I cannot believe that this is my last ICT reflection… its quite sad really…

Anyway on a brighter note! According to the results of my personal competency test i vastly improved by 18 marks. Clearly, this can solely be attributed to my undertaking of this course under computer genius Mark Lee. When I first undertook the personal competency test it was evident that I was not at all proficient or familiar with computer tasks involving spread sheets, desktop publishing, digital video, graphic organisers and multi-media projects, which I believe I scored myself a 1 in each. I think I scored myself a 1 in each not because I wasn’t able to understand the underlying workings of the programs but more so for the simple fact that I had never come across or needed to work with them previously. By undertaking this course I was granted the opportunity to turn around my lack of competency in these areas, where now I am in a position where I am more confident when dealing with these programs and would be more than happy to implement them as teaching tools/aids in my future classrooms and especially more currently on my 5 day practicum coming up shortly.

In my first blog I specifically noted that “I hope that my lecturer Mark Lee will be able to dedicate enough time in class to deal with my lack of knowledge and bring me up to date with such computer tasks/items inclusive of spreadsheets and web publishing in particular.” I think my knowledge and ability in working with these programs has increased hundred fold (slight exaggeration but you get the gist). I think in my current personal competency results I fared quite well, clearly this class educated me and aided me in an area of technology which will be imperative for teachers to be well versed in for future teaching strategies.

In my first blog I was expected to isolate areas I considered my self strong and weak in. I considered myself to have little strength in relation to ICT, being only confident in the use of general programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. There was a long list of ICT programs that I considered myself extremely weak and not proficient at all in. The main programs included Spreadsheets and Computer Multimedia Programs (Photo story) as well as creating websites and blogs. Obviously, on the personal competency test I deemed myself proficient in using and creating blogs as for the majority of this semester I have worked on my very own Edublog having little trouble in writing blogs and linking files and documents and such. Also I think that under Mark’s careful direction I was able to utilise Spreadsheets and the many HARD formulas for presentation purposes so clearly I am not as weak as I was proficient wise in relation to this program. In relation to Multimedia programs I believe I am fine in working with Photo Story (images and music) though I am still not at all confident with working with video and video recording devices never owning one. More importantly, after working on the WebQuest evaluation task I am more than fine in deeming which WebQuests are effective and such, but I am not at all confident in creating my own… this is clearly something Mark will have to aid me in my next ICT related course. I still don’t consider myself especially strong in relation to education programs such as Inspiration as I feel that was easily the hardest portfolio item to complete and can only hope that I passed in it. It was time consuming and I found it confusing. Obviously, I will need more practice in the use of programs such as this to make myself more proficient in the use of ICTs in the classroom.

As in coming years technology is bound to be having a lasting impact on education strategies I believe that the undertaking of this course was imperative in assisting me in my future career as a teacher. Already on my practical visits I have seen so many set tasks centred on the utilisation of technology, such as WebQuests, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word and whole class SmartBoard interaction. I think that by undertaking this course I can see myself more able to be ‘keeping up with the times’ and incorporating into lessons ICTs which will cater to modern day student needs and bring the lesson more to life, enabling constructivist learning to occur on a more frequent basis, not just with hands on learning with materials but also through programs such as WebQuests.

Prior to undertaking this course I didn’t feel confident with my computer ability and knew that this was going to be a hindrance to my future teaching career. But now on reflection and more importantly on my practicum I am more important to answering and aiding children in relation to their ICT tasks. My confidence was most boosted when a child in my Year 5 practicum class asked me to help them with PowerPoint and I knew exactly what to do woot! Anyway as the teaching profession is moving along in a more technological direction this course has made me a more confident advocate of ICTs in the classrooms and has granted me the experience I have needed to pursue these programs in a classroom atmosphere.

I will forever miss ICT!

This week i was absent from ICT… i know it was an awful, terrible thing for me to do… BUT even though i was absent i still took it upon myself to read up on the study guide and get started on my photostory portfolio item. I had never previously worked with this type of technology, though could instantly see that this computer technology will definitely be something used in classrooms in the future.

I had a load of fun with incorporating my own images and those from the internet referenced below into my very own and original photostory… i know its lame to actually enjoy an assessment task but yeh… I think i had the most fun editing my pictures, having them in black and white or completely having the program water colour them. I think that i will definitely utilise this program for both future personal and teaching use. I mean the program i think for teaching purposes would be a great motivational tool for students when starting a lesson. Furthermore, i am also toying with the idea of actually starting one of my practical lessons with a photostory… my thinking is that for my pdhpe lesson on the cha cha cha to motivate them i can use photostory rather than powerpoint (which i first planned to use). For this pdhpe photostory im thinking that i will show images of the specific dance technique progressively for students to follow accompanied by actual cha cha cha music… maybe debolah morgan’s dance with me…

Photostory was a program that i found really helpful in just aiding me in the general fixing up of photos such as taking out red eye and cropping them and such. Overall, it is the creative opportunity that i loved best about this program. I got to have a great deal of fun with meshing my own and internet images to create a story about a princess and see it come to life… something which i have always wanted to do (this is not sarcasm lol). The hardest part of the presentation though was finding appropriate music to accompany my images, but on reflection i think that i am relieved and proud of my photostory and can definitely see myself using this program in the future.

