Week Three Post

How do children Learn Technology?

The week 3 Course readings on Moodle are based on the notion that digital pedagogy is an effective means of enhancing student learning. The videos presented support this perspective, demonstrating the learning capabilities that are harnessed when children engage with different technologies. Even at the toddler stages of cognitive development, digital  technologies are being used to educate children. This is evident in the video A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work, as a child is seen discovering the difference between paper-based and multi-modal literacy. This is a clear example of how the recent advancements in interactive technology has shaped our literate practices. This idea is also reinforced in the video Kids React to Rotary Phones, as children are asked a series of questions relating to how the operation of technology in the past has shaped our current social practices. Essentially, these questions were designed to help students understand how the changes in technology have underpinned modern society. After learning of this, the next step is knowing how to effectively operate these technologies today. In the video, Hacker Scouts: Kids Learning Through Tech, young students are building real and relevant skills that will allow them to become leaders and innovators in a new technological era.

Following these videos, the resource Early Years Curriculum Materials: Learning about technology, uses investigation to encourage students to engage with technology and consider how it affects everyday life. As the Queensland Studies Authority (2006) states, "for children, engaging with technology means designing, creating, using, envisioning, responding to and reflecting on the designed world, and thinking about the impact artifacts, processes, systems, services or environments have on people and places". In addition to engaging with technology, it is evident in this resource that students also learn through experimentation, watching television and other media sources, through observations of technology being used in society, and  by interacting with other students.

Curriculum Links
The ideas raised in all of these resources are well supported by the Australian Curriculum, which states that "students use technologies knowledge and understanding; technologies processes and production skills; and systems, design, and/or computational thinking to solve and produce creative solutions to problems, needs or opportunities. They communicate and record their ideas using a range of media and technologies. These specialised problem-solving activities will be sophisticated, acknowledge the complexities of contemporary life and may make connections to related specialised occupations and further study" (ACARA, 2015). 

Digital Pedagogy 

Social networking is an emergent technological practice that has rapidly evolved in the last decade. As children are becoming literate in an age of escalating technology, it is essential that teachers recognise the “intricate interweaving of technology and literate practices that underpins our society” (Carrington, 2001). As Martello (2007) states, “Teachers’ recognition of the multimodal practices available to children through their homes, communities and popular culture enriches and extends the possibilities for literacy teaching”.  

Twitter 
Twitter is an example of a social networking tool commonly used by students of the 21st Century. Although it is important for us as teachers to integrate these emergent digital literacies into our teaching pedagogy, I believe this style of social interaction may have negative implications. In this site, personal information is easily accessible to the public; leaving you vulnerable and unprotected. For this reason I choose not to participate in this task and leave a digital footprint that could potentially affect my career as a teacher. Twitter will not be included in my pedagogy as I do no want to invade or expose the privacy of my students. In saying this, I do believe social networking is still an effective way to encourage student collaboration and should be integrated into my teaching practice. For this reason, educational sites like TodaysMeet are valuable as they allow students to experience and develop networking skills in a controlled environment. Although boundaries need to be established, the use of online interaction is an integral pedagogical approach to monitor learning and encourage students to share ideas collectively.

Online Concept Maps 

In modern teaching practices visual literacies are considered to be a fundamental avenue for student learning. For this reason, online concept maps are vital; encouraging students to think critically, brainstorm concepts relating to the lesson topic and organise their ideas in a visually stimulating fashion. This would also be an effective way to encourage collaboration, as students could voice their individual ideas and collectively contribute to the development of the concept map. To enhance this capability, students could participate in concept mapping through an online networking site. This way individual students can access the mapping tool and upload their own ideas relating to the topic. 

Design Cycle Phase: Ideation 
The Ideation phase of the technology design circle incorporates the designing, generating, communicating and planning of  a project. In this process the original ideas of a design are analysed to generate a final design product. As seen in my Wiki page, this phase of learning is evident in the development of my project, as I have designed several solar oven alterations to discover what features are most integral to my overall product. The outcomes of this study were evaluated and cross-analysed using a decision-making matrix. This examined the size, cost, ease of construction, ease of access, and durability of my design. When I assessed my four design alterations using this criteria, I discovered and selected the design that rated the highest mark overall. (see below)

Peer Reflection 
During this planning stage of the project, peer reflection was also an integral contributor to the development of my final design. From this feedback I was able to reassess my list of specifications for the solar oven design and discover what improvements could be made to enhance the quality of this project in relation to the areas of the design criteria.




