LMS

An important tool that can be utilized mainly by teachers. Scaffolding students to be able to use such tools would take a lot of time and effort although it would definitely be worth the effort. This medium is great for teachers and students to share and source information as well as presenting information.

The Podcast

I think the Podcast would be a great tool for any age group. The important declarative knowledge that is often covered from direct instruction is not always taken in by students in a classroom environment. Such instruction could be recorded and made available to the class via a podcast. Other uses such as Vidcasts of desired responses for Physical Education or other KLA areas like setting up a bar graph in excel. In this podcast I recorded a poem for preps. This could be used to engage the learners or model reading. It also shows the students a sense of pleasure for literature (English).

Prezi

Prezi has great potential for building declarative knowledge. Whilst using this tool I realized what a great alternative for Power Point it is. This application gives students some creative opportunities as well as an exciting canvas to paint their learning journey on. It's uses are limited to visual learners. It could be used as a formative assessment tool where students work together to build it and then assess it (collaboration and peer assessment). I did have trouble taking in the information as the movement distracted me. I fear this might be the case with some students as well.

Here is a little presentation I put together.

http://prezi.com/lnhaejq-1q9f/the-prezi-learning-journey/

Weebly me this, weebly me that

See this space

Digital Video - the choice is easy

The following post relates to the presentation delivered for English C and P. Those of you who saw it can see it again and those who haven't now can. Our group tried to use several digital tools, one of which was a short digital video clip. The clip was used to make some rather dry declarative knowledge, related to the topic, a little more interesting. It also aimed at both the visual and auditory learner (a narrative was spoken over the clip). If there was more time our group would have edited the clip using a video editor. The use of different music and voice over would have made the clip a little more engaging and also more professional. Kearney & Shuck (2006, pg.8) found that when teachers engage students with digital video there is a likely increase in the following areas of student success:


Developing understading
Motivating students
Increasing student autonomy
Promoting active learning in their classrooms
Providing opportunities for group learning and launguage development
Developing techonological and digital literacies
Providing feedback for parents, teachers and students
Fitting with their own preferred roles and approaches to teaching
Extending their peosonal interest in digital movie making

Taken from Kearney & Shuck, 2006, pg.8 - Students in the Director's Seat: Teaching and Learning across the School Curriculum with Student-generated Video).

Kearney and Shuck (2006, pg.8) also found that such outcomes are more likely to be achieved by students if teachers are utilising ICT in their teacing and supportive of students using it as well. Therefore, teachers must not only use digital video when delivering but also need to consider the quality of such texts (digital video) as it is a form of modelling: in particular, what you expect from student - generated digital videos (SGDV).

MobaPhoto editor

I found this program brilliant to use. The program is easy to use. It has visuals as well as wording for options so younger students could use it and it has a large range of options from resizing to actual photo editing. Such a tool is necessary for students to know how to use. Teachers need to replicate real life application of elearning for students to gain insightful learning outcomes (lifelong). This tool is good for refining knowledge especially for visual students who can map learning with photos.

youtube: a great engagement tool

Looking on other peoples blogs, one of the most common posts is of youtube clips. It is obvious that youtube has amazing potential in developing students declarative knowledge, but how can we use it to expand students learning experiences. The answer lies off center as it is not directly related to digital learning but rather the other KLA's other than Literacy. Where else can examples of live art, music and performance be found so readily? I was shown a fantastic clip which i have added of sand art. From this simple eight minute clip I realised a whole cross-curricular unit could be born.

To start with there is the visual art side of things - potentially great fun for kids as they are not only playing with sand (early years - fine/gross motor skills or latter years - visual perspective/shading/line/contrast) but expressing or telling a story.

A springboard into SOSE lessons has been provided (from the history/perspective of war being recounted to where can we get sand from and why).

Obviously with tangible things such as sand there needs to be measurements made when considering transporting (consider weight/cost) it to the classroom (Numeracy).

Then recording such a story using digital video! This builds, Digital and English literacies (if students are recounting).

Such a simple start, but a great hook that can lead to many opportunities for learning.

Peace (in light of that video),

Hamish