Group Three Tools - Presentation Tools

This weeks ICT tools that were explored where technologies that can be used to  present and collate learning or content related information (Fasso, 2012) These tools include PowerPoint, Prezi and Glogster, it is believed that these tool provide an alternative way for educators to present and deliver information within the 21st century classroom. This blog will explore the advantages and disadvantages of these tools and possible recommendations of how they could be effectively utilized within the classroom. 

Digital Tool One - Power Point: 

PowerPoint is a Microsoft office tool that has been utilized for many years within the education setting. It is a tool in which you can embed images, audio, video and text. They are creative and allow teachers and students to build their own supporting visual aid. PowerPoint is simple to use and because of this it is one of the most widely used presentation software in the world (Fasso, 2012). it is believe that in the future PowerPoint will  undergo modifications and will be upgraded, although it will maintain its simplicity. Below I have explore the advantages and disadvantages of these tools within a classroom.  

Advantages:

- Creates interactive presentation allowing the inclusion of content information, Audio and Visual elements. 

- It is easy to use and time efficient 

- Allows creativity and individuality

- It is easily accessible - PowerPoint is pre-installed on most computers.
- This tool can manipulate images
- allows presentations to be interactive  

Disadvantages: 

- Can often be text heavy and loose the interest of students quiet easily 
- Any method of teaching gets stale when used exclusively and PowerPoint is no exception (Johnson, 2006, pg 4). 
- It can become tedious and repetitive
- Could be difficult for students to view (ie. background is too bright, font to little) 
- If to many animations (slide change effects) are included it could cause distractions. 
- If the teachers are presenting a complicated topic the slide show may be long, therefore resulting in students off task. 

There are numerous possibilities and uses for PowerPoint within my teaching contexts these have been explored below: 
- Teachers: Teachers can use PowerPoint as a supporting visual aid, in history when discussing the Berlin wall they could embed images of the wall and then a video of it being destroyed. This provides the students with the Auditory style of learning and the visual style of learning. 
- Students: Students could use PowerPoint for collaborative tasks such as assignments. They could use it much like a teacher does to present information. This tool also reduces the need for palm cards, and might lower the students nerves as they have something to refer to. (Jones, 2003) 

Engagement Activity: Building a presentation for one of my classes. 


My slideshow can be viewed via  My Website. Feel free to have a look. 

Reference: 
Johnson,  L.  (2006). PowerPoint Pedagogy: PowerPoint and Effective Lesson Plans, retrieved from http://www.goodreadspot.com/7007%20artifacts/PowerPoint%20Pedagogy%20Paper.pdf


Jones, A. (2003). The use and abuse of PowerPoint in Teaching and Learning in the Life Sciences: A Personal Overview, retrieved from,  http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/journal/vol2/beej-2-3.pdf

Digital Tool Two - Prezi: 

Prezi is an online presentation tool that allows the creator to zoom in an out on information within it. It is able to embed images, videos and PowerPoint slides. I have previously used Prezi in university subjects as a visual aid in presentation and I believe that it is a  creative and alternative tool to use that will engage and entice students. Prezi is also very easy to use and is more entertaining and exciting, then other presentation tools. 

Advantages:
- Provides the opportunity to zoom in on important information 
- It is creative and time efficient

- Free and easily accessible 

- Can incorporate Images, text, video and PowerPoint slide shows.  

-Encourages students to explore ( Hill, 2012)

- There can be multiple editors, meaning it can be edited and added to my students 

Disadvantages: 
- Although it may initially gain students attention, however if the zooming and flipping is overused it may become overwhelmed and cause students to avoid watching. (Hill, 2012)
- Although it is creative you are not able to change the font or the background color as you can with PowerPoint, therefore it lacks the colorful effect

The Possibilities of Prezi within teaching are very similar to that of the use of PowerPoint i have outlined some possibilities bellow:

- Teachers can use Prezi as a progressive tool throughout the term. For example if learning about Shakespeare Films the Prezi could slowly be created. The topic "Shakespeare" will be in the middle and the surrounding frames incorporating topic content related to films (Barrett, 2011). 
- Prezi can be used for students to reflect on their learning experiences throughout the duration of a class. this allows them to revise and break down a topic and they will be able to refer to it for study and other assessment purposes. (Barrett, 2011)

- Engagement activity - Creating a Prezi

Copy of Shakespeare on Prezi

Reference: 

Hill, P (2012). Thoughts on using Prezi as a teaching tool, Retrieved from http://prezi.com/rfsnedhqmhqa/thoughts-on-using-prezi-as-a-teaching-tool/
Barrett T. (2011).  13 interesting ways to use Prezi in the classroom, retrieved from 
http://www.slideshare.net/j3pr0x/13-interesting-ways-to-use-prezi-in-the-classroom

Digital Tool Three: Glogster 

Glogster is an online scrapbooking tool that has recently started to be used as a presentation tool within classrooms. It is a creative tool which allows teachers and students to create a visual aid. When using this tool I found it very complex and informal. It was complicated and difficult to manipulate. The advantages and disadvantages have been explored below as well as possible teaching techniques that could be adopted for this tool. 

