Thank you to all my peers and Dr. Katia Hildebrandt for a fantastic semester! This course had a greater impact on my knowledge of tech tools which made me keen to learn more about them and left with the lot of questions that as educator we must keep asking, I am grateful for all the learning and meaning full discussions.
– Meenu
The educational process has evolved significantly over the last decade, providing students of all ages with enhanced and interactive experiences through various technology. One example is the incorporation of AR and VR technology into the classroom to immerse students in the material they are studying and bring it to life, thereby broadening their imagination and promoting a better learning experience which was initially introduced as a means of entertainment. All students, from preschool to post-secondary, benefit from the use of virtual and augmented reality in education. VR creates an immersive virtual environment that is 75% virtual, while AR augments a real-world scene that is 25% virtual. Both require a headset device and students can move in a virtual environment. and students can move in a fictional world thought AR is more closer to the reality that’s when the mixed reality comes in handy which is a perfect cross between AR and VR. This is most likely a newer term, but this technology is expected to become mainstream in education and business in the near future. It is based on allowing instinctive data interaction while eliminating screen-based work.
let’s look at some of the benefits of incorporating Mixed realities into classrooms-
Every technological invention has its own set of challenges; these are some of the difficulties that educators may face when incorporating these realities into the classroom.
To summarise, I believe it is a great tool to include in modern teaching for improved learning; however, I strongly believe it is not a substitute for reality; maintaining a nice balance is important. I liked the point that we discussed in our class presentation that it can be really useful for field trips, especially to places that are difficult to reach for monetary and security reasons, such as the NASA space centre, the Museum of London, world’s historical sites, and so on.
Thank you!
Coding is a creative process, a skill that can be learn by anyone irrespective of their age and allows you to make something out of nothing, and when you create something from. zero, it activates your imagination and, leads you to the path of creativity. Not just this coding is fun and entertaining activity there are so many websites like scratch, blockly, Ruby, which enables kids build the game of their choice using block coding this kind of hands on learning helps kids to build cognitive skills but in a fun way. There are nemerous benefit of learning coding especially for kids of younger age like it enables problem solving skill, computational thinking, promotes creativity etc. Coding requires more practice rather than theory so, Kids learn it by doing it.
Coding, in my opinion, is beneficial to all students, regardless of career preference, especially at a time when our lives are so reliant on technology. According to this article, 50% of jobs today require coding skills, so learning coding will undoubtedly open up more opportunities for them in the future. Furthermore, coding provides a new perspective on the world, much like learning and mastering a second language. Computer code, like English or any other language, is a way to describe reality. A programming language, like any natural language, has its own grammar and syntactic rules, and thus offers many of the same benefits. Many places will not hire you if you do not speak a second language.
Image source- https://medium.com/@revatiwable/is-coding-good-for-kids-a1b2636a1ac3
Here are some of the major benefits of why I think coding is beneficial for all the students-
Image source- https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/education/passionate-turkish-engineer-promotes-coding-for-children
There are numerous advantages to learning to code. However, if there is a lot of resistance from parents and teachers about learning coding, it is because of a lack of awareness about the subject because coding has been around for years but was not a part of a school curriculum, many parents still believe that it is a professional subject and should only be learned at the university level, the government of Ontario and many other countries are now coming up with idea of making coding a regular subject in schools like any other so that parents and students both can learn and understand the importance of it.
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Assistive technology is used to improve the overall quality of learning. Assistive Technology refers to any device, software, or equipment that assists people in overcoming obstacles. People frequently associate assistive technology with disabled people; however, assistive technology can be used by anyone in need. .Google assistant, amazon’s voice-activated Alexa and Siri are some of the common examples assistive technology that we all commonly use on a daily basis. Some more examples of assistive technology are text-to-speech and word prediction. Assistive technology also includes low-tech tools such as pencilgrips and Jouse3 as well as high-tech tools such as proofreading softwares, Ginger, which assists students with dyslexia and other learning disorders with writing, and mathtalk, which is a speech recognition system. Math software programme that can assist students with disabilities ranging from pre algebra to phd level mathematics. In the classroom, assistive technology includes the use of calculators, electronic worksheets, and spelling software such as phonetic, among other things. Personally, I recall using calculators in class but not talking calculators, so my experience with assistive technology in class is limited.
