Task 2, Unit 6
- What are the characteristics of an effective learner?
-Being active
You have to keep learning – keep the brain active. The mind is like any muscle –if you don’t use it, you will lose it.
-Being current
You need to continue with learning i.e. it is not enough to say that you know everything, technology and the world changes all the time and we have to keep up with these changes and not be left behind. Do not be afraid of change but embrace the challenge of change. Keep up to date.
-Being innovative
Trying doing something a new way – think outside the square.
-Being motivated
I must admit that there were many times when I wanted to quit. I thought it was too hard and I was unable to do it. However, sitting in front of this computer, thinking and answering the questions, I am surprising myself that I am able to do it. Thus it is important to be motivated when you are doing anything. You have to find a reason why you need to continue.
-Practise
As with anything, practise makes perfect. So we need to continue to use these new tools that we are studying.
Think about:
- Your own progression with technology. How has it changed the way you
learn and shaped your professional practice?
-I am surprising myself that, I have to admit to being 62, I am able to understand and retain what I am learning. I am
using tools such as Evernote, Diigo, Facebook, Twitter, Animoto (which I love) etc. If not for this course, and
working in a school library, I believe that I would not use any of these tools.
- Your feelings about the impact of technology on us as citizens
-The changes that have taken place over the last few years have been astonishing. Before doing my library technician course, in 1998, I had to have help with the internet. As stated before, we have to keep up with the changes in technology or be left behind. When my eldest daughter started primary school in 1992 a new principal started at the school also. He was not only like a breath of fresh air, but a tornado. He modernised the school with new technology. Computers were introduced to the school and library. I was a volunteer library worker at the time. The modernization was great but at a cost. The librarian could not handle the change. She was taken out of the library and replace with someone who had computer skills. Eventually she retired. Some people find the changes frightening. I have a friend, who is my age, who doesn’t even have a computer – not willing to learn how to use it. I feel under different circumstances, if I did not do the library course, that I would be in the same boat.
- Your thoughts about the use of technology in learning and the role educators
play in modelling the use of technology
-The use of technology in learning is a wonderful tool. It enables the students to extend themselves, eg, by using
video links to enhance their presentation instead of using the old PowerPoint. They can save their web browsing in
Diigo until they are ready to do deeper research and then transfer what they want to save to Evernote to keep.
-Educators can use technology in helping them to teach and make their lessons more interactive, imaginative and
more enjoyable.
- How technology can be used to support your chosen 5 characteristics of an effective learner
–Being active
Have the students use the technology wherever possible
-Being current
Have the students keep up to date with new technology
-Being innovative
Have students do their own research into new technology and use it.
-Practise
To reinforce what students have learnt they have to keep using the technology
- We’d also love to read your predictions about how technology will change
the way we learn in the future.
–With change in technology so rapid it is really anybody’s guess as to how far it will go. The use of paper and pen might be a thing of the past – antiquated.
dkovzan 