Embedded Task #3

It was a tough choice for me to choose which presentation technology to discuss. I am very interested in the capabilities and modernness of Prezi, though have essentially zero experience with it. PowerPoint on the other hand, I am quite proficient at, and know many interesting tricks, though is a bit of a dinosaur as far as presentation tool go. But I've decided to stick with faithful PowerPoint, and I'll have to experiment with Prezi some other time - I'm sure I'll get many opportunities.

PowerPoint is the go-to slideshow and presentation tool for most people. I remember back in primary school learning about them and how my teachers used them when not many ( if any?) alternatives existed. Even all those years ago, the functionality was still fairly broad and made for engaging and entertaining presentations. I was always eager to see what animations were in the slide, and even more so for the sounds. These functions may not necessarily be considered professional, but they are great for the classroom where it can turn even the dullest content into an entertaining learning experience. But even some more formal presentations I've viewed have used a couple animations and sounds to create a bit of a lighthearted atmosphere.

Slideshows and presentations in general are great for teachers to complement what they're talking about, or for students to present an assessment. PowerPoint in particular is popular as it's easy to use, and whilst it doesn't always look as flashy as some modern alternatives, in my experience it has the most functionality. What sort of functionality? Well, aside from the standard slide-to-slide display option, you can make creative use of hyperlinks to produce interactive quizzes and "choose your own adventure" style stories, make stop-motion animations, or even just use it as a canvas to embed multimedia.

Below is a link to a PowerPoint I have made. It could be an example of either teacher material, or a student's work (maybe some form of assessment?).

Chris's Interactive Water Quiz

I've used examples of hyperlinking between slides, and some basic animation and sounds. One thing I did discover though, is that it's not only difficult to embed slideshows (PowerPoint specifically - the Google Docs version I imagine works quite well, as would any online created slideshows like Prezi) in a blog, but any method I did find lost the functionality of the hyperlinking and animations, merely presenting it as a series of static slides. I felt that defeated the purpose a bit, so went with the option of hosting it elsewhere and providing a link. On that note, whilst there are many platforms for sharing slideshows online such as AuthorStream (what I ended up using), SlideShare, and Scribd, be careful if you've been creative like I was, and be prepared for it to have reduced or removed interactive functionality. Even the PowerPoint Online has limited functionality compared to the desktop version. An easy way to share PowerPoints is via email, as they can be easily attached like any file. Depending on the specific content and number of slides though, the file size can get reasonably large. Another alternative is cloud based storage like Dropbox.

The functionality of PowerPoint allows for many different uses in the classroom at each level of the SAMR model.

Substitution:

Static slides can replace handouts such as information sheets or teacher's notes. This is certainly easier to display, and actually makes it easier to identify students not paying attention as they should be looking at the presentation. This also is a good example of teaching sustainabiltiy (much like I mentioned with blogs in Embedded Task #1).

Augmentation:

Students create a slideshow to present in class to accompany a speech about the solar system. Animations and sounds can be utilised for emphasis on ideas like orbits.

Modification:

Assessment for students could be to source interesting media on a scientific topic for a science fair type presentation. A multi-media slideshow is far more engaging than the usual science posters.

Redefinition:

Students can develop an interactive quiz on a science topic of their choice, similar to what I have done (but in more detail). This can be shared online to other communities, which offers networking opportunities with students from around the world, and even other educators.

An important consideration in all of this, particularly with online sharing, is legal and safety implications. If the content of your presentation references other material or uses someone else photos/videos etc, it of course must be referenced, especially if you are sharing it publicly. Also be careful if there are links to web content, as it could be considered inappropriate in a school setting. And if it's being globally shared, remember that other cultures and religions might not agree with the content or opinions presented. But most importantly, make sure that any sensitive information identifying yourself or others is not shared or uploaded.

PowerPoints really are a great tool for teaching and learning. I'm looking forward to using them more myself, as well is exploring other presentation technologies.

Embedded Task #2

The media I'm going to be analysing for this task will be video. I chose video as it's not quite as common as the use of images (you can't exactly "print" a video...), and I find them more engaging than simple audio.

I like to think of video media as the best substitute to reality in terms of instructing, presenting, or entertaining. In the classroom, maybe it's in the form of a nature documentary, or a YouTube clip explaining orbits, or even an instruction video showing an experimental procedure which the students can follow along to. There's many different ways to use video as a teaching tool, ranging from low to high level pedagogy. Using videos as part of your pedagogy isn't just limited to watching, but you can create them yourself, and even get your students to create their own.

If you are making your own (or getting the students to), there's a range of technologies available for filming and editing video footage.  On a simple level, videos are quite easy to create with today's technology.

Video by me.

Even my old Nokia I had in high school could shoot video footage. If you want to get a bit more fancy, what was once considered a "still" camera, useful for only taking photos, can now also take video. And if you're connected to a WiFi hotspot most digital cameras can upload and share your video.

Then of course you can go pro, with the use of a GoPro, or other action camera. These require little setup, and are great for recording in a wide variety of scenarios and environments. If you want to go more pro, it will be expensive, but there's some high-end cameras out there that are great for shooting in Ultra HD, high frame rate, cinema quality footage.

