Word searching

Make Your Own Word Search

Creating a word search or any sort of puzzle is a great way to introduce new words or topics to your students.

 

I have quickly created one for topics that would be covered throughout a year. It could even be used at the start of a lesson to give a quick introduction into new words the students will learn or even at the end possibly without the words to search to see if the students have remembered.

 

Either way they are really easy to create and have many ways in which to use them. Click here to create your own

End of a blog

Coming to the end of my ICT module has made me realise how much I've learnt and how many  ideas I now have to try not only at work but at home as well with my children.

I knew technology was useful and an effective teaching tool but this has really opened my eyes. I now know how to create these activities and how I could introduce these into future lessons which is invaluable.

 

A short amount of time has been packed full of useful information. Find out more about this course here.

How technology has changed the way we learn

To understand if and how technology has changed the way we learn, we need to have a look at the types of learners and how we learn. Honey & Mumford adapted Kolb’s learning model and came up with four types of leaners which are activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist. However there are many different learning models. The important thing with learning styles is that teachers are aware of them and know how to identify them in the students. Reed says ‘Acknowledging learning styles therefore can help to promote skills that can extend beyond school’ (2005, p64). Discovering the way we learn can enhance our learning in other situations not just in an education setting.

In order for us to learn and gain knowledge, information must pass into the long term memory from repetition (Petty, 2009). This process will not change but we can use technology to enhance the process and make it easier for students to keep that knowledge and be able to recall it later.

Technology has changed the way we teach and given teachers new ways of teaching and enhancing the lessons. Whether this has changed the way we actually learn is up for debate. Petty says ‘It is what students do that creates learning not what technology does’ (2009, p391).  I can definitely see his point and do agree that in the end it is what the students do and what we do as teachers with the technology that creates the learning not just the technology used.

 

Technology has aided everyone in teaching and learning. Students with learning disabilities have been affected in one of the most positive ways within a learning environment.  The way in which they can learn now because of technology has changed. It has definitely been made a lot easier with the aids of assistive technology. Florian & Hegarty state ‘It has been suggested that technology is a great equaliser, for that many people with disabilities technology can serve as a kind cognitive prosthesis to overcome or compensate for differences among leaners’(2004, p10). I think that this summarises the impact that technology has had on learning. This gives equal opportunities for everyone to learn.

There are arguments for thinking that technology aids the learning process and that it has changed the way people actually learn. Technology aids the way in which teachers can facilitate learning and has given people equal opportunities to feel on par with everyone else in the class. Whichever way it is approached the bottom line is that technology has changed and helped teachers and students learn. This can only be a positive step in this changing world we live in.

 

Referneces                       
Florian, L & Hegarty J. (2004). ICT and special educational needs, Maidenhead : Open University press

Petty, G. (2009). Teaching Today; A Practical Guide, 4^th Edition, Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes ltd

Reed, G. (2005). Learning styles and inclusion, London: Sage Publications ltd

 

Main points to Powerpoint

I have a vague recollection of being taught how to use Powerpoint in school and have dipped in and out of that knowledge for various different presentations that I have needed to create over the years. I obviously took in how to create a simple presentation using the slides and understood how to put information, photos and videos on. The other 'special effects' that can be added onto the presentation I found with a little bit of searching.

 

The thing that I wasn't taught or didn't remember was how to use Powerpoint effectively and which effects work best in which situations. After being shown and given pointers I realised that I need to apologise to anyone who ever sat in a presentation I gave! 

 

The main points that I have learned are:

• Keep it simple - Do not overload a page with reels of words and information. Short points which you can explain will keep students listening.
• No more than 6 - Do not use more than 6 items (pictures/points) on a slide.
• Appropriate size - Make the most important information the biggest font. This is one I would always do. I would make the headings large and the most important information small, why did I do this?!
• Highlighting words - If you highlight the word/sentence that you are explaining then this immediately focuses the students on that particular piece of information and their eyes are not wandering around the rest of the slide.

These points I took on board and immediately changed the Powerpoint presentation I had already prepared. They are simple points which enhance that presentation and more importantly help the students in that classroom concentrate and aid their learning experience.

Downsideup

Through doing my placement training I have found another interesting blog called Down side up. It was started up by a Mum who had a child born with down syndrome. Hayley and her husband were thrown into a new world finding out all about the condition. She started the blog and  her aim is:

'My mission is now to inspire new parents, show the world that many incredible things are possible for our children, and shout out that Down's syndrome truly is wonderful and that life will carry on, only just a little bit better.'

