Peer Reviews of group Wiki...

I checked the Peer Review system on LMS and discovered that I had two reviews for our group Wiki. 

The person who did Review 1 said how much they liked our group Wiki because it was fun, engaging and clear. They also enjoyed our online presentation and said that it was evident that we had spent a lot of time planning and implementing it. Review 1 mentioned no areas that needed to be improved, however, it was pointed out that there were some minor speaking mistakes on our online presentation.

Review 2 suggested that we needed to be more explicit about the teaching area, year level and project overview on our Wiki Home Page. It was also suggested that the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning" table, (that we had created), needed further explanation of how we incorporated the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning" into our project.

I quickly checked our Wiki and I personally think that our Wiki Home Page does cover the required elements, (as stated in the Marking Rubric), and I also believe that our table, describing how we have incorporated the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning" into our project, gives a thorough explanation. However, I decided to log into Face Book to ask the other members of the group what they thought of my review comments and to find out what comments they had received.

After sharing our reviews Tegan decided to alter the Home Page slightly by enlarging the title to make it clear that the Wiki site and project related to volcanoes.

Sarah said that she had received a comment about the teacher tips not being in line with the lesson plan so she removed the widget boxes and incorporated the teacher tips into the same table as the lesson plan outline.

I decided to add a link to a word-search-maker site, (in Resource 3 on the Student Resources Page), because I remembered Jenni saying that although word searches are good it is better to get the students to demonstrate their critical and creative skills by making their own.

We all decided that the explanation of how we incorporated the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning" into our project was sufficient and did not need to be altered. As a group we are aware of the minor speaking mistakes within the online presentation, however, it is so difficult to produce a perfect narration so we decided to stop re-recording and stressing because we were happy with the content and the end product.

Overall I am happy with the Peer Reviews that our group Wiki has had because, (according to our group discussions via Face Book and our mobile phone discussions), they have all been positive and everyone seems to have enjoyed the project that we have created.

Lecture 13: Online Live Classroom - Interactive Whiteboard and Mobile Learning....

I am now able to sign into the Online Live Classroom Lectures without any difficulties and I enjoy using this technology as a learning tool now that I feel comfortable navigating around the screen.

Jenni started the lecture by asking whether everyone had completed their online peer reviews and the result came back indicating that 91% of us have completed 2 peer reviews.

Screen capture of completed peer review results.

Interactive WhiteBoards:

The lecture then focused on Interactive Whiteboards, (IWB), and Jenni made a great point that the culture of teaching needs to be changed before digital devices are added. Teachers need to adapt to 21st Century learning and use technology to actively involve students.

"CENTRE LEARNING AROUND THE LEARNER"

Jenni then talked about the different brands of Interactive Whiteboards that are available, (Smartboards, Teamboard, Electroboard etc...), and directed us to LMS where there are various links that explian how to set up and use an IWB. Jenni also advised us that Scootle has great IWB resources that will probably come in useful when it is time for us to go on practical work experiences at schools. Another interesting point Jenni made was that it is possible to set up lesson plans for an IWB on a laptop so that you are organised and ready to teach before you attend the school. It was interesting to note that 41% of the lecture group have used an IWB at some stage.

For the IWB to be used for their purpose, (to provide interaction), Jenni suggested that as a tecaher you should get the students involved by getting them to use the technology instead of you. A good example would be to have a roster where the students calibrate the IWB on a daily basis. It is important to put the learning into the students's hands - let them be the teacher.

iPads (mobile devices):

The next part of the lecture addressed the use of iPads and mobile devices and a quick poll was taken to see how many people in the lecture group owned or had access to an iPad or Android Tablet. The results are below...

Results from the above poll.

Jenni explained that iPads are becoming a popular mobile device that are being used within a teaching environment and it is important, (as a teacher), to take advantage of this learning tool by using it not only for teaching with apps but for real world relevance like out in the field for taking photos or recording, (use them for the purpose that they have been designed for - mobile learning). The Technology Toolbox for Educators wiki has a link to a great website that demonstrates how iPads bring "A Change In Teaching Style." 

It was also suggested in this lecture that in a few years time there will be a shift in the mobile phone policy at schools and they will become learning tools for students. Again the Technology Toolbox for Educators wiki has a link to an interesting website that gives "10 Reasons Cell Phones Should Be Allowed In Schools."

Jenni then discussed the characteristics of mobile learning as listed below:

• Explore - Provide time for exploration of mobile technologies.
• Blended - Blend with non mobile technologies e.g., claymation and iMovie.
• Whenever - Use mobile learning spontaneously.
• Wherever - Non traditional learning spaces e.g., a museum.
• Whomsoever - Use mobile learning both individually and collaboratively.
• Personalise - Employ the learner's own mobile devices, iPads, smartphones, ipods.
• Affordances - Do not use like a PC, use device to its best advantage e.g., ipods-digital stories, iPads-show me tutorial, presentations, drawings etc...
• Mediation - Use mobile learning to mediate knowledge construction.
• Produse - Use mobile learning to produce and consume knowledge, (like the tasks completed within this unit).

It was also clarified that as a teacher it is important to ask questions about the learning environments that you create in order to encourage motivation and deeper meaning.