References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2015). Technologies.     

Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/technologies-across-foundation-to-year-10

Carrington, V. (2001). Emergent home literacies: A challenge for Educator's. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=204890707970043;res=IELHSS

Davis, V. (2014). A guidebook for social media in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/guidebook-social-media-in-classroom-vicki-davis

Queensland Government. (2006). Early Years Curriculum Materials: Learning about technology. Retrieved April 24, 2015, from https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=13721

Week Two Post

Course Readings
In Jones, Buntting and De Vries' (2011) article 'The Developing Field of Technology Education: A review to look forward' , the advancements in technology education for the past two decades are reviewed to indicate where and how this field may progress in the future. At present, technology education is at a pivotal point in its development as a teaching and learning field in compulsory schools sectors. Being relatively new in the education system, there are a few strengths and weaknesses to its existence. As a strength, technology education can build and reflect on the development of other education disciplines in terms of learning from the development of curricula and pedagogy, and research approaches. The weakness lies in its fragility in terms of status as a subject, establishment of professional bodies, the support required for teacher preparation and professional learning, and the socio-political environment of schooling" (Jones et al, 2011). Although technology education has emerged as a subject in its own right, incorporating skills in the area of  technological literacy and design, it is still a hazy concept in many countries and school jurisdictions.


Similarly Lewis' (2008) article 'Creativity in Technology Education: providing children with glimpses of their inventive potential' introduces children to problem-solving and invention to examine the idea that technology education is an effective vehicle for inculcating creativity in the curriculum.This includes its encouragement generative cognitive processes, its open-ended nature and its application of kin-aesthetic learning. In this article "examples of curricular approaches to the subject are set forth and their merits as bases for encouraging creative thinking are examined". Together, "this calls attention to the subject as a possible fruitful area of research based on creativity in the school curriculum" (Lewis, 2008).

In Lewis (2005) article 'Creativity: A Framework for the Design/Problem Solving Discourse in Technology Education', the nature of creativity is explored. Although there is no set definition given of creativity, these beliefs of its nature are universally shared:
(a) creativity is connected with originality—with a break from the usual 
(b) the value of creative products cannot be objectively ascertained, since there are no standards by which new creations can be assessed, 
(c) creativity can be seen in new ways of thinking that may oppose previously established norms, 
(d) existing conceptual frameworks and knowledge schema impose restraints on creative insight,
(e) creativity is a transcendent, irreducible quality. (Lewis, 2005)

In addition to this, there are also theories provided to support inquiry into creativity. Houtz (1994) designed four approaches:
(a) behaviorism—connection among disparate ideas, and between stimulus and response
(b) psycho-dynamic, focused on conscious and unconscious thought.
(c) humanism, focused on intra-individual life forces and motivations.
(d) cognitivism, focused on thinking processes and skills.

Technology Design Cycle

Visual literacies are vital in classroom pedagogy, as they enable students to seek isolated definitions in context (Younie, et al., 2015). To reconstruct this Technology Design Circle (seen above), I experimented with the online program Bubbl Us. In a classroom setting, this tool could be used in teaching pedagogy to encourage brainstorming, design and creativity. With this resource, students have the ability to categorize their ideas into a visually appeasing format that presents links between concepts. Therefore this resource presents many benefits for students and should be implemented in teaching pedagogy.



Assessment Task Design Cycle Phase: INVESTIGATE
The Investigation phase of the design circle involves examining, analyzing, gathering and researching information to devise an appropriate design challenge. To do this, I had to investigate community issues and identify a need or problem that could be addressed. There have been ongoing debates in regards to the dangerous carcinogenic emissions released from conventional cooking devices. So for my design challenge I have decided to teach my students the practicality of solar energy by conducting an experiment where students make their own solar ovens. To implement the investigation phase into my pedagogical approach to this design challenge, students will be placed into pairs to investigate alternative power sources that are more eco-friendly.

