Reflective Synopsis

Education researchers Alfred DeVito, Gerald Krockover and Kathleen Steele promote the notion of the importance of technology in the classroom, and its vitality to students learning. This blog has offered the results of experiments with a variety of technological sources available for teachers.

The utilisation of technology within a classroom helps engage students in the study material. Throughout this course I have been exposed to many different experiences using technology. I started out a little hesitant as I have not been a big fan of technology however I have surprisingly enjoyed the opportunity to engage in some of the technology resources I have shied away from in the past. This is evident in the individual posts along with the inclusion of technology in my lessons at school.

Over the past couple of weeks I have become more confident in using power point and you tube in class, both normally hand in hand. The inclusion of I-pods and Net-books also allow students to work with technology during lessons.

Slide share, power point, you tube, Mahara, wiki, Wikipedia and music from the net are all technological resources I would use in my classroom. As stated above I already use power point, you tube and music. I have set up a Mahara view for my students to be able to download handouts and power point presentations. I have also set up a blog that has a review of each lesson that students can supply feedback, and know what happened in the circumstance that they were absent or missed the lesson. In the near future this learning space will allow students to suggest ideas for lessons, and content they would like to cover. This learning space demonstrates the ability of technology to engage students by using student- centred learning.

Picnik, and Flickr are incredible resources to document memories and make creative records of events. Goggle earth is a fantastic source for geography and civic studies in particular. These resources I can not see me using effectively in my classroom of my chosen field however when the opportunity arises to take on a different class, I am glad to know such resources are available to assist students in assignments and in class.

Voki’s are an ingenious resource. I had the idea of creating a voki for my history class as a particular identity of the period we are studying. I thought this resource could be used as an authentic experience of the period.

All these resources allow teachers to create a learning experience individually satisfying for all students. As I discussed with my colleagues at school, technology is vital in the classroom as a tool of research and relativity. Students find it easier to engage in subjects by using these creative teaching methods, and ultimately achieving better results. Technology has equipped teachers with the tool to relate to students and to promote the idea of life learning. Teachers are researchers, and are required to grow with their students, technology assists in this transformation.

References:

Aldred, S. (2010). ICT’s for Learning Design. Retrieved from Moodle Database: http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=44470.

DeVito, A.,Krockover, G. and Steele, K. (1993). Creative Teaching: A Practical Approach. USA: Harper Collins College Publishers.

Patterson, L., Santa, C., Short, K. and Smith, K. (Eds.). (1993). Teachers Are Researchers: Reflection and Action. USA: International Reading Association.

I am very grateful to the university for providing this experience.

Blogs

After being introduced to the world of technology, the thought of publishing a blog was very over whelming. I have found this technology a valuable source to use as a reflective tool in my classroom and in my personal learning. I have set up a blog in my Mahara view for my observations and reflections of my embedded professional learning days. It is a great way to share my ideas with my Mentor Teacher and Learning Manager without having to print up multiple documents. I have also set up a blog that reflects the lessons carried out during the week at school. This blog is open for students to comment on their favourite activity or suggest activities to do in class.

This blog has been an enjoyable experience. I am very grateful to the university for giving me the opportunity to use this technology and to gain the skills to share this resource with my students and other teachers.

Music

Being a music teacher, it is not difficult for me to involve the internet and music downloads into my lessons. I downloaded Bach's Well Tempered Clavichord Prelude in C for this exercise. I would use this piece in particular in units involving piano techniques and Baroque music. This piece is a very popular piece to be played at weddings. This music is calming and could also be used to settle students after lunch. As seen earlier in my post on power points and slide share i embedded music within these productions as a study resource. Instead of using a narrative I would be inclined to embed a mp3 recording of a song as background music to stimulate the students minds while working on the study material presented in the presentation.

Wikipedia

I personally love Wikipedia. I have used this source so many times as a stepping stone for ideas. I recommend that my students look and use Wikipedia as a starting block for their assignments and in class research. This source is a fantastic source and I will use it in majority of my classes. I hope in the future it will become possible that Wikipedia is classed as a reliable source and can be used to its full capacity.

Google Earth

I found the source Goggle Earth very interesting. I would use this in the classroom to visually show students the country in which we are studying, or even a particular area. Admittedly I would not use this source very often but it is good to know it is available.

