Monday, November 9, 2009

Final Post....Or is it?


Throughout this semester as a part of the 'Using Computers in the Classroom Ed 458' unit I have been introduced to, and I was a part of introducing, several 'new' web 2.0 technologies, their uses in general and in the classroom, their pros and cons and of course how to use each 'new' technology.

When I say web 2.0 technology I am referring to recent technology that is far more involved than its predecessors. Web 2.0 technology, in basic terms, is interactive, it involves users to share,communicate and add information. The web 2.0 technologies also talk amongst themselves and are seemingly all connected, for example when I use Jing I am able to add my capture to my blog or email it to a friend. The technologies we looked at in detail over the course of the semester are; Blogs, Wiki, Scratch, Bitstrips, Twitter, Glogster, Jing, Google Documents, Hot Potatoes, Voicethread, Edmodo and of course Game Maker.

My class and I needed to learn about twelve technologies in one semester we achieved this by having the class pair off and each pair become the 'expert' on a specific technology; then bringing the information and skills they have learned back and sharing with the class has been an excellent way of learning. As a class we have covered a vast amount of technology, to a fairly high level, in a reasonably short amount of time. This strategy of teaching and learning has not only been efficient but also highly effective. We students have learned each new web 2.0 technology almost to the same standard as the investigators or the 'experts'. And in saying that I do have the tools (the class wiki) and the skills (lessons from class) to become as educated as the 'expert' with minimal further effort on my behalf.

I am very pleased with the results of the semester's learning and the skills I have developed. I have seen and played with some really amazing technologies, including this blog, that I might not have come into contact with otherwise. Some will definitely improve my work at university and I can also see myself using in my own classroom to improve children's learning experience.

Game Maker


My partner, Christina Mold, and I presented the technology Game Maker. Game Maker is a free and quick to download technology that allows you to create and edit your own games, without the knowledge of game programing or advanced 'computer talk'. Please go to our Wiki page to see our knowledge and opinions of Game Maker in full.

http://curtineducation2009.wetpaint.com/page/Game+Maker

During the process of trying to help others learn about Game Maker I created this short video, using Jing, that goes through the key terms, resources and buttons of a basic game. Please watch :)

http://www.screencast.com/users/Farmiloe/folders/Jing/media/fc4c6b92-ac34-461b-b0e0-461920814cf2

Hot Potatoes


Hot Potatoes is a site that allows teachers to set up their classroom (teacher logs in then creates classroom users)online and create or use all sorts of quizzes and puzzles. These activities could be done as a class or the children could be asked to complete quizzes for homework or the children could go on the site in their free time to test their knowledge and play.

I like the idea of Hot Potatoes but I find that the site looks very unappealing and dull (black and white with basic design). If the site looks boring to me what are 8 year olds going to think of it? I think that because of the 'no distractions' way the site is set up it may make the quizzes and puzzles a bit of a chore to the children. This defeats the original purpose of Hot Potatoes, to engage the children. In saying that if Hot Potatoes is presented with enthusiasm and purpose the children will still become involved and have a good time learning.

Hot Potatoes would be a very useful teaching resource as there is a wide variety of made up quizzes, puzzles and games across a range of learning areas just waiting to be used. I feel it would be foolish of me not to attempt to use Hot Potatoes in the classroom for that very reason, despite my first impression of the technology.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Voice Thread


Voice Thread is a web 2.0 technology that involves log in to your own account (starting to sound familiar) and creating and sharing Voice Threads with others. These voice threads can consist of almost any media such as; Video, voice recording or pictures and photos. These things can be doodled on, spoken over and zoomed in on parts the creator wants to highlight. Once a voice thread has been created others can record or type comments that will stay attatched to the document.

I think that althought Voice Thread would make for amazing reading, speaking and listening activities in the classroom - It doesn't seem highly accessable unless you pay for the upgrade to pro or K-12 editions.

An activity I could do within a classroom using voice thread is to give the class (post on voice thread) a picture and ask the children to write or record the first and last sentence of a story about the picture. This would get the children using the technology and learning to think about plot and story structure in a new way.

