Comments 1:
Prezi
I believe using the application of a prezi in a classroom environment would be an engaging prospect for my students. As a prezi is a different form of interactive teaching applications out there like the PowerPoint. I believe the prezi has the ability to engage students as you can use it to identify key words or points within a subject plus with a small synopsis of that key point or word below at the click of a button to evaluate on the subject. Prezis i believe have the potential to come into classrooms as students are looking for new ways of engaging follow students in topics and for getting their points across in presentations and assignments to facilitate their learning. For the new age teacher prezis are the new interactive teaching application and one what can be used for different purposes across different subjects to engage their students.
Posted by Davo007 at 4:04 AM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz 2 comments:
Starleigh said...
Nicely put Dave, I agree with everything you said. Prezi's really are to me the new powerpoint they seem so exciting to me, imagine what they could do in a classroom!
August 25, 2010 10:05 PM
paul said...
The Prezi may have its place in some contexts, but for me the preferred tool in this genre is the powerpoint. With the Prezi, my fear is that its constant zooming aspect could be more distracting than engaging. If it were used to present a discussion on roller coasters and other such theme park rides I would agree. But, for the purposes of mainstream classroom presentations - by both LMs and learners - the all purpose Powerpoint would remain my choice over the Prezi.
August 26, 2010 4:44 AM
Comment 2:
Google Earth
The online phenomenon of Google Earth entertained people all over the world with images of their houses, work places, people on the street, landmarks, tourist destinations, the possiblities are limitless. According to Wikipedia (2010), Google Earth was originally created in 2004 as EarthViewer 3D and released as Google Earth in 2005.
With use of satelite imagery and photography, images from all over the planet from the Eiffel Tower, Paris to camels and their caretakers having a water break in Nigeria are available to be viewed by any person with access to the Wide World Web. Why spend money on expensive holidays when, with a click of the mouse you can visit the Victoria Falls or Mt Everest?
As with the entertainment value, the educational possibilities of Google Earth are endless. Researching African elephants? See real life pictures of a herd of elephants on the move.
Incorporating Google Earth into the classroom would also be valuable in engaging students in learning experiences. Have the students participate in a capital city scavenger hunt or use the ruler scale to find how far landmarks, such as the local hospital are from their school to find how long it would take to get there using different modes of transport.
Posted by Sara at 4:05 PM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz 3 comments:
paul said...
Now those are some great ideas...
Google Earth does offer great potential.
Other ideas? Interview relatives and do a family tree of former addresses. Go on holidays on Google Earth and create a blog of things you do and places you go. Too much fun...
August 25, 2010 6:10 AM
Sara said...
I previously thought that Google Earth was simply an entertaining, comical tool to look at our homes and peek over people's fences. Through exploring its' many functions however, I have developed a greater understanding of the educational benefits of implementing it into the classroom. It may also be an ideal way in which to discuss the lack of security that the Internet offers. Although number plates and people's faces are blurred, that any person can take photos of things that can be seen from the public domain, such as on the street and publish the images on the Internet is phenominal.
August 26, 2010 1:27 AM
Comment 3:
Accessing Voki and exploring its' features, I was highly amused at being able to create and edit 'My Voki' with a few clicks of the mouse. Straight away, the possibility of using Voki as a way to engage students or as a 'hook' at the beginning of a unit of work or learning experience became obvious. The use of Voki by students may also be a possibility as an interactive literacy task as students are able to hear what they write.
Posted by Sara at 8:46 PM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz 1 comments:
paul said...
There is no doubt the 'voki' has the potential to engage the students. I believe, however , its usefulness would diminsh as the learners' ages and level increased. Whilst it does have the facility to incorporate aspects of sound pedagogy, its real value is in its ability to (hopefully)'hook' the learner and then have their learning enhanced by a 'meatier', less gimmicky tool.
August 26, 2010 4:25 AM
Comment 4:
Weebly
I'm not going to lie, when I found out I had to do a weebly my first inital thought was that sounds complicated and a lot of work! I should know by now from doing this course that it would the total opposite. It is such an easy tool to use and didn't take long at all for me to complete. You can access my weebly on http://freyajaysweebly.com
A main reason I would want to incroporate weebly into my classroom is that it would have students engaged. Students would definately find this fun and it is not too complicated for them. At the same time students would be able to develop their ICT skills which is imperative for todays soceity.
Posted by freya at 7:00 PM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz 1 comments:
paul said...
