Wikis and the classroom

Last week's technology class brought with it the knowledge and uses of creating of wikis. A wiki, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, is a space on the web where you can share work, ideas, pictures, links, videos, media and much more.This week, we worked in collaborative groups once more to create a wiki to be used for classroom instruction.

Wikis can be appealing and fun for students to use. At the same time it encourages them to participate, collaborate, and interact with their classmates. For instance, the teacher can have students create their own news outlet on a wiki. Students will have to work together and contribute to the different articles to make it a success. 

A wiki can be used to share supplementary resources such as videos and other educational links which students will be able to access outside of class time. This would also cater for students who are visual learners. Students can also share their collective information so that everyone gets a better understanding of the subject. 

For anyone who is interested in seeing my group's wiki, click here. Alternatively, if the link does not work for you, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser:  http://wikistudious.wikispaces.com/

Please feel free to share your comments! Best wishes!



Reflection:
For portfolio piece #7, my group members and I created a video using wiki on the topic of A healthy environment.The major challenged faced in creating this piece was that neither my group members nor myself had any previous knowledge of using a wiki. Therefore, we had to play around with the features to gain experience. This piece could be improved by using a more vibrant background and also by including more links to pictures, videos and educational materials. 

Lights... Camera... Action!

Pollution of our environment is a serious problem in today's society. It can have lasting effect on the climate of our planet which can spell trouble for our continued human existence. As a group, we created a video to be used by students in grade 3 and above to address the topic of a healthy environment. Our video focuses on depicting what a healthy environment should look like, the effects of pollution on the environment, mother nature's response to these detrimental human activities and how we can help to save earth. Hence the title of our production 'Saving Earth'.

To reiterate sentiments from my earlier posts, students of this generation are thoroughly taken with technology in this age. Therefore, videos can be a great addition in the classroom as it incorporates their interests which adds excitement to the lessons. The use of videos will also appeal to those student who are visual learners. Teachers can use videos to document presentations for future viewing or have the students create their own video research projects. Teachers now have to move away from traditional methods and find creative ways to reach all students in the classroom.When learning is fun, students are more likely to retain the information that is being taught.

Reflection:
For portfolio piece #6, my group members and I created a video using Windows Movie Maker to be used for a Social Studies lesson on the topic of A healthy environment.This piece had to be completed in collaborative groups during the scheduled class time. The video could be used to engage students in a discussion about the importance of the environment and encourage students to be proactive in helping to keep it clean and healthy. The major issue that was faced by my colleagues and I, was that the Windows Live Movie Maker would continually crash at inopportune moments. At one point, we lost the entire video. It sincerely taught us the value of saving your work. I believe that the piece could be improved by using voice overs on the still images in addition to the text. The use of local photography would also help to make it easier for the students to relate to the video.

Podcasts In Education

A podcast is a multimedia digital file made available on the internet for downloading to a portable media player, computer, or other device. Podcasts can be created for any purpose whether for entertainment, educational or even commercial reasons. In today’s society, the younger generation is rather taken with technology on a whole. Therefore, it is reasonable that educators would look to the art of podcasting as a means to share information with the students of this age as it would appeal to their technological interests. 

For the fifth portfolio piece, we were asked to work in cooperative groups once more to create a podcast. My group members and I decided that our podcast would focus on a current issue facing education in Antigua and Barbuda: the mass circulation of pornographic videos involving students in their respective school uniforms. Our podcast took the form of an interview on a radio program with both a student and the principal as guests. The aim was to highlight the issue so that appropriate action might be taken to prevent future occurrences.

A podcast can be used in the classroom in different ways. Children can use podcasts to narrate and bring life to different stories and literature. Podcasting provides students with an outlet to express their creativity. Teachers can also use podcasts to help students learn a foreign language. Students will be able to listen to the audio at their leisure and become familiar with new vocabulary and the correct pronunciation. Educational podcasts can also be used to help students review material in preparation for tests. Ultimately, the use of podcasts in education offers teachers a creative medium to enhance the learning process for the 21st century learner. 

Working With Visuals

It has already been previously established that not every individual learns through the same means. Last week's technology class explored the use of visuals to aid the teaching process. We were tasked to form groups of 2 or 3 persons and to create a lesson plan for a topic of our choice and an accompanying instructional piece (visual). However there was a catch. The pieces used to create the visual had to be computer generated in Microsoft word.