Image References for Portfolio Item-

…any importance [tiara] [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://wordtothemedia.blogspot.com/2007/09/obvious-oppression-black-vs-white.html

Princess Letzia on her wedding day [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://www.ouroneheart.com/a-wedding-gown-to-inspire-you/

Escape from the Castle [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/ebooks/nightshade/chapter4.shtml

Parkhurst Forest [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://www.isleofwightattractions.co.uk/ParkhurstForest.htm

Stuzica Virgin Forest [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://www.iabsi.com/gen/public/settlements/images/a_Stuzica_Undergrowth.jpg

The day I told Robin Hood…[Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://forums.canadiancontent.net/movies-music-books/49876-21st-century-robin-hood.html

Its just a warming potion [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://www.theartfulbloggers.com/?p=126

India Star and Princess Flower [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://www.stratsplace.com/othergardens/markc_pics.html

Marriage Ceremony [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2008, from

http://www.creativeideology.com/marriage-ceremony.htm

Inspiration Portfolio Item 

In this week’s tutorial when we entered into the computer lab we were met by Bianca Humphries- this meant that we were going to have to yet again complete another evaluation of ICT as a subject and an evaluation of Mark Lee as a tutor. I dont think that Mark has much to worry about in regards to these evaluations as he is the most fun and considerate tutor. Anyway, after all these technicalities were out of the way at least 15 minutes of the lesson had gone… this meant that Mark allowed for us to use the rest of the tutorial to work on our portfolio items. I really needed this allocated time because uni work is continuously stacking up! i cant get away from it :O!

Well, as last week i had read through the presentation graphics study guide i was quite familiar what the task was asking of me and so was therefore able to get really stuck into the task. From using PowerPoint on countless occasions in high school i’m not really worried about any elements of the task. I think that PowerPoint generally tends to be a technology that is quick in use and is handy, just as i said last week, to cater for the visual learners within the classroom.

In my 5 day practical the Year 5 teacher that i am working with has asked me to take 5 lessons with her class. At the moment i am merely hypothesising about how i am going to teach my lesson centred on the text type ‘discussion’ for the KLA subject English, Stage 3. So far i’m definitely considering using PowerPoint as my means to present the lesson to the kids… possibly having the major sections of a discussion on slides and using notes and effects to highlight their importance and what they are meant to contain… though at the moment i am only hypothesising… so nothing is set in stone… but i think its a good idea nonetheless.  

Prior to reading the study guide i had clearly underestimated the importance of presenation programs such as PowerPoint. For, as Newby (2004) contained within the study guide puts it, “As a teacher and/or a student, a great deal of learning focuses on presentations of some kind- thus this application is one that should become a regular in your learning arsenal.”

In today’s classrooms and future classrooms teachers are expected to differentiate learning processes for students. And so, by implementing this program in my future classrooms students who are visual learners will be catered to, and more importantly, if a set a task for year 5 or 6 in presenting findings and such, PowerPoint can be used. This program would give these students a more hands on approach at presenting their knowledge base and acting as the means to present their research skills.

After this tutorial i am content that i was able to get most of my inspiration done as well as read through the study guide for next week. Clearly, i have been able to identify methods and uses for these ICT programs in my future teaching career. I think this subject is actually worthwhile and am happy that i have had the opportunity to undertake it. ICT ROX!

 xoxo

After the excel gradebooks were updated and ‘practically perfect in every way’, we didnt have much time remaining in the lesson. Mark briefly introduced us to the ‘inspiration/kidspiration’ program. I really like this visually stimulating program and will be sure to attempt to use it within my future teaching profession. As Lockard & Abrams (2004) believe that the program, “works as a kind of visual outline for almost any purpose, including planning stories or even story boarding for video productions… The key is the ease and flexibility with which [concepts] are created and then linked together.”

From the basic introduction that Mark gave us as to this classroom technology i am really looking forward to starting this task and having fun, noting and mind mapping all over the place about whatever topic i eventually choose to look at in depth. At the moment i am thinking of looking at online games as i dont think that many people will be inclined to choose it over something like smartboard technology. Anyway, time will ultimately tell…

 I look forward to working on this lil inspiration portfolio item in the coming weeks…

 Xoxo!

I think the most exciting component of the Excel program is that you are able to have the data entered represented visually in graphs. I think that the visual stimulation would be key in activities when students are using Excel and hopefully when I am able to get more involved, teaching lessons and such, in my practical I will have a go at introducing a lesson where the students will enter current weather data into excel. After entering their data I will then guide them in creating a graph presenting it. I think that students would take really well to an excel task such as this and would be intrigued and more excited about a program that students would generally associating with ‘Daddy’s accounting’.

I think that as a trial in my first year of teaching i will test out excel as a means for keeping data and such, and if it doesn’t exactly cater to my needs i can always adapt myself to a more manual approach. I think that the students would take well to the fact that their teacher would be using technology in everyday data keeping activities and would intrigue them more so in their approaches to interactive computer technologies.

