The classroom walls have been up for long. They have been up with those who support the walls in position sticking to the traditional way of teaching and not embracing new trends in educational technologies which would have otherwise opened up learners to beyond the classroom. In attempt to integrate technology into the teaching learning process, attempts have been made in using old things in old ways (dedicated technology venues) where specific areas referred to as learning labs, collaboration rooms or media labs are used; use of old things in new ways were one device is used to facilitate technology integration in the classroom; use of new things and old ways which integrates technology using mobile devices; and finally the new things in new ways which monitors trends of different technologies and their applicability in the context we are addressing.
My case was a mix of the traditional four walls and the use of dedicated technology venues with a slight bias towards the four walls. I had not considered the other modes but I now - not only see ways in which I can use the current dedicated technology venues more effectively - but also now have wider range of mechanisms to select from. In using dedicated labs, we can come up with creative ways of making more use of the few available pcs, laptops or any other devices by using wiki pages, assigning tasks - both on stationary and mobile devices etc.
Using one device to facilitate learning may be done using an iPad, or an Interactive White Board. The board has a number of functions which can help to meet curriculum objectives and enhance understanding of concepts, I see a number of creative ways of using this new technology in my classroom. e.g. having to share an iPad and making the kids open up different accounts using dropbox, for example, to share documents; using Interactive White Boards to enable whole classrooms to video conference or an iPad to do the same. I consider the one device approach as a very cost effective means of employing technology in the classrooms though it has its limitations.
The opportunities that mobile devices provide as an alternative to learning using technology are also many. Our stand here is that phones with learners are illegal in most of our schools - a by-law emphasized by the police, parents and school administration - and therefore considering as an option to integrate technology in the teaching learning process can be controversial. I do not think it will be of much help although it could be important for: personalised learning experiences, flexible learning, 21st century social interaction skills etc.
As far as emerging trends are concerned, in order to answer the question "How do we improve the contemporary in thing of reflective practice in a digitally enhanced learning space?", one needs to understand the tools and software that can be used in the learning situation. Reflective practice is not a new idea, in fact reflection is encouraged in most professional fields and is a habit that students should be developing as part of their wider digital capabilities. I would like to say that a mind of flexibility is one that we highly need to be most effective in managing learning spaces.
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