Embedded Task 5

Greetings,

This week I have chosen to focus on the free digital timeline website called ‘Dipity’. This website allows users to generate interactive timelines which they can use to embed material, share and collaborate. It allows students to create timelines that are visually appealing. The content that is able to be placed on timeline includes video, audio, images, texts, links, social media, location and time stamps. The technology also allows for the timeline to be easily converted into a flipbook, list and or map.  Thus, adding new aesthetic and educational dimension to the content.

This technology is particularly useful for both students and teachers. For teachers it offers an opportunity to distribute a range of content from one location. It could be used for a plethora of objectives in regards to students. It would be a very useful means of conductive formative and summative assessments by asking students to create timelines, maps or flipbooks that relate to content.  It would be wonderful for history students to be able to create a timeline using a variety of content that highlights important moments in the lead up to the Second World War. Students would then have the advantage of creating a corresponding map that would further their geographical understanding.

Another attractive aspect of the technology is that it allows students to collaborate. Let’s apply the SAMR model to the aforementioned interwar period timeline activity. In the early stages students could work individually or together to create a timeline for the interwar period. Students might then be asked to focus their attention to certain countries to add depth to the timeline. Other students may be asked to create a map and link a location to events. In the later stages of the SAMR structures students could compare and contrast their timelines. To acknowledge global perspectives they could research from the perspective of non-western powers.  They could go so far as to share the timeline in a safe internet forum and ask students from around the world how they view the series of events. With this open discussion students could then apply Bloom’s Taxonomy and evaluate the similarities and differences of opinion surrounding the content.

That is just one of many instances in which Dipity is a valuable online resource. Check it out for yourself: http://www.dipity.com/

Embedded Task 4 - Reflection on Presentation tools

Greetings,

This week we focused on the application of useful presentation technologies like PowerPoint, Prezi, Glogster and Thinglink. Although all have interesting uses and merits I focused my attention to the use of PowerPoint, as in the past I viewed it as a tool predominantly created for and by teachers. Although in the past I have witnessed students regularly use PowerPoint, it is usually only as a tokenistic visual aid during oral presentations. This week’s content clearly demonstrated creative ways in which students can gain and dispense information through the program.

One idea that I found particularly interesting was the creation of a Virtual Museum through Powerpoint. This activity is highly visual and interactive and quite easy to create. In the context of a classroom I believe it could be used effectively by students to create and collaborate with their peers, whilst giving teachers a chance to assess the knowledge and understanding of students. If I were running the activity I would scaffold by providing students with a template of a Virtual Museum PowerPoint and demonstrate how to customize and use the program. Students could then be given a topic in which they had to create six displays on a given topic. Based on the time given and assessment goals students could be give specific details in what to include. Perhaps they would need to add images, audio, and video to the museum display. The students would then become curators and have to decide what was relevant and useful in their display. Once completed students would upload their creations to a wiki to allow other students the opportunity to interact with the virtual museum. If students had been given the same topic they could be asked to look at a few presentations and decide what information and topics were deemed most relevant. If students had different topics they could compare and contrast the similarities and differences in content. For example, their presentation could have been based around different prominent Indigenous groups. Students could then contrast and synthesize the commonalities and differences.

I believe this technology allows for the application of both SAMR and Bloom’s Taxonomy.  In terms of SAMR, it has taken a basic presentation tool and allowed students the opportunity to create valuable content that is informative to all students and allows for a variety of perspectives. It also encourages collaboration between students and activates higher order thinking skills. This resource can then be easily accessed by students as a source for information and collaboration. It is also a useful tool for teachers in terms of summative and formative assessment. PowerPoint is here to stay.

Week 4 Task

Greetings,

Technology has developed and will continue to develop at an unfathomable rate. In the past our learning, communication and expression within the classroom was dominated by text. In contemporary society we are bombarded with endless stimulation but the means of delivery has changed. We now have easy access to the means to both consume and create digital content. With these incredible resources ingrained in contemporary life it would be ignorant to expect text to have autonomy on communication. New technologies and resources being made available there are new options and frontiers to explore. The way in which we teach needs to be adapted to this environment.

This week we had the opportunity to explore the use of Images, Audio, video or digital story telling. I have selected to focus on the use of video within the classroom. Video is wonderful as it has the potential to be an instantly engaging resource.  I believe it is valuable in the classroom for distributing information and checking for knowledge and understanding. It is also a great way for students to interact with technology and creativity as content can be easily created and edited on many different devices.  If this content is then shared perhaps through a wiki or youtube students are enabled to access and contribute to the piece. This allows for students to collaborate and think critically about both outside and self-generated content.  

As an aspiring history teacher I am excited by this technology. It would be wonderful if to enable students to interact with content through the use of film technology. Imagine being able to allow students to create their own propaganda campaign or view footage of crucial moments in modern history. The wonderful thing about the internet is the ability to easily access quality resources. I particularly value the ‘Crash Course History’ segments created by author John Green. For an activity I may ask students to choose from a selection of videos. The students may then be given the option to select on theme that was covered and research it in depth. Perhaps then students could each create 1 minute videos summarizing their findings and uploading it to a wiki. Students would then be able to view and share these videos. Perhaps this activity could focus more on research and students are asked to view a source and create a short video critiquing the source. This could use a combination of footage, audio, text, images, etc.  Students would then watch each other’s videos and contrast the differences.  This applies the SAMR model as it takes the idea of Substitution and Augmentation by using the video and wiki content. Modification and redefinition is then enabled by interacting with content and creating new content whilst using higher order thinking skills highlighted in Bloom’s Taxonomy. This is just one example of the application of this exciting technology in the classroom.

In terms of my interaction with creating videos I have enjoyed being able to easily create content. As an example I would like to share this video that demonstrates my use a go-pro and iMovie.  

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ism9l_gad-2015-tour_school