 Advantages

- Allows creativity and freedom of expression 

- easily accessible 

- Could enhance student involvement in tasks 

- It is easy to manipulate
- Private, secure safe virtual classroom monitored by teachers (Fasso, 2012)
-Encourages teamwork
- 

Disadvantages 
- Can look informal 

- Can not incorporate supporting files as well as Prezi or PowerPoint 

- Could encourage unhealthy competition among students  

- Informal 

The possible teaching strategies have been explored below: 
- Could be used as a brainstorming activity for students to post images relating to content 
- Could be used in English to educate students about advertisement.they could use this tool to create their own add. 
- Could be used to introduce students to a new topic

- Engagement activity 

Group Two Tools - Multimedia

This weeks the ICT tool that were explored were Multimedia materials included digital images, audio and video. These tools are important to explore as thy are all considered to be primary sources of information in the digital age (Fasso, 2012). Multimedia is an ever increasing phenomena in today's society and it is also a great learning tool to be incorporated within classroom activities. This blog will explore Digital imaging, Audio and Video while exploreing the advantages and disatvantages  of using them in a classroom setting while  discussing possible ways to include these web spaces into the classroom. 

Digital Tool One - Digital Images: 

It is a common saying that "a picture is worth one thousand words" however, pictures, or digital images are now being used to engage learners and promote further understanding for students. Images are often used for a decorative effect however, if used appropriately images can be used to support critical thinking (Fasso, 2012). The use of digital imaging also allows Teachers to present learning materials with the intention of engaging the students thinking and influencing their emotional feelings towards a topic. For example, in a Modern history class the Learning Manager could discuss the effects of the Second World War, while using an image of the devastation to support the content discussed. This would engage the students by providing a visual aid and it would influence their feelings towards the topic. 

There are a number of pro's for utilizing digital images within class rooms, these have been explored in the publication Practical Ways to Use Digital Images in Teaching and Learning. 

Ways in which to incorporate these in my teaching areas could include:

• To illustrate concepts and to show examples of what you are talking about, this allows further clarification for students, especially visual learners. In a history setting you could present an image of the event. 
• To stimulate students writing a story/poem about that image - enhancing creative and language skills. this cold be used in an English classroom, for example write a creative piece on the digital image provided. 

Reference:

Fasso, W. (2012).  Online spaces - Digital tool four- Images, Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=12596

Engagement activity - Mobaphoto

This weeks engagement activity focused on the re sizing and uploading of digital photos to the web. The program used was called Mobaphoto. This program was simple to used and highly effective. One of the notable benefits is that it allows you to re-size multiple images at one time, which is time efficient and user friendly. You could use this tool to support learning as it allows Learning Managers to embed relevant images, that is not time consuming and easy to use. The image below is a photo from Hawaii that was re sized and uploaded. 

Digital Tool Two - Podcasting and Digital Audio:

Engagement Activity - Create a Digital Audio Recording:

My Voki can be accessed via My wiki space. Feel free to have a look. 

Engagement Activity - Using web-based Podcasting 

Podcasts are a a growing phenomena within the 21st century, they are easily accessible audio documents. These files can be created, uploaded and retrieved with ease.  Educause Learning Initiative, 2005, explain that:

'Unlike traditional radio or other Web-based streaming media, podcasts give

listeners the control over when they hear the recording. It differs from broadcasting and Webcasting in the way that content is published and transmitted via the Web.'

There are many uses and benefits from the educational use of podcasts these include: 

- Accessibility, it is accessible to any student at all times (Pitman, 2008)

- If students have missed school they are able to access the podcast in their own time if they need to catch up. 

- Allows the ability to pause and take notes or rewind and listen with intent to parts that may have been missed

- They appeal to students as it is integrated technology and they can access them on their "smart devices" ie. iphones/ipods/ipads. (Fasso, 2012)

- Universities and colleges worldwide publish their content material for viewers world wide. 

The following is a list of Podcasts that I believe are relevant to my teaching context, and how I could use them within my classroom.

