Infographics

Infographics

This website is really interesting, and something that I would’ve otherwise passed off into the ‘too hard’ basket. I love videos with infographics in them, and when I tune into The Project on Channel Ten, I really enjoy watching the news often presented with infographics. I remember watching this video in the first year of uni and being enthralled by how it was presented, and from there I kept experiencing more and more! I even had a small attempt at creating my own with a whiteboard for assignment one.

The website gives eight free programs that teachers can use to create infographics. Hopefully next semester I can put these programs to good use! 

It’s the size of a pocket!

Tonight I have been searching for interesting resources that I can use to integrate ICTs into the classroom, and I came along this slideshow of ideas of how to use a pocket video camera in the classroom (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EU3chDsvvyNo8atu6GNljpMHh4IuMJBHzgN154GB6uk/present?slide=id.i0). I really like this slideshow for a few reasons. Firstly, I love creating videos. Secondly, I think that students would love it too. Thirdly, I would love to see videos that students would create and I love seeing children being creative! The ideas that are presented on this slideshow are fantastic, and I’ll just list a few of my favourites.

1. Interview a classmate about a recommended book and why it should be read.
2. Ask children to film what they’ve been doing, and show it at parent night.
3. Make a video alphabet by getting young children to draw brightly coloured letters of the alphabet/phonics. Film them holding up their drawings and saying it.

All of these are really interesting ideas and there are so many more!

QR Stuff

QR Stuff

While I was on prac, the librarian amazed me with her idea that was to be used across all year levels that she teaches. She is creating a QR catalogue across the whole library! I had no idea you could even create your own QR codes, it was just something that I had never looked into. A definition of QR codes reads: QR or Quick Response Codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode that can be read using smartphones and dedicated QR reading devices, that link directly to text, emails, websites, phone numbers and more. How does this fit in with a library? Read on to find out!

1. The librarian first introduced QR codes to the class through a scavenger hunt throughout the library. I wasn’t here for this session, and just heard bits about it from the kids but I did notice the remaining QR codes littered around the classroom under shelves, seats and tables.
2. The next session the students had to create their own riddle. An example would be something like: A man has hundreds of bodies buried on his land, many of which are cops and criminals. Many people find out what he has been doing, but none go to the police. So the students would write their riddle into a Word document, and then opened QRstuff.com, and typed the answer into the generator.  To see the answer, scan my QR code!

   

3. The librarian then planned to get the older students to each choose a book that younger students would be reading, and practice reading this book using expression and fluency.  The students would then record themselves reading the books and then put that recording into a QR code. That QR code would then be stuck to the front of the book and the young students would be able to scan the code and listen to an older student reading.

    

I found this activity to be so cool, probably even more than the students! I really like tricky little things like this, and I’m glad I have this blog to document my memory to make sure I don’t forget incase I ever get a chance to do something like this.

Take this lollipop…..it’ll open your eyes!

This website aligns perfectly with the learning path from a few weeks ago, reminding me of what I have on my Facebook profile for all to see. I was a bit scared when I first saw this website a few years ago, now I find it enjoyable as it showed me a funny photo of myself with a projected reindeer Christmas scene and that is a really funny photo. But seriously, the worst thing that is online is really only my city being revealed, but everything else is perfectly fine for people to see. I don’t have many photos that paint myself or anyone else in a bad light, and my status updates are equally innocent. I do see some people online however that need to reassess their postings, but then again, they are sometimes the most entertaining!

loumj

I just read Kathleen’s blog which reminded me I hadn’t blogged about Take this Lollipop. Take this Lollipop is a program that uses the information you have shared on social media to show you how strangers can access information about you, including photos, your birthdate, places you have checked into and anything else you’ve shared. It certainly made me think twice about what I have posted on Facebook and I’ve made some changes already!

I think it would be a great tool to use in upper primary and high school, from my experience I would say approximately 50% of year 6 students are using Facebook, Kik, Instagram or a similar form of social media.

It certainly provides some food for thought……

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56 ways to use an Interactive Whiteboard!

56 ways to use an Interactive Whiteboard!

