Up Date on Microsoft applications 200 ASSIGNMENT

Just check this out....... there are over 200 Microsoft applications.... How can I ever make a reasonable critique on this monumental task!!!!!..... in one life time??
Well I have a PC so I use one fraction of the world according to Microsoft. From a user point of view it is not as instinctive as Apple systems... I may even get a Mac Book Pro shortly....
But on the Plus side I have a few professional pals back in Fermoy who can maintain my computer, i.e. clear viruses. They sold me the PC and help me greatly. Im getting used to PowerPoint and have evolved through the generational changes at Microsoft, which I had a small understanding of Excel, Outlook, Skype,Media Centre, Word, Office 95,2000, XP,/3/7/10.
If there was no alternative we would be absolutely grateful for the technology at hand. But as with so many things there are alternatives and I learn that Mac generate theAp's and Microsoft copy with a chunkier version. Mac are the innovators.

Introduction to my Blog/ Wild animal calmed at the computer.ASSIGNMENT

For the term  we are about to finish and our time in college I have bolgged continually, i.e. a few days in between Blogs . My confidence has grown and have managed to attach quite a few video clips and web/ URL links. This sheltered practice has been great for my skill base and ability to help others. I do not feel to left out of the IT world now. I am by no means a whiz at this point but I find I do not panic and switch off and I regularly write down all the steps to achieve a particular task. The example that comes to mind is the Photoshop that I posted on this blog. My world is out doing and  providing my skill to those who need help. to do this I have delivered skill to employees with clarity. This time doing the PGCE is enabling me to be ready for another stage in life that of delivering my skills to others and learning the trade of Lesson Delivery. This process has been slow and fast and as my confidence has grown I feel much more ready to be of service next year. I am however very aware of the rate of change in technology and the need to keep up-skiling, so no complacency here!! During this process I have acknowledged our great teacher and my collegues, who I remain eternaly grateful to.... thanks..What I am very excited about is possibly getting a MacbookPro with Dragon Dictate.....yipee!!!! Talk to the machine and it types.... can you imagine....

now you can see my sculpture from a while ago called "Lest We Forget"

Reflective Practice ASSIGNMENT

I am a little worried about putting issues down in type. But they are very real to me. Let me first start by sharing a little of where I am coming from. Previous to starting my PGCE I was working in a care home with about 35 very vulnerable Senior adults most of whom are nearing the end of their lives and have advanced Dimencia/ Alsimers. Naturally enough every employee is cleared with a check through CRB/ or what ever the new initials are. It would be very easy to be taken out of context when discussing clients.
The main issue on placement in college is handling oneself when the learners are so young and half my age. It would be so easy to make an inappropriate comment and be taken out of context.
I have discussed these and other issues with senior staff members. They have told me of stories where they had to turn down students in work situations where body parts were to be copied. The alternative was to get a female member of staff with another to preside over the work. This is with written consent from parents, higher authorities approval in writing, and the student themselves.
Another issue is in relationship to timeliness on placement. Role calls tied in with funding are still fairly ineffective. The course is free except for materials and motivation amongst a good proportion is low i.e. low work ethic.There are times when learners are quite disrespectful and have been shouted at by senior staff and other times when learners ignore calls from staff to return to class and continue on their way to do something else.

Tate from a sculpture's perspective

http://margueriteleonore.edu.glogster.com/tutorial-learning-strategy/http://margueriteleonore.edu.glogster.com/tutorial-learning-strategy/

The 5 minute lesson plan

I saw a senior lecturer/ administrator with one of these at Jobswell Campus today, so I stopped in my tracks and asked where did you get that from..... It turns out this is about to be adopted as one of the tools shortly here in Carmarthen... you see we are all kinestetic Learners here next to Trinity . It is a a snazzy version of a mind mapping. Thanks to our little network /blog/ Facebook link up we are quite aware of current developments and had seen it a while earlier thanks to Cathy and Sarah

TedTalk review Sugata Mitra Assignment

Review of a TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) Talk Delivery

A generic worry of this great medium is that pier review is critical to keep up the high moral standard of projects presented. The suggestion is to eliminate talks that have no clear basis in science and that there should be no commercial bias/ agenda, to maintain trust, the latter being more difficult to decide upon.ted.com/conversations/2032/who-feels-that-tyed-curation-sh.html This medium, TED Talk, appears to have become the greatest stage on earth, surpassing even World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davros.

TED is part science and part showmanship. The issue is that this balance could go wrong and loose its technology base and thus subtracting from the conversation. There is a tendency that people like Nathan Jurgenson think ‘that TED provides for self-promotion or over-glorification of individuals believing that “at TED everyone is Steve Jobs and every idea is treated like iPad” there is considerable room for caution and improvement with what gets said and how at high profile forums such as TED and whether or not it serves or disrupts the purpose of science.’http://muslim-science.com/is-ted-good-for-science-the-real-talk-on-ted-talks/

With this in mind I have looked at Sugata Mitra TED Talk. I have found him entertaining in his modest delivery. The primary research he is involved with appears to be extraordinary with a very clear message. The message that is delivered offers hope and direction to many ie learners and educators. He presents the idea that young learners (ages 6-12) can unsupervised achieve the same progress as taught pupils via computers in a pod. That is one computer 20 pupils group learning, pier taught. His research is getting approval from pier review slowly and surely. He showed convincing video clips and concluded his delivery in 20 mins and kept his audience throughout.