I felt the same, looking at the weebly for the first time, but it is a valuable and a user friendly tool - great blog and positively stated.
August 21, 2010 9:44 PM
Comment 5:
Blogs
By going to Google Blogger it is a quick and easy way to start your own blog. If I can do it so can you. You may be asking yourself ‘why would I would to start my own blog’. Well, because it is a great way to express your self, to share with others your intersts and passion with others. To get your thoughts out because you have something important to share with the world that needs to be heard. That’s my reason why everyone should have a blog.
The main use for a blog is for the writer to journal their thoughts ideas and passions through text, video, art, pictures, audio and the readers or views can comment on each entry. The diagram below gives a general overview of how a blog works.
(Wittner, What are Blogs and How Does it Work?, 2006)
What I have learnt about ‘blogs’ also none as ‘weblog’ is that they are a Web 2.0 not a Web 1.0. A Web 1.0 is a website that we can only read or view. The content does not change for different viewers, nor can they add content themselves (Fasso, 2010). The only person that can change the content is the webmaster. Web 2.0 is owned by the people for the people. It is none as the ‘read-write’ web. Viewers can edit, download, upload and publish therefore creating user-generated content.
When it comes to using blogs in a classroom situation there are endless possibilities. Teachers need to be reminded that with new tools come risks and responsibilities. When using blogs in the classroom teachers must consistently keep an eye on student activity and on the content that is being added to their blogs. There are many positive for using blogs in class. They can be used to build a number of different areas in the studnets’ learning.
For example:
- for knowledge construction
- for reflective learning
- to enhance writing skills
- group work
(Wittner, Blogs as Teaching/Learning Space, 2006)
Some reasons why blogs should be used in classrooms were suggested on the Blogger site. They include:
For Teacher:
- Posting resources, lessons, and homework.
- Keeping parents up-to-date on class happenings.
- Reflecting on their own teaching practices and share their ideas with other educators.
For Students:
- Sharing schoolwork with their peers, parents, and others.
- Collaborating on projects and get feedback from others.
- Keeping a reflective journal throughout the school year.
(Blogger in the classroom, 2010)
References:
Blogger in the classroom. (2010). Retrieved August 20, 2010, from Blogger: http://www.infinitethinkingmachine.org/stuff/Blogger.pdf
Fasso, W. (2010, May 30). Practical Activity: Week 1 - Blogs and Concept Maps. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from CQUniversity Australia Managing E-Learning: http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=99043
Wittner, R. (2006, August). Blogs as Teaching/Learning Space. Retrieved August 15, 2010, from Weblogs: http://www.sbg.ac.at/zfl/eTeaching_Skills/eTeaching_Weblogs/blogs_as_teachinglearning_space.html
Wittner, R. (2006, August). What are Blogs and How Does it Work? Retrieved August 15, 2010, from Weblog: http://www.sbg.ac.at/zfl/eTeaching_Skills/eTeaching_Weblogs/basics.html
Posted by Selina at 9:12 PM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz
Labels: Blog, Blogs 1 comments:
paul said...
What an incredible learning curve for you, Selina. In one post you profess to know little about blogs and in the next you provide a comprehensive insight into their uses and potential. Well done and thank you for your contribution.
Comment 6:
Prezi
A prezi is a very interactive and uses a very flashy graphics user interface. I don't know if "Prezi" is the official name to this type of digital tool. As much I can see a prezi is a very flashy power point with little words and lots of different pictures. When a prezi's start you see all the information in one big page and when you go to the "next slide" it zooms in to a point on a page that shows your first bit of information. Depending on how you set up your prezi, it may just move the camera to the next information or it may zoom out then zoom back in to the next bit of information. A prezi is just a very flashy power point and has the same strengths of weakness when it comes to learning. The only other weakness it has is it may take more time to set up then a power point, plus the only strength that I can see is that with younger students they'll love the flashiness of the prezi.
Posted by Mick at 6:02 PM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz 2 comments:
paul said...
Agreed. Very flashy indeed. My feeling is the 'Prezi' creates a distraction and the learners will be more engaged with its roller coaster style of presentation rather than the content of its text.
August 25, 2010 6:02 AM
Mick said...
From my point of view 'Prezi's' would only be useful in an art context, but then if you take a look at how I learn which reflects the way I perceive the world, I'm very logical and I don't see any advantage to having flashy distractions when learning.
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