YouTube

I have never used YouTube before this course. I find it amazing the amount of content available on specific subjects. In the early days of this course, I searched YouTube for videos/clips relating to 21st century education and technology in schools. There was a vast amount of relevant information available on this subject - it was overwhelming.

I have searched YouTube for a video on South African history. One of the classes that I am attached to is Year 11/12 Modern History. There current Term 2 unit is South Africa. The unit covers topics on early tribes, Dutch & British settlement, Shaka Zulu, The Great Trek, The Boer War as well as more recent history of apartheid.



As outlined by Aldred (2010), "video offers the ability to quickly outline concepts and show things not easily possible on paper or in a classroom." This particular video addresses the above. It is very dramatic and a great 'hook' at the beginning of the unit. I believe that you could also show it at the end of the unit to reinforce the information that was covered in the individual classes.

References
Aldred, S. (2010). Applying Digital Pedagogies 3. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED 20491 ICTs for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au.

Reflective Synopsis

“Education is undergoing a paradigm shift on a scale never seen since the Renaissance and the invention of the printing press. We are in the midst of seeing education transform from a book-based system to an internet-based system with profound implications for every aspect of teaching and learning” (Treadwell, 2007, n.p, as cited in Fox, 2008).

Since technology is so embedded into Generation Y’s psyche, it makes logical sense to incorporate it into their schooling. They have iPods, mobile phones, portable computer games or any other gadget imaginable; they interact on Facebook; they search for information via Google and Wikipedia; they watch YouTube; and they download music, videos and photos. As outlined by T4-Jordan School District (2007), why don’t we teach and engage students with this technology?

Therefore, as part of the GDLT program, students (including myself) have been studying a course known as ICTs for Learning Design. Over the past six weeks we have been engaging, investigating and trialling different technologies with the view of incorporating them into our classroom. To date, there have been numerous technologies embedded in the weekly coursework, with many more in future weeks/topics, as well as large range found through internet searches. This list of technology is never ending and new technologies are being introduced into schools at a rapid rate (Nintendo Wii and physical activity).

Technology can assist and facilitate student learning in conjunction with the theories discussed in the first few weeks of this course (i.e. Lynch’s LMQs; Blooms Taxonomy; Active Learning; Dimensions of Learning; Multiple Intelligences and other learning/personality styles; Engagement Theory; and Connectivism). Together they can achieve student centred learning and outcomes, as they involve authentic tasks valued in the real world and offer a negotiated and guided exploration of the content (Aldred, 2010). Kearsley & Shneiderman (1999) outline a number of examples of technology being used in education settings, which address their Relate-Create-Donate concept.

From the technologies that we have explored to date, I have found the following to be extremely useful and would work successfully across the secondary school curriculum. I would have no hesitation in utilising these technologies in my learning experiences.
1. Blogs
An authentic and real world product that can be viewed globally and feedback provided by the community, not just the teacher or school. The themes of Blogs are extensive and can be used across the KLA’s and syllabus. This is evident from the examples provided in the coursework (Aldred, 2010). Another example of Blogs would be students working on their family history. People across the global could then provide comments or even assistance in finding further information. Blogs would work extremely well with the learning theories of Engagement Theory and Connectivism.
2. Wikis
As per the WIKI in Plain English clip (LeFever, 2007 as cited in Aldred, 2010), WIKIs are a great alternative to emails. The use for WIKIs are never ending, which is evident from the topics or themes developed by GDLT students. Education Queensland has their own version of a Wiki or on-line collaboration tool, known as The Learning Place (personal communication with Mentor Teacher, dated 22 April 2010). I am yet to explore this option.
3. Interactive Whiteboards
I am yet to fully explore this option. There are a few within my Embedded Professional Learning site, however, I have not seen them being utilised. However, discussions (personal communication with Mentor Teacher, dated 14 April 2010; tutorial discussions for EDED20491 ICT’s for Learning Design) have revealed that they are engaging and motivating tool in lessons.
4. ePortfolios
I had never heard of ePortfolios before embarking on this course (refer to my posting ePortfolios). There is a vast range of articles on the topic. After reading an article titled e-Portfolios: A personal space for learning and I found it to be a more relevant tool in education. Fox (2008) outlines the importance of portfolios and how they can be used in the school setting.
5. YouTube
There are many relevant clips and videos on YouTube that could ‘hook’ and motivate students. It would allow them to connect the content with their own experiences. Students may also be given the opportunity to create their own video and donate it to YouTube. Therefore, the video can be viewed and assessed by the world.
6. Powerpoint.
Powerpoint has been around for many years and their current version is very easy to use. Both teachers and students can use this program for their presentations. It allows not only text, but a range of medias to be incorporated into the presentation (i.e. photos, video, music and animations). With the different media types being included, I believe that the one presentation would motivate and engage a variety of learning styles.

