This year, I have been a little slack on updating my blog. However, it is with good reason! This year, I have the utmost pleasure in establishing a media studies department. It is challenging to set up and run a department single-handedly, particularly when compounded with technical issues that arise from working for a company that has very tight security and imposes extreme limitations - think 'exercise yard' rather than 'walled garden'. These restrictions have resulted in a school that has been protected from the advancements afforded in more liberal environments, which proves very challenging to a subject that requires access to online resources for success. In addition, the requirements of media courses now are much more demanding than my earlier experiences, particularly in technical aspects, meaning I am on as steep a learning curve as my AS learners in taking a subject for which they have no prior experience. All this compounds to formulate a very trying term. ...
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One of my latest projects for my MEd, required me to design a computer lab. I had a budget of $45,000 and it had to accommodate 30 learners. My total, outlined in more detail below, came in at just under budget, at $44,171.90 - and goes against the grain of the traditional lab design. Having had the luxury of re-designing and implementing a new classroom design whilst working in Singapore (see any posts regarding The Octopus's Garden Project , and photos in posts from 2013-2014 in particular) I already had a few ideas that meant I very much wanted to move away from a traditional layout. For more inspiration, I asked for the dream design of educators I have worked with in different countries and different schools. What was interesting to me, was those who have worked in tehnology-rich environments, where the idea of a dedicated computer lab is outdated and technology infuses everyday learning, had many more suggestions that broke the mould of lab design and fitted w...
Here is an infographic I created for my final project. It is based on THIS essay . Create free infographics with Venngage
To What Extent Does a Successful BYOD Programme Affect the Engagement and Motivation of Secondary School Learners? This paper outlines current research into Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programmes in schools based on the experience of institutions currently employing the system. It explores the impact BYOD programmes have had on the engagement and motivation of secondary school learners, as well as the affect on achievement in tests and assessment in comparison to students not utilising mobile technologies in their learning. The experience of both private sector businesses and schools informs guidelines and advice for the successful implementation of a BYOD programme. SEE INFOGRAPHIC OF THIS ESSAY HERE Whilst some see technology in education as a “democratizer”, as a way of allowing “students from all backgrounds to access the same resources and tools”, to others, it potentially causes “great harm, widening an already substantial achievement gap related to issues of equity...
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDY Student: X School: Erasmus Middle School Grade: 7 Learning Need: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia Target areas: Reading, writing, organisation /notes, auditory ------------------------------------ The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is where the official or legal use of the term assistive technology (AT) originated (ADHD-Brain.com, 2015). It was designed to ensure that any individual, regardless of disability, would have the right to equal access to education. With the advent of technological changes in the last 30 years, legislation has been updated to include “technologies that would serve to assist students who otherwise might struggle to get their assignments completed” (ADHD-Brain.com, 2015). For students with learning disabilities (LD) such as attention-deficit hyperactivity ...