I particularly enjoyed this lecture because it was so relevant to the 21st Century teaching and learning pedagogy within schools. At the school I work at, (as an Education Assistant), Primary School students have been issued with iPads and Middle School and High School students have been issued with MacBook Airs making the learning environment collaborative, engaging, fun, spontaneous and social. At the beginning of this school year I was issued with an iPad, (instead of a laptop), and at first I admit I was apprehensive about its suitability within my job role, however, I have been pleasantly surprised. The iPad has proven to be a fantastic mobile device with which I can use to spontaneously take photos, make recordings, use fantastic apps when I work with students that require extra support, check my emails, use the net for research and much more...

From studying this unit, (EDN113 Living and Learning with Technology), I truly understand how today's learning is definitely at the fingertips of our students!

Last minute changes...

After re-reading the online presentation elements that are required, (from the Marking Rubric), my group decided that we needed to talk more about how and why tasks were allocated to particular people. We decided to meet up in the student common room and re-record our online presentation to include this information:

Screen capture of the presentation elements that are required.

• Sarah - was given the title of "MANAGER" because this is the area in which her strength lies. Sarah talked about how she created a Google Doc. so that we were able to know exactly what jobs needed to be done and what jobs had been completed. Sarah also organised the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning" included in our Wiki into a table as well as research teacher resources and edit the Wiki.

• Tegan - was give the title of "TECHNOLOGY GURU" because she always seems to be the first person in our group to solve any technical issues that we encounter. Tegan is also extremely creative so she made our model volcano and created the Home page of our Wiki as well as researching teacher resources and also editing the Wiki site.

• Roxy - was given the title of "ASSISTANT" because she is always happy to lend a helping hand and provide additional suggestions. Roxy also created the student Blogs that are on our Wiki, added appropriate images to them and also edited the Wiki.

• Myself - I was given the title of "EXPERTISE" because I was able to draw on my experiences as an Education Assistant to make our Wiki an authentic learning resource. From working with students within the same year level that our Wiki is aimed at I was able to include student resources that I knew would be engaging and appropriate. I also contributed to the group volcano experiment that we conducted and edited the Wiki site.

Our new recording did not take long to complete because we were familiar with the technology, (PowerPoint and Sreencast-O-Matic), and we had already practiced what we were going to say. Again we allocated each group member various slides to narrate, however, Roxy was unable to attend so Sarah talked on her behalf.

On reflection I am glad that we took the time to re-record our online presentation because it appears  more professional and the narration is less rushed and more relaxed. Because we had more time we also discovered that we could choose from a variety of editing options at the end of the screencasting video. With this new knowledge we decided to remove the cursor halo and use a highlighting tool instead which was less distracting for the audience when watching the video. We also noticed in our first online presentation that there was a lot of clicking during the video because we had not scrolled down the screen, therefore we used the scroll function in our final recording.

Playing back our final recording of our online presentation was so satisfying and we are all happy and proud at what we have achieved. I feel that all the hard work, organisation, communication and collaboration has definitely paid of and I can honestly say that we have all done the best that we could have.

This experience of working as a team has been so rewarding and positive because we have all respected and pulled together as a group.

"GREAT JOB TO THE EXPLOSIVE TEAM!"

Peer reviews...

Almost at the end of Task 3!

I have completed three peer reviews and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. All of the Wiki sites that I reviewed had great project ideas and the context was appropriate for their target audience. The first Wiki was called, "WHAT'S IN OUR BODIES?"  with the emphasis on how humans are made up, the second Wiki was, "Biological Sciences Teacher's resource," which was aimed at life cycles and it used the growing of tomato plants as an example, and the third Wiki was, "Skilldevelopers," which looked at developing students personal skills in a chosen sport. As an outsider looking in I was able to give lots of positive feedback as well as some ideas that would help further enhance these sites. Unfotunatley I was unable to give any feedback on both the group's presentations because they had not yet been hyperlinked or embedded on the Wikis. I will go back into the review system at a later date and see if the presentations have been added, if so I will review each of them.

Screen capture of the sites that I have reviewed.

It was interesting to see how each group, (with the same set task), has used different organisation methods as well as varying levels of creativity. I have not had a peer review yet, however, I am looking forward to hopefully receiving some constructive feedback shortly.

The group Wikis are going to be fabulous resources to refer to in the future whilst completing work experience at schools and as a future teacher. It is amazing to see how Wikis can be used over varying year levels to promote collaborative, engaging and authentic projects. I am proud of the skills myself and the other EDN113 students have achieved over such a short period of time and I am definitely going to enhance my technology skills through further research and independent learning.

My reflection of unit EDN113 "Living and Learning with Technology."

I remember enrolling in this unit and thinking to myself that I was going to find "Living and Learning with Technology" a huge challenge because my knowledge of technology was very limited. This thought became worse when I read each of the assigned tasks. I can recall thinking that I was going to be completely out of my depth because there was no way that I would be able to create a Web Site, Blog page, Screencast video or a Wiki, (and I wasn't even sure what they exactly were).

Task 1 was a struggle for me but with the fantastic learning resources that have been available to use, (lectures, tutorials, unit text book, "Meaningful Learning with Technology," online resources, LMS discussion forum and my peers), I managed to complete the task successfully and gain confidence in using technology. Task 2 became less stressful because I started to enjoy exploring new technologies and started to visualise how these technologies can be used within a learning environment. Task 3 was the task that I enjoyed the most because me and my group members all had different skills that we mixed together to produce a great teaching resource.