The blog has great advice for where parents can find support and advice on down syndrome. She also talks about and gives fun activities parents can do with their children/family members to support people in their lives who have down syndrome. These activities and the advice here can also be used and adapted by teachers who support adults with down syndrome to help in their development and independence.

A very positive blog that not only dispels myths surrounding down syndrome but gives helpful and useful advice.

The value of mobile technology in teaching and learning

You don’t have to look too far before you find some sort of mobile technology. Most people have a smart phone or tablet and we all are becoming increasingly reliant on them in our everyday lives.  It was estimated last year by a cisco report that the number of mobile internet devices would outnumber the amount of people by the end of 2013, showing just how important technology is in this day and age. We therefore need to use technology to our advantage, especially in teaching and learning.

Technology does not discriminate and can be beneficial to all who use it correctly. It can also be adapted and made relevant to all learners making technology such a valuable resource to both teachers and learners. Most leaners will have some knowledge on mobile technology coming into the classroom and so using this to enhance their learning experience can only be beneficial to both. 

Within a classroom situation mobile technology is useful as it can be used in a variety of ways to get a class learning and interacting with each other. The lesson plan and learning objectives can be made interactive and fun for the learners by using a tablet. The interactive element of the lesson will engage the learners and therefore they will be gaining knowledge in their subject area but also on that piece of technology which can be taken and used in all other areas of life. Petty (2009) goes on further to say that there is not a job or a hobby where you do not need to know how to use a computer and that if leaners are not being taught how to use these tools then we are not preparing them for working life. There are many applications that are available now that can help with learning disabilities. Activities can be designed for specific areas such as motor skills or concentration levels. This would be invaluable to people with learning disabilities of all ages as it would enhance the learning process and make learning that little less daunting. Within a school setting mobile technology obviously saves space and if a class needs computers then there is no need to get everyone to relocate with all their belongings to a computer room to carry out a lesson.

All these benefits show the value of technology to teaching and learning. However for it to be valuable then the resources have to be there to be utilised which puts a lot of pressure on schools to invest in new equipment. The issue is that each school has different priorities and different budgets. Not all schools can put the money required into providing the right technology for all the learners so it is almost a postcode lottery that depends on the type of mobile technology you as a learner will have access too. The fact that mobile technology updates and changes frequently is a risk to the schools as if they invest heavily on equipment that will be out of date in a matter of months not years it is not a solid investment for that particular school. Yet not investing in technology that is essential to our future is not an option either.  

If the money can be invested into mobile technology to aid teaching and learning then surely it is a must for the century that we live in. The benefits of mobile technology outweigh any negatives and if used correctly can effectively enhance the way we teach and learn.

References
Petty, G.(2009). Teaching Today: A practical guide, 4th Edition. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes

Barriers to the effective use of technology in education

Technology is constantly being updated meaning that unless you are going on training regularly it is quite difficult to keep up to date with everything new that is being released. This in itself is enough to put some people off even trying to learn, as because by the time that piece of technology is mastered there is an update or a new version to use again. We are still at a time where there was nothing or little technology used in our own education and now we find ourselves surrounded by all this technology and if it is used correctly can change learning and teaching.

Most people have found a style of working that is effective for them individually and then that style becomes familiar and comfortable and as time goes on (in all professions not just teaching) this becomes the norm. When this style becomes the norm it can be difficult to step out of it and see if there are any improvements or changes that could be made to the way in which you work. People don’t like change and I am guilty of avoiding change at all costs. I believe that this may be a barrier for the more experienced teachers who may be set in their teaching ways. All teachers must be willing to improve their teaching by learning how to implement new technologies into teaching. Some teachers no matter how experienced they are may have little or no confidence in their technology abilities so overcoming these barriers for the teachers is a must if the schools and the curriculum are putting more pressure on the teachers to implement technology into the classroom. Providing adequate training for teachers must be invested for the future of learning. Chin (2004) states that technology may be new to some teachers and not to others but it is the way in which it is used is how it becomes advantageous to the learning of the students.

All of this however would be useless if the resources weren’t actively available for teachers to use. Having the resources readily accessible would be paramount to the implementation of new technologies into the classroom. If these were not available then that would be another barrier for a teacher to overcome and another negative tick towards a potentially already low view of technology in teaching.

Whether it is teachers’ attitudes or the resources available or lack of availability the bottom line is that technology is all around and it should be used to its full advantage to enhance the learners experience in the classroom. The barriers to the effective use of technology can be easily overcome if a little more effort and belief is injected all round.     

References

Chin, P. (2004). Using C&IT to support teaching, London: Routeledge