Kiss the Mirror

This TED talk, while not strictly about education as you'd think of education, really struck a chord with me. I always suffered from low self esteem growing up and listening to this I could see aspects of myself in things that she was saying. However it definitely was a simpler time then, we were not subjected to the digital onslaught of today, where, as Meaghan Ramsey says, young people of today seem to be constantly connected to social media. They simply cannot avoid the messages that are being passed to them and I believe that bullying seems to have grown as a result of social media. If a young person is experiencing a particularly hard time at school this will then often continue when they get home. Home; a place where our kids should feel safe and protected, but it seems that through social media they just can't find that safety and protection, free from judgement and are simply able to be young people.

I am a mother to an 8 yr old girl, who is bright, funny and yes, very beautiful. I tell her all the time that she is beautiful and it scares me to think that in a couple of years she is going to face confusion over who to believe; her mother or the young people around her who feel it's acceptable to make others feel so bad about themselves, that they contemplate the unthinkable.

I'm afraid that I don't have the solution, the problem is too big for just one person to solve; unfortunately. However there are things that I can do to try and make a difference. This video has really impressed on me the role that I have to play in ensuring that not only my child feels valued for who they are, but all young people, that I may have contact with in the course of my life.
Give the right messages, promote the right values and yes, educate the world; then hopefully our young people won't have to experience such feelings of low self esteem, that they don't belong and they can just concentrate of growing up into healthy, happy adults. Because lets face it people, our children really ARE the future.

Barriers to the effective use of technology in education

We are living in a digital age where technology seems to be at the forefront of everything that we do, from working to shopping and keeping up with news and society. We all need to have the skills to be able to play a part. It is absolutely vital therefore that technology plays its part in learning and teaching. But how do we effectively integrate technology into education so that it not only teaches students the vital skills that they will require throughout their future careers but also enhance our teaching and learning? And what are some of the barriers to ensuring that we use technology effectively?

By studying the Barriers, educators may be able to overcome them and ensure that ICT is successfully integrated into learning and teaching in the future (Bingimlas, 2009). There has been a lot of research carried out and articles written about successful integration of ICT into education and they have mostly arrived at the same conclusion when it comes to highlighting some of the barriers that educators face.

The Barriers
During my research into this topic, all of the articles that I read were unanimous in the benefits and opportunities that ICT offered to both students and teachers alike, but as Dawes (2001) stated "problems arise when teachers are expected to implement changes in what may well be adverse circumstances" (p.61).

• Lack of training - This applies to effective training for teachers. This does not just include teachers individual ICT skills, but also to the training provided to effectively use ICT in the classroom to enhance their teaching and the learning of their students. 
• Lack of confidence - The lack of effective training can also lead to a lack of confidence in teachers to try new technology in their teaching. Some teachers may feel reluctant to attempt new things, especially in front of students that may be considerably more tech savvy than the teacher. I know that I would feel uncomfortable using technology to teach someone that in theory could probably teach me more. Let's face it, young people these days spend more time in front of computers and tablets than most adults ever did at their age. 
• Lack of resources - It seems like everything these days comes down to time and money. Technology can be expensive and ensuring that ICT is used effectively in education relies on adequate resources being made available to students and teachers to fully realise the benefits that ICT can provide. But, it's not just money, that can be an issue. Teachers time is precious and they may feel that they simply do not have sufficient time to plan lessons properly or research, explore and practice the new technology (Becta 2004).
• Lack of technical support -  Providing teachers with excellent technical support in all of their ICT endeavours is paramount in ensuring that teachers have the confidence and ability to use technology in their teaching. Most of the studies carried out highlighted technical support as a major barrier to success. Sicilia (2005) found that obstacles such as internet connectivity, waiting for websites to open and hardware problems were major obstacles that teachers faced; he stated "Technical barriers impeded the smooth delivery of the lesson or the natural flow of classroom activity" (Sicilia 2005, p.43).

By examining some of these barriers, hopefully institutions and teachers can find workable solutions to ensure that all learners, teachers included, can realise the huge potential that ICT offers them. This will begin a technological journey for many that will equip them with the lifelong skills that living in a digital age requires. My technological journey began with the PCE and in particular this ICT module, so far, so good. 