From this unit I have obtained many transferable skills that include:

• Independent learning
• Research skills
• Knowledge of various technology tools
• How to implement technology tools into a learning environment
• How to create a collaborative learning environment
• Ways to promote critical and creative thinking
• Working as a team
• How to give constructive feedback
• Using technology as cognitive tools
• Developing a 21st Century teaching pedagogy

This unit is so relevant to my future role as a teacher and this has been clarified on numerous occasions within my current position as an Education Assistant. Only a couple of days ago I was in a Year 7 English class listening to a teacher giving a presentation to her students on how to navigate around, reflect and post work on their Blogs. The teacher also talked about a digital magazine that has been created for the students where they can add their own articles on things of interest e.g. sporting activities, how to make the best muffins, book reviews etc.

I can honestly say that I have gained so much from this unit and when I look back at what I have managed to create, (in a short space of time), I feel extremely satisfied and proud. The thought of using technology no longer scares me, instead it fills me with excitement because technology can be so empowering when it is embraced.

Tutorial 12...

Jenni explained that once we had added our group Wiki URL to the sign-up-sheet we were able to use the rest of the tutorial to work on our group Wiki.

Tegan added our URL to the sign-up-sheet then as a group we decided that the most important element for us to concentrate on was the online presentation. We still have a couple of components to add, (that we identified from our group meeting that we had before today's lecture), however, these components could be added by us individually whereas the creation of the presentation required the whole group to be together.

So that we could record our presentation we worked in the student common room to avoid any distractions or interruptions.

Tegan had all the images on her laptop from the volcano eruption activity that we recorded so she began to create a PowerPoint presentation. We reflected back to the lecture earlier in the day and remembered Jenni saying that our Wiki should have a beginning, (an introduction), a middle, (the content), and an end, (a summary). With this is in mind we followed the same guidelines with our PowerPoint slides by starting with an introduction.

Introduction: We began by introducing the topic of our Wiki which is Volcanoes. We then introduced ourselves as "The Explosive Team" and mentioned each team member individually. The next slide we added was a brainstorm of ideas that we had at the beginning of this Task which helped us create our final product. We then added a slide that displayed how each of the tasks that needed to be completed were allocated followed by a slide showing where we got our resources from and an example of a lab safety video that we thought the students would definitely enjoy.

Content: This is where we added slides relating to our Wiki such as the Home Page, Lesson Plan Page, Teacher Resource Page, Student Resource Page etc...

Summary: To summarise we gave an overview of our project be mentioning the teaching area and year level the project is based on, the learning objectives, the technology resources used and how we have included the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning." We thought that it was important to show an end product for our project so we also included a short screencast video of our group volcano experiment activity that we conducted.

By following the above guidelines we found that our PowerPoint slides flowed together well and the information was very informative, however, we wanted the audience to acknowledge how much fun we had working on this project and we also wanted to engage them. With this in mind we decided to add a small section of one of our teacher resources, (a volcano song), as part of the introduction.

As a group we all felt really pleased because we had found Microsoft PowerPoint to be an easy technology tool to work with that produced professional looking slides. As an Education Assistant I use Microsoft PowerPoint regularly with the students that I work with because the students also find the presentation tool simple to use and they love the different themes and functions that are available.  Most of the students teach themselves how to use Microsoft PowerPoint by exploring the presentation tool and collaborating with other students, however "How to use Microsoft PowerPoint 2010" is a great You Tube video resource.

We then proceeded to upload our Microsoft Powerpoint to PresenationTube so that we could record our narration. PresentationTube is a free video presentation recorder that synchronises a variety of visual aids including PowerPoint slides.

DISASTER STRUCK!

We allocated each group member various slides to introduce and clarified what we were going to say and then we started to record. After fifteen minutes we were all about to pull our hair out! Every time one of us made a mistake we were unable to record over the error, instead we had to start the recording again from the beginning. The pressure of not making any mistakes was so intense that we were all stumbling on words during the recording and feeling bad when we were the cause of having to start the recording all over again. The whole group started to get stressed out because time was ticking away and we knew that this was probably going to be the last opportunity that we would all be together to record our presentation.

Finally Tegan suggested we try using our original choice of technology tool, (Screencast-O-Matic), and create a screencast video. This was not as straight forward as we thought either!

The first problem was we were unable to click on the PowerPoint slides when using Screencast-O-Matic so each time we wanted to narrate a slide we had to retrieve each slide individually and then do our recording.

The second problem arose when we tried to add the "Volcano Song" as the backing music to our first introduction slide. We had to click on the volcano song video link and then quickly navigate back to Screencast-O-Matic and click on record, it sounds easy but it was impossible to get the correct timing and we were continuously missing the first part of the song. Stress levels began to rise again and we almost decided to forget about the song but then Sarah suggested we record the volcano song on her iPhone and then play it back over the laptop microphone so that Screencast-O-Matic could pick the sound up. Success, this method worked well and we were all so excited that we were able to include the song in our online presentation.

The rest of the screencast recording run smoothly because we all felt at ease knowing that if we made a mistake during our recordings we would be able to re-record over them, unlike our first attempt using PresentationTube.

We all gave a sigh of relief, Tegan clicked playback on the Screencast-O-Matic menu bar and we all sat back apprehensively waiting to view our online presentation. A huge cheer errupted in the student common room as we realised that we had successfully created our online presentation and we had almost finished Task 3. The "Explosive Team" had a group moment and we all told each other how proud we were of our team work and of the fantastic Wiki project that we had all created.

