In the article, Teaching with Technology: Podcast, Jim Lengel, Dean of Faculty at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston, highlights the advantages of using podcasts for educational purposes. How right, he is? If you can use an educational application with an Apple product, it is bound to be a hit with young people today. Let’s face it, tapes and cds are a thing of the past. If it plays on an ipod, people will listen.
Lengel explains, that ipods are being used on college campuses, not only to listen to playlists. University students, are using podcasts, to study for exams, listen to lectures or to explore new areas of study. Instead of sharing notes, students can create corporative study groups by using podcasts or they can walk to class listening, to lasts weeks lecture. Further, Lengel points out, that podcasts are particularly effective when exploring verbal or musical material, as professors can create innovative lectures that contain the material they wish to highlight. This allows for the students to not only hear examples during lecture, but at their leisure or even on the go. In his two-page article, Lengel even explains how to make and distribute a podcast, so how hard can it be?
As both a future teacher and a student, podcasts sound very appealing. As a future teacher, podcasts sound like they could be an innovative way to help students review for tests or to work on drill and practice. They seem like a new, fun and an easy way to appeal to students. With all the hours they listen to their ipods, why not get yourself on their playlist?
As a student, I really like the idea of being able to listen to a difficult lecture again or to be able to review for an exam, while out walking. Let’s face it. It is a busy world out there and time management is everything. If I could study on the go or on the road, it could save me hours of sitting, pen in hand. Podcasts seem like yet another way to incorporate technology into curriculum.
For more information, visit
http://www.powertolearn.com/articles/teaching_with_technology/podcast.shtml
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Storyboarding: A Visual Way to Collect and Organize Ideas
In Using Storyboards in the Classroom: Writing Tool for Visual Learners and Classroom Collaboration, Tammy Andrew introduces you to the world of storyboarding. This technique is not only used for those in graphic arts, set design or the movies, but teachers are using storyboarding as a visual outlines in the classroom. In this article, the author explains that storyboards are useful in the classroom setting because they provide a type of “graphic organizer” for writing projects or presentations. Further, they allow for visual and flexible development of a project, as well as, helping to facilitate a concrete understanding of sequence. Storyboards typically use images or choice words to represent an idea or scene.
Andrew highlights that storyboards are great for reaching different learning styles; for example, they are extremely effective planning tools for visual or creative learners. Also, storyboards can be used as a tool in classrooms of any grade or ability. She writes about storyboarding being ideal for kindergarten-aged students to illustrate the ideas of beginning, middle and end in a story. At the same time, storyboarding can be used as a great way to promote cooperative learning in groups with older students. For example, these visual organizers can promote a flexibility of ideas, as scenes can be moved and rearranged easily and without consequence. This can allow for increased group collaboration and stronger intra-group participation. Andrew also points out that storyboards can also be wonderful planning tools for individual projects, as they offer a visual tool in which to brainstorm or edit ideas. Is there anyone storyboarding can’t help?
It seems storyboards can be a helpful organizational tool for all ages and grades. As I was reading the article, I automatically thought of how I could use storyboarding as a future teacher, not just to help my students, but also to organize my own ideas or plan my own presentations for the class. I have never done a storyboard before, but the more I do power point presentations, I am seeing how beneficial it would be to organize oneself visually prior to actual set up. A visual organizer of these ideas could make planning more precise because it could allow for a visual rough draft of a visual final project. That said. I do love a traditional outline. I wonder if I am ready to go visual?
Thoughts and Questions
1. Does the use of pictures to create scenes in the storyboard allow for a more descriptive outcome? Could this “graphic organizer” help to foster more creativity, even if it were a written work?
2. What if you are not artistic and feel frustrated when drawing, as the finished product does not represent what you could say in words? As a teacher, how do you handle that? Obviously there has to be flexibility on how the scenes are constructed for this reason.
3. What if you are not a visual learner?
If you’d like to see this article, check out…
http://teachertipstraining.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_storyboards_in_the_classroom
At the bottom, there are also sample scene sheets for you to check out.
