Wikipedia is a free, Web-based collaborative encyclopedia, currently the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet (Wikipedia, 2009). Wikipedia has 13 million articles (2.9 million in English) written collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and almost all the articles can be edited by anyone who can access the Wikipedia Web site (Wikipedia). Conversely it has tight set of guidelines and moderators to persist information is accurate and avoid breaches of copyright (CQUniversity, 2009; Wikipedia). The images and knowledge are covered by the creative commons license agreement (CQUniversity).
Wikipedia is a controversial site. I think it is great for background knowledge (which I do) though I do not believe it should be in an academic assignment. Hence I would employ this TECHNOLOGY in my learning environment for students to develop background knowledge because it’s quick, comprehensive, straight-forward knowledge. Also students are able to employ the images from Wikipedia as it covered by the creative commons license (CQUniversity, 2009).
Critics of Wikipedia accuse Wikipedia of its reliability and accuracy; however, false or unverified information though scholarly work suggests that vandalism is generally short-lived (Wikipedia, 2009). One way Wikipedia can be employs in a learning environment for higher-order and creative thinking experience, is authentic writing. Cummings (cited in Interact at the Center, 2009) “believes the major advantage to helping student essay writing with the use of Wikipedia is that students have audiences that are real and can provide plenty of immediate feedback to their writing.” The students then posted their worked to collaborative Wiki and the students wait for their comments, from Wikipedia readers. According to Cummings (Interact at the Center) he “believes students are writing and having more exposure to having to write formally.”
Google Earth lets the viewer fly anywhere on Earth view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean, sunset around the world, tour distant cities with StreeView (Google Earth, 2009). Goggle Earth (Google Earth) also describes it “like a video game and a search engine rolled into one, Earth is basically a 3D model of the entire planet that lets you grab, spin and zoom down into any place on Earth". Davidson (cited in Goggle Earth, 2009) quotes “Teacher and students will travel the real earth of explorations, migrations, heroes and history and share new instruction growing on the planet itself.”
There are many features of Google Earth 5.0:
explore rich geographical content
save your toured places
share with others
obtain Historical imagery from around the globe
obtain Ocean floor and surface data from marine experts
alternatively acquire touring with audio and voice recording (Goggle Earth).
I love Google Earth; I have never experience anything similar. The features and information you can obtain and do are endless, from showing students the universe to a street: students could learn longitude and latitude, view historical events, view a certain place. I think it great engaging technology tool, I would have to say so far one of my favourite. It creates higher order and creative thinking and assign with Oliver’s framework: “Clean up Australia Day” could be the task and the resources are Google Earth and students are to map out the area they are going to clean up. Google Earth can be applied to all age levels plus all subjects, K-12 literature to environment science, it could be even utilised in tertiary level. Google Earth (2009) listed a several ways it could be applied in a learning environment; I have also included these links in my blog. Here are a few:
“Art History - Search for photos and user-created maps showing famous museums like the Louvre in Paris. louvre - Google Maps
Math - Explore distance, velocity, and wave properties of tsunamis
Literature - Bring class or contemporary tales to life with Google LitTrips”.
Goggle Earth can cater to all learning styles via:
Active and reflective learners – students are looking at the map and negative as doing so. - reflective learners they are able to stop on their accord when navigating, hence thinking about the new information they are learning.
Sensing and intuitive learners – for sensors learners Google Earth is connecting to the real world instantly hence catering for them straight away. Also LM could offer facts and problem-solving activity to do via Google Earth example working out the distance from town to the next - intuitive learners by minimising repetition, memorisation and routine calculations.
Visual and verbal learners – for visual is right there - verbal learners by allowing open discussion.
Sequential and global learner – for sequential learning by offering the learning experience in linear steps where each step follows logically from the previous one - global learners giving students the big picture of what is going to taught and relating to what the students may already know (Felder & Solman, n.d; JCU, 2008).
PC Magazine (1996-2006) describes YouTube as “A very popular Web video sharing site that lets anyone store short videos for private or public viewing.” YouTube has a variety of videos, including educational content which LM can use in the classroom, or students can watch at a later time and/or LM and students can add to their blogs, wikis, demonstrations, presentations etc. From this educational content, there are a number of similar sites that have developed hosting similar video learning objects like teacher tube (CQUniversity, 2009).
I would have to say before this course, I had never watched a YouTube; however, since doing this course I have found them every useful. I did not realise YouTube had educational content which has serve me every well in this course. Recently when I did my PowerPoint presentation it included a You Tube, which made putting the point across more successful. Also watching other students also consume You Tube in their presentation makes the point more absorb and breaks the talking. I have also found with YouTube I need to wait till the bar is fully loaded before playing (a shade of red), or the YouTube keeps thinking then playing. Featured is the YouTube that was added to our PowerPoint presentation comics and cartoons presentation to enhance and engage peers knowledge into the cartoon and how they could be utilised into the classroom, camera movement, moving images, use of words: Onomatopoeias and etc.
