Hi Everyone,
The culminating activity for this course is a presentation that incorporates video, audio and a collaborative component. I am also registered in ESL Part I that requires a presentation of a researched culture. I have combined the two tasks and have created a single presentation. Please take a look. Please note that in order to click the links or view the videos, you must download the presentation to your computer by clicking the SlideShare icon at the bottom right hand side. Had I used Google Presentation, it would have embedded a lot easier but I used PowerPoint instead. Lesson learned! Thanks!
Thursday 12 March 2015
Sunday 8 March 2015
Image Manipulation
I have not had much opportunity to use image manipulation programs as I was always a pencil to paper kind of gal. Even touching up photos that I take is beyond my patience level and I very rarely do it.
One tool that I use regularly for PowerPoint or posting photos online is http://www.webresizer.com/. This makes photos that you take in high res quality and makes them much smaller so that your file size is much smaller. It allows for faster loading and transitions.
I can certainly see merit to image manipulation for creative projects. Google's Picasa is a free tool that is fairly easy to use. You just upload the image and can edit as you see fit. This is a free resource, which is always a bonus. GIMP is a free resource that does the same thing.
One thing I find so many students love to do is create memes. I think this would be a fun way to incorporate some of the subject matter in class and have them create a customized meme. This might be a fun way to create PSAs (Public Service Announcements) as well. There are a lot of sites to do this such as http://www.mememaker.net/create. Students can upload their own images and create the caption.
One tool that I use regularly for PowerPoint or posting photos online is http://www.webresizer.com/. This makes photos that you take in high res quality and makes them much smaller so that your file size is much smaller. It allows for faster loading and transitions.
I can certainly see merit to image manipulation for creative projects. Google's Picasa is a free tool that is fairly easy to use. You just upload the image and can edit as you see fit. This is a free resource, which is always a bonus. GIMP is a free resource that does the same thing.
One thing I find so many students love to do is create memes. I think this would be a fun way to incorporate some of the subject matter in class and have them create a customized meme. This might be a fun way to create PSAs (Public Service Announcements) as well. There are a lot of sites to do this such as http://www.mememaker.net/create. Students can upload their own images and create the caption.
5 Teaching Strategies that Incorporate Audio in the Classroom
1. WWII Radio Segments
Outline: Students will create a series of podcasts based on the various battles that Canadians were involved in during the Second World War. These "broadcasts" will aim to sounds just like those that would have been broadcast during that time period and will require student research and collaboration. I can't take credit for this idea as I saw it when perusing Pinterest. The link to the original idea is https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Battles-of-World-War-II-Radio-Show-Project-962509.
2. Using pre-recorded audio (with or without video) to deliver instructions to students.
Outline: This works well for students who need to hear the instructions more than once. You can set this up in a centre or section of the room where students can go to in order to hear the instructions for the exercise again. This may also work for homework. The teacher can record the day's homework and post on the classroom website or blog for reference.
3. Using Audio / Video as alternate method for presentations.
Outline: For those students who have difficulty standing in front of the class, allow them to use an alternate method to present their work. By pre-recording it, they are still challenged to take a risk and step outside their comfort zone as the class will see the video or hear the audio, but it allows them to do re-takes or take extra time to get it just the way they want it.
4. Using music for writing assignments.
Outline: Choose a piece of music that exudes the mood or tone of the piece of writing you wish the students to produce. It helps put the concept of mood into context for those who have difficulty with that.
5. Create your own audio book.
Outline: Students can record their own work, other student's work, or just regular books / stories, and create audio books to add to the classroom library.
Outline: Students will create a series of podcasts based on the various battles that Canadians were involved in during the Second World War. These "broadcasts" will aim to sounds just like those that would have been broadcast during that time period and will require student research and collaboration. I can't take credit for this idea as I saw it when perusing Pinterest. The link to the original idea is https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Battles-of-World-War-II-Radio-Show-Project-962509.
2. Using pre-recorded audio (with or without video) to deliver instructions to students.
Outline: This works well for students who need to hear the instructions more than once. You can set this up in a centre or section of the room where students can go to in order to hear the instructions for the exercise again. This may also work for homework. The teacher can record the day's homework and post on the classroom website or blog for reference.
3. Using Audio / Video as alternate method for presentations.
Outline: For those students who have difficulty standing in front of the class, allow them to use an alternate method to present their work. By pre-recording it, they are still challenged to take a risk and step outside their comfort zone as the class will see the video or hear the audio, but it allows them to do re-takes or take extra time to get it just the way they want it.
4. Using music for writing assignments.
Outline: Choose a piece of music that exudes the mood or tone of the piece of writing you wish the students to produce. It helps put the concept of mood into context for those who have difficulty with that.
5. Create your own audio book.
Outline: Students can record their own work, other student's work, or just regular books / stories, and create audio books to add to the classroom library.