Andrew highlights that storyboards are great for reaching different learning styles; for example, they are extremely effective planning tools for visual or creative learners. Also, storyboards can be used as a tool in classrooms of any grade or ability. She writes about storyboarding being ideal for kindergarten-aged students to illustrate the ideas of beginning, middle and end in a story. At the same time, storyboarding can be used as a great way to promote cooperative learning in groups with older students. For example, these visual organizers can promote a flexibility of ideas, as scenes can be moved and rearranged easily and without consequence. This can allow for increased group collaboration and stronger intra-group participation. Andrew also points out that storyboards can also be wonderful planning tools for individual projects, as they offer a visual tool in which to brainstorm or edit ideas. Is there anyone storyboarding can’t help?
It seems storyboards can be a helpful organizational tool for all ages and grades. As I was reading the article, I automatically thought of how I could use storyboarding as a future teacher, not just to help my students, but also to organize my own ideas or plan my own presentations for the class. I have never done a storyboard before, but the more I do power point presentations, I am seeing how beneficial it would be to organize oneself visually prior to actual set up. A visual organizer of these ideas could make planning more precise because it could allow for a visual rough draft of a visual final project. That said. I do love a traditional outline. I wonder if I am ready to go visual?
Thoughts and Questions
1. Does the use of pictures to create scenes in the storyboard allow for a more descriptive outcome? Could this “graphic organizer” help to foster more creativity, even if it were a written work?
2. What if you are not artistic and feel frustrated when drawing, as the finished product does not represent what you could say in words? As a teacher, how do you handle that? Obviously there has to be flexibility on how the scenes are constructed for this reason.
3. What if you are not a visual learner?
If you’d like to see this article, check out…
http://teachertipstraining.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_storyboards_in_the_classroom
At the bottom, there are also sample scene sheets for you to check out.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Can Animation Help Kids?
No matter how you feel about our nation’s obsession with visual technology and animation, there is no denying that multimedia and tools such as animation can help students tremendously in the classroom. In fact, my research proved that animation and multimedia mediums are an exciting new way to bridge the verbal ideas stressed during teacher-centered learning with the visual images that many students latch onto for deeper understanding of difficult ideas. Specifically, animation supplies memorable images and such images are more easily retained.
The idea can be as simple as helping an elementary school student to focus on sequencing in a story or it can be an idea so complex and minute that the manipulation of size and space is required to truly visualize what is occurring. An example of this could be exploring and understanding the organelles in any given cell. Animation and or multimedia tools could aid in supplying a real life way to visualize and understand these microscopic entities. For more visual learners, this can really help! Thus, both animation and web-based multimedia can be used for students of all ages and at all levels, but more importantly for students with diverse learning styles.
Another added bonus is both that animation and web based multimedia, are a win for both teacher and student. The teacher is able to use these tools in the classroom to reiterate prior learning in a simple and organized fashion, to motivate students to view a difficult concept in a simpler way and to facilitate a deeper understanding. Students love these technological tools because they can make learning fun and personal. Often times a student can select an idea to focus on, let’s say addition and subtraction, but he or she will be given choices in regards to which way he or she would best like to learn or review that concept. Thus, animation and web-based multimedia can allow students to make the own interpretations of which learning style best suits them. This creates a learning environment that is student specific and can benefit both teachers and students in the diverse classrooms we see all around the country today.
Further, another interesting I came across in my reading was another great way to facilitate learning of a complex idea is to require students to create their own animation or multimedia example and to present it to the class. This will require the student to think of their own understanding of an idea and it can also help a classroom of diverse students to see how each person learns differently. Also, with the technological trends of today we will all have to know how to use these mediums to express our ideas and communicate them to others.
So are animation or web based multimedia just for kids? What do you think?
After, my research I feel like they can aid in any classroom. I am not a big fan of videogames, constant television or constant texting, but from a pedagogical point of view, it seems like these tools can help any teacher reach more students. Currently, I am taking a science class (and I am not a science person…trust me) and I am seeing that the visual tools that the professor offers and has suggested; for example, animations and games have helped me a lot when studying, especially since that type of information is not willingly accepted into my brain.
This grown up kid…says yes to animation and multimedia tools!
For further information see:
http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/multimedia/animation.asp
http://www.aa.ufl.edu/aa/facdev/develop/teachingtools/teachingwithtech/tmultimedialearning.shtml
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Multimedia_animation
http://tilttv.blogspot.com/2005/12/tilt-episode-7-multimedia-animation.html
The idea can be as simple as helping an elementary school student to focus on sequencing in a story or it can be an idea so complex and minute that the manipulation of size and space is required to truly visualize what is occurring. An example of this could be exploring and understanding the organelles in any given cell. Animation and or multimedia tools could aid in supplying a real life way to visualize and understand these microscopic entities. For more visual learners, this can really help! Thus, both animation and web-based multimedia can be used for students of all ages and at all levels, but more importantly for students with diverse learning styles.
