Learning Experiences

A learning experience is an interaction made within an environment where learning takes place such as a school or classroom setting (Hidden Curriculum, 2014). This was an important element shaping my assignment. Questions were asked to generate my thinking

• What are the students learning?
• What is the main goal of this task?

However, I had to explore and generate my own questions to be able to find the learning experience students would cover throughout the unit. The final part of the assessment looked at the Why of the learning experience. This provided opportunity to take a further into the unit, curriculum and activities taught being taught. I discovered that one of the most important elements of the task, would be their final assessment. Students were asked to complete a few activities to showcase their learning. This took place within the final couple of weeks of the unit. The students are exposed to critical authentic learning experiences that take them through successful strategic ways of show casing their new knowledge to the class.

The course interaction has made me understand the power ICT plays in the curriculum and how to implement strategies into my own future classroom learning experiences.

Happy Reading,

Meghan

Hidden curriculum (2014). In S. Abbott (Ed.), The glossary of education reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/hidden-curriculum

How will I successfully measure the integration of ICT into my own teaching?

This week took into account the design of ICT enriched learning opportunities to enhance the design of a unit, working towards assessment. Furthermore, this week provides clarification on aligning the unit curriculum, assessment and pedagogy together into a classroom.

Particular questions are asked when creating a unit plan (USQ, 2017).

• Does the criteria match my overall objectives?
• Does it contain only one criteria per objective?
• What will make this unit of work exciting and engaging?
• Does the unit draw on literature and analyse the unit against ICT frameworks?

ICT in the classroom is about the transformation of learning, enhancing old fashioned teaching methods through its use to engage students in their learning. As the week progresses I revisited the RAT framework to clarify my own understanding. The framework incorporates, replacement, amplification and transformation within the classroom through ICT (USQ, 2017). To accommodate for the RAT framework in a unit, students are provided opportunities for enriched learning to transform particular objectives and evaluate ICT with the framework.

Alternatively after reading the model there were several considerations to take into account when incorporating ICT into the classroom. This in particular being an improvement required to continually make ICT effective in the classroom. In helping the students make the most of ICT based learning experiences, I need to describe the activity effectively. ICT has helped students become engaged and enhance their skills, knowledge and ability to learn required tools for the future. In particular the integration of technology into literacy classrooms reshapes old fashioned pedagogical practices aligning to the continually changing curriculum (Durrant & Green, 2000).

Students are provided opportunities to enhance their learning and engage with ICT’s through a number of classroom resources.  I hope I have enlightened you on the importance of ICT in the classroom, changing education of today.

Happy Reading,

Meghan 🙂

Durrant, C. & Green, B. (2000). Literacy and the new technologies in school education: Meeting the l(IT)eracy challenge? Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 23(2), 89–108.

USQ. (2017). EDC3100- Enhancing your ICT enriched learning experiences. Retrieved 3             April, 2017 from    http://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=706603&chapterid=53236