Interactive Whiteboards in a classroom environment

http://teacher.scholastic.com/resources/whiteboards/

In doing a quick google search on interactive white boards, it becomes apparent that there is already a significant amount of research done that support the use of an interactive whiteboard within a classroom environment. Whether these studies are funded by the manufacturers or retailers can put into question the legitimacy of the research, yet common sense based on research in other fields of teaching and learning would suggest that this increased learning experience is quite possible.

The potential of using an interactive whiteboard in our classes have the advantage over a normal whiteboard that you can use computer generated images, which enhances the learning support materials within the classroom. By engaging more senses with a more realistic look and feel, we therefore link various interactions of the brain with the single exercise which studies have proven to be more effective within a teaching and learning environment.

Because the content is displayed through a computer, the resolution can be enhanced, enlarged or minimized in order to focus the display on a certain section or the whole.

In my opinion, one of the biggest advantages is that you can use different colors very effectively without the need to ensure that you have chalk in the classroom. A lot of times within the classroom, there might be a lack of chalk in the classroom which can hamper effective teaching. Certain colors on normal chalkboards also does not display very well, while there are certain interactive whiteboards that can only display a set number of different colors.

Another drawback on the interactive boards is that as with most projectors, it requires the surrounding area to not be too bright, which under certain circumstances might be problematic, especially if the area needs to be so dark that learners cannot see and therefore write to take notes AND if they do, it might be detrimental to their eyesight.

In a South African context, our biggest possible problem would be a combination of access and Eskom. Not all schools will have the required funding to enable the use of interactive white boards and unlike a normal chalkboard, they do require electricity to operate. It would therefore not be viable to use an interactive whiteboard in the event of a power outage.

Although the argument can be made that a normal projector can provide the same functionality, anyone who grew up watching SABC educational programs should remember Mr William Smith. The reason I mention him specifically is because if you are aware of whom I'm talking about, you should also be aware of the fact that his hands were always filthy due to the constant erasing of the magic markers with his hands. Although a cloth can be used to do this, in practise, it rarely happens that it is always the case and in my school education I remember numerous occasions when teachers had "colorful hands" because they had to re-explain something on the projector.

Normal projectors, although less expensive, also require power and a significant amount of preparation since special transparent sleeves are required to showcase the lesson.

In order to keep certain information on the transparent documents, our teachers had to "photocopy" these images onto the documents. It was then permanent, but if they had made a mistake or wanted to make a change, it was not possible as it was a fixed permanent document to which could only be added.

The biggest advantage that interactive whiteboards however have, in my opinion, is that it allows the use of a display using a computer. In the digital age of today and with our previous exploration of digital pedagogy, most teachers most likely will be making use of computer assisted teaching methods. These interactive boards therefore directly integrates with our preferred method of preparation and should therefore lessen the burden of preparation for class.

Considering that almost no presentations within the business world is made without a projector making use of a computer, it is only logical to take the technology into the classroom. Being a technophile myself, I tend to agree with the findings that interactive whiteboards will assist teaching and learning, especially since my own rationale comes to the same conclusion.

Yes, it has its drawbacks but as Allan F. Mogensen said: 

"Work Smarter...Not Harder"

Purveying Pedagogy

The video refers to the SSDD we learn in all the PGCE classes, which is represented by the didactic triangle and are the components that deals with how to become a good teacher. It therefore only lists the factors to keep in mind for a classroom environment when we teach. However, I found the reading extremely insightful. What I specifically enjoyed about it is that although we have been taught the principle by means of inference, it highlighted the real world experience where thinking outside the box was required to be able to do the mundane.

In my opinion it says a lot about human nature in that the only thing the teacher had to do differently was to get the learners attention and then wean them from the necessity to continue with the innovative means of starting a class, yet to keep capturing their attention without the physical props. This is a typical example of what we have learned about with regards to looking at yourself as the teacher being the problem when you are not making inroads with the learners. What she had done was to rethink her method and give up total control of her class in order to obtain the participation she required of her classroom. She did not however let go of her authority within the classroom, which I think is critical to remain the teacher in the eyes of the learners.

