The Presentation

Technology decision

I have extensive experience with PowerPoint, even asking my undergraduates to not create lineal presentations, but multimedia resources suitable for Interactive Whiteboards with a web of navigation choices via hyperlinks for 21st Century Learners wanting to choose their learning pathway. 

I have had limited experience with Prezi and find this creative visual presentation tool extremely effective and reasonably simple to construct. I haven't had the opportunity to explore the full range of
tools within this program and have not yet played with the iPad app version. I feel Prezi may meet my needs for extending my knowledge of a program whilst being effective in presenting.  If I select either of the above options as the presentation tool, I will also create a screen capture using SnagIt and upload the presentation to Screencast for final submission.

I do like a challenge, and I have this week been introduced to some great presentation tools.  I have just heard of (and watched a single presentation) on PowToon.  I would like to explore this resource and see if it may meet my needs for presenting my topic in an exciting multimedia format that challenges my 21st Century skills.  I may need to rely on the help tutorials :-)

Topic discussion

I would like to use this presentation as an opportunity to explore a topic that I have limited understanding of. As I have conducted an undergraduate subject based around ethical digital citizenship I have a sound understanding of topics such as Cybersafety, Cyberbullying, Sexting, Online Protection and Social Media . I have a real interest in gaining knowledge in the essential literacies of technology for students, teachers and schools, but in particular, how we can also reach parents.  This topic selection will encompass some of the other topics as it is the literacy of all technology and the transfer between these that is of interest to me.

My Presentation

 

Reflection on learning

To create my Powtoon I needed to transfer my knowledge of digital literacies from previous experiences to problem solve and manipulate the program. Simple skills of drag & drop, text formatting, using menus, adding slides, capturing (thanks to Jing) and uploading images were essential. Researching the subject meant I needed to know where and how to retrieve information. Downloading articles to my iPad for reading and annotating is a skill I have been using for some time. 

Some techniques that needed to be implemented that were new to me were due to the limitations of some of the tools available within this program. Understanding and using a timeline (problem solving only 20 seconds per slide) with the intricacies required in this program was new to me, but not difficult. Sound was my challenge. Powtoon only allows two audio files to be imported - one for music and the other for voice. I wanted my voice recording to match the slides and sometimes specific images or text. The voice recorder available to me within the program didn't allow me to view the slides whilst recording and would mean I would need to record for the length of the presentation in one recording (talk about a challenge). 

To problem solve this I decided to use GarageBand on the iPad. I have had limited experience with the desktop version and no experience with the iPad app. I recorded audio for each slide individually and then needed to get the timeline in sync with the visual presentation which was challenging, but came together quite quickly. I then had to export this file and upload it to Powtoon along with the music. Balancing the audio of the two tracks was quite a simple feature of the program. Once the audio file was imported, I had to manipulate some visual items to better align them to the audio track.

My final challenge was to create a YouTube account and upload the video to YouTube.  I'm not keen on sharing items online (I typically keep my digital fingerprint to a minimum) so needed to restrict the privacy settings so the video is not publicly available.

All in all it was great to challenge myself using a program I had not even heard of a month ago. The digital literacy knowledge I have held me in good stead when problem solving Powtoon. I feel that digital literacy, whereby learners are able to transfer skills between devices, programs and hardware, is essential for all 21st century learners. 

Day 3

'Playing is ... a natural activity performed by everyone' (Sedano et al., 2013, p. 822).

Lecture

With a focus on creating games, today's class introduced us to QUIA. We had also time to explore, create and reflect on the learning that has occurred over the past three days.  Some technical assumptions were reviewed (saving as PDF and compressing files) and reminded me that all learners bring a different skill set (or tool box) to every class. Whilst I have experience in many programs, I can't possibly be expected to know them all and in turn, cannot expect my students to become experts in them either. Learners need time to explore the tools at their own pace as well as time to process the knowledge that has been shared. What we all probably lack, is the time due to our many demands of our work and home lives. Flipping the classroom, or shifting the responsibility of learning to the student via a role reversal my help our 21st Century learners gain the skills necessary to navigate the tools of tomorrow.

