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Learning Strategies

People learn in a variety of different ways. What is learning? Well learning is the gain of knowledge and understanding of something new. One learning strategy is to improve your memory; you can do this in a variety of ways. These include mnemonics, the loci method, and the use of jingles, rote memorisation and acronyms. Some people find it easy to learn information through the use of creativity. This could be in the form of a song or drawings. Lots of people find it very useful to learn things from the use of spider diagrams, because they can link the word up with a picture and then they tend to remember it easier. When I learn I tend to use spider diagrams because you can make them as colourful and creative as you want in order to remember it. Some people find flash cards to be very effective when learning information because they find that they are testing themselves and they feel some kind of accomplishment when they have the answer right. Some people tend to learn things by relating the information to life events or things that they associate with that piece of information. From looking at some of these learning strategies I found that everyone learns differently and some techniques can work for some people but might not work for everyone. This video has some examples of learning strategies.

Engaging Children's Learning

You can engage children’s learning in a multiple of different ways. Different activities are the way to get children engaged with learning. Some of these ways include; the use of games, arts, interaction and technology. These activities can get children to interact with one and other and allow them as part of a team or individually learn and help them to figure out certain things, for example if you gave them clues to figure out they could work together. Some games such as the fishing game allow children to develop their mathematical skills without them even realising that they are learning. This way for children which find maths hard and boring, they won’t even realise that they are doing maths and this makes it easier and less of a struggle for them. This is one game which is used in the foundation phase; another way of engaging children’s learning is through the use of coins because it allows them to be able to count, add and subtract. Technology allows children to engage in learning because they are used to using technology and the use of different applications and programmes allow them to learn also without them realising it and there are also activities which engage children such as the different apps which are in use for education.

Technology in Primary Schools

Technology in primary schools has advanced a lot since I was in school all we had was old computers which did have some programmes on them but not as many as there is now. We also had interactive whiteboards but we were never allowed to use them as they were brand new whereas now children are more encouraged to use them. Now, primary schools have iPads, projectors, laptops, and interactive whiteboards. With all this technology in schools it enables children to have a better learning environment because there are numerous of ways in which the child can be taught and learn. With all this technology, ways in which children can learn is through the use of the internet, apps, using the interactive features such as on the iPads or on the interactive whiteboards. There are also lots of different programmes on the computers or laptops which can help children with their maths, English and science. Children can also use these programmes to test themselves and this way the teachers can see what children need help with any topics that they are getting stuck on, the teachers can also see which children are excelling at certain topics. Having technology in schools is just one way in which technology has helped to promote learning.

Ted Talk- What I Learned From Nelson Mandela

I think this ted talk is a very important talk because Nelson Mandela was a very important and a very inspirational person, this talk is not about Nelson Mandela but is dedicated to him. This ted talk inspired me because the speech in which Boyd Varty tells the viewer about life events and different ways in which we can be encouraged. Boyd Varty also tells stories about African people and how they will do anything in order to help each other. This talk is inspiring because it tells people not to give up on what they believe in, it also tells the viewer that they can do anything they put their minds to. This talk is also trying to get people to think about different things such as how they can help others, what they can do to help make a change. Boyd Varty is trying to make the audience reflect and take into account factors of their life which has made them to be the person they are today for example he tells the story of a man helping him when he was being attacked by a crocodile, and how that man didn’t have to save his life but he did. Overall I think that this ted talk was one of the most inspirational talks on the website for me because it got me to reflect on life experiences in my life and how they have helped me.

Advantages of Technology in Schools

Having technology in school is one big accomplishment because it allows children to understand how it works, and they learn from a young age how to work it. There are lots of different types of technology you can find in a classroom, some of these include; interactive whiteboards, projectors, laptops, computers and tablets. One advantage of technology in schools is that it makes it quick and easy to do things, such as work and pupils already know how to use it. Another advantage of having technology in school is that you can use it to make things more presentable for example using the computer to make things for the classroom displays. Also, new technology now enables children to have an interactive lesson with iPads, apps and new programmes available. Children find the new technology more engaging and it keeps their interest, even educational games are able to be downloaded on to the tablets and the children don’t realise that they’re actually learning something. Another advantage of having technology in the classroom is the teachers can use it to plan their lessons or even use the interactive whiteboards to show pupils educational things or to get them interact with the subject in which they are learning. 