Voice Thread is a realistic classroom technology if not for now then definitley the near future. The payment maybe needs to be tweeked and the whole thing could be properly ajusted to fully accomodate for schools; things like communication between accounts and control over what gets posted by students.

Edmodo


Edmodo is fascinating! I honestly did not realise that there was a free site out there that could do so much to enhance classroom life, for FREE. Edmodo is a site that teachers and their students can use to communicate, send reminders, set and hand in homework, grade work privately and comment on each others work.

This, I see, as an amazing tool for homework both setting and handing back. Also to keep in touch with students who cannot be in the classroom for whatever reason. When I was on practicum there were a few students who were away at various times due to family holidays, sickness, bones breaking and so on. One girl in particular was only in the school for 4 days of my three week practicum! Edmodo would come in handy in this situation and many others like it, the student would not have to slip behind and could come back to school feeling up to date with both classroom work and the current classroom status.

I could see myself using Edmodo in my classroom for the above uses (at LEAST) and finally finding a way to bridge that gap between school and home, the gap in both space and time where homework and assignments go missing! :)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Second life...and some.


Second life is first and foremost an adult site. It is an online community, no an online world or country, where people work, play, and socialise all as an avatar of themselves. The avatars are hand picked and changed by their puppeteer, they have clothes and accessories and friends all within second life.
To me, second life is a collection of ugly dark 'islands' created by people who don't care weather or not their particular plot of land is aesthetically pleasing.

Any positives of Second Life are that it could engage children who otherwise would not be interested in school, and it could expose children to a variety of people, places and cultures that they would not otherwise see from the classroom. Even if the teacher opened Second Life and was the only one to touch it (to monitor child use)it is still an extremely demanding technology as it would require an up to date graphics card and a reasonably quick internet system, neither of which my practicum school had. Also the school has some blocked sites and Second Life would surely be one of them.

Second Life in education is a site that shows you the pros of using second life in an educational manner and even suggests some places that a classroom or teacher could visit. Through this site we were shown a cool Macbeth Island where one goes in avatar form and is dropped into, and fully immersed in, the happenings of the play Macbeth. This is just one of many, according to Kim Flintoff, places within Second Life where children can go and have a positive learning experience.

Over all I do not think I will use Second Life either personally or professionally as it is impractical and a bit sketchy to take children to, and it does not interest or inspire me.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Google Documents


When you are on any google page, in the top left had corner there are some options, and a 'more' button. The fact that I have never seen the more button before both surprises and worries me. How long has it been there? When I click on the more option I get just that. One of the various drop down options is in fact Google Documents.

Google documents is, to me, like a free version of Microsoft word, it is just as simple to use. You do your work (which can include tables and other Word-like features)then save it. It is secure and safe and now can be accessed from anywhere that has the Internet, no need for USB sticks or lugging around stacks of paper, it's all on the google documents database, waiting for you to log back in. That is not the only unique feature that comes with Google Documents, you can also invite other Gmail account users to look at the document. These people can have 'read only status or you could also make it so that someone else can edit and add to the document. No matter what, you are always the creator of the document and can change members' status within the document at any point.

I have used Google Documents during my Technology and Enterprise unit to create a working document that the lecturer checked. First I wrote my own part of a particular document then invited three others to look at the document. I had to change the status of the people I had invited (once they had accepted the invitation) so that they too could edit, in this case add) to the document. Lastly I invited the lecturer to view the final document, he then emailed me his response.

I enjoyed using Google Documents and could see it being both practical and useful in the classroom. When I went on my practicum there, of course, was always the problem of completing work. The children would start typing out a story or a report and would only get to work on it in lab time, or any spare time they could scrounge on the four classroom computers. The work could not be taken home as the children did not have USB sticks and the teacher knew that work done at home could also be left at home. The answer to this particular problem is Google Documents. The children could begin typing out in Google Documents at school, then at home log on with their email and password and carry on. The next day at school the typing could be continued in class computer time. This process could be continued until the typing is complete. Then, if the teacher wanted, the children could copy and paste the whole document to Microsoft word for final touch ups and printing off. Though I am sure that once the children are familiar with it, Google Documents would suffice.

I am excited by the idea of Google Documents and love the direction it takes us in technologically. I will definitely use it in the future and already know of friends and classmates who use it confidently