English Assignment and Final Blog

This is my final blog for ICT. I would like to post a link to an assignment I did for my English learning area subject entitled "Issues of English Teaching in the 21st Century." We had to present some of the issues facing English teachers and some views of people effected by them. I decided to create a forum site and impersonate these people by creating "characters" that represented their views. Not only did I create and manage the message boards, I also ensured I used a multi-modal approach by using text, images and videos in the characters' responses.

I really enjoyed this assignment and I am excited to use this technology in my classroom. I have seen forums used very well in my placement with some year 12 literature students, and I think it could work well with any senior years class. A message board site is an excellent place for discussion to occur, and to further explore issues and topics raised in classes where there may not have been enough time. They also provide an opportunity for a teacher to communicate in a whole new way with their students. This ties really well with constructivism, and allowing students to lead their own research and discussion. A forum is just a new and exciting place for this to happen in.

In terms of this subject, I think I learned a great deal about the potential strengths and problems with using ICT in a classroom. Use of ICT in a classroom is crucial, not only to engage students (all types of students) but to illustrate points or ideas, provide a creative outlet, and provide a place for investigation and growth (among many other things). A teacher that doesn't use ICT, at least on a regular basis in their classes, is at risk of losing the interest of their students, and letting valuable resources and learning opportunities for both them, and their students, go by.

The link for my assignment is here: http://englishinthe21stcent.proboards.com/

An exposition of the way IT has made possible, or will make possible, new ways of teaching or learning in a specific discipline: The use of online learning resources and their possible benefits for Humanities teaching.

Here's my "group" assignment piece. I basically played a lot of internet games and then wrote about how they could be used in humanities. Overall, not a bad assignment to do :)

The use of ICT for many humanities teachers is not new or revolutionary, despite what some classroom observations may reveal. Video and audio clips of historical events or geographical sites, as well as photographs and movies have been used for years now, however this exposition will explore the implications of some of the more recent developments in ICT for the teaching of the humanities, especially the online, interactive learning games, and other interactive resources.

One resource I found for use in a year 7 History class is the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery’s kids’ page. Several possible history topics for year 7 are included on this website, including Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. For this exposition I will focus on Ancient Egypt, a topic I observed being taught to year 7s over 10 periods. There isn’t a lot of detail in the activities provided, but as a one or two period computer activity lesson, supported by prior study or teacher guidance, it’s perfect. The interactive timeline, “About Ancient Egypt” could be used at any time in the unit to support taught material, or to engage students. It uses simple language, bright pictures and covers a broad range of aspects of Egyptian life, culture and architecture, all essential knowledge for a year 7 history student. Another activity I thought quite useful is the “Explore Real Mummies” section, where students can click on several types of mummies and their features for more information and photographs. This is incredibly useful as the burial process can be the most complex and difficult part of the unit for students to understand. After an initial lesson or two on what the process was, this activity would be an excellent way for students to explore it in a more independent and interactive way. VELS level 4 in history notes that students “use a range of primary and secondary sources to investigate the past. With support, they frame research questions and plan their own inquiries.” This online resource has a number of other activities and interactive sections that encourage student engagement and exploration of a topic, as well as supplement what is already being taught.

Another resource that would support humanities teaching is Stop Disasters! by the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, an organisation made up of various international groups to reduce the impact of natural disasters on people and the environment. This disaster simulation game could be used to supplement the teaching of geography in the younger years. For example, for VELS level 5 in geography, students must “extend their knowledge and understanding of physical phenomena, including natural hazards, and of the physical processes that produce them. They identify patterns of distribution and occurrence of major physical features and their interrelationship with human activities…(and) investigate environmental issues such as forest use and global warming. They begin to design policies, and evaluate existing policies, for managing the impact of these issues and ensuring the sustainability of resources.” In a study of bushfires, for example, the Stop Disasters game can be used to reinforce teaching and explore the options and possibilities for prevention and management of such disasters. There is a wide variety of information on offer to the students, as well as the opportunity to test their own theories and ideas about natural disasters. Also, the game is engaging, using a timer and narrating character to make the situation feel more pressing and real.

The final online resource I will explore is Dust Echoes, a series of twelve animated short stories, as well as teaching resources and an interactive glossary, about the Aboriginal dreamtime. These stories were collected from the Wugularr people of Arnhem Land in Central Australia. These are an invaluable resource for teaching students about Ancient Australian history. The site itself is also quite interactive and engaging, but the stories are an excellent resource for a year 7 class. VELS states that “At Level 5, students analyse and describe key events in ancient and medieval societies. They use a variety of sources to describe key aspects of these societies. They describe aspects of daily life in these societies such as work, the division of labour, family, clothing, housing and education.” ACARA’s National Curriculum documents for History (p9), also state that “Students should have an appreciation of the major civilisations of Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia. They should understand Australian history within a comparative framework that embraces the Indigenous and settler component…” In presenting these stories to students in a unit about Aboriginal history, a teacher can really aid students in understanding and engaging with a culture that, in many cases, is almost completely foreign to them. They could also be used in a unit other than Aboriginal history, to compare it to the ancient society they are studying at the time. Indigenous study will be a big part of the National Curriculum for history, and it is important to provide students with engaging and interactive lessons and resources to explore in relation to this topic.

In order to engage students, it is crucial to tap into the popularity and usefulness of computer games, television, and the internet. The above interactive internet resources are just three of millions available to teachers, making it possible to get students engaged in their subject in new and exciting ways.

Comments on Other Blogs

Comment on Chris Brown's Blog


Chris,

I haven't used publisher since year 9, but you have re-awakened my interest in it, thanks. It's a great resource, especially for creative tasks in English. And newspaper activities for year 7s are always good.


Comment on Lauren Maserow's Blog

Lauren,

Great to see your students so excited to use ICT. I find the same thing happens when letting the students watch their own clips on youtube, even when they're only watching the same one as everyone else for a research worksheet. Somehow they feel more special than watching it as a group on a projector or something.

Also lovely to see that they were so enthusiastic about going first!

The activies you posted are really good and the Stop Disasters site looks like a great resource. Thanks for sharing!

Liz.

Use of ICT as engagement

I love showing video clips to my classes. They feel like they're not really doing any work, but they're really getting tricked into learning (Ha!). For example, last semester I showed my year 11  English class about personal journeys a Simpsons episode. You know that one where he goes on that freaky hallucinogen trip after he eats the chilli.

"Find your soulmate Homer. Find your soulmate."

I've also showed countless non-Simpsons-related clips, especially about the 1950s and 60s to my year 10 History Class. This one was particularly effective:

Obviously it needs to be paired with discussion and written work, but the use of video is pretty much essential in the teaching of English and the Humanities.