How technology has helped my learning

In school I use technology very little really even thou I passed my GCSE in IT, most my work was handwritten and taken from textbook. In my current studies this has all changed with technology being the cornerstone of my research, presentations and assignments and can't imagine learning in any other way now.

I find Moodle a great tool for learning and on there a lot, just checking out assignment briefs and PowerPoints and refreshing my memory of what we went over in class. The ability to use Moodle really helps in the classroom too as gives you the freedom to listen to the teacher and take in what there saying, instead of scribbling down loads of notes ten to the dozen.

Even social media is a great learning tool and have found our PCET Facebook page really useful, with people always sharing tips and experiences and just a place where can express any concerns you may have about assignments and anything your unsure of, with classmates quickly coming back to you to ease those concerns.

Technology I believe has really helped my learning and development and didn't think I would be back in Uni now without it, just makes research and learning more enjoyable and more accessible which is great but being as busy a a PCET student is.

What is your experience of mobile technology and learning

My experience of mobile technology start in last year of school in 2000 where I had my first brick of a Nokia mobile phone, which by the way was indestructible and still works to this day and still to be found in the draw as the emergency "back up" phone. This was the extent of my mobile technology really with the exception of a few mobile updates until I returned to Uni in 2009, where my learning on mobile devices really began, getting a brand new 7" Dell note book, which fitted nicely to to my man bag.

From there I didn't look back and I was always on it for uni research, producing my assignments which gave me the freedom not to be stuck in the library or on a PC for hours on end and often did research on the train, in the uni canteen and just on my lap while sitting on the sofa watching TV (exactly what I'm doing now). That little Dell did me proud and got me though my Uni studies until the sad day in 2012 when it took it's last breathe and is no longer with us.

I am now always on a mobile device having a MacBook Pro, where I do all my assignments, lesson plans, lessons and research, but this is supported by my Smartphone and tablet which are always close by if I ever need to "google it" or check Moodle or my student emails. From a learning perceptive I could not be with my mobile technology and do a lot of research online to support my textbooks, so easy just to check a assignment brief or submission date just on your phone no Matter where you are.

I also have a kindle on my bedside table, witch is great for a late night read or laying by the pool on hols as a lot light that carrying a tonne of books, and this provides a bit of learning and reading just for yourself learning and enjoyment.

Barriers to the effective use of technology in education

When we think of modern day education and learning, technology plays a major part with everything from research to turning in assignments and VLE's, however this blog is going to look at the barriers of the effectiveness of technology in education and will be supported by academic findings.

Laurillard and Deepwell (2014) conducted a survey on the effective use of learning technology in education within a FE environment. The main barriers and findings of the survey as are followed:

• Lack of support for teachers in incorporate technology in their teaching practice.
• Lack of credit and recognition from awarding bodies, governing bodies and other key influencers 
• Focus on targets and inspection does not encourage experimentation in new technology.
• Lack of teachers knowledge in technology.

I feel the overall theme of the findings of this survey are that teachers believe that they are under too much pressure to perform with little or no encouragement and support to change their teaching styles and experiment with new technology. 

The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) produced a report in 2003 also about the barriers to the use of technology in learning and looked at the perspective of the student and found the main barriers being:

• Lack of IT Equipment and correct soft and hardware.
• Lack of Technical support.
• Lack of training due to the teachers ICT ability.
• Focus on basic skills not extending ICT knowledge.

The report suggests that these barriers can be overcome with the changing of attitudes and more training provided for students and teachers alike and looking at both internal and external barriers witch may be faced. 

They state that Key Questions that education providers should be asking are;

       "What barriers do teachers in your school think affect their use of ICT?

         Is the whole school involved in, and supportive of, the process of integrating the use of ICT?

         Are ICT resources deployed so as to enable teachers to access them easily and integrate them  

         effectively?

         Is your ICT training provisions focused on pedagogy, differentiated by skill level, and arranged

         with sensitivity to teachers workloads? "

The findings show that although technology plays a massive part of teaching and within education, there are still many barriers to it's effectiveness and that on going training and development alongside encouragement is key to overcome these hurdles and produce more efficient technology based teaching environment. 

