Managing E-Learning

When participating in the online quiz regarding learning styles I felt, even whilst taking the questionnaire, that my learning styles were quite contradictory.  For many of the questions I felt there should have been some middle-ground that would have been more relevant for me.  Below, my results are listed.

ACT                          X                        REF
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEN                                          X        INT
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      VIS              X                                    VRB
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEQ                          X                        GLO
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

Regardless of the results from the questionnaire results, I feel that my learning styles are particularly active, visual and hands on.  I find I learn best with visuals, and with some form of technology.  With a particularly hard challenge I like text in order to further understand the topic.  Text allows me to take the time, read through numerous times until a wider understanding has been made.  In a wider classroom sense, a learning manager must take all learners into consideration, for example, a lesson may consist of active components, the initial 'doing', followed by a reflective fragment led by the learning manager recapping the lesson for the learners.  By using a learner-led class activity, the learners will also show the ways in which they process the information they are receiving and how they came about their answers.  A multi-modal lesson is a great way in which to enthral all learners within the classroom.  These can include powerpoint presentations, with images, pictures and graphs to help create knowledge, whilst the learning manager lectures the learners, and explains what is happening on the board.  A learning manager must be prepared for all learners to grasp the content at their own will, some learners may take longer then others.  

I really like Prensky's ideologies and thoughts relating to the recent technological advances and their relation to the educational world.  What particularly resonates with me is how the immigrants are ignorant of the natives and their ways and habits of learning.  Having grown up through the technological boom, (currently 21 years old), to some extents I guess I am native, however, compared to many peers I do not possess many technological skills, nor the patience to learn them.  I agree with Prensky when he says that in order for the current generation to learn, educators must become reliant on ICT.  Prensky states that learners are changing, their attention spans, habits and patience with learning is becoming shorter.  However I cannot help but think of a future beyond this generation, how short will this generations attention span become?  Speaking for myself, my own attention span is so short I have forgotten about my first sentence.  I included 'ignorant' in the title of my wiki to describe my own place in the technological realm.  For example, this weeks exercise; read one reading, 300 words about it, then another 300 words on writing the latter and your experience with it all, was made dreadfully painful for me.  Creating a wiki, and then a blog, working out how to use the two(at which I still struggle) has taken me far longer then if I were to have simply read the article and written these two down.  Perhaps this course will make my technological advances less painfree, perhaps I will always be an ignorant immigrant.  Either or, I will become a learning manager, even if I need a translator.

Week 2

Mobile Phones in Classroom wiki
I found this particular wiki much easier to navigate, and the topic a reasonable one.  I found that much of my participation in the wiki was fuelled by a social constructivism, from my experiences within classrooms, both as a learner, and as a learning manager.  I have always been against the use of mobile phones, and find them quite rude in many situations.  I find them to be very similar to a particular smell, which, when smelt in public places, one, hopefully, seeks to be excused.  However, many people seem to use mobile phones, regardless of whether they are holding a conversation, someone is trying to teach them something, or they are in a group meeting and they never seek to be excused.  I don't like it if someone stops listening to me, even if they have to check their messages, and these social experiences have shaped my own awareness to others mobile phone use.  With each hat in the wiki brought different experiences to mind, all of these experiences based upon my own understanding of mobile phones.  The tiered levels allowed my brain to continually move along the same frame throughout the exercise.  It also allowed me to think from others perspectives, those that were different to my own.  This would be a good exercise when learners are struggling to respond to the material in a positive way.  The exercise will help them to think out of the box, and into other aspects of the subject.

Week 3
Online Technologies
I think that blogs could be a great method of tracking learners progress throughout a learning unit.  Blogs can act as an online diary in which learners will be able to vent their opinions/knowledge/progress that a learning manager will be able to follow in order for the continuation of the unit, and also further profiling of their learners.  If nothing else, a learning manager will be able to gather information about their learners likes/dislikes and use this information in a learning context.  A blog is also great for brainstorming in the learners own time, for example, how blogs are being used in this course.  A lecturer is able to view submissions and examples of learning even though the course is external and may have been difficult in other situations. A blog, and wiki in this situation, can be used in group work, where a collaboration is easily accessible for all members of the group.  This also makes it easy for the learning manager to view progress, and also to draft this progress as they wish.  The learning can also continue to mould their learners declarative knowledge by organising a manner in which learners may scaffold this information in their blogs.

The link to my wiki:
James' wiki page
Contains a summary on this weeks content regarding wiki's, blogs and websites.

Website: manageyourelearn.weebly.com

Week 4:

Have just completed week 4 summary including picture from Picnik, and movie using iMovie about dog and a man.  The movie wasn't loading so when I clicked cancel it deleted everything I had done today.  Immigrant struggling to stay ahead.  Here is my photo on Picnik.  I cannot get movie to load, but will try again once I have saved this first paragraph.  Will fix this review properly before assessment piece however cannot face doing it all again today.  I also could not work out how to load a podcast on here, but have had some experience with them and am currently receiving new music for free from triple j in podcast form.  I found some great educational podcasts from what must be an american class very similar to managing e-learning, however could not download them for some reason.  .  Also have recently acquired an iPhone, if anyone reading this has access download the app Sepia Camera, it free and great to use.  Similar to Picnik, but with more versions and takes some really great photos.  Have experienced using movie-making software in class before, and in my next lesson will be implementing a lesson around the web program Prezi.  Check it out, multiple avatars, with endless movements, accents, text, settings, voices.  Will set this out much better for assessment as I just kept writing as i remembered what I just wrote.

Week 5: Multimedia Presentations

Group 3 Technologies

I have long been familiar with both Microsoft office programs, word and powerpoint, through my own schooling, my university studies and through my embedded learning practice presenting information for the learners. I have never experienced using powerpoint in this manner, I found it quite easy to use, and could be great fun for all learners.  It is also an easy way for learners to interact with their content a bit more.  I think this is a great format that a learning manager can utilise to scaffold their learning, through their progress through the powerpoint.  A learning manager may only choose, depending on the length of the powerpoint and the content being used, to have multiple offshoots of the one particular answer.  From an English teachers perspective, this sort of interactive page could be great for analysing a text.  The learning manager may insert a simple paragraph, with links throughout the text to another page explaining the authors various techniques.  I have completed a funny little presentation that I will upload to my webpage shortly.  

Throughout my EPL2 I have been introduced to Prezi, and I think it is a great addition to any classroom scenario.  Learners can construct their own presentation, using a rambling, open canvas style format.  

Below is my link to a Prezi presentation:  

Murray & the possible girlfriend

Group 4 technologies:

I have had a very limited experience with interactive websites and technologies, however just last week in my embedded days I found a site that would help my Year 8 SOSE learners gather information and perspective about the landing at Galipoli.  This website is run by the ABC and shows learners through an interactive format, how the landing at Galipoli came to be.  Here is the link:  http://www.abc.net.au/innovation/gallipoli/

 I think these sort of interactive technologies are great, as it gives many learners a 'practical' look at a time/place/object, from the safety of the classroom.  All learners will find these websites enjoyable as well as informative, and I think it is a great way for learners with learning disabilities to get involved.

Learners have used the search engine google for as long as they have been interacting with computer technology.  Those familiar with google will also be familiar with the google earth and google maps.  These advancements make it easy enough for learners to see their own house, from street view to aerial.  This sort of technology can be used as a learning manager see's fit, from SOSE, orienteering and utilising earth to find specific countries and topics of history.