The neverending story...

In my very first blog post I had done the first week’s course work and realised that I was a bit conceited and I had gotten very comfortable, and I really wasn’t as good as I thought I was; I had been humbled. I wrote that I was ready to level up. Well I have levelled up. I’ve also realised how many more level-ups I’ve got to go, because I’m never going to be finished climbing the ranks in this digital game! This course so far has been such a positive learning experience for me. It has drawn together practical examples of digital technologies, placed them in a framework of good pedagogical practices and learning theories, and shown me how to use them in a classroom in a safe, legal and ethical manner. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through my last six blog posts again, because I realised both how much I have grown, and how much further I have got to go. It's the neverending story, the tale of a lifelong learner. As I was reading I noticed a few key themes in my posts, that nicely link together the theory, the pedagogy and the technology.

Technological and Personal Development

One of the things I have loved most, and mentioned several times over the weeks, is the fact that this course promotes technological AND personal development. I have learned to use applications and programs such as WikiSpaces, Weebly, YouTube Editor, Prezi and Evernote (just to name a few). I can now edit videos and build cool websites. But more importantly, I have worked on some equally (if not more important!) non-technological skills such as perseverance, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration, all of which are skills that the 21st century student needs to learn in the classroom. The building of skills is what Constructivist Learning Theory is all about. Jean Piaget's beliefs about the educator as a facilitator (and mentor, consultant, coach) rather than just a teacher, fits in with my own fledgling pedagogy. (Teachnology n.d.)

Higher Order Thinking

I found the DeBono's hats task the hardest and most frustrating of all the weekly tasks, but I believe also the most beneficial in terms of changing my mindset. My biggest revelation was really understanding the value of higher order thinking. It was the first time I had seen Bloom's Taxonomy in action, and I was amazed at how well this could be applied to any number of classroom lessons. That activity really encouraged me to look more deeply at learning design, and how I am going to approach my next prac. Even what I thought were simple things like using images in classes can be (and should be) taken to the next level by teaching students visual literacy; deconstructing images to reconstruct meaning. This ties in with digital literacy; it's not just the ability to use a range of technologies, it's the analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information to create new information/media/technology.

Creativity and Real-World Engagement

This course has changed my approach to planning; I think that it is imperative that we use digital technologies to apply lessons in real-world contexts, because that is how we will most effectively engage learners. I found the SAMR model at times challenging, but incredibly helpful in pushing myself to aim for a redefinition level in the learning tasks I created every single time. With an awareness of available technologies and some creativity, we can create a huge range of incredible learning tasks that support students in the way they learn best. Real-world engagement means real security, legal and ethical issues too, and I believe it is so important that this is put into real-world contexts for the learner. If they can understand that the internet is almost a living being, not just information on a computer screen, they may start to be aware of their online presence, both the pros and cons, and they can think more critically about the information they put out there on the world wide web.

Shared Learning and Collaboration 

Long gone are the days where learning is for the elite; with movements such as hackschooling and unschooling starting to show the shift in traditional pedagogy, the time for regulated individual learning is really over. Students can manage and control their own learning, particularly through the amazing treasure trove of OERs and MOOCs available online. Shared learning was something I loved in this course, particularly when we worked in small groups; not only did I learn three times the amount of information on the technology, but I got to see other people's views and interpretation on the processes and learning. Collaboration has so much of an advantage beyond completing the end product; it has learning outcomes that go beyond the cognitive sphere, feeds right back into personal growth, and promotes all the skills that are required of the 21st century learner. Reflecting on my personal collaboration in this course, I feel like it is an area I certainly could have done better in. Our on-campus group is unusually tight-knit, and this has become a stumbling block for honest, constructive feedback. While I have made a few more detailed and constructive comments on the blogs of those outside our Noosa group, I found that I struggled to provide honest feedback to those in my class. I understand now that this blocks the collaborative process; if no one makes suggestions for improvement, or questions something, how is the end product supposed to evolve?

This class has been fantastic; it has shown me the value of higher order thinking and collaboration, made me really think about creative learning design for real-world engagement, and has propelled me into technological and personal growth. My learning clearly links in with each of the eight pedagogical principles that I feel will really inform my teaching, particularly leading into my prac next term. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given in this class; if I have learned all of this in only seven weeks, I can't wait to find out what the next five hold!

References

Teachnology. (n.d.). Piaget's Theory of Constructivism. Retrieved from http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/constructivism/piaget/