MOSEP foundation module/session 2

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Mosep logo small.jpg More self-esteem with my e-portfolio: Foundation Module
Discovering the power of e-portfolio
 



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Objectives
  • to explore methods that can be used to motivate young learners.
  • to explore the potential of the ePortfolio to engage and motivate learners.
  • to discuss how an ePortfolio could be used to support young learners who might have difficulties.
  • to develop approaches to encourage young people to use modern media in their learning

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Outcomes

  • approaches/practicies of stimulating modern media usage by youngsters during the learning
  • possible approaches of encouraging young people to use ePortfolio
  • knowledge about and examples of different forms of youth web presence
  • some examples of ePortfolio usage for supporting youth with difficulties



Potential benefits of using Modern Media to support the learning of young people

Introduction to Modern media

Media may refer to various aspects, but here were are interested in it in terms of it being a communication tool, such as:

  • Recording media: Devices used to store information
  • Print media: Communications delivered via paper or canvas
  • Electronic media: Communications delivered via electronic or electromechanical energy
    • Multimedia, communications that incorporate multiple forms of information content and processing
    • Hypermedia, media with hyperlinks
    • Digital media, electronic media used to store, transmit and receive digitized information
  • New media: Media that can only be created or used with the aid of modern computer processing power

Examples of modern media

  • Personal Blogs: free expression of opinion, presentation of ideas, stimulus for update of personal blog;
  • Online discussion forum: useful for exchange of opinions, discussions on interesting topics; info about the free, easy to create online using ( PHPBB )
  • Social networks: virtual community

Advantages of modern media usage in work with young people

Modern media is useful and reliable means of providing the necessary support and assistance to young people who need to obtain information in the easiest, complete and efficient way. Some of its advantages:

  • Gives new impetus to the work- new tools, new possibilities: It is indisputable that modern media presents a wide range of new tools and opens variable possibilities with respect to the quality and quantity of work carried out. It does not refer only to communicative/mobile media (Mobile phones, Pocket PC, wireless devices), but also to the usage of multimedia storage utilities, as well as interactive media.
  • To enlarge the target audience: The Internet enables the participation of learners from outside - other schools, classes, countries and so on.
  • To make the storage and retrieving more efficient and thus to facilitate the learning process: Among the advantages of modern media means is their very substantial role in the process of facilitating the communication. Also, they increase the efficiency of storage and retrieving of information – quality that cannot be underestimated.
  • To open new dimensions, to connect the realities: Modern media provides for a better interconnection and dimensions of the communication. It provides for a favorable environment where disadvantaged manage to overcome the obstacles that distinguish them from the others.


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Activity
Modern media usage by young learners

Explore some basic information about modern media and young people:





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Activity
Using different Types of modern media with learners

Discussion: your experiences of using different types of modern media with learners

  • List the Types of modern media and note what you used them for;
  • Share your experiences of using different Types of modern media in different learning situations - did the media engage or motivate the learners?;
  • highlight the advantages and disadvantages of using modern media with young learners
    • cost of the resource
    • potential to engage - graphics, multimedia, 'games style' interface, reduced demands on text based skills etc
    • ease of capturing and presenting video and audio evidence - an attractive alternative to writing about it
    • potentuial to distract the learner
    • management within the classroom/learning environment - increased demand for technical support, more to go wrong
    • privacy and copyright issues
  • compare different modern media resources with traditional media -
    • is it easier to use traditional media?
    • hypertext with the normal text - ability to link internally - externally (internet)
    • digital video with normal video - ease of editing - possibility of storing on a range of common devices (mobile phone, iPod, computer, USB etc)




Possible benefits of using ePortfolios

The benefits from using ePortfolio are:

  • Supporting coherent management of a variety of achievements and pieces of work.
  • Helping learners take control of their learning and their lives, by reflecting on their activities and planning future directions;
  • Providing a learner-centred rather than course-centred view of learning;
  • Giving appropriate views of achievement and learners’ work to appropriate people, for example, the learner, teachers, mentors, careers advisers, potential employers, educational institutions to whom the learner is applying;
  • Supporting “just in time” learning – which type of learning is needed at this moment in time;


At the same time, it is very important that students are motivated to use ePortfolio. Motivation for use often requires a strong element of ‘what is in it for me?”