This example therefore highlights very distinct requirements that I believe all people who wish to impart knowledge need to get under the belt if they want to be successful in their endeavors of teaching others. Firstly, the requirement of getting the initial attention of the potential learners. Secondly to keep it interesting once you have their attention. Thirdly, lose control. This does not mean that you need to go nuclear but rather that you should refrain from attempting to remain in total control yet retaining authority. One of the most important requirements in my opinion is to be able to think outside of the box in order to achieve these objectives. The reason I believe these abilities to be critical is simply because they will ensure that you capture the attention of your audience. Without someones attention, it is impossible to communicate and communication is key to learning.

People differ. Even a single person is influenced by internal and external forces. Within the week, I received terrible news in that a family member has an unknown amount of time left with us. My first thought was why could it not wait till next year. Its not being insensitive, but even though we are not close, the person is a sibling of someone whom I are about. It impacts on them and therefore impacts on me. When comparing my feelings, attitude and general well-being before and after I had received the news, it is evident that the news had had a significant impact on me as a person as well. I only mention this because it is an exaggerated example of how humans change due to influences. The point is that the same thing does not always work for different people, even the same person, since our circumstances change over time. This in my opinion is the main reason why we need to think outside of the box. That being said, it is thus just as important to never give up. It is not always possible that your brilliant idea will work as intended the first time. It may need to be tweaked and adjusted in order to fit/work. It reminds me of Thomas Edison who said two things that is of particular importance in life : "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" and then to enforce this idea "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up".

The last thing that stood out in my mind that is also one of life's lessons that people sometimes never learn is that the best ideas normally only happen when you are doing something else. Think of Archimedes who observed the water rising when he got into his tub (bath). I am certain he did not set out to solve a significant problem from his era, but his brain made the observation and connected the dots. It can probably be argued that he then took it too far by then running out of the house naked in the excitement of sharing his discovery, yet at the time it can be compared to someone now discovering other intelligent life in our solar system. But the article clearly states that the writer made a conscious effort to not work on the problem at hand as all her previous attempts at finding a solution failed. Instead she applied her mind on something else and then had that Eureka moment, which brings me to the solution itself.

In sociology it is said that if your work is not complicated, then it is not deemed to be of importance. However, in most cases, we Humans tend to over-complicate matters in order to find a solution. We want to appear sophisticated and intelligent, but more often than not we need exactly the opposite. Think of the 3 laws of Newton and the 4 laws of electro-magnetism. They are extremely simple in their explanation and have been commended for being thus. It does not mean that the impact, proof or theory behind it is uncomplicated, but rather that the elegance of its simplicity needs to be admired. Not to get into Einstein and General Relativity, consider that we can explain all movement of objects in space based on the 3 laws of Newton. As stated, it is truly elegant in its simplicity and is probably the reason we cannot think of them. Why does it take a genius to show us the simplistic? In relation to the article, the writer tried everything she had learned on how to cope with unruly learners and in the end it took a coloured bowl and some water to resolve her issue.

The qualities we as future purveyors of knowledge therefore require to practice the art is to be determined, creative and to not overthink solutions as it will present itself, but the most important quality to keep in mind is KISS.

Endangered Teachers ... The new Dodo?

What are we ever going to do with subject XYZ?

We all were there, probably, at one point or another during high school.

In my case it was due to the fact that the marks I obtained in the particular subject was not very good. I was lucky, but some school friends were not. We start to fear going to the class because we just do not "get" the subject. Eventually this fear turns into anger which then transmorph into hate. As Yoda warns, "hate leads to the dark side..." which here means that instead of only skipping or not paying attention in the one class, teenagers end up skipping/hating school as a rule. By rebelling against the system, they are rewarded by their peers for being the rebel and speaking up for everyone, which acts as an example for younger children. As you can see, and probably remember, this effect keeps on snowballing and we end up with children who barely makes it out of school. This is not a new problem, except we have lost the stick of corporal punishment.