My colleague and I brainstormed ideas for the topic of our lesson plan and eventually settled on the water cycle. It was then decided that we would create a chart illustrating the water cycle for students at the grade 3 level. 

 The aim was to create the chart in such a way that it could be used interactively by the students. Therefore, we decided to make the processes shown in the water cycle detachable from the chart. This way, when teaching the lesson, the students would be asked to label the processes of evaporation, condensation and precipitation in the water cycle accurately as an in-class activity.

During the process of creating this instructional piece, we did not encounter any major challenges. The pieces were relatively easy to source through Microsoft word clip art feature. However, it was designing and assembling the layout that posed a bit of a challenge for us. To assist with the selection, my colleague and I looked at different models and decided on what elements from each we wanted to incorporate in our piece. At one point we ran out of stick glue and had to make a stop at a nearby shop.

Another minor challenge was to get the chart laminated. We wanted to ensure that the chart would be preserved for future use but we were unsure of the cost for laminating a chart of that size. Eventually, we opted to do laminate on our own to avoid incurring any additional charge.

Looking back on the finished product, I do see that there is room for improvement of the visual. We could have included more graphics to enhance the environment presented in the chart. Also a larger font size should have been used for the information given about the processes as it is currently too small to be read from a far. Overall I found this to be a interesting exercise. I got along well with my colleague and we made a good team. This assignment really brought out the creative side in us as educators.

The Importance of Lesson Plans

As an individual recently entering the teaching service, I believe that lesson plans are very important to facilitate effective student learning. Lesson plans provide a guide as to the approach you as an educator, want to take in teaching a particular topic. If teachers adequately prepare for each lesson then they will be better able to pace themselves to achieve the intended objectives.  One major benefit of planning lessons is that it allows for a much smoother learning process for the student due to the teacher having a better understanding of the content that they are teaching.

As educators, we should write lessons plans even though we may have had prior experiences teaching the lesson before. Every year, there is an influx of new students in to the schools. No two persons are the same and so I believe that it can be said that people may not necessarily learn via the same methods. These new students may have varying learning styles and capabilities. As such teachers need to be aware of the students to whom they are expected to impart their knowledge. Being aware of this information allows teachers to cater the lessons to meet the needs of the students to better facilitate their learning.

Teachers should always remember that we are responsible for molding the minds of the next generation. Our students are the ones who in the future will take up the mantle and help to build this nation. We should give them the best foundation and plan for their success!

Blogs in the Classroom

Children are very much concerned with the technology of today's world. When the topic of using a blog in the classroom was first broached, I was a bit stumped at how this could be beneficial. After careful reflection, a few instances came to me.

By utilizing blogs in the classroom, I believe that it can be used as a medium for showcasing students stories, composition and other creative works. The students would feel a sense of pride in the their work by seeing it published on the classroom blog. Teachers can provide links to other educational material ( include games and videos) to assist  students in learning via the class blog.

Blogs can act as a medium of communication between the teacher and the parent. A reflection of the topics covered and homework assigned for the day can be posted on the blog. This will allow the parents to get a better understanding of how they can help their children. Utilizing a blog would also allow me to provide parents with important information about field trips or other school events.

These are some of the ways that I would utilize a blog in my classroom to positively benefit students. If you can think of any more please feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions below.

Welcome ~ A New Beginning~

'I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work' -Thomas Edison

Can you imagine what kind of world we would be living in if we all gave up after a few tries? We probably would not have most of the technology present today! Life with no cellphones, laptops, ipods and the list could go on. 

I say this simply to suggest that we adopt the same outlook on failure as Thomas Edison when it comes to educating the children of this generation. We need to find new ways to help these children acquire the knowledge and skills to survive in this ever evolving world! The aim of this blog is to explore different ways in which technology can be incorporated into everyday lessons to make learning fun for the students.

Hello world! My name is Risa-Ann and welcome to my blog-Innovative Learning Through Technology. I am currently enrolled in the Department of Teacher Education in the island known as the gem of the Caribbean - Antigua. I am a very easy going person who enjoys reading long novels and travelling to different places. It is my hope that after completing this program that I will be able to effectively use technology to positively impact the learning process for my students.

The art of blogging is a relatively new experience to me but it is one that I hope will be a memorable one. So I invite you join me on this new adventure because learning is an adventure... so explore the possibilities!