  • Identifying added-value in use of the e-portfolio will increase the likelihood of student engagement.
  • You should use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a reaming environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.



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Activity
How to motivate young people to use ePortfolio

Task 1 Brainstorm/Discussion (face-to-face or online- blogs, discussion fora etc.)

  • Do you know what young people know about ePortfolio?
  • Do you know if your students understand ePortfolio basics and ePortfolio advantages?
  • What kind of tools your students are ususally using to develop their online or off-line presence?
  • Do they have difficulties in terms of access or in terms of technologies?

Task 2 How to prepare show-case of ePortfolio importance (visual presentation)

  • Show students the advantages of ePortfolio
  • Give them concrete examples of ePortfolio usage- for career development, for communication, for reflection and assessment etc.
  • Give them examples of tools (open source, unexpenssive) for ePortfolio development.

Task 3 Confidence building (ePortfolio presentation + discussion)

  • Ask someone to present his/her ePortfolio in front of the others.
  • Ask him/her to explain the difficulties and fears faced during the development.
  • Encourage the audience to discuss their fears and doubts about ePortfolio.



Support of young learners with difficulties

Learners with difficulties:

What we understand by Young learners with difficulties:

  • The learner may be unskilled and inexperienced in showing empathy, developing rapport, and relating to people as patients
  • The learner may learn comparatively slowly
  • The learner may have adequate knowledge but be technically relatively unskilled
  • The learner may be insecure – demonstrating too much overconfidence, disorganization, dependence;
  • Less commonly, the learner may be impaired by mental illness

How learners with difficulties profit from use of ePortfolio:

ePortfolio is a means of providing disadvantaged youth with the information needed in order to overcome and cope with the obstacles and difficulties they constantly confront.

By using ePortfolio they can:

  • For impaired/ disabled learners: By means of ePortfolio they will have equal representation in the virtual society/space;
  • For those learning comparatively slowly: They will have much more time (due to the flexible time frame – he/she could work from home, at every time) to implement their ePortfolio in comparison with the other learners



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Activity
Using ePortfolio for identification of youth with difficulties

Task 1 Brainstorm/Discussion (face-to-face or online- blogs, discussion fora etc.):

  • What kind of difficulties your students experience?
  • What are the consequences of these difficulties and how usually identity them?

Task 2 How to identity the difficulties of your students via ePortfolio (show-case)

  • Explore ePortfolio of students with difficulties (via net or among your group).
  • Try to explain/identify how the elements of ePortfolio express those difficulties.





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Resources

  • Modern media usage in youth work - Presentation
  • Youtube: resources with advantages of modern media usage: - Videos from the MediaSnackers Youth Professionals Training: 15-16/02/07;
  • Examples of Activities for students: ice breakers and warm-ups for more self confidence

1. Give student very difficult task and short time: Paper - scissiors - let them make envelopes or boxes. Students feel creative and motivated;

2. Take an example of an artifact (pupils drawing eg but from the outside the classroom) and discuss why it is suitable for ePortfolilo purposes.

3. Talk about the activity casually over time

4. Work in pairs. Interview the colleague for 5 min to learn as much as possible about his/ her skills, abilities, interests. Then introduce this person to other participants by describing his/her abilities to the audience/classroom. Change roles.

5. Coffee task: piece of paper for each participant - each person from a group leaves a very nice comment (sugarcube) on the cup drawn on this paper.

6. Web search. Find an example of good and/or very bad web page - convince the audience why it's good/bad. Exibition and voting with stickers. Verbalize the ideas plus comments

7. Comment on the blog entry of your peer/ other teacher participant. Be nice, write something special, write a nice comment. Then discuss it with class.

  • How to give/assign the students some tasks based on modern media usage?

One way could be to split students in small groups (3-4) and distribute concrete tasks:

  • Group 1: Blogs exploration
  • Group 2: Creation of personal blogs
  • How to create online discussion forum - (http://www.phpbb.com) - Resources



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Case Study

Using an e-portfolio to support learner progression into Higher Education [1]



Pre-knowledge

  • Being acquainted with the Overview and Introduction Session of the Foundation Module
  • Experience with working with young learners, including such experiencing difficulties;
  • For some tasks: students required to have already ePortfolio


Follow ups, related/connected topics

  • Session 3
  • Session 4