To begin, I would like to refer to my Blog on Tuesday the 30th of March, where I quoted Prensky [2001] saying "Today's students are no longer the people our education system was designed to teach." This Blog then went on to say that the use of ICTs was essential in reaching out to students learning needs. I also discovered from the writings of Prensky [2001] that I am a 'digital immigrant'. However, six years after high school, as an act of pure survival, I was ready to turn a computer on for the first time and learn the language of my new country, digital Australia.
Many years after that, here I am, typing a reflective synopsis, to an on line journal, about all of the information communication technologies [ICTs] I have investigated, and on line conversations I have had, during an e-learning subject, delivered completely on line. The purpose of this entire exercise being, to educate myself on how to educate students in early childhood.
Now that's saying something! If I can use what I have learnt through this subject, in my teaching as a future learning manager, then there may be an upcoming niche in the market for a show titled, 'Are you smarter than a prep student?'
Of course there's more to it than simply learning and keeping up with these new technologies. There are many learning dimensions and strategies including the basic principles engaged learning, Relate-Create-Donate, Kearsly and Shneiderman [1999], that can be used in conjunction with the ICTs, to reach across multiple intelligences and help students learn more effectively.
I will now refer to and summarise further postings in my Blog as I reflect on what I've learnt.
April 1, What I think I've learnt. A Blog is an on line journal, an aggregator is a way of receiving updates from people or web sites of interest. A Wiki is a way to communicate with an interest group, giving the opportunity to edit information and achieve a common goal.
April 14, Voki. The use of a Voki allows you to use animation and create a fun character that can speak. This can then be embedded into other ICTs including Wikis and Blogs. Voki can also be used in conjunction with other ICTs as part of a project.
They are especially helpful in spicing things up if the subject is getting a bit lackluster.
Flikr is a sight where you can add your own photos and videos or use photos from. It can be used to create a private group project and teachers could moderate the content. Photos stored on flikr can also be used elsewhere. Similar to Flikr is Piknic. While picnic wont allow you to store photos, it does allow you to edit them and create slideshows. You can upload photos from other places and then store them back onto your computer or even other web-sites such as Flikr. U tube an ICT where you can get digital clips on just about anything you search for. It wouldn't be a safe place to let students to roam unsupervised, however it does contain many useful clips for example, the teaching tip I downloaded onto my Blog, Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? U tube clips of interest could be inserted into safe learning areas, Wiki, Blogs or Mahara, to aid learning about a specific topic. Students could also post a clip involving an assignment to u tube for authentic assessment from a world wide audience.
April 20, Keynote for blog. Similar to Powerpoint, Keynote is the Mac version. Like powerpoint, it can be used to make slideshows which can include photos, graphs, tables, text etc. You can add transitions and music to Keynote also. This can then be uploaded into SlideShare. SlideShare is a presentation publishing site. It can be used publicly or privately, you can join groups of interest, add presentations to Blogs other web-sites. When uploading Keynote slideshows, the mp3 files need to be up loaded separately. These can be speaking narrative files or royalty free music. I uploaded some royalty free music from another web-site called Incompetech. This music gives my slide show an emotional edge with it's somber tone. This is demonstrated in my SlideShare production 'Our fragile reef.' Incompetech allows anyone access to royalty free music. Some is free and some is for sale. Depending what you are after. The items of music show the genre and the instruments used. It gives ideas on where and when the music could be used most appropriately in creative projects. This music can then be used legally in projects. These projects can be made by students and teachers as part of the learning process.
Google Earth was another technology we investigated. There are a lot of things you can do with Google Earth including creating a fly by story. It could be used to learn about geography and the world around them and what's in it. They could Create-Relate-Donate by creating a fly by story about an area of interest, such as the reef, and embedding that as part of their presentation. You can also send clips you have made to u tube. As a Learning Manager, I could use Google Earth to demonstrate things in the world to the students by creating my own fly by story.
Wikipedia is another ICT we investigated. A lot of times if you Google something on the internet, you will get information from Wikipedia at the top of the list. Anyone can edit information on it. However it is public so the authenticity of that information is not guaranteed.
The last ICT I would like to reflect on is digital story telling. Please refer to Emily's Story posted May 6. Digital story telling is a way to combine all of the ICTs I have reflected on, to cover multiple intelligences and promote engaged learning. Emily's story is an example of how I have used digital story telling as a series of lessons. With permission from my students parents, I was able to use her work and photos of her working, in the presentation. The only thing left to do now is for my student to practice reading her extended sentences and narrate her very first digital story, using the photos of her making the pictures as the slideshow. Possibly with a musical background of her choice. We could even create a Voki together to introduce her story. The possibilities are endless.