This link showing 56 ways to use an Interactive Whiteboard. Considering my limited use of the whiteboards, other than using them as a projector, I find this really exciting. Flicking through, I found a lot of ideas that would’ve helped my lessons on prac, especially the first one. Number one reads:

#1 – Transform your Handwriting

• Use SMART recorder tool  to record yourself modeling handwriting.
• Play back the movie file and step away from the board.
• Children have an unobscured view of the work.
• Put the movie on a loop and allow them to watch it over and over as they practice.
• In Quicktime you can have multiple movies playing in different windows to help differentiate the work.

Considering my most recent attempts at proper cursive writing on a whiteboard (read: shocking), this would’ve been helpful as I could have practiced without 21 students saying “what letter is that meant to be?” and “that’s not how you do an f.” At one point I got so frustrated that when someone complained about not being able to do it, I thought to myself “Don’t worry, neither can I.”

Number 38 is also really interesting. It talks about using the whiteboard as the morning roll, and I think it would work really well in a classroom where students come into the room as they please before the bell, rather than lining up and waiting for the teacher. It involves setting up a virtual classroom with a picture of each of the students, so when the students come to class they can just drag their picture to a grid on the right hand side of the page to show they’re in attendance. 

Working through these slides has given me a bit of inspiration for my next prac and the future!

 

Models, Frameworks & Theories

Completing this table today took me a while, but I’m glad I took the effort to complete it. I find that along with the rest of the learning path each week, I actually do learn a lot if I take the time to complete it properly. Obviously this sounds very silly coming from a person who has left it to the last minute, but sometimes life (prac, other assignments, work, family issues) get in the way, and there’s often no way to get around. 

THEORY	PURPOSE	APPLICATION TO ASSIGNMENT 3/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CLEM Model	Help understand how to learn about a new ICT and how to use it to enhance student learning.	If there are any new ICTs you need to use it might help your explorations. Hence might be useful as a part of the planning process for Part B.
TPACK framework	The skills and understanding of how ICTs can be used in conjunction with pedagogical content knowledge, and how the ICTs can enhance learning of the pedagogical content knowledge.	Ensures that learning experiences that are being planned for practicum use are being integrated with ICTs for the greater good, not just because you have to.
Backwards design	To support the alignment of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy through planning, and making sure the students are learning what they need to learn. This is done by starting with the desired results, and working back to the development of the learning experiences.	Useful for prac and assignment three as it can provide clarification of what the students need to know as you are planning, and provide you with referable literature for assignment three.
SAMR Model	Provides a spectrum of technology integration in the classroom, from substitution (same task, but new technology replaces the old technology) to redefinition (creating new tasks that were previously unimaginable).	Valuable for prac to make sure that the tech-integration isn’t just substituting. This will make sure that students will be benefiting from the technology as much as possible.
TIP Model	A framework that reminds the educator to constantly question why technology is being integrated.	Valuable for prac to question the validity of the prac and the outcomes.
The 5Es	Framework that helps to create full understanding for the students.	This framework has obvious advantages in developing full understanding in the classroom.
WALT & WILF	Determines what learners should be doing.	Gives students an overview of the lesson, helps children who like to have structure and control over their learning.
Connectivism	Concept which requires learning to be connected to students real life experiences.	This would be useful in the classroom for students to take ownership in their learning.
Bloom’s taxonomy	A classification system of different levels of human cognition.	I use Bloom’s taxonomy in my planning most of the time. I use a table that helps me develop my questioning skills, so in turn I am developing my students’ higher order thinking skills.
Postman’s 5 things	Knowledge about technological change that we need to solve problems.	The only way I see this being useful at the present time is through justifying my use of technology
Toolbelt theory/TEST framework	Providing students with a range of options to find what suits their learning.	Creates an individualised classroom for every learner.
PKM	A set of methods developed by an individual who finds them beneficial.	To improve personal teaching methods through constant reflection.

Class Dojo Behaviour Management System

This behaviour management system is so cool, and it is definitely something that I would fall for in my schooling days. During my last prac, my class had pre-existing behaviour management strategies that worked really well, so of course I adopted them.

One of the strategies worked better than the rest, and it was a money system. The ‘dollars’ were called Congrats, and if I so much as pulled one of the blue bills out of my pocket and held it in my hand while I kept talking you could just see their little backs straighten and mouths close straight away. At the end of each week, they had a chance to use their Congrats to buy lots of cool little things like Lego sets, lollies and bendy pencils.

