Assessment 1: Reflection 6. (For week 7).

Introduction
This post is about reflecting on the importance of online learning communities both for me as professional teacher and for students. I will also reflect on my collaboration with other students on this course.
On this blog I have tried to use something different, in this case I have used Prezi (though did use this on week 1, i think this time it is a little better and I did a audio for the prezi, because I had not done an audio yet and have discovered that I like this way of communicating).

ReflectIon

Unfortunately I was not very good at this, the reasons are not really very good. I struggled to say anything constructive or think that I had anything to say. I think I struggled with constructive’s because the blogs I read all taught me something, although it might have been different to what I might do it helped provide me with another perspective and learn other techniques and see them in action.

I also did not dedicate enough time to this task.

However I began to rectify this I did comment a few times in the later weeks of assessment. 
I tried to do this because I believe feedback is a gift and hopefully it is always taken in a manner that allows for personal growth. This depends on the quality and delivery of the feedback and also how it is received, as a teacher this is important to consider when feedback especially to students.

Below identifies some of the other blogs I commented on.

• JessSag. Digital Pedagogies in Secondary Schools. - I commented a few times on jess blog, it engaged me through the use of diagrams, colour and interaction. We had a small collaboration on week 5, task 4. See the link -  jessSag

On reflection the dialog with jessSag was a good thing to experience, I feel that maybe I could offer something to others a different perspective from a different teaching subject. It also provides a process of really thinking about your work and theres and what to say, how much value will my comment make to that person, is the value positive or constructive and the impact this may have.

• I also commented on JessSag on April 24th regarding week 6, task 5. See the link - JessSag

• Leachip79. Digital Pedagogies. I commented on 19th April regarding the post on 'Enhancing learning through 'Prezi'. See the link - Leachip79

• Johnny lost, wait. What? - I commented on 27th March regarding the post phone debate - six thinking hats. See the link - Johnny lost, wait. What?

These are the blogs that I have on my dashboard so I can see when they are updated and would read through. I dod look at a few others and tried to read blogs that covered tools I had not used so I could learn the advantages and disadvantages of them.

When I did it read other blogs and comment it was good because I learnt other methods, and perspectives on what to do how others used the tools and I pushed myself to try looking and replying on blogs that didn’t necessarily jump out at me straight away. It really made me think about my own work, what it means and how it might be interpreted.

I also learnt that sometimes less is more, to much of technology at once can be disengaging and overwhelming and distract from the learning. For example the work on blog http://christocqustudent4567.blogspot.com.au/

On 8^th April  the blog on power points (wednesday 8th April) was simple yet the right amount of input. It is enough to be something a little different and meet the needs of the lesson in mind. This made me think about the SAMR level of redefinition and do we have to always use technologies at the transformational level? or is it using what will get the best outcomes of the lesson for the students.

I think it is important for us as teachers to realise what is the most appropriate form of technology to use and not just use it because we want to, it needs to come from the perspective of the students engagement and their learning.

As we are all going to graduate at around the same time, it is interesting to see how others present there work and what type of teaching they might present. This lead me to think about my pedagogy, I think at the start of this course I did not really have a clear pedagogy, see post on 19th March 2015 titled pedagogies in practice.
I think the investigation into technology and the movement of how to teach and students in the 21^st century has helped my pedagogy evolve.

The diagram below shows my more concrete thoughts on my pedagogy after reflection.

Respond to comments on your own blog.

I didn’t seem to receive many comments. I checked to see know and then and when nothing written there a little disappointed, then I would think that if I don’t comment on others I can’t expect it on mine. Plus if I ddint comment on others blogs or wikis then Im not advertising myself and so people would not be aware of my site.

Although I did find it hard to comment with something worthwhile and a little reserved in wanting to write online. I realize that it is the way forward; it will enhance my professional development and thus my ability to create worthwhile lessons for students.

For me I think the level of collaboration and acknowledging the learning advantages for students and myself as professional is an area i will need to work on for it to work and have impact. I hope to implement at my current job a wikispace for students who are enrolled in the Duke of Edinburgh award, a space to ask questions and help answer others queries. I will need to closely monitor this and that it stays a safe environment for all.

For students there are many advantages to experiencing learning online, as a teacher I will need to provide the platform and motivation for students to use this. Some advantages I think really stand out for students.

• Generally students are more engaged with online methods than traditional methods, as Baker (2013) states especially in using social media.

• For students it gives them awareness of others and greater collaboration.