Disadvantages of Technology in Schools

Technology is one major achievement in schools; however it also has its implications. One disadvantage of having technology in schools is that sometimes we are too reliant on it. We rely on technology far too much and if the systems are down we sometimes don’t have another alternative in place straight away. This also means that we have to things planned out that doesn’t revolve around technology. Another weakness of having technology in schools is spelling because computers do it automatically sometimes children don’t learn from their spelling mistakes. Another disadvantage of technology in schools is that they’re very easy to break so children have to be careful when handling them, but at the end of the day they’re children so some things are bound to end up being broken. Another disadvantage of having technology in schools is that not all schools can afford the latest technology and they may not have enough computers for example for everyone. One more disadvantage of technology in schools is that computer can also be harmful depending on how many hours a day that you are on them; therefore you have to follow certain rules when using them so they don’t do any damage. 

Web 2 apps-Voki

Voki is part of a web 2 application. I think it will be good to use this web 2 app in an educational context because it allows children to be able to create a character to say their answers; they may even want it to look like themselves. You can use Voki in an educational context by using it for reciting the pupils’ work, for example if the children made a poem or a story. You can also have different Voki characters, this is an advantage of using Voki because you can use a character from their story for example if they wrote about a genie in their story they could use a genie Voki. It also allows children to learn to write their stories in a different person for example they can use first or third person to tell the story, so it can be like the character is narrating. Teachers can also create a Voki to teach children something minor for a few minutes because then they get some interaction with it and they can find it interesting.  Voki can also be used for numerous of purposes some of these include, homework, setting assignments and class work or projects. I got this information from: https://voki.com/classroom/faq.php I used this website to create a Voki: http://www.voki.com/create.php

 

What will Schools look like in 30 years’ time?

In thirty years’ time, I think schools will have advanced a lot and not just in teaching methods but in technology which is used in the classroom. In my opinion children will be at individual desks which will have touch screen features which will allow the children to interact with them. I think these desks will be used to ask the children questions and the teacher will be able to see the answers in order to find out which child understands the subjects and which ones do not. I also think that the walls will be touch screen and can be used as a simulation. For example the teacher can use this to take the children “around the world”, they can show pupils what different countries look like, some of the historical monuments. I also think there will be some type of holograms which the children can move around and turn, for example showing children different parts of the heart etc. this way they get to understand how it works, be able to see what it looks like. Here are some pictures of what I think the classrooms will look like in thirty years’ time. I got these pictures from:

http://tx.english-ch.com/teacher/jacob/level-b/the-future-of-classroom/

http://nettheweb.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/4-how-i-imagine-a-future-classroom-to-be-like/

Why is it Important to Have Creativity in the Classroom?

It’s important to have creativity in classrooms because it allows children to engage in learning by imagination. Also, doing creative learning techniques allows the children to take in the information that they have learnt. Creativity in the classroom allows children to express themselves and get their creative juices flowing. Some creative activities can include children drawing pictures, painting and making different things. Creativity can also help children learn because you can use different activities to create items which reflect the story or the subject which the children are learning about. One example of this is when I worked in a primary school the children we’re reading a book called Flat Stanley and the children ended up making a life size version of him. This made them get more involved with the literature because they had to take in account what Flat Stanley looked like. They had to find out what he wore, what colour hair he had, if his clothes were one colour or patterned. Another example of the children being creative is when they were learning about the romans they made roman coins, shields, swords and helmets. I think creativity is an important feature in a classroom because it gets children to engage in the subject they’re learning and gets their imagination going.

Animation Programme (2 Animate)

Today I got to use a new programme called 2 Animate, where I got to design an animation. I found this very easy to use; this is because 2 Animate is a programme which children can use. I designed an animation on an idiom. The idiom that I used to create my animation was a storm in a teacup. The programme was pretty basic but this made it much simpler to use and it reminded me of paint because you could draw on there. The programme turns the different images which you have drawn and turns them into an animation. The layout of the programme also made it incredibly stress-free to view and to use; this enables the user to understand how it works and can use it straight away. With this programme you are able to change the backgrounds and create new frames easily by just dragging the pic along; this allows you to not draw the picture a load of times.  This programme also has lots of icons to choose from to make it even easier for the user. I think children will love creating animations on this programme because they get to use lots of colours and make whatever type of animation that they wish to.

Blog Review

The blog that I have chosen to review is the “Webs of Substance”. I have chosen to review this blog because it’s an educational blog and also the writer looks at educational research.  I think the writer of the blog captures the audience very well by the use of language for example “Am I the only one who is a little uneasy about the new fashion for promoting a growth mindset?” Through the use of a rhetorical question the author makes the readers question themselves and makes them think about the topic in more detail. I also like this blog because of the layout and background. The layout makes it easy to use and the background and colour schemes are pretty simple but make it easier to view. Also, this blog uses pictures and videos to keep the viewers interested and this can also make information easier to digest. This blog is also regularly updated and this is another advantage because this means viewers will not lose interest because they will want to keep updated on the writer’s opinions and any new educational research which they may not have seen yet. Overall I think this blog is valuable enough to be on my blog because it is full of information and is easy to read.

An Aspect of Web 2- Facebook

Facebook is a very advanced aspect of Web 2, however with it being advanced there are also many problems that come with this. An advantage with Facebook is that it’s a free way to communicate with people all around the world and it’s also easy to use.  A disadvantage with Facebook is that it helps cyber bullying because lots of children have been cyber bullied through the use this aspect of Web 2. Another advantage of Facebook however is that it can enhance social skills by them talking to their friends and seeing what they’re up to this can help increase their self-esteem and make them more confident if they start talking to new people. Another disadvantage to Facebook is privacy because not everyone has their privacy settings enabled so anyone can look at the information that someone puts on their page. Through this, identity theft can happen because of all the information that is on there such as a person’s name, date of birth, where they are from etc. Another disadvantage of Facebook is that it can make children inactive and antisocial; this is why the number of children becoming overweight in Britain has increased. Overall, there are both strengths and weaknesses to this aspect of Web 2 but millions of people use it and therefore is one successful Web 2 aspect.

Picture from: http://www.llow.it/2011/02/15/how-to-manually-integrate-facebook-like-button-into-wordpress/

Picture Movie

To create my movie I used Windows Movie Maker. I found this software easy to use because I have used movie maker before in secondary school when doing an ICT course. I chose to make a movie on art work around the university because I found some of the work inspirational and there are lots of different sorts of art. I also find art to be a creative way to help people learn. I also chose to do a movie on art because art has been an interest of mine from a young age and sometimes you can find a story in some of the art work and considering our task was to tell a story through pictures, I thought doing art would be a great way of doing this. Some of the art work has been made by fellow students and others have been made by children. I thought this would be a nice touch because I’m doing an educational course and any art work by children shows ways of creative learning. Also some of the art work is by students doing a PGCE degree so I thought it would give me some idea what to expect to make if I go on to do a PGCE degree.

What Is Reflective Learning?

Through my research, I have found what reflective learning is. Reflective learning is a way of helping you learn information which you have just been taught. Reflective learning also helps develop a person’s critical thinking, their self-awareness and their analytical skills. This method of learning can be captured in a numerous of different ways such as in the use of journals, logs, essays, diaries and portfolios. The best time to use reflective learning is after note making sessions this includes lectures, readings and discussions.  Reflective learning diaries are useful because you can make brief notes of what you did and you can record what you did in a lecture or a seminar, or they can be used to make notes on any reading that you have done. By making notes on what you think you have learnt from the lecture this improves the quantity and quality of our learning. In my opinion reflective learning is a good way to learn because you are recapturing what you may have already learnt and by using this technique you can go through things that you may not understand or have forgotten. This enables you to recap the information you have learnt. Reflective learning can also help you notice the correct learning styles which suit you best.

 

Football Vs Soldiers

I think football players get paid way too much for what they do. They’re getting paid millions of pounds to kick a ball around a field, where as people who are risking their lives are getting paid a quarter of what football players earn. I think soldiers should get paid way more than football players because they could get killed and the worst a football player can get hurt is by breaking their leg and then staying out of play for a couple of seasons or maybe ruining their career, but they still can go on and become football managers. I do understand that the reason why footballers get paid so much has to do with the amount of sponsorship that the game has and I'm not saying that people don't enjoy the game I am just saying that they get paid way too much!  Also soldiers risk their lives in order to save our country and the people in it. Soldiers are also away from their families for a long time and do miss out on lots of important events in their families lives such as birthdays etc. Football players have all this money that they do not know what to spend it on sensibly and end up making bad decisions which end up in the news. Yes, some football players do give money to charity and  do alot for them but the amount of money in which they earn is ridiculous.

A Bit About Me

Hi my name is Rhian. I'm eighteen years old. I'm an undergraduate at Swansea Metropolitan University. I chose to do Education Studies because I want to become a teacher. I'm Welsh! I'm from South Wales. I love watching films, going to giggs and going partying! :)