In this blog post I am going to reflect on the 21st century identity module taught by Mark Thistlethwaite as a whole.

Overall I mostly enjoyed this module, I have gained knowledge on technology applications in which I had no prior knowledge of.

This module has helped me create an online presence using software such as WordPress and LinkedIn, something which I would never of created without the aid of the tutor. The use of these software’s/applications will prove valuable as I continue with my academic studies.

Some of the lessons have not been so enjoyable such as; producing the keyring task, although I left this lesson feeling very frustrated at the teaching style I do have an understanding of why Mark presented this lesson in that style. this made me re-evaluate my original frustration and arrive at the realisation that being a tutor/teacher and catering lesson and learning styles to many individuals can prove extremely difficult to contend with.

Some contents of this module still leave me feeling confused, but I can revisit this blog and use my personal moodle account to refresh my memory on any topic.

I would like to take a moment here to thank Mark for teaching us this module and for putting up with my many varying personalities.

In this commentary I am going to reflect on the use of creating a reflective blog using WordPress. I aim to link this software to learning theory, detailing the advantages I found and the difficulties I came across while using this software.

During this lesson the tutor introduced the class to WordPress, this is a free open source software which can be found online and used to create websites and blogs.

I created a WordPress account to document reflectively on a weekly basis the contents of Mark`s lessons, how I felt, what I had learnt, the technologies/software/applications that was used and teaching styles. This account will become my blog that will be assessed at the end of this module.

Using WordPress as a reflective tool can be useful, as it gives an individual the ability to potentially keep an online reflective journal, which can be edited or added to at any point.

Reflection is described by Dewey as ‘…a chain of linked ideas that aims at a conclusion and is more than a stream of consciousness` (Moon, 1999, p. 12).

An individual can reflect ‘…unconsciously or consciously…. Reflection can also be enhanced by writing, leading to the development of diaries and portfolios` (Matheson, 2008, p. 60), this can be linked directly to my account on WordPress, as it can be seen as a form of diary, before creating WordPress I would personally reflect on a situation in my head without writing anything down. Although I found reflecting in a writing form somewhat troublesome as I dislike writing or talking about myself, looking back over the past weeks were I have reflected in the written sense, it has helped in a couple of ways. This blog can also be seen as a learning journal which ‘… can be effective in encouraging learners who have been away from formal education for a long time to begin writing’ (Tummons, 2007, p. 53), again this can be linked personally to myself. At the start of this blog my first reflection is very short and as I have got into the habit of writing a reflection they have gradually become longer.

The main advantage of WordPress that I have encountered is that it had enabled me to begin to write reflectively, hopefully if I continue to reflect on situations in a written form I will continue to improve and reflect effectively. At the moment my reflections are very basic without much depth or meaning to others with more work, time and effort I’m hoping the depth I reflect will become greater; thus, leading to a deeper understanding and knowledge of how I learn, work and think.

The only difficulty I encountered with creating this blog of reflective commentaries was trying to make the page my own as I was new to the sight and did not fully understand how it worked. I managed to edit a few things on the sight and somewhat make some changes to incorporate myself into the page.

References

Matheson, D. (2008). An Introduction to the Study of Education (Third ed.). Oxon: Routledge.

Moon, J. (1999). Reflection in Learning & Professional Development. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

Tummons, J. (2007). Accessing Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector (Second ed.). Exeter: Learning Matters LTD.

In this commentary I will be reflecting upon the session were we created a keyring using the application Adobe illustrator. I will attempt to explain what the application is, how is was used, the challenges I faced within this lesson and try to link this to theory within education.

Mark started the lesson by stating he had a task he wanted the class to complete. The software he wanted us to use was Adobe illustrator, this is a graphic design software used to produce logos, graphics, posters, keyrings etc.