Audio Resources For Use in the Classroom
Audacity
This software is a free download from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. It's great because it is very versatile and works on practically any platform (i.e., Mac, Windows, Linux). The interesting thing about Audacity is that it is an open source software, which means that users with the know-how can make changes and improvements.
For more information and a complete list of features, click the following link: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about/features
GarageBand
This is an Apple product so works on any Apple device in some form or another (i.e., iPhone, iPod, iPad, MacBook). It is a great tool for creating music or podcasts but what's also great about this tool is that there is a pre-existing library of various instruments that you can use to create music. It even has built-in lessons for piano or guitar! For more information about this resource, click this link:
https://www.apple.com/ca/mac/garageband/.
Kaizena
I was immediately drawn to Kaizena, although I haven't actually used it much yet. I used to work for a company that embraced the Kai-zen philosophy of continuous improvement and recognizing individuals for contributing to on-going improvement. This program allows teachers to edit student work electronically, even adding voice comments instead of using the dreaded red pen. This company is great as well because they're Canadian and dedicated to education and making improvements. For more information, check out https://kaizena.com/.
This software is a free download from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. It's great because it is very versatile and works on practically any platform (i.e., Mac, Windows, Linux). The interesting thing about Audacity is that it is an open source software, which means that users with the know-how can make changes and improvements.
GarageBand
This is an Apple product so works on any Apple device in some form or another (i.e., iPhone, iPod, iPad, MacBook). It is a great tool for creating music or podcasts but what's also great about this tool is that there is a pre-existing library of various instruments that you can use to create music. It even has built-in lessons for piano or guitar! For more information about this resource, click this link:
https://www.apple.com/ca/mac/garageband/.
Kaizena
I was immediately drawn to Kaizena, although I haven't actually used it much yet. I used to work for a company that embraced the Kai-zen philosophy of continuous improvement and recognizing individuals for contributing to on-going improvement. This program allows teachers to edit student work electronically, even adding voice comments instead of using the dreaded red pen. This company is great as well because they're Canadian and dedicated to education and making improvements. For more information, check out https://kaizena.com/.
Thursday 26 February 2015
A Few Cool Tools / Resources
The first tool I would like to share is the Prezi presentation software.
A lot of students are really getting into using it for presentations rather than using the more traditional MS PowerPoint. I think it is a bit more fun to use as they have really fun templates and makes the presentations a bit more engaging for students to work with (or watch). A public account is free and you can download the desktop app as well as working online. It's pretty easy to navigate and you can imbed videos and links, just as you can with MS PowerPoint, but it seems a bit easier. I like to format of bobbing from bubble to bubble and you can navigate to any bubble at any time with the click of the mouse.
A lot of students are really getting into using it for presentations rather than using the more traditional MS PowerPoint. I think it is a bit more fun to use as they have really fun templates and makes the presentations a bit more engaging for students to work with (or watch). A public account is free and you can download the desktop app as well as working online. It's pretty easy to navigate and you can imbed videos and links, just as you can with MS PowerPoint, but it seems a bit easier. I like to format of bobbing from bubble to bubble and you can navigate to any bubble at any time with the click of the mouse.
The next tool I would like to highlight is iMovie.
What kid doesn't love creating videos? iMovie is easily accessible on most apple devices and allows you to create and edit videos. It does take a bit of practice and skill to piece together a presentation, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy and the end result is really professional looking. iMovie is fun to use to commemorate class trips, as a possible format for class yearbooks, and really any movie presentation if students are looking for alternate ways to present their work. In the era of YouTube and social media, students really engage in being allowed to present their work in a variety of ways.
The third resource I would like to share is ePals (http://www.epals.com/#!/main).
I haven't actually used before but it looks really cool. I'm wondering if anyone has any personal experience they can share or perhaps point me in the direction of a similar resource. The resource is called ePals. Classes from all over the world can log in and connect with other classes for a variety of purposes. They can just become pen pals, work on a collaborative project over the internet, Skype one another, etc. When I was going through it, I did see a few Canadian classes registered. When you register, you write a quick commentary on what you're looking for in terms of collaboration. I think it would be really cool to get together with a class on the other side of the world to collaborate on a project with.
Wednesday 25 February 2015
Google Docs vs. Office Online
The task of comparing the above leaves me feeling a little out of my element. But I suppose that is the point of the Integrated Technology AQ course that I am taking and creating this blog for :)
So how do I go about conducting a professional comparison without much prior use of either tool? Well, I certainly do not wish to pretend I am any expert. However, I am a new teacher and as such, I am always looking for innovative ways to get my students to collaborate with one another and getting comfortable with using Web 2.0 tools. Therefore, I will do what any teacher would likely do in this situation and turn to the ever knowledgable "Google". Upon a quick Google search (I typed in "what is the difference between Office Online and Google Docs"), I found a few blogs with just such a comparison.
