ETEC 510: DESIGN OF TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Captivating
Permission was provided by this student to post the photograph.
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It was my second semester in the MET program when I had completed this course. ETEC510: Design of Technology Learning Supported Environments was another course which provided me with the opportunity to learn more teaching theories to apply to my classes. Throughout the course I was able to examine design models and educational technology tools.
It was through this course that I was first encouraged to examine the use of technology through the guidelines outlined by Bates & Poole (2003). I had the opportunity to examine in-depth how to design a learning environment, in which technology is integrated and supports students in their success. Contemplating the affordances of various technologies, such as online applications, games, educational software, online learning environments, allowed me to know when to use technology in the class. Instead of simply using it because it is available. Knowing when and how to use technology lead to a more productive and meaningful learning environment. I was able to understand how to apply them in a valuable manner, much the same as it is deciding which techniques to apply to get the image I want as a photographer. This course projected me into the 21st century classroom. Introducing me to learning models that I could utilize on a regular basis. It encouraged me to review my current use of supportive technology in my classes, to examine their value in the learning process. Using the SECTIONS model illustrated by Bates & Poole (2003) I was able to create a learning environment which enabled students to work collaboratively and to take ownership of their own learning. They were able to participate in a respectful manner while improving their multiliteracy skills. |
Design Project: Passion-Based Projects
"Passion-Based Projects in Education" homepage.
I believe to have “true” learning it should be a combination of community-, knowledge-, learner-, and assessment-centered attributes. Each of these attributes, as discussed by Anderson (2008), overlap with one and other. It would be difficult for them to stand on their own. This is not to say that each of the attributes is required to be equally distributed.
Whether the context is in a formalized classroom setting or an online classroom setting each of the attributes mentioned above should still be incorporated. If the learner does not have access to each of these attributes, they will not have the opportunity to have as much of an in depth learning experience. Each of us as learners has had a limited amount of life experiences and has had a limited amount of exposure to the world around us. Some may have more experiences than others, but none of us have experienced all life has to offer. For this reason I believe that it’s the shared experiences from the community of teachers and classmates that help develop the learner’s knowledge base and problem solving skills.
Passion-Based Projects in Education are strongly rooted in the shared experiences of the classroom community. They provide students the opportunity to engage in learning about topics they are interested in, they are passionate in, regardless if the topics are associated to the curriculum or not. As we stated, “[w]ith passion-based learning projects, students will naturally build on their own previous experiences, while engaging in materials that will further their knowledge and learning on that topic. The process will enable students in not just what to learn (consumption of content), but also, in turn, how to learn, plan, and design a project by undergoing various research methods to gather and curate their information (creation of content)” (Barirani, E., Marsh, D., & Olson, V., 2014).
By participating in this project, I was provided the opportunity to learn about a topic I was interested in, efficient design and layout of websites for functionality and interest. I learned about the various design elements and the perspectives a website designer needs to be mindful of when building an online learning environment. Since, passion-based projects are also heavily rooted in constructivism I was able to determine the layout of the site. That is, an engaging learning environment that flows from one area to another, guiding the learners through the learning process. Furthermore, it was designed to provide learners the ability to interact with one and other within the site, sharing their own experiences on the topic.
Despite learning about designing websites, the most important fact that I took away from this project it to allow students the opportunity to participate in passion-based projects. Even though I was teaching Science 10, a provincial examinable course, it was important that I provide my students with an hour a week to follow their passions and learn about topics they are interested in.
Whether the context is in a formalized classroom setting or an online classroom setting each of the attributes mentioned above should still be incorporated. If the learner does not have access to each of these attributes, they will not have the opportunity to have as much of an in depth learning experience. Each of us as learners has had a limited amount of life experiences and has had a limited amount of exposure to the world around us. Some may have more experiences than others, but none of us have experienced all life has to offer. For this reason I believe that it’s the shared experiences from the community of teachers and classmates that help develop the learner’s knowledge base and problem solving skills.
