Assignment 2

ICT

Luke McKay 2053952

Connecting Technology and Learning Areas

Introduction
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a crucial part of
education with the majority of schools in the developed world having access
to some form of ICT. It is up to teachers to implement ICT into their teaching
pedagogy to compliment their content knowledge within certain topic areas.
This paper looks at the positive and negatives of technology use in the
classroom. It will then link Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge
(TPACK) model with a lesson in mathematics and the use of an online
interactive algebra game that enhances the students learning through the use
of technology. Finally the paper briefly links the Substitution, Augmentation,
Modification and Redefinition (SAMR) model to the papers class room activity.
Why use technology
We now live in the information age thanks to advancements in technology.
Students are no longer learning about conventional jobs rather they are
learning to carry out jobs that do not exist presently. The jobs of the future will
require the use of complicated technical processes, where the basic use of
computers and understanding of how they function will be a requirement for
employment. Amongst the rapid advancement in technology it is important to
change the education to suit the advancements. Students not only need to
know how to use it but also how it works. The majority of jobs currently involve
using some form of technology. We have to assume that with the on-going
advancements in technology that this trend will continue. Schools are full of
Information and communication Technology (ICT) however, teachers need to
know how to use it effectively. In some cases the students know more than
the teachers and this becomes an issue when the use of ICT is in the
curriculum and even a part of the Australian professional standards for
Teachers. If a teacher is unable to understand and use technology then the
line from the curriculum to the student is broken. Most of the issues relating to
negative factors of using technology in the classroom are centred on the
teachers perception of what is and is not bad behaviour of students in the
classroom (Marsh, 2015). This could be due to the teacher not understanding
the technology or perceiving that the students behavioural issues are related
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to the technology rather than the teaching pedagogy or topic content

engagement. Teachers that have concerns about using computers in the
classroom may be suffering from cyber-phobia (Marsh, 2015), a condition
where the advancements in technology have succeeded the teachers own
understanding of technology. With each year that the teacher chooses to
dismiss technology in the classroom the gap between understanding the
technology increases and becomes more of an issue for the teacher to rectify.
Teachers need to be given the time and resources to keep their knowledge up
to date, however with the neoliberal agenda pushing the privatisation of
schools there are fewer teachers to do the same job (Connell, 2013). This
leads to increased workloads on current teachers who may then view the selfeducation of ICT as an extra area of professional development that they do
not have time for. In addition to time pressures teachers are also pressured to
teach to the test (Marsh, 2015), which in turn does not allow the time to
introduce the use of new technologies into the classroom despite the fact that
it is more important to improve students motivation and learning, which will
lead to improved results. This can be best achieved by allowing students to
learn with the use of technology in the classroom that creates an engaging,
motivating learning environment and compliments the everyday use of
technology by the students out side of the classroom. As Mishra (2012)
states, there is no such thing as an educational technology, what we have is
a variety of different technologies, our job as educators is to customise them
for our needs. In addition to the cyber-phobia there is a real issue within
education where the use of ICT is not used appropriately and in some cases
safely. A lesson should never be created around the use of technology, rather
technology should compliment an already well structured lesson plan. Cyber
safety is crucial in the education process. Teachers need to teach students
how to be safe without the use of fear mongering, this involves teachers
understanding the technology they are using before allowing the students to
work with it because cyber safety for students is not confined to the
classroom, it stretches out across the students life at home and through time.

The role for technology in Mathematics

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The role technology plays in the Math classroom is important in the engaging
and learning process of the students. Historically Math has been seen as just
pen and paper with the teacher out the front writing on the board. With the
development of the smart board teachers are able to display graphical
information in a clearer, more engaging and more time efficient manner. One
of the more difficult topics for students in mathematics is the topic of algebra.
With the assistance of computers, struggling students have the option of using
an online interactive application called mateletics (Mathletics USA, 2016).
This allows the students to work at their own pace, especially outside the
classroom and at home. Each question comes with an explanation therefore,
if a student if incorrect at home, instead of waiting to see the teacher in the
coming days or asking a parent they can read the working example and
attempt the question as many times as necessary until they understand it.
Within the mathematics classroom more so than most other disciplines the
gap between the least and most academic students is extensive. Therefore it
is important for a teacher to be constantly conducting diagnostic assessments
to develop an understanding of how the class is traveling in regards to the
topic content. The use of a an online interactive game called KAHOOT is a
great way to engage the students while diagnostically and formatively
assessing their understanding of the topic content.
The role of technology in Algebra
The learning objectives for this unit of work we are focusing on for this paper
is as follows; Simplify algebraic expressions involving the four operations
(ACMNA192), Students will understand that algebraic expressions involving
the four operations that help us to solve problems can be simplified.
(ACMNA192) Adapted from (Australian Curriculum, 2016).
Students were being assessed on their ability to add and subtract
pronumerals as a part of the greater topic area of Algebra at a year eight
level. The Screen shots of the online quiz overview is attached in appendix A,
the quiz itself can be found at the following URL. https://play.kahoot.it/#/intro?
quizId=fa9fa9cf-9387-4c00-9316-9dfe8785814a (McKay, 2016).

