OUR FAVOURITE TECHNOLOGY
Second day at Nile started with a group work activity: we were set up in groups of 3 and were supposed to discuss a technology, i.e. some technological tool that worked well for us. It could also be some website or any idea that we often made use of and was a success with students. We were supposed to tell classmates not only what it was good for but also some useful tips on how to use it.
Different software tools came up:
BLENDED LEARNING
Definition, principles and rules
We got together in little groups and reflected on what we understand by blended learning. We contrasted our believes and came up with our own definitions and some rules.
All in all , the main idea of the course is blended learning is not simply using technology for the sake of it but as a means to get some pedagogical aim. A lot of thinking should actually go into instructional design. Thinking about what technology can make our teaching more effective and what tool is the best for each teaching purpose is a must. Sometimes a piece of paper or a little board is just as good. There is nothing magical about using a computer.
Definition: BL takes place in a course when it has a combination of F2F teaching and an online component. The amount of technology is not important. Integration is the keyword, i.e the flow and interaction between face to face teaching and the use of ICT. New Techonologies are sued as an additional tool to expand the interaction inside and outside the classroom.
Tips for the correct implementation of a BL course:
Blended Learning (BL) can be a useful tool to personalise the learning process by involving the students through more interactive tasks. Not only does blended learning allow us to make learning a more memorable experience, but also develop some additional soft skills which are in high demand at the labour market. However, BL should not be considered an end in itself but rather a tool where the pedagogic design (see Prof. Richard Mayer below) is key to relevant and meaningul tasks.
Although Blended Learning can initially reduce the need of staff, it is also true that through a rotational model, educational organisations can maximise face to face interaction and offer additional courses during periods where no academic activity used to take place such as summer courses in otherwise empty campuses; thus offer a more flexible approach.
Second day at Nile started with a group work activity: we were set up in groups of 3 and were supposed to discuss a technology, i.e. some technological tool that worked well for us. It could also be some website or any idea that we often made use of and was a success with students. We were supposed to tell classmates not only what it was good for but also some useful tips on how to use it.
Different software tools came up:
- Zaption (which is bound to close down in a few months, so not worth giving it a try)
- Edpuzzle (replacement for Zaption but fewer possibilities)
- Kahoot- engaging multiple choice question software (I already know all about it) ( best quiz making tool ever)
- Socrative- a smart student respose system that empowers teachers to collect data from their students via smartphones, tablets...
- Quizlet ( individual work, vocab revision tool)
- Lyrics training- Web application that allows you to read and listen to the lyrics from music videos
- Vimeo- (upmarket version of you tube videos, no advertising and videos resize to adapt to the different devices)
- Voicethread- (good for group work)
- You tube- you can add subtitles, create playlists...
- Grammarly- a site to check grammar of written pieces of work
Had we stretched our brains a bit longer we would have come up with some more that maybe we have heard of but there was no point as Russel's golden rule is " Reduce the number of technologies to a few and know them well before moving to a new one."
BLENDED LEARNING
Definition, principles and rules
We got together in little groups and reflected on what we understand by blended learning. We contrasted our believes and came up with our own definitions and some rules.
All in all , the main idea of the course is blended learning is not simply using technology for the sake of it but as a means to get some pedagogical aim. A lot of thinking should actually go into instructional design. Thinking about what technology can make our teaching more effective and what tool is the best for each teaching purpose is a must. Sometimes a piece of paper or a little board is just as good. There is nothing magical about using a computer.
Definition: BL takes place in a course when it has a combination of F2F teaching and an online component. The amount of technology is not important. Integration is the keyword, i.e the flow and interaction between face to face teaching and the use of ICT. New Techonologies are sued as an additional tool to expand the interaction inside and outside the classroom.
Tips for the correct implementation of a BL course:
- Don't waste time in the classroom with technology. Use it carefully. Don't over do it. do not fill a VLE with lots and lot of resources and assignments. It should all start from scratch! Golden rule: Sometimes less is more. Do not take an F2F course and try to turn it into a BL one by simply adding technological resources. The risk is an overload of work. Students end up not doing their homework, they lose interest and start dropping out.
- Always bear the educational aim in mind.The teacher's mindset should be changed first and get the pedagogy clear before you start using any technology.
- Student's access to the technology is essential.
- The good thing about using technology is that it streches our possbilities. It enables Flipped classrooms because the low order thinking skill activities (Bloom's taxonomy) can be done at home when the student is on his own. For the higher order thinking skill activites the student may resource to the teacher's help. Technology can be for boring stuff i.e. Repetitive or mechanical activities whose aim is grammar or vocabulary develpment. Engaging communicative activities should take place in the classroom. ( The art of conversation)
- It allows students autonomy and passing the resposability of how the class is organzed to studets. Care about students interests: give students a voice and let them decide on tools and syllabus content. (Sugatra Mitra's idea: give students a topic and let them do some research).
- Anticipate problems and provide guidance.
- Be consistent if you stant using a technology, keep on using it.
- The target group might be limited. BL may not suit everyone, students need to be quite autonomous.
- Technology is not just for the teacher to deliver or pass onto knowledge , it is also for students to process it. To use Bloom's terminology, it is for low order thinking skills and high order skills alike.
- Careful repurposing of classtime: The instructional design of the course/activity should stablish a seamless connection between online and offline work. Set a clear task that involves individual or collaborative work outside the classroom but the showcase ( presentation, recording, poster, give in sheet) should always be in class. Both home and class work should be well tied up.
Blended Learning and Technology Integration
BL, making it work in your classroom
Conclusions
Blended Learning (BL) can be a useful tool to personalise the learning process by involving the students through more interactive tasks. Not only does blended learning allow us to make learning a more memorable experience, but also develop some additional soft skills which are in high demand at the labour market. However, BL should not be considered an end in itself but rather a tool where the pedagogic design (see Prof. Richard Mayer below) is key to relevant and meaningul tasks.
Although Blended Learning can initially reduce the need of staff, it is also true that through a rotational model, educational organisations can maximise face to face interaction and offer additional courses during periods where no academic activity used to take place such as summer courses in otherwise empty campuses; thus offer a more flexible approach.
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