There are still many more in the courseware that I have not had the opportunity to research and explore. However, I am sure that when I do I will be able to determine how successful they will be.

One thing that I am mindful of is the challenges in implementing ICT’s. I have listed a couple below:
• School facilities
• School policy – in particular those regarding iPods and mobile phones.

However, in saying that there are challenges, technology is changing very rapidly and dramatically. Moreover, we must not become complacent in our teaching and learning. We, like our students, are lifelong learners. We must not only commit to professional development in pedagogy, behaviour management and content/discipline knowledge, but also ICTs tools.

I have spent a lot of time researching this topic and the information available is comprehensive and compelling. In the 21st century, our world is about technology, knowledge and globalisation. We, as teachers, have a duty to educate our students and prepare them for the real world.

References
Aldred, S. (2010). Contemporary Learning Design. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED 20491 ICTs for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au
Aldred, S. (2010). Using Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education . Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED 20491 ICTs for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au
Fox, I. (2008). E-Portfolios: A personal space for learning. Retrieved from http://educationalleaders.govt.nz/ian-fox-sabbatical-report.pdf
Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED 20491 ICTs for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au
T4 – Jordan School District. (2007, April 4). Pay Attention [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw

Picnik - Image Manipulation

picnik_new_sample3
Originally uploaded by TGILES2010

I was a little unsure of Picnik, because I thought that it would only allow me to do the basics of image editing. However, once I got into a bit more, I could see that I can add 'stickers'; play with the colour and effects; and also produce a basic scrapbook page. It is so easy to get caught up on editing and manipulating photo images. I have used something similar in Momento (creating photobooks), however, this is very costly when it comes to printing images or books. I think that this program would be great for student's to edit their own images for assessment purposes and/or fieldtrip evidence. If they are bad photographers like myself, then it would allow improved and creative images.

Flickr

Forking street in ancient Pompeii
Originally uploaded by gisleh

I have chosen this photo of Pompeii. My husband and I visited Pompeii in 2003. Visiting ancient places, such as Pompeii, Rome, Rhodes (Greece) and Ephesus (Turkey) were highlights for me. A funny story - we were staying near Naples and overnight there were a few loud bangs. Along with everyone else in our tour group, we thought Mount Vesuvius was erupting and that we would have to evacuate the hotel. It turned out to be fireworks.

There are a lot of photos of Pompeii on Flickr as such could be used in Ancient History classes. Their audience reach is far greater than my Pompeii book, my personal photos or our currently unedited video. These photos are so powerful, you feel as though you were standing there in town on that fateful day in 79AD. I think that students could also use the images from Flickr in their assessments (ie oral presentations, essays, reports). The images can show a student's understanding and their interpretation of the unit's content.

Powerpoint Presentations

I have not used Powerpoint since my last year in undergraduate studies (over 10 years ago). At that time, Powerpoint was very new. Whenever, we had to complete an oral presentation, some students would use Powerpoint for their slides. However, as technology in classrooms was limited to an OHP, students would print their individual slides on overhead transparencies and use the overview component for their oral presentation notes/speech.

The video in the Moodle courseware was very humorous, as that is how I would set out my presentations in the past. Hopefully, my presentation does not make these same mistakes.

I think that most challenging aspects of this task were:
* researching of information
* being creative with the slides so it does not look boring
* using slideshare
* time

Everyone uses Powerpoint in their presentations and lectures and I would assume that it would be the most utilised piece of software/technology used in schools (apart from word processing). It is so very simple to use and you can make your slides very basic or as elaborate as you wish. I think that it would depend on your skill, experience and creativity. A person's skill in Powerpoint is equally important in school than it is in the workplace and high education.

Please find below my very basic Powerpoint presentation on a topic that is also very relevant in the 21st century - climate change. I would suspect that this could be used in a lower secondary SOSE or Science class.

Climate Change

View more presentations from tjgiles.

ePortfolios

I am sitting here (with the flu) trying to gain a better understanding of Mahara and ePortfolios. At first I could not see the relevance of ePortfolios (ie Mahara) and how it could be incorporated into an educational setting. I only saw it as our assessment tool or portfolio platform for graduate teachers (as suggested through this course).

The Mahara website provides really good examples and information regarding ePortfolios and it allowed me to gain a better understanding of its application.

"ePortfolios ... are personal online spaces for students to access services and store work. They will become ever more useful as learners grow up and start moving between different types of learning and different institutions" (Secretary of State for Education and Skills - UK, 2006 as cited in http://mahara.org/about/eportfolios).

Another explanation is “It can be used to create collections of artefacts to share with fellow students, peers, family/ friends, to present to potential employers and to complement applications for research funding” (http://mahara.org/about/eportfolios). As various readings outline,over a lifetime individuals will have a multitude of jobs. ePortfolios provide one place to record achievements, aspirations/goals and experience.