Therefore, if you are in the field of teaching and learning, you have to agree that the concept showcased by the "Independent Project" was one of the most fascinating and progressive ideas to date. Here you have children who acknowledge that they hated going to school and found a new way of learning through which they now enjoy schooling, even if they cover subjects that they never before enjoyed or excelled at. By investigating the teenager's brain development, this makes complete sense. In Teaching and Learning, the subject material emphasises the way in which an adolescent's brain works by explaining that a situation offering a reward for an action in front of peers, with an element of risk will be made with an emotional response every time (paraphrasing). The cognitive brain does not stand a chance.

Breaking it down into its individual parts, it is clear to see why this is the case. Firstly, having been through adolescence, we all know it is a time of extreme emotional turmoil and making emotional decisions are inevitable. Secondly, the learners are relying on one another to each do their part and as a result there is a reward of respect and status from your peers if you are able to teach them something new and positive rather than gaining recognition for negative behaviour. The particular teenagers are therefore "forced" to find an alternative means of gaining recognition from their peers and can only do it in a positive way. This effect is probably amplified by the fact that failing to deliver would not only be a failure to receive status, but would also lower your status within the group. This in my opinion is possible largely due to the fact that there are no adults to rebel against and thus gain recognition in that way.

When we couple the apparent outcome of the first experiment of the "Independent Project" with the empirical evidence provided by Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the Wall" experiment, the only logical conclusion is why had this not been attempted earlier? Not only does the evidence point to learners learning faster, but it seems to also suggest that the learners will also learn any topic that their peers decide is important. Having now found that it works, it can probably be seen as the holy grail in teaching and learning in that we can now get the kids of tomorrow to learn anything under the sun, learn it faster and do so with a thorough understanding of the subject matter. Pink Floyd hinted at this in 1979, yet no-one paid attention until now.

We already know that children are knowledge sponges. They only lose interest in learning because we hinder their learning process. With the internet being a source of instant knowledge distribution, maybe it is time that teachers realise their role in late childhood development (teaching) has reached its end in its current form. Our inherent human drive for independence seem to transcend all aspects of life including learning. It also seems to develop at an early age. Just try and help any child in their "self" stage and you will know it is impossible to help someone who does not want your help, even if they are 2 years old. You can only help them if/when they finally decide to ask for help, whichever method they use to let you know they're asking for help. This does not therefore necessarily mean that teachers will no longer be required, but rather that the role a teacher plays will need to shift from being the presenter of knowledge to being the fountain of knowledge.

Being a fountain of knowledge would therefore symbolise being on standby to provide someone with the knowledge they ask for when they ask for it, rather than providing the knowledge which you think is important to the person at the time. The "Independent Project" is a perfect example of this in that although the parent planted the seed, the idea was only acted on by the children and they only accessed the information from the adults to the extent that they needed their help to do so to realise the concept. Once they had it figured out they were better off on their own.

Therefore the trick to future proof yourself as a teacher will be to find the means of getting teenagers interested in the knowledge that you have AND getting them to return for more. The question therefore arises if this might be the beginning of the end of traditional teachers? In my mind, there is no difference between a fountain of knowledge teacher and a modern classroom teacher, except that the time of a modern classroom teacher might also be limited. Both are required to ensure that the child becomes interested enough to want to learn from you, rather than trying to force the child to learn with one possible exception.

With the internet being such a prolific distributor of knowledge, the possibility quite literally exist that if we do not adapt we might end up with a few fountains of knowledge in the world and everyone just accessing their knowledge. While this does bode well for fountains of knowledge, the nature of the internet is such that there will be far fewer fountains of knowledge than current teachers and these fountains will generally be the scientists / researchers themselves.
This pushes Arthur C. Clarke's quote of "Any teacher that can be replaced by a computer, should be" squarely into the realm of possibility whereby all teachers becomes an endangered species and "traditional old school" teachers will definitely be going the way of the Dodo.

Teachers therefore have 2 choices ...  Become a fountain of knowledge or go extinct.

Social Media in the School environment

When you say social media, Facebook is normally the first site that comes to mind. With all the publicity received where social media has "ruined" peoples lives because of a post made that went viral, it is understandable that teachers (and parents) will be skeptical about the utilisation of social media in a school environment.

