Technology is changing the world and the way in which everything is done. Now, more than ever, the needs of students have changed, and teachers must recognise and adapt to incorporate technology or they will be faced with disengaged learners and learning outcomes which are never met.
These days, students have been brought up surrounded by technology. Mobile phones, computers with wireless internet, IPods, digital video, satellite television, etc have become the norm in almost every household. These students are known as Digital Natives (Prensky, M 2001); being born into this new technological world. Technology is second nature to them and they embrace it in every aspect of their lives. This is why teachers must also learn to embrace these new technologies. The old ways no longer work and without technology, students simply disengage. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are merely digital devices or technologies (Fasso, W 2010). When used in an appropriate manner within the classroom, ICTs are extremely effective in engaging students and achieving learning outcomes. However, it is also important to emphasise that ICTs are only effective when used in a manner which compliments, facilitates and enhances student learning. ICTs will not work if they are used merely for the sake of using them, where they become a way of “presenting” learning experiences and, in many cases, as a reincarnation of old teaching habits (Reid, A 2010 & Shievers, S 2010a).
Blooms Taxonomy is a framework consisting of 6 levels of thinking; Remember, Understand, Apply (lower order thinking skills), and Analyse, Evaluate and Create (higher order thinking skills)(James, A 2010). When designing Learning Experiences there should always be a higher order focus which will engage learners and lead to more authentic learning outcomes (Edwards, R 2010). Andrew Churches is a teacher who has done extensive work with Bloom’s Taxonomy and has translated it into the digital age leading to the creation of Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy (James, A 2010a). Outlined on his wiki are many highly useful resources regarding Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy (Churches, A 2008), including a chart with examples for each level of thinking in the digital age (Churches, A 2008).
The English and Film, Television and New Media classrooms are especially creative based subjects, and therefore align easily with Bloom’s Taxonomy and higher order thinking. In English, seven of the nine Ways of Working from the Essential Learnings (QSA, 2007) utilise higher order thinking skills (James, A 2010). Within Film, Television and New Media, the foundation of the subject is creation of productions, and analysis, interpretation and justification of films; all higher order thinking processes. There is also emphasis on technology and embracing new technologies to improve knowledge, skills and quality of production.
Several ICTs would be beneficial in the classroom, including Blogs, Learning Management Systems, Digital Images and Videos, and Wikis.
Blogs can be a very useful teaching tool in the classroom for many reasons and can be used in several tasks including peer assessment, collaborative learning, formative assessment, and as a tool to keep in touch with students and parents (James, A 2010b). Blogs also allow teachers to assess the level of understanding from each student and this information can then be used to direct further learning design on both an individual and whole class levels. Within the Film, Television and New Media teaching context, a blog would be beneficial as a production journal. Students would complete a posting each week, reflecting on their processes and influences within the task, justify their design choices, and keep track of progress within the production process. Students could also collaborate and comment on one another’s blogs to gain further ideas and understanding. Within the English classroom, student s from around the world could work collaboratively on a novel. Given that students draw on their own experiences and ideals to interpret and make meaning of texts (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2007), asking students from around the world to complete a blog while reading a novel would be very interesting and enlightening (Shievers, S 2010). As with any online system where students are able to post material and comment on one another’s work, teachers must closely monitor posts to ensure issues of plagiarism and cyber-bullying do not arise (James, A 2010b).
A Wiki is an online document which can be accessed and changed by anyone (Atlassian Pty Ltd 2010). Any project involving collaboration of students would be ideal to incorporate the use of a wiki as each student could work on and prepare their own part of the task and the project stays online and up-to-date, eliminating situations where people may not get all the information or the latest version of the project (James, A 2010c). Within the English and Film, Television and New Media teaching contexts, wikis could be used as a formative assessment tool. Students would work on their assignments (whether it is a written or oral piece, or production) through their wiki. The rough draft would then stay online and the teacher could monitor student progress, give feedback and assess the assignment.