Image source- https://spinalmuscularatrophy.net/living/computer-assistive-technology
Image source- https://assistedtechnology.weebly.com/social-training-and-at-hannah-edgette.html
One of the most significant limitations that has been identified is the lack of family support. To be able to use these tools in school or even at home, it requires the support of one’s parents. Many parents believe that these technologies can do no wonder that what a teacher can do at school, which I partially agree with, but I believe that having these technologies along with the teacher will be a great aid and makes the learning process easier for both the teacher and the student.
Thank you!
Assessment is a critical component of the educational system and plays an important role in the teaching-learning process. Teachers can use assessment to classify how much learning has been done and what can be done to improve it. They can also frame their instruction using appropriate assessment by providing positive feedback on students’ performance. The evaluation process has an impact on both the teacher and the student. no wonder that there are a plethora of tech tools like Jamboard, Flipgrid, Mentimeter, Google forms, Laterably, Edpuzzle, Peardeck, peergrade, and so on are available for assessment these days to make the process easier and effective. One of the assessment tool that is new to me is Mentimeter.
Image source- https://www.myamericannurse.com/rapid-health-technology-assessments/
Mentimeter is an excellent assessment and presentation tool designed not just for education but for business purposes too. because it allows you to include polls, word clouds, Q&As, and other interactive elements in your presentations, as well as allow students to vote and respond to various questions. The best part about Mentimeter, in my opinion, is that students can interact with the presentation in real time. Apart from these, it provides a wide range of formative assessments that can be administered in real time, which is not possible with many other tools. And it is one of the easiest tool to use you don’t require any installation or heavy fees can be accessed free
– Best features of Mentimeter
Image source- https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-mentimeter-and-how-can-it-be-used-for-teaching-tips-and-tricks
I’m sharing a short Vedio guide to using Mentimeter by Mark Dickson, a digital consultant who has done an excellent job of explaining the software from the ground up and explaining each and every function in detail. I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you!!
The documentary “The Social Dilemma” teaches us how social media platforms can be both constructive and destructive simultaneously. The documentary touches on the various positive impacts these platforms can have such as keeping you connected with your family and friends and helping you stay updated on their lives through stories and posts. It can help reflect on happy and positive memories with them and can act as a tool to make new friends with whom you share similar interests. However, the documentary draws attention to its many flaws. The documentary provides insight from the perspective of former director of Facebook, Tim Kendall who raised his concerns over Facebook’s goal to increase user interaction on the website. Facebook achieves this goal through constant updates to the app that consequentially increase the addictiveness amongst users.
The documentary is based on manipulative techniques and psychological findings that claim that social media and tech companies can lead to social network addiction.s. It shows that users’ online activities are tracked, watched, and observed by companies to build their data which is then used to build AI (Artificial Intelligence) to make predictions of the users’ actions.
The following issues are highlighted in the documentary from the excessive use of social media:
1. Social media addiction can lead the youth towards destructive behaviour which can influence their minds into harming themselves and others around them.
2. It can interfere with day to day important tasks like school homework, meeting assignment deadlines, and paying attention in class as their minds can be preoccupied with the content and comments they watch online.
3. There can be an issue emerging from misinformation and invasion of privacy. The documentary shows that the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, Tristan Harris, has analysed that the tech companies have three main goals to achieve:
– To engage their users by increasing usage and giving them some drive to continue browsing.
– To grow by making sure they come back and spread the word about their platform.
– To advertise and make money to support the functioning of social media.
To accomplish the aforementioned objectives, these companies employ manipulation tactics to entice people to use their platform by sculpting the users’ minds to see what they want them to see.
Films like these can help you understand the toll that social media can take on teenagers whose behaviour is influenced by the content they see online.
People who spend a lot of time on social media have performed worse on cognitive tests, especially the part where they test their ability to multitask because they are easily distracted. Excessive use of social media can result in memory deficits (in transactive memory), which is used to determine which information should be stored and which should be outsourced.