• For some it may provide a social outlet that is secure, it is private and opens to a trusting environment, identify with a group and develop social relationships.

Below is a simple prezi with an embedded audio I created, I did a prezi as this was one of the first tools I used and wanted to revisit and see if I had improved at all, I think i improved by adding an audio (circle 5) and trying to enhance it. 

The prezi is about my reflection on the value of online learning communities for teachers.

Embedded Task 5.

Assessment Task 1: Embedded Task 5.

For this embedded task I decided to look at Google maps, so far I have steered away form Google, not really a specific reason just not really appealed to me or pulled me in. However Google is a big company in the technology market and although I am a mac user I would like to be rounded and knowledgeable in my approach to technology as many students and workplaces will use Google and all its implications.

Google Overview.

Advertised as A SOLUTION BUILT FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. Google provides easy tools to engage students anytime, anywhere, on any device.

GOOGLE

This task will focus on Google maps, this is something I can really use in my current work. Out school has recently moved to 100% online communication with parents and is the key way to get information across, for us in outdoor education it is hard to relay practical information, thus trying Google maps to give parents the image of where going and pictures this used to be done on a presentation night at the beginning of the year it is now been removed and all information is on line.

Google Maps
I decided to create a narrated tour in Google earth of the year 9 camp at my current place of work, where we deliver this course nine times a year to 16 boys at a time.

First I thought about was can I embedded into my blog ? – Yes there is even a presentation on how to do this and use the Google KML gadget.

The diagram below shows other map creators.

(The diagram was another process to discover I created on a word document then converted the document to a jpg and saved as a picture, this could then be uploaded to this blog, I decided to do this as far more engaging than a normal list).

GOOGLE EARTH gives you the ability to tell your story in a more compelling way, taking users on a narrated tour through your map. As the guide, you can provide a voiceover, show pop-up balloons along the way, and fly users around the globe, creating a video-like experience.

Once on Google Earth it was simple and intuitive to use, it seemed quite sensitive to movement, but a little practice and the flow of moving the globe is easier.

I began to create a map for the Year 9 camp I do 9 (16 boys each time) times a year with school, it is a 5 day journey based expedition in Bungonia national park.

 I started to place pins and locations of the drive form school and the route we trek, I used pins and words. Whilst doing this I thought I should check how to upload or embedded the code to my blog.

I followed the instructions and worked out I needed to download a KLM Google gadget, after  following the instructions to  do this I came across a issue, the screen to download a gadget was Error404.

After doing some research on the product forum it was becoming clear that it was not going to happen.  The KLM gadget is offline and will be discontinued in  2015 and found some interesting conversations between people, see the link below.
Product forum

I tried a few more times, but again ended up in circles back at the fact of the Google Depreciation Policy: from Google - The Google Earth API has been deprecated as of December 12th, 2014.

Many of the people on the product forum have found away around this problem, mostly by creating there own gadget, pretty much a copy of it. Not sure I feel totally comfortable using it as not really sure what it means and don’t want to ‘bug’ my computer, more research required.

With this information I have to admit I was disappointed id but a fair amount of work into Google earth and the narrated video and really would like to share it, so I thought well how can I do that?? Not anything amazing but I came up with - A Screen Shot and a you tube video.

And time permitting I will try another tool. (I tried scribble maps, example is at the end of this blog).

Screen Shot – This is a tool I have been utilizing for a few months and has become a stable way of me recording information and saving thoughts both on laptop and mobile phone. It is quick easy, and saves so much time when trying to get back to something you thought about earlier. Also to record inspirations seen in random places.

One thing I’m looking forward to trying with a class is to take a photo a day (Photo relates to a subject studying e.g. for health studies photos of Fast food VS Home Cooked). Not overly technical but I think could engage students and

This is on the SAMR model at the Substitution and Augmentation level, but there is so much more you can do with this. To move it more to the transformational stage we can modify and I think redefine. One potential could be to get all the photos together online, utilising flicker or Instagram (I've not used either so would have to investigate). The next step would be to setup and start a discussion on wiki about what is seen in the photos. Create some questions about promoting a line of critical thinking. (what do the photos suggest to you positives, constructive etc). You could then add another layer by image manipulation to the originals, from what the students discussed they choose one outcome and either manipulate the image or create a new one.

YOU TubE Video. After doing the screen shot I thought I really don’t want to loose the video. Mostly because I’m excited about and the possibility’s for my current workplace. So I recorded the narration on my phone and then uploaded it to You tube and embedded that code to this page.

