 Objectives
- to explore methods that can be used to motivate young learners.
- to
explore the potential of the e-portfolio to engage and motivate
learners.
- to discuss how an e-portfolio 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
After this session the participants should have:
- approaches/practices
of stimulating modern media usage by youngsters during
the learning
- possible approaches of encouraging young people
to use
e-portfolio
- knowledge about and examples of different
forms of youth web presence
- some examples of e-portfolio
usage for supporting youths with difficulties
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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
o Multimedia, communications that incorporate multiple forms of information
content and processing
o Hypermedia, media with hyperlinks
o 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.
 Activity
Discuss with your students and/or colleagues the following
questions:
- Do you know what types of modern media your students
use out of school for entertainment and to communication
with others?
- 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,
e.g. cost of the
resource, potential to engage, privacy and copyright
issues.
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Online reputation
"
Online reputation is similar to the conventional concept of reputation
(opinion of the others towards a person), but in cyberspace".
read more from the source: Wikipedia - Online reputation .
Online repuration
can enhance youngster's participation and has a number of advantages:
- motivates youngster to enhance their online presence - peers,
tutors may access
easily personal web page, blog, etc
- motivates youngster to use different
moder media tools;
- stimulates youngster's self-esteem;
Activity
- Watch and/or read the following resources:
- Present and
discuss good practices of how motivating modern media
usage can be for young learners,
- and how online presence
could contribute to different situations, e.g. job application,
communication.
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Activity
- Divide the group in pairs.
- Advise how each of the pair
could explore the partner online presence (existing pages,
links etc. via search machines).
- Advise the students to
prepare outline (presentation) of the partner using the
retrieved info from the web space.
- Organize presentation and
discussion.
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Possible benefits of using e-portfolios
The benefits from using
e-portfolios 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.
Activity
- Prepare a short presentation
- Show students the advantages
of ePortfolio
- Give them concrete examples of ePortfolio
usage- for career development, for communication, for reflection
and
assessment etc.
- Ask someone to present his/her ePortfolio
and how (s)he profited by the development of his/her portfolio.
To
introduce young learners to new learning strategies is always
a challenge. To introduce the ePortfolio process into your
schools or training establishments will present you with many
challenges. We will explore strategies that you might use to
address these challenges and that might help to motivate and
engage your learners.
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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 e-portfolio:
e-portfolio 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 e-portfolio they can:
- to give a group of young learners with
demotivating learning experiences a complete new approach to learn;
- with
that new, positive learning experiences;
- a focus on the learner's
interest and competence;
- additionally the usage of the computer and
the Internet is motivating;
- and leads to a "equal" representation
in the virtual community/ the Internet that a learner can be proud
of.
Activity
Discuss with your colleagues, what kind of difficulties
your students experience have and how you should organise and
implement the e-portfolio work to get optimal results and learning
effects.
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 Prerequisite
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
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Session
2: 