A Learning Management System (LMS) is a “single platform that delivers content, manages assessment, provides communication forums and virtual collaboration spaces for students” (Fasso, W 2010a) These days, there is a variety of reasons students cannot physically be in class every week. Whether they are too ill, live too far from the nearest school, need to work to support themselves, or simply do not want to be bound to conventional school attendance requirements, teachers need to recognise these students and adapt their delivery methods to suit (James, A 2010d). The use of an LMS allows students to access class information and complete content at times convenient to them. Students can also work collaboratively through the use of forums, wikis and blogs, and assessment can be uploaded via the system, eliminating the need for students to physically be present in the classroom. An LMS also allows parents, support staff and fellow teachers have access to class content and student progress. Film, Television and New Media Students are often required to produce films as their assessment which is a very time consuming process. As a result, pre and post production usually takes place outside school hours. With an LMS, students would not need to physically need to be in class, freeing up valuable time to complete productions.
Digital Images and Video are the basis of Film, Television and New Media, and an invaluable tool within the English classroom. The saying is “a picture says a thousand words” and within the mentioned teaching contexts the statement is especially true (James, A 2010e). Images and video are a valuable resource in any classroom; whether used as a model, a stimulant for discussion or evaluative thinking, or simply to break up text and regain student attention (James, A 2010e). Images and video can be used to model certain teaching content which is often hard to explain in words. In Film, Television and New Media, different filming techniques and technical information is often discussed, but until an example is seen, the concepts are very hard to understand. Images and video can also be used to stimulate class discussion or evaluative thinking. Students can be shown an image or video and asked their responses.
Video can be used in a variety of ways within both teaching contexts. For Film, Television and New Media, it is the basis for assessment. Students produce their own videos, demonstrating technical skills and design knowledge. They also analyse video and evaluate elements within different videos (James, A 2010f). Within English, videos can be used in a similar way but on a more basic level. The film version of a novel can be used for students to compare and contrast, they can be used to assist students with reading difficulties, and students can be asked to create a project using video or images as an alternative to traditional assessment.
ICTs, when used in an appropriate manner, enhance student engagement, improve student learning and allow for increased student participation. Teachers must change their approach to teaching and adapt to include new technologies into their classrooms or students will simply disengage and learning outcomes will never be met.
References
Atlassian Pty Ltd 2010. Wiki FAQ, viewed 12 December 2010 www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/wiki.jsp
Churches, A 2008. Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy, viewed 15 November 2010 http://pkab.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/peta-konsep-ranah-belajar-bloom-taxonomy/
Edwards, R, 2010. Blooms Taxonomy, viewed 10 November 2010 http://reneescourseblog.blogspot.com/
Fasso,W, 2010. Week 2: eLearning Design, lecture notes, FAHE11001 Managing eLearning, CQUniveristy, Rockhampton
Fasso,W, 2010a. Week 3: What Are the Roles of ICT in Education, lecture notes, FAHE11001 Managing eLearning, CQUniveristy, Rockhampton
James, A, 2010. Blooms Taxonomy, viewed 14 November 2010
http://aprilljames.blogspot.com/
James, A, 2010a. Andrew Churches, viewed 16 November 2010
http://aprilljames.blogspot.com/
James, A 2010b. Blogs in the Classroom, viewed 2 November 2010
http://aprilljames.blogpot.com/
James, A 2010c. Websites and Wikis, viewed 8 November 2010
http://aprilljames.blogspot.com/
James, A 2010d. Learning Management Systems, viewed 16 November 2010 http://aprilljames.blogspot.com/
James, A 2010e. Images and Podcasts, viewed 21 November 2010
http://aprilljames.blogspot.com/
James, A 2010f. Digital Video, viewed 1 December 2010
http://aprilljames.blogspot.com/
Pensky, M, 2001. Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, CQUniversity Resources Online (FAHE11001).
