Using iPod technology to enhance existing curriculum practices (Jo)

The following response looks closely at a practical example of how iPod technology has been used to enhance curriculum practices within Australian primary schools. There are many potential uses for this mobile media tool within classrooms today.  The idea of using iPod technology to enhance existing curriculum practices is by no means in its infancy.  For the benefit of this investigation podcasts were the primary iPod application which was used.   

In 2006, two Year Four classes from neighbouring Catholic schools in New South Wales took part in a project in which they were provided with 12 30GB 5^th Generation Video iPods.  This project was funded and supported by a university grant from the University of Wollongong. As part of this project researchers and classroom teachers worked together to look at how iPods could be incorporated into existing classroom practice to enhance the teaching and learning that was taking place.

In consultation with the researchers, the teachers designed a series of tasks connected to curriculum outcomes within the Talking and Listening strand of the New South Wales English curriculum.   “Each experience was designed to engage students in purposeful investigation of oral language in a context that was supportive and built upon the experiences of the students.”  (Vardy, 2007, p. 61)  Students were provided with multiple opportunities to engage with iPod technology over the course of the investigation.

There was a strong pedagogical framework at the foundation of this investigation.  One of the guidelines outlined by researchers was that technology was not to be viewed as “a substitute for good classroom practice.” (Vardy, 2007 p. 58)  It was vital that any activities which took place in the classroom “had a clear rationale and purpose for what they would do with technology in the classroom in connection with curriculum goals, student learning gains and existing teaching philosophy.” (Vardy, 2007, p. 58)

 

As a result teachers were able to develop units of work which linked with existing curriculum standards.  “Each experience was designed to engage students in purposeful investigation of oral language in a context that was supportive and built upon prior knowledge. (Vardy, 2007, p. 61) Students were involved in a three step process when using podcasts which had been developed by the teachers, being “receiving information, doing something with that information and then responding to that information to demonstrate new understandings.” (Vardy, 2007, p. 61) 

During the initial stages of the investigation students were invited to explore the technology involved in using iPods using mathematical problems as the context.  Once students were familiar and comfortable with using this mobile media tool, they then engaged in a five week unit of work about radio shows. This culminated in students creating and evaluating a radio show of their own.

Work was conducted in groups.  This particular aspect took into consideration the social nature of knowledge acquisition and production today.  Using an ever increasing array of online and mobile media tools, learners today acquire and produce knowledge not in isolation, but in collaboration with other users.  They are able to interact with others using a variety of mobile media tools, regardless of geographical location.  On this occasion iPod technology provided opportunities for students to negotiate and “work together in teams to complete tasks and develop new knowledge.”  (Jenkins, 2006, p. 3) 

One of the particular weaknesses of this research project is that there was no mention of the ethical implications of using iPod devices within an educational setting.  Access to these devices in this particular example was equable due to the availability of a research grant.  In reality however this is not always the case.  The financial and administrative priorities within an individual school setting can have a significant impact on an educator’s ability to be able to implement curriculum which integrates technology in an equable and effective manner.   


If educators are going to be able to truly integrate mobile media devices within their teaching practice, schools need to look at ways in which they can access and distribute available resources in the most equable way possible.  Schools also need to look at purchasing resources that they will be able to use to effectively engage online for a variety of purposes, and in a variety of contexts.


Two other significant ethical issues which need to be addressed when using this technology within a classroom setting are privacy and copyright issues.  Once again, there was no mention of these issues and how they were being addressed within this research project. 


Educators have a significant role to play in guiding students to develop life long skills in being able to make appropriate ethical decisions in regards to using and distributing content belonging to other people.  The use of technology such as an iPod in investigating ethical issues, allows students to interact with a mobile media device that many are familiar with.  In addition it also encourages to them to question the ways in which they use the tool to interact with peers.

  

There were a number of significant findings from this investigation regarding the use of iPods and podcasting within a class setting.  Specifically, the use of iPods allowed students to be able to independently view audio and video content, and in turn create, share and become critical viewers of multimedia material.   “Engagement with and student construction of podcasts was found to be an effective use of the technology to support and enhance student learning in a classroom.” (Vardy, 2007, p. 69)

Despite the fact that participants completed this investigation in a traditional classroom space, the use of iPod technology enabled both the educator and the students to reinvent this space in order to complete the set task.   Significantly students were able to take control of their learning, with the support of the teacher acting as facilitator. This experience is in line with the ideas suggested in Questions for a 21st Century Learner.  Inquiry based learning has huge potential to enhance curriculum practices within schools today.

The findings of this project demonstrates that the use of mobile media technologies such as iPod’s have huge potential to enhance existing curriculum programs. It needs to be remembered that the use of such mobile media devices needs to be done in partnership with appropriate professional development of staff.  A school community can not be expected to guide students in the effective and efficient use of these tools if they have no knowledge or skills in using them themselves.