Anyway that is all for this week…. coming up: my reflection on the much-loved PowerPoint!

 xoxo

 When looking at this table I can see myself adapting a number of these spreadsheet uses for when I am a teacher. From using the excel program as a storage for grades and marks, to create class seating charts, designing spelling lists for tests and keeping track of attendance I can see that excel is going to become my adopted ‘baby’. I think that excel will also have major benefits for the students I will be working with from helping them create charts with goals and graphing of the weather for mathematics tasks. On my practical in the coming weeks I am going to definitely question the teacher I am working with about her knowledge, understanding and implementation of excel in the classroom for my personal knowledge. It was also in this week 7 workshop that I decided to in fact take some of the excel tutorials recommended by Mark. I found that by completing these tutorials I was more adept at being able to keep pace with Mark in the following lesson when creating my spreadsheet and utilising the many formulas. I found this tutorial extremely helpful in getting to know the basics of the formulas and their explicit applications. Instead of simply calculating the sum of a students marks myself I will simply be able to utilise the sum function, saving me both time and effort.

I was never exactly confident about working with spreadsheets… but! Now I can conclude that I will be more than happy to implement them within my classroom. My students will be a group who hopefully will be technology adept under my careful guidance and knowledge.

Thats all for this week!

xoxo

My Image References (alphabetical order)

  Images taken from:  

· General Teacher Resources [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, from http://www.suelebeau.com/genteachresources.htm 

· Newcastle Knights [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://Newcastle-knights-news.newslib.com/ 

· Snow Patrol Final Straw [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://www.snow-patrol.net/  

· So you think you can dance Australian auditions (Melbourne) [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://www.dancing.net.au/sytycd-melbourne-auditions/  

· Womens Shoes [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://www.mycatwalk.com.au/fashion/womens-shoes.html  

 Everything in regards to technology from my practical observations has been implemented with the purpose of extending the student. I think that a program like Publisher when used correctly will cater to extending the child’s computer literacy mostly in regards to the improvement of application design, a worthy ability indeed. I think that by utilising this program i will be able to set my future students on a path where they will be more able to present work of a higher standard through the Publisher program which will reflect on their professionalism in their work.

 Ed1113 is doing wonders for my confidence in regards to classroom technologies so much to the point that in my most recent practical i was confident enough to aid them in their powerpoint presentations and most importantly with their work on Publisher!

According to Mark Lee “the WebQuest model focuses on having students use Web-based resources supplied by the teacher/WebQuest designer, as opposed to having students find resources for themselves.” On reflection of my primary school experience i recall the majority of WebQuests that i engaged in being more of the comprehension-rote learning style, not having me find my own resources and such. In regards to Mark Lee’s comment there are both advantages and disadvantages to the modern WebQuest approach. Firstly, in regards to advantages with students having to use the resources they have questions posed to them which cannot be answered simply by viewing a site and regurgitating the information that it provides. Also, by using the resources higher order thinking is facilitated so that students are able to fufil the criterion of analysing, synthesising and evaluating through a simple internet task sooner rather than later. Further i think that by ‘using’ resources rather than having to sift through all the endless crap provided by search engines e.g. AltaVista this saves ample time that can be dedicated to analysing the information provided. Though in regards to disadvantages and this approach i think that children should be able to have the choice to find internet sites that may be better suited to what they are seeking out, as some teachers may not be the best judges of relevant and accurate sites in relation to information.

I sincerely do not think that WebQuests are suitable for for all types of learning situations and scenarios as i tend to feel that for younger grades in primary especially a more hands on approach is needed for some tasks. I dont think that young children can particularly focus long enough on a task to be able to complete a WebQuest thoroughly enough, especially in the hot weather. I think that WebQuests do have their merits but in my future classrooms they would be a rarity because lets face it, they take quite a while to make and they dont exactly develop the motor skills that young children need to. I believe WebQuests would be more predominant amongst the secondary year groups rather than primary schoolers, where it is more about comprehension as compared to high order analysing, synthesising and evaluating.

 (Advanced). How do WebQuests support Constructivist learning?  According to Funderstanding, “Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own “rules” and “mental models,” which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences.” I think that by understanding constructivism one can link WebQuests to the Constructivist approach as by taking part in ‘using’ resources one can analyse, synthesis and evaluate, all constructivist approaches rather than regurgitate.

Mark Lee proposed the question: What is meant by scaffolding (c.f. the work of Lev Vygotsky), and why is it important within the context of a WebQuest? To be honest i had no idea what scaffolding actually was, that was until i did a little research of my own. I found out that scaffolding is defined as “A process by which adults or more able peers provide supportive structures to help children learn and play. Scaffolding occurs at a time when children are faced with a challenge that they can solve with a simple hint, question, or prompt”, thankyou google! So therefore scaffolding is important to WebQuests in general beacause a WebQuest provides a structure that allows children to interactively learn while under the illusion of playing on a site. By ‘using’ resources and ‘transforming’ and ‘configuring’ answers from the information they are unknowingly participating in Vygotsky’s notion of scaffolding…

Anyway to end on a good note… i finished my portfolio item yay! sadly the Newcastle Knights lost to Parramatta!