Assignment One

Okay an aspect has been chosen - e-learning in the early school years (namely year 1 and 2). Tentatively titled: E-learning in the first year of school - enrichment or entertainment.'

I'd like to look at how e-learning can assist in building children's literacy and numeracy skills. Ideally I love the children using the computer within the classroom and the two computers I have hum away all day with all the children getting at least 30-40 minutes each a week working individually on numeracy and literacy activities. I always worry about avoiding "playing" and try to aim for "learning" or "practising new skills". Not always easy to achieve!

Some key words searched are : computer assisted learning, e-learning, early childhood, literacy and technology... and more to try. Many thanks to Kirsty and her helpful library search notes. If only I had known in my earlier papers about logging into the library and search multiple databases!

I've thought about some definitions I'll need to include ie literacy, e-learning, computer assisted learning, multi-literacies... I'm sure this list will be added to. The main problem has been finding articles and readings specifically related to the first two years of primary school - there is a lot of information on older children (8 years and upward), and early childhood, but not much in the middle.

The search continues!

Campbell Reading

Am a little bemused by the reading by Nola Campbell (2004) "The Vintage Years of e-learning in New Zealand Schools." While it is an interesting history of e-learning, it appears to have an emphasis on e-mail and electronic communication and how schools could use this in their classrooms. It does however demonstrate though, that with the use of the term e-learning by Nola in 2004, how advanced she was in the use of computers and internet within the realm of education.

I was lucky enough to work with Nola in 1999, 2000 in the University of Waikato Professional Studies Department and remember talking to her then about 'online learning'.

I did like the idea that the introduction of email and the internet did (and still does) give children an opportunity to be part of a global community and Campbell also comments that "a teacher who was prepared to fill the role of the facilitator and was not afraid of change would find [electronic mail] a powerful tool." This links back to the EDPROFST 714 discussion started by Pomate regarding "No man is an island" and the need for teachers to work alongside or learn from students, rather than direct the learning (Westerland, 2010).

From this article, I think a further investigation and clarification into what e-learning is (in general and to me) is in order.