Teachers need to be provided with support if they are going to be able to develop authentic curriculum opportunities and to integrate the devices in meaningful ways.  An investigation, such as the one conducted by the University of Wollongong provides educators with insight into the potential ways in which mobile media tools can be used to enhance existing curriculum practices. 

References

Brown, Karen (2009) Questions for the 21st Century Learner. Knowledge Quest, Volume 38, No. 1, retrieved October 5 2010 from http://www.pbs.org/teachers/librarymedia/aasl/kbrown.pdf

Jenkins, Henry et al..(2006) Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture :Media Education in the 21st Century. Chicago: The Macarthur Foundation, retrieved July 20 2010 from http://digitallearning.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C-E807E1B0AE4E%7D/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF


 Vardy J; Kervin L and Reid D. iPods and podcasting technology to support talking and listening experiences of Grade 4 students. [online]. Literacy Learning : the Middle Years; v.15 n.3 p.57-70; October 2007.  retrieved September 14 2010 from: http://search.informit.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/fullText;dn=163807;res=AEIPT

  

  

Reading Under the Covers with Others (Megan)

As a confirmed Facebook addict, and a follower of too many blogs to mention, I can confidently say that I enjoy the social nature of the internet and the ability to be connected wherever I might be with mobile media.

I do however use reading as my ‘me and me alone’ time. So it was with some initial horror that I read the article from New York Times entitled ‘Yes, People Still Read, But Now It’s Social’ by Steven Johnson. Shock. Horror. Reading is MY time!

Steven Johnson’s opinion piece examines the ever increasing alarmist claims which argue that being always connected and multitasking can lead to poor performance, shallow understandings and relationships.

The Kindle comes equipped with a feature which Amazon terms “popular highlights” – a dotted underline in the text, which lets the reader know that other readers have particularly enjoyed a section. So even reading a book (on a Kindle) could potentially become a social activity.

The article considers the thoughts of some who would say that this will make readers skim, and become distracted, and there are even claims that the death of higher order thinking is nigh.

Johnson puts forward some compelling arguments and examples which indicate that in fact the level of multitasking in which we now engage, thanks in part to mobile media, may lead to new and exciting ways of being, doing and connecting. With the myriad of mobile media readily available to youth, this ‘always on’ generation are indeed accessing technology in situations where once it would have been considered inappropriate to do so, such as the classroom or lecture theatre (Ito et al, 2010:20). Mobile media is transforming teaching and learning in ways we are only just discovering.

Collaboration, contribution, and community (Anderson, 2007: 4) are words which continue to surface in regards to use of the internet, and mobile technologies with features such as ‘popular highlights’ are indeed examples of these words in action. In ‘key trends’ the 2010 Horizon Report cites collaborative learning as something learners, educators and the educational setting are increasingly recognizing as a necessary way of learning (Johnson, Levine, Smith and Stone,2010).

This is an area of research which will no doubt continue to burgeon. Mobile media has enormous implications for how we will work and play now, and in the future. We are no longer tied to a desk, no longer need we be in the same office as our colleagues, and no longer it seems, need we read a book alone.

References:

Anderson, P. (2007) What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technolgies and implications for education. JISC Technology and Standards Watch. Retrieved Septemer 10, 2010 from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/techwatch/tsw0701b.pdf

Ito,M., Baumer, S., Bittani, M., Boyd, D., Cody, R., Herr-Stephenson, B., et al. (2010). Hanging Out,, Messing Around and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media. London: Massachusetts Instisute of Technology. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from CLN647 QUT subject portal.

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R. & Stone, S. (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved September 18, 2010 from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2010-Horizon-Report.pdf

Johnson,S (2010, June19). Yes People Still Read But Now It’s Social. New York Times. Retrieved August 5 2010 from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/business/20unbox.html?_r=3&ref=technology

Transformations and Innovations! (Therese)

As an educator, or in my situation a teacher- librarian, the use of mobile media and in particular mobile phones is an area that I need to encourage within the school setting. Little encouragement would be required for student to embrace this new technology, however encouraging some teachers to move away from the traditional sense of teaching and become flexible and innovative in their education may be a challenge; a challenge in terms of time, productivity, outcomes / reporting and their own lack of knowledge as to how mobile media devices work.

It would be easy to wax lyrical as to how I intend to transform this and innovate that, especially after completing this unit – Youth, Popular Culture and Text.  But as Paul Kelly sings, ‘From little things, big things grow.’  If over the following year I can implement – even in some small way, a successful collaboratively planned unit of work using mobile media, then hopefully it will continue to evolve. An important goal to starts with is to encourage my peers to begin to recognise the potential of what the students of today play with every afternoon as they leave the school grounds. 