Towards the end the documentary shows interviewees sharing productive ways to stop the negative impact of social media. Some of these methods include not accepting any recommendations on these platforms, trying to use search engines that do not retain any history, turning off notifications, and other ways to safeguard their privacy.
In conclusion, I believe it is a great documentary to watch, particularly for students who will become aware of the consequences of using social media because it comes naturally to them and is the only way of life they see around them; they have no idea what life was like before social media, so it is a great reality check. I believe that having children watch this in class and discussing it would be a very informative session.
Thank you!
My experience with online education has always been unique because I transitioned from a classroom teacher to an online educator very early in my career, So I have a slight bias toward online learning because it gave me a sense of financial and personal empowerment and introduced me to tools I had never heard of before. I had very little exposure to these tools during my school teaching period; the only online tools I was aware of were Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Khan Academy. I started my online teaching career with Thirdspacelearning, a London-based online learning platform that creates personalised lesson plans that are delivered in a one-on-one online class environment by the tutor. The experience of teaching students from various schools in the United Kingdom while sitting in the comfort of my own home was surreal; every teacher was trained on the environment before going live with students got to know the tools like demos, Ixl, Magicplot etc; it was incredible to know tools other than meets and zoom to conduct a meaningful and productive session with a student. As my career progressed, I switched to different Ed-techs for advancement and discovered that technology in education is advancing at breakneck speed and generating innovative new approaches to teaching.
Image source- https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/virtual-learning-tools/
As my career progressed, I switched to different Ed-techs for advancement and discovered that online tools in education is advancing at breakneck speed and generating innovative new approaches to teaching. So I will breakdown what are the different types of online learning tools and share some of my personal favourite.
According to this article there are different types of learning tools based on-
1- Communication- Tools like emails, video conferencing, zoom, google classroom comes under this category.
2- Digital learning games – Kids are fond of playing games so its good to provide them the education based ones for fun and active learning. tools like fun brain, prodigy math game, scratch are some its examples.
3-Learning management systems (LMS)- Used to create interactive and interesting online classes. It is cost effective. it creates manage and deliver interesting content. LearnDash is one of the popular examples where you can create your courses and sell on your WordPress website.
4-Online learning resources- is to engage and teach students online, Sesame Street and PBS kids are some of it’s examples.
During the course EC$I 833, I learned about some new tools that I had never used before, such as Canva, Kahoot, jam board, padlet, Mentimeter, lumio, and my favourite was kahoot, which I found to be very engaging and will definitely use in the future.
Thank you!
Without a doubt, the internet is the most powerful creation of our time, and it has become an integral part of our lives. It has given humans unprecedented power by enabling connectivity, reachability, and access to limitless information.Working from home would not have been possible during the pandemic without the internet; in fact, it increased productivity because travel time was eliminated. It was the internet that kept the world going during the world’s darkest hours, keeping everyone connected during covid. Schools were closed, but learning continued; in fact, instead of limiting themselves to school, many instructors experimented with new methods of imparting knowledge and establishing their own brand value and profile. Platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have created new revenue streams by paying people to create content, shattering the myth that working a full-time job is the only way to make money. However, as they say, every good thing has some drawbacks, and the internet is no exception, which has led to people becoming addicted to interruptions.
Image source- https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/2016/12/distraction-blocking-apps.html
Also, the article You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish mentioned about the latest study conducted by Microsoft corp that people now lose concentration after about eight seconds, which is even less than the ill-focused goldfish highlighting the effects of an increasingly digitalized lifestyle on the brain. Given that our attention span is the amount of concentrated time we can devote to a task before becoming distracted, having a strong one is very important to get things done. Human brains are naturally drawn to laziness, and the internet provides that comfort to our brain. One simple example that comes to mind is remembering phone numbers; previously, when the internet was not widely available in our lives, we used to learn the numbers of all our family members and friends, but today I can’t even think of doing that; today, if you ask me, I only know my number.