Digital stories can be created by students and teachers on any subject. They can be made with Google Earth clips, Vokis, information from Wikipedia, music from Incompetech, Keynote or Powerpoint slideshows, u tube clips, photos from Picnik or Flikr, your own digital photos or clips, digital images of your own artwork, your own narration or your own music. Then they can be shared publicly or privately through Wikis, Blogs, u tube and various other web-sites. Digital story telling gives 21st Century life to an age old, natural form of learning, story telling. With the help of Learning Managers, digital story telling can tie in the needs of our 21st Century learners with what they need to learn in the 21st Century.
Blog comment list;
Who stole the cookie?
[Lisa Ryan]
[Me in response]
Wikipedia
[Lisa Ryan]
Keynote for Blog
[Zelina]
[Meryl]
[Aussie Teacher]
[Laura McM]
[Sara]
[Me in response]
Voki
[Laura McM]
What I think I've learnt
[Aussie Teacher]
[Zelina]
[Lanas Blog]
[Me in response]
Referances;
Prensky [2001]
Kearsly & Sneiderman [1999]
David & Grose [2008]
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Emily's story
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Here is an example of how I have used digital story telling as a series of lessons. Of course written permission was gained from my students parents to include her work and the photos of her in this presentation.
It is a simple lesson about extending sentences with verbs and adjectives. My student is still practising reading her extended sentences to have her own, first digital story, which we will make using her paintings and her narrative.
Digital storytelling can be used in a multiple ways, inside and outside the classroom. It can embrace multiple learning styles, eg. a student might be able to tell the story and add photos or pictures rather than writing structured sentences. Learning to write those sentences could be what that student learns next, or when they are older and more prepared for that level of learning. It could also help students with disabilities or special needs.
It is also an effective communication tool in the classroom allowing for interesting presentations of subject, that the whole room can view. Students could collaborate and present an assignment using this method also.
Emily's story take 2
View more webinars from coreenabean.
Here is an example of how I have used digital story telling as a series of lessons. Of course written permission was gained from my students parents to include her work and the photos of her in this presentation.
It is a simple lesson about extending sentences with verbs and adjectives. My student is still practising reading her extended sentences to have her own, first digital story, which we will make using her paintings and her narrative.
Digital storytelling can be used in a multiple ways, inside and outside the classroom. It can embrace multiple learning styles, eg. a student might be able to tell the story and add photos or pictures rather than writing structured sentences. Learning to write those sentences could be what that student learns next, or when they are older and more prepared for that level of learning. It could also help students with disabilities or special needs.
It is also an effective communication tool in the classroom allowing for interesting presentations of subject, that the whole room can view. Students could collaborate and present an assignment using this method also.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Incompetech
Incompetech would be useful for students and teachers in that it allows anyone access to royalty free music so is legal to use in projects. The items of music also show the genre and the instruments used. It makes suggestions as to where and when they could be used most appropriately in creative projects. The most obvious use I can see for Incompetech is in digital story telling or creating presentation with musical emotion. I managed to download a few free songs and added one to my 'Our fragile reef' slidecast presentation. It gives it a somber mood now.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia could be used for research, however it is not guaranteed to be accurate. It also invites interactive use as you can add to it or edit the information within it. It is usually the first thing to come up when you google something and often it a wealth of free information. There lie it's benefits in teaching and learning.
Google Earth
Google Earth could be used to help students learn about geography and the world around them and what's in it. They could get involved themselves by creating a fly by story. As a teacher, we could create Google clips about an area that the students are discovering. It makes learning about our Earth more interesting than looking at a 2D map or even a globe. It's interactive and I think that encourages learning across the board.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Key note for blog
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
I used Keynote instead of powerpoint as I have a mac. The transitions and music I added with Keynote didn't come through with slideshare. I will investigate this further and chase up some tech help to add a talking audio mp3 file.
Slideshare can be used privately allowing a teacher to make something for their students only and vice versa. It can also be made public, allowing students to present their work to the world. You can join groups with slideshare on topics of interest, add your presentations to blogs and web-sites.
Key note for blog
View more presentations from coreenabean.
I used Keynote instead of powerpoint as I have a mac. The transitions and music I added with Keynote didn't come through with slideshare. I will investigate this further and chase up some tech help to add a talking audio mp3 file.
Slideshare can be used privately allowing a teacher to make something for their students only and vice versa. It can also be made public, allowing students to present their work to the world. You can join groups with slideshare on topics of interest, add your presentations to blogs and web-sites.
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