QUIA Quiz

The Quia quiz application, with its 30 day free trial, opened up a world of quiz and puzzle building tools. I love the idea of giving students the ownership on these tools to create their puzzles and games. Not only would it consolidate their understanding of a topic, but also give them the opportunity to problem solve whilst consider peering their target audience.

Whilst Greg indicated that we probably only explored 10% of the power of this program, playing with game creation software such as the Hangman (or in my case Balloons), scavenger hunt and Word Jumble (I would like to be able to add hints as I could not unjumble my own words without a context :-) gave me insight into the value of programs like this one. I have had experience in Survey Monkey, Hot Potatoes and Moodle Quiz Builder, but QUIA has all of these tools (and so much more) tucked into one tidy little package. The issue I had with this application is that the reuse of text was difficult due to the individual boxes associated with each game or quiz. For example, if I wanted to create a word search with the same word list as the cloze activity, I was unable to copy and paste the list across. 

The idea of students (and in some cases, teachers) becoming the designers of games (I'm a big fan of Mark Prensky because of his emphasis on game playing in Education) would have them carefully considering their target audience as well as their sentence and answer structure (eg. My opinion of how long a straight stitch should be on a sewing machine was different to the answer of that particular quiz).  This would have a huge impact on their learning resulting in deep learning on the subject. Very clear rules/guidelines would need to be established with the students before they embarked on creating more complex games. The power of reflection on learning through a program such as QUIA would increase students' technology literacy. Programs such as this one have great potential for students creating their own games, but in turn increasing their literacy in the subject matter as well as the technology. 

Discovering 'the world around us through play' (Reilly, 1974 as cited in Sedano et al., 2013, p. 822) reflects a child's approach to technology. The computer in a wall experiment is a perfect example of this - that children with little to no formal education can problem solve technology independently reiterates a the four motivation factors that Sedano et al. (2013) addresses; challenge, curiosity, fantasy and personal control.
 

 

Cutepdf writer

I have used CutePDF writer for about eight years and find it to be extremely reliable.  I'm glad Adobe has now incorporated a PDF writer in the saving options from Microsoft, but I must admit, I still use CutePDF writer.  On the Mac, this option has been integrated for as long as I can remember.  I encourage students to send or upload files as PDF so that their intended audience receives exactly what they wanted to share.
 

Microsoft Office Picture Manager

Whilst Adobe Photoshop is a powerful program that gives the user an amazing array of tools to use to edit and manipulate images, for the purpose of compressing images I direct my students to Microsoft Office Picture Manager as it is accessible to all Windows users (as a Mac user I just use iPhoto for simple image compression and basic editing). The compressing of images for use on the web with this program could not be simpler and has no additional cost.

 

Reflection on learning

My avatar from day 1.

Evident during this subject was the sharing of knowledge and skills as well as the various approaches to problem solving issues.  This collegial approach to learning reiterated Wideman et al's., (2007, p. 13) 'community of practice'. Whilst there was a vast range of ICT skills in the class, everyone was prepared to share their ideas and ask questions. I believe this reflects today's classrooms; whilst we make the assumption that the generation of digital natives are tech savvy, in reality, the age of the user does not denote their ability.  Most importantly, moving away from traditional views of the classroom and allowing students to use information in different visual medium helps all learners to engage with 21st Century skills.

Being exposed to so many programs opened my eyes to the possibilities for students. Increasing my tool box has challenged my thinking about approaches in the classroom that effectively cater for the needs of my students.  I believe my technological literacy has aided me in understanding how to approach new software and has resulted in a quick understanding of each program.  I have increased my skills for effective teaching and practice which I will transfer into my undergraduate degree.