     

                                                                   Bibliography 

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (2003) What the research says about barriers to the use of ICT in teaching, accessed on 4th December from http://www.mmiweb.org.uk/publications/ict/Research_Barriers_TandL.pdf

Laurillard, D and Deepwell, M (2014) ALT Survey on the effective use of learning technology in education, Education Technology Action Group, Accessed on 4th December from https://www.alt.ac.uk/sites/alt.ac.uk/files/public/ALTsurvey%20for%20ETAG%202014.pdf

                

The value of mobile technology in teaching and learning.

Tablets, mobile phones and other mobile devices have become the norm in society today, with access to to the internet and knowledge only a few seconds away, but what impact has this had on education and the way we both teach and learn???

Weldon (2013) reports on a study carried by Project Tomorrow of two class of the same age in different schools where giving tablets and wireless access both at school and at home. The study revealed that through the introduction of mobile technology both study groups found;

From a teaching perspective: Teacher and student communication had improved and the teachers found productivity increased with the ability to develop new learning opportunities for the students.

The students found research and gaining learning materials easier, and learning styles and how they approached learn changed with the use of technology now their first port of call.

Weldon states that it has been hard to measure the importance of technology in learning and how studies like this can help us gain un understanding, this is supported by Julie Evans (Cited by Nagel,2013) who is the CEO of Project Tomorrow who Stated;

  "This study is important because it gets beyond simply putting a tablet in the hands of students, and it examines how to effectively implement tablets within instruction to improve student learning".

Nagel goes on to explain that the implementation of mobile devices at home did not encourage bad behaviour and some doubters may have thought but enhanced the learning experience, however he stresses that teachers need to control mobile learning and support students with clear goals and structure. 

Overall I believe this study just supports what I already thought, with mobile technology becoming a very important tool for both learning and teaching with students being to gain information so easily and pushing the research boundaries further than anyone could of imagined. Nagel makes a good point however, to make sure there is still structure and clear goals form the teacher to keep the students learning relative and to still have control of their students learning. 


                                                                    Bibliography 

Nagel, D (2013) Mobile Study: Tablets make a difference in teaching and learning, The Journal accessed on 3rd December 2014 from http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/11/20/mobile-study-tablets-make-a-difference-in-teaching-and-learning.aspx


Weldon, D (2013) Recent studies confirm value of mobile technology, tablets in classroom, FierceMobileIT, Accessed on 3rd December from http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story/recent-studies-confirm-value-mobile-technology-tablets-classroom/2013-12-05

How technology has changed learning

How technology has changing learning.

Over the past several years technology has completely changed the face of teaching and learning, with pens and paper being a thing of the past with laptops and iPads becoming the norm within the classroom.  Education Secretary Michael Gove (2013) in a speech highlighted three ways that technology has changed teaching, learning and assessment which were;

i)               Helping us learn – Explaining  that learning is now not just for the privilege few but now open to everyone with an internet connection, he elaborates on this by giving examples of online libraries and uploaded videos from teachers and scholars.  

ii)              How we teach - Interactive whiteboards have replaced tradition chalk boards where multimedia can be used for demonstration, interactive forums, games and networks can be shown on the board.  Students can use mobile tablets can be used for students for research and storing work.

iii)            How we assess – Teachers can now closely monitor student’s strength and weaknesses through online submissions, games and activities without the student having to speak up and maybe getting embarrassed in a classroom environment. Assessment can also be logged easier through technology, with a digital foot print being created with time, date and grade all being logged.

However Gove states that although technology has changed dramatically, the general style of teaching has not differed with teachers still standing in front of the class talking, suggesting that this will have to change in the future.

Dr McKnight (2013) supports Gove's statement by saying there are 12 ways technology has changed learning, including the the IPad with she calls a game changer, which is a powerful tool for both student and teacher and the it presents an exciting future for learning. McKnight also explains how the rise of the internet has had an major impact on learning with information being at our finger tips 24/7. 