Looking at the Class Dojo system, I think the virtual representation of each student and the number of points they do or don’t have would be a really engaging tool for a lot of students.

Emilie Knopke

While on professional experience, I noticed that there was no apparent formal classroom behaviour system, chart, or so on in place. I figured that this was because it was a fairly well-behaved class and maybe, that one was not crucial. However, I feel that behaviour managment systems are a great visual for students and have the capacity to praise good behaviour as well as repremand students exibiting bad behaviour. It is fair and the consistant. Since we are completing professional experience as part of this ICTs course, I thought to myself that surely someone must have come up with a digital behaviour management system. I thought a digital one would provide many benefits that a traditional one might not. For example, keeping stats. So I hopped onto trusty Google and searched it. Low and behold, I found a couple good ones (which was a shame because I could have made…

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Digital Citizenship and other issues

Completing the Week 10 learning path gave me a lot of things to think about, and an enjoyable slot of stalking time (I was stalking myself). A digital footprint is the track that we all leave as we use the internet, through social networking sites and other places where it is necessary to share something about yourself. The concern a lot of people have about digital footprints is mainly for security, and also privacy. I have heard about the digital footprint for many years now, mostly in the form of advice – “don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want a possible employer to see”. In my head, I say “I do what I want”, but then I realise I don’t do anything unsavoury anyway.

A quick check of myself on google shows a few things. Firstly, my twitter account that I barely use, so there is no problem here if anyone sees! Secondly, my vimeo account. I use this for uploading footage that I have filmed and put together, and the most incriminating thing on there is probably some really bad karaoke. Thirdly, there is a weird USQ-profile thing that I have never seen before. This doesn’t tell people much, except that I attend or have attended university. According to this page I am interested in Ubiquitous Computing. I have no idea what that even means. The last thing that comes up is a summary of my instagram photos. Once again, there is nothing bad on here! If future employers looked at my profile, I hope they like pictures of trees and clouds, cause that’s pretty much all they’re going to get.

So there we have it. My digital footprint, broken down to find nothing of interest! 

Last night I completed the four connect.ed modules required by the learning path, and I had a really great time doing so. The information that was displayed before the modules, however, was a bit disconcerting. Reading this article made me aware of things that I had previously not known about, and made me a little bit uneasy. The article was about hackers who can gain access to unprotected webcams, and in this case it was the webcam of a baby monitor. I felt that this was an appropriate introduction to the coming modules.

Starting the modules I felt pretty confident. I have a pretty strong knowledge base when it comes to social networking sites, and the dos and don’ts of things like this. While I didn’t necessarily learn an overwhelming amount of new information, the modules did remind me of the dangers that children face when they go onto seemingly friendly websites. I definitely enjoyed the simulation as well, as it felt like I wasn’t completing uni work but just having a casual chat, albeit a very boring casual chat with people I don’t know. The resources suggested in the fourth model gives me a great foundation for planning my own cyber safety unit. Attached below is my certificate that I obtained at the conclusion of the modules.

connect.ed certificate

The Top Ten Things I Wish I’d Known as a First-Year Teacher

I love these kinds of articles, especially when they team humour with strategies such as mentioned here! Sometimes I don’t have the greatest memory, so when I read things I can find myself thinking ‘ah! That’s right, I made a mental note to write down that idea for when I graduate/have my own class/commence my next professional experience.’ Having memorable reminders is a great thing, and reflecting on my limited experience as a teacher, I find having procedures for everything so incredibly important (even though I’ve just been using the procedures of my mentor). Thanks Charmaine for sharing!

charmainevanlill

What an accurate and funny read! This blogger has me enthralled. The Top Ten Things I Wish I’d Known as a First-Year Teacher  is a must read for any teacher!

On another post by the same authour there is this demonstration of what we deal with:

Gabriel: Um, Miss.

Me: Yes?

Gabriel: There’s a Cheeto on the floor, and it has ants on it.

Me: Ah. Interesting.

Gabriel: (stares)

Me: Do you have a question about the Cheeto on the floor?

Gabriel: (after a while) Can you get it?

Me: I can. But all day I’ve been solving other people’s problems that I’m pretty sure they can solve themselves if they try to figure it out. Do you think you can help me out and figure out a solution?

Gabriel: (shrugs)

Me: What do you think should be done about the ant-covered Cheeto?

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