Mark gave his instructions on what was to be done very quickly, I had a note book and pen out before he started his instruction, I attempted to make notes quickly on the task at hand; this was hard to process the instructions and see what he was doing on the screen, this caused a misunderstanding of what to do which made me feel frustrated, confused and annoyed. This was not Mark`s usual style of teaching, this appeared to take on a behaviourist approach to teaching in the sense I felt it was a style of ‘learning without understanding and skills acquired in this way could not be transferred to other situations` (Lacey, 1996). This was a new application or software that I was unfamiliar with, I had never used this before, so this was very overwhelming, at one point during this task I was that frustrated that I did not know what I was supposed to be doing I felt like giving up on the task all together. Eventually Mark went over the task again, this time it felt like a more constructivist approach based on the fact the whole class had a small amount of knowledge surrounding the software, we as a whole class could now build upon the already acquired knowledge and begin to engage with the lesson objectives better. Ausubel states that ‘The most important factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach accordingly` (Matheson, 2008, p. 46). So Mark understood that we did not grasp the concept of the lesson from the instructions at the beginning of the lesson, he than re-evaluated and went through the instructions again, once some of the students grasp what was acquired to do, they became the more knowledgeable others and aided other class members to complete the task. Vygotsky believed that students constructed their own knowledge but put emphasis on the social aspect of construction, ‘he claimed that interaction with an adult or more competent peer was crucial…` (Moylett, 2003, p. 30) within learning, he labelled these more competent peers or adults as more knowledgeable others (MKO).

Once the whole class had completed the task set on Adobe illustrator we got to produce what we had designed, this being a keyring with our names on. We produced this with the help of another tutor on the forth floor, using a laser cutter. This tutor produced art using laser cutting which was very interesting. The class took it in turns in small groups to go to produce their keyrings, the tutor guided us through the process, although we did not actually physically use the laser cutter, she talked us through each step as she performed it. This part of the lesson seemed somewhat of a reward after the confusion and struggles we had as a whole class at the beginning of the lesson.

I found this lesson to be a drastic style of teaching, which I was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. Personally, I found that this style of teaching method did not work for my style of learning and it would appear it also did not work for the rest of the class. I felt the individual needs and learning styles of individuals was not met or considered when this lesson was planned. The tutor had one task he wanted to be completed and that was that, although I know the aim of this teaching style was to enlighten students on the different teaching styles that are taught throughout the education system, it was still somewhat frustrating. Tutors need to use a variety of teaching styles in all lessons as to attempt to meet the classes individual learning styles, although this can be very difficult for the tutor to actually achieve as students learn at different paces and depending on their level of prior knowledge of the topic; the tutor may need to start at a basic level.

References

Lacey, M. C. (1996). Interactive Approaches to Teaching. London: David Fulton.

Matheson, D. (2008). An Introduction to the Study of Education (Third ed.). Oxon: Routledge.

Moylett, H. (2003). Education Studies ESSENTIAL ISSUES. London: SAGE.

In this commentary I am going to talk about the use of the online application Google. How this application can be used to aid learning and what challenges or benefits can arise from using this technology. I aim to link this to relevant learning theory or style.

In a session we looked at how Google stores information about ourselves and reflected upon how this made me feel. This reflection can be read within another post on this blog.

The application Google is an online search engine designed to seek a variety of answers/information to questions or keywords typed into the search bar, it will list everything the database has on a particular topic/subject. The list will contain links to websites, pictures, maps, anything related to the search question which could possibly hold the information required.

There are benefits to using google, there is a simple search bar which you can easily find to type in any enquires, answers to these queries can be found quickly, it will make alternative suggestions if you type a word incorrectly and searches can be made in the UK or anywhere in the world. Some disadvantages to using google could be that if a student is using this search engine to find academic resources, the information may not be from a reliable source or may be irrelevant to the subject matter, a student may go off topic due to advertising pop ups or alternative suggestions made by google. In this case there is an alternative to google, which is Google scholar this search engine provides academic content from reliable sources.