- 'International System in the 20th Century' is a undergraduate history course offered at Stanford University. James Sheehan explores aspects of Modern History including the first world war, Communism, Fascism and the end of the Cold War. These podcasts cold be used within a Modern History classroom to explain in further detail the importance of these aspects and the effect they had in the 20th century. 

- Oxford university have made their course "Approaching Shakespeare" accessible via potcasts. This course focuses on each Shakespeare play individually and explores various ways in which we understand Shakespeare. This could be used within an English class, so that students are not reading the script but are listening to the various critical aspects of Shakespeare plays. 

- La Trobe University have posted podcasts on the discussion of history, these podcasts include in depth detail about the Renaissance and Terra Nullius. This could be useful for both modern and ancient history teachers as they could explore these aspects of history in a alternative form, other then text books. 

Reference:

Educause; Teaching Initiative, (2005) 7 things you should know about podcasting,  Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7003.pdf

Pitman, A (2008). 4 Benefits of podcasting in Elearning, retrieved from 

http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Benefits-of-Podcasting-in-Elearning&id=1739326 

Fasso, W. (2012).  Online spaces -  Digital Tool 2: Digital Video, 
Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=12598

Digital Tool Three -Digital Video

Digital videos are a creative and exciting way to present information and images to a class. I had difficulties installing this program, however once installed I found it easy to create and manipulate this tool. Upon finishing my movie I had troubles uploading it to my Blog, after a few failed attempts I was able to post it; Bellow is my movie which includes images from my holiday in Hawaii and music from a native musician. 

I believe that there are many beneficial uses for this technological tool within the education sector. I have come up with some ideas that are suited to my teaching areas and have listed them below: 

- History: Teachers could present the class with images/videos of historical events with voice overs and sound effects. For example, if studying Pearl Harbor the teacher could show images of the Harbor and the ships and briefly state what the ships name is and what happened to that specific ship. 

- English: Teachers could incorporated the use of this within assessment tasks. Meaning that students could also utilize this tool within their presentations as a visual aid.  

Group One Tools - Websites

This weeks ICT tools focus on website  spaces,  including the likes of blogs, wikis and websites. There are two different forms of web spaces, Web 1.0 and 2.0. Web 1.0 is simply controlled by the webmaster, all viewers, are observing the same content and are unable to add or remove content, therefore it is considered to be read-only. Web 2.0 on the other hand is owned by the creator. This allows Individuals and groups to publish, share, network and generate their own content (Fasso, 2012). 


This post will explore blogs wikis and websites as well as discussing possible ways to include these web spaces into the classroom. 

Digital Tool One - Blogs for Learning.


Blogs are becoming increasingly popular in the 21st century, which raises the question of whether or not they could be an effective tool within the education sector.  There are numerous blogging sites that are accessible on the internet, and not all may be appropriate for children to view. However, there are many positive outcomes that can arise from the use of blogs within classroom activities. 

In most instances schools block access to blog websites, it is my belief that this is necessary, as it could result in more distractions and a higher number of students off task. On the other hand, if blogs are incorporated into to classroom tasks, and used appropriately they could appeal to students interests and increase the participation levels. This is believed as students are digital natives, and they need to be engaged. They are comfortable and confident using these technologies, and Future Learning Managers should use this knowledge to their advantage (Prensky, 2001). 

This topic, have been explore in a PMI chart which is posted below. 

There are many learning strategies that could be adopted using this communication tool. These could include:

- Students could post their reflections from the lessons tasks and content.  
- It could be used as a progressive assignment, similar to the one in Managing E-Learning. 
- Blogs are traditionally used for users to post stories or cryptic messages, this could be used in English as they could post their stories publicly and view others. (Fasso, 2012)

There are definite potentials of blogs within the teaching contexts which have been explored in the PMI Chart above. Personally, I believe I could use a blog within my teaching areas as they are experimental, allow creativity, and allow freedom of expression. Within English I would consider allowing students to blog their stories/journal articles and book reviews online and incorporate supporting images/videos/etc. 


Reference: 
Fasso, W. (2012).  Online spaces - What is Web 2.0, Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=12594




Digital Tool Two - Wikis for Collaborative Learning

The second digital tool that was observed during this week was wiki spaces. It is believed that wikis are a very effective way of promoting collaborative learning as it allows students the opportunity to explore other members ideas and views on relevant subject areas. There are many positives that can result from the use of wiki spaces which have been explore in the PMI chart bellow as well as the downfalls. 