The first I read is a blog called "How-to Geek" where the differences between Office Online and Google Docs was very simply explained. I encourage you to take a look if you are unfamiliar with either:
http://www.howtogeek.com/183299/a-free-microsoft-office-is-office-online-worth-using/
For a more detailed look at the two, I turned to a second blog called "PC Pro". Here, the various functions of each are broken down (note: I had to answer a survey question to see the full content of the entry but I didn't have to enter any personal information):
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/391192/office-online-vs-google-docs-which-free-online-office-suite-is-best
One final blog entry I would like to share in this comparison is by "Tech Republic" where the author offers 10 comparisons between Office Online and Google Docs:
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/google-in-the-enterprise/10-comparisons-between-google-apps-and-office-365/
So where do I go from here. I've now read all I need to read about the two, and have played around with the various tools offered in both. Personally, I still gravitate towards Office Online in a professional capacity based on its ability to integrate with my desktop version. However, in a school setting, where many schools are still using Open Office which, let's be honest here, is not all that great, I think that Google Docs is probably more familiar to the students. What I like about Google docs is the additional add-ons you can use and add to your documents:
The Add-on tools are incredibly diverse and mostly free, which is a word that as teachers, we totally love.
I think that both of the above have their merits in the classroom. I really don't think you could go wrong in either situation. I just find that most students seem to have more knowledge with Google Docs. That being said, I think there is merit in using Office Online as most students have access to Office at home (both on PC and Mac) and most professional businesses turn to MS Office. Ensuring that students are familiar with this software will certainly set them up for future success.
So how do I go about conducting a professional comparison without much prior use of either tool? Well, I certainly do not wish to pretend I am any expert. However, I am a new teacher and as such, I am always looking for innovative ways to get my students to collaborate with one another and getting comfortable with using Web 2.0 tools. Therefore, I will do what any teacher would likely do in this situation and turn to the ever knowledgable "Google". Upon a quick Google search (I typed in "what is the difference between Office Online and Google Docs"), I found a few blogs with just such a comparison.
The first I read is a blog called "How-to Geek" where the differences between Office Online and Google Docs was very simply explained. I encourage you to take a look if you are unfamiliar with either:
http://www.howtogeek.com/183299/a-free-microsoft-office-is-office-online-worth-using/
For a more detailed look at the two, I turned to a second blog called "PC Pro". Here, the various functions of each are broken down (note: I had to answer a survey question to see the full content of the entry but I didn't have to enter any personal information):
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/391192/office-online-vs-google-docs-which-free-online-office-suite-is-best
One final blog entry I would like to share in this comparison is by "Tech Republic" where the author offers 10 comparisons between Office Online and Google Docs:
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/google-in-the-enterprise/10-comparisons-between-google-apps-and-office-365/
So where do I go from here. I've now read all I need to read about the two, and have played around with the various tools offered in both. Personally, I still gravitate towards Office Online in a professional capacity based on its ability to integrate with my desktop version. However, in a school setting, where many schools are still using Open Office which, let's be honest here, is not all that great, I think that Google Docs is probably more familiar to the students. What I like about Google docs is the additional add-ons you can use and add to your documents:
The Add-on tools are incredibly diverse and mostly free, which is a word that as teachers, we totally love.
I think that both of the above have their merits in the classroom. I really don't think you could go wrong in either situation. I just find that most students seem to have more knowledge with Google Docs. That being said, I think there is merit in using Office Online as most students have access to Office at home (both on PC and Mac) and most professional businesses turn to MS Office. Ensuring that students are familiar with this software will certainly set them up for future success.
Did You Know?
Resources and Software Available in Ontario Schools and the Halton District School Board
Ontario:
The Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee advises the Ministry of Education on the acquisition of licenses for publicly-funded schools in Ontario. The Ontario Educational Software Service is the distribution method whereby the software is sent to School Boards, Faculties of Education and First Nations Schools. Check out this link for more information on the software available to schools in Ontario.
https://osapac.ca/ccpalo/home/
HDSB:
Elementary Internet Tools - HDSB
This site is a great reference that students in the board have access to information at home. Some of the items require student specific information, such as a library card number, but these are all things that students of Halton District School Board would easily have access to.
http://www.hdsb.ca/library/pages/elementaryinternettools.asp
Bring I.T.
HDSB is piloting a program where some classrooms are Bring I.T. classrooms which allows students to use personally owned electronic devices.
http://www.hdsb.ca/aboutus/IT/Pages/BringIT.aspx
Halton District School Board has a multi-year plan in place that states by the year 2016 the "Halton District School Board will provide and maintain a technology infrastructure to engage and support 21st Century learning for all students and staff.
Targets - By 2016:
• WiFi connectivity will be provided in 95% of the Board’s portable classrooms (currently 0%), and in 99% of school building classrooms, including all school libraries (currently 80%);
• develop an annual plan that will maximize the efficient use of technology;
• within the next four years, 60% of the Board’s classrooms will be "Bring IT" classrooms (currently in pilot)".
http://www.hdsb.ca/aboutus/Plans/Strat%20plan%20all%20pages.pdf
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