Oh Glog

(Image 1 from forums.gametrailers.com, Image 2 from www.tumblr.com.)

Today I combined study with work to produce a glog introducing music and maths.  A glog is an interactive digital poster ..... and a world of fun!

Prezi for Presentations

On my journey to glogdom I visited Prezi which is presentation software.  It works in a similar way to powerpoint with additional zoom and networking features.   Here is the draft I worked on:

(Images courtesy of Join Australian Music Inc. JAM www.jamaustralia.com.au.  Permission to use these images for promotional purpose was provided to JAM by the school. Michael Thomas the manager of JAM)

The beauty of Prezi for teaching is you can burrow down into the titles, photos or links on each page to show detail.  It has all the multi-media adding features of powerpoint but gives the user a 'big picture' view of each page or issue which can then be broken down into each visible part.  This would be great for a class with multi-mouse as each student could take a turn at choosing areas of interest, reading, analysing... and even teaching a class. 

Dip.. Gap.. Burst

I also visited Dipity which creates multi-media timelines.  This could be an effective tool to study the history of a topic and to log a project's journey.... or to log a students learning progress..... or to have the student log their own learning progress.... the list goes on.   

I moved on to Gapminder which graphs statistics on global issues.  While creating these fun interactive graphs students can learn in a comparative manner about the issue thus engaging high-order thinking as per Bloom's Taxonomy analysis.  It would be amazing if users could graph their own issue using this amazing technology.... there probably is a way out there.  I finally popped into Zooburst, a pop-up book story telling tool.  I personally thought it was a bit naf, but each to their own.... if writing stories for pop-up dragons does it for you then Zoob away people.

(Image from lyndakilpatrick.blogspot.com) (text added on Gimp)

Glogging on Glogster

My attention this week was focused on creating a glog with glogster.  Here it is:





(Images Cold Play from projects.accessatlanta.com; guitar from www.shutterstock.com 
Biggy Smalls from dancehallarena.com Birdy from au.launch.yahoo.com Bruno Mars from www.animaatjes.nl)

Accessing glogster wasn't as hassle free as some of the other software.  When signing up users have to determine what school they belong to as well as entering personal details like date of birth... which no-one over the age of 25 likes to do. I just used my up and coming prac school.  Security may be tighter because it is glogster education which allow teachers to invite up to 200 students to join a glog.  The positive side is those invited join a private secure forum in which to learn and create together.  

Once you are signed up and creating, glogster really starts to perform.  The user system takes a little adaptation e.g. you can't drag photos, video and music onto your glog, you first need to upload them, however tools are set out clearly and are easy to use.  Design options are colorful, creative and allow uploading of images, audio and video.  All this spells engagement and multi-faceted learning for students. Users get sucked into the glogster world where you can play around with fonts, angles, backgrounds, speech bubbles and much more to create an easy to view and follow display of evolving information. I had to tear myself away.  

By inviting students to engage in the glog there is the opportunity for collaborative learning and self-learning... and by association collaborative and self creativity!  Users can also search and link from the internet integrating the connectivist approach, while further uploading outside creative projects e.g. images, movies, copy, art. The depth and detail you can put into glogs can effectively go on and on.  If you wanted to you could link every, word, image and graphic on the page.  A glog can thereby develop into an effective catalogue and storage forum for information on a topic.  Teachers and students can develop skills in learning from an interactive variety of activities.  In a glog you can be listening, reading, watching, writing, thinking, uploading, and designing all at the same time. Gathering knowledge, analysing, evaluating and creating in their glogs students are incorporating Bloom’s taxonomy and encourage higher order thinking.
 

(Image from magazine.ucla.edu) (text added on Gimp)

In summary glogs are an engaging (and safe) way for teachers to introduce, outline and develop a topic and to generate interest in it.  Students can then develop the content, creating together or individually while connecting to the outside world via links and the internet.  Alternatively students can outline and develop their own topics with teachers popping in to guide their direction.  Glogs look great, are entertaining to use, incorporate a variety of media and allow for content development and networking.  They allow for teacher monitoring via a safe environment confined to the teacher and invited students. Finally they provide extensive scope for developing procedural learning skills in a mutli-faceted digital world.

Tools for Declarative Knowledge

Trialing a variety of education software today my mind kept returning to the wonderful and varied ways they all encouraged the presentation and organisation of information. The Demensions of Learning (Marzano & Pickering, Pg 46 - 48) states learners absorb declarative knowledge (what the learner knows and understands), by organising information into patterns.   The paper 'Using Technology to Guide the Learning of Declarative Knowledge' (Shin, 2004, Pg 4) concludes further that for effective learning students need to identify and distinguish between each piece of information.  The software tools discussed above have the ability to organise information in interesting, engaging and connected ways, enabling students to analyse, differentiate between and connect pieces of information to achieve a more complete understanding of the topic at hand.

References:

Marzano, J & Pickering, J. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: Teachers Manual. ASCD Publications, USA.