References

Bingimlas, K. (2009). Barriers to the Successful Integration of ICT in Teaching and Learning Environments: A Review of Literature. PHD thesis RMIT University, Bandoora, VIC, Australia

Dawes, L. (2001). What stops teachers using new technology? In M. Leask (Ed.), Issues in Teaching using ICT (pp. 61-79). London: Routledge. 

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) (2004). A review of the research literature on barriers to the uptake of ICT by teachers 
http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/1603/1/becta_2004_barrierstouptake_litrev.pdf  (24.11.2014)

Sicilia, C.(2005). The Challenges and Benefits to Teachers' Practices in Constructivist Learning Environments Supported by Technology. Unpublished master's thesis, McGill University, Montreal.

Although BECTA is now defunct it's still a very useful resource.

Using Google Forms

The quick questionnaire above was created using Google Forms. It is so user friendly, allowing you to create questionnaires or forms, the questions that you ask can be laid out in various ways and have a choice of multiple choice, check boxes, paragraphs etc. You can even mix up the question types.





Once your form is complete, you can decide on a design or colour scheme and allow people to respond directly to you.

I can see lots of potential in using Google Forms in teaching. They would make an excellent course evaluation or critique, allowing students to reply directly to you. The forms can be embedded as I have done here in my blog. They would also be useful for establishing prior knowledge before starting a course. They could also be used as an assessment method by creating a quiz on a recent lesson and get students to complete the quiz, allowing you to establish that learning had taken place.

The results can then be saved on your Google drive, allowing to keep all the responses in one place. I really like Google forms for its ease of use and its versatility.

The Value of Mobile Technology in Teaching & Learning

Mobile technology is here to stay and the way in which we are using it is changing rapidly, Ofcom's Communications Market Report 2014, states that the number of households owning a tablet computer, has almost doubled in a year, from 24% in Q1 2013 to 44% in the same period of 2014. Ofcom's research also found that 61% of adults now claim to own a Smartphone. (OFCOM 2014)

I guess these statistics are not surprising when you consider the number of mobile devices that will be on Christmas lists this year. So with mobile devices becoming so commonplace, it makes sense to consider how they can be utilised in Teaching and Learning.

For a tool to be effective it has to be used in a way which makes it relevant to the subject, this includes technology. Technology should be used to enhance teaching and learning not just for the sake of using technology. Schools are beginning to invest heavily in 1:1 technology and some interesting studies have been carried out into how this can best be utilised to improve the skills of pupils and teachers.

In 2012 the Department for Education carried out a study on 15 schools in the UK, whilst it was a relatively small study, it did produce some very encouraging results about how schools are beginning to embrace mobile technology. The findings revealed that the schools had a long term strategic vision on the role of technology, ensuring that support was on hand for teachers and students in the form of a dedicated technology leader and the whole ethos was endorsed and led by the Headteacher.
The study found that mobile technology proved very useful in collaborative learning as well as encouraging independent learning. The use of 1:1 technology provided improved opportunities for instant feedback by teachers and peers and online discussion groups and forums improved students work.
The teachers felt that the use of this technology helped to motivate learners but also removed some barriers to learning for some of the more disaffected students and students with special needs, allowing them to participate more in lessons. Students with speech and communication disorders found that effective use of mobile technology assisted them greatly. Click here for D of E report
The report into this study admitted that the 15 secondary schools were chosen because they were known to make effective use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. With any technology there is a cost implication and the challenge for schools, educational institutions and the respective authorities responsible for education in the UK, is to find a way to make this technology accessible and affordable, so that all students and teachers can take advantage of the opportunities that mobile technology provides.

It is inconceivable that in the 21st century mobile technology would not play a part in learning, after all we are living in an age where the workforce of today need to be equipped with 21st century skills. The key is how we utilise this technology effectively to enhance learning and improve our skills.

Report on Edinburgh 1:1 Mobile Evaluation, 2012-2013 conducted by Dr Kevin Burden and Dr Trevor Male (University of Hull Faculty of Education)