Google Earth

Playing around with Google Earth

When I explored Google Earth for the first time this week it struck just how advanced technology has become. This led me into thinking about the endless learning opportunities this creates within the classroom. This tool allows students to climb into their learning space and be taken on a journey around this three-dimensional globe. I say, what could be more engaging than this? All you need to do is type into the search pane where you want to go and you will arrive there within seconds. Google Earth allows you to do many things through the exploration of any area in the world. It allows you to zoom, rotate and tilt the Earth to be viewed in any way. This would be the perfect tool for students to explore during Geography as not only would it point out exactly where a place is within the world, but you are able to see the types of settings and vegetation in that area. These types of explorations get students minds thinking and allows for so many open ended questions which can be posed to the students. Once students have identified types of vegetation within an area this could then lead into a Science discussion. Students could search for particular ground formations, volcanoes, rivers and the list goes on and on. Students are able to create their own walks within Google Earth as well as mark points and reference to certain areas of the world. It also gives the option to add text, images and hyperlinks and then to save your walk on the computer. It is also possible to create transparent image overlays of larger areas and then add in information. This would be a great way for students to present an assignment in a fun and interactive way. Google Earth is a safe tool for students to use and it can be used within all the levels of the SAMR model of learning. It can be used in the substitution level in the place of a globe of the world. It can be used in the augmentation level to view and explore various areas of the world in the place of a large world map. It can be used within the modification level by creating an image overlay on a particular area and putting in information about that area. Google Earth can also be used within the redefinition level by students immediately accessing any area within the world to view via satellite navigation.   

My Glogster

Glogster is a tool that I have worked with previously. I only discovered it this year when creating my technology assignment. I think it is a fantastic tool that should most definitely be used within the classroom which is why it my choice of tool to reflect on this week.

I love the way Glogster is set out like an online poster which allows you to write text, embed videos, hyperlinks, audio and images. I think it is great that students can create bubbl.us sheets and attach them to their posters. This tool is an extremely engaging tool for students to work with and it has options attached which are almost endless. It allows students to become as creative as they like online. Glogster can be used within the classroom for the creation of assessments in the form of an interactive poster. It can be used by teachers to create units of work whereby students can access activities related to the unit topic. These activities can be created by the teacher and students can add to them as they learn and explore. It is also a great tool for students to work collaboratively with, as they can access their group poster at home and add to it. Glogster is a safe tool as it can only be accessed by the users with a password. Students can use this tool to then present group projects and it allows for those students who don’t feel comfortable to talk in front of the class to prerecord their part of the presentation and embed within their group Glog. This wonderful tool allows all the levels of the SAMR model to be used. Students could use it as a substitute to reading which would fall within the substitution level. It could be used within the augmentation level whereby students could read information, but also be able to edit or improve this information. Glogster is a great tool for task design which would be considered as the modification level. However Glogster would be utilised to its full potential within the redefinition level. As students could create tasks which include multimedia tools as well as information containing hyperlinks, this type of creation was previously inconceivable with technology.

My first Prezi

I had never worked with Prezi before. However I had seen it being used in presentations in class and remember feeling very impressed by it. I am so glad I have now explored it and know how to use it and I even have it downloaded on my laptop. I find it an extremely engaging and creative way to present things. I love the way it zooms in and out of areas which you choose to focus on within a presentation. I am also impressed that just like a PowerPoint you are able to embed images, audio, text and videos, as well as word and PDF documents. This is a tool I am most certainly going to use for our next group presentation. I think it would be a fun way for students to create presentations to present to their class. I believe that because students can make these Prezi presentations fun this will engage them while creating, as well as engage those students who will watch the presentation. It would be important to encourage students to use all the options available to them in Prezi as this would allow them to work within the modification and redefinition levels of the SAMR model.