Passion-Based Projects in Education are strongly rooted in the shared experiences of the classroom community. They provide students the opportunity to engage in learning about topics they are interested in, they are passionate in, regardless if the topics are associated to the curriculum or not. As we stated, “[w]ith passion-based learning projects, students will naturally build on their own previous experiences, while engaging in materials that will further their knowledge and learning on that topic. The process will enable students in not just what to learn (consumption of content), but also, in turn, how to learn, plan, and design a project by undergoing various research methods to gather and curate their information (creation of content)” (Barirani, E., Marsh, D., & Olson, V., 2014).
By participating in this project, I was provided the opportunity to learn about a topic I was interested in, efficient design and layout of websites for functionality and interest. I learned about the various design elements and the perspectives a website designer needs to be mindful of when building an online learning environment. Since, passion-based projects are also heavily rooted in constructivism I was able to determine the layout of the site. That is, an engaging learning environment that flows from one area to another, guiding the learners through the learning process. Furthermore, it was designed to provide learners the ability to interact with one and other within the site, sharing their own experiences on the topic.
Despite learning about designing websites, the most important fact that I took away from this project it to allow students the opportunity to participate in passion-based projects. Even though I was teaching Science 10, a provincial examinable course, it was important that I provide my students with an hour a week to follow their passions and learn about topics they are interested in.
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Design Wiki: Student Screencasting with the iPad
iPad Applications and Features Table.
ETEC 510 also presented us with the time to create a page for the course’s existing Wiki site. For this project I decided to work with a partner and focus on the use of screencasting. As screencasting can be an overwhelming topic on its own, we decided to focus on student use of screencasting with iPads. A large portion of this project is based on the learning the various applications for the iPad and what affordances they each provide the user. By learning the purpose of screencasting in education in combination with the affordances the applications provide, teachers are able to compose the image and to tell the story they want. They are able to create lessons that guide the students through the learning process.
This was not my first time creating a Wiki page, I had co-created one when I was in the process of completing my Bachelor of Education a number of years ago. However, at that time the page template had been provided and all that was required of us was to add text. Unlike this time, we were required to complete the page layout. For all intents of purpose I will consider this to be my first time creating a Wiki page. This was a daunting task for me, since I was unfamiliar with HTML codes. Thankfully, I was not alone for this project and I had a colleague to share in the task. I however was responsible for researching and creating the “iPad Applications and Features” section of the Wiki. After watching YouTube videos and visiting countless sites I learned how to generate HTML code for the table. I had attempted to use HTML generator sites; however, they did not create table formats that I wished to use. I did use them as a basis to create my own HTML code.
As I already used screencasting with my Science 10 class, to have them demonstrate their learning, this design project allowed me to share a small glimpse of the possible uses for student screencasting in the class. Although, I did not make my learning visible by creating a screencast, my learning was made visible through the creation of the Wiki page.
This was not my first time creating a Wiki page, I had co-created one when I was in the process of completing my Bachelor of Education a number of years ago. However, at that time the page template had been provided and all that was required of us was to add text. Unlike this time, we were required to complete the page layout. For all intents of purpose I will consider this to be my first time creating a Wiki page. This was a daunting task for me, since I was unfamiliar with HTML codes. Thankfully, I was not alone for this project and I had a colleague to share in the task. I however was responsible for researching and creating the “iPad Applications and Features” section of the Wiki. After watching YouTube videos and visiting countless sites I learned how to generate HTML code for the table. I had attempted to use HTML generator sites; however, they did not create table formats that I wished to use. I did use them as a basis to create my own HTML code.
As I already used screencasting with my Science 10 class, to have them demonstrate their learning, this design project allowed me to share a small glimpse of the possible uses for student screencasting in the class. Although, I did not make my learning visible by creating a screencast, my learning was made visible through the creation of the Wiki page.
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