I am a conservative online user. I'm not a fan of lots of online contributions (I have a Facebook page but rarely contribute). I love technology and am completely lost without my iPhone, but keep my online participation to a minimum. As such, contributing to this blog is quite new to me. I have written blogs before using WordPress and PebblePad, but wanted to try another medium for contributions. As I am an avid iPad user, finding the app for Blogger has given me the opportunity to write my thoughts and review my work before finalising my writing with images and links via the PC based online version of the program. Navigating the tools, uploading images and videos, hyperlinking to webpages and Google docs, embedding YouTube clips and manipulating text are all skills I have applied in other programs and found that I was easily able to apply through this blog.  It is my literacy of technology that has allowed me to easily problem solve the program, even though I had not used it prior to this week. 
 

My avatar has changed
to an excited educator
ready to collaborate with
her 21st Century Learners

The digital divide is a concept which is becoming increasing popular through the literature on technology use.  This was evident when discussing the personal teaching situations of my classmates.  Some class members discussed the poor technical support available within their school, or poor internet connection due to remote locations.  I was fascinated with the international students and their unique situations, where they may have one teacher laptop to a class of 60 students, or no power in the school until midday.  What we take for granted is that 21st Century learners may not have the opportunity to experience technology from a young age (even though we may see a 12 month old being entertained in their pram with an iPhone).  For example, the opportunities of technology experiences that are available to students beyond the classroom is not within our control.  I believe we must teach the skills of technology literacy with the tools that are available to us rather than focus on specific content set that is difficult to transfer across situations (teaching students how to learn, rather than what to learn).  This will best prepare learners for the 21st Century. Remaining literate with technology is an essential 21st Century skill.  It is not about knowing it all, but being able to find out how to learn and to be able to transfer existing skills to a new task.  It is this literacy that what will help learners cross the digital divide.

Other programs

Epotential 
Scratch

FUSE

ACMI

Socrative.com

Edutopia

Voki
ePals
DoppelMe





 

Day 2

Educating students about safe online practices must be a priority for all teachers, no matter what age our students are. Educating students about becoming ethical digital citizens who behave responsibly and safely online is essential. 

Lecture 
Having a plan B for any technology based learning is extremely important for any teacher.  The snapshot of the future that Greg shared demonstrated an insight into what classrooms may look like (if they are well funded).  If the technology isn't working or access is restricted due to poor wifi coverage or computer unavailability, teachers need to have a counter plan. Opportunities explored in the clip 'Bridging Our Future', such as connections to experts in the field, may be explored in classrooms through arctic explorers, astronauts (NASA has an amazing range of educational resources, including live broadcasts from space), sailors (such as Jessie Martin) and CSIRO. The simplicity of connection via programs such as Skype or FaceTime is no longer accessible to the few. Being able to contact family whilst they are overseas via these means has made distance irrelevant for my children. 

Involving students in ethical digital citizenship conversations may occur as part of regular classes. The difficulty I see is engaging parents in these conversations. The ThinkUKnow website is a useful resource for guiding teachers, parents and students in ways to navigate the technology of today. It is a resource which I encourage my preservice teachers to subscribe to. Having students and parents agreeing to

Acceptable Use Agreements (AUA) is very important so all users understand the expectations of technology use (at LaTrobe, the AIM is supposed to cover this for our adult users).  I believe that my 14 year old needs to demonstrate that she can negotiate face-to-face with her peers successfully before being exposed to having to navigate social media.  Being active in the classroom and being able to view all computer screens is extremely important to me.  I make a point of constantly rotating through the room to assist with technical concerns and also view students' on task behaviours.

The risks (hateful, racist, pornographic, commercial, financial or spam) associated with Internet use is

essential learning for all users. The reading 'Protecting yourself online' discusses safety and security risks and how users can possibly reduce these.  The 8 simple tips for online safety have practical examples that should be integrated into all learning on cybersafety.  The additional resources listed in this document are great. However, there are so many positives that should not be overshadowed by this essential learning. It is important that students understand cyberbullying laws. Cyberbullying can occur 24/7. The argument of whether it is still the teacher' role after school to ensure duty of care of their students is constantly discussed. 