How can this application be used to aid learning? This application can be used as a self-directed learning tool to do individual or group research for a topic initially set by a tutor or teacher. With a topic title an individual or group could independently use google to research information relating to that topic. Self-directed learning is described by Knowles as ‘a process in which individuals take the initiative without the help of others in diagnosing their learning needs… resources and evaluating learning outcomes` (Knowles, 1975, p. 18), this description from Knowles can be linked to adult learning and university students. University students can be seen to be self-directed learners as they attend university through choice (in most cases) and not under the authority of parents or carers, the research carried out by these students for assignment work or class work is usually done independently. Attending university through choice can be said that an individual has a readiness to learn, as ‘Adults do not learn ‘what they ought’ but are ready to learn that which they see as necessary to maintain and enhance their lives’ (Gould, 2012, p. 94), and given that students within a university establishment have chosen to enrol on a topic; which they find interesting and are willing to learn and understand new information they show they have a intrinsic motivation to grow and develop.

While this lesson was just to view our digital selves and how we used online sources it did give insight on how much information the worldwide web actually contains. There is so much more to online services than I as an individual could ever comprehend. While initially we as a class was given directions on how to access the information google held on us, we was then left to our own initiatives on how to navigate the sight and take a look at how we appeared to the online world. Looking through all the different settings and privacy links in a self-directed manner, I decided to remove googles authority to hold such information. I decided to do this as it made me feel uncomfortable that an online service held so much information, although it is unlikely anyone else would see the information it held, I still felt it was personally necessary for me to do this.

In summary google can be a useful resource within education, as it is accessible to most students on a variety of devices (mobile phones, laptops, tablets, etc) that have internet access, it can aid students/learners to gain access to information on any subject or topic. Given its simplistic base line children from a young age can also use this, even with r without the aid of an adult. Google has many advantages as stated above, but it is useful to bare in mind the disadvantages, when using it for academic purposes.

References

Gould, J. (2012). Learning Theory and Classroom Practice in the Lifelong Sector (Second ed.). London: SAGE.

Knowles, M. (1975). A Guide for Learners and Teachers. New York: Cambridge Books.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-holt-48435a181

This session we had to create an online presence using the application LinkedIn, setting up an account was fairly straightforward, but trying to navigate the application was somewhat hard to do (maybe due to never using this application before). My only online presence before creating this account would have been the social media network application; Facebook. LinkedIn appears to be a more professional social media platform, where there is information and members from a professional background. attempting to build my profile and build a network is quite frustrating, as I know nothing about how to use this platform, but as stated earlier this may improve the more I log in and interact with it.

The task for this lesson was to present a presentation about ten things we loves, these could not be people they had to be objects.

Coming up with ten things proved difficult, I could not think of one materialistic object I held dear.

Unfortunately I did not complete this task or present anything as I did not attend this session due to personal circumstances out of my control.

Reflecting back I could have completed the task in my own time without presenting but due to these circumstances I was not in the mind set to do this.

This could have been a great opportunity to gain confidence in my presenting skills.

https://prezi.com/p/29f04qmbl2pr/the-year-9-class-of-mr-thistlethwaite/

Today we presented the group presentation we compiled last week.

Initially the group I was placed in had issues with logging into Prezzi, this was a little off putting as we was supposed to be the first group to present. Our group ended up being third group to present.

The first two groups that presented went hand in hand with each other which was quite interesting, both groups took a statistical approach to the task.

My group presentation took a real-life situation approach, we presented as if we set up an online social media platform for year 9 children to share ideas on class work.

The presentation itself went better than I anticipated, I was apprehensive about the group I was placed in.

During the presentation this apprehension subsided and as stated the presentation went pretty well.

Reflecting upon the presentation after delivering it, it would have benefitted the group if we proof read what we had wrote, as there was grammar and sentence structure issues. The possibility of doing a practice run before the task deadline would have made things run a little smoother and also, we would have encountered the log in issues before the start of class, which would have been corrected.