The teacher tube I have picked is a demonstration adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing whole numbers (is a long video but added just to show how they can be effective in the learning environment). On Dale’s Cone, demonstration is the fourth most effectiveness of learning, however, I varied this with the students undertaking this activity and LM explaining plus putting this to action by undertaking authentic approach. LM will achieve a higher rate of effectiveness, for example, students and LM could make a shop and purchase items from the shop with money therefore adding and subtracting. An advantage of using this in teacher tube in classroom is the LM can stop, pause, and renew the video to explain the vital parts and the parts students do not understand. Students and LM could also use YouTube in their learning environment by adding to blogs, wikis, demonstrations, presentations etc.
YouTube and TeacherTube can speak to all learning styles via:
Active and reflective learners – for active learners doing what the video demonstration is teaching while it is going or after the demonstration is finished. For reflective learners it allows students time to think about new information by stopping periodically or allowing the presentation to be review casually, for example, review later for students who would like to watch it again or for students who have missed a class.
Sensing and intuitive learners – for sensors learners connecting the demonstration to the real world and offering facts and problem-solving activity at during or at end of demonstration – Intuitive learners by minimising repetition, memorisation and routine calculations during presentation.
Visual and verbal learners – this is a finest tool to implement as they learn best by seeing – Verbal learners by allowing open discussion during and at the end of the demonstration.
Sequential and global learner – sequential learning by offering the information in linear steps where each step follows logically from the previous one – Global learners giving students the big picture of what is going to taught and relating to what the students may already know (Felder & Solman, n.d.; JCU, 2008).
I recently even found a SchoolTube website, which as SchoolTube (2009) explains
SchoolTube provides students and educators a safe, world class, and FREE
media sharing website that is nationally endorsed by premier education
associations. SchoolTube is the recognized leader for moderated, internet media
sharing for teachers and students. All student created materials on SchoolTube
must be approved by registered teachers, follow local school guidelines, and
adhere to our high standards.
The ClassMarker is a professional online testing Web site, which allows the uses to create online quiz that mark the tests (ClassMarker, 2005-2009). The LM or business co-workers/boss simply creates the quiz: the question and answer, follow by students or learners or business co-worker taking the quiz online. ClassMarker subsequently marks the test automatically. Online testing can be either used class-based or external testing. Class-based the user can: create/manage classes, register the learners and assign the tests (ClassMarker). External testing the user can: link directly to tests, learners can add own details and add their business logos (ClassMarker).
Most online quizzes are multiple choice. ClassMarker is a long with other several ways the question can be answered for example: multiple choice either single or multiple answers, true/false, free text (learners must type correct answer), punctuation (correct sentence punctuation) and essay (single word or essay style answers). The ClassMarker quiz along with others alike fits into Oliver’s framework The LM can utilise this in a learning environment for making the quizzes authentic by means of making them: challenging, relevant, engaging for students and reflect real-world contexts and situations that will confront students outside of school, which all relates to authentic assessment (Brady & Kennedy, 2009).
I have made a quiz on ClassMarker, I found the experience quite enjoyable. It was simple to navigate and making the test was straightforward. I have made a test on elearning/ICT to correspond with the course we are currently undertaking. I have utilised a variety of ways the question can be answered: true/false, multiple chose both single and multiple and free-text. My link is http://www.classmarker.com/embedded_quizzes/?quiz=e621573f70f457377994755e141e20e6
The advantage of using ClassMarker over paper-based testing is:
receive results instantly
LM can utilise and change them to accommodate another class or learning experienceLearning environment can be done in the classroom or at home making it exceptional tool for distance learning and online courses (Classmarker, 2009).
Animations
NHC Science Animations website lets the viewer or student follow a path the particular object may go on, with images and words. For example I click on “What Tree Is It?” under plants. The next page had three choices: identify by fruit, tree or name. I click on fruit, after clicking on this I had another five choices and so on. Hence with this tool students are learning about objects and there visual change over time.
Simulations
I was hesitant about going into the site for simulation “dissect a frog”. I can remember back at school doing this learning experience – will I didn’t actually, I left the classroom, hence I would not be able to conduct a class to dissect a frog or similar. However with this technology provide LM’s can conduct dissecting frogs and alike, trouble-free. I found this program “Frogouts” informative for myself, hence students will also, I learn new parts of the frog such as: where all the organs where, tympanum, cloaca and others. The assessment at the end of the dissection would be fantastic for students allowing them for the information learn to be summarise and recap, thus making sure they know it correctly. Also the assessment would lead to higher order thinking, which does need to summative.