Educating students at a young age about student identity protection, phishing emails and spam are so very important. My 6 year old son learnt this lesson when he was so excited whilst playing a game via the Disney channel and a pop up window said that he had won a trip to Disneyland. We discussed the ideas of commercialism, spam and identify security and as a result, both of my children (now 14 & 11) know how much information is too much information. 

These flashy popups may appear harmless

 

The legalities of sexting is an issue often avoided in discussions but must be addressed with all learners. The legal implications of the distribution of a sexy photograph taken by oneself is frightening and teenage girls in particular need to know that this behaviour is illegal. I feel for the person receiving this image (often a boy) who may then be charged with possessing pornographic material. The lifelong impact of possessing and distributing these materials I believe is unknown to teenagers (most often those involved in this practice) and must be incorporated into cybersafety education of high school students. The Sex & Tech reading is a valuable resource for both students and teachers with clear data on the occurrences of sexting related issues. The ThinkUKnow website in conjunction with the Australian Federal Police also have some great resources on this issue. 

This lecture also provided some great links to useful websites. I will be adding these to my Delicious account so that all of my undergraduate students have access to them. 










Makebeliefscomix
With no sign up required I can see primary school students really enjoying creating a comic strip in Makebeliefscomix. I can see students utilising this resources as a fun, creative writing tool, but for teachers, it could be utilised as a summary of prior leaning on a topic, a way to express character development or a method in succinct story writing. 

Wordle
One of my favourite simple visual tools is Wordle. To create a word web that uses colour and size to emphasise key words has many applications in the classroom as well as higher education. As a brainstorming tool Wordle can be used to create quick digital word wall displays.  I have used it as a summary tool of my lectures at the end of semester, pasting my lecture notes into the tool and creating a visual display of key points for students. I have also used the tool for finding themes within student papers and reflections as well as academic journal articles. There are so many applications of this very simple online tool. 

Photostory 3
Another simple free tool for students to create a multimedia response to an assessment task (I have first year preservice teachers create a digital story of their 'virtual literacy backpack') or a personal pictorial display that incorporates photos, titles, audio and effects. This is a very simple program that I have had VCAL students in a Special Education setting use to create their own digital portfolio of their learning. 


Go Animate
I can see Go Animate having a place in the subject Interactive Technologies (4th year elective in Bach Ed) where students are able to tell a story to show conceptual learning. There are so many versions of this program that I have had experience with, such as Stop motion, Lego Movie Maker (iPad app) or iPhoto (my favourite desktop program for photo slideshows). Other students mentioned programs such as LapseIt and Domo Animate which I would like to explore (in my spare time :-)

Mobile Technologies 
The power of mobile devices in today's classroom I believe is still an under explored area. Whilst I have been involved in setting up computers in classrooms, the netbook programs in schools, iPads for learning and using such hardware such as flipcams, iPods, digital cameras and smart phones, the integration of these devices is yet to be realised. 

Scootle
Wow! I love this collection of educational resources, but most importantly, I love the unified

approach to building a quality resource that is so closely linked to the Australian Curriculum. Victoria's FUSE was not as easy to navigate and did not have clear links to curriculum. Scootle has managed to streamline all resources and it's search engine is intuitive. This is a resource that I personally use in my teaching, but one I also strongly encourage my undergraduate students to access and use during their Practicum, their assessment requirements as well as in their own classrooms. 

Roller Mâché 
I was so pleased to reintroduced to Roller Mâché. I haven't accessed this resource for some time, but love the videos that explain the processes of animation as well as the practical examples and useable templates (I've used the storyboard during my Interactive Technologies subject and love the simplicity of this document). What a great way to explain animation to students. 