Reflecting upon the lesson as a whole; the use of social media and online platforms are very widely used by individuals of all ages. the statistics provided by the first two groups were eye opening and slightly shocking in respect of how young some individuals are when they start using technology. The guidelines and regulations set out by these platforms are very important and I believe all individuals should abide by them, but also parents of children of all ages need to monitor and regulate their child’s usage of these platforms.

Group Presentation

Today we presented the group presentation we compiled last week.

Initially the group I was placed in had issues with logging into Prezi, this was a little off putting as we was supposed to be the first group to present. Our group ended up being third group to present.

The first two groups that presented went hand in hand with each other which was quite interesting, both groups took a statistical approach to the task.

My group presentation took a real-life situation approach, we presented as if we set up an online social media platform for year 9 children to share ideas on class work.

The presentation itself went better than I anticipated, I was apprehensive about the group I was placed in.

During the presentation this apprehension subsided and as stated the presentation went pretty well.

Reflecting upon the presentation after delivering it, it would have benefitted the group if we proof read what we had wrote, as there was grammar and sentence structure issues. The possibility of doing a practice run before the task deadline would have made things run a little smoother and also, we would have encountered the log in issues before the start of class, which would have been corrected.

Instructables.com

Reflecting upon the second half of the lesson, we had to be creative using an online resource this being Instructables.com, I found the website very interesting with a phenomenal amount of ideas to create all sorts of things. I found this slightly overwhelming as we had to chode something to recreate using the supplies and resources available to us on the forth floor of the university building. There was so much choice and soo many interesting projects to recreate, I just could not decide on what to make.

I found myself looking at many ideas which I found very interesting, but the resources to make them were not available.

Unfortunately, during this lesson, I did not manage to recreate anything, I simply could not decide on something, which could be made with the resources available.

The website is interesting, and I will use this again to recreate some of the ideas in my own time at home possibly with my children.

Todays task was to produce a game for young children using technology, the game had to have an element of teaching, so learning could take place. This game also needed a full set of rules/instructions and children must be able to play this game with at least one other player.

While loading up the computer my mind was on the task at hand, there was so many game ideas whirling around. Trying to find an application to use seem difficult as I was unsure of which one to use, the applications available where difficult to use as I did not have a full understanding of how to use most of them, even though we have been using them throughout this module (clearly, I’m not tech savvy).

After looking at a number of applications I became reluctant to attempt the task at hand, the ideas I initially had of the game I wanted to produce had been replaced with the notion that I could not complete the task. I began to over think the entire complexity of the task and applications available for me to use. In the end I became completely unengaged with the lesson and distracted myself with my phone and other peoples work.

Most students found the task enjoyable and some even managed to produce some well thought out games. I was really impressed.

I really wish I had not lost interest and stuck at this task, maybe I should have just asked for some assistance instead of losing hope. fffff

Today we investigated what our online presence looked like, looking into how online platforms holds and stores digital mapping of our searches, locations and information.

We investigated our google accounts and what information it held on us as individuals.

I discovered that google had information and pictures of places I had visited along with pictures I had personally taken in those locations.

Looking through all the different settings and privacy links I decided to remove googles authority to hold such information. I decided to do this as it made me feel uncomfortable that an online service held so much information, although it is unlikely anyone else would see the information it held, I still felt it was personally necessary for me to do this. It made me feel as though my personal life had somewhat been invaded even though I must have given my consent for this information to be stored when setting up the account. Note to self: read through all terms, conditions and privacy notices in future.

During this lesson we created a digital map on paper of the online social media platforms we used and how we used these services, mapping out where each online platform sat on our individual maps. I realised I spent a lot of time and/or used several social media platforms which I had become a resident on; meaning I did not just used or visit these occasionally but visited and engaged with daily (quite eye opening and shocking really). Other platforms I was only a visitor meaning I rarely/occasionally visited these sites/ platforms, these platforms I rarely visited where university-based platforms, I would benefit greatly if I used/visited these platforms more often, as they carry/hold valuable information relating to my course.