Assignment 1 - Reflection 2: Week 3

This week I have chosen to base my reflection of using Blogs in the Classroom. I have chosen to integrate a Weebly website and Wiki activity to scaffold learning activities and to further enhance my own experience and digital fluency.

Blogs (short for 'web logs') are usually constructed for educational, professional and personal purposes. In the classroom, blogs can encourage students to write reflections on learnings and expand on their digital fluency. Blogging is an individualised activity that only the author can edit. Visitors can leave comments in an interactive format and is an important element of many blogs (Howell 2012, p. 141) Blogs allow the students to add their own customised assignments via presentation (wallpaper, fonts etc) embed pictures, files, videos and other links to construct a concise reflection.

Image source
www.flickr.com




Blogs are displayed chronologically and teachers can use blogs to scaffold material in a sequential fashion. Students can therefore use this scaffolding process to analyse, evaluate and synthese their pieces of work. Blogging allows teachers to embed activities like PMI's, SWOT analysis, ranking tools, identifying perspectives to encourage critical thinking (www.moodle.cqu.edu.au).

The SAMR model is a effective tool when looking at how activities designed to improve digital fluency, can be assimiliated into teaching. The diagram below incorporates the SAMR model and the classroom activity. I have adapted this framework so that blogs could be identified as a key learning experience with each stage of the SAMR model. It is appropriate for my key learning area: business.

I have chosen to adapt the traditional version of The Stock Market Game to include Blogging. The Stock Market Game is a familiar game that aims at teaching basic investing principles, current economic events, how the economy works and money management skills (http://www.moneyinstructor.com/ls/msimulation.asp). 

It is a real life simulation of a real life situation that is engaging and learner-based as students are required to take responsibilty for directing their own work and outcomes.

The affiliated website I have created can be found at:

http://www.s0012252.weebly.com

The static website is designed to scaffold students through the learning activities of unit. The features of the website include:

• A Voki to introduce the game and expected outcomes. 
• A YouTube video embedded outlining 'how to read a stock table'. Students are asked to place this video in their personal blogs, therefore facilitating students to link and retrieve essential information in the learning journey.
• The Instructions tab to clearly define how to play the game and what reflections they are to report on in their blog. This function allows for students to organise and categorise the information they require to complete the task.
• An information tab which contains the companies that we will be using in our simulation. Students are directed to select and refine the companies on offer.
• A tab where market updates will embedded, so that students have a centralised data record of stock movements. It also is an example of how files can be embedded into a website.
• A Wiki link that takes them to a ranking activity that requires students to conduct research on their companies, therefore analysing and evaluating their knowledge.  This page also includes a 'Fodey' character, placed to keep students interested.

Below is an analysis of Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that I have identified related to the activity and functionality of the Weebly website.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Students have access to information wherever there is Internet access. It is learner-based Fun and engaging	Students may get competitive with each other and treat the activity as a contest. End date to this activity, it gives students an avenue to make poor investment decisions: rapid trading and taking large risks.
Opportunities	Threats
Allows students to further extend on their knowledge base Allows students to research related topics Gives students the opportunity to think differently and perform new tasks Keeps students interested in current economic events Keeps students interested in scaffolding their learning experience with technology	Relies on outside sources (Market Updates) for data Students may not have a solid foundation of some of the technology to be used especially in blog activities.

The Stock Market Game is a suitable activity for Business students and is perhaps, a familiar one. I have used Blogging as the central activity for students to scaffold their knowledge in the facets of the Stock Market and digital fluency. The tools that I have integrated in the overall activity, are learner-centred and gives students the opportunity for higher ordered thinking through research, thinking tools and collaboration. The design of the activity explores the sequencing of the SAMR model to completely transform the original Stock Market Game.

REFERENCES

Blogs for Learning from CQUniversity e-courses EDED20491 ICT's for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au

Fodey (2015).  Retrieved on 26th March, 2015 from http://www.fodey.com/generators/animated/ninja.asp

Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital Pedagogies for Collaboration and Creativity (1st edition), South Melbourne Vic: Oxford University Press.

The Money Instuctor (2009). The Stock Market Game. Retrieved on 24th March, 2015 from http://www.moneyinstructor.com/ls/msimulation.asp

REFERENCES FROM WEBSITE

The Australian (2015). The Australian: Business Review. Retrieved on 24th March, 2015 from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business

Blogger (2015). Retrieved on 22nd March, 2015 from http://www.blogger.com

CommSec(2015). Retrieved on 22nd March, 2015 from https://www.commsec.com.au/market-news/the-markets.html

For Dummies (2015). How to read a stock table: Definition of Terms. Retrieved on 23rd March from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-read-a-stock-table.html

Fodey (2015). Retrieved on 25th March, 2105 from http://www.fodey.com/generators/animated/wizard.asp

Voki (2015). Create a speaking character and add a voice. Retrieved on 25th March, 2015 from http://www.voki.com/create.php

Wikispaces (2015). Retrieved on 23rd March, 2015 from https://www.wikispaces.com/

YouTube (2009). How to read a stock table. Retrieved on 23rd March, 2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW93AyN8u5A