The "Explosive Team" feeling extremely happy!

We left the student common room after confirming our last allocated tasks to complete our group Wiki project:

Tegan:

• Add links to the student resource page.
• Embed our screencast video presentation into our Wiki home page.

Sarah:

•  Find some research books to include in our teachers resource page.

Roxy:

• Finish of the Blogs.

Me: 

• Create and add the teacher tips to the lesson plan page.

Peer Reviews:

I am looking forward to completing the Peer Reviews to see what topics the other groups have covered and to find out the different ways that each group tackled this task. I must admit I did feel uncomfortable when I first started using the Peer Review system but now I enjoy looking at the alternative methods used to complete each task. From practice and looking at other peoples comments I am finding it much easier to give constructive feedback, (which is an important skill to have as a future teacher), and I look forward to receiving constructive feedback in order to critically analysis my own work and make improvements if necessary.

Lecture 12: Presentations...

Today's lecture began by Jenni discussing how important it is to make sure that we refer to the Marking Rubric to ensure that each element that is required in Task 3 has been included in our Wiki sites. I remember thinking how important Jenni's advice was because my group had just realised, (a couple of hours before the lecture), that we had left out some required elements. Fortunately, (from mistakes made in past tasks), regular checking of the Marking Rubric enabled us to add the elements that we had missed i.e. links from the lesson page and teacher tips.

The next part of the lecture focused on the online presentation requirements which included the need to demonstrate, (through narration and visuals), how the group worked together to create the resource and an overview of the project. Jenni showed examples of  PowerPoint presentation for Task 3 that were created last year, (including "The Nutty Nutritionists"), and explained that if we was to use PowerPoint we would have to upload it to authorSTREAM in order to record a narration. On the LMS, (under Task 3), Jenni has created a page where she has embedded a variety of example videos that explain some of the technologies that can be used to create narrated online presentations that can then be embedded into a Wiki site.

The lecture concluded with Jenni discussing the Peer Review system for Task 3 and the importance of completing the reviews in order to give and receive constructive feedback and to accumulate marks. Jenni also re-enforced the need for each student to complete a Task 3 cover sheet in order to be assessed and for one group member to input our Wiki URL into the Task 3 sign-up sheet to enable our Wiki site to be reviewed.

After the lecture my group decided that we would use PowerPoint uploaded to authorSTREAM to create our online presentation because Jenni had mentioned that it is difficult to create a screencast video from PowerPoint slides.

I am feeling really excited about creating our online presentation because my group has so many ideas, (that we were jotting down during the lecture), to produce an engaging and informative short video. This is a good example of how collaborative learning can lead to a more creative end product because a variety of different views, experiences and skills are being drawn upon.

Group Wiki meeting...

Before the lecture today our group met up in the student common room to discuss our Wiki site.

As a group we went through the Marking Rubric and realised that we needed to add certain elements to our Wiki to meet the criteria, therefore we allocated our selves specific tasks that we felt the most comfortable completing because we had already worked individually on the pages where the necessary elements had to be added (the tasks are listed below).

Tegan - is going to add links to the lesson page so that the students are able to access the relevant resources related to the specific week.

Roxy - is going to work on the Blog page by adding some related links and images to make the blogs look more appealing.

Sarah - is going to research Amazon and the Murdoch Library to find books relating to volcanoes and chemical reactions that she can add to the student resource page.

I am going to add some teacher tips along side the lesson plan in order to help each weeks lessons run as smoothly as possible. To complete this task I am going to relate to my job role as an Education Assistant and draw on the knowledge and observations I have experienced during this time. I am also going to add a link to CHEM4KIDS website in the teachers resource page so that teachers can direct students there for extension activities.

As a group we also decided to use a screencast video instead of iMovie for our group presentation because we believe it will be easier for the audience to follow the different pages that we will be displaying and discussing.

This was a very productive group meeting and we are all feeling satisfied at what we have achieved so far. I feel that we have accomplished so much in a short space of time because we have all been communicating with each other on a regular basis and we have, (through effective collaboration), shared the work load equally.

Group volcano experiment...

Today our group conducted the same science investigation that we have created on our "Explosive Learning" Wiki site. We followed the steps from the web site, "How To Make A Homemade Volcano," and made a realistic looking volcano. We then proceeded to scoop four table-spoons of Bicarbonate-of-Soda into the volcano along with a solution of vinegar and red food dye in order to create a chemical reaction that represented a volcanic eruption, (see images below).

 

As a group we were all really excited about the chemical reaction that took place between the Bicarbonate-of-Soda and the vinegar and how realistic the eruption looked. We are pleased that we took the time to complete the same investigation that we have designed for our students because we know that the experiment works and is a lot of fun. 

We have decided to use the photos that we took making the volcano and during the experiment to create an iMovie, (as per instructions in the lesson plan on the Wiki site), to see how creative the students can be.

I am thoroughly enjoying Task 3 because it is great to see how our Wiki site has started to look like a professional teaching resource. As a group we are continuously communicating with each other, mainly via Face Book and organising convenient times to meet up, which has made it easy to stay on schedule with each component.

Working on the student's resource page of the group Wiki...

