Week 7 & 8

Week 7 & 8 Reflection

Discussions held in relation to different teaching and learning scenarios posed some challenging yet insightful responses.  How will education look in the next five to ten years and further?  Who and what will be the dominant factor to what is considered important for student learning?  How will these new systems be enforced and monitored?  What will be the role of teachers?  At this point, our answers can only be based on assumption.  What we do know is, we need to be flexible and proactive as well as critically reflect on what we believe will be most beneficial for generations to come.  I would imagine that no-one in the 1800’s could ever have imagined communicating in the ways we do today? 

[Image 1]                                                [Image 2]

First ‘box’ telephone (1876)                        Mobile Phone (2010)

It is now coming to the end of our ICT 4001Eps Learning Adventure 1.  Looking back at the journey I sometimes wonder if I know more or less than when I started.  I suppose that it is all a matter of perspective.  Once you start uncovering some of the new emerging technologies you then speculate just how little you do know.  One thing is for sure – technologies are here to stay and it is going to take continue research and reflection on how these technologies will be best utilised and integrated into our own lives as well as the lives of the students we are entrusted with to guide into an uncertain future.  The benefits of being a member of professional associations promoting and implementing new ways of teaching and learning are undisputable.  You simply cannot research and learn every new pedagogy and tool.  With the collaborative efforts of these associations, we can all contribute and receive, which reminds me of the old saying ‘many hands make light work’ (Heywood, J. n.d.)

Teaching and Learning as we have known it since the mid 1800’s is definitely transforming.  There is still a long way to go before every teacher is implementing new tools and appropriate pedagogies to the best advantage for themselves and their students.  It will be a life-long learning journey. 

References

Heywood, J. (n.d.)  Retrieved April 20, 2011 from http://thinkexist.com/quotes/john_heywood/

Image 1 Box Telephone.  Retrieved April 20, 2011 from http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone/images/bellphone.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone/history_telephone.html&usg=__Tlx2WvYY-696Bwa3Pe5H-l9J2is=&h=296&w=412&sz=92&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=pcEEmGx3UxKfPM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=184&ei=Bv2wTdLTFI2ougPI0PyQBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbox%2Btelephone%2B1876%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1362%26bih%3D569%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=160&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=63&ty=102

Image 2 Mobile Telephone.  Retrieved April 20, 2011 from http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mobilephonereviews.org/uploads/Image/Sony%2520Ericsson%2520Idou%2520Touchscreen%2520Mobile%2520Phone.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mobilephonereviews.org/sony-ericsson/sony-ericsson-idou-camera-mobile-phone/&usg=__ahI5Afd-QMN5Z0WjFKIsqz4ylgk=&h=341&w=438&sz=79&hl=en&start=84&zoom=1&tbnid=2upMZC_RkSApfM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=158&ei=kf2wTcCzFIb4sAOfm_HvCw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtouch%2Bscreen%2Bmobile%2Btelephone%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1362%26bih%3D569%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch0%2C1529&itbs=1&biw=1362&bih=569&iact=rc&dur=182&page=5&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:84&tx=110&ty=68