The Virtual Classroom

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The purpose of this report was to examine the benefits of using online learning and how it affected learning in the classroom. Research for this report included a review of literature provided by the school and interviews with the student, teacher principle and parents. The major findings indicate that the benefits with using online learning within the class room offers many skills that will help them in the future , gain academic opportunities , enhance their social skills, and be more self-directed in their own learning .

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Online learning gives the student many education sources and each student can benefit from this learning at individual levels. Issues were raised by parents regarding too much online learning may be detrimental to the student’s . This report recommends that a reflective diary to be kept by the student to gain insight into their learning and communicate. The school should offer sit in days for parents to come to sit in the class rooms to see the interaction and how effective it is.

Involvement of parent, teacher, and student offer an internet free day and focus on handwriting legibility, grammar and interacting amount the children. O keep parent sup to date offer a regular meeting to address their concerns.

Introduction

In this report it has been identified that the teaching method was questioned in relation to using online education within the classroom. This report supports the teacher within the educator role that the virtual classroom makes the students become more academic and gives them many opportunities within their education.

The evidence supports the benefits from online learning and recognises each student learns a their own pace. The online leaning allows self-pace learning through gaining access to these social media sites even when the classroom has finished . The students are happy to engage and participate within the new technology offered and have stated they are gaining more from this than previous methods. The virtual classroom is a reality and is the way the education system is heading but the content will remain the same.

Issues were raised from a parent but they have been addressed and recommendations have been made. Analysis The virtual classroom: Students perspective Students: The use of modern technology improves student’s ability to problem many source being available solves, due to within the virtual classroom. Laptops, ipads, and smartphones, has increased students spelling, vocabulary and give them the opportunity to seek information faster, this teaches the student that if you make a mistake you can find out were went wrong and gain research problem solving skills.

Collaboration is used more through online learning and discussion boards and more students participate in these areas due to being able to communicate without being judged or criticised. The whiteboard within the classroom is still used for problematic subject that require them write. Textbook’s are also are being used but they encourage the use the virtual books. The exposure gives students broad understanding of different resources available . This prepares the student for the outside world when they enter high school or university.

Majority of students are happy with the new changes and are excited to learn and prefer the online to the previous methods’. Students are giving homework and they can access this from the virtual classroom, at any time and gain academic social skills from collaboration and communication with peers outside school hours. The students were all happy with the way the teacher had taught the classroom and all enjoyed the online learning experience’s and were seeking more . (Sally, student, 2012 role play 2nd April).

Academic Advantages of online learning within the classroom: Teacher: The students are learning to question each other in an academic forum, to share ideas and to co-operate with each other. Teaching over the years it has become more evident that students all learn at different levels and it is the role of the teacher to review each student individually and set tasks specific to each student’s needs. The students have voice there opinions’ and are informing the teacher of new technology and by our virtual classroom this enhances the student’s curiosity within the social media and social networks available in a controlled environment.

Children are indeed living in the age of technology. (Mr Smith, Teacher2nd April 2012). The bureau of statistics has done the research and has found that nearly 4/5 households in Australia had a home computer. This statistic is evidence to show that the use of computer is vast and wide spreads within our own homes not just In the classrooms. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2010) Blakey & Spence, quote Student’s become active participants in their own education, to use processes of metacognition to maximise their study effectiveness.

It has been proven that by giving students ownership in their learning it enhances their academic skill to strive to do well at school. The teacher’s style of education by using the virtual classroom has been stated that it provides students with the skills that they can use to excel in the current world and technological environment, it also suggest that this is the preferred method rather then teaching them skills and practices that are fast becoming obsolete.

(Stuart-Kotze, 2012) As a teacher in this information age, I feel it necessary that children should be offered and provided with an environment where these skills are respected and nurtured. Learning is a lifelong process that enables individuals to advance successfully through societal channels and gives them the opportunity to choose which area of professional expertise they feel they would excel in.