I have been responsible for adding the relevant resources to the student's resource page and have included a safety video, (that is in the form of a rap that is fun and informative), a video that demonstrates how chemical reactions happen around us all of the time, a word search that I created from a word search generator, a spot the safety hazard worksheet, a screencast video explaining how to complete a Lab Report, a Lab Report template, Blog guidelines and a Marking Rubric.

Screen capture of the "Explosive Learning" word search that I created.

All of these resources will assist the students in completing their science investigation by helping them gain a deeper understanding of chemical reactions, become aware of the safety procedures that need to be followed when conducting their experiments and provide them with the knowledge of how to interpret their results.

Working as an Education Assistant at Tranby College has given me an insight into what students find engaging and this definitely helped me choose the resources that I have added to the student's resource page.

I decided to call the Marking Rubric the Marking Key so that it will be easier for the students to understand what it refers to. I found chapter ten of the unit text book, "Meaningful Learning with Technology," a valuable resource for creating the Marking Key because it clearly defines rubrics and their significance in helping assess meaningful learning outcomes as well as providing guidelines on how to create an effective rubric for assessing students work (Howland et al., 2012). I also thought that it was important to add a teacher comment box at the end of each criteria so that positive feedback could be given to the students to help them become critical thinkers and make improvements in their future work.

I am feeling excited at how the group Wiki is looking and this week my group will meet and discuss any improvements that we feel could be made to further enhance our Wiki site.


Reference:

Howland, J. L., Jonassen, D., & Marra, R. M . 2012. Meaningful Learning with Technology. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Including the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning" in the group Wiki...

I am aware, (by the lectures, tutorials and resources from the "Living and Learning with Technology" unit), that as a future 21st Century teacher it is vital to make sure that one's teaching pedagogy encompasses the numerous technologies that are available today. In doing so a teacher is able to engage and empower their students by using technology as cognitive tools to ensure that the students learning is an active process that is meaningful and realistic.

As a result our group decided that it was necessary for us to include the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning" in our group Wiki. To achieve this we created a table, (illustrated below), that clearly explains how each of the "9 Elements of Authentic Learning" have been incorporated into our Wiki learning resource.

"9 Elements of Authentic Learning" incorporated in our Wiki.

Lecture 11: Working with Wikis...

I managed to go straight into the Live Classroom this time with no problems, however, there were a few technical issues throughout the lecture which were dealt with in a calm and professional manner. As a future teacher I am aware that I will also face similar technical problems at times and realise that it is important to be able to think on your toes and be able to adapt the lesson accordingly.

The lecture started by explaining that Wiki sites are different to Web sites because they are designed to...

• Enable group work.
• Keep a history of what has been added and by whom.
• Undo changes that have been made by someone else.
• Notify the creator of the Wiki when changes are made to the Wiki, (may need to pay a subscription fee for this facility).

Just like Web sites there are a variety of Wiki sites to choose from. My group chose to use Google sites because it is free, (for a basic Wiki), and we already have Google accounts therefore a new password did not have to be created or remembered.

The next part of the lecture demonstrated how to create a Wiki. My group has already created our Wiki and we have individually added resources and links to the various pages that we were allocated to work on. However, before I started to work on the group Wiki I searched Google and found this great web site, "How to Create a Wiki without any Technical Know-How Using Google Sites," that gives a step by step guide on how to create a Wiki. I was surprised at the similarity between Google Web sites and Google Wikis which enabled me to navigate around the screens and add links, images and my screencast video with ease because I used Google Sites to create my Web site.

When I first read the section on Wikis from the text book for this unit, "Meaningful Learning with Technology," (Howland, Jonassen &Marra, 2012), and from using the school Wiki at Tranby College, (where I work as an Education Assistant), I remember thinking how complicated it must be to set up a Wiki site. But now I am feeling so excited because I have developed so many new technology skills that will enable me to produce a Wiki which will provide meaningful and authentic learning.

Reference:

Howland, J. L., Jonassen, D., & Marra, R. M . 2012. Meaningful Learning with Technology. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Adding resources to the group Wiki...

I have added a PDF document to the students resource page of our group Wiki. The PDF is a Lab Report document that students can use as a template when completing their own Lab Reports. I have also added a screencast video, (that explains the structure of the Lab Report), as well as some links to a safety video and a another fantastic video that demonstrates how chemical reactions are happening around us all the time.

Screen captures of our group Wiki Student Resource page.

It was only after I had finished adding the above resources that I realised how far my knowledge, understanding and use of various technology tools has grown. I can confidently create and publish screencasting videos, add hyperlinks, create Websites and Wikis and much more.

After researching iMovie, (as mentioned in my last blog), I am feeling confident at being able to demonstrate to my group members how to use the application. I found that the iMovie tutorial explained the application in simple terms and I can see how it can be a valuable resource to implement within a learning environment. Students can be as creative as they like and produce fantastic short movies to demonstrate their understanding of certain learning areas. For example, students can be asked by their teacher to make a short movie that has to include certain elements and follow the structure of a narrative, (containing an orientation, complication and a resolution). For students with low literacy skills the use of iMovie allows them to demonstrate their creative skills without the pressure of producing written text.

Went onto LMS Task 3 discussion forum to see what time tonight's live lecture is and found a few posts with the same query, however, there is no confirmation of the time as of yet. I will check again on the discussion forum later today.

Catch up at uni...

