This week we were require to explore the digital tools Images, Podcasts and Digital video.  I have completed a PMI digital tools.

IMAGES

I have always enjoyed taking photos and emailing them to family and friends to keep them updated.  So I have had some experience with the use of this digital tool.  Uploading and embedding images is somewhat new to me, however I found it quite easy to do.

Using images in the classroom is something that I had not considered before.   I can see how this can create an open ended discussion.  As you can only see a single image, it is not known what the complete picture represents and it is up to the imagination and interpretation of the learner.  As all students learn and think differently it is easily seen how individuals can come up with different ideas.

I could see myself using images in a biology class, where I would present an image of an aquatic landscape.  From this I could brainstorm ideas to see what the interpretation of that landscape is.  For example a polluted creek, erosion, is it man made or perhaps a result of some natural disaster, appearances of vegetation and wildlife.  It would be great to see what the students know and what they don't know, whilst engaging them and having them think like a scientist.  After brainstorming I could then inform the class on the real outcome and gauge their reaction- how close were they.

PODCASTS

Before exploring this tool I had only ever heard of the term podcast.  I had no idea what it was or where to find it let alone how to create one.  I did find it relatively easy to do once I got the program to work for me.  I can see that advantages to it, especially since you can subscribe to the podcasts on itunes.  I like that you are able to record vocal information at any given time and add images later.

This is a really creative and fun way for students to present their work.  For instance an application of a podcast could be during a field trip.  Students could record their vocals whilst they are actually on the site, what they see at that point in time.  Whilst creating their podcast they can add in any images they have taken on the field trip that will give more of a complete picture of what they have seen on the field trip.  This is then able to be shared with other students. 

DIGITAL VIDEO

I have taken lots of video footage of my children over the years, I have never downloaded that footage before, it was all sitting on my camcorder.  I did have a few problems creating a movie, mainly due to formatting-I think.  Once I found a way around these problems I had a lot of fun.  I experimented with a few formatting tools to make my creation look more professional.  I found uploading my movie pretty easy.
 
I have noticed in my ICT course notes there are a lot of Youtube clips, I have found this really engaging and it helps me to visualise the meaning of the information.  It really breaks up the readings and it doesn't really seem like you are studying.  This is invaluable for today's learner.  I think that this is a great tool for teaching and reaching out to students. 

The flip slide of this is having students create their own movies to present to the class, it would be a fun way of assessing their knowledge.  I would probably have students present experimental results in this way.  For example they could show their experimental design as still images, then use digital video to record the progress of their experiment at different stages.  Finally they can combine all the still images and recorded footage to create a movie showing design right through to conclusion.

podcast

Once again after numerous attempts I have my first podcast!  I used my smart phone to make a recording, which I then downloaded onto my computer.  Then using podomatic I have managed to create my first podcast.  When i was attempting all of this on Monday, podomatic just wasn't working properly for me, it kept taking me back to the sign in page and just when I thought it was going to work I get a message telling me that the site was having internal problem- grrrr.  however today I manage to complete this in about 5 minutes- easy

digital video

WOW!!!  I can't believe that after hours of attempts both yesterday and today I managed to get my lame video on here.

I firstly attempted to use movie maker 2.6 as the course notes suggested but couldn't manage to have access to any of my video footage.  I decided to try and use movie maker live and I managed to make a couple of cool movies but they were taking forever to upload as they didn't give me many options to resize.  So then I imported a short movie I made in live to 2.6 and saved it.  Then YIPPEE, finally I have a vido on my blog

Image

Ok... So I have found a photo of me with my two beautiful children taken whilst camping in Tannum last year. I attempted to use moba photo but it kept wanting to down load onto my computer. I found it really easy to use the programs that I already have on my computer as I use them for editing and email photos to the rest the family. It only took a few seconds to upload so hopefully it all works out ok.

voki

Group 1 digital tools

The use of digital pedagogies are required of teachers in today's classroom.  I have completed a SWOT analysis on the use of blogs, wikis and websites in the classroom
SWOT analysis of digital tools

As I grow in this course I am developing an appreciation for ICT.  The creation of my first blog was a lot of stress for me as my technology use was pretty limited.  I am now starting to see the learning benefits that are associated with ICT.  For instance I see blogs as a great tool for students to review and reflect their studies in their own personal way.  Students are able to see their growth in the content area, just as I have started to see with my own development.  I would ideally have my students set up a blog and just as I have been doing write a reflection at the end of each week to review what they have learnt and maybe what they are not learning.  The students are able to view their colleagues work and make comments, this all contributes to their learning journey.  I as a teacher am able to keep track of students progress and as entries are dated I can see when work is being contributed

So far in my ICT journey I have discovered that wikis are a useful tool for group work.  As each student is able to edit the "page" students are able to construct a volume of information.  Information is instantly shared with others and access is available when the student decides.  As a teacher you are able to see the work that is being created (or maybe not being created).  The main concern for me with a wiki is that information can be deleted, perhaps intentionally.  Another issue with group work on a wiki is that you aren't able to see who is contributing.  Some members might be doing all of the work whilst others might not be doing any.