However, there are already a significant number of schools that have a social media presence as these schools use Facebook to promote the school as well as providing information to parents regarding school events. To therefore say that social media for school use is dangerous, is somewhat superfluous in that it is already happening. We should then rather look at the usage of social media in a classroom environment.

Teachers have an obligation to prepare learners for the world at large after school. As such, social media plays an important role in society and there are few people in the world with internet access who do not have / or previously had a social media account or accounts. Used correctly, it can be a powerful tool that is used to gain knowledge, keep current with world affairs and even find out what you need to know about that applicant who wants to be employed.

For this reason, we are all hyper aware of the dangers of posting opinions on a world platform that can go viral instantaneously. This year alone in SA we had the debacle between Gareth Cliff and MNet, which resulted directly out of an opinion posted on a social media site.

If teachers are to prepare learners for the harsh realities of life online, surely it is imperative to teach learners about the environments within which they will find themselves and in so doing, ensure their successful participation in the global society.
The fact that it happens online does not distract from the fact that it is a social interaction which is governed by socially acceptable practices within the society. Because the social interaction is online, it should therefore be our responsibility to ensure that the social interactions are socially acceptable. Whatever is posted, is instantaneous and is there to view for the whole world. The consequences of irresponsible social media participation therefore has far greater consequences than what a unsocial action would have had before social media. There is also no hearsay in social media and any posts therefore are directly from the horses mouth and is there to stay and for all to see.

The question in my mind is therefore not whether social media should be allowed to be used within a teaching and learning context, but rather why it is not obligatory to teach responsible online social interactions within the curriculum.

When you consider the context referred to in the learning triangle and the objective of the Department of Education to ensure that we follow a learner-centered based methodology, then it becomes clear that teachers should focus on utilising tools and concepts familiar to the learners. Although not all learners might have access to social media at present, the analogy can be drawn that not all learners had access to computers 20 years ago, yet computer literacy is a highly sought after skill in the job marked today.
It is therefore only logical to consider that social media as a familiar tool already in use by the population at large, is a good means of ensuring that the teacher work from a basis that the learner is familiar with. Teaching the socially responsible way in which to partake in social media would not only safeguard learners from the pitfalls awaiting them, but will also uplift their social standing within the global environment as the learner will possess the skills and confidence to be an active member in the digital society.

To build on the previous articles relating to digital pedagogy, social media is just a tool that can be used. Tools are neither good or bad, but the person(s) using them and the ultimate result of their actions is what determines whether the outcome of the tools usage by the specific person is good or bad. Furthermore, I believe that the phobia of making social media accessible in a classroom environment is mainly because the method of successfully using social media is not yet clear to all authority figures within the education system.
In my previous post, I was adamant that Digital Pedagogues find ways to adapt and make things work for them. Before one therefore can make a decision on whether or not social media can be used as a tool or not, we need to investigate all the bundled and mostly unknown applications and uses that is developed by/with social media sites. After all, social media is for the people by the people, to a certain extent.

It is true that social media can be abused, is dangerous and can have lasting impacts. A textbook can be used to burn down a school, yet we do not ban the use of textbooks in schools. The dangers of social media is therefore a shared responsibility between all the role players as well as ensuring that learners are taught the correct ways of using social media responsibly.

Social media was born from a need for people to connect effortlessly in this digital age. Coupled with the fact that the social media phenomena has proliferated, it is impossible to imagine a world where this new tool is not successfully used within the teaching and learning environment. In my mind, social media can be a powerful LSM (learner support material) if we adapt it, or its usages, to suit our educational needs.

The onus will thus be on the digital pedagogues to ensure that social media is used correctly and responsibly within a classroom environment.

Nerds & Geeks, digital pedagogues by nature?