Dvolver
Whilst there are some good features to Dvolver, the potentially negative content makes this program inappropriate for my classroom. This program relies on students using the available resource in an appropriate way.  I feel other applications may involve students in these same processes without the associated risks. 

Sketch Swap


The image I received - it is rather abstract.

My attempt at sketching

If only I was able to draw well :-( This was a fun program to use (quite simple), but again, the risk of not knowing what Sketch Swap may appear on the students' screen makes this program too risky for a primary school classroom. 






Design Briefs

Strands of Design and Technology in
the Australian Curriculum

I teach the subject Design and Technology, which at the third year of the Bachelor of Education is based around the design cycle. I have students write an interdisciplinary unit of work for a primary school classroom. As pointed out by Greg, VELS does not have specific achievement standards written for lower levels in the primary school (it starts at level 3), but is easily transferable to these classes. I am excited to see the Australian Curriculum realising the importance of interdisciplinary learning in subjects such as Design, Creativity and Technology and that younger students too will benefit from (and can be assessed in) this subject. The process versus product as well as the possible variations of design elements and importance of language use are far too valuable for student learning at all ages. Pushing higher education students outside the box helps them in all aspects of their learning which will in turn make their teaching more dynamic and engaging, preparing their students for 21st Century Learning. I look forward to reading the new curriculum standards for Design & Tech so I can integrate it into my teaching and learning experiences. 

 
Other resources
There have been so many resources shared today including Smilebox, Catchment Detox, Skwirk and Yenka to name a few. The documents accessible via the LMS are too valuable to lose, so I have attached them here for my future retrieval. 

Animation websites
Extra Resources

Bridging Our Future

 

Day 1

Technology in education has evolved dramatically in recent years.  Education 3.0 requires 21st Century pedagogy and skills, but most importantly literacies across all domains that will aid students in their undetermined future.

The Lecture
I have a great interest in student engagement and believe that multimedia, and digital technologies are ways to engage students in their learning.  Multimedia is defined by Sharma & Kakkar (2011, p.27) 'as the combining of text, graphics, animation, picture, video's and sound to present information'.

Today's workshop discussed the needs of 21st Century learners by exposing us to a variety of programs, concepts and understandings about the importance of technology in the lives of all learners.  Technology is intertwined in everyday life and will continue to be so.  We know that the employment of the future has not yet been created for the children of today. Helping learners to successfully use, engage and understand technology are important aspects of education in preparation for their future success in life.  Teaching children how to learn, not teaching them content, is part of this education. 

Dede (2009) clearly identifies that 20th Century learning is significantly different to 21st Century skills.  21st Century skills such as being technologically literate, not just being able to read or write, but being literate in technology as well as other domains are essential for all 21st Century learners. 

21st Century learners need to be able to collaborate, problem solve, set personal goals, be critical thinkers, be innovative and are creative.  Teaching needs to embrace interdisciplinary learning to allow learners the opportunity to transfer their skills and knowledge throughout all domains.  These skills and knowledge will be necessary for the opportunities that will arise for the global community.  Shank's (1994) ten principles still apply 20 years later in Education 3.0.  It has seen the physical restructure of buildings with open planning, wifi accessibility and the preparation for technology of the future.  Innovative teaching practices will cater for the principles proposed by Shank (1994) and aid 21st Century students to become actively involved in their learning.

This year I have trialled a 'flipped classroom' whereby lecture content is delivered via screen captures prior to students attending the classroom.  Students were also to complete their professional readings in preparation for class discussion and collaboration about the theories.  Students needed to take ownership on their learning by completing the weekly requirements in a time that suited them.  As a result, the in class discussions were richer and allowed us to focus in on the connections of the theory to practical applications rather than just the sharing of content.  As a result, higher order thinking and deep learning occurred rather than surface learning which may often be the case in a traditional lecture delivery.