Design Challenge (Investigation Research)

This project is based on basic science principles; converting UV light rays to heat energy. In this process, sunlight (fuel) comes in contact with the solar oven and causes the molecules of the food to vigorously vibrate and heat up. In this experiment, it is not necessarily the sun's heat or the outside ambient temperature that cooks the food, however these variables can have an affect on the time it takes for our food to cook. For this reason, the rate at which food cooks in our solar oven is a thought-provoking aspect that needs to be assessed. In our oven, aluminium foil is used, as its reflective qualities will ensure heat energy is effectively absorbed and retained. As this heat is caused by the fictional energy of vibrating food molecules the oven will not radiate much external heat and will therefore be safe for students to touch.

Curriculum Links
For this challenge, inquiry based learning will be used; incorporating learning techniques like investigation, ideation and production. As the Design and Digital Technologies curriculum has a strong focus on sustainability, this experiment will encourage students to "make informed and ethical decisions about the role, impact and use of technologies in the economy, environment and society for a sustainable future" (ACARA, 2015). Additionally, this design task will also align with the aims section of this discipline, ensuring students: "investigate, design, plan, manage, create and evaluate solutions', 'are creative, innovative and enterprising when using technologies', and 'engage confidently with and responsibly select and manipulate appropriate technologies − materials, data, systems, components, tools and equipment − when designing and creating solutions" (ACARA, 2015).



Peer Evaluation Reflection 

The peer evaluation process was very beneficial for the development of my design idea. Tom Reiman, a fellow education student, gave excellent feedback of my design planning in the form of a peer assessment table. As Tom made observations of my current research and recommended possible improvements to enhance my investigation and ideation of the project. Through these suggestions I was able to acquire a broader understanding of how my design challenge would contribute to sustainable patterns of living and promote a desired environmental future.  





References

Finger, G. (2003). Design Challenges: Teaching Ideas. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/145430/designchallenges.pdf

Jones, A., Buntting, C., & Vries, M. J. (2011). The developing field of technology education: a review to look forward. Hamilton, New Zealand: Springer Science+Business Media. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c169e35d-b36f-4f48-84fd-79fc3ada4f50%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=110

Lewis, T. (2008). Creativity in technology education: providing children with glimpses of their inventive potential. St. Paul, Minnesota: Springer Science+Business Media. Retrieved  from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d2be4c88-f627-479c-b89c-5b8c0e0d6cb2%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4107

Lewis, T. (2005). Creativity—A Framework for the Design/Problem Solving Discourse in Technology Education. (C. Merrill, Ed.) Journal of Technology Education, 17. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v17n1/lewis.html

Spangler, S. (2013). Solar Oven Smores. Retrieved April 10, 2015, from Making Science Fun: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/solar-oven

Week One Post

What is technology? 
After reading the article "What is Technology?" by Jose' Anazagaty, I learnt what the term 'technology', in broad sense, refers to the "social relationships dictated by the technical organization and mechanization of activities, for example, the technical organization of work" (Oxford Dictionary of Sociology 2005). This means that technology is determined by these pre-existing social, economic and technical relations. For this reason, "technology cannot be reduced to material artifacts nor can it be defined merely in terms of its functionality or its rationality" (Anazagasty, 2014). Despite its common misconception with simple gadgets, "the social and the cultural aspects of technology are deeply enmeshed in scientific and technological practices" (Anazagasty, 2014). This is important to me as it means that I, a member of society, can play an integral role in the development of technology in the 21st century.

Teaching higher-order thinking
According to Brookhart (2010), higher-order thinking falls into three categories: transfer, critical thinking and problem solving. Transfer refers to thinking that "applies to life outside of school where it is characterised by a series of transfer opportunities" (Brookhart, 2010). The second category, Critical Thinking, refers to "reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do" (Norris & Ennis, 1989). This equips students to make sound decisions and exercising reasoned judgment. The final category, problem solving, enables students to find a solution for a problem that cannot be solved simply by memorising formulas, like math equations, for example.

The Bloom’s Taxonomy is the most widely used framework for teaching thinking. His aim was to promote higher forms of thinking in education, such as analysing and evaluating, rather than just teaching students to remember facts (rote learning). Bloom's Taxonomy (see Table 1), focuses on the Cognitive domain of learning, listing six major skills used to achieve this aim. The Taxonomy was revised a few years later and some changes were made (Table 2).