Shin, H. (2004). Using Technology to Guide the Learning of Declarative Knowledge. ITS Teachers Conference Presentation. Institute of Technical Education, Singapore.

Camera, Sound, Action....... tools for teaching

Navigating the music industry over the last 15 years I have had a healthy dose of editing photos, recording sound and making videos. This week I am looking at these activities from a teaching perspective. How can we use images, podcasts and video to create effective learning programs?

Images

No doubt about it images are a very effective way of communicating information - a picture tells 1000 words and all that.  Gardner's multi intelligences theory states visual media can also help students develop their ability to define objects and space, and their motor skills in a way written material can't.    

Images incorporated with written text and other formats such as music, can be a very powerful method to show a large amount of information quickly, and to create new concepts.  Images can also add colour and humour and can be a saviour for a drab piece of academic writing - I know this first hand :-)  Images also provide a fresh and different perspective for readers.

I won't 'focus' on this too long because I have my eye on the video section and I have been reprimanded already for lengthy blogs. Just to ensure my photo editing skills are not too rusty, here is a picture of the back of my head taken in my mac photo booth and resized with some text using Gimp software.  You don't want to see the front this early in the morning - trust me!

Podcasts

I have always been keen to delve further into the world of podcasts. My experience was limited to listening to ABC national radio (this guy knows how to party).  Today I found a whole world of pod goodness out there.  Everything from incredible adventures in the wild and cutting edge political debate through to how to look like Justin Beiber and I only scratched the surface. 

In the spirit of building a 'starter pack', below are some podcasts I found relavant to me as a pre-service teacher and to any future students I may have the pleasure of sharing with.  I have included the more serious ones - although I was tempted.

The ABC's Indegnous podcasts are a wonderful series exploring everything relating to indigenous Australia from bush remedies and biographies to current affairs and politics.   A valuable resource to ensure a broad range and understanding of both modern and historical indigenous issues.

International Audio tales is a varied selection of stories from around the world narrated by children and teachers.  This could be an effective site to utilise in early primary reading activities.  How much fun having a child from across world tell your class a story.

The Queensland State Library webcasts have a broad range of interviews with interesting and notable Australians.  Covering a range of topics relating to Australia these would be a great source of inspiration in class to kick-start issues discussion and development

The Guardian Tech Weekly podcast is a rich source of all the latest innovations and innovators in the technology industry.  A great place to listen in for professional development and to stay one step ahead of the kids!

The Nature weekly podcast explores the world of science and the environment.  A adventurous and inspiring source of knowledge about science, travel and the environment.

In Wunderground meteorologists and weather experts explore the latest news and development in global weather patterns offering an interesting take on weather studies.  After all the weather is still the most talked about domestic topic.

The TED talks webcasts have an ever growing range of inspirational speakers on topics of global interest.   TED provides an often humble insight into the big issues for both teachers and students.

Podcasts offer the opportunity to teach and learn using audio and music. According to the VAK (Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic) learning style, auditory learners are most effectively taught utilising verbal material.  Gardner's multi intelligences theory states musical and linguistc learners respond well to learning through sound and words.   

In my view podcasts offer a more accessible format for teaching and learning than video, as most students have access to a listening device (ipod) and a recording device (mobile phone).  Podcasts can also be listened to while doing other things unlike video which can be all consuming.  

Here is another study room creation - my attempt at a Podcast.  In search of something to talk about I chose the current dengue fever outbreak in my suburb of Whitfield in Cairns.

(Image from www.skeeterbite.info; Music John Butler Trio Oceans)

Videos

I had two very helpful budding actors join me this afternoon to explore the world of video.  We made it all the way from the desk to the stairs for filming. I used Imovie to edit and Gimp to make the graphics.  Tashi and Polo did the choreography.

(music from Edith Piaf and Puccini)

I found video to be a diverse media format to work with.  For me it is the superstar out of the group discussed today as it provides loads of options to include effects and just about all other forms of media.  It is also a very creative, inviting and fun forum for collaborate work to keep the social constructivists happy.  Teachers can provide clear and effective scaffolding e.g. choosing content outcomes, while still allowing students to have creative control.  I also like video's potential to develop both declarative and procedural knowledge working with content and a skills. 

Conceptualising video around content, recording and editing all provide opportunities to deliver both declarative and procedural knowledge as prescribed by the Dimensions of Learning (Marzano and Pickering 1997).  As video activities can be collaborative and shared and researched online they are supported by social constuctivist and connectivist learning theories.  

Bye for now.  Thanks for the comments and for the other blogs out there which keep me sane.

P.S. For anyone wondering how I got the speech bubbles on my video.  I found an empty speech bubble image and then used Gimp to add text and saved each image as a png.  You can choose this option when exporting.  In iMovie you need to turn on your advanced settings in preferences.  Drag the png image and drop it over the part of the video you want to put it in click on it to bring up a drop menu.  On that you choose picture-to-picture which includes the image as part of the video image.  You can choose position, colour, fade in etc.