Video by The Slow Mo Guys

One thing to consider though is the file size. Compare the two videos above: The camera lens and aperture are much smaller on the phone as is the video resolution and resulting file size. So the quality might not be as good, but it's going to be much quicker and easier to upload and share. The slow motion footage filmed on a Phantom camera had a frame rate of 170 000 fps, resulting in 96Gb for a mere 4s of footage (though only a very small portion of that is used). Internet speed and quality, as well as processor speed and quality, have a large impact on the quality of video that is able to be viewed. Therefore, the desired viewing method, and to a certain extent the target audience, are important considerations when deciding on the tool you use and the recording quality.

Of course depending on how the video is recorded, it will likely need some degree of editing, even if it's simply to trim it and synchronise the audio. The tutorial notes from this week cover that quite well. Another good software program is GoPro Studio, specifically design for use with footage from a GoPro camera and is free to download with full functionality.

As far as the classroom goes, most of those options are quite readily available and great for school use by both teachers and students. Below are examples of how video might be used in the classroom, using the SAMR model and considering low- and high-level thinking.

Substitution:
Students watch a video of an experiment being performed, which details the equipment and procedure, and contains a brief discussion of the results. A good example would be an experiment that is perhaps unsafe to try in a real classroom, and thus viewing a video is a safer option.

Augmentation:
A video with instructions for an experiment is played, whilst students follow on in the classroom. The video can contain variations of the experiment that would otherwise take time if they were all completed in the classroom, or show "failed" attempts/what can happen if things go wrong. This incorporates a safety-type video as well.

Modification:
Following a pre-written experimental procedure, students film themselves as they perform it and make commentary as they go.

Redefinition:
Students develop their own experiment, perhaps one that directly requires the use of a video camera (high frame rate for slow motion, looking at light exposure and optics etc). The film is a documentary of the design process, as well as a tool for the experiment. Footage is edited together to for the assessment piece.

There's a lot of fun to be had with video, whether by watching or creating, and I think they're definitely something I'll be using in my own pedagogy.

Embedded Task #1

For this first embedded task I have chosen to discuss blogging. I thought it was most appropriate given the platform I'm using for these posts. 

I quite like blogging, as both a personal activity and also a social one. The platform allows the user to discuss/present/create/reflect whatever they want, whenever they want, and share it with whoever they want to. Whilst their appearance is perhaps more generic than a fully personalised webpage, a blog is much easier to setup and still has basic options allowing you to add your own touches. In this sense, it really is much more like a physical journal than an online page: anyone can buy a blank diary or book from the shops and write their own content however they please, and if you want to make it more unique you can put some stickers on the cover, or doodle on the pages, but in its basic form they are all the same.

So what can you really do with a blog? Let's have a quite tour of this one. My layout has a small post area with a side-bar. The background has a blue, checked, tile texture to differentiate from the white post background. It's fairly simplistic, but it's all I need.

That's far from the extent of what you can actually do. If you're familiar with HTML and CSS, you can modify the design and layout of your blog to the point where it looks more like a proper website. Even if you can't do all that, each theme (mine is "Awesome Inc") allows for a variety of layout options including adding gadgets to your side-bar(s), header, and footer. An example of a gadget it the poll I've put in my side-bar (what is your teaching area?), and the post archive below it. Others might be an image, some text, blog stats, or even social media. You can put nearly anything there, but rather than being stuck to a specific post, it'll be on every page you visit within the blog. If you want a specific page dedicated to just one thing rather than continuous posting, you can even setup individual pages, like the "About Me" page above.

Depending on what you plan on using your blog for, there are privacy and security settings that allow you to change the availability and interactivity of your blog. If it's more of a personal and journal, there's settings to remove the blog from Bloggers listings and even Google searches, plus the ability to choose who can see your blog: anyone, only authors, only selected people (which could be no-one). I've made this blog public as there's nothing private that I want to hide, the content could even be helpful to someone interested in the specific content (I'm sure that's a niche area). Likely though, my blog won't be found by many outside of this course, even within it, so I'm not to concerned about strict settings.

Regardless of the type of blog and how you want to share it, the content can utilise various media. Some examples:

• Plain text (like this)
• Links to other sites or pages (like this)
• Images

Image by cigdem/Shutterstock via Science ABC

• Embedded videos

Video by Veritasium

• Embedded documents

Of course, there are legalities and ethics to consider. Students must be aware that any media they link or embed is properly attributed, with permission sought from the author if necessary. They must also be mindful of whether the content is presented is appropriate: is there mature content, exclusion of diversity groups, or connections to illicit activities? The answer of course should be "No", but students might need to be explicitly told. As long as that's taken care of though, blogs can be fun, they can be unique, and they can be a learning tool.

