IMB Interactive white boards

Interactive white board is an instructional tool that allows computer images to be displayed onto a board using a digital projector. The instructor can then manipulate the elements on the board by using their finger as a mouse, directly on the screen. Items can be dragged, clicked and copied and the lecturer can handwrite notes, which can be transformed into text and saved. The interactive white board has changed the way teaching has been done and has help teachers to make learning fun and interesting.

Teachers who use IWB have access to numerous images, websites and videos that can be accessed in second and it ensure that teachers do not have to spend a lot of time on searching or downloading the images etc. because the white board has internet access. In terms of IWB as a pedagogical tool it allows learners to interact, highlight and move images on the board and for the learners who are visual they can clearly see the images and videos. Teachers can have Skype sessions with professors or doctors in the different subject fields and learners will be able to interact and ask questions.
 

The IWB are also known as SMART boards and have numerous functions ranging from screen shade, spotlight, magnifier, calculator to a pointer. This will assist teachers when they are explaining a certain part of a graph or need to zoon into a certain picture. The tools available on this IWB is amazing and learners have become more interacting and they tend to understand the work better because the technology attaches their attention.

EduBoard is a South African interactive whiteboard offering available to schools, education departments and other sectors. The EduBoard system is very poplar due to its low cost and that it is easy to use and allows for the teachers to integrate the interactive whiteboards with student tablets. But what if schools cannot afford them? I do believe that IWB is a great opportunity for all teachers and the government should ensure that all schools have access as well as that all teachers have computers to use.  No cost should be spared when it comes to the education of our youth and time as well as money should be invested in our future leaders, business entrepreneurs, doctors, teachers and everyone to ensure a better chance at everyone finishing school and receiving the best education possible.

Involving students in a meaningful way in classrooms

Getting learners involved and active in a classroom is one of the things teachers struggle with. Learners follow the crowd and I have seen it in my own school and I still see it today. Learners try so hard to fit in and being involved in school of classroom activities are not cool. But what if teachers can change that by simply changing the way we teach. Instead of trying to control a class let leaners be responsible and let them hold each other accountable, have them set the rules.

Learners want to be heard and that is why open communication in a classroom environment will change so much. I will create an environment in my classroom where every learner opinions, thoughts and worries are heard but there still has to be control, we can’t just allow learners to say what they please if it will offend someone. A classroom is a place of learning not just from the teachers but from other learners as well. So how do you create meaningful involvement of students in classroom?

Simply do not try and control them instead create an environment where they don’t feel the need to be loud and uncontrollable, now you are wondering ok then explain how? Wills (2015) wrote about how her learner never listened and walked in moving tables and was loud. She went home and thought about pedagogy. She placed bowls with water on the tables and wrote on the white broad, “Please keep the floor dry” and the learners tried their best. Now I am not suggesting that every teacher has to try this activity, but this activity was effective and learners were calmer when moving tables. She asked them what was different about today and learners mentioned that they were quiet and worked together.

You don’t have to be an out there teacher trying so hard to get learners involved, you just have to listen and think about new ways of creating a new space and get learners involved. Learners can change a classroom and make it meaningful. I would divide my class into groups and once a month a group will teach the class because it will show learners that I want them involved and I do believe that they are capable of teaching and mostly that I trust them. Get learners to bring photo’s or articles that they think are interesting and put them up in your classroom, show the learners how important their involvement in a classroom could be.  

We all have something to teach and we are never too old to learn...

When we think about teaching and schools, we automatically think about a teacher presenting a class and students listening. The next generation is seeking more than just copying down slides and listening to a teacher reading out of a textbook or giving them knowledge that they don’t want to learn about. They want to be independent and learn from each other and have the responsibility to learn by themselves. I know this means we have to put a lot of trust in students but aren’t they already considered adults. I mean we want them to be responsible and take responsibility but we aren’t even giving them a chance to be responsible.

Take for instance the Independent Project, it was started by 8 students in school and how it works is that they would do research on a specific topic that they had questions about and teach each other the work, there are no test, no quiz’s because they believe that knowledge is not something you memorise instead it is something you are taught and understand.

The problem some would say is that are the students doing the right research and are they teaching each other the right information and that is where teachers play such a significant role. Teachers can be there to insure that research is properly done and that the students are teaching each other the right information. When schools start to create a space where students can self- direct what they wish to learn, I feel that students will be more interested in learning and understanding.

We can teach learners how to do proper research and where to find the correct information, the new generation of students want to feel in charge of what they are learning because not everyone fits into the same box, not everyone has the same passion for mathematics as others.

We are continuously teaching and learning throughout our lives so why not find connection between technology, teaching and learning. We have the opportunity to share personal experiences and thoughts about certain topics and students can get connected with other students around the world and learn from each other and ask each other questions about their country, their history, their economy or anything. The Hybrid Pedagogy Journal is a great example of independent teaching and learning, where people share personal experiences and have in depth conversations about certain topics. We all have something that we can teach each other and we are never too old to learn, so let the next generation teach each other with the help of teachers.  