I grew up in the times when distribution of digital content (games and programs) were in the form of a floppy and later a stiffy. Being a gamer that looked to play with other like-minded peers, forced our generation to learn not only how to play the games, but also how to get them to work. There was no help file, google or even access to internet. If you wanted to know how it worked, you had to get someone to show you (and then remember or write it down) or figure it out. Rarely did you just give up and go on to the next thing. One of the advantages those days were that you hardly ever got your hands on something that someone else had not already figured out. Being labelled a Geek or Nerd because of our love of both hardware and software, was at the time meant as a derogatory term, even though the most successful businesses are now owned by "those nerds". The reason these experiences were crucial to move humanity into the digital age is two fold.

Firstly, the old saying "men don't grow up, their toys just become more expensive". Moore's law necessitated that any geek worth his salt and whom thus had a true interest in computers, absolutely and unequivocally needed to stay on top of technological advancements to be able to admire the jump in processing power from the XT to the 286 to the 386 to the 486 to the ... or the jump in transfer rates when you first used a coaxial cable compared to a serial cable.

Secondly, it required persistence to become a nerd. You needed to overcome public ridicule. As previously mentioned, there was no Google, instructional YouTube videos, email access to a help desk or even access to an Indian call center agent. It required trial and error over extended periods, especially if you wanted or needed to figure it out by yourself. Just getting the computer to load a program, required you to set various variables in the old DOS language. No click and go stuff. You were forced to try every alternative that you could (or could not) think of. Although it was complicated and frustrating, we slugged through hours and hours of failing and when you do eventually get it to do what you wanted, you were told that your eyes are going to go square and you need to go play outside.

How does this relate to the articles? Simply put, being a digital pedagogue requires that one keeps on learning as technology, systems and even information evolves in order to evolve with it and then be able to relay that information by means of a method that enables the learner to absorb the information. The critical thinking aspect of a pedagogue requires that the person keeps an open mind and not necessarily asks "What is this supposed to be doing" but rather "How can I make this work". Most "hard core (gamer) geeks" have had experiences like it.

As an example just look at the 19-year-old that built a Skyrim expansion as an Interview for Bathesda. It took a lot of time, learning, effort, creativity and definitely determination on the part of Velicky to create his work of art. There was no guarantee that he will be successful in the ultimate goal of the endeavor, yet he persevered. In my mind, it epitomizes the essence of Geekdom or Nerdhood and underlines the basis, in part, of what the authors refer to as the requirements for a digital pedagogue. The case is further strengthened by the fact that, in my experience, all geeks simply cannot help themselves to keep on doing it.

The biggest hurdle in years past and probably the reason that no non-geek thought about asking geeks to become digital pedagogues to society can probably be prescribed to the fact that most non-geeks found geek speak extremely boring. However, there are very few people living today that has not heard and/or used the words Megapixel, Resolution, Ram or Megabyte. Ask them what it is, and you will receive a myriad of answers as to what it could possibly be, but mostly they just heard someone talk about it and they know its important. The point is that in order to be a true digital pedagogue, it is not only required to be inquisitive, keep on learning and adapting your environment to suit your needs, but you need to be able to transfer what you know to someone else.

Considering Moore's Law and the statement in my opening paragraph that "you had to get someone to show you", it is therefore a clear indication that Geeks were digital pedagogues to one another but the world simply could not translate their language into human and they were therefore not recognized in their roles as digital pedagogues by the population at large.

The articles lists the inherent traits of constantly questing for knowledge, an ongoing obsession with technology, an urge to share said knowledge between peers and if it does not work for you to change it so that it does.

By this definition, all Geeks and Nerds are therefore
Digital Pedagogues.

Teaching a Star Trek Civilisation

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2077162-revolution-in-physics-as-gravitational-waves-seen-for-first-time/

Humanity has entered a new era in exploration. We have made 2 extremely exciting discoveries in recent history that was predicted in thought exercises long before their discovery and acceptance by physicists. Coincidentally, both have to do with gravity.

