Synopsis

This blog we produced is also a useful tool from a professional point of view. At anytime I can come back, and refer to one of the many different e.Learning tools. But not just mine, thanks to this technology I can gather teaching ideas from my cohorts to make for a truly invaluable resource. Over these weeks I have learnt by reading other blogs, replying to comments, talking to peers and lectures that there is an exciting e.World out there.

Take for example the first few entries in my blog. I found avatars such an engaging tool I used one in an English Literacy presentation on Digital Gaming. The Avatar was at the start of my film to connect the topic to my overall question. To top it off I presented it digitally to tie in with my learnings. Another tool I have found invaluable is wikis. After seeing the YouTube video on wikis, I can definitely see this as a tool I will be using in the classroom. The thought of having information stored in a place for students and teachers to view, access and add is important to the learner. As stated by (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) “all student activities involve active cognitive processes such as creating, problem-solving, reasoning, decision-making, and evaluation. In addition, students are intrinsically motivated to learn due to the meaningful nature of the learning environment and activities”.

Other tools that gained my interest were PowerPoint (however I have now converted to Prezi) Interactive whiteboards, videos and Animations and Simulations. First of all PowerPoint is a tool that can be used so the students can present information in an assessment format or as a teacher to make a WebQuest through hyper linking. This tool is beneficial to the student because they “are used to receiving information really fast (Prensky, 2001). Also this is the same for interactive whiteboards, videos and Animations and Simulations. Prensky states that digital natives “prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards’”.

As there are many more to mention I believe the tools I have mentioned will be ever present in my class. This does not mean I will not use the other tools, it means that I feel my digital natives will get the most from these programs.