Screen Shot.

This is taken at the beginning of the narration and shows the big picture, the narration homed in on specific locations as listed in the left hand side of the screen.

YOU TubE Video.
Below shows the video recording of the Goole earth narrated tour practice.

(Its not great quality I'm afraid, however I hope you start to see the possibilities).

GOOGLE EARTH and SAMR.
I believe that google earth is fully in the transformational level, you can easily modify a map you would use in class, attach maps, fast facts, narration and create your own journey. This takes it to the redefinition stage where there is limitless scope for creation of ways to learn, simply by students creating there own journey or following one of histories route for example Genghis Kahn where he travelled, what happened in ares he passed through, about the Mongolian people etc. They can trace this journey themselves on the map and link information, video clips, images to certain points along the way, they choose what is important from researching and doing, not from being told. Again it is us the teachers imagination that is the limitation and that we pass on to students what they can do, we can challenge them provide complexity and opportunity for critical thinking. Watch students research the answers to there own questions,let them set their own questions. Yes they may make mistakes but that is part of the learning as well, its not failure it is the processor learning.

LESSONS Learnt.

! Check that the tool or process you are using is going to work were and how you would like, especially if it is compatible to your website or blog.

! Again the key is to be patient and understand that technology may not always go how you want it to, but that leads to other possibilities that you may never of thought about and lead you down a different path – as in this case it lead me to a screen shot and another idea was thought about. You have to be positive and optimistic and have a back up plan, i guess it comes down to being organised.

! Plus I feel like there is always another method to do what you want to do, it may just not be the way you thought!

TAKE  2.
I tried a second tool, scribble maps. This was a little harder to work out than google earth and was not able to record or narrate the journey. It was easy to draw and add pins and I like how you can add text and images and videos if they have a URL. I was a little disappointed to find that you could not upload your own photos, they had to be online. Although this is a handy tool it is not as exciting as google earth. I did use the basic service as it was free, perhaps if I upgrade it may have more of the features I am looking for.
I would place this on the M level of the SAMR model, as it has options for changing and modifying what traditionally students could of done.

Below is the embedded map, it is interactive, just use the + or - symbols to enlarge or shrink the map.
The pins are markers of features on the route the students will walk. If you click on the marker (blue or yellow) then it will come up with some text.

Presentation Tools.

Assessment 1: Embedded Task 4 - Reflection on Presentation Tools.

This week I have realized that I have not used my wiki at all, this week I intend to by setting up a page to use with my presentation.

Presentation tools pull all the work together and is a great way for students to present their research and findings. It is important to understand all these different mediums and methods, so you can facilitate students in their choice of tool and consequently broaden their technology skills. (For teachers there are thousands of resources available).

As teachers we need to consider what our intention is, regarding the use of the digital tool, It is not just about what I like or know about but what is relevant to the subject matter and most importantly the students. It is important to remember the SAMR model and aim for the transformational level.

As a pre-service teacher of Health and physical education there are many apps and tools available that might help engage students and encourage movement and health lifestyle choices. 

One example i have come across a few times is gamification, this is an application of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage students. Yu-Kai Chou (2003) has termed as ‘human-focused design which is a design process that focuses on the human in the system as opposed to the efficiency of the system’.

One inspiring website for Physical Education teachers is www.thepegeek.com

I did some internet research to see what was out there to use as a presentation tool, there are lots on the market. Below is a table on a few discovered.

PowerPoint http://products.office.com/en-us/powerpoint	A popular tool to show your story
Prezi https://www.prezi.com	A zooming presentation tool.
Glogster http://edu.glogster.com/?ref=com	Canvas freedom to express your creation. Mix text, audio, video, images and graphics.
Thinglink https://www.thinglink.com	Discover, create and share interactive images and videos.
Keynote https://www.apple.com/au/mac/keynote/	Apples alternative to powerpoint. Simple to create and deliver stunning presentations. Works between Mac iOS devices.
Visme http://www.visme.co	A multi-tool to create any type of visual content.
Voiceboard https://www.voiceboard.co.uk	A presentation app, where can combine interactive media into your slides.
SlideDog http://slidedog.com	A multimedia presentation tool, you can combine powerpoint presentations, PDF files, prezi presentations, movie clips and web pages.
Sliderocket. http://www.sliderocket.com/product/	Labelled as a revoluntionary new approach to business communications
280slides http://280-slides.en.softonic.com/web-apps	Presentation creation app
Slideshare www.slideshare.net	Has stored presentations covering a wide range of topics.
Empressr www.empressr.com	Presentation features and allows video and audio
TimeGlider http://timeglider.com	Not a presentation tool but a timeline creator.
SlideBoom https://www.slideboom.com	Includes audio, video, animations and the ability to make graphical annotations on slides.
Powtoon http://www.powtoon.com	Animation Presentation Software.