Today after our "Mathematics for Teaching" unit my group caught up to discuss how we are progressing with Task 3. We are all really pleased with the progress that has been made during the study break and we decided that this week we should focus on putting the resources, (that each of us had found), onto our Wiki. We also made plans to meet up again next Monday to conduct the volcano experiment so that we can make a short iMovie that can be used as a visual demonstration for the students.

I am feeling really excited about our Wiki because it is beginning to look very professional and engaging. As a team we are working well together because we are continually communicating with each other either by Face Book, through our Google Docs schedule list or meeting face to face.

I am going to look at this iMovie You Tube Tutorial later to gain a better understanding of how it works so that I will be prepared for next Monday.

Screen capture of iMovie application

Communication...

As a group we are using Google Docs. and Facebook to communicate with each other.

The document we have produced, (using Google Docs.), gives a weekly schedule of the jobs that each member of the group has been allocated. Each member adds information, (relating to their task), on the document and can also comment on any changes that they feel may be necessary. Even though we have only started using the document I am finding it really helpful in accessing resources that other members have found and also making sure that each member is on track with their tasks so that we run on schedule.

A screen capture of my groups Explosive Learning schedule using Google Docs.

My first task was to find out how to construct a simple volcano. I used Google and found a website that explains in detail the equipment needed, as well as the method used, to enable children to create an authentic looking volcano that erupts.

Click on the image above to go to the website.

 

I then posted the link to the website that I had found, (along with comments on why I thought it was appropriate), to my group Google Docs. document. Other group members had also posted some fantastic websites and video clips that I was able to look at. I particularly liked an interactive video that demonstrates how volcanoes are formed by showing live footage of a volcano forming in Mexico. I think that this would be a great teachers resource to include in our Wiki because it demonstrates authentic learning by explaining how volcanoes are formed using a real life example.

The next thing I had to do was design a Lab Report template, (using Microsoft Word), and then create a screencast video demonstrating what to include in each area of the Lab Report. The screencast video will act as a learning resource, (on the Wiki), for the students to listen to and refer back to when they have to create their own Lab Report. I referred to a book by the title of "Science World 1" to create a Lab Report template and then I made a screencast video. I am amazed at how confident I now feel when using technologies such as Screencast-O-Matic. Lastly I posted a note on our group Google Docs. schedule document confirming that I had completed my set tasks for the week.

Google Docs. is proving to be a valuable resource especially during this study break week where it is hard for group members to get together because of work or child care commitments. So far we have managed to create a Wiki, research various resources relating to volcanoes and create a lab report and a screencast video. As a future teacher I realise how Google Docs. can be used as a technology tool to assist in collaborative learning either with students in the same class, other classes within the school or other schools in other areas and even different countries.

Reference:

Stannard, P., Williamson, K. (2007). Science World 1 (2nd Ed). South Yarra, Australia: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.

Tutorial 9...

During the tutorial we formed groups for Task 3.

Group members:

 

• Tegan Greenaway
• Sarah Stevens
• Roxy Coe
• Lisa Turner

We then accessed a brainstorming Google Docs document that Jenni had sent to us and each group member shared their details, (name and e mail address), so that we can all work collaboratively or individually on the document. This is a fantastic resource to incorporate into the classroom because students can work collaboratively together on assignments at home or with other students from different classrooms, schools or even countries.


For the rest of the tutorial we worked within our groups brainstorming ideas for the project that we were going to create.

We decided to focus on Science as our main topic area but also incorporate aspects of English, Art and of course Technology. From a previous unit "Thinking Scientifically," (that we were enrolled in last semester), we remembered how good the experiments were that involved chemical reactions and decided to base our project around this. At first we were designing our project at Year 6 but once we went onto the Australian Curriculum Council Website it was evident that we needed to focus on Year 8 to reach the outcomes that we were aiming for. This was a good learning curve and made me realise how important it is to check the learning outcomes for the specific year level in order to avoid a massive gap in the students understanding.

From here we put our heads together, (and again referred to the Australian Curriculum Council), to think of a real world situation that involved chemical reactions that is also taught at this specific year level. In Chemical Sciences at this year level students focus on chemical change that involves substances reacting to form new substances and in Earth and Space Sciences students look at rock cycles. From this information we decided to base our project on the study of volcanoes exploring how chemical reactions relate to the eruption of a volcano and how magma and lava relate to the rock cycle.

So basically, our project will involve the creation of a Wiki site that will enable students to independently research various websites and videos, (which we will link to the Wiki), and other resources such as books, (during set library times), to find out how and where volcanoes are formed and why they erupt. We will also create a blog page, (attached to the Wiki), so that students can comment on the information that they have found during their research. Once the students have completed their research there will be other various steps to follow on the Wiki such as how to make a chemical reaction, building a volcano, filming the created volcano erupting, screencast tutorial on how to complete a Lab Report and then complete their own Lab Report. During all of these activities the students are to make reflections on their blog.

In order for us to work to schedule and effectively we decided to create a Google Docs document with a weekly schedule attached so that each member can access it and know exactly what they have to do and record their progress. We also stay in touch with each other via Facebook.

We allocated the tasks based on the different skill levels that we each possessed in the various areas that needed to be addressed. Tegan is faster at navigating around the Wiki and enjoys researching, Roxy likes Blogging, Sarah has good organisation skills and I draw on my experiences from working as an Education Assistant.