References

Marzano R. J., Pickering D. J (1997). Dimensions of Learning: A Teacher's Manual. ASCD publishing. Denver, Colarado

Reflecting on...... wikis

 This is a refection on Creating a Wiki

(image from wikepedia.org)


I have used the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threat) thinking process to examine the potential of wikis for teaching

Strengths

Wikis....

• anyone and everyone can contribute
• are student driven
• provide ideas forum 
• contributing can improve literacy skills
• stimulate issues development
• encourage learning collaboration
• are an opportunity to examine issue from all angles
• accept a variety of multi-media input

Weaknesses

Wikis....

• limited control over content
• may require scaffolding to ensure targeted issues development
• open ended - have limited boundaries
• have a loose format
• have inherent design difficulties - lots of editors
• information may need to be recovered
• can end up with a lot of information to process
• may be dominated by an individual or group
• are daunting for some - public domain
• users focus on own contribution
• not for everyone's learning style

Opportunities

Wikis....

• new ideas and concepts
• cross demographic, geogrpahic and cultural collaboration
• reference/link other useful information on the web
• balanced issues development
• creative approaches
• scaffolding and pedagogy tool
• window for teachers and students into learning levels and journey
• ideas and concept storage
• opportunity for meta-learning

Threats

Wikis....

• inappropriate use
• public domain 
• copyright and intellectual property rights

.....Reflections

I made a wiki to discuss Prensky's digital natives and digital immigrants which is a topic I have given a lot of thought to recently.  You can find my wiki here:



I found the wiki a blank canvas providing many opportunities for issues and ideas development and for including photos, videos and links.  The opportunities for collaboration and networking across different demographics and cultures also seemed limitless.

As a teaching tool wikis, supported by scaffolding such as De Bono's hats, PMI or SWOT analysis, allow students to develop an issue in collaboration. The wiki's format allows for problem solving and real-life application which could result in deep thinking as presrcibed by Education Queensland's productive pedagogies. In their study on student wiki use reported in the article "The good, the bad and the wiki" Wheeler, Yeoman & Wheeler found students developed critical thinking via shared online spaces that involved the examination of other students contributions. The report highlights wikis as an effective forum for developing students' required skills in information evaluation, independent learning and creativity. 

Scaffolding from teachers can assist in delivering educational outcomes from wikis.  Such guidance frameworks might include providing an understanding of the functionality of wikis, and of the issues surrounding copywright and contributing to the public domain. The Wheeler, Yeoman & Wheeler study showed students who use wikis initially copy most of their wiki contribution from popular sites such as wikipedia.  Furthermore students found it confronting writing in the public domain and raised concerns about other people copying their work or changing their work.  Some students also found using a wiki confusing, with limited structure and too open as a forum.

(image fro www.trevorowens.com)

 Notably the Wheeler, Yeoman & Wheeler study was facilitated with young adult students (18-25yrs).  The adaptation to wiki use may be more seamless for younger students.  The following video shows show children living in the slums in India learnt independently, collaboratively and very quickly how to operate "hole in the wall" computers.  

I found the scaffolding guidelines very useful when contributing to the "phones in class" wiki.  I have discussed this experience further in the blog "Learning designs wikis and phones in class".  I was unclear at the time as to copyright and intellectual property rights laws relating in wiki contributions. I am looking forward to learning more about these issues.  

The effectiveness of scaffolding in wiki learning makes sense when related back to constructivist learning theory. In a student driven collaborative forum, supported by appropriate scaffolding wiki participants can learn via interacting.  In the journal "Wikis as a teaching tool", Parker & Chao state that "Reflective learning, one of the critical features of constructivism, refers to structured approaches that enable students to reflect upon their learning and to understand their own learning. Wikis allow this reflection to be done collaboratively, moving closer to a fully social constructivist mode of learning".  

(image from webquest.sdsu.edu)

Finally the most exciting concept for me with wikis is their potential for developing new ideas and new ways of doing things.  In "Learning designs, wikis and phones" I discussed the concept of the "phones in class" wiki becoming a complete body of work.   I am excited to experiment with a wiki to develop an issue which I am interested in and witnessing ideas and concepts evolve. In the same way I am looking forward to utilising the wiki as a teaching tool in practice, attempting to scaffold content knowledge effectively for students to utilise the wiki to engage in deep thinking and higher order learning via collaboration.  In this way, at this time I feel wikis have a lot more potential as a creative learning tool than blogs which are more restricted and rigid.  Here is Kennedy and Nixon debating the topic.  Bye for now

References:

Parker, K. R.; Chao, J.T (2007).  Wiki as a Teaching Tool. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects.  Vol 3.

Wheeler, P; Yeomans, P; Wheeler, D (2008). The good, the bad and the wiki: evaluating student-generated content for collaborative learning.  British Journal of Education Technology.  Vol 39, No 6, 987-995.