My learning design: Math Quiz competition!

1. Overview

This program is designed to develop the relationship between Australian and Japanese societies. The program focuses on Year 10 students in Australia and Grade 1 high school students in Japan, working in groups for collaboration learning of three particular subjects; Mathematics, Japanese and English. It will be implemented in one term.

Their goal is to create math questions and interpret simultaneous equations and quadratic equations using either the Japanese or English language in order to distinguish and judge problems for solving the maths questions. To participate in the Math Quiz competition, students are required to create Maths quizzes as well as solving math quizzes of other groups.

Learning Managers will judge each group at the Quiz competition. There are some gifts that will be sent by students from each country of Australia and Japan as a prize. The best group of the Quiz maker and the point getter will receive the prize!




2. Design – on a Power Point slide

The lesson design is performed on a Power Point slide.
Please refer to the URL below;

http://www.slideshare.net/shihonakamura/my-learning-design


3. Development

Please refer to the URL below to find the evidences.

- WIKI (everyone’s page: OZJapsociety):
http://ozjapsociety.wikispaces.com/
- WIKI (group’s page)
Group1:
http://group1-ichi.wikispaces.com/
Group2:
http://group2-ni.wikispaces.com/

- ClassMarker << href="http://www.classmarker.com/quiz/intro.php?test_id=67253&class_id=37582">http://www.classmarker.com/quiz/intro.php?test_id=67253&class_id=37582

Other ICTs will be used in the program:
- Podcast and Wikipedia: self study for students
- These ICTs are asked to introduce other students to help their study on WIKI’s
everyone’s page.
- Blogs and e-mails: share their idea and thoughts
- Skype: orally communicate to each student


4. Summary

Overall, this learning programme will provide a great opportunity for Australian and Japanese young people to exchange their thoughts. The learning is related their real life as authentic scenario. This innovative style of learning such as the use of ICTs and collaboration among students, teachers, countries and subject areas is unique and effective. The collaborative style of learning using ICT provokes learner to be a highly motivated learner (Kearsley & Shniderman, 1999).

What is admirable in the use of ICTs is that variety of students who have different backgrounds in two different countries, also involving teachers of each subject in each country, might also involve students’ parents. Many factors are united in one place and then they are able to manage three kinds of subjects; Maths, Japanese and English. ICT is expected to make variety of challenges in learning possible and effective that was impossible and inefficient in the past. The reason is that Oliver’s (1999) Learning Design states that attractive resources trigger learners; the task is problem-based and supportive people or resources assist their learning.

My e-learning journey was intensive. I have learned many useful things, although I could have learnt many more things which I did not try. Through my experience of this journey, I found that communication with peers is the most valuable and significant in learning as our lecturer, Scot, told us and that is the main purpose in this course. I have appreciated having this opportunity to share my thoughts with peers and a lecturer in both face to face and online situations during this term.

I believe that peers’ roles of working as teachers, mates and maybe parents (telling a correct things and sympathetic) one or another. They can always get together on line, and resources can be found on the Internet. They are able to solve problem based tasks (matter). It is a complex task, but they can do it with such valuable peers.

When I become a teacher, I would use ICTs in my learning design because I expect my students to work with peers. As Prensky (2001) suggested, 21st century learners as digital natives will engage learning, only if educators engage them. The educator’s ultimate aim is to make learner motivated and realize that learning is enjoyable.



References

ClassMarker. (2009). My tests. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from http://www.classmarker.com/my_tests.php

Kearsley, G. & Shniderman, B. (1999). Engagement theory: a frame work for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved August 1, 2009, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Oliver, R. (1999). Learning design. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from:http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

Teachertube, Youtube. (2009). Math from Ma and Pa. Retrieved October 4, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFenPMoNkXA

Videomathtutor, Youtube. (2009). Algebra: Solving Linear Equations - Part 1: The Basics. Retrieved October 4, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdiNDwKOBvw

WIKIspaces. (2009). Retrieved October 4, 2009 form http://www.wikispaces.com/user/my/shihonakamura

Flickr

Hello bloggers,

Unfortunately, I have just started Day Visit and will have only 2 visit left, so that I will share my design of Flickr.

