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Summarises research findings into small regular posts. Useful for keeping up to date, but perhaps also as a starter activity?

TAHOE-TRUCKEE, Calif. - There is a swirl of attention being paid to rapidly evolving technology and its role in early education. Research continues to bear out that young children

This is from a modern theorist referenced in the Australian Curriculum. I have not finished the article yet but sharing as it has some great information for assignment 1

Thanks for sharing the resource. It clarifies key stakeholders' perspectives regarding ICT skills and the (in-)assessability of such through current testing options. Although Dede expresses cautious cynicism over the self serving nature behind each stakeholder contribution, it does indicate shared emphasis upon the importance of ICTs for the development of transferrable life skills which are reflected in the Australian Curriculum's General Capabilities. As with anything in the curriculum, interpretation of how these capabilities should be taught and assessed is subjective. Be it an impossible task or not, the key edict seems to be that educators are to provide integrated ICT/core content learning episodes that allow learners to develop universally current skills in personally authentic contexts but to also alert the learner to the transferable use of such skills for a global context.

Overview of a longer PDF "Guide to Digital Games and Learning" that provides a good starting point if you're thinking of incorporating games into your learning and teaching

Research article comparing two experienced Geography teachers use of PCK. The article argues Geography teachers need extensive content knowledge, understand how knowledge is constructed and in particular that teachers need to address students preconceptions and incorporate them into teaching and learning.

Journal paper that talks about a particular use of ICT in learning. May be referenced a bit in the week 2 learning path to touch on "why" ICT is used with pedagogy. *Abstract* Slowmation is a twenty-first century digital literacy educational tool. This teaching and learning tool has been incorporated as an assessment strategy in the curriculum area of science and mathematics with pre-service teachers (PSTs). This paper explores two themes: developing twenty-first century digital literacy skills and modelling best practice assessment tools. In the growing debate about the impact of multi-model representations, researchers such as Hoban and Nielsen, and Brown, Murcia and Hackling emphasise the development of conceptual understandings and semiotics. This paper focuses on PSTs' experiences of and reflections on Slowmation as an educational tool. Data was collected from a cohort of final year PSTs who created, presented and reflected on their Slowmation process.

Introduces the idea of conceptual change in the context of science. During week 1 of EDC3100 we will be looking at conceptual change as it applies to learning how to use an ICT.

Article describing research about student weakness in Science and its causes. Used as an optional reading during Week 1.

this person has an enormous amount of insight, research, and range of resources that are astounding!

Article describing games and virtual worlds and their application to learning and teaching.

Hi All, I found this article to be very pertinent to this weeks content in EDC3100. I hope some of you can benefit as well: ABSTRACT (Copied from Sciencedirect) Technology integration in K-12 classrooms is usually overly teacher-centered and has insufficient impact on students' learning, especially in enhancing students' higher-order cognitive skills. The purpose of this project is to facilitate science teachers' use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as cognitive tools to shift their practices from traditional teacher-centered methods to constructivist, student-centered ones. This paper describes the outcomes and lessons learned from an application of design-based research (DBR) in the implementation and refinement of a teacher professional development (PD) program that is a key component of the overall project. This DBR study involved 25 middle-school science teachers from 24 schools whose implementation of cognitive tools with their students in science classrooms and virtually through a social networking site were observed over four years. A mixed-methodology was utilized to examine the impact of the cognitive tools intervention on teachers' classroom practices and students' development of new literacy skills. Identifying reusable design principles related to technology integration was another focus of the DBR study. The results revealed teachers' positive changes in their classroom practices by gradually allowing students to take control over the use of technology, and positive impact on students' ICT skills and science learning. Design principles for future professional development programs aimed at preparing teachers to adopt a cognitive tools approach are described.

Tecnology doing great things in autism!!

Isn't it incredible what technology is doing for people with autism! Imagine what it would have been like for them 50years ago? 20 years ago? Even ten years ago!!! This knowledge is so crucial as a special needs teacher, there could be nonverbal students in the class who have deeper communication desires and intellectual abilities than we realise! This opens so many doors and opportunities for them, allowing them to participate in class, make learning their own, to engage in conversations and learn in a whole new way!! What a really useful tool that could be so easily incporporated in a classroom. Ipads now have apps that make this kind of technology really really accessible! http://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-apps

Currently using this for my blog and wanted to bookmark it. Interesting reading!

There is a fair bit of argument about the relative merits of Direct Instruction versus Discovery Learning. This article makes the point that depending on the learning outcome and the specific details of the learning approach used that either approach can have its sweet spot.

Blog post reflecting on the comparison between teacher as sage, guide and meddler. Some interesting things to say how we teach.  Will use in lecturer 1 2013 (I think). Also has some interesting references on the benefits of video.

A bit more information about Innovation #96 from the Decoding Learning innovation list. Using a Wii controller to help primary school kids develop an understand of proportion. Found a video that shows it in action.

Comparing Computer based learning needs of Primary and Early Years.

Joanne Dwyer (2004) writes that some schools seem to give its students in the upper primary years priority over students in the early school years resulting in a reduced potential for learning with computer based technologies in the school environment. She expresses the concern that for equitability all students regardless of age or learning needs should be given maximum support and access to computer-based learning environments. This is obviously an issue that needs to be addressed as we intergrate ICT in to the curriculum. Nice read Kate. Thanks.

Unfortunately early years education often takes a back burner to higher levels of primary education across a range of areas and especially with regard to ICT. I am not sure whether it is a lack of understanding of the importance of early childhood education or just battling to get resources. Even with all of the research about the advantages of good quality early childhood education many still see these years as not containing any 'real' learning, just play. If young learners are viewed as 'just playing' then why would people use ICT budgets on them? As early years teachers one of our biggest battles will be to fight for recognition of early childhood education and the resources to support it.

2016 article looking at screen-time and how much is too much. Picks up on moves to change recommendations, but includes discussion of problems and strategies.

About screen times