http://www.mediafire.com/?iqtejzgjjny
MediaFire is a File storage located on the web. It enables you to upload large files or photographs for storage rather than keeping them in your inbox or on your computer. This storage facility enables you to access them wherever you are on any computer as long as you have internet access. They also enable you to share your files either privately between selected clients/friends or publicly to anyone. They are also able to download your files.
I found this storage place a great place and believe it can be utilised in the classroom in many different ways. This file storage could be used for students either uploading homework or assignments or projects instead of emailing to teacher etc, or they can be in reverse, the Teacher could also have a file for students to work on from home, like homework or information they require to access for assignments or projects.
Lessons could be downloaded for those who are away on holidays or unable to get to school due to imobility or an inability to attend under special circumstances. Possibly a sharing of information gathered or outcomes between different schools and students across the world. The uses are endless.
I have included a URL for one of my files that I have uploaded on MediaFire, feel free to check it out, it is a Science project I did.
Wendy
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Slideshare
Another site to sign up too. Whew I am loosing track of all these sites, good thing I have a little black book to note them in.... Anyway entering this site was easy enough, and signing up. I encountered a small problem when uploading a PowerPoint to the site, it took soooo long, and when I tried to go back and preview it, I could not find it, so I began to upload it again and it took another 20 mins, thought this was taking a little too long so I had a play around the site and found that it actually had uploaded and I was then able to preview it. Then came the challenge of embedding it into my blog, I followed the instructions by using the "embed" code but that took a whole page so I decided to go via posting it through Blogger from the bottom of the page. This worked a treat.
The Audio on the other hand I could not get to work. I downloaded a free program called "Audacity" from the Web. The first test I did, worked well although very low volume, so I tried turning up the volume and repeating a test again and again and again. Could not get this to work at all. I was getting very frustrated at this stage. After playing with this for at least half an hour I chose to move on and plan to play with it at a later date when I have more time (yeah right...sparetime..) anyway I shall put it down to another experience I have had with another program, one of many. How unfortunate I could not get it to work.
I believe these too programs could work well together for students once the teething problems have been ironed out. Not only for students to use and experiment with but for teachers presentations. Another engaging effective way of teaching and/or learning tool.
The Audio on the other hand I could not get to work. I downloaded a free program called "Audacity" from the Web. The first test I did, worked well although very low volume, so I tried turning up the volume and repeating a test again and again and again. Could not get this to work at all. I was getting very frustrated at this stage. After playing with this for at least half an hour I chose to move on and plan to play with it at a later date when I have more time (yeah right...sparetime..) anyway I shall put it down to another experience I have had with another program, one of many. How unfortunate I could not get it to work.
I believe these too programs could work well together for students once the teething problems have been ironed out. Not only for students to use and experiment with but for teachers presentations. Another engaging effective way of teaching and/or learning tool.
Wikipedia
image; ccrjustice.org
Wikipedias have a wide range of uses. They are available in many languages and cover all KLA's. Anyone can add or delete information within these pages, just like a Wiki. Although Wikipedia is not considered an educational reference for information, however it can still be used in the classroom.
Wikipedias can be created for use in the classroom but would need to be monitored closely by the Teacher. However, it would be more useful as a learning tool rather than just a contribution learning tool. On the Wikipedia you have many choices of what can be done with them, like, going to other related links, locating photos that are related to the information. There is a community portal, a help desk, a Wikisource, Wikibooks, Wikionary and one that is very useful for all ages, Wikiversity. Wikiversity is an open learning form where learning resources and projects can be found and used it also includes professional and informal training. A great resource for collaborative learning.
WebQuests
WebQuests are an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. These WebQuests can be set up and organised by teachers or they can be WebQuests that are already situated on the web. Most of the Educational ones are found in the Learning Place which would be accessible to all schools.
My experience with WebQuests has been limited but I have managed to create 2 of my own for assignments during my BLM course. I have found them interesting and a great source as an interactive and engaging learning tools (Prensky 2005) whether students are Digital Natives or immigrants (Prensky 2001).
