Piccies, Noise and Movement.

WOW! 

There are so many fantastic digital tools out there that I never would have even considered using in the classroom… but now I know how to use them, 

WHY NOT!?!

This week in Managing E-Learning, we learnt all about IMAGE EDITING, PODCASTS and VIDEOS. Time for a bit of creativity, methinks!

So let’s begin with one of the most used digital processes – IMAGE EDITING. Anyone who’s plugged a picture into a Word document would have at some point RESIZED, CROPPED, MOVED and TRANSFORMED and image, right? 

But did you know there are so very many more (free) editing tools out there for us to play with?

 I downloaded the free and super simple to use image editing program called MOBAPHOTO, with which you can RESIZE, RECOLOUR, CORRECT and CROP any image you want. I wanted to add to my blog this picture of my best friend and I, but first I needed to resize it to a web-appropriate size. 

EASY-PEASY with MobaPhoto!

IMAGE EDITING
STRENGTHS -       FREE services offered by MobaPhoto and many others (including standard programs on computers and most mobile devices) -       VERY EASY to use (don’t need much technical knowledge) -       Can be edited A LOT OR A LITTLE, depending on ability and preferences -       ENHANCES poor-quality or imperfect images, and allows image MANIPULATION -       RESIZES and compresses images for use on the web	WEAKNESSES -       MobaPhoto and other free programs have only LIMITED EDITING OPTIONS, unlike paid-for programs -       Easy to OVER-MANIPULATE and distort images, and some programs REPLACE the original image without the user’s realisation
OPPORTUNITIES -       Makes the use of images more ACCESSIBLE to students -       Students are able to EDIT and MANIPULATE images to their preferences -       Encourages students to use MULTIMODAL and creative ways of presenting information -       ENGAGING for students as it is an interactive, customisable technology -       Gives students a sense of OWNERSHIP and pride for their work -       Meets students at their technological INTERESTS and their abilities	THREATS -       Copyright and PLAGIARISM issues could arise when using images from the internet -       Easy to spend a lot of time editing images, which could DISTRACT students from the classroom task -       Increases risk of students INAPPROPRIATELY manipulating images (be it inappropriate content or simply off-task behaviour)

I believe that there is DEFINITELY a use for image editing in the classroom! It encourages students to use images in their presentations and assignments, which might otherwise seem DULL and BORING. This technology also allows students more FREEDOM and control over their work, and involves them more in their work than simply “copying and pasting” an image from the web. 

So image editing is a go!

Next in line is the ever-fun PODCAST, or SOUND RECORDING. Who hasn’t recorded themselves talking, only to play it back and hear a completely foreign voice?! I have – when recording a quick message this week, I was alarmed to hear how very Aussie I sound!

There are MANY PLATFORMS out there that allow for sound recording, and many computers and mobile devices already have such software installed. One of my favourite sound recording and editing programs is AUDACITY – I was first introduced to it at school when I was 12 years old, so it’s VERY EASY to use!

PODCASTS / SOUND RECORDING
STRENGTHS -       FREE services offered by Audacity and many others (including standard programs on computers and most mobile devices) -       EASY to use (don’t need much technical knowledge) -       Can be used to record SIMPLE voice messages, or COMPLICATED soundscapes and effects	WEAKNESSES -       Depending on the program and the hardware (speakers and microphone) used, quality can be VERY POOR -       Standard programs offer very little editing OPTIONS -       Audacity can be COMPLICATED to use for in-depth sound manipulation (but straightforward for simple recordings and editing)
OPPORTUNITIES -       Encourages students to use MULTIMODAL and creative ways of presenting information -       ENGAGING for students as it is an interactive, customisable technology -       Gives students a sense of OWNERSHIP and pride for their work -       Meets students at their technological INTERESTS and their abilities -       Allows QUIETER students the opportunity to input their ideas	THREATS -       Easy to spend a lot of time in recording and editing, which could DISTRACT students from the classroom task -        Copyright and PLAGIARISM issues could arise when using sound effects from the internet -        Increases risk of students INAPPROPRIATELY manipulating sounds (be it inappropriate content or simply off-task behaviour)

I have experienced firsthand as a student the BENEFIT of using sound recordings/podcasts in the classroom. It was a new, exciting and MULTIMODAL way to present a story we had written, and it allowed us to play with sounds, music and effects. Every student was engaged and INVOLVED in the assignments, as the podcasting was FUN! 