Image source- https://www.diygenius.com/the-internet-is-changing-our-brains/
This image is an accurate representation of the majority of today’s youth, giving the impression of multitasking. I found the suggested video “Single tasking is the new multitasking” to be very relatable and interesting. It’s amazing how we’ve become so accustomed to doing one thing at a time.
Thank you!
Multimedia, also known as audiovisual aids, is widely used in today’s educational system for a variety of reasons, one of which is that it improves the overall teaching-learning process. The suggested reading concluded that audio-visual aids are the most effective and easy way to make the teaching learning process result-oriented. AV technology has completely replaced the traditional method of teaching where the teacher was the only source of information and students played a passive role in the classroom over the years. but the incorporation of AV technologies into education has benefited both students and teachers. Teachers can now present content in the most creative way possible, breaking the monotony of a dull class and making learning more enjoyable, interactive, and learner-centered. Even in my own teaching experience, I have found multimedia content to be extremely useful. In my lesson plans, I have used various AV tools such as overhead projectors, videos, movies, the internet, models, and so on.Let’s go over the various types of audio-visual aids that can be used in our classrooms. –
Image source- https://prateekmaj21.medium.com/audio-visual-aids-711d25e6043a
It is commonly assumed that audio-visual aids aid in retention and allow learners to acquire knowledge for a longer period of time; however, according to the “cone of learning” also known as learning pyramid developed by the National Training Laboratory suggests that AV technology only aids in 20% retention and maximum retention, which is 90%, occurs when learner teach others. According to learning pyramid the effectiveness of audio-visual learning and study methods are enhanced when combined with other, more active forms of study. which makes me wonder how much are we supposed to rely on these tools and at what cost ? This is the question I want educators to ponder on.
Image source – https://www.educationcorner.com/the-learning-pyramid.html
-Advantages of Av technologies
Disadvantages of AV technologies
To summarise, I believe that audio-visual aids undeniably aid in effective learning. Both teachers and students benefit from the use of various audio-visual materials in the classroom. Audio-visual aids in teaching and learning by making the classroom more interactive and interesting, motivating students, facilitating language skills, and providing many other benefits; however, in my opinion, other teaching methods should be used alongside AV tools for the child’s overall development rather than being overused.
Thank you!
If I go back in time and look at my learning days I feel Behaviourism theory was effectively used in mathematics. In maths class it was more about stimulus and response especially in junior classes for teaching topics like multiplication and times tables, algebraic formulas, there was lot of repetition, practice involved and teacher’s always used to emphasised on practice “the more you practice the better you become at maths” and that’s what I believed in. However over the course of period as i pursued maths in my post grad also in my teaching practice my belief of associating behaviourism theory in maths shifted. I felt with a subject like maths behaviourism is not enough there should be nice balance of all three theories which are Behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism. The findings of research conducted by Institute for Mathematical Research, Universiti Putra Malaysia reveal that when positive and negative reinforcement (behaviorism), problem solving (cognitivism) and discovery learning (constructivism) were practiced by the teachers students are more successful when systematic problem solving based on Polya’s approach is incorporated into discovery learning. Consequently, there should be more emphasis on teaching methods which include less lecture, more student-directed classes and more discussion. The findings suggest that problem-solving and discovery-learning skills not only contribute to better mathematics learning but also enhance students’ creativity to cope with life challenges.
Image source- https://www.educationcorner.com/learning-theories-in-education/
From the reading suggested I have drawn out some points to make a clear difference among these three learning theories for better understanding.
1- Behaviourism
2- Cognitivism
3- Constructivism
As an maths educator I beleive it’s important to keep on updating ourselves and inculcating new teaching methods, strategies and activities in classroom. Math is more than just solving sums in a boring class; it builds skills that help children solve real-life problems and issues, as well as logic, as a result they emerge as more confident individuals. Numerous studies have found that students suffer from mathematics anxiety, which is characterised by a sense of tension and fear that interferes with math learning. This could be attributed to the methods of instruction used. As a result, maths teaching methods must be reconsidered in light of the these three major learning theories: behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
Thank you!