My original idea was to use Slidedog, the reason being that it appealed with what it could do and the demonstration seemed simple in terms of how to use it. With my idea of what to do I began to sign up and download, unfortunately it is not yet compatible with mac computers. Slightly disappointed I tried one more Visme was my next vote, again it looked straight forward to use and there basic level is free, plus you can add audio and video. I think this is great for students and I believe it fits into the transformational levels of the SAMR model. It provides a lot more ownership on the work for students and it can be collaborative.

What my Visme presentation is about:

For this presentation I have put together information on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. I am responsible for coordinating the Duke of Edinburgh award at the school I currently work at. One aspect of this is to advertise and market the award to students to get them involved and registered, one process available to me is through Connect this is the schools online management system to communicate with students and parents. 

I thought this presentation tool would work well, with the information, presented through audio and video to hopefully encourage participation.

My other thought was to link a wikispace to the presentation so that questions could be asked and all can see it to share the information etc.

Link to wikispace - http://lauram1.wikispaces.com/   Once you have clicked on this you will  need to enter a username and password they are: User - lauraKM1 and Password - Climbing76. This will take you to the home page, if you look to the left of the screen there is a box headed in blue, this will list the pages I have created, click on the Duke of Edinburgh at CGS page for questions students might want to ask.

Note 1.
Below are two presentations, this was not planned! however when i first embedded the presentation the PowToon animation I made on slide 5 did not work. I finally worked it out, i couldn't just embed the code I had to upload it to you tube and then embed that URL. Once this was done I republished it and added it to the blog and the animation now works. However I have not yet been able to delete the first one (Im working on it though). SO the presentation with the animation that works is the first one.
Note 2.
So I managed to work it out, sometime away form technology refreshed my mind to try again. I think leaving these notes in shows one of many processes, and that you need patience and flexibility when working with technology and new tools.

Reflection on Visme Presentation.

This presentation still needs some work, i.e the last two slides. Plus there is to much writing, more interactive animation could be added to make it more engaging. A link to the Duke of Edinburgh website needs to be added as well, and questions to make it more collaborative. This presentation just brushes the surface, with more skill and time it can and will progress.
 I found the Visme presentation tool quite intuitive and when adjusting the timings of when animations would come on to a slide it was straight forward to use and see the difference. I definatley need more practice with the audio and how to make that more of a 'wow' factor.
 Again, a lot of time could be used to experiment with this tool and I believe students would enjoy using it with the added outcome of learning technology.

SAMR Model

Modification and Redefinition.

It brings in new ways of thinking, critical and creative, it transforms the ordinary into something new and original, technology can help achieve this and empower students with there own learning.

There are various engaging ways information can be presented and the link to wiki spaces and web conferencing with other students and classes from around the world can enhance the learning.

Thus the range of digital tools used to collect and share information can be gathered in one place for a final product.

I think that presentation tools if used in the right manner meets the skills in the cognitive domain of Blooms taxonomy, particularly the higher order objectives of analysis, evaluate and create. As taken from the revised taxonomy of the cognitive domain by Anderson and Krathwonl (2001).

Analysis – Research needs to be done to find the content for the presentation  and meet the question set.

Evaluate – Make informed decisions about what information will be used.

Create – Thinking about the subject/question set from a different perspective, challenge there thoughts, this can lead to students thinking outside the box and creating a new meaning or thoughts on the subject matter – THIS IS TRANSFORMATIONAL and I think leads towards a more holistic form of learning.

Reflection on presentation tools.

In reflection I think these presentation tools provide a mechanism for students to explore their creativity and expand on what traditionally they might have done.

I believe it will engage students and enrich their learning and challenge those who require more complexity.

All the tools may be there, BUT it does come down to us as teachers to know how to facilitate the use of these tools to get the best learning for students and challenge them in their learning environment.

I am beginning to realise that you can be knowledgeable about a subject but if you cannot present the ideas, concepts and knowledge then it is not useful for the students or your educational philosophy.