Connected…

Over the last two weeks I have learnt how to use a new software, Photostory. Digital Storytelling is using a software such as photostory to do just that, narrate a story to music and a slideshow of digital photos. This was a rewarding experience, as I learnt so many new skills and I am now confident in using this software. Please watch my Digital story, it highlights the reasons I chose to do teaching.

Please click here to view my Digital Story.

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I have just read through a commentary by Gary Simpson on the benefits of Web Dilemmas in assessing student understanding. I was truly amazed to see that the uses for web dilemmas goes far beyond what I previously realised. Earlier in the semester, I had to create a Webquest with a focus on professional development for teachers, but after reading this article I am ashamed to say I hadn’t yet thought about using this type of technology as a means of assessing my students understanding of a topic in such as fun and interactive way. The article outlines a real life dilemma that Gary Simpson did with his Year 11 Biology class, and the skills which they developed over the course of the semester. However, I was disappointed by the reflection of his article, as I felt he did not make valid reference to the need for using a Web Dilemma, over the same question posed on paper. I would have liked him to mention the reasons why he believed using a Web dilemma would benefit the students more and how it helped assess the students and how this in particular this attributed to the web dilemma. For example, was there a forum linked to it that students could make regular contributions to, and could these contributions be viewed by the students’ peers?

Watch this video! I have just watched this video on TeacherTube, which asks many big questions that all teachers should be asking themselves. This is an extremely thought-provoking video, which goes through 3 steps which will help us as teachers prepare our students to be global 21st century citizens. These are questions we should all be asking ourselves!

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I just came across a great article on Ayesha’s blog called What Makes a Good Kid’s Website?‘ by Idit Harel. This article reminds us of what is important when finding good educational websites for our students to visit. Below are a few points that a website should have if it is to be meaningful:

• Invite kids to make, design, build or create something online? Will the interaction lead to them creating something of their own, whether simple or complex?
• Offer activities that are open-ended? (Here you need to think of paintbrushes and paint, not prerecorded, one-way videos). Can girls and boys with different learning styles and interests find ways to express themselves and bring themselves into the activity?
• Provide enough challenge so that the activities can be used and played again and again? Do the activities include hidden, unexpected and newly added features as the user moves along? In other words, can the site grow with your child and can your child evolve with the site?

This is something which I think is very important and I suggest you read the whole article.

Please Listen to the following podcast I made on how we can use Digital Cameras in the classroom. The information contained in the podcast comes from an article I read titled ‘The Use of Digital Camera’s to Enhance Learning’:

 DigitalCamera

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While reading through an article in TechKnowLogia, I came across another great article. The article focuses on learning websites and ‘how they affect the attainment of learning at various cognitive levels including problem solving, creativity, critical thinking and application’.  Please take some time to have a look at this article, there is no doubt that any one of the sites reviewed in the article will be of some benefit to you in the classroom (Parents, don’t be afraid to use these websites at home too!).

While researching articles on software that could be used by schools and in the classroom, I came across this article written by the News Editor of MultiMedia Schools. The article entitled Product Reviews-In-Brief lists the names of hundreds of software programs which schools might use or want to use and offers details and information on its appropriateness based on a five-star scale. Below is a list of the software programs reviewed for Primary School aged children:

• KidsCulture: The Great Explorers, by Susan W. Hixson (3/99)
• Curious George Learns to Spell, by Michele Sands (1/99)
• Thinkology: Clarity, by Susan W. Hixson (11/98)
• Oxford Children’s Encyclopedia on CD-ROM, by Michele Sands (9/98)
• First-Start Biography, by Susan Hixson (5/98)
• Readers’ Guide for Young People, by Gale Mostacciuolo (5/98)
• That’s a Fact, Jack!, by Sandy Scroggs (3/98)
• Mrs. Murphy’s Media Center, by Sandy Scroggs (1/98)
• CornerStone Language Arts, by Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain (11/97)
• Magic Tales II: Sleeping Cub’s Test of Courage, by Charles Doe (9/97)
• Dinosaur Hunter, by Gale Mostacciuolo (5/97)
• Tenth Planet Explores Math: Shapes Within Shapes and Mirror Symmetry, by Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain (5/97)
• Adventures of Ricky Raccoon: Lost in the Woods, by Charles Doe (3/97)
• CCCnet, by Sally Finley (1/97)
• Tesselmania! Deluxe CD, by Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain (1/97)
• Grammar Games, by Jodi Prchal (11/96)
• Trudy’s Time & Place House, by Fay L. Matsunaga (9/96)
• A to Zap!, by Fay L. Matsunaga (5/96)
• Storybook Weaver Deluxe, by Susan W. Hixon (5/96)
• Favorite Greek Myths (Scholastic Smart Books Series), by Mary Alice Anderson (3/96)
• With Open Eyes, by Ellen Baru and Jennifer Howland (3/96)
• School Font Collection, by Susan W. Hixson (1/96)
• The World of Nature (Microsoft Explorapedia Series), by Susan Eblen (1/96)

For the full list of reviews, I recommend taking a look at the journal article yourself!

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The following vodcast was created in a class and is about an educational website which I found on the internet. The site is called BrainBashers: Puzzles and Brainteasers, and I recommend that you take a look at the website and even give some of the games a go, believe me, some of them can be quite challenging!!

Please click here to view my vodcast.

I have just read a really interesting post on Ayesha’s blog titled the ‘Benefits of using ICT to teach Writing’. The article lists many different benefits, which go far beyond what has traditionally been done using a pen and paper and sitting at a desk. The environment created by computers and the World Wide Web have introduced so many new tools which make teaching Writing Skills not only easier for the teacher, but in a way that gives the students more confidence. Below are only a few suggestions, but I recommend reading Ayesha’s blog for the full list of ways which this can be done.

• It helps develop an understanding and awareness of written and visual text.
• Provides a high quality of presentation that can motivate students who find handwriting difficult or messy.
• It allows students to reflect on their writing and to make changes easily by cutting and pasting text.
• It helps students to write more interesting texts because they can access a wide variety of information through the internet and other learning programs.
• It identifies, checks and corrects grammatical and spelling errors.
• It helps promotes both independent and collaborative writing
• It gives opportunities for publishing and communicating within the classroom and worldwide environments.

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I have just read a post on Jessica’s blog about a young girl, only two years of age, demonstrating just how technologically apt the children of this generation are. The vodcast shows the young girl using a mobile phone to text, take pictures and engage in functions which most of today’s older generation (sometimes known as technophobes) would find confronting and far too challenging to comprehend. I find it truly amazing that a young child, whose biggest challenge at this age should be toilet training, is able to make calls and use calendar entries on a highly technical phone. This just reflects the exposure children these days have to all types of technologies and should really reflect the way in which teachers, in particular, try to engage and educate them. I recommend taking a look at this vodcast, it is a real eye opener!