Picnik

I have found this technology source to be fantastic for logging memories and evidence of work. I would use this in class to advertise individual programs to the school such as private instrumental lessons as well as the success of musical groups or marching bands. From an educational point of view this source could be used in presentations of public photos. I had fun using this site along with flickr. This was an enjoyable introduction to the endless possibilities of engaging students visually and artistically. To the right I've embedded my first trial using Picnik. It is a scrapbook page of myself a few years ago. This is the sort of page that could be used in a classroom to promote activities completed in class.

Power point and Slide share

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Dance 1

View more presentations from edmusic2010.


I can not imagine not using power points in class. I have designed my power point presentation above over a full unit. I do not see myself recording narrative to attach to the presentation, however I could see myself attaching an audio file: mp3 as background music. I did struggle listening to my own voice in the presentation, its good to know how I sound, and I look forward to expanding my skills with this resource.

Euro pop

View more presentations from edmusic2010.

You tube

Without this site, my classes would be lost. We use you tube in class now for students to research and find a comparison to the particular style we are learning about. I also use you tube in my teaching, with instructional videos. I will continue to use this source of technology in my classes as it is so easy to use and is a great resource. Unfortunately I haven't been able to upload a video to this post however I have embedded on the right of screen a you tube video I have used in my class studying Popular Music. The video is of the song 'Hey Baby' by DJ Otzi.

Mahara

This program is designed as a e.portfolio. I have found it most useful in recording all my teaching materials and my journal of teaching experience. I have also set up a view for my students to download handouts and power points from lessons I have taught. This program is very useful in my personal development with technology and though I might not use it directly in the classroom I will continue to use it through my professional career.

Voki

Using a Voki in the classroom would be great, especially on days that there is a lot of course ware to get through. Voki's add change to the classroom as well as I can create a character from the period of time we are studying to add an authentic experience for students. I will need a little more practice on recording what I wish the Voki to say however I would love to use this device in my classroom.

Flickr

In accordance to the course ware I found this image by Studio494 Production on Flickr. I must admit it has taken sometime in coming a custom to this site and its features.

I feel this site would be useful in the learning environment when wanting to collaborate pictures and videos, however I can not see me using this source of technology in music. I would however use this site if I was conducting an art,
environmental science or science classes to share my experiments and progress with the students. I would also use this source to show different views and the art of manipulation through pictures.

Wiki

The importance of a wiki is slowly becoming apparent to me. After reading Đorđe Stakić's article, WIKI TECHNOLOGY – ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT AND IMPORTANCE, the idea of a wiki in a classroom sounds as a positive. I imagine a wiki would be perfect in the classroom in respect to creating ideas of assessment pieces, bringing ideas forward for organisisng plays and concerts. I have designed a wiki for my students to engage in their course ware, in case they lose handouts or are away.

I can see me using this technology in the classroom and in my teaching.

RSS Aggregator

Creating an RSS aggregator was simple with the aid of the you tube video linked within the course ware of ICT's for Learning. Incorporating RSS feeds into the learning environment helps keep up to date with the latest news. I would use this device for students to follow the music charts or professional blogs.

Why I want to teach

Starting a blog was a terrifying thought for me. I have only just graduated to using email and facebook effectively, so the idea of sharing my experiences on the web was one for a better word, daunting.

I decided the best place to start was to discover why?, why I was putting myself through torture, why I wanted to do this course. The answer is really simple, I want to teach. I have spent years waiting for the opportunity to become a teacher and now it is finally here. So why do i want to teach?
The answer lies in my past. The teachers I had while growing up were my role models and my true friends. They believed in me even when I did not. I want to give back to the community what it has given me, the hope and opportunities to make dreams, reality.

through this blog I will explore my experiences in the classroom, and with technology. Some experiences may appear negative, but I believe in a positive outcome to any situation.

Learning with ICT through school

To date I have been exposed to many forms of technology through my education. Television and computer programs being the dominant forms of technology. Learning with technology has been stressful as I am not up-to-date with modern advancements. At school I struggled to grasp the concept of how technology helps society grow. For me, technology caused more pain, it made things take twice as long as they should have.

As times have changed so has my opinion on technology, don't get me wrong I still have issues with understanding programs however I now see the importance of this educational tool. Hopefully this blog will be the start of my technological journey.