Teachers Page
ICT Tools Explanation
In my three lessons, I have used Word Cloud Creator, Book Creator, Explain Everything, and Green Screen app as my main ICT learning tools. I have also included the use of the camera, Google, and See Saw as extra tools to assist students.
Word Cloud Creator is a tool used to create word clouds on a specific topic. I have chosen to use this tool to help students to activate their prior knowledge about recyclable materials. The word cloud will allow them to write down any materials they can think of that are recyclable, without worrying about formatting, and then the app creates the cloud for them. Having the app do the formatting for the students will help them as this allows them to write down anything that comes to mind without worrying about what the word cloud looks like.
Book Creator is an app that allows students to create their own book. I have chosen to use this app as it allows students to use the photos they will have taken of recyclable and non-recyclable materials around the school. The app will allow them to easily create different sections in the book, and add descriptions to each page of the materials they have found. Creating a book using Book Creator will assist students learning of the features of a book and the process of creating a book.
Explain Everything is an app students can use to create a presentation. They can add in photos, descriptions, and voice overs, while making the presentation look attractive. I have chosen to use this app as it will help students to understand that the use of sections and transitions is important for a presentation to flow and be attractive to the audience. The app will allow students to practice inputting photos and diagrams, with matching descriptions, into a presentation, and then using that presentation to present their topic idea to a group of their peers.
Green Screen is an app that allows students to create their own movie. The app allows them to be as creative as possible, as they are able to put their own background onto the screen and use any objects they want to, to create a movie. I have chosen to use this app as it will assist students in building knowledge around the features of a movie and what needs to be included to make a movie interesting, while allowing them to have full creativity.
Google, the camera, and See Saw have been included to assist students in their research and their creations. Google is required for students to do research and build their knowledge around a certain topic, in this case the topic of recyclable materials. The camera function on their iPads is required for taking photos to add to their other creations, such as their book and their presentation. See Saw allows them to submit all of their work for the teacher to assess and check off. Submitting their work to See Saw allows them to keep all their work in one place for them to go back and look at if required.
Learning theory- Social Constructivism
The basis of social constructivism is understanding the context of a situation to be able to build a knowledge base around the situation (Kim, 2001). Social constructivists believe that knowledge is constructed through social interactions and influenced by culture (Kim, 2001). For learning to be meaningful and have an impact on a person, the person needs to be involved in a social activity or be in a social learning environment (Kim, 2001). In order to learn, a person needs to have meaningful social interactions with a person more knowledgeable than themselves (Kim, 2001). For young children, the more knowledgeable other is an adult, such as a teacher or parent (Kim, 2001). A social constructivist teacher is one who values students ideas and models correct use of language, as well as questioning students answers and involving students in discussions about a topic to deepen their understanding (Lynch, 2016). A social constructivist teacher values mistakes as opportunities for students to learn and grow (Lynch, 2016). They allow students creative freedom to develop their own ideas and test out their own theories (Lynch, 2016). When students discover something that doesn’t match their current knowledge, the teacher will allow students to investigate and build new knowledge around the topic, while engaging in discussions with them to help guide and deepen understanding (Lynch, 2016).
My lesson series is underpinned by social constructivism theory as the students create their knowledge base around recyclable materials as a class or in groups, with input from the teacher, before doing further research to deepen their understanding. They are given the freedom to investigate and test their own theories about recyclable materials, and are then able to share their findings with the group and discuss with others to consolidate their understanding. They are able to use their previously constructed knowledge around recycled materials to create different products and presentations, and then share their creations with their peers. Having a “What we know” poster throughout the lesson processes allows for student and teacher input on the topic, and allows for the teacher to scaffold the correct use of language surrounding the topic of recyclable materials that students can then use in their creations.
References:
Kim, B. (2001). Social constuctivism. Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261287220_Social_constructivism
Lynch, M. (2016). Social constructivism in education. Retrieved from https://www.theedadvocate.org/social-constructivism-in-education/