Week 5 kicked off with a group discussion based on the required readings for the week, where the whole class was given the opportunity to discuss and share our thoughts. Participating in this class discussion provided extremely beneficial, as it enabled me to hear multiple interpretations and viewpoints my peers had in relation to the readings. In this discussion, I learnt about some previously unknown facts about technologies used in my daily life. One fact I found extremely interesting was that keyboards were actually designed to slow us typers down, with the letters arranged so they don't jam if the typing is too fast!
Jason introduced a new application in the form of VotApedia:
- an audience response program enabling users to vote for specific answers, with the results shown in a bar graph.
- is free to set up for teachers, however costs money to call or text a vote.
- can be used as a move towards more interactive assessment in an electronic learning environment, with teachers able to measure student engagement and understanding.
The main focus of today's workshop was exploring the software of iMovie, where, as a class, we learnt how to create a movie, edit our clip in a variety of ways and then share our finished product. iMovie, or other similiar programs are powerful and highly engaging tools for students to use to share their knowledge and express themselves in the form of digital movies (Apple Inc, 2012). I would use this tool in the classroom to encourage students to create video reports to demonstrate concepts or share what they have learnt. There really is no limit to what students and teachers alike could create using such programs! I feel confident in my iMovie abilities and will look at employing iMovie for Learning Adventure 1.
To conclude the workshop, each group presented information about their chosen topic to the whole class. The information that was offered from each group allowed me to further increase my knowledge base. The following points clarify what I learnt from each groups presentation:
Creating with ICT:
- concentrated on the topic of operating with ICT, with specific regard to Global Positioning Systems (GPS), PRS and scanners.
- introduced a website called Educaching which has a wide range of GSP uses in the classroom.
- an interactive resource incorporating GPS technology into classrooms and providing innovative lesson plans.
ICT in the Early Years:
- focused on the idea of animated classrooms which incorporates ICT usage into early years classrooms.
- Animated classrooms employ stop motion animation sequences through using digital media such as cameras and iMovie.
- can be implemented across all areas of the curriculum and ties in with the idea of 'play based learning'
Games in Learning:
- focused on using games for Science learning.
- showed the classroom an interactive science website called Science Kids, useful as both a teacher and student resource
Google Tools:
For my groups presentation this week, we decided to explore the digital tool of Google Sketch-Up. I thoroughly enjoyed researching and playing around with this Google tool and believe there are many educational benefits:
Benefits:
- is a free, powerful, intuitive 3D modelling software
- is used by educators and students around the world to explore, explain and present their ideas using 3D models
- helps encourage students to become creators and not just consumers of content
Students can use Google Sketch-UP in the classroom too:
- model buildings and learn about architectural design and engineering
- visualise geometry and other mathematical concepts
- design interiors, landscapes and buildings in 3D
- learn about the history of towns
- design models of towns historical buildings
(Google, 2011).
The readings for this week took us on a journey into the world of ICT expectations for students. The Smart Classrooms Digital Pedagogies ICT expectations for students was a thoroughly engaging read and enabled me to realise that modern day students more and more need to develop and hone their skills to be able to extensively learn and succeed in today's ever increasing digital world. While the reading mainly focused on the student side of things, I was able to make the direct link to the teacher impacts as well. As a future teacher, I will be required to keep up with these evolving technologies to ensure they are implemented and used correctly within my own classroom.
NET Standards for students:
- Creativity and Innovation
- Communication and Collaboration
- Research and Information Fluency
- Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Digital Citizenship-
- Technology Operations and Concepts
At the conclusion of today's workshop, I believe that I have started to discover and collect a wide variety of ways that ICT and related technologies could be implemented into my own classroom.
Jessica Beitey
s2759712
References:
Apple Inc. (2012). What is iMovie? Retrieved 30th March, 2012 from
Google. (2011). Google SketchUp. Retrieved 29th March, 2012 from
http://sketchup.google.com/ 
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