They can be time consuming when setting up, especially when you are not really familiar with the program, although there are plenty of web sites out there to help you begin one. http://www.webquest.org/ is a great site for beginners, easy instructions and layouts. The many features and designs that can be used is nearly endless, it is only limited to your own imagination and creativeness.
Students could also create their own as an authentic assessment for whatever they are working on in their unit of work. WebQuests are usefeul throughout all KLA's, and year grades. The Essential Learnings (2007) can be incorporated within the WebQuests. Such as a SOSE project on Global environments (QSA 2007) - The effects Global Warming for Penguins in the Antartic; which would include land formations, climate zones and so on, which is real world related which goes along with Kearsley and Shneiderman's (1998) Engagement Theory. The Webquest would include a lot of higher order thinking and questions (Blooms Taxonomy).
In the classroom, a WebQuest is an effective source of particular information that has been previously chosen for students to locate and answer questions. This tool can be linked to a Wiki for placing all their researched information for class sharing. A WebQuest could be used as the first port of call so to speak for the begining of a Unit of Work in each term. It can be set out use to cover all the curriculum requirements for the term, it would need to be scaffolded in a way that other resources can be incorporated but can still be used mostly throughout the term.
Below is a video on What is a WebQuest for furhter information.
References;
Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement Theory. Retrieved August 18, from, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Prensky, M. (2005). Engage Me or Enrage Me - What today's learners demand. Retrieved August 18, from,http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved August 18, from, www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%
Queensland Studies Authoriy (QSA), Queensdland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework (2007), Essential Learnings. Retrieved August 18, from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/learning/7284.html
http://www.webquests.org.au/
My experience with WebQuests has been limited but I have managed to create 2 of my own for assignments during my BLM course. I have found them interesting and a great source as an interactive and engaging learning tools (Prensky 2005) whether students are Digital Natives or immigrants (Prensky 2001).
They can be time consuming when setting up, especially when you are not really familiar with the program, although there are plenty of web sites out there to help you begin one. http://www.webquest.org/ is a great site for beginners, easy instructions and layouts. The many features and designs that can be used is nearly endless, it is only limited to your own imagination and creativeness.
Students could also create their own as an authentic assessment for whatever they are working on in their unit of work. WebQuests are usefeul throughout all KLA's, and year grades. The Essential Learnings (2007) can be incorporated within the WebQuests. Such as a SOSE project on Global environments (QSA 2007) - The effects Global Warming for Penguins in the Antartic; which would include land formations, climate zones and so on, which is real world related which goes along with Kearsley and Shneiderman's (1998) Engagement Theory. The Webquest would include a lot of higher order thinking and questions (Blooms Taxonomy).
In the classroom, a WebQuest is an effective source of particular information that has been previously chosen for students to locate and answer questions. This tool can be linked to a Wiki for placing all their researched information for class sharing. A WebQuest could be used as the first port of call so to speak for the begining of a Unit of Work in each term. It can be set out use to cover all the curriculum requirements for the term, it would need to be scaffolded in a way that other resources can be incorporated but can still be used mostly throughout the term.
Below is a video on What is a WebQuest for furhter information.
References;
Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement Theory. Retrieved August 18, from, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Prensky, M. (2005). Engage Me or Enrage Me - What today's learners demand. Retrieved August 18, from,http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved August 18, from, www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%
Queensland Studies Authoriy (QSA), Queensdland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework (2007), Essential Learnings. Retrieved August 18, from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/learning/7284.html
http://www.webquests.org.au/
This is a captured picture through Google Earth of where I used to live in Edmonton Cairns.Google Earth is a great interactive learning tool for the classroom. It can be utilised throughout all KLA's. Google Earth also has an area where you can use for educational purposes so that you may set up a virtual learning classroom. Google Earth has many features from longitute/latitude street views, distance calculations, contour views to being able to go under the sea to view the layers of the seabedetc. Google Earth is a great way to take students to another country, city or area without leaving the classroom. A great way for locating places without using the old way of an atlas. This 3D view is an excellent form of learning for recognising where every country is relation to each other as an atlas does not show this. Students will be able to see how close we actually are from another country. Great use of finding the compass points for the younger years as well.