Different learning style would benefit from this by:
Active and reflective learners – for active learners doing the dissection - reflective learners students can stop or pause the dissection allowing them time to think about new information.
Sensing learners – for sensors learners the dissection is connect to the real world, the animals are real, and facts are incorporated during the dissection.
Visual and verbal learners – visual and verbal this is a finest tool to implement, because visual learn best by seeing and verbal learners by hearing.Sequential and global learner – sequential the dissection is offered in linear steps.
Global learners giving students the big picture of what is going to taught and relating to what the students may already know: Teacher Talk: “We are going to be doing a dissection on frogs today via computer and there is an assessment at the end however this is formative. Can anyone tell me about frogs?” (Felder & Solman, n.d; JCU, 2008).
Mediarama (n.d.) explains “Picnik is photo editing awesomeness, online, in your browser. It's the easiest way on the Web to fix underexposed photos, remove red-eye, or apply effects to your photos.” Photos in picink can simply be link to or open up from my space, flickr, facebook, Webs, Web shots, photobucket and picasa. The features on Picnik are endless: edited a photo; add extras to the photo under the create tab for example stickers, texts, frames, sandbox, and touch up; students can also create collages or fancy collages for example: scrapbooks, cards etc.
I uploaded the same photo I use in flickr and edited my photo by using the features: rotate and crop. There are many other edit features as well: auto-fix, resize, exposure, colours, sharpen and red-eye. From this picture it can be seen how effective Picnik is to edit a photo.
Picnik can be incorporate into the higher order and creative thinking/learning environment by the means of:
creating special images to go along with writing projects or poems
editing photos for technology projects (like iMovie)
doing sequencing assignments with transformed pictures
practicing adding or using different effects to images
using images students create in class newsletter or wiki or blogs or displaying around the learning environment (teachweb2, 2009).
Flick is an image or online photo management Web site and online community platform, making sharing photo easy accessible around the world for anyone (Answer.com, 2009; flickr, n.d.). Flickr is covered under the Creative Commons licensing making it accessible for its community members to legally share content and use photographs for non-commercial use (learnhub, 2008-2009).
In the past, digital immigrants would have cut pictures from Magazines such as: National Geographic, Life, New Idea and other magazines to illustrate reports; hence we are catering and engaging digital narrative students via use one of their everyday tools: technology (Prensky, 2001). With flickr, students and LM have the capability to search a vast and growing photo archive to illustrate reports (learnhub, 2008-2009).
My experience with Flickr was unpleasant. It took me along time to upload a photo and even longer when I tried to connect Picnik to Flickr. Hence before I employ this tool into my learning environment I will be bearing in this in mind and view the learning environment connection’s time. I have uploaded a photo of my children and also I have uploaded how a teacher, Haper, has utilise Flickr in her learning environment. She has made a poster for healthy eating advice and made a menu of sandwiches for a theme restaurant hence utilising higher order and creative thinking in the learning environment: collaborative, free time during the day to do this learning experience, and catered for learning styles mainly visual (flickr, 2009).
From the above poster it can be seen how engaging and effective Flickr can be employ into the learning environment by students, collaborative or individually, and for LM to design lessons and learning experience via Flickr that have a authentic focus (ACU, 2000; Jake, 2007; Kearsely & Sheiderman, 2009). Other ways for LM to employ flickr is a lesson on creative or interpretive writing and students can use single photographs as a writing prompt or using multiple images which then becomes digital storytelling (Jake). Flickr can also be used to create virtual field trips and as basis to illustrate reports: projects, presentation, assignments, blogs, wiki etc (Jake). LM can help students understand and apply the concept intellectual property rights, as Flickr imagery is covered under Creative Commons licensing (Jake). Flickr can also be added to the RSS feed making the ability to create a database of appropriate images about LM’s school that can be delivered automatically to parent and other community members who subscribe to the RSS feed (Jake).
My name is Kristen. I am currently studying Bachelor of Learning Management - Early Childhood at Mackay Campus.
Please feel free to leave comments, play a game of Sudoku and or/feed my fish enjoy reading. Thanks Kristen!
Wikipedia is a free, Web-based collaborative encyclopedia, currently the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet (Wikipedia, 2009). Wikipedia has 13 million articles (2.9 million in English) written collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and almost all the articles can be edited by anyone who can access the Wikipedia Web site (Wikipedia). Conversely it has tight set of guidelines and moderators to persist information is accurate and avoid breaches of copyright (CQUniversity, 2009; Wikipedia). The images and knowledge are covered by the creative commons license agreement (CQUniversity).