The use of computers has excelled the class participation and it has been research that over a period of ten years that the education qualification rose from 50% to 63% and continues. (Australian bureau of statistics 2012). Principle: The concerns voiced from all parties involved have been taken into consideration The teachers use set strict education guidelines regarding education and the content that is to be used within the class room. The virtual class room is the new teaching method and it has much evidence to support that it is the best choice for the students.

The rapid pace of today’s society and the constant change within the education system the best advantages children could have is to continue down the virtual class room and embrace the social network and social media resources available to them . The education system has always remained the same it has now moved into the 21st century and has upgraded the way our schools learn. We all learn in different ways the social network caters for all types of learning.

This then is ensuring that the information given to the student is understood . And if they don’t understand it they are offered other source that they are able to acknowledge . (Mrs Hennery, 2nd April 2012). The research from national academies press 2011 states that within the class rooms of virtual learning has had a increase in visualize processes an example of this is a student that is having trouble grasping the theory behind electron can now visualize the flow of an electron or the construction of a city.

This can help stimulate and get the student to have higher-order thinking skills, such as collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. In Hong Kong a study was done, it suggest that students that are using the social networks it enhances their learning and makes, them more academic by creating opportunities for future learning such as university. (Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations,) Virtual school are growing worldwide from kindergarten to university .

There was a study that students that were using social network performed better than their face-to- face. (Department of Education Journal in 2009)Whilst learning their subjects they are also learning other skills such as working as a team and the use of technology. Also ensuring that the students work together as a team on exercises also teaches them how to respond to each other’s opinions and makes sure everyone is involved. From the feedback I have received the students are excited to learn. Issues raised from concerned parents

The majority of parents raised the same concerns regarding the method of teaching that has been used in the classroom . The following are the concerns that the parents had regarding their child’s education. -The use of technology is unacceptable within the classroom, and would like more traditional method to be used. -The lack of cognitive skills sued within their age group such as conversation face to face the use of paper and pen for academic writing skills -Not appropriate for the age group and have plenty of time in the future for technology.

-Thinking skills not using inevitable exposure may cause harm concerns with problem solving skills. Conclusion Online learning has become a new way of delivering the education content within the classroom. The Technology of today in regards to education it offers many benefits to the student. It is evident that the students are more adoptable to this new type of education majority of students prefer online learning and found the benefits made them more academic with their

Learning

The education system has stayed the same and teachers are using the online learning to their best to enhance their student’s learning by offering many resources, thus gaining better life skills for their future. Collaboration social skills are gained from using social media within the virtual classroom and this interaction aids student in self-paced learning in many ways by having access to these resources anytime. There were some issues that were raised and recommendations have been made. The new virtual classroom is the new error of the classroom and most students prefer this method of teaching.

Recommendations

After analysing all the information in the following report my recommendations are as follows 1. Creates a student reflection diary for parents and teachers to comment on weekly, to see how students are coping weekly . this also will aid in handwriting and grammar skills. 2. Allow parents to sit in class so they can see how the internet, social networks it works well within the classroom setting. 3. Offer education opportunities to children are struggling in certain areas and offer them curriculum that will enhance the skills academically. 4.

Offer an internet free day once a week / fortnight including parents , student and al faculty members in favour to have an internet free day to work on their handwriting skills and to gain more life experience skills. 5. Provide a site that parents can access their children work or offer regular meetings to get guidance and concerns from parents, and try to accommodate their concerns. 6. Provide education within the classroom that offers the internet and hands on. In order to provide the best possible outcome for the student in the future ability to learn

References.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2010, Measures of Australia’s Progress, viewed 3 April 2012, http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/abs@. nsf/Lookup/by%20subject/1370. 0 (Blakey, E. , & Spence, S. , (1990), Developing metacognition. ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources Syracuse NY, Retrieved from http://www. ericdigests. org/pre-9218/developing. htm (MIT, 2009; National Academies Press 2011). (Department of Education Journal in 2009). (Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, Australian Bureau of Statistics, http://www. abs. gov. au/, reviewed Thursday, 5th April 2012.