Podcasting
When I first saw or rather heard Podcasting I was a little confused as I confused Podcasting with Vodcasts. So when I subscribed to a few of the Eductional Podcasts on itunes and listened to a couple of them, I was expecting to actually see the speaker etc. I was a little disappointed but then I thought well yes we could use these in the classroom. These Podcasts could be used as a collaborative or individual interactive learning tool. Connecting an ipod up to several earphones for collaborative learning can encourage students to work together engagingly(Prensky 2005) on a project, with all resources available nearby. This could be a set task of gathering information, answering a key question and following on research from other resources.
These Podcasts could be set up for a variety of learning levels for individual students in the class. For example students who are fast finishers could be working together on a particular project that has been specifically set up for them at a higher learning level and so on. For the Visual Learners (Gardeners Learning Styles 1983) I would be a little concerned, possibly the Learning Design Module (Oliver 1999) or Framework (Kearsley & Shneiderman 1998) would need to be modified to using the podcast as simple higher order questions, and small amounts of information and direction for further research to be found in other resources that would be suitable to their learning style which would ensure their success in completing the task. There is also the possibility of pairing Visual Learners with Audio Learners (Gardener's Learning Styles 1983) for peer learning/teaching. Podcasts in the classroom would need to be engaging and real-world related as Kearsley and Shneiderman (1998) indicate when working with ICTs and ensuring the Authentic tasks are engaging with a problem -based learning approach. This would also work for the younger grades also, or a book reading could be possible, with a task set out for drawing /creating the pictures to the story or a music podcast for these grades used with other resources could also be a engaging effective teaching tool.
Wendy.
References;
Gardener, H. (1983). Howard Gardener's multiple intelligences. Retrieved August 18, from, http://www.businessballs.com/howardgardenermultipleintelligences.htm
Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement Theory. Retrieved August 18, from, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Oliver, R. (1999). Exploring strategies for on-line teaching and learning. Distance Education, 20(2), 240-254.
Prensky, M. (2005). Engage Me or Enrage Me - What today's learners demand. Retrieved August 18, from,http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf
These Podcasts could be set up for a variety of learning levels for individual students in the class. For example students who are fast finishers could be working together on a particular project that has been specifically set up for them at a higher learning level and so on. For the Visual Learners (Gardeners Learning Styles 1983) I would be a little concerned, possibly the Learning Design Module (Oliver 1999) or Framework (Kearsley & Shneiderman 1998) would need to be modified to using the podcast as simple higher order questions, and small amounts of information and direction for further research to be found in other resources that would be suitable to their learning style which would ensure their success in completing the task. There is also the possibility of pairing Visual Learners with Audio Learners (Gardener's Learning Styles 1983) for peer learning/teaching. Podcasts in the classroom would need to be engaging and real-world related as Kearsley and Shneiderman (1998) indicate when working with ICTs and ensuring the Authentic tasks are engaging with a problem -based learning approach. This would also work for the younger grades also, or a book reading could be possible, with a task set out for drawing /creating the pictures to the story or a music podcast for these grades used with other resources could also be a engaging effective teaching tool.
Wendy.
References;
Gardener, H. (1983). Howard Gardener's multiple intelligences. Retrieved August 18, from, http://www.businessballs.com/howardgardenermultipleintelligences.htm
Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement Theory. Retrieved August 18, from, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Oliver, R. (1999). Exploring strategies for on-line teaching and learning. Distance Education, 20(2), 240-254.
Prensky, M. (2005). Engage Me or Enrage Me - What today's learners demand. Retrieved August 18, from,http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf
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