The wiki spaces that has been created can be viewed via : http://managingelearning-laurabowen.wikispaces.com/

Plus	Minus	Interesting
Creates a great space for group activities/assessment: -     Collective ownership of work (Guth, 2007) -     Easily accessible and can be edited by any member of the group -     Collective authoring: critical reading and responsible writing (Guth, 2007)	Information could be lost due to accidental deletion.	Creates a sense of community for groups, allows users the freedom to publish pages that are long-lived, regularly updated, and built by many contributors. (Tangient, 2012)
Helpful for group data Collection (Teaching Effectiveness Program, 2006)	·     Inappropriate content may be posted
Images/videos/ can be added to support points	Cannot be monitored by teacher at all times.
Can be constantly updated
Flexible
Writing as a process and knowledge sharing over time (Guth, 2007)
It is simple to use

There are numerous teaching techniques that could be used, allowing the appropriate incorporation of wikis into the classroom. These could include: 
- Group assessment tasks, it could  aid as a ways to keep all information together for students
- For homework activities, such as participating in reflections on the weeks content that was covered


Wikis could be used for teachers to monitor students progression and understanding of the content that has been covered. 


Reference: 


Teaching Effectiveness Program. (2006). WIKIS IN EDUCATION, and other tools for Collaborative Writing, retrieved from  http://tep.uoregon.edu/shared/blogswikispodcasts/WikisBiblio.pdf

Guth, S. (2007) Wikis in education: is public better?, retrieved from http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/1300000/1296958/p61-guth.pdf?ip=138.77.2.133&acc=ACTIVE%20SERVICE&CFID=96292934&CFTOKEN=46685018&__acm__=1342521893_6aaa09d1b23e77f937f56ae0475672d0

Tangient LLC. (2012). Wiki Spaces: About, retrieved from: http://www.wikispaces.com/about

Digital Tool Three - Websites for many purposes

The third tool that was created and observed within this weeks materials was a weebly website. When creating this tool I found that it was simple, yet challenging. It was unlike anything I had previously used. On the other hand, I personally believe that there could be many beneficial teaching techniques that could be adopted through the utilization of this form of web space. Web 2.0 is being refereed to as the future of education (Hargadon, 2008) It refers to the use of the web which allow students to collaborate, get actively involved in creating content, to generate knowledge and to share information online.(Grosseck, 2009)

These ideas alongside a PMI chart have been explored below. 

My weebly can be viewed via: http://educationandtheinclusionoftechno.weebly.com/

Plus	Minus	Interesting
Integrates the technology that students are familiar with, into a class.	It could be challenging for a Learning manager, who is a digital immigrant to utilize and manipulate this tool.	It is being refereed to as the future of education (Hargadon, 2008)
Allows educators to posts relevant information (links, videos images) in a creative way	Not every student may have access to the internet
Allows parents to view what is being taught (Mulder-Slater, 2006) If students are away from school they have access the website and view materials discussed and tasks that need to be complete (Mulder-Slater, 2006) Is time efficient. And allows teachers to discuss a topic and move. Eg. More information on this is posted on the class website, look at this for homework. (Moulton, 2008), Allows Relevant information to be posted and accessed by students (Teaching with technology, 2003) Allows students to have control of their education and make them feel proactive in their education (Lowe, 2005)	Limited security (Grosseck, 2009) Allows amateurs to post invaluable contents (Grosseck, 2009) Leads to a low quality of the actual content (Grosseck, 2009)

Ideas for the classroom:
- Websites could be used to post classroom materials for future access
- Used to provide feedback for students
- Teachers could post readings for next class 
- Tips for assignments and exams 
- Term calenders with events due dates and other relevant information could be posted. 

Reference

Anderson, P. (2007) What is Web 2.0?Ideas, technologies and implications for education, retreieved from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/techwatch/tsw0701b.pdf

Grosseck, G (2008). To use or not to use web 2.0 in higher education?, Retrieved from 

http://webpages.csus.edu/~sac43949/pdfs/to%20use%20or%20not%20to%20use.pdf

Hargadon, S. (2008)

Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education, retrieved from 

http://www.stevehargadon.com/2008/03/web-20-is-future-of-education.html

Lowe, P. (2005). Teacher Designed Web Pages As A Classroom Tool: Creating Classroom Web Pages, retrieved from http://my-ecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=5742. 

Moulton, J. (2008). The Classroom Web Page: A Must-Have in 2008

http://www.edutopia.org/learning-alliances-building-a-better-school

Mulder-slater, A. (2006). Top Ten Reasons to Create a Classroom Web Page, Retrieved from http://www.kinderart.com/teachers/webpage.shtml

Teaching with technology (2003) Classroom Web Site, Retrieved from http://www.wmich.edu/teachenglish/subpages/technology/classwebsite.htm