Queensland Studies Authority, 2007, English essential learnings by the end of year 9, viewed 2 July 2010 http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/
Reid, A, 2010. Digital Tool 5: Power Point, viewed 18 November 2010 http://ashjourney.blogspot.com/
Shievers, S 2010. Blogs, viewed 10 November 2010
http://s0173781.blogspot.com/
Shievers, S 2010a. Powerpoint, viewed 5 December 2010
http://s0173781.blogspot.com/
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2007. English, viewed 12 December 2010 http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vels/english.html
Comments List
Renee Edwards – http://reneescourseblog.blogspot.com/
Podcasting in the classroom – is it useful? (29 November 2010)
Comment left 5 December 2010
Bloom’s Taxonomy (4 November 2010)
Comment left 10 December 2010
Ashleigh Reid – http://ashjourney.blogspot.com/
Digital Tool 5: PowerPoint (16 November 2010)
Comment left 18 November 2010
Digital Tool 4: Website (11 November 2010)
Comment left 14 & 15 November 2010
Learning Theory (9 November 2010)
Comment left 10 November 2010
Sarah May – http://sarahmaycqu.blogspot.com/
Bloom’s Taxonomy (28 November 2010)
Comment left 29 November 2010
Karen Piper – http://karenpiperlearning.blogspot.com/
LMS (26 November 2010)
Comment left 28 November 2010
Simon Shievers – http://s0173781.blogspot.com/
Blogs (9 November 2010)
Comment left 10 November 2010
Concept Maps (16 November 2010)
Comment left 18 November 2010
Power Point (4 December 2010)
Comment left 5 December 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Digital Video
Video is the basis of my major discipline area so therefore I would rely heavily on this tool.
Video can be used for many purposes within my teaching context. It could serve as a means of assessment where students are asked to produce their own video with certain boundaries or guidelines to demonstrate learning, and this will encourage higher order thinking in that they are creating a new production, as well as evaluating and justifying their design choices. There could be a video used to model what is expected of students.
Videos can also be used to help explain different concepts of Film and TV to the class. You can explain what a Medium Long Shot should look like, or the difference between natural light and artificial light, but until they see it for themselves within a film, it is hard to truly grasp the idea.
Videos also encourage higher order thinking in the form of analysis and evaluation. Students are often asked to analyse a video, drawing their own ideas and conclusions and then will need to justify those conclusions (eg. What are their thoughts on propaganda film and media, and what techniques do the makers of such media use to portray their message?).
There are also many other appropriate uses of video in the classroom context. It could be an instructional video where students are shown how to make a chocolate cake for Home Economics, or a music video for students in a dance class to copy a dance routine, a documentary on the building of a famous building for Manual Arts/ Graphics or even a film version of a book to assist students in English with reading difficulties.
Back when I started to develop an interest in Film and TV, digital filmmaking was not even invented. I remember Film and TV in high school (it was only the 2nd or 3rd year the subject was being offered) and using the old analogue editing suits where you had your master tape and you edited through a video onto your edit copy tape. The invention of digital technologies and mediums like You-tube have enabled anyone and everyone to become a budding filmmaker. The link to You-tube is a tutorial on Premiere. This type of video would be priceless in my classroom as students are taught step by step how to accomplish different effects in their productions.
Goanimate.com looked interesting, but again, I’m not sure it would be appropriate in my teaching context. If I were to ask students to create an animation, I would expect that they physically drew the characters, or modelled them out of clay or digitally created them, rather then use a program with pre-programmed settings, characters, voices, etc. It could be a fun way to present information to students, but that is probably the extent I would use it in my classroom.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Images & Podcasts
The saying is "a picture says a thousand words" and I have always found this to be very true. This image is of my son, Thomas, on his 1st birthday. I feel it says many things..... even if you don't know him, or the situation :)
Images are wonderful to include into your teaching, especially for any visual learners, and even for those learners who may not be visually inclined. If there is a picture to accompany your teaching, it can act as a model for your students, a stimulant for class discussion or evaluative thinking, or it could simply be there to break up a lot of information and regain student attention. There are many sites to look up for images or you could always take your own. If you are looking for images, try Google Images (www.google.com.au/imghp) or the microsoft office website (http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/images/). They are good places to start.
