Nothing is more boring to a student then having to sit through a lesson you feel is of no value. "What's the point?". Upon reflection of "Multi modal composing in classrooms: Learning and teaching for the digital world" I have to agree with the importance of making anything you have to teach valid for your students. Creating that connection with your learners and giving them an interesting or important reason to participate can make the teaching and learning process much more effective and cooperative. I intend to make clear learning goals for my students, and strive to give each of my students a reason to be attentive in class. However that may go...
To also help with boredom, this week's reflection is on incorporating digital learning tools such as;
- Images:
A created image: Mobile Phone
Images can be used by the teacher to capture interest and make students think on a topic before tackling the content, a wonderful use for images which encourages such ideas could be the activity "see, think, wonder". This activity was demonstrated in one of my tutorials, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I feel that my future students may too.
Students might use images in class for reference (merely taking a picture of the board or mathematical formula, for ease of access) or for memory aids (through creation of their own image; perhaps a drawing, or digital creation containing the topic and its connections- consider flowcharts etc.)
- Audio:
Unfortunately this Blogging platform does not support audio files, and so I was unable to include my own creation here.
I feel that use of audio is somewhat limited inside the classroom, however it can be an extremely helpful learning tool outside for individual reference or study at home. Teachers could record their lesson discussions and email them out to their students or the students which were absent so that they may catch up on anything that was missed. Students might also be able to record their own thoughts or notes for future reference. This could be a convenient idea as in today's world a phone (and all of its capabilities) is usually more accessible than a pen and paper.
- Video: A further reflection
Videos seem to be the way to go in today's classroom as they utilize both image and audio, with the added perks of the union of both and moving pictures. Videos can be used, just like the others, as a "hooking" resource to create interest in a topic as mentioned in the image sector and also as a reference tool as mentioned in the audio sector. However videos have the most opportunities for encouraging student creation and self learning, which is a large step for learning when it come's to Bloom's Taxonomy:
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| Bloom's Taxonomy |
Consider the terms included in the inner circle of "synthesis"; construct, explain, combine, manage.
An example (which I could see myself experimenting with in the classroom) of self learning/group learning through the use of video creation could be after an introductory lesson have the students video themselves trying to explain the new concept. They could then swap videos with each other and see what they can learn from one another or simply if they were successful in their explanation. I'm am also a firm believer in the idea that if you can explain a topic clearly you have demonstrated sound knowledge.
Below I have included a video I have made demonstrating to a point my idea above. I created this video using a program called TinyTake which records your screen in a small HD video. I had it record me using OneNote while working through a simple expand and simplify problem, and I edited it using Window's Movie Maker. I adjusted the video by increasing the speed to 1.25x and I also "trimmed" some useless information off at the end of the video. TinyTake allows for 5 minutes of video (which may not be ideal for some instances), has the options during recording to pause and once the video's complete you are able to upload it straight away from the program if desired. I particularly liked the fact that it recorded the screen activity and is not limited to a writing program. For example, if I wanted to go to an internet browser and include something from there I could have. Both TinyTake and Window's Movie Maker were very simple to use (note that I have never made a video before) the tool bars are tidy and clearly display all of the options. TinyTake also supports audio, however I decided to "mute" it in my video.
Videos can move the classroom into the "Transformation" stages of the SAMR model, through eliminating the need to even be present in a classroom. Consider University for example- through use of Blackboard Collaborate's video and communication program, students can watch the lesson as the teacher or lecturer in this case talks and interacts with the video to teach a concept, and also interact with the lecturer to ask questions etc. However it is understandable that students need to go to a school and discover routine and learn to interact, in some instances at least, face-to-face, considering the younger generations obsession with technology.
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