Trying to pull the themes of all of the last 6 weeks (plus
Easter break – but who had time to break?), we need to go back to the theories
in week one, and find how it all ties in with the different types of ICT.
Going right back to week one, we have Rubenstein and his
multiple intelligences – or Gardner’s theory, but Rubenstein liked it. In 2009, Rubenstein wrote about how brains
were individual, but could be prone to change by making the various regions
develop and grow. The multiple
intelligences are like “multiple gears that are spread out across the brain”,
that “work together through intricate networks”.
As we move through the various ICT tools, we find technology
exists that can stimulate and reach various parts of the brain
simultaneously. You don’t need one tool
for listening, one for spelling, one for maths – INTEGRATION becomes keys. GIS type exercises allow study of cartography,
geography, and sometimes statistical analysis.
Geocaching demonstrated a Phys.Ed style approach to geography,
especially with the EarthCaches.
The Lanphier article (2014) I referenced back in blog 1
stresses this too – how a simple thing as music can cross the borders of the
thinking regions – the analysis and patterns reader, the creative genius, the
listen and emulate, and the physical responder – and stimulate multiple or ALL
sections simultaneously!
ICTs allow for a Cognitivist’s paradise – multiple experiences
for those multiple minds. As each part
of the brain is triggered, the potential to move information from short- to
long-term increases. Throw in some
Social Constructivism – sharing of experiences and ideas-, and Connectivism, - implementing
21st century resources within the classroom – and you have the basis
of an expert ICT program.
The SAMR Model is an effective way to establish the
development of your ICT program (Puentedura, 2009). As you move through the 4 levels, the ability
to form these crossovers occurs. The
first stages – Substitution and Augmentation – are rather limiting in providing
cross-curricular or cross-intelligence experiences. However exposure to these helps develop
comprehension skills needed for Modification and Redefinition, where we use the
ICTs to improve or extend on a basic skill.
It is especially within this area, that the ability to integrate
multiple strategies, styles and elements comes into play.
These multiple intelligences got tested in some of my
projects over the last few weeks. For
example, http://q9708050.weebly.com/
was a Weebly website I set up to introduce people to the world of Geocaching
(as ICT as it gets, perhaps?). A very
basic website, it had images and maps, news articles, and YouTube clips. While the text was more than capable of doing
the job, it was hoped that the incorporation of the extra media helped other
intelligences. Making a Podcast, video
or blog gives a new motivation to a research topic. In addition, the need to be able to represent
the found information in a transformed presentation (data to speech, research
to video etc.) helps to have the information unpackaged and repackaged within
our heads.
For me personally, I loved playing around in the virtual
museum PowerPoint displays. Gone are the
old slide shows of old that are the new presentation favourite in some higher
learning classrooms. A seamless integration
of video, audio, pictures, data, and self-guided interactivity create a highly
stimulating environment that is engaging and supportive. I enjoyed my first outing (http://1drv.ms/1HdJ1QY) that I went and
created a second for another subject’s assessment. I used PowerPoint to embed a piece of sheet
music with audio samples, videos, and interactive pages with quizzes and
answers as a Literacy and Numeracy tool.
This, to me, sums up the vitality that is E-learning. Gone is the need for a Physics book AND Geography
book and and and…. Through the power of
technology, it becomes possible to create learning activities that are MORE
than just read-and-regurgitate. By
delivering the content in multiple ways, you create learning possibilities for
students who might not have been reachable through the classic education
paradigm. The ability to reach and
engage every student in a manner that is best suitable for him or her, we
create better learners, better results, and – with hope – the ability to create
lifelong learners.
Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't highlight some of
the pitfalls associated with ICT. For
example, a classic occurrence on social media is the inability to completely
interpret emotion behind text. Gone are
the facial cues, visual signs, pheromone guide.
It becomes so easy to take things the wrong way in group
communication. Also with the internet
littered with dank and dismal content, someone always has to be alert – not just
to what the kids are looking at, but at what the kids are doing that can be
viewed by others.
But let’s not let the worst of the world hold us back. If e-learning holds the keys for the next
generation, we need to be pioneering safe and effective ways to use it in the
classrooms – when we get there!
References:
CQUniversity Australia (2015), EDED20491 ICTs for Learning
Design: Study Guide. Retrieved from https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=15637,
accessed 20 April, 2015
Lanphier, DJ (2014), Here’s
a Surprising Look at What Music Does to Your Brain. Retrieved from http://mic.com/articles/89655/here-s-a-surprising-look-at-what-music-does-to-your-brain,
accessed 20 April, 2015.
Queensland Government (2013) The SAMR Model: engage in deep learning and authentic contexts. Retrieved from https://classroomconnections.eq.edu.au/topics/pages/2013/issue-7/samr-learning-technologies.aspx,
accessed 20 April 2015
Rubenstein, Grace (2009), Brain Imagery Probes the Idea of Diverse Intelligences. Retrieved from http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2tQutL/www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-brain-research,
accessed 20 April 2015
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