As a Film and TV teacher, images are the basis of the subject. Images are viewed and analysed or deconstructed; they are created and turned into productions; images are also used for demonstration of skills, equipment and programming instructions.
Much like with Powerpoint, I felt the tools online for resizing images did not have the same capabilities as software such as Photoshop which is available in Film and TV classrooms. With Photoshop you can also digitally manipulate images to suit your needs and then resize them. Resizing images can be very tricky also because once you lower the resolution of an image, you can not raise it without distorting or pixelating the image.
Podcasts are another tool which greatly benefits the classroom. In English, the biggest issue faced when studying a novel is trying to get students to read the book! With podcasts, the novel could be read in sections, uploaded to an LMS, website or wiki, then students would be expected to download and listen to the podcast before the next lesson. This would also benefit students with Learning Disabilities such as a Speech Language Impairment, or students with visual Impairments. Just about every student out there has an mp3 or mp4 player in some form or another (e.g. in their mobile phone, Ipods, etc) which would make podcasts extremely portable. This would help in field trip scenarios. Students would be expected to download the podcast before the field trip, then during the podcast would guide their learning. Within my unit of work for Assignment 3 students are expected to read the book Great Expectations. This can be a struggle for a lot of students so I have found a podcast they can download and listen to if they prefer that to reading (http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/3235752).
I also looked at Voicethread and it looks to me like it is a similar concept to blogs, only you make your comments in voice rather then typing them. This would bring back the "human" element to blogging because you can tell a great deal from a person's voice in their tone and language choices, pace, etc. The downside to this would be that a lot of people are intimidated by leaving voice messages. It is a lot easier to type what you really think/feel then it is to record it. I feel that you would either get less comments or not as many due to the nature of having to record yourself to post your comment. If anyone has any further comments on this I would love to hear them as I fear my own personal feelings may be clouding my judgement with this tool.
Thanks,
April :)
As a Film and TV teacher, images are the basis of the subject. Images are viewed and analysed or deconstructed; they are created and turned into productions; images are also used for demonstration of skills, equipment and programming instructions.
Much like with Powerpoint, I felt the tools online for resizing images did not have the same capabilities as software such as Photoshop which is available in Film and TV classrooms. With Photoshop you can also digitally manipulate images to suit your needs and then resize them. Resizing images can be very tricky also because once you lower the resolution of an image, you can not raise it without distorting or pixelating the image.
Podcasts are another tool which greatly benefits the classroom. In English, the biggest issue faced when studying a novel is trying to get students to read the book! With podcasts, the novel could be read in sections, uploaded to an LMS, website or wiki, then students would be expected to download and listen to the podcast before the next lesson. This would also benefit students with Learning Disabilities such as a Speech Language Impairment, or students with visual Impairments. Just about every student out there has an mp3 or mp4 player in some form or another (e.g. in their mobile phone, Ipods, etc) which would make podcasts extremely portable. This would help in field trip scenarios. Students would be expected to download the podcast before the field trip, then during the podcast would guide their learning. Within my unit of work for Assignment 3 students are expected to read the book Great Expectations. This can be a struggle for a lot of students so I have found a podcast they can download and listen to if they prefer that to reading (http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/3235752).
I also looked at Voicethread and it looks to me like it is a similar concept to blogs, only you make your comments in voice rather then typing them. This would bring back the "human" element to blogging because you can tell a great deal from a person's voice in their tone and language choices, pace, etc. The downside to this would be that a lot of people are intimidated by leaving voice messages. It is a lot easier to type what you really think/feel then it is to record it. I feel that you would either get less comments or not as many due to the nature of having to record yourself to post your comment. If anyone has any further comments on this I would love to hear them as I fear my own personal feelings may be clouding my judgement with this tool.
