¨ Teachers and students can work collaboratively to build better relationships Using wikis also requires us to be aware of the issues, which may arise if we use them in our learning environments: ¨ The information is only monitored by those who are interested and not necessarily ‘experts’ in the field. ¨ Some participants may become upset when others edit their work ¨ Ensuring the workload is shared when the group’s work is being assessed ¨ Having the technical knowledge to achieve the interface and content participants desire Your passion shown in our ‘conversations’, demonstrates you appreciate the benefits of using wikis in your learning environment. Once again we would love to hear what you have achieved from developing wikis with your students. You could also provide links to any wikis you create, which you feel are relevant to PedTech Island.

With these thoughts in mind we move north to ‘Lorraine’s Day Trip’ and look at how virtual worlds can integrate these pedagogies into effective learning outcomes. Thanks for joining us.

= Summary and Reflection =