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Luke McKay 2053952

The algebra lesson is focusing on the learning outcome where students will
write algebraic expressions and rearrange equations to solve problems. The
structure of this lesson can be modelled using the (TPACK) model. The model
is comprised of three domains in the form of a circle, namely; Technological
Knowledge, Pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge as can be seen
in figure 1. All three domains are to be considered in the classroom when
technology is being used. The teacher must aim to incorporate all three
domains to the point they overlap. The model is in no way a complete view of
how to use technology in the classroom should be used but does offer a
supporting framework for working towards such a goal. During this
mathematics lesson the teacher has an uphill battle to engage the students
after lunch on a Friday. By creating a learning task that compliments the
students technological knowledge the student is more likely to engage with
the lesson making it a great pedagogical tool. The lesson is structured in a
way that links the three domains. Prior to introducing the KAHOOT game into
the classroom the teacher made a set of rules that were to be followed
through previous trial runs when using the technology. By having a deeper
knowledge of the technology being used and the ability to use the software
and computers the teacher knew that that the schools IT was not up to
standard and dropped out frequently during lessons, thus technology could
never be relied upon. For this reason the online quiz was broken up into
shorter ten question quizzes reducing the stress and disengagement of
students that were unlucky enough to lose internet connection during the
game. This technical issue was incorporated into the game as a luck
component that made it more interesting for the students. During the quiz, if
the students were struggling to comprehend a question the teacher had the
ability to do working examples on the board and open discussions while the
students took notes. Referring to the TPACK model in figure 1, the point at
which the domains of pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge overlap
is the point where you are able to teach that content to the class. Additionally
if ones technological knowledge aligns well with the content knowledge they
would be able to understand how the technology can be applied to the topic
content but may not have the pedagogical knowledge to be able to teach the
topic efficiently with or without the use of technology. Ones technological
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knowledge could overlap with their pedagogical knowledge, but with out
understanding the content of the topic the positive learning experience for the
students will be impacted. Therefore, it is paramount that when using
technology in the classroom that the teacher not just rely on the technology to
teach the class. For example in relation to this papers class activity, the
teacher could have just used mathletics in class instead of using class
discussions, working examples on a white board and paper activities. It could
still be argued that the teacher would have some content knowledge to be
able to understand which piece of technology, in this case software could be
used. However, this would not allow students access to multiple modes of
education. The papers learning activity is founded on an in-depth
understanding of the content knowledge and a developing pedagogical
knowledge. The use of mathletics and KAHOOT in this activity enhanced the
students learning abilities by creating a fun and engaging classroom
environment. Students were invited to create their own KAHOOT math quiz at
home and the best ones were selected to be played by the class the following
Friday. The final factor to discuss concerning the TPACK model is the dotted
circle that encapsulates the three circular domains. This ensures that the
three domains only interact with each other within certain contexts. For
example; the model could be used within an educational setting of certain
year levels or outside of educational settings. Therefore, depending on the
contexts the three domains will take on different meanings.

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ICT

Luke McKay 2053952

Figure 1: TPACK Model, (Koehler, 2016)

Finally, the SAMR model can also be used to structure a lesson that
incorporates the use of technology in the classroom. In figure 2 below the
SAMR is complimented with blooms taxonomy (Bloom, 2004). During the
activity discussed in this paper the Augmentation section of the SAMR model
is used. The KAHOOT game acts to improve on the students learning after
substituting pen and pencil with a piece of technology. Students are able to
evaluate their own learning through the diagnostic activity that can be
modified to suit the changing dynamics of the classroom. By allowing the
students the freedom to use the technology to create their own quizzes allows
the students to become an informed member of the learning environment.

Figure 2: SAMAR with Blooms Taxonomy, (Schrock's, 2013)

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Conclusion
When used correctly the use of ICT in schools enhances the learning
experiences and outcomes of the students. No lesson should be created
around a technology rather the technology should compliment the teachers
pedagogy and content knowledge. By using models such as the TPACK and
SAMR models the teacher is in the best position to create an engaging
learning experience for students with the use of ICT.

References
Australian Curriculum,. (2016). Login - Scootle. Scootle.edu.au. Retrieved 1
October 2016, from https://www.scootle.edu.au

Bloom, (2011). Bloom's Taxonomy: Encouraging Higher Cognitive Thinking in

Primary School Classrooms. Successful Teaching. Retrieved 16 June 2015,
from https://juliaec.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/blooms-taxonomyencouraging-higher-cognitive-thinking-in-primary-school-classrooms/
Connell, Raewyn 2013, 'Teachers', in Connell, Raewyn, Welch, Tony, Vickers,
Margaret, Foley, Dennis, Bagnall, Nigel, Hayes, Debra, Proctor, Helen,
Sriprakash, Arathi & Campbell, Graig, Education, change and society, 3rd
edn, pp. 264
Koehler, M. (2016). TPACK Explained. Matt-koehler.com. Retrieved 29
September 2016, from http://www.matt-koehler.com/tpack/tpack-explained
Mathletics USA. (2016). US Mathletics. Retrieved 29 September 2016, from
http://au.mathletics.com/
Marsh, C. (2015). Chapter 11, Pedagogy, teaching and learning. In,
Becoming a teacher, Pearson Education Australia, pp. 185

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McKay, L. (2016). Kahoot! | Play this quiz now!. Play.kahoot.it. Retrieved 29

September 2016, from https://play.kahoot.it/#/lobby?quizId=fa9fa9cf-93874c00-9316-9dfe8785814a
Mishra, P. (2012). Keynote Speaker. Presentation, 21st Century Learning
Conference, Hong Kong.
Schrock's, K. (2013). SAMR. Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything. Retrieved
28 September 2016, from http://www.schrockguide.net/samr.html

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Appendix A

ICT

Luke McKay 2053952