Thanks,
April :)
Read Write Think
Hello all,
Here is a website which I have found that has a LOT of different interactive tools designed to get kids engaged in learning. There are different categories and are suitable for grades 3 - 12. Take a look. There's lots there which can be adapted to many different subject areas.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/
Thanks,
April :)
Here is a website which I have found that has a LOT of different interactive tools designed to get kids engaged in learning. There are different categories and are suitable for grades 3 - 12. Take a look. There's lots there which can be adapted to many different subject areas.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/
Thanks,
April :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Andrew Churches
Andrew is a teacher who believes that in order to “prepare students for the future, we must prepare them for change, teach them to question and think, to adapt and modify, to sift and sort.” (Churches, A n.d.) On his website, he also states “Bloom’s Taxonomy is about using technologies to facilitate learning.”
Andrew has done extensive work with Bloom’s Taxonomy in relation to ICT’s and there are some extremely useful PDF’s on all 6 levels of thinking on his website, which would be very beneficial, not just in the context of this course, but in an further learning design. The PDFs include definitions, key verbs and possible activities. There are also countless other resources on the website in relation to Bloom's Taxonomy. I highly encourage you all to take a look and see what is there.
http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/About+Me
Andrew has done extensive work with Bloom’s Taxonomy in relation to ICT’s and there are some extremely useful PDF’s on all 6 levels of thinking on his website, which would be very beneficial, not just in the context of this course, but in an further learning design. The PDFs include definitions, key verbs and possible activities. There are also countless other resources on the website in relation to Bloom's Taxonomy. I highly encourage you all to take a look and see what is there.
http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/About+Me
Powerpoint and Prezi.com
In the past I have had very little to do with Powerpoint or presentations so it is not a tool that I am very familiar with. I have heard of some schools requiring you to “present” your class using Powerpoint, the thought of which made me a little nervous. Thankfully I was never asked to do this.
I have made a Powerpoint presentation and uploaded it to my website www.aprilljames.weebly.com It is very basic as my skills using Powerpoint are very limited, but I did try to play around a bit and add a few different things. Prezi.com gave me a similar impression of its capabilities. There were just a few different effects in the way it was presented.
Both these tools would benefit visual and linguistic learners who like to see pictures and words to accommodate their learning. It would also help in a situation where there is a lot of information and students could print out a copy of the slides and add their own notes. Students could also work independently and at their own pace.
I can see how Powerpoint and Prezi.com would be effective in some classrooms, but as a Film and TV teacher, I feel there are so many more appropriate tools available for this subject. The whole idea of Film and TV is to encourage students to get involved in production and apply their learning of film as an art form to their own productions. I do not feel that Powerpoint or Prezi.com have the capabilities of doing this. Film and TV students have access to cameras, sound equipment and editing software, the use of which is a requirement of the subject, therefore I feel it would be more appropriate to encourage them to use that technology rather than Powerpoint or Prezi.com.
I have made a Powerpoint presentation and uploaded it to my website www.aprilljames.weebly.com It is very basic as my skills using Powerpoint are very limited, but I did try to play around a bit and add a few different things. Prezi.com gave me a similar impression of its capabilities. There were just a few different effects in the way it was presented.
Both these tools would benefit visual and linguistic learners who like to see pictures and words to accommodate their learning. It would also help in a situation where there is a lot of information and students could print out a copy of the slides and add their own notes. Students could also work independently and at their own pace.
I can see how Powerpoint and Prezi.com would be effective in some classrooms, but as a Film and TV teacher, I feel there are so many more appropriate tools available for this subject. The whole idea of Film and TV is to encourage students to get involved in production and apply their learning of film as an art form to their own productions. I do not feel that Powerpoint or Prezi.com have the capabilities of doing this. Film and TV students have access to cameras, sound equipment and editing software, the use of which is a requirement of the subject, therefore I feel it would be more appropriate to encourage them to use that technology rather than Powerpoint or Prezi.com.
Learning Management Systems
I completed high school over a decade ago when assignments were submitted hand written and in order to complete research for that assignment you had to physically go to the library, open a book and hand write notes! Something that is virtually unheard of these days.