Reflection #2

So I started this last week, but got caught up in a whole bunch of other things - busy times. Anyway, I've not used Google Docs/Sheets etc. much, especially within a blog, but thanks to my previous blogging experience combined with the recent tutorial on embedding, I was able to embed and resize the table without too much difficulty. Whilst I'd say it's easier to save it as an image then upload it into the blog, this makes it hard if the item in question (such as this table) will be regularly updated - I don't want to have to change the image each time. So "yay" for embedding things. See below for what I managed to do. I might come back later to finish it off, but the assignment is calling me.

2.1

I have some teaching experience as a taekwondo instructor, and also through tutoring at uni. I certainly wasn't familiar with the term pedagogy back then (I still instruct, but no longer tutor), but now I've been introduced to it I can see that I do have a pedagogy, or art of teaching, of my own. Some of the following focus questions though I'm less certain about, but I've provided answers as best I can.

Reflection #1

1.1

Prior to reading the AITSL and Australian Curriculum documents regarding ICTs, if I were to rank my knowledge and experience with ICTs on a 0-10 scale, I would say I'm around a 6 or 7.
Throughout my learning at high school, uni, and even in the work place, I've been exposed various technologies, gadgets, and devices that have helped me understand certain ideas and explore them further. Even in my personal life I use technology a decent amount and am fairly quick to understand how new "things" work, or at least take an interest in trying to figure them out.
I'm by no means a tech-expert, but I'm comfortable with my level and figure I'm probably slightly above average.

Looking at the standards and typical expectations as listed in those documents, I'd certainly be comfortable with my initial ranking, possibly even stretch it to an 8, at least in terms of a Year 8 level. Looking more specifically at maths and science, examples listed in the curriculum for these learning areas (animations, graphing, spreadsheets) are very familiar to me.
Whilst it might be expected that someone of my age has greater knowledge and experience in ICTs than a Year 8 student, it's important to consider what was expected when I was in Year 8 myself, with what is expected today. Indeed, anyone who is older than a Year 8 student technically should have more knowledge and experience, since they have already gone through it all and more at a higher level, right?
I'm lucky that I went through school not too long ago, and even though the use of technology in the curriculum has change since then (even the curriculum itself), it is similar enough that even what might be considered new ICTs are still somewhat familiar to me.

As civilisation and technology continue to develop, I'd like to think I can keep up. Everyone experiences difficulty with technology, and sometimes you really just want to give up and do things the old way, because at least it works. For me, it's at these times when it's even more important to not give up, but to practise and learn. If we don't keep up with technology, that's when technology wins and everything starts to fall apart. But if we persevere with it learn to understand it, technology will never get away from us and we will always be in control.

1.2

I got a bit carried away with my thoughts before, so I've already touched on my beliefs and values of ICTs in general. That attitude can be directed at the classroom. Take maths for example: pen and paper might be fine for simple algebra, even differential equations, but at some point you'll have to embrace the technology, even if it's just a calculator. If you don't then you'll get left behind.

At the same time, as a teach it's important to understand that not all your students will adapt to ICTs at the same rate. Maybe they're really good at solving problems in their mind, but when it comes to technology they just don't get it.

I 100% believe that ICTs are important in the classroom, but they should be used in a way that encourages everyone to get involved, and at a rate that - so long as the student tries - they can keep up. Certainly some teaching/learning areas have a more immediate need to use ICTs.

In terms of my teaching areas, maths and physics, I would place them somewhere in the middle, at least with respect to what is taught at a high school level (university level physics and applied sciences in general are very heavy with their use of ICTs). They might use ICTs more than English or visual art, but not as much as IT or media and digital design (based on my own experience and opinions of all these areas - that's just an example, not a rule).

Whilst it is a teachers job by definition to teach, certain ICTs (if implemented correctly) can actually teach the students to a degree. As a teacher, it's important to have the overall control of the class, including what and how they learn. But it's also important to be able to relinquish or share some of that control with an ICT (perhaps an interactive quiz that allows the students to progress at their own rate).

Teachers will always be needed in the classroom, but sometimes the learning might come better via use of technology. As much as it's important for students to keep up with technology, it's just as important for teachers to not be afraid of allowing the technology to do the teaching.

Heading into this unit, I'm actually excited to learn of different ways to incorporate ICTs in the classroom across various activities and learning areas, as well as different examples of ICTs that perhaps aren't as common or obvious. It will be interesting to see what is required in the curriculum for specific ICT use, and compare to other ICTs that might be useful.

1.3

I think a challenge for me in this unit will be coming up with different uses for ICTs within my teaching areas. I love using technology, and if you show me something that can be used to learn a particular concept I will embrace it and use it. But in a an area that I already know about, trying to come up with a new way to teach it, specifically with the use of an ICT, I think may be difficult.

Having said that, there's no doubt countless examples that I am aware of and have likely used previously that I just don't typically think about as an ICT to be used in learning maths and physics. Potentially an everyday item that's right under my nose might not be considered, but if I have the chance to think about what that device actually does, I can find uses for it within the maths and/or physics disciplines.

Welcome

Hello there.

This used to be an "About Me" post, but I moved it to a stand-alone page. If you're interested, either click here or move your mouse to the "About Me" button just under the blog title.