I am an avid Mac user and to hear Steve Jobs' name in class brought a smile to my face - what a visionary!  To hold the world in the palm of your hand via the extremely clever technology that he envisaged and brought to reality is an amazing feat and one that I cannot live without.  The opportunities for social and professional connections are endless, but I am extremely conscious of the increasing time demand that technology takes from our everyday lives.  Being aware of the impact of technology and how much it can be a distraction is something I am very conscious of and is well addressed in this video. 

BTW - Ken Robinson's video on creativity is one of my favourite videos for prompting a discussion about how to teach and assess creativity :-)

The Gilbert (2006) review succinctly outlines the skills of a 21st Century learner.  Whilst we would like to think learners who have competed their formal schooling have attained these vital skills, students entering my undergraduate degree are yet to develop some of these skills.  I will be exploring this reference further to assist my students with attaining these important life skills for 21st Century learners in preparation for them as educators.

Jing
I have been using Jing since 2009 to provide screen capture feedback to my undergraduate students on essays and digital portfolios.  It is a simple program to use but extremely effective for personalising feedback and for providing clear instructions about processes for using software.  I moved to using SnagIt as I am not time restricted (Jing is limited to 5 minutes) and I have more editing tools.  Uploading the screen captures to Screencast allows me to share the files with students and colleagues without them needing to download large files. I introduce students to Jing through a

subject I teach, Interactive Technologies, where they have to create an instructional video about using a self selected piece of software.

Using Jing for image capturing is something I have rarely done, as I most often use Snipping Tool or SnagIt.  Because Jing is freeware and available across platforms, it is something I will continue to encourage students to include in their repertoire of technology tools.

Inspiration
I am an experienced user of Inspiration 8 and Webspiration (freeware) but was not aware of the great tools hidden within Inspiration 9.  Being able to add notes, create snapshots and presentations and adding audio and video brings this program to a whole new level of interactivity and validates its use in classrooms.  This reiterates my point that technology evolves at such a quick rate that we cannot be experts in all software and hardware, but need to be literate in the universal tools and skills required to navigate a plethora of programs and apps.  I also began exploring the free iPad  version of this software which appears to have quite an extensive range of tools and images for use - it is limited in its sharing capability, but by upgrading to the paid app, this can easily be rectified.

I use Inspiration in three of the subjects I deliver.  It is a great planning or reflective tool and caters for more visual learners.  The newer version has so many features that will enhance the application of this program in my teaching.

Storybird
Storybird allowed me (the user) to experience quick success with creating an online picture story book.  Using the fantastic artwork of some terrific contributors, students would be able to create their own interpretation of a story.  This program would allow primary school students to compile and

write their own version of a picture story book and the program has already established an online publishing forum for the user.  I could see all aged children learning may skills from text editing, image manipulation, sequencing of events to story structure through a program such as this.

Teaching into the Bachelor of Education P-6, this program could be used to enhance literacy based subjects as well as having a place in any ICT based subject.  The literature of ICT required to work with this program is rather simple and may meet the needs of preservice teachers for their own assessment or for creating resources for their practicum.

The story I wrote is about my daughter, Maddy.  She loves to write creative stories and would really enjoy manipulating these beautiful artwork to enhance her stories.

Publisher
I have used Publisher quite a number of times, including creating brochures, but essentially to assist students in the classroom with their own creatively designed published items.  I am actually a Mac user, and Publisher is combined with Microsoft Word on the Macs.  The tools for manipulating and editing image, text, borders, colours, fonts etc. are essentially transferable between so many different programs.

As part of my subject delivery, I do assist students with the basic skills of the Microsoft Office suite, but essentially, the programs are becoming common place for most students entering the undergraduate degree.  I find directing students to peers or help assistants (both formal, such as the Microsoft online help assistants or informal, such as YouTube) is just as effective as me directing students in class.  I do have students create a newsletter in the first year of their degree so as to experience the building of a document such as this one as it is important that the familiarise themselves with the various tools of Microsoft.