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Hi Russell,<br>
I don't agree that we should be following "the vogue of learning
styles". I have been teaching long enough to know they come and go and
I think I'm witnessing my fourth era of teaching and learning styles.
What we really are recognising is that students cannot all be regarded
as the same as learners; they think and like to demonstrate their
learning in different ways. Competent teachers have always known this.
It's like all this current emphasis on PoLT - I, and all the others in
my DipEd class, learned the elements of PoLT as "effective teaching
practice". PoLT was not discovered recently, it was in another guise in
the 70s or I could go back to Socrates who challenged deep levels of
thinking, promoted independence, etc, etc.<br>
<br>
As I stated in my earlier message, it is the thinking that's important
to capture. It is the capture of that thinking that is difficult and
the most recommended method from my reading on this is to get it in a
form you can see. There have been a number of tools developed to help
this process eg the POOCH, mind maps, fishbones, etc. However, as you
rightly point out, not all students are comfortable with pictures
(although the experts say the brain thinks in pictures). This is
different from diagrams which all our students should be able to
create, comprehend, interpret, and analyse (eg network diagrams,
structure charts, graphs). But getting back to thinking. The advantage
of recording thinking strategies on computer include:<br>
a. use of color to highlight elements, significant decisions,
questions, similarities, differences, etc<br>
b. ease of use of erasing and redrawing, moving items <br>
c. ease of saving for later retrieval<br>
d. availability of online tools for assisting thinking strategies<br>
e. collaborative thinking (not for this SAC though).<br>
<br>
Now, as to the idea that visualising thinking (VT) means only using
pictures. Where did that come from?<br>
The study design states<br>
"Students can use any appropriate software when retracing and analysing
the decisions made<br>
and actions taken when problem-solving "(p.31)<br>
The relevant key knowledge point is:<br>
"techniques for visually representing the decisions to be made and
actions taken when problemsolving" (p.32)<br>
and the relevant key skill is:<br>
"record visually the decisions made and actions taken when
problem-solving;"(p32)<br>
<br>
And in the Handbook it is described as<br>
<p class="NormalBullet"><span lang="EN-US">"A visual
representation that retraces the decisions made and actions taken when
problem-solving, and evaluates the effectiveness of these
strategies."(p.28)<br>
and advice to teachers about designing the task is:<br>
"Teachers should
develop an assessment task that allows the student to:<br>
apply appropriate software
capabilities to create<b> linguistic and non-linguistic representations</b>,
such as
graphic organisers, flow charts, information and communications
technology
generated simulations to help structure and reflect on their thinking
processes
when solving information problems."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 7pt;">People have assumed that
recording visually means making images but it is clear that linguistic
(ie words) representations are acceptable. Visualising thinking means
"seeing what you are thinking". That is why a database and spreadsheet
enable visualising thinking - you can see the effects of your thinking
as in a DB query or spreadsheet What if... statements. VT is also
making a robot and observing how its behaviour changes when you alter
the control program. A good way to capture this would be to video it.<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 7pt;">I would expect that in a
couple of years time our students will be using more non-linguistic
representations as they are usually more efficient at conveying
information but VT is new for our students this year so I'm expecting
mine to use a mix of linguistic and non-linguistic representations.<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 7pt;">I guess what I'm saying
is that people should not stress over this. Have fun with it. My
students and I are.<br>
<br>
</p>
Charmaine Taylor<br>
Sunbury Downs College<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Russell Edwards wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid41A6ABED-4FD1-4E7A-9D50-42CF46FD0068@edumail.vic.gov.au">So
Charmaine, you are saying plain text (in point or prose form) is a
perfectly acceptable form of "visualising thinking"? For VCE IT
specifically? Using software tools (notepad)? Paula?
<br>
<br>
Russell
<br>
<br>
P.S. As I stated below, I agree it belongs in every curriculum,
however it should be unobtrusive, and less presecriptive about the
tools that are used in reflection. It's the reflection and "higher-
order, critical thinking" that's important, not how a particular
student chooses to reach that point. Surely if we wish to be
"pioneers" we should be following the vogue of learning styles and
multiple intelligences to support students for whom these tools don't
gel. Sure, offer them a range of tools during class time but don't
mandate which ones are to be used in assessment.
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 02/08/2007, at 11:57 PM, Charmaine Taylor wrote:
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Hi Russell,
<br>
"Does it belong in the IT curriculum?" It belongs in every curriculum.
As usual IT is leading the way in curriculum development in this state
and we IT teachers are the pioneers "bravely going where no-one has
gone before" . You even say you make notes to 'sift and sort' your
thoughts. This is visualising thinking - putting it on paper or on
screen so you can see what you are thinking. It is often difficult to
put ideas into words and explain relationships succinctly and this is
where the graphic organisers can come in handy. But they are not the
only forms of VT. David Jonassen, one of the gurus, calls them
Mindtools (borrowed it from Papert?) and he identifies several
categories including: databases, spreadsheets, concept maps, computer
conferencing, hypermedia, microworlds, etc ie any tool that can
<br>
"engage learners in constructive, higher-order, critical thinking
about the subjects they are studying".
<br>
<br>
Charmaine Taylor
<br>
Sunbury Downs College
<br>
<br>
Russell Edwards wrote:
<br>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
On 02/08/2007, at 9:49 PM, Charmaine Taylor wrote:
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite"> The idea students should understand is
that by keeping a visual record of your thinking strategies you can
better reflect on how you came up with an idea, why you accepted or
rejected it and can make a judgement about the value of that
strategy. Why? Because humans forget and if its recorded on paper or
electronically we can retrieve it.
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
I can agree with this, and you and Paula are certainly correct that
reflection is an extremely important trait. I can see that using some
of these ICT VT tools could certainly help stimulate reflection in
unreflective students. However, I just don't see that many people
would use them on an ongoing basis. Once reflection is initiated, do
the tools remain (*essentially*) useful (for *everyone*)? It is hard
to say since the only mind I truly know is my own. I think I am
highly reflective, yet I mainly do this exclusively mentally. If I do
set something down, it will be in the form of textual notes, mainly
to compensate for a poor memory but also sometimes to sift and sort
my thoughts. Should students like me flunk because they don't think
in fishbones?
<br>
<br>
Yes, reflection is a skill to be highly valued, but (a) does it
belong specifically in an IT curriculum? (b) yes, VT tools may be
useful for stimulating reflection, but should they be expected to be
used (by *all* students) once reflective habits are initiated?, and
(c, related) should a particular framework for reflection
(specifically visual, specifically using software tools) be mandated
for _assessment_ purposes?
<br>
<br>
I would answer (a) no, it belongs in VELS ICT interdisciplinary
strands and could also be woven in a minor, nonprescriptive way into
every VCE subject, (b) unless I am completely unique (doubtful!!),
no! (c) no! assess the skill, not the conformity of learning/thinking
style. Ultimately, to be useful, reflection should be distilled down
in to a logical set of statements that could be expressed in English
prose. IMO this should be the assessable form. Whether VT tools are
used to arrive at that point or not should be up to the student.
<br>
<br>
JMO
<br>
Russell
<br>
Whittlesea SC
<br>
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