When exploring the learning path for week five for more information for assignment two I discovered a PDF file containing information about Bloom’s digital Taxonomy. This document outlines the six key terms; remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating and creating. In this document each has been linked to verbs which describe them as well as ICT specific examples of each. This will be very helpful when designing my unit plan especially when designing the sequence of learning experiences to ensure that students begin with lower order thinking skills and more up to using higher order thinking skills according to Bloom’s taxonomy. The Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy also outlines a communication spectrum which identifies digital processes that could be completed at each level. Each of these aspect found in this document will be useful when writing the unit plan.
ICT General Capabilities
When reading through the rubric criteria for assignment two, it highlights the importance of the incorporation of ICT General Capabilities. ICT general capabilities are broken up into three areas before being applied to learning areas. These three headings are , Creating with ICT, Communicating with ICT and Investigating with ICT. Each of these identify areas in which ICT’s can be used and learnt in each learning area. For assignment two the ICT capabilities with are attached to the historical skill: use a range of communication forms, are creating with ICT and communicating with ICT. When developing learning experiences for the unit plan these capabilities will need to be taken into consideration. As
Jess mentioned in her blog acquiring a HD is important and to achieve this in accordance with the rubric ICT general capabilities will need to be covered.
Changes in games.
While exploring more of scootle’s resources, I also found a black and white image of a group of boys in 1925 playing marbles . This photograph from the National Archives, could be used as a resource to show children the change in games played over the years. This also could show the change that technology has had over time from two perspectives. From the perspective that children use to play outside with marbles in large groups as well as the colour of the photograph and how photography has changed. Again this is a resource which could be used in the unit for assignment two as it shows continuity and change as well as, has the potential to depict different perspectives, these are both key concepts that could be achieved using this resource.
Toys Now and Then
While exploring the resources available from Scootle for The impact of changing technology on people’s lives (at home and in the ways they worked, travelled, communicated, and played in the past) content descriptor, I found many helpful ICT resources which could be used in my unit plan. On the Museum Victoria Website, is a section dedicated to student and teacher learning resources. One resource which links directly to my unit plan is toys now and then resource which allows students to electronically put into order six different toys which kids have played with over the years. This resource shows students the change in toys as well as introduces them to sorting chronologically.
Assignment two ICT component
Like Nick discussed on his blog I have been exploring ideas for assignment two. While brainstorming for the second assignment, ICT resources to be used in the classroom is a major focus. As I am focusing on year two History I am trying to ensure that ICT will be integrated into the unit plan and ensure the focus isn’t just learning ICT skills. As year two History focuses on local and family history, I thought of creating an electronic time capsule that can be used to place images and websites of things that illustrate the past and present and could be used at the end of the unit to reflect on what they have learnt during the unit. More research into ICT resources needs to be completed and a look at scootle resources is my next focus.
Brainstorming for assignment two
Today in the tutorial our minds drifted from assignment one to assignment two. To create a unit plan rich with ICT there is many aspects that need to be considered. First I chose the curriculum descriptors I wanted to base the unit plan on, by distinguishing constructing and transforming knowledge curriculum descriptors. This was not hard in the History component of the curriculum as they are explicitly outlined. As i have chosen the History learning area I now need to start to develop learning experiences as well as ideas for ICT resources which can aid in the development of the students in this curriculum area.
Teachers and ICT
When exploring how other teachers use ICT’s I discovered this blog For assignment two we need to develop a unit plan rich with ICT’s. This blog shows there are many ICT based resources that can be used across a range of different year levels, especially through the early childhood to primary grades. For my assignment I am considering year two, focusing on the history aspect of the curriculum. The part of this blog that attracted my attention most in relation to the assignment was the concept of the children researching old fashioned toys and games. This links directly to the curriculum descriptors I have chosen and has given me further ideas of how to develop my unit plan.
Here is the link to assignment one.
As Jess has mentioned the exploration into the importance of ICT’s in the classroom has made me reflect on my experience of ICT’s so far throughout my professional experience. When completing professional experience in a Kindergarten the children had use of an IPad which was brought out during inside play in which the children were encouraged to interact with a learning experience of their choice. The IPad had been uploaded with educational game apps and the children knew exactly how to use the resource. The classroom teacher had ensured that the children knew the guideline they had to follow to interact with the technology. On professional experience in a prep classroom they had no access to IPad’s, instead had a weekly visit to the computer room in which another teacher would teach them simple word processing skills. These two different experiences have shown me that the resources available to the classroom have the potential to limit or foster the students understanding of ICT’s.
This image of Blooms Taxonomy can be use to help develop understanding of the difference between these two types of learning. The verbs found in this image of blooms taxonomy help identify learning between constructing and transforming knowledge. For example words such as understand and identify can be used to explain constructing knowledge and words such as analyse, compare and evaluate describe transforming knowledge. This understanding is very important when viewing the Australian curriculum standard descriptors, especially those in the English and mathematics learning areas as it is not outlined which descriptors contain which type of learning. The history and science descriptors on the other hand are more explicit as to what learning type is required.
EDC3100 ICT Blog 