I believe that the change and development in technology has drastically changed the face of education and on whole for the greater good and the prospect now of teaching in this era is an exciting one, however it is important not to forget the core values of teaching and that the teacher is the presentation and technology should support them not take over. 

                                                                           Bibliography 

Gove, M (2013) Technology is changing the way we teach, learn and assess, Education Business, The Business Magazine for Education Accessed on 28th Nov 2014 from ttp://www.educationbusinessuk.net/index.php/features/5-/3371-gove-technology-is-changing-the-way-we-teach-learn-and-assess

McKnight, K (2013) Top 12 Ways Technology Changed Learning, K-12 News, Lessons & Shared Resources, By Teachers for Teachers accessed on 25th Nov 2014 from http://www.teachhub.com/how-technology-changed-learning 

Useful Teaching blog!

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog

Useful link above to the teachers blog from the Guardian paper. The blog is regularly updated and has a variety of blog styles from an academic reading to teachers sharing their thoughts and experiences.
I personally liked the reading list of useful current material with articles from the likes of Brian Cox.

With the option to add comments, it's good to get the perspective of a diverse audience, many of the them in the same boat as me and new to the teaching world. There is good links to affiliated useful websites, including to national reports and proposed changes to education.

One article witch I found very useful was a list of ten tips of what works and doesn't work when teaching, including things like building relationships with students, colleagues and parents, learning styles and the importance of having good subject knowledge.

The search bar makes finding relevant articles easy and there is an archive of older reading which is useful when comparing teaching developments as can b seen below;

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/nov/19/teacher-workloads-job-changed

Overall a good blog and though lots of useful hints, tips for new up and coming teachers as ourselves and maybe a few for teachers who been in the game a long time.

How Technology helped my teaching

Where would we be without technology in teaching?  Although teaching is about the presentation of the teacher and engaging with our students, technology plays a big part within structuring lessons and preparing the teacher to deliver the most effective module both in and outside the classroom. Gone are the days of big puffs of chalk as the teacher bangs the erasers together with interactive boards having been introduced, which are connected to computers and PowerPoint’s, Pinterest and other programmes can be used as aide-memoires of the teacher and a visual aid for the learners.

Learning and teaching can now be 24 hours with the use of the Internet; VLE’s, social media, email and Google search all playing an important part of modern day education. From a teaching perspective lessons and assignments and extended reading material can be posted on VLE’s such as Moodle and blackboard, can be accessed by students any time and any place, hopefully ensuring that all students are up to date with their work and can be more engaged in lessons as do not have to make the same amount of notes.

Online registration and turninit can provide an online record of attendance and assignments handed in and grades, making scraps of paper every where a think of the past. 

As I'm finding my feet as a teacher I think I would be a little lost without technology as I found it real gives structure to my lessons and suppose is some sort of a comfort blanket holding my hand while these 16 year old students look at me with confused expressions on their faces. I do always love the use of a video in class just short and brief but think real helps the students grasp a concept and but fresh on the bones of what i am teaching them.

Although technology is great as a teacher, there is always the few seconds of blind panic when a video won't load or the sound isn't working;

Ted Talks about Twitter!!

POWER OF TWITTER - Interesting and scary Ted Talks video by Del Harvey who works in security at Twitter. The piece starts by talking about the explosion of tweets over the past 5 years; going from 2 million tweets a day in 2009 to over 500 million tweets a day in 2014, underlining the power that social media has everyday life.

She explains that 99.99999% of tweets are harmless and used for the right reasons and only 0.00001% of tweets may be harmful and treating, which seems a drop in the ocean and nothing really to worry about until she puts this in to really terms and 0.0001% equals 150,000 tweets a day, A scary thought!!!
 "PEOPLE ARE WEIRD" is a consideration that she says she has to consider, demonstrating this by showing a tweet saying "Yo Bitch", which at first you could think is offensive and cause for concern, but local and youthful dialect may be a factor and this could be a normally acceptable greeting between friends. However the picture that was tweeted with this statement was of a dog using the laptop, meaning the tweet wasn't only not offensive but also accurate, leading back to the notion "PEOPLE ARE WEIRD".