The learning area is Japanese. To remember plenty of verbs, I will give a task that are;

1. Select some verbs (some- they have learnt, some- seek new verbs they do not know from
text book or dictionary etc.)
2. Bring own photos (saved in a file) or download some pictures from website that are images
of the verbs what they chose
3. Explore the Flickr and upload the pictures
4. Make a sentence using verbs for each images (write them in a comment box)
5. Share own work with their peers





In an advanced class, I would like students to make moving pictures in order to image and remember "something on a move", "~ te imasu (be + verb + ing); for example, "Watashi wa banana wo tabete imasu"I am eating banana. I expect them to image "someting on a move", drinking, walking, watching etc.. when they see or hear the sentence "~ te imasu".

The point of the use of Flickr in this lesson is to have vivid memories with pictures to last long the memories in students brain and able to remember huge amount of visual information in short time using the sencery (Cooper,1998). To store the information, I need to do this activity several times and let students read in sentence and write reinforce.


Regards,

Shiho


References

Graham, C. (1996). Reserch into cognitive load theory and instructual design at UNSW. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from http://dwb4.unl.edu/Diss/Cooper/UNSW.htm







Regards,

Shiho

Digital Storytelling

Hello bloggers,

Digital Storytelling (DS) is authentic way of learning. Each story takes only a few minitues long, but it contains powerful message. There are some kinds of DS, narrative way of demonstrating and historical stories. Those stories can cover variety of topics that are; Maths, Language Arts, Medicine, History etc (Bernard, 2008).

I watched several DS on Marco's web site, some were dramatic and unforgettable. I felt that was very realistic, explicit and also persuasive. The visual information and the auditory information made me to consider what message the story contains, . I learned directly what I saw and hear then felt from the story.

They are technologically suvvy 21st learners. DS is suits for both learner and teacher for their learning (Central Queensland University, 2009).

To make DS, it is challenging task students have to have higher-level thinking, task analysis and problem solving skills (Moore, D & Powell, N, 2005). I think this activity is appropreate to university students or Year11, 12 students.


Regards,

Shiho


References


Bernard, R. (2008). The educational uses of digital story telling. Retrieved on September 11, 2009, from http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/index.html


Central Queensland University. (2009). Student-centred technologies. Retrieved on September 18, 2009, from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=696

Moore, D & Powell, N. (2005). Digital story telling? Retrieved on September 11, 2009, from http://www.district87.org/technology/dv/

Blogs

Hello bloggers,

Due to insufficient time and I have not been placed any school yet, I will write a synopsis of my design.

If there are enough computer at school where I am placed, I would like to use blog as a barometre of their learning between student and teacher and student and student.

I believe that the contents of their blogs; what they post do not have to be only about the subjects what they study. They can also discuss how they efficiently learn that is to maintain students' emotional side. For example, Also, the `zone of proximal development` helps cognitive development (Kearsley, 2009). For example, if students counsel each other and teacher supervise the discussion then resolve it, they will engage their peers and teachers more. I believe that could lead to have better classroom climate.

Regards,

Shiho

References

Kearsley, G. (2009). Social divelopment theory (Vigotsky, L.). Retrieved August 17, 2009, from http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.html

Voice Thread

Hello bloggers,




I will use this technology for presentation of some project. For example, SOSE study or science that they investigated.