Australian Curriculum - Technologies 

In the Australian Curriculum Technologies unit students are encouraged to develop the skills necessary to "design, explore and engage with the environment, materials, data systems and equipment in the economy, to make informed, ethical decisions towards creating a sustainable future" (ACARA, 2015). To enforce this the Technologies unit is broken into two distinct subjects:

'Design and technologies' where students use design thinking to discover new solutions for authentic needs (ACARA, 2015). In this process students will consider the impact of current environmental decisions and will re-design products, services and environments to encourage sustainable living.

'Digital Technologies' where students use computational thinking to design and implement digital solutions (ACARA, 2015). In this process students will assess the role of contemporary and emerging digital technologies in creating more sustainable patterns of living including technologies used.

WORD WALL – Verbs from the Australian Curriculum
Verb	Associated Pedagogy
Create	To involve students in ‘creating’, teachers should plan lesson activities that cater for the development of this skill. In a lesson students may be required to make a model to represent data. During this creating process, teachers should assist in the development of student products and oversee project development.
Collaborate And Manage	To implement ‘Collaborate and Manage’, students could participate in group assignments, by means of bringing together ideas, pooling resources, planning and organizing delegated tasks. During this process, the teacher’s role would be to facilitate and support students in their decision making and oversee their progress.
Design	‘Design’ is a fairly broad term and can be implemented in lesson content through a variety of ways. To engage in design, students may design a type of experiment that helps them achieve a desired outcome or could  design a structure showing accurate dimensions etc. During student’s involvement in this, the teacher would give aid to students and give advice where necessary.
Evaluate	In order to Evaluate, students should be encouraged to analyse data and make predictions, observations and discern how useful the data is to the overall investigation. Teachers could pose leading questions to encourage critical thinking and discovery.
Generate	To inspire students to ‘generate’ ideas students can brainstorm and create concept maps. This process will encourage creative thinking and will bring together their ideas relating to the topic. During this activity, teachers can ask leading questions that prompt ideas and correct any misguided thoughts that students may have of the topic.
Implement	To encourage students to use ‘implementation’, a group activity could be designed so that the students are hearing and incorporating the ideas of others in the group. For instance, posters could be made in groups using a variety of magazines and newspapers. Again, teachers would oversee the development of group projects and assist where necessary.
Investigate	To encourage the process of ‘investigation’, students could conduct experiments to record their observations and draw conclusions to the data. During this process teachers may find online resources that support the intended outcome of the investigation.
Produce	To help students ‘produce’, a hands-on activity would be ideal. For example, if students were asked to create a diagram or a model or carry out an experiment, this would allow students to produce a visual representation of data. Teachers would ensure students understand the task and would facilitate and oversee student work.

Word Cloud

In a classroom setting for younger students, it is very important to incorporate visual literacy to encourage learning development. According to Younie et al (2015), "visual literacy has a unique and positive role as a 21st century competency, especially in the development of creative problem solving and innovative thinking". After creating a Word Cloud on Tagxedo, I have seen first-hand how this approach would encourage students to dabble in design, brainstorm and generate ideas (Younie, et al., 2015). They could then consolidate their ideas by displaying them in a word wall.

This resource would not be used as the focus of a lesson, but is a great way to visually support a unit of work. For instance, if students were doing a unit on astronomy, words like stars, constellations, black-holes etc would be brain-stormed and then could be displayed in this Word Cloud format. This process would enable students to "use visual tools for seeking isolated definitions in context" (Younie, et al., 2015). For these reasons, I am convinced that Word Clouds are a supportive resource that should be incorporated in teaching pedagogy.




References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2015). Technologies. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/rationale

Anazagasty, J. (2014). What is technology? Retrieved from http://cnx.org/contents/ffef104a-8aac-46f1-a8fd-c20a315e6d7a@4.2:22/CIVIS_Project_-_UPRM

Collins, R. (2014). Skills for the 21st century: Teaching higher-order thinking. Curriculum and Leadership Journal (12)14. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/home,61.html

Younie, S., Leask, M., & Burden, K. (2015). Teaching and learning with ICT in the primary school (2nd e.d.). New York: Routledge.