For our first week we set these tasks to be completed:

Tegan - research websites and video clips on how and where volcanoes are formed and why they  errupt so that the links can be added to the Wiki for the students to explore.

Sarah - create a Wiki site and write an introduction to the project on the Home page.

Roxy - research appropriate books relating to volcanoes so that they can be added to the Wiki for students to explore during library time.

Lisa - create a Lab Report and make a screencast video to demonstrate what to include in each section so that the students can refer back to the video as many times as they need to when they are creating their own report.

As a team I think we work well because we listen to each others ideas and build on them.

I feel that as a group we have accomplished so much this tutorial by using the Google Docs brainstorming document and each of us sharing ideas and researching different areas. I think that as long as we stick to our weekly schedules and keep each other informed, (via Google Docs or Facebook), we will stay on top of the Task and create an authentic learning resource.

I am also feeling excited at working as part of a team because we all have different skills to offer and learn from.

Lecture 9...

This lecture focused on Task 3...

In Task 3 we have to form groups of four people and create an authentic learning task that requires students to use some form of technology to complete a specific task e.g. a movie, digital story, website, photograph collection etc.

The key elements of Task 3 are:

• Teacher Wiki resource.
• 5 minute group Wiki presentation to be narrated and uploaded (linked to group Wiki).

Jenni advised us to focus on these main points: 

 

Target Audience: Other teachers.

Project Duration: Plan for a project that would extend over several lessons.

Authentic Task: Make sure the task is authentic - as would happen in the real world.

Technologies: Computers and software, internet, applications, digital movies, iPods, electronic whiteboards.        

Technology Use: Students use the technologies to complete the task.

Resources: Provide links and resources on the web that will be useful for the teacher to run the lesson.

Finished Product: A website, a digital story, a collection of annotated photographs etc...

Teacher Advice: Advice on useful resources, background information that teachers might need, information on how to introduce the topic, extension activities, timing of activities etc...

During week 11 there is going to be an on line lecture focusing on Wikis. I am looking forward to this because I have a basic understanding of a Wiki but obviously I need to develop an in depth understanding in order to complete this task successfully. I will also be researching Wikis in my own time via google and the Technology Toolbox for Educators on LMS.

Jenni showed a variety of project ideas and explained that there are some examples of Wikis on LMS that were created last year by students enrolled in this unit. I will definitely be taking a look at these examples to get a better understanding of what is expected. Jenni also explained that we will be accessing Google Docs during tutorial and completing a brainstorming resource in our groups.

Jenni also talked about the importance of job allocation and communication and that as a group we should decide on the methods of communication that we are going to use e.g. Email, Facebook, Skype, a Google Docs document or face to face. Another good point that Jenni raised was that as a group we are probably going to disagree with each other at times so we need to establish at the start how we are going to deal with any disputes that may arise. I think that the best way to deal with disputes would be to have a group vote, and if that failed then perhaps some kind of compromise.

An important aspect that was covered in the lecture was the importance of looking at the Australian Curriculum Website because it gives a break down of the expected outcomes for each subject area according to the year group. Before starting our chosen project we are going to have to make sure that it is appropriate for the age group in which we are presenting it to.

Jenni also talked about Scootle and said that it is worth while signing up to it because it is a teaching resource that has numerous activities to look at in each learning area and year group. I have already signed up to Scootle in the "Mathematics for Teaching" unit that I am also currently enrolled in at university. I agree with Jenni, Scootle is a fabulous resource and by using various mathematical activities I have gained a better understanding of number, shape and geometry concepts.

After listening to today's lecture I think that I am going to enjoy Task 3 the most because it is going to be an opportunity to create a collaborative and meaningful activity for students using a variety of technologies that I have become familiar with. I keep thinking about the importance of making sure that the project, (that me and my group create), incorporates the 9 elements of authentic learning to make sure that the technologies we have chosen are used as cognitive tools.

Peer review...

Almost at the end of Task 2...

For this part of the assignment I need to access the websites and screencasts, (of three group members), and follow their video instructions on how to input their resource data into the referencing tool of their choice and also add in-text and end-text references into a Word document. I will also need to complete an online peer review form, (for each of the three group members), to provide them with constructive feedback.

On the peer review day I went onto LMS and signed into the Task 1 peer review and results page and suddenly panicked because I could not see any of my group members on the peer review site. I quickly went onto the LMS discussion forum for Task 2 and found out that some of my peers were also experiencing the same problem. Fortunately there was a post that said the peer review system was not open until 9am so I decided to try again when I returned home from work.

Success, I went onto the LMS discussion forum for Task 2, (when I got home from work), and found out that to access the peer review page I had to go into Task 2. How great is the discussion forum!

I accessed each of my three group members site in turn and had a copy of the Task 2 Researcher Marking Rubric beside me so that I could identify each element that needed to be covered and at what level this element had been achieved.

I found this peer review task less daunting than the peer review for Task 1, probably because I was familiar with the Marking Rubric and I also felt more confident at giving constructive feedback. I think that the peer reviews are a necessary and meaningful component of each task because they are good practice for providing constructive feedback to our future students.

I enjoyed looking at the different websites and found that even though the same site may have been used each website looked original because of the way that they had been personalized. It was also great to visually see how far we have all progressed in this unit and how many new skills we have acquired in the short space of nine weeks.