So I would DEFINITELY use podcasting and sound recording in my classroom, for myself (in teaching) and my students (in learning).

Access my Aussie greeting HERE:

http://97610.podomatic.com/entry/2013-07-22T20_59_08-07_00

And now VIDEOS… anyone with a SMARTPHONE or a WEBCAM is sure to have filmed something (or someone!) at some point. I personally haven’t had a whole lot to do with the EDITING side of videography, but I will admit to taking a few too many videos of my friends (and myself!) doing crazy stuff!! But does VIDEOGRAPHY have a place in the classroom?

VIDEOS
STRENGTHS -       FREE services offered online, and most current phones and computers have video functions as standard -       Very interactive, and completely STUDENT-AUTHORED -       Most video programs are EASY to film and edit with (don’t need much technical knowledge) -       Can be used to film and create videos with a LITTLE, SOME or NO EDITING (depending on preference and ability) -       A very CREATIVE and OPEN technology	WEAKNESSES -       Depending on the program and the hardware (camera and microphone) used, quality can be VERY POOR -       Standard programs offer very little editing OPTIONS -       Some programs can be COMPLICATED to use for in-depth manipulation (but straightforward for simple recordings and editing) -       SAFETY CONCERNS regarding the capturing and transmission of images of students (no anonymity in videos)
OPPORTUNITIES -       Can be used as a PRESENTING tool for research tasks, creative tasks or music/media tasks -       Encourages students to use MULTIMODAL and creative ways of presenting information -       ENGAGING for students as it is an interactive, customisable technology -       Gives students a sense of OWNERSHIP and pride for their work -       Meets students at their technological INTERESTS and their abilities -       ACCESSIBLE for students of all technological abilities (engages creatively and academically)	THREATS -       Very easy to spend a lot of time creating, filming and editing, which could DISTRACT students from the purpose of the task -        Copyright and PLAGIARISM issues could arise when using sound effects, images and fonts from the internet -       Increases risk of students INAPPROPRIATELY manipulating videos (be it inappropriate content or simply off-task behaviour) -       Difficult as a teacher to MONITOR BEHAVIOUR and progress as students will be filming in different areas throughout the school

Having made videos throughout high school, and now at university, I definitely agree that there is VALUE IN VIDEOGRAPHY! It ENGAGES all students on any level – through the scripting, filming/acting, and editing processes – and can be a highly effective way to INTEREST students in tasks. Furthermore, it also ENHANCES PRESENTATIONS to no end!

In a previous course at uni, I was part of a group who had to present about Sensory Learning. In a moment of ill-thought creativity, I ended up writing a song about it. So I dressed up like a hipster (trust me, it’s a character – not the real me!) and decided to spoof it up. We played it in our presentation and got the class roaring with laughter! 

Watch it HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vDF3OmVPzY

So FINAL VERDICT: yay or nay for IMAGE EDITING, PODCASTS and VIDEOS?

YAYYYY!!!

Blogs, Wikis and Websites............!!

Well, well, well. Turns out I am a technical whiz… NOT!

This week in Managing E-Learning, we learnt all about BLOGS, WIKIS and WEBSITES. We have such a vast range of e-learning tools at our fingertips, if only we knew how to use them!

Okay, so let’s start with the most obvious – a BLOG. Considering I’m posting to one, I think I’ve pretty much got this down pat. I’m using the platform called BLOGGER, powered by Google. It’s very simple to set up, customise your settings, and personalise the look and layout. And best of all… it’s free!