Check your social media tonight students, I will keep you updated

Davis (2014) and Provenzano (2015) wrote about how important the use of social media can be within classrooms and that everyday social media tools like Facebook can be used to keep students informed and interacting.

I do agree with them, Davis (2014) and Provenzano (2015) made valid arguments and even provided enough example of teacher who have made you of social media and have found it to be very effective. When I think about teaching next year, I stress because I want to create an environment where students feel that they are being heard and not just taught and that students would leave my classroom and would miss it. Social media is constantly being used and the faster we accept it and embrace it the better.

I am going to teaching Geography and Life Orientation at schools next year and after I read these articles I had a few ideas about how I could use social media in my classrooms. I had a Life Science Teacher, who created a Facebook page where she would upload the slides she used in class, videos, share links and she even had a photo competition. The Facebook page is a success and I still follow it.

I would use group email where all the parents will be add to and they would receive the year planner which will include dates of test, exams, projects and teacher parent meetings. The group email will make parents feel included and parents would be encouraged to email me with any concerns. I would start a Facebook page for students to follow for both my subjects, I would upload all class work as well as assignments and dates to ensure students are kept updated. Skype will be used to interact with geologist and Professors and critical discussion will be held, students will be allowed to ask questions and get a different perspective about certain topics.   

Davis (2014) mentioned the remind app that students can join and then reminders are sent via a message to their phones about test dates and assignments that are due. The app would be very effective, even with students who don’t have social media accounts. In our Computer use for our Post Graduate Education Program, I have seen how effective and fun twitter has become. I never had twitter and now I don’t regret getting it. Teachers should try to use a maximum of 3 to 4 social media sites or else it would be hard to manage and I would rather want effective then be everywhere.  

Digital learning: ready, set, type?

“The technology itself is not transformative. It’s the school, the pedagogy that is transformative.” – Tanya Byron

The quote written by Tanya Byron explains that it is not technology itself that will change education but the way in which technology is used that will change education. We are in the 21^st century where technology is changing at such a rapid pace and information is being shared faster then what it is being consumed. People struggle to understand or keep in up with each new feature and we do not feel always ready. It is like a race that it constantly moving at a pace and either you can keep up or you fall behind.

In terms of education and technology we need to understand how vital it is for information to be exchanged and that is how learning can take place.  Digital pedagogy is an attempt to use technology to change the way teaching and learning has been done. Pedagogy is not just limited to classroom teaching only, instead online teaching like the Learning Management System (LMS) was created to teach students online, but is it effective?

 

I honestly do not think so because the students are not receiving a creative ways of learning and instead of interacting, the students write down notes, watch videos and write online test. The LMS did use all the webs capabilities and limited teaching. The LMS became a place of just uploading documents and files and could not be considered as pedagogy or a class for that matter. We need to consider the best possible outcomes to ensure that LMS is effective or that teaching with technology will benefit and be more interacting.

The 21^st century education is changing whether we accept it or not, we are at a fast pace trying to keep up with the world around us. The best solution to creating proper digital pedagogy education is research. The research should include how a teacher can use pedagogy to inspire new means of education. Teachers have the future at palms reach and they have the ability to either change or stay the same. I do not think that teachers should just rely on technology to teach students, it should not become a luxury or an outcomes to make teaching easier and instead it should be used to create creative interactive learning spaces where students are taught how to use the World Wide Web.  

 

 

Digital pedagogy touchscreens vs chalkboard

The future of education changed the day technology started to change the way we did certain activities. Teachers have become afraid of the use of technology and some believe that it distracts the students and other believe it is a helpful tool. Pedagogy can be defined as the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of education and is concerned with the study and practice of what is the best way to teach. That has been a question on most people’s minds, what is the best method to teach the learners of the future?

 

Technology has provided room for a lot to change, and touchscreens, PowerPoint slides and interactive tools have allowed for creativity to advance and for teachers to make classrooms a more interactive environment. Learners are learning more about how to make use of technology wisely and how to make use of the digital world. Learners are raised in a society where technology is constantly improving or advancing, and that each person just wants the best technology. Schools should understand how important technology has become and how it should change the way leaners think or study.  

 

Paul Fyfe’s article about the digital pedagogy unplugged allowed me to understand the future of education and how teachers can make use of both a mixture of digital and non-digital tools. The teachers should change the way they think and understand that, like a chalkboard, digital technology is only a tool. I truly believe that technology has helped the world to advance and has speeded up the way we think, but is that such a horrific problem?

 

No. We have to start preparing leaners for the advanced working world that awaits them and prepare them with new skills that will be required when they have to work. Instead of doing the same type of boring classes, let’s make use of what has been given and create a space where leaners can interact and see what technology has to offer.