'Graduate teachers are beginning their teaching career in NSW. They have undertaken an approved program of teacher preparation and possess the requisite knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to plan for and manage successful learning.
These teachers are equipped to engage in and negotiate a process of ongoing professional learning. They identify their development needs and seek advice and support from colleagues. They have high expectations both of themselves as professional learners and for the learning of their students. Their commitment to students and student learning is reflected in their desire to support students’ achievement of the highest possible education outcomes.
They have the commitment, enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to assume a professional role within schools and their broader communities and to contribute to the operations of a school as a whole.'
http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/Main-Professional-Teaching-Standards.html
It's an easy way to receive the media you want to your personal computer or portable device, automatically.Based on these results, I concluded that my learning styles are mainly prevalent in the INTERACTIVE domain, as indicated by Gardner.
Multiple Intelligences
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/using_standards.pdf
One of the blogs we looked at as an example was Stephen Downes. He is apparently an innovator in online education on blogs. His blog wasn't a great example, as it lacked comments and some of the links are now dead. However he did identify some characteristics of a good blog.
Furthermore, other characteristics that we discussed that make a good blog are:
It is important that your blog is active and dynamic, and is in a constant state of development.
Just a fun cartoon about learning styles :-)
http://www.eep-edu.org/InnService/Innovation_Profile/InnProf089.htm
This is an article about how ICT can enable and encourage different learning styles.
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/learning/personalised/multiple.mspx
I found this website, and it details the different multiple intelligences, what is involved and different computer programs which encourages the development of each of these learning styles. While it is quite specfic, with the programs being microsoft only, it gives a fair idea of how different ICT programs can help encourage learning styles.
ICT can be used to integrate speaking, listening, reading and writing. It enhances interactive teaching and learning styles. It also extends pupils' ability to exercise choice, work independently and make connections between their work in English and in other subjects.
For example, ICT can help pupils:
- use a wide range of strategies to explore contrasts, comparisons and connections dynamically
annotate text in innovative ways
- enrich or broaden the context of literary study
- see texts in alternative versions
- use a wide range of analytical and critical techniques
- sort and process text and data quickly and efficiently
- order and arrange text and data experimentally, using combinations of word, image, sound and hypertext
- save, record, edit and adapt their work quickly and efficiently
- retain evidence of the editing process so that it can be examined
- change the organisational structure and qualities of texts to suit different audiences and purposes - compose multi-authored texts
- select from a wider range of audiences, throughout the world
- exercise choice of medium and design while composing
http://www.ncaction.org.uk/subjects/english/ict-lrn.htm
The information from this website outlines how ICT can help with English, which I find useful has this is my major teaching area.
Gardner's (1993) theory of multiple intelligences challenges the traditional concept that intelligence is a single, general capacity. He proposes that every person has a number of different intelligences, and that there are eight discrete, different types (see above).
ICT can help address the different learning styles identified in Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.
Analyse (summarise)
Synthesise (joining ideas together)
Evaluation
Application (applying knowledge to complex situations)
Create
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Cognitive_tool
Cognitive Tools are...
Devices that support the thinking process
Caters for different intelligences
Tools that connect existing knowledge with new knowledge
Fostering metacognition - thinking and learning strategies
" The foundation for the use of interactive learning systems as "cognitive tools" (the "with" approach) is "cognitive psychology." Computer-based cognitive tools have been intentionally adapted or developed to function as intellectual partners to enable and facilitate critical thinking and higher order learning. Examples of cognitive tools include: databases, spreadsheets, semantic networks, expert systems, communications software such as teleconferencing programs, on-line collaborative knowledge construction environments, multimedia/ hypermedia construction software, and computer programming languages. In the cognitive tools approach, interactive tools are given directly to learners to use for representing and expressing what they know (Jonassen & Reeves, 1996). Learners themselves function as designers, using software programs as tools for analyzing the world, accessing and interpreting information, organizing their personal knowledge, and representing what they know to others. "
- Reeves (1999) as cited at http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Cognitive_tool
So why use them?
- Cognitive tools will have their greatest effectiveness when they are applied within constructivist learning environments.
- Cognitive tools empower learners to design their own representations of knowledge rather than absorbing representations preconceived by others.
- Cognitive tools can be used to support the deep reflective thinking that is necessary for meaningful learning.
- Cognitive tools have two kinds of important cognitive effects, those which are with the technology in terms of intellectual partnerships and those that are of the technology in terms of the cognitive residue that remains after the tools are used.
- Cognitive tools enable mindful, challenging learning rather than the effortless learning promised but rarely realized by other instructional innovations.
- The source of the tasks or problems to which cognitive tools are applied should be learners, guided by teachers and other resources in the learning environment.
- Ideally, tasks or problems for the application of cognitive tools will be situated in realistic contexts with results that are personally meaningful for learners.
- Using multimedia construction programs as cognitive tools engages many skills in learners such as: project management skills, research skills, organization and representation skills, presentation skills, and reflection skills.
- Research concerning the effectiveness of constructivist learning environments such as microworlds, classroom-based learning environments, and virtual, collaborative environments show positive results across a wide range of indicators.
The role of the instructor-
The nature of the learning process
Expanded information for this points can be accessed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(learning_theory)
Constructivist learning is based on students' active participation in problem-solving and critical thinking regarding a learning activity which they find relevant and engaging. They are "constructing" their own knowledge by testing ideas and approaches based on their prior knowledge and experience, applying these to a new situation, and integrating the new knowledge gained with pre-existing intellectual constructs.
http://otec.uoregon.edu/learning_theory.htm#Constructivism
Jean Piaget- Marsh, Colin Becoming a Teacher - Knowledge, Skills and Issues 3rd edition pp. 17-18
CRITICAL REFLECTION
Piaget's theory was one of the first theories we studied in first year, and I think that is for good reason. I believe that the points he makes are very important. Am I teaching a student at a level above the stage they are operating at? I think it is important that as a teacher we promote ultimate learning potential for our students, and this will only happen if we present learning material when developmentally and cognitively they are ready to learn it.
As a teacher, it will become important for me to observe and listen carefully to what my students say and do in order to analyse how they think. This can be a difficult process, but it is essential in order to further develop a student's thinking. I need to be aware of thr pact of learning, as well as matching strategies to abilities. Piaget's theory has help me realise that all children develop at different speeds, and there is no one universal or uniform way to teach a lesson - I need to satisfy all the different learnign abilities in my classroom.
Lev Semenovich Vygotsky 
http://web.syr.edu/~hcavino/vygotsky.gif
The Ten Axioms of Choice Theory
1. The only person whose behavior we can control is our own.
2. All we can give another person is information.
3. All long-lasting psychological problems are relationship problems.
4. The problem relationship is always part of our present life.
5. What happened in the past has everything to do with what we are today, but we can only satisfy our basic needs right now and plan to continue satisfying them in the future.
6. We can only satisfy our needs by satisfying the pictures in our Quality World.
7. All we do is behave.
8. All behavior is Total Behavior and is made up of four components: acting, thinking, feeling and physiology.
9. All Total Behavior is chosen, but we only have direct control over the acting and thinking components. We can only control our feeling and physiology indirectly through how we choose to act and think.
10. All Total Behavior is designated by verbs and named by the part that is the most recognizable.
