Description: How have my postgraduate studies changed my practice? To say
the least it has been ‘challenging’! This has been the first digital learning I
have participated in and it has been incredibly challenging for me. Challenging
in a variety of ways. Do I have enough knowledge myself to guide my students in
the use of new apps introduced like ‘Twiddla’ (a collaborative planning app) or
‘Kahoot!’ (a question and answer app)? Does my knowledge and technology driven
skill set support students interactions and collaborative learning using these
apps? Am I able to create a solid foundation and maintain the forward movement
by introducing other apps to strengthen students learning in the digital world
that is inevitable? Questions that can only lead to a better understanding of
not only my new teaching pathway but also of my students learning.
Feelings: My mind has been opened to new thinking in ways of using technology and in
turn adds another dimension to the already varied layers of knowledge and skill
sets. I feel that if I do not take this on board I will be disadvantaging the
treasures (students) that I have the pleasure to teach. I also feel that if I
did not take this aspect into consideration I would have missed the opportunity
in front of me to take a lead in my own professional development.
Evaluation: What were my judgments at the time? How do I feel about them
now?
My students were already using digital technology with Study
Ladder, Storybird, Adobe Spark app and Class Dojo. These programmes gave them
the opportunity to become accustomed to using digital technology. They developed
skills of inserting photos and tables, downloading music and inserting into
Adobe Spark presentations, reflecting on their own work and what they were
learning plus working collaboratively together. They now feel very comfortable
using these but I felt that they needed another tool to support them in
planning collaboratively to complete a study project. My concern was that they
were completing a lot of individualised learning and were missing out on using
their ideas and knowledge in a collaborative way.
Analysis: My problem was where should I go from here? How and where do
I find the correct app and could I find one that I could introduce with no
problem? I discovered ‘Twiddla’ and it suited me for what I needed. It was
free, it was easy to use, it could be shared by the whole class working on it
at the same time. Each student was able to copy and paste the url to use it (no
email logins necessary) and I could set the tasks and ‘big questions’ to get
them thinking. The class enjoyed using the page to collaborate with each other
in their planning of the study. Who was going to do what, what approaches they
would take and how they were going to present the project. Each student could
see the planning stages taking place as it was happening. This was the
highlight for me.
Conclusion: There are other programmes and apps that may do the same
job as ‘Twiddla’ but I felt that this particular one suited my classes’
needs at the time. We could’ve used G+ but it was much easier to copy and paste
the url to connect everyone instead of setting up with gmail accounts. It was
fantastic to watch each student not be afraid to use the app and contribute
their ideas towards the project. By all accounts they enjoyed using the app and
being able to see their classmates planning ideas appearing as they were
writing them. A very positive outcome.
Action plan: I will continue to use this app as it can be used in a
variety of ways. We could use it not only in planning for studies/projects but
also in having conversations with each other for writing i.e. brainstorming
ideas, timetabling and having healthy debates. An action plan, I think that
will enhance my students’ knowledge and participation in a collaborative learning
environment.
References:
A short video from the University of Northampton that briefly outlines Gibb's Cycle of Reflection
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