Ravet’s (2006 as cited in Steel, Ehrmann & Long, 2008) vision for ePortfolios is a “personal, lifelong, and lifewide learning landscape”. There are applications for in a education, social and work context. In my opinion, it is a one-stop shops for all your networking needs.

After some reading, researching and reflecting, I can see ePortfolios being utilised in the following situations:
* Assessment – allows the teacher to view assessment, provide feedback and report accordingly. In particular, it could be beneficial for the Senior Certificate.
* Portfolios – for students to submit to universities or post-compulsory education institutions. It could also be expanded for when the student graduates university, they require accreditation (ie teachers, engineers, accountants, psychologists).
* Resumes – as above
* Learning Management System – teachers could put all learning materials for students to review out of school hours. Students could also use it as study notes and assist in recall of information/knowledge.
* Student Reflection/Journal of their learning experiences.

To be honest, I was quite nervous about using Mahara. However, the videos by Scot were very straightforward and easy to understand. I have had a quick look around and set up some things on Mahara. I am confident that I have a basic understanding of this platform and it will only be a matter of time before I can grasp it fully and use it to its full potential (hopefully). I also look forward to using Mahara outside of this course.

References

http://mahara.org/about/eportfolios.

Steel, C.H., Ehrmann, S.C. & Long P.D. (2008). Creating community engagement
around the concept of ePortfolios: An innovative planning process. In Hello! Where are you in the landscape of educational technology? Proceedings ascilite Melbourne 2008. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/steel.pdf

Nintendo Wii and physical activity

I found a related article in today's Sunday Mail. Please find the link below:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/this-is-the-future-of-sport-in-schools-wii-instead-of-pe/story-e6freuy9-1225849277763

While everyone is in agreement as to the benefit of ICTs in the classroom, it seems this topic has raised some debate. I must admit that I am not sure. My son plays the Nintendo Wii Fit every afternoon. It is good to see him refining his sporting skills and co-ordination (in fact he is better at it that I am).

However, he does not spend all day indoors. In fact my children play in their cubbyhouse and sandpit and help with the gardening and washing.

My Son and VOKI

As I stated in my last post, I decided to show my son the VOKI program. Previously, my son has not been interested in technology, especially computers. I was not sure how to engage him with ICTs. Now, I have something. He was very impressed and loved designing his character. He especially enjoys working out the character's script and listening to what it has to say. My son loves to talk and is very imaginative with his stories, so he wants his VOKI character to do the same thing.

The downside is that whenever we are in the study/office, he needs to create his character. While I can't do any work, it is good to see him interested in the computer. I am using this as an opportunity to get him engaged in the computer, and hopefully, other ICT tools.

Blogs, WIKIs, VOKI, etc

I have finally bitten the bullet and starting working on my blog. When it comes to technology, I am a bit behind the times and I know that I definitely lack the confidence to implement new things. I think that my husband and I are the only people who don't use Facebook.

This is the first time that I have ever looked at Blogs, let alone create one myself, and along with a lot of other people I was a little apprehensive. But once it was setup and I started messing around with it, I became a little more confident. One example/idea I had of a Blog being used by in schools could involve students researching and documenting their family history.

After I created my WIKI, I was still a little unsure of it all. I had heard of WIKIs in conversations beforehand, but I never knew/understood what people were talking about. The video on Moodle regarding 'WIKIs in Plain English' was helpful for me to understand the concept. The camping example provided was good, because I could see that this concept could be translated to my husband's annual footy trips and social golf club. Next year, I might get him set up on Wikispaces and it will save having so many emails. The video in Moodle on 21st century learning gave two good examples on how to use a WIKI and I hope that I can try something like that. At university, part of the assessment was the development of a business plan for a local business. Due to a lack of WIKIs and emails, group meetings were usually done face-to-face. A WIKI would have worked great in this instance.

VOKI was a lot of fun to play around with. The Nintendo Wii has a similar setting and I can sit there and create around 12 Mii characters in one sitting - much to my family's amusement. I can see these characters working in the classroom to hook students into a topic. Some ideas I had were using historical/political figures to introduce a specific topic (ie Winston Churchill, F.D Roosevelt & John Curtin to talk about their WWII perspectives). I'm sure this idea has already been suggested. Students could also do the same with their assignments. I think that I will let my son have a go at the VOKI software to see what he can create.

While I was a little apprehensive about the technology, I now enjoy experimenting with all of them to see what I can create. I could sit here for hours.

I understand that I need to be confident in using these technologies when I start teaching. From now on, I will be committed to experimenting with different technologies in order to provide my students an engaging and meaningful learning experience.

Digital Learners