Mobile Phone Wiki Reflection

The wiki activity was a constructivism approach to learning about mobile phones in the classrooms.  Peoples personal experiences and perceptions would influence their input in the activity.  Each hat allowed you to build on your thinking and learning, and add to the knowledge as you put each hat on.  The blue hat (process) and the green hat (creativity) also had elements of the connectivism approach to learning as the opportunity to acquire further information was open.

I love de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats.

This graphic organiser is a great way to take an objective and balanced look at an issue.  I have used this method, or something similar at least, in the past within my employment in business.  It allows you, and sometimes forces you, to consider a lot of different things which you may not have thought of, or been influenced by predetermined factors, opinions or judgements.  As was evidenced in my group, sometimes people’s preconceived opinions and beliefs can get in the way of the discussion.  It can be difficult to think with just one hat on at one time.  By putting on one hat at the time you are able to focus your thoughts on each step of the process so that the knowledge can build up to a useful outcome.

I did find it difficult to use the technology because I have no previous knowledge with Wikis and twice I lost all the information so had to cancel and start again.  I also had difficulty with my internet connection, again.  These technical difficulties are something that should improve over time and would not have been an issue if I wasn’t conducting the whole activity online.  Doing the activity online also meant that only one person at a time could contribute.  Others had already made points I would have made, and I think is restricts the subsequent discussion, and knowledge building, that would occur in a face to face session.  As there were not guidelines as to how the wiki was to be developed, it meant that I followed the pack, so to speak, on the way it was conducted.  I suppose this freedom therefore doesn’t put any constraints on the thinking.

I think that mobile phones could have a useful role in the teaching of content to a learner, in the right set of circumstances.  However, the mobile phone is not a technology that I would consider first to deliver a lesson to students in the classroom.  This opinion is based on my knowledge up to this point, and there were no persuasive arguments with the activity to change my opinion at this point.  There is just so much available technology out there these days, it is all a bit overwhelming where to start sometimes.