Regards,

Shiho

References

Voicethread. (2009). Create. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from http://voicethread.com/#home

Reflecting synopsis

I believe that active learning is that is to say the engagement learning. The world is rapidly changing, which affects education world as well that is caused by the technological life style. Educators need to know what 21century students interest and need in their life to understand them in order to provide them instructions that is fair to diversity of students (Central Queensland University, 2009). There are some beneficial ideas to manage students misbehaviour in a classroom.To change their attitude, and to engage them, all students realize the learning is enjoyable and valuable to their life. When educators are required to consider their personality, surrounding, life style, and learning style to occur effective learning and achieve their goal.

The CQUniversity promotes the action to `Be what you want to be` as a commercial phrase on a advertisement (Central Queensland University, 2009). I think it is in another word, 'Be active learner!'.

Finally, I have achieved this stage! Honestly, I did not think that I manage the work of this course because I am a digital immigrant, not a digital native (Prensky, 2005).

For me, and probably many students in this course felt challenging to deal with most of technology tasks. Also there are a number of reading at each topics. I was frightened and panic while the assessment 1's due date was coming up, but as Scot suggested us on a courseware, I refereed back to learning theories when I tried each of activities. So that, now I know better about the technology things and have obtained knowledge how they related to learning.

If I did not take this course, I would not try valuable technologies such as Mahara, Wiki's, Blogs, WebQuests and other creative and fun software. Maybe because I had a prejudice that it is not for me, but once I tried, I was fascinated and became an active learner. Thus, for 21st century learner, maintaining those creative and collaborative tool is their nature.

I have been experiencing online learning as a Learning Manager to critically analyse tasks and share our idea with peers. So, I have found this courseware is well designed. Because it is exactly based on the Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) (Oliver, 1999). The task is related the real world, researching resources, and the knowledge that we obtained support our learning for us. The concept of ICTs is based on the learning eangagement theory. The principal petagogy is first, Donate to the real wold and problem, then Creat solution to the problem, and Donate a useful contribution. The learning engagement theory links Problem based learning (Kearsly, & Shniderman, 1999). We wish the 21st learner to engage in their learning.

Most of us are in Bachelor of Learning Management. The learning theories; Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Constructivism and Connectivism. The theory Connectivism tells us learning is not only internal, which is developed externally and activity (Siemens, 2005). The background information is everything related to education. It was hard work, but I enjoyed reading those articles.

Also, there are organized communication tools and communities on a courseware. Each topic has a forum, so we can share our idea, encouraging our journey, help other students who are on a problem. We sit on a computer individually, but we are not alone. Whenever and wherever, we can learn on the Internet, and it is expected.

I think I am an originally reflective and visual learner. I like to use Voki avatars, Youtube, Fickr, and Power Point slide. I will definitely use them in my teaching. As a reflective learner, I am sure that I will be a life long learner. Queensland Schools Authority (2002) defined the life long learner as follows;

• a complex thinker



• a creative person



• an active investigator



• an effective communicator

Those are four of the seven definitions. Looking at those, I would say that the life long learner is so close to 21st century children's characteristic. Therefore, I prospect that 21st century children will be a life long learner.

Overall, we all have different learning style and learning experiences, also background and surrounding. Therefore, as society requires and utilize our techonology and engage our learning. I would to like to try more new computer technologies and maintain them for myself and my students.

Thank you for reading

Kind Regards,

Shiho

References

Kearsley, G. & Shniderman, B. (1999). Engagement theory: a frame work for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved August 1, 2009, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Oliver, R. (1999). Learning design. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm

Central Queensland University. (2009). Active learning. Retrieved July 13, 2009, from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=580

Central Queensland University. (2009). Elearning design. Retrieved July 13, 2009, from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=641

Siemens, G. (2005). A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved August , 2009, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Using music on the web

There are variety of piece of musics on the site, incompetech. It was a nice moment while I was listening to some short musics. Also we can order to creat original music on the site (Incompetech,2009). It would be very special. I will use this technology, putting some piece of musics on power point slides that I or my students made for their celemonies, event, or project at school.

Regards,

Shiho

References

Incompetech. (2009). Frequentlu asked questions. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/faq.html