First it was the Higgs Boson like particle detected at the LHC and now we have detected Gravitational Waves with LIGO. The Higgs Boson explains how gravity takes place, due to the fact that it explains how mass is obtained by particles, while Einsteins' theory of space-time and resultant gravity waves (now fact) explains how gravity works. (Forgive the lamens version)

What I found extremely interesting in the discovery is that the black holes gave up mass in order to generate the gravitational waves. This in my opinion would revolutionise our understanding of space-time and gravity as well as the relationship between them. However, with the amount of mass that was converted into gravitational waves, the question begs whether or not this also occurs outside of a black hole. Why is this important? Well, if the conversion of mass is required for the creation of gravitational waves and by extend gravity, does that mean that everything that has mass therefore looses mass because it has mass? Obviously there is a lot of experimentation that needs to happen to clarify all the new questions that has now risen. In order to do this, we will need energy. Cheap, clean and abundant energy.

Scientifically, our biggest hurdle in technological advancement is ultimately insufficient energy. With all the previous particle accelerators that was built, the experimentation in nuclear fusion and even space exploration, the problem always seems to boil down to energy requirements. Popular Sci-fi like Start Trek, Stargate and Star Wars suggests we need to look at alternative sources of energy as fossil fuels will not be sufficient to advance ourselves, or be there in the long run. Like the bronze age, it definitely was required to get where we are today but has it served its purpose? What I am advocating is that we need a new source of energy that is accessible to all and abundant enough so that we can access it wherever we go.

How did we get to energy, you might ask? Thank Einstein. E=MCC. Since we already run nuclear reactors to generate bucket loads of our daily energy requirements, we know there is a lot of energy contained in mass. If gravitational waves, and by extend gravity, is due to conversion of mass into gravity, then it stands to reason that we should be able to utilise gravity in order to generate usable energy. Since we now have scientific proof of gravitational waves and that they are generated by the conversion of mass, we are thus well on our way to have access to energy wherever there is gravity.

Considering the article I posted previously on Twitter relating to the development of technology in the form of artificial intelligence, I cannot help but imagine that we are well on our way to a Star Trek society as it is simply a matter of time before AI brings the solutions to the scientific questions, as it did for the experiment. Artificial intelligence can be used to provide to everyone in abundance and humans can focus on what it means to be human. We have not yet alleviated the concerns faced in the third world economies where clean water, basic medical care, simple housing, not to mention internet connectivity and schooling is concerned. It is still not accessible to all the people on our planet and we want to colonise Mars? Somehow, the disconnect of our whirlwind lives makes it easy to ignore those that are not as fortunate. 

I saw the movie Home recently, again. What we portray to our children by means of movie is that, one of the main things that separate humans from the Boove is that we care about each other in a way that not even the Boove does. But do we really? Society, in my opinion, has a long way to go before humanity is humanitarian and able to work together for the greater good of everyone rather than self promotion. I am firmly of the opinion that we as a global society will not be able to evolve to the next age without becoming completely human.

Being on the verge of energy independence and abundance for all, the only part missing to become a Star Trek like civilisation is to teach everyone to get back in touch with their humanity. I therefore think that teachers will be more important than ever to help our society and future humans to be human. To quote our famous pointy eared friend ... "Its logical".

Having a Private & Public(#PGCEmix) Blog

So I've started blogging since the day of introduction to PGCE in order to document my trials and tribulations during my "becoming a teacher".

In yesterday's computer class, it turned out that we will need to blog about certain articles and then post them to Twitter for the whole world (fellow students #PCCEmix) to see and comment on.

MY CONUNDRUM: I only want to share certain blogs.

In using blogger.com, it is not possible to allow only certain blogs to be viewed as there is a global privacy setting for your blog profile.

Playing around, I stumbled on the fact that it is possible to create multiple blogging areas(profiles), with which you can control the privacy settings individually.

If you are therefore in the same boat as me and prefer to have both a private and a public blog, it is possible with blogger.com.

Secondly, since blogger.com is part of the google domains, it is completely free on the USB network. Just get your device signed up on the network if its not already done.

I therefore recommend that if you don't know where to start (or have already started),
1. Use blogger,

2.1. Create a main profile,
2.2. Create a second profile,
2.3 Ensure that all your settings are as you would want them, ie. public is set to public and that only I'm invited to the private blog. (Not required, but would be interesting, yes?)

When you log in to blogger.com to post something, just make sure that you enter it into the correct profile.

VIOLA!