One of the main reasons I never continued on to university after I completed high school was that the idea of going to a huge university campus and orientating my way around to find lecture rooms and the library, etc simply intimidated me. Another was that I wanted to be working and making money, not spending all my time in lectures and tutorials. When I began university last year I was amazed and delighted to see how much things had changed. All my class information was available for me through Blackboard (which is now Moodle) and I could access it whenever and wherever was convenient for me. These types of systems are invaluable to students like myself. At the beginning of last year I unexpectedly fell pregnant with my second child and I was afraid that I would not be able to continue studying this year with a new born baby.
Through the use of the LMS (Moodle) this has not been the case. I have managed to fit in studying full time, and keeping track of my family. If there were no LMS there is no way I could have continued studying , spending the majority of my week in a lecture room, expecting my baby to either fend for himself or to keep quiet in the corner.
There are more and more young people out there who, for one reason or another, simply cannot physically be present in class every day. For some it may be a simple as they live too far away from the closest school. Others may need to support themselves or their families through working, and others may not be well enough to attend class every day. For these students an LMS would be invaluable. They could keep up to date with the work that was needed, keep in contact with their peers and teachers, even work collaboratively through links to wikis and blogs. This type of system also encourages students to take responsibility for their learning as they are the ones who decide when, where and what they want to study, and this in turn encourages life-long-learning. I believe that Learning Management Systems are the classrooms of the future. Within my subject areas, Learning Management Systems would be extremely useful, especially within Film and Television. As this is a subject which requires a great amount of personal time to create and produce productions, watch and analyse films, and learn the content in order to complete tasks. An LMS would allow students to access information and collaborate about productions at convenient times to themselves. Trying to achieve continuity between classes when you are trying to analyse a film can be especially challenging. With an LMS, the film could be uploaded for students’ to access at home and they could watch it all in one go. There could be review questions to get students to think about the film while it was fresh in their minds, and a discussion board or wiki where students could add their thoughts or analysis of the film. The LMS could also contain all sorts of technical information about the film which students cold refer to throughout their analysis.
One of the main reasons I never continued on to university after I completed high school was that the idea of going to a huge university campus and orientating my way around to find lecture rooms and the library, etc simply intimidated me. Another was that I wanted to be working and making money, not spending all my time in lectures and tutorials. When I began university last year I was amazed and delighted to see how much things had changed. All my class information was available for me through Blackboard (which is now Moodle) and I could access it whenever and wherever was convenient for me. These types of systems are invaluable to students like myself. At the beginning of last year I unexpectedly fell pregnant with my second child and I was afraid that I would not be able to continue studying this year with a new born baby.
Through the use of the LMS (Moodle) this has not been the case. I have managed to fit in studying full time, and keeping track of my family. If there were no LMS there is no way I could have continued studying , spending the majority of my week in a lecture room, expecting my baby to either fend for himself or to keep quiet in the corner.
There are more and more young people out there who, for one reason or another, simply cannot physically be present in class every day. For some it may be a simple as they live too far away from the closest school. Others may need to support themselves or their families through working, and others may not be well enough to attend class every day. For these students an LMS would be invaluable. They could keep up to date with the work that was needed, keep in contact with their peers and teachers, even work collaboratively through links to wikis and blogs. This type of system also encourages students to take responsibility for their learning as they are the ones who decide when, where and what they want to study, and this in turn encourages life-long-learning. I believe that Learning Management Systems are the classrooms of the future. Within my subject areas, Learning Management Systems would be extremely useful, especially within Film and Television. As this is a subject which requires a great amount of personal time to create and produce productions, watch and analyse films, and learn the content in order to complete tasks. An LMS would allow students to access information and collaborate about productions at convenient times to themselves. Trying to achieve continuity between classes when you are trying to analyse a film can be especially challenging. With an LMS, the film could be uploaded for students’ to access at home and they could watch it all in one go. There could be review questions to get students to think about the film while it was fresh in their minds, and a discussion board or wiki where students could add their thoughts or analysis of the film. The LMS could also contain all sorts of technical information about the film which students cold refer to throughout their analysis.
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