Powerpoint

I have always thought about PowerPoint as quite a simple tool, this was until I started Uni. I have since discovered the various aspects this tool has to offer and how wonderful it really is. I have found that it does not only have to be used as a tool for presentations. A PowerPoint also allows for you to embed images, text, audio and videos into it. A PowerPoint would also be a great tool for students to interact with. It would allow the teacher to create an activity relating to a particular topic whereby students can work through an activity on their own. Appropriate questions can be posed within the PowerPoint which would promote higher order thinking. Hyperlinks can be embedded into the PowerPoint which would lead students to particular websites you would want them to research. Students could respond to these questions by creating a PowerPoint themselves which would allow for the creation of new tasks through technology. This would lead students into working within the modification and redefinition levels of the SAMR model.

Audio Voki

My voice on a Voki (my tool of choice this week)
It took me a while to figure out how to use a voki and then embed it into my blog. The voki tool has so many options including various audios, characters and backgrounds to choose from when creating one. It makes the process exciting and fun, therefore this is definitely a tool I will use within my classroom and this is my tool of choice to reflect on further. The audio options are great as you are able to type in a voice over or record your own voice through your microphone. Students would be able to use this tool for assessments and presentations. It allows those students who possibly feel anxious about public speaking to present their talk through a voki. It also allows students to self reflect on their public speaking abilities. Voki caters for visual, auditory and kineasthetic learners in the classroom. The use of a voki within the classroom would be considered legal, safe and ethical as it uses character's faces rather than student's faces. It is also a safe option because it allows you to create an account whereby you need a username and password. Therefore only the account holder can access the voki's made within the account and can monitor who sees them. A drawback of the voki tool is that a voice recording can only go for 1 minute which often is not long enough. However it is possible to sign up to 'voki classroom' which opens up more opportunities to voki users. Although this upgraded feature does come at a cost, but I believe it would be money well spent as it gives students more options to work with. Another reason that I believe this is a great tool for the classroom is that it promotes higher order thinking. This is because it allows students to work within the transformation phase of the SAMR model. The teacher could set a task for the students whereby a voki would be used for modification, to create something new and improve efficiency. A voki could also be used for redefinition, through students designing a response to a task in a way that would not be possible without technology. Ultimately this tool is a fun and creative way for students to learn.

Video

A video I made in Windows Live Movie Maker

I am familiar with Movie Maker as I have made various movies since I started my studies. This clip of the porcupine was captured on my Iphone whilst I was walking along the Boyne Island River. I transferred the short clip to my computer and then uploaded it into Windows Movie Maker. I love Movie Maker because you are able to become creative and make something simple into something much more exciting. This can be done by adding captions and music which can then be manipulated in any way you want. Once you are happy with your final product Movie Maker has the option to upload your movie straight onto YouTube. This is a tool that will be useful within the classroom as it allows students to work within the transformation stage of the SAMR model. The use of this tool gives students the opportunity for modification and redefinition as it allows for task design and creation which promotes higher order thinking.

Image of Milly

My resized image of my dog, Milly.
I have often struggled with uploading images which take so long because of their size. I knew there was a way of resizing, but once again I thought it would be too complicated. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how simple the process was. I did have to follow the technical manual quite closely, as the MobaPhoto program was new to me. The good news is, when I went to upload the resized picture I was amazed at how quick it took to upload. It's always a good feeling when you learn something new that will save time, especially as a future teacher. The MobaPhoto tool is free and easy to use, I was able to download it quickly and with ease from the internet. Once it was on my computer I was able to access all my images through it and resize them. It gives the option of saving the original image which is great. I believe that the use of images along with the Mobaphoto tool will be useful within my classroom. Images are a great way to get a discussion started on a new topic or unit of work. An image is a visual tool which caters for many learners within a classroom. My classroom will most definitely have a camera which all the students will have access to whereby they can take pictures of work samples and of each other for learning activities. Of course due to legal and safety issues, this camera and the images on it would only be used within the classroom and for learning purposes.