How can I do that? Through example, promotion and successful collaboration.  I hope to motivate teachers to use technology in ways that stimulate and educate, that relate to current curriculum and to use these tools as more than a device to simply find information.  However, my peers cry out for knowledge and examples of how to teach their students effective search strategies. Young people cannot participate as producers of media unless they have skills to do so. In contrast to Prensky’s claim of being digital natives, it is a misconception that the youth of today inherently know how to use technology.  Not all have these fundamental skills.  From an increasingly early age, young people experience and are exposed to online media. However research has shown that many adolescents lack the skills required to efficiently or critically search the Web and assess the credibility of what they find (Bilal, 2001; Eastin et al, 2006; Kafai & Bates, 1997; Kuiper et al, 2005 in Hargittai et all, 2010).

Through using the ‘early adopters’ of change, those staff members who are willing to collaboratively work together to establish new media within the school, I hope to establish a number of small programs that can be implemented throughout 2011. Of particular interest are Web2.0 tools, Photo Story and Movie Maker. 

Using the iPhone functions of the camera or video, students can take pictures, make videos, tell stories and engage in various sort of social and cultural practices.  This can then be uploaded to movie maker or photo story to promote a topic that is being taught within the year level – for example; the effect of littering on the environment.  Popular of late are Book Trailers.  This is another popular medium that students could use their mobile phone for, promoting their love of literature and a particular book or even graphic novels. 

Taking images can also be used in the mathematics classroom with children taking photos of real life items that show angle, line, symmetry etc.  This concept could also be used in an art lesson. As teachers are often time poor and implementing new programs take time to learn and fully explore, it will be vital to stress that these new media skills build on the foundation of the traditional. It takes time, support and seeing the value of the new media to move forward and grow.

My own knowledge as to the variety of online resources and tools that can be used in the educational setting is vital for promotion to staff and students.  The use of web 2.0 tools will certainly be an area that I intend to promote within the library.  These tools, while enjoyable and exciting for the 21^st century learner are also used in the real world.  Students can see the benefits of using these tools as the learning context is authentic.  However to fully access and use these new social media tools, we need to address the issue of filtering and blockage of sites in the school environment.  It is important that I evaluate and constantly update the library’s policies and practices in terms of internet-use and access. These policies were written by the previous librarian.  To promote ownership, I intend to update and renew these with the help of the ICT school committee.  Setting rules and educating students in internet safety will allow users to have a positive and rewarding experience. Working collaboratively with teachers by selecting appropriate websites, giving students the skills and knowledge to access these sites and teaching how to judge the credibility of them are just a few of the ways that I can promote the use of popular culture in our school.

Participatory and popular culture, social and digital media will continue to evolve and expand within the school I work.  As educators, we need to be at the forefront of changing the culture of learning; to shift our perspective so as to empower young people. Using new strategies and skills to achieve this successfully requires changes in our teaching practices and mind set.  Educators need to inspire young people to become confident and competent users; to encourage rich and deep learning.  As educators of 21^st century learners, we must continue to empower young people to participate more effectively, ethically and productively in this dynamic yet exciting participatory culture.

azure. (n.d.). Paul Kelly - From Little Things Big Things Grow Lyrics. Lyrics, Song Lyrics – LyricsMode.com. http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics

Hargittai, E., Fullerton, L., Menchen-Trevino, E., & Thomas, K. (2010) Trust Online: Young Adults' Evaluation of Web Content. International Journal of Communication [Online] 4:0. Available: http://ijoc.org/ojs/index.php/ijoc/article/view/636/423

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Game-based learning. New York: McGraw Hill.

Jo's Online Resource

Blog Entry Three

Online resource – Studywiz- iPod application

Students today use mobile media devices as a matter of course in their daily lives.   Difficulties however are arising due to the fact that the rapid development of these technological devices is creating an ever-increasing gap between students’ everyday use of the devices, and the tools that are used within school settings.  (The digital divide)  To keep pace with emerging technologies, teachers, students and parents need to be provided with support and opportunities to experience the potential benefits and uses of these tools. 

One particular application, Studywiz is making headway in providing a framework which can be accessed by teachers, students and parents in assisting them in developing a pedagogical framework which is more learner centred.

Studywiz is an e-learning application developed by Australian company, Etech.  Originally designed for use with iPod technology, it has now been adapted for use with iPhones and iPod touch technology also. 

The aim of this application is to provide teachers and learners with the opportunity to create and interact with media rich content in flexible ways.  Teachers and students are able to share and store information that they can then access in their own timeframes, and in their own environments, school, home or elsewhere.

A particular strength of this application is that it enables teachers to adapt activities to suit individuals, groups of students, or whole class.  Teachers are also able to create activities, plan lessons and share resources with other teachers.    

Students are able to use the application to collaborate with other learners on tasks, and are able to access lessons, homework tasks, assessment information, chat groups, and online discussions regardless of their physical location. 

Significantly all of these activities are not restricted to the walls of a classroom. This particular application has potential to make a significant contribution in bridging the digital gap which exists between school and home. 

It is important that school communities ensure that they develop policies and practices that will maximise equitable access for all students. In order for a tool such as Studywiz to be successfully integrated into a learning environment, educators need to ensure that any new technology and innovative practices are underpinned by sound pedagogical practices and discussions on a whole school level.