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.