google maps photo link

The use of Google maps and GPS within the learning environment provides a new dimension to Geography. Lessons on map reading, mapping an area such as a school grounds, going out on a biology trip and plotting co-ordinates where transects were taken, usage in marine biology when on field trips and working with species identification and plotting are some of the uses of these tools. The function of adding images to a specific area and the option of making it available to the public or restricted usage gives rise to an interactive tool where students can develop conversations with other students and have active learning experiences.
View feet 2 in a larger map

Tag Crowd

achieving bottom bow care characteristic considerably creased create drawing element expression face feature formed key larger likeness line lip meet mouth natural person shape start stretch subtle taken top usually varies vertical

created at TagCrowd.com

There are a number of tools available to enhance the learning process. Tag Crowd allows you to create a colourful image using words from a text and making them prominent by the frequency they appear in the text. There are many sites with quizzes you can manipulate such as making a word find or a crossword with a minimum of fuss on the learning managers part. The creation of images within bubbl-us is useful if you wish to make a mind map. The use of the interactive white board and the subsequent computer programs can add to the learning environment by taking the old pen and butchers paper into the 21st century.

Digital Storytelling is especially useful for the younger children and those with literacy and reading difficulties. Voice overs and written information can add to the learners tools.

wordle exercise

http://www.wordle.net/create. I made a wordle on this tool but I could only print it out or save it to the public arena, I could not save it to include here or add to my computer without going through the process of scanning the printed image and saving it that way. I think this tool would be more advantageous to primary teachers. If I gave my senior class this or even a word find which is another tool I have played with, they would look at me as if I am treating them like littlies. It was fun but I don't have a use for it at this stage. An easy tool to manipulate.

Photo manipulation

The image I have uploaded to the site is one I manipulated on a photo program installed on my computer call ArcSoft PhotoStudio. I have changed the image by using the drawing tool on pointillism. I have used this is a tool in my pracitcum situation in the year 12 art class. The students were given a part of an image which has been manipulated (pixilated or in art terms changed to pointilism) and reproduce the image in oil pastel. The puzzle is then put together on a wall in the school grounds for the students to be able to 'see' what they have created. It is an exercise in learning to 'look' to be able to 'see'.

I played with the recommended photo manipulation program Picnik but was not prepared to use their publishing criteria. There were similiar features as the above tool.

The use of Flickr as a sharing site of photos is an interesting concept with the student having access to other peoples images and being able to add their images to the site. There are a number of ways you can restrict the use of the images and safe practices with regard to not only this site but all ICT sites is an intricate part of the learning journey. Referencing of computer sites and the reproduction of sites is regulated by copyright laws and the student needs to have an understanding of these laws so as to stay within the safe environs of the law.

Another sharing site we have looked at is Slideshare. The learning manager can access and add powerpoint presentation to the site. These powerpoints can be downloaded and manipulated to suit the learning manager's needs. A good resource for not re-inventing the wheel.

My Voki

Get a Voki now!

my voki exercise

This is my Voki that I made for my assessment task. The process was quite easy. I have learnt about the Html process and feel I have consolidated the process. This technology tool could be used within the senior sector as an online learning tool within a blog or forum. What I did just find is that I could not have Html and the compose happening in the same blog entry. I have had to have two different entries. I must be missing something somewhere.

Embedding video et al

This was an experiment of embedding a Youtube video to the blog and its uses within the learning environment. Students and teachers have access to creating a video and publishing it to Youtube as well as accessing other people's videos. The teacher can screen the information on the video and link it to the learning task, allowing for further development within Learning Managements Systems such as Blackboard, Learning Place and Moodle. This course has utilised Youtube on Moodle. I have found it difficult to access this information as my download allowance and speed is not sufficient for the technology. I question the general use of any of this technology within the low socio-ecconomic society, as it has been my experience that both schools and home environment do not necessarily have the computing capabilities that this technology needs.

Perpetuum Jazzile - Africa - Blog

21st July, tutorial

The technology for today's tutorial are the use of video, podcast, recorders, movie maker, feedburner, vodcasts and possibilities where these can be used in the classroom.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/WCof

http://www.picnik.com/app#/home/welcome

The course is set up to cram a maximum amount of information into a small amount of space. This would be ok if all the participants in the course had a high level of competency in computer skills however that is not the case. I am personally grateful to have a mentor guiding my learning but I find even that is not enough at times.

To the uses of this technology within the classroom, I can see the benefit for knowing about programs that are available, however, personal experience has shown me that until you have a need to utilise the programs then there is little benefit to this process. With the technological advances far out weighing the learnt experiences now, this data will be out of date by the time we use it in the classroom and new programs will be needed for the tasks. It does appear that similar features go across the different tools though. I feel the meta language is an area that could be expanded upon and the applications for these tools investigate as well as the practice of these tools consolidated.

My group in Professional Skills is utilising some of these tools. We have a wiki and a web page started and with the knowledge of pod casts could possibly be incorporated into the web page. In my prac teaching environment I would like to see the visual art diary entries completed online from the home environment and photographic information of artworks made into movies for verification at moderation. The use of video within the classroom is a very powerful tool.

All in all the learning journey for this unit is giving me confidence to use new technology but has also shown me that I have a large pot of ICT knowledge already within my resources.

learning style

Style Scores Visual
10
Social
14
Physical
13
Aural
10
Verbal
9
Solitary
12
Logical
6

My learning style: This graphic organiser shows that I am an all rounder learner. This is generic to other tests that I have done recently showing I these same traits.

ICT in the real world

ICT in the real world!!! Technology is invading every space, it is our job to encompass and promote new ideas. The learning environment can benefit with the use of a frameworks which encompass basic scaffolding using these resources. The world has been made smaller because of the use of online learning, discussion boards, chat lines and the myriad of other discussion tools. To have real time discussion within the classroom with another class across the other side of the world, both focusing on a similar issue such as environmental issues or whaling, can only enhance the learners understanding of issues and perspectives from different directions. The use of ICT is unstoppable.

what's your game?

Hi my is Suzie and this is my foray into learning new technologies to use in the classroom and beyond. The changes within the last ten years has seen the advent of technology developing into an amazing array of tools that can be used within the learning environment. When the safe practices of computing were set down 10 years ago there were no blogs or wikis to safe guard young children from, the chances of children being bullied on the web or phones was non-existent and problems with inappropriate sexual material being available on ordinary sites was to a minimum.

Now we have Education Queensland blocking sites within the learning environment, with the hope of safe guarding children. These same sites are available within the home environment but there is a responsibility by the schools and the teaching staff to ensure the children have the safest learning experiences available to them.

The following blogs will explore some of the tools that are available to the learning manager and a small taste of how they could possibly be used within the classroom. Not all tools are appropriate for all ages but the idea of this course is to give the learning manager the skills to negotiate a large number of new tools and thus transfer these same skills to other tools. This is of value at the present, however if the learning manager does not keep abreast with the ICT environment they will be left behind. The changes are fast and furious.