Another added bonus is both that animation and web based multimedia, are a win for both teacher and student. The teacher is able to use these tools in the classroom to reiterate prior learning in a simple and organized fashion, to motivate students to view a difficult concept in a simpler way and to facilitate a deeper understanding. Students love these technological tools because they can make learning fun and personal. Often times a student can select an idea to focus on, let’s say addition and subtraction, but he or she will be given choices in regards to which way he or she would best like to learn or review that concept. Thus, animation and web-based multimedia can allow students to make the own interpretations of which learning style best suits them. This creates a learning environment that is student specific and can benefit both teachers and students in the diverse classrooms we see all around the country today.
Further, another interesting I came across in my reading was another great way to facilitate learning of a complex idea is to require students to create their own animation or multimedia example and to present it to the class. This will require the student to think of their own understanding of an idea and it can also help a classroom of diverse students to see how each person learns differently. Also, with the technological trends of today we will all have to know how to use these mediums to express our ideas and communicate them to others.
So are animation or web based multimedia just for kids? What do you think?
After, my research I feel like they can aid in any classroom. I am not a big fan of videogames, constant television or constant texting, but from a pedagogical point of view, it seems like these tools can help any teacher reach more students. Currently, I am taking a science class (and I am not a science person…trust me) and I am seeing that the visual tools that the professor offers and has suggested; for example, animations and games have helped me a lot when studying, especially since that type of information is not willingly accepted into my brain.
This grown up kid…says yes to animation and multimedia tools!
For further information see:
http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/multimedia/animation.asp
http://www.aa.ufl.edu/aa/facdev/develop/teachingtools/teachingwithtech/tmultimedialearning.shtml
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Multimedia_animation
http://tilttv.blogspot.com/2005/12/tilt-episode-7-multimedia-animation.html
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Take "Virtually" A Tour of Anything! Using Virtual Field Trips to Aid Learning
Today, teachers and students literally have a world of experiences right at their fingertips and virtual field trips have opened the door. Virtual field trips allow a student to visualize an experience first hand, whether that means exploring an ancient tomb or medieval castle, the jungles surrounding the Amazon or the geological history of the Grand Canyon. Teachers are also able to facilitate learning beyond traditional rote learning techniques by using virtual field trips, to enhance learning a laboratory experiment or about a particular ecosystem.
This type of learning is where education is headed. Virtual field trips, like other visual/audio aids allow the students to learn abstractly and are very successful, especially when concrete, participatory activities have preceded. (1) These trips “outside” of the classroom allow a student to see and experience visually, an idea or concept that has been addresses during typical classroom time and it also helps the student to relate personally to an experience. Students are not just sitting through a lecture and reading a text. They are actually seeing and hearing about the ancient ruins of the Roman Empire or a particular science experiment. The students feel like they are walking past the Roman Forum or that, they are facilitating the maturation of an egg in the lab. Not only is this type of learning experience a great way to take a break from tests and lectures, but it also allows a student to make an experience their own.
On a practical note, visual field trips can also achieve the impossible. Is every class able to visit Rome or a state of the art lab? Visual fields trips allow teachers to give their students the best of an experience that may otherwise be impossible due to budget constraints and or plain distance.
The only thing I came across in my research that could be an obstacle in using visual field trips is that it is expensive to make your own. Still, there are thousands (my Google search produced, 1,940,000 hits for visual field trips) websites that offer free visual trips to be used in the classroom.
From what I read, visual field trips seem like a great way to enhance the learning experience in any classroom. Children today, are not learning in the same ways we did in the past and their lives are full of visually stimulating experiences. Why not make education just as stimulating? Otherwise, how can educators compete? Of course an actual field trip is a great experience for students, but even a small break in the day, to do a visual field trip, can provide them with the type of learning that could intrigue them for the rest of their lives.
For further information, check out these websites:
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/666
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/
http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic35.htm
http://www.fieldtripearth.org/strategy.xml?id=14
1. Smaldino, Sharon, E., Deborah L. Lowther, James D. Russell. Instructional Technology and Media for Learning. (Ohio: Pearson