I used Zotero as my referncing tool, so I found the screencast videos that showed how to use EndNote really interesting because they demonstrated how similar each referencing tool is, however EndNote does have an added bonus of automatically inserting an end-text reference once an in-text citation has been added to a Word document.

Another element of the peer review that I particularly enjoyed was looking at the various resources that my group members had found using  different resource types. I particularly liked the 6 Essential Tech Tools for Science Classrooms website because it explained how relatively simple technology devices can make a huge impact on engaging students during a science class. I think a great device that was mentioned on the site is the Livescribe SmartPen that enables a student to write or draw something on special paper and record whatever audio its microphone hears. The teacher is then able to post and share the video replay of whatever the student wrote on the paper, including the recorded audio.

I have had a peer review completed on my website, researcher video resource and my blog. I have made some alterations as suggested below:

• Change the name of  my website.
• Add a hyperlink for my screencast video.
• Add a separate blog link on the side menu bar of my website instead of having the blog link on the home page.
• Check for minor spelling mistakes on some hyperlinks in my blogs. 

A screen capture taken from the peer review on my website.

When I looked back over my website I decided to change the colours so that they were not as vibrant because I think it makes the overall presentation look more professional.

I appreciate the comments from the peer review and can see that from my alterations my website looks more professional and is easier to navigate around.

My overall thoughts...

The "Living and Learning with Technology" unit has developed my knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the numerous technology tools that are available to assist in our social lives, our learning, our researching and our teaching. Through the exploration and implication of technologies such as websites, social networking spaces, blog sites, referencing and screencasting tools I have become more aware of their role in supporting meaningful student learning.

The text book "Meaningful Learning with Technology" (Howland, Jonassen & Marra, 2012) has highlighted to me just how many technologies there are ranging from simple concept maps through to more complex tools such as Matlab (www.mathworks.com). One of my favourite quotes from the text book is, "When teachers offer students opportunities for inquiry, they create the potential for rich, meaningful learning experiences. Technology can provide the means for active, authentic learning through investigation both in the classroom and in the field" (21).

As an Education Assistant I have started implementing some of the new technologies, that I have recently acquired, into my teaching role. For instance, I work with a student in year 7 who has low literacy skills so to write up a science report is a daunting task for him. Instead I asked him to take pictures of the experiment, (using Photo Booth on his school Mac Book), then organized the pictures into a sequence of events, (using PowerPoint), and then he created a screencast video, (using QuickTime Player), referring to the slides from his PowerPoint presentation to demonstrate how he conducted his experiment. The activity provided the student with a meaningful learning experience because he was able to complete the same task as the other students by using the appropriate technology tools.

Photos taken using Photo Booth whilst conducting a science experiment.

Working at Tranby College as an Education assistant has made more aware of the relationship and relevance of this "Living and Learning with Technology" unit and teaching. Tranby College is a K-12 school where technology plays an important role in teaching and learning. Tranby College students have been issued with Mac Book laptops, (lower year levels have iPads), and the IT suite has grown significantly in the last couple of years in order to provide support and advise to both teachers and students. The students technology device enables them to access and send information to other students and teachers via the school e mail, read the schools daily notices, access the school wiki, use e books, create iMovies and Podcasts, research and much more...

I was sent this video clip from a teacher at Tranby College that is a fantastic resource that demonstrates how a teacher has designed his science class around a video game to promote meaningful and fun learning.The video highlights to me how the 9 elements of authentic learning have been incorporated within this video game resource.

Another great link that was sent to the teaching staff at Tranby College, (from the IT suite), is from a website called edudemic. There are lots of links to chose from in this website such as, "How Teachers Can Best Use Education Technology."

This unit, and the above websites, make it evident that as a future teacher I need to embrace technology and use it as a tool to enhance and improve my teaching pedagogy. I am also aware that by using technology tools both teachers and students are always learning from each other.

Reference:


Howland, J. L., Jonassen, D., & Marra, R. M . 2012. Meaningful Learning with Technology. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Polishing my website...

For Task 2 Researcher there is a section in the Marking Rubric that focuses on the entire website presentation, therefore I have been making some alterations.

On the Home page I added a note to clarify that all the images on my website are my own unless otherwise stated. I remembered Jenni mentioning that it was a good thing to add to comply with copyright laws. I also gave details of the operating system that I have used to create my website in case others have difficulty opening any documents or navigating their way around the site.

I have also added some text boxes around key points in order to make them stand out and I have changed my Social resource page to Task 1: Social learner page to coincide with Task 2:Social researcher page.

Reading through the Marking Rubric I have added more information on my social researcher page relating to the description of my resource, my research method and my referencing technology. I do not want to make the same mistake I made on Task 1 by missing out key elements resulting in the lose of marks. On my social researcher page I have also added a PDF file of the Word document that I created with no in-text or end-text references, and another PDF of the Word document with in-text and end-text references inserted by the referencing tool of my choice Zotero. I added these files to add clarity to the video because they are easy to open and note where the in-text and end-text references have been added.

I up dated my social learner page by adding instructions on how to access my social networking site, (LinkedIN), if you do not have a LinkedIn account and do not want to open one. This is the element of Task 1 that I lost marks on...

I have included a Related units page so that I can add other units to my website that relate to the "Living and Learning with Technology" unit. I have also included a Resource page so that I can add various links, (with a brief description), to websites that I can refer to in the future as teaching resources.