I can see myself presenting units of work in a web page.  It would need to be embedded with links, video clips, graphics and other useful and interesting tools to engage my students.  That way students are able to access work when they are not in the classroom.  They will be able to look back at notes in a fun way.  Students would also be able to present assignments in this format.  It would enable them to be creative with the information and allow them to actually see the results that their hard work has produced.

As an online environment is not always safe for children there will need to be precautions put in place to protect them.  Password protecting bogs and wikis is one way to keep unwanted guests out.  I believe that students should also be taught about the dangers of chatting on the Internet also.  Another consideration is plagiarism, students must be made aware of referencing requirements.  It might be useful to have a presentation embedded within the course website that helps explain guidelines for online usage.

mobile phones in the classroom?

We were asked to participate in a group wiki where the question was posed should mobile phones be used as a teaching aid in the classroom.  We were required to use the 6 thinking hats in order to assess the topic.  I had never used the 6 thinking hats before and I found it very useful, it made me think about all of the possibilities, what I do know and what I need to know.  I found it made me think about parts of the question that I may have otherwise not considered.

I feel that the mobile phones wiki covered several of the learning theories. 

Cognitivism was present as what we were visualising on the screen was being processed through our working memory and whether or not we perceived it to be important or relevant it was stored in our long term memory.  This activity made me really think about the theories behind the question.

Constructivism could be seen as we were working in groups, all adding our thoughts and ideas and reading each others responses.  Reading what other people had posted gave me a different perspective.

Connectivism was the back bone of this task!  We were learning with computers, connecting all of our information in the one source.

I found this activity really interesting, I enjoyed participating and putting forward my opinions and thoughts.  Being an external student I found it very helpful to be able to connect to my peers in this way.  The only thing that I found an issue was that many people had already commented by the time I got to the wiki and many of my thoughts were already present.  I did feel a little frustrated that I didn't have anything new to add.  This did force me to think further and attempt to come up with new ideas.

The design of this wiki forced people to think about all of the possibilities rather than their initial reaction.  This was a great group activity and something that I could use in the classroom.  It could be performed using different analytical tools.  It is a great way for the teacher to see everyone participating, even students that might normally be hesitant to put forth their opinion in a traditional classroom situation.

TPAC Framework in plain English

TPAC is an acronym for Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge.  What does this mean??? As teachers you know your subjects content (C, K).  You also know which teaching methods assist your learners gain that knowledge (P=pedagogy).  The technology acts as an assistant to engage your learners and help them to transfer the knowlege to higher order thinking (T)

Productive Pedagogies

Initially I found this task a challenge.  I was trying to use a simple childhood example as per the question but I was having trouble making the links.  After looking at a few of my peers responses I decided to do this activity as if I were teaching a class.  After some serious thinking I started to make the connections.  This helped me to relate the productive pedagogy strategies back to my subject content.  I found using this tool useful as it really helped me design my lesson around the productive pedagogy strategies which will help me to engage my learners and assist in their higher order thinking.

Reflection on week 1

 After the completion of week 1, setting up my blog and wiki and I am feeling a little more secure.  Apart from learning that I have a fairly balance learning style, I have discovered that i am a little lacking in the logical and musical intelligence areas- this doesn't surprise me in the least! 

Although I already knew that the current generation has a love affair with technology I was unaware of how the divide between digital natives and digital immigrants might affect the learning abilities of today's students.  It has made me realise the potential of this course on my teaching practises and that I must embrace technology and incorporate it into my lesson plans to be able to engage my students (especially with teenagers!)

The different types of learning theory have helped me understand the processes of learning.  The You-Tube clip on connectivism was extremely helpful to me and helped me make the connections between a lot of the requirements in this course.  It helped me to understand why we are creating blogs, wikis and discussion forums and why these are useful tools for the classrooms full of digital natives.  I do feel that it is also important to know what to do with this information, how to digest it and apply that knowledge to everyday situations- which is what I see my role as in all of this!

Activity 1

After taking the learning styles test I have discovered that I am balanced between most styles with the exception of the sensing/intuitive style.  I have a moderate preference to the sensing style.  This is fairly accurate for me as I do prefer to learn from facts with a hand on approach.

This test has made me aware of the different learning styles there will be within the classroom and that I will attempt to make allowances for all different types.  I believe that getting feedback from my students and profiling them will assist me in developing strategies to give each student the best opportunity.

 OMG! Well finally I have figured it out- well yet to see if it works!  After nearly tearing my hair out I have a blog!

although I am excited about this ICT course I am daunted at the same time.  I love the idea of technology in the class room but I am not all that literate.  I am hoping that this ICT for learning design changes this!!!