Bibliography....
.ted.com/conversations/2032/who-feels-that-tyed-curation-sh.html
’http://muslim-science.com/is-ted-good-for-science-the-real-talk-on-ted-talks/

Ted Talk Sugata Mitra: Kids can teach themselves ASSIGNMENT

 I

1.    The value of mobile technology in teaching and learning. Smart phones in drawing / printmaking and painting are a wonderful addition to the studio. You can alter the tonal value of images into sepia/ black and white which helps when constructing a drawing/ painting / collage. Photo documentation of processes is invaluable when compiling for e- delivery of Art works to Gallery’s and Colleges. This process of documentation along with video is wonderful for sharing and delivery to a media such as You Tube, or a private / closed group. You tube is a wonderful source for learning.  IPads are another super tool for delivery of information in class when required. The level of stored information and access to it when working is incredible. Online and forums within Institutions can make learning cheap. The storage of information is extraordinary when organised. With this mobile technology Kinaesthetic learners are engaged more and more. It is safe to say that mobile technology is a valuable tool in teaching. It is however interesting to note John Hattie, who found in his 81 meta-analysis the impact of computers is positive. Its effect is 0.37 an average influence. The lowest effect is on Mathematics teaching and interestingly this effect size has not changed in 30 years, the time frame of computers.  

2.     How technology has changed the way we learn. Scanning devices on phones (Ap’s) that can connect with QR Codes and their equivalent have revolutionised our access to instant information. Ap’s/ web pages for forums. Ap’s are used in class/ lecture to make contributions via reactive ‘white board’. Pinterest is another fabulous resource that will enhance any confident teacher’s repertoire for delivery.  Ted is another great way to catch up with current trends and listen to excellent content of top personnel. It is interesting in Hattie’s study where he says learners learn more in groups when using technology…  ‘But it is still the same clunky brain that has to make strong efforts to learn. As implied earlier, we have yet to see examples of information leaping off the computer screen into a student’s head. It is too easy to confuse information access with genuine knowledge acquisition.’ (Hattie, 2014, p. 199)

This is emphatically the case with Sugate Mitra in the Ted Talk video that I have included with this Blog, above.

‘Nevertheless, underlying principles of preservation, instruction, practice, knowledge acquisition, feedback and application do not vary between traditional instructional contexts and any new world of computer- assisted instruction’ (Hattie, 2014, p. 199).is & It interest to note the works of Chabris  & Simmons (Simons, July 2010)… ‘The basic plan of the brains wiring is determined by genetic programmes and biochemical interactions that do most of their work long before a child discovers Facebook and Twitter. There is simply no evidence to show that living with new technologies fundamentally changes brain organisation in a way that affects one’s ability to focus.’

As a wrap up to this article it is noted that we are adapting to new technologies in an evolving way not revolutionary. We are doing so with our old brain that we have had for some million odd years. The media may vary. The plots and intrigues are ever the same as Shakesphere wrote 400 years ago, but they are ever more accessible through modern technology.

3.    Barriers to effective use of technology in education. Lack of resources to keep up with technology may leave learners behind feeling alienated. The late arrival of resources i.e. SFW in conjunction with DSA has left the author frustrated, especially knowing what is out there. The use of Dragon Dictate elevates a struggling dyslexic/ dyspraxia learner / typist into a 40,000 word dissertation learner with ease of delivery. The rate of change of technology and its expense with no manuals and costly help lines has alienated many, exasperated by poor internet connections. Viruses cause further expense and frustration with computers crashing/ slowing up on a regular basis only to be cleared by professional intervention. Stores/ shops having poor support / help for customers. There is advertising on all media with the giants of the industry ever hungry for personal details to turn into personalised focused advertising. All this type of invasive corporate behaviour confuses learners and impedes their personal advancement. Confusion everywhere, with learning institutions being biased, to various corporate institutions. Aside from teaching learning these days is tending to be a solitary competitive process. This is not good for the human spirit. Learning is not as thorough. If the computer system fails the learner is quite vulnerable. It is hard to get back up especially on weekends.. there are many systems there is at least a lot of double learning, with systems not matching up even within Institutions , e.g. UWTSD.

We are on a winner with mobile and computers generally as 87% of our learning is through our eyes  (Petty, 2009). New images keep the attention of learners as the attention span of learners is getting less and less. We tend to forget that visual aids are best even when delivering the simplest of concepts. Instant access to a vast well of resources that defy the imagination, we need to teach learners how to access trustworthy resources. If we fail to do this we have failed our learners. There is nothing that can’t be researched on the net via mobile technology; QR Codes, Blipper, Barcodes, augmented reality, Nearfield communication (e.g. phone linked to ticketed/ subway passes)  

Bibliography

John Hattie and Gregory Yates; (2014)Visible Learning and the science of how we learn. P199.Routledge, Oxford.

John Hattie and Gregory Yates; (2014)Visible Learning and the science of how we learn. P203.Routledge, Oxford.

Sugata Mitra(2010)Ted Talk. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk60sYrU2RU

Christopher Chabris & Daniel Simmons. (July 2010) Los Angles Times.

Gregory Petty(2009) Teaching Today Fourth Edition. Nelson Thornes UK, p.375