 Overall I thought the video was informative, interesting and delivered with a sense of humour, and open my eyes to the true power of Twitter and the volume of daily tweets. From a teaching point of view twitter can be an excellent source of up to date current knowledge and news, however consideration has to be made for the students safety and well being with the large volume of harmful tweets, even thou it is only 0.0001% of them!!

 Worth a watch!!

He's Big I bet he can shout!!!

This was my feedback from my tutor who I share a two hour lesson with after teaching my level 2 group for the 1st time. after being told how disturbed and naughty they are, they were model students and enjoyed the lesson, asked lots of questions and answered all the questions of the quiz without a problem.

When my tutor asked for feed back from the class they said learned a lot and enjoyed my teaching and I student piped up and said  "he's a big guy, I bet he can shout!!".

So with all the teaching strategies and theories we have looked at the secret to being a good teacher is being "BIG" and able to shout loudly!!!

Really enjoying my placement so far thou and feel like I have been there for ages, just re ensured that this is what I want to do with my life!!!

MircoSoft and Me!

My journey with MircoSoft started in comprehensive school in IT lessons, in the days before the 'C's' where added for ICT. They were normally very boring lessons with our IT teacher leaving us run wild, and often popping out of the room to get 'resources' knowing he was going for a cheeky Fag.

 

Although without lack of teaching I muddled my way through my the course and achieved a B grade, and gain a basic knowledge of MircoSofe Word and a confused double dutch understanding of Excel. 

My Computer and MircoSoft applications were then stored neatly away at the back of my mind until I returned to university at the age of 24. Being the 'old man' of the class it was a bit of a baptism of fire using my MircoSoft skills with everything I knew being out of date and being a lot slower than everyone else. I developed my skills through asking a lot of questions of my class mates and generally playing with applications in  my spare time. By the time I finished University I was confident in Word, producing all my written assignments in Word, I did many presentations in PowerPoint and I am confident inserting text, changing profiles adding designs and delivering them as a presentation. During recent work experience I have become developed my basic Excel skills and can use simple formulars. 

I currently use a MacBook Pro and use MircoSoft Word, which can be frustrating at times when writing assisgnments as the toolbar has a different layout and there is no referencing option to create a Reference List.

Refelective Mind Mapping

PCET Social Media

https://todaysmeet.com/PCETSocialMedia



I was very impressed with TodaysMeet for an interactive tool for the students, great for students who do not want to put their hand up in class and ask a question or for a large lecturer hall where communication is difficult. Useful for teachers too to gage the students learning understanding and to cover and answer and questions the students my have.

I will definitely be trying to incorporate it into my lesson's in the future and think it will be a great tool to have in the locker get student feedback.

Another example how ICT can be a great help within education for both the teacher and student.

Technology in my house!

Hi,

Here's a list of technology which I have in my house, please do not pass these details on to any burglars as quite like my stuff ha!


Tv x 2
Macbook pro
Kindle
Hudle 7" tablet
Mobile phone x2
Printer/scanner
Virgin Box x 2
Dvd player
Wii

Cheers

James

My Journey to PCET

Sitting here in University after returning to education after several years in the world of business and sport. Having recently retired through injury from playing professional and semi professional rugby for the last ten years, I have time to reflect on my career and life after playing sport!!!!

Until April I was quite content in my role as a recruitment consultant, taking home a good salary and playing a high level of rugby every Saturday until the last game of the season which was insidently my 30th birthday I reptured my achilles tendon for the second time. Folowing this was an operation, 3 weeks in a cast and 16 weeks in a boot. During this time I had 12 weeks off work and really evaluated what I really wanted to do with my life. I have always had an ambition to teach and wanted to use the skills and knowledge I gain in University and a chance to inspire.

After some research I found the PCET and  it was everything I wanted to achieve and after an in depth conversation with my suppotive wife I decieded to take the plunge and return to university.

So exciting times ahead with a career change and ambition hopefully achieved and a new little addition to the family coming along in March!