BLOGS
STRENGTHS -       FREE services offered by Blogger, Wordpress and others -       EASY to use (don’t need much technical knowledge) -       Can be PERSONALISED as much or as little as you want -       Offers an online space to JOURNAL and/or reflect -       Can imbed videos, links and graphics (MULTIMODAL delivery of information) -       Can post ANONYMOUSLY	WEAKNESSES -       Can be accessed by anyone (unless SECURITY settings are changed) -       Only ONE PERSON can add blog posts and others can only comment (not so much a collaborative tool) -       Easy to unintentionally post PERSONAL INFORMATION and breach COPYRIGHTS of videos, information and graphics
OPPORTUNITIES -       Students can use a blog as a reflective journal for part of an assessment, that can be CHECKED ONLINE anytime by the teacher -       ENGAGING for students as it is an interactive, customisable technology -       Allows students to continue learning OUTSIDE of the classroom (through having to research and blog findings, or reflect on their learning) -       Gives students a sense of OWNERSHIP and pride for their work -       Meets students at their technological INTERESTS and their abilities	THREATS -       Risk of students using the blog UNSAFELY by posting personal information -       Copyright and PLAGIARISM issues could arise when using a blog to share research -       Easy to spend a lot of time customising and personalising the blog, which could DISTRACT students from the purpose (to research or reflect) -       Increases opportunities for CYBER BULLYING to occur (students accessing peers’ blogs and commenting)

I believe there is a place for blogs in teaching and learning. If students are properly EDUCATED about online safety, cyber bulling, plagiarism and copyright issues, there is a lot of potential in blogging. In my classroom, I would use a blog to REMIND students of the work we had covered that day and keep absent students up to date with what they had missed. I would also use it to remind students about upcoming assessments and events, and my expectations associated with these. As a Maths/Science teacher, I would ask students to use a blog to JOURNAL for assessments such as scientific investigations or REFLECT upon a new mathematical concept they had learnt. So I think that blogs could be very USEFUL!

Next up is a WIKI. These are fairly straightforward to set up through WIKISPACES, and can be customised if you have some time to play with fonts and images. As mentioned last week, a wiki is a collaborative sharing space where a group of people can contribute and discuss ideas. It is more INTERACTIVE than a blog, and can be used for discussion rather than reflection.

WIKIS
STRENGTHS -       COLLABORATIVE, so everyone can be involved and contribute ideas -       CUSTOMISABLE to suit the group’s needs and preferred aesthetics -       FREE services offered by Wikispaces -       Offers an online space to DISCUSS and share ideas -       Can imbed videos, links and graphics (MULTIMODAL delivery of information) -       Can post ANONYMOUSLY -       Can be made PRIVATE, so only members of the group can access and edit it	WEAKNESSES -       Can be quite DIFFICULT to use and navigate when unfamiliar with Wikipsaces -       Only ONE PERSON can edit at a time, so brainstorming cannot be completely simultaneous -       Easy to become CLUTTERED and confusing when information and contributions build up -       Other entries can be DELETED/written over by anyone contributing
OPPORTUNITIES -       Used as an ONLINE brainstorming activity -       Can be used alongside discussion FRAMEWORKS such as de Bono’s Hats, SWOT analysis, etc. -       A space for students to PRESENT and support their opinions on a topic, or their findings from a research task -       Can be MONITORED and MODERATED by the teacher -       ENGAGING and INTERACTIVE sharing space for students -       Allows QUIETER students the opportunity to input their ideas	THREATS -       Easy to spend a lot of time customising and personalising, which could DISTRACT students from the purpose (to share ideas) -       Students could DISENGAGE from the activity when it becomes cluttered or confusing, or if they are unable to navigate it with ease -       Students could just add their own ideas without reading and RESPONDING to others -       Easy for students to DELETE and MODIFY others’ work

When used in a monitored, focussed environment, I believe Wikis are a useful educational tool. The teacher would need to monitor and moderate contributions, clearly OUTLINE EXPECTATIONS for work, and demonstrate how to navigate Wikispaces without confusion. Last week, we used a wiki to discuss mobile phones in the classroom, and it worked like a CHARM!

I have made an example Wiki for the Grade 11 Chemistry class I am currently working with. You can access it HERE: http://pshs11chemistry.wikispaces.com/home

Finally, a WEBSITE… now, what on Earth is that!? While everyone knows that, in school, websites are used for FINDING INFORMATION, did you know that allowing students the opportunity to CREATE THEIR OWN website could be a useful learning tool, too?

