The Nature of Digital Pedagogy

 What are the Pedagogical Principles (defined in the Learning Materials)?

1. Facilitating deep knowledge through higher order thinking.

2. Facilitating collaborative learning in which conversations are important.

3. Supporting students in knowing how they learn best.

4. Planning learning that is problem-based and situated in real life contexts.

5. Is relevant to students and connects to their background knowledge.

6. Supports learning that is owned, controlled, and managed by students themselves.

7. Is socially supportive, engaging, and values cultural knowledges.

8. Is supportive of the development of active citizenship, and strong group identity.

 

What do the Pedagogical Principles mean to you in common language?

Pedagogical Principles give a greater opportunity to assist in facilitating individual learning requirements amongst this generation’s students. This is achieved by understanding that every student learns differently, its engaging and supports collaboration between students. As an alternative of the old school method that the Teacher does all the teaching, and the students do all the learning, it empowers the students to assists in peer teaching and lets the student control their learning.

 

Consider whether the Pedagogical Principles make sense to you in terms of your own experience in learning that has a) been pedagogically sound, and b) been pedagogically woeful?

Having been a Teachers Aide and/or a Teachers Assistant for the better part of the last 4 years has given me a more negative opinion. I understand that every child learns and performs differently, therefor individualistic Teaching must be more prominent, but for many generations students have learnt a certain way and been done so with moderate success. The Pedagogical Principals certainly have their place, and I am a fan of giving students the opportunity to form a deeper understanding of what they are learning, assisting in their peers learning and also having real world applications. But I believe giving students the keys to their own learning will be detrimental to their personal learning and the standing of Teachers in an education system. A learn as you want approach can only end badly.

 

Can you recognise these pedagogies in the experiences you have identified in the sound category? Elaborate.

Growing up in a Small Rural town I was not too fond of school. I had subjects I liked but was not to a fan of sitting in the same desk having someone attempt to explain to me information I wasn’t interested in. After I had removed myself from the education setting and got my Trade, I thought I might be better equipped mentally to complete my Trade Schooling only to find once again sitting in the same chair at the same desk was not what I wanted to be doing. I was fully engaged when it came to practical applications but just couldn’t switch on when in a classroom theory setting. I can fully understand how more of an individualised approach might work for most students.

 

Beyond this, can you identify the links between Judy Willis' knowledge of the brain and learning, Sir Ken Robinson's perspective on creativity, the needs of your contemporary learners and these pedagogical principles?

Teaching needs to be captivating and motivate students to want to be engaged with the subject learnings. Judy Willis explains that student stresses can be brought on by boredom and Teachers need to be actively encouraging creativity within Students to keep them interested. Sir Ken Robinson theory is that older teaching methods have taught the creativity out of students and that they have creative minds that require Teachers to allow Students to think outside of the box.

 

Why is it important to engage social interaction and prior knowledge, and plan for individualised and socially supportive, valued learning?

Developing on prior knowledge is vital to education. Planting a seed and assisting it grow into fully developed and understood knowledge and information should be heavily considered in most teachings. Allowing students to collaborate, peer assist, bounce ideas and information off each other can be a positive for all regarding education.

 

Reflect on your experiences of pedagogy as a learner. How many of these pedagogies are you familiar with?

Due to the timing of my schooling, education wasn’t as individualised as it is today. It was a learn the way we teach, or you won’t learn at all. One of the worst things about that certain type of teaching was that if you missed or weren’t engaged with the subject matter then you would find it very hard to catch up or find success with that subject later in the subject. Unfortunately, these principals may have been around, but they were not utilised within my Junior and Secondary learning.

 

Bloom’s Taxonomy

ITD gives students the means to think outside the box and become individual thinkers. Between the differing subjects of Design or Metal/Wood/Construction students are required to work towards a start and end goal but allows them to produce work that is individualistic but ticks the required curriculum boxes. Students develop a greater understanding and higher level of engagement within the subject.

 

SAMR Model

ITD is one of the few subjects that allows differentiation and creativity to be used between the start and finish of most projects. A Teacher demonstrates ways a student may achieve these goals and allows the student to either follow or individualise how they go about their own work. Giving allowances and seeing a project start from a few pieces of material or blank sheet into a fully accessible, formed creation gives students the engagement to apply themselves, see the real-world outcomes and use the information they have and improve on future learning results. 

Legal, Safe and Ethical Practice

The legal, safe and ethical practice outlined in the Australian Curriculum state that ICT as a General Capability are:

-  Recognise intellectual property

-  Apply digital information security practices

-  Apply personal security protocols

-  Identify the impacts of ICT in society.

 

What will you need to consider in your curriculum learning areas?

Students are required to use ICT only within the means needed to access information pertaining to the class subject matter and should be made aware of the safe, ethical and legal ways to use these digital applications. Sites must be reliable, and students must acknowledge all works used accurately.