WEBSITES
STRENGTHS -       Very interactive, and completely STUDENT-AUTHORED -       Websites such as WEEBLY offer free, easy-to-use website templates -       CUSTOMISABLE to almost any colour, theme and layout -       Online, public PUBLISHING creates a sense of ownership, pride and academic responsibility -       Can imbed videos, links and graphics (MULTIMODAL delivery of information) -       Can be EDITED at any time by the author	WEAKNESSES -       So customisable that students may become DISTRACTED by the setting up, and spend less time on content -       Unless options are embedded, a website is STATIC to members of the public (cannot be altered or commented on) -       Easy to unintentionally post PERSONAL INFORMATION and breach COPYRIGHTS of videos, information and graphics
OPPORTUNITIES -       Can be used as a PRESENTING tool for students to publish a research task or assessment, or a WHOLE-CLASS research activity culminated and published in a single website -       Student-authored and publicly published so students are prompted to present QUALITY work -       Can be MONITORED by the teacher for inappropriate, personal or unreferenced content -       ACCESSIBLE for students of all technological abilities (engages creatively and academically)	THREATS -       Easy to spend a lot of time customising and personalising, which could DISTRACT students from the purpose (to present information) -       Risk of students UNSAFELY posting personal information -       Copyright and PLAGIARISM issues could arise very easily

Particularly for research assignments or scientific investigations, I believe that using a student-authored website would be a fantastically creative and engaging PRESENTING platform! To prove just how easy it is, I’ve made my own about a little passion of mine – Irish dancing! You might even find me in a few of the photos… HERE: http://irishdanceworld.weebly.com/

So what do I think about BLOGS, WIKIS and WEBSITES?

Not too bad. Not too bad at all…!

So... Mobile Phones in the Classroom?!?!

So, this week, we had the opportunity to discuss the hot topic of MOBILE PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM.

Do they have a place in learning? Personally, I DON’T THINK SO.

While there are positives to support the use of mobiles for learning, I definitely believe the negatives outweigh the positives… at least for the moment. I mean, really, what can a mobile phone do for learning that an iPad or tablet can’t?

This is what the students of Managing E-Learning discussed this week through the platform of a WIKI. Simply put, a Wiki is a space where you can edit a document (or documents, in our case!) that’s full of other people’s brainstorming ideas. Using de Bono’s THINKING HATS – yes, the hats plastered all over your classroom walls in primary school! – we looked at this issue from different points of view, read other people’s ideas, and contributed our own. It was a fantastic way to share, develop and analyse our ideas about mobile phones in the classroom.  

COLLABORATION IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR LEARNING!

This past week, the E-Learning students also read up on some great frameworks and learning theories we can apply to our tech-based teaching, and even in our own Wiki experience.

« The TPACK system (Technology, Pedagogy And Content Knowledge) was used in the Wiki activity by using an online platform (Technology), the process of collaborative learning (Pedagogy), and drawing upon our own ideas and knowledge about mobile phones in the classroom (Content Knowledge).

« CONSTRUCTIVISM, the theory of student-constructed learning through meaningful contexts, was used when in the learner-directed Wiki required us to form our own responses and make it meaningful to us as future tech-savvy teachers!

« COGNITISM (brain-based learning) and CONNECTIVISM were used throughout the Wiki activity when we used our prior knowledge, built upon it, and modified our attitudes and ideas about mobile phones in the classroom… though mine are still nearly intact!

« BEHAVIOURISM is all about learning through behaviour modification, and this occurred as we began with our own ideas, responded to others, and modified our outlooks as we were introduced to new ideas.

« BLOOM’S TAXONOMY is the process of reaching higher levels and depths of learning: 

REMEMBERING à UNDERSTANDING à APPLYING à ANALYSING à EVALUATING à CREATING. 

Throughout the Wiki activity, we remembered our prior knowledge and ideas, understood any research we did, applied this by expressing our views in the Wiki, analysed our own and others’ contributions, and evaluated our final attitudes and understandings at the end of the activity.

Using de Bono’s THINKING HATS as the scaffold of the wiki, we had to think about the topic in different mindsets. This helped us to evaluate our attitudes towards the topic and apply them thoughtfully and objectively, without being overly influenced by our emotions or attitudes (which is hard to do with this big issue!). The delivery of the activity through a COLLABORATIVE WIKI made it meaningful, interactive and far more thought-provoking than if we’d had to work individually. We were open to other people’s ideas, were able to contribute our own, and ultimately changed our own views to reflect the new information we’d been given. That is, we LEARNED SOMETHING!?!

I know this entry was pretty info-dense, but if anything about the learning theories interested you, check out these websites for MORE INFORMATION!

http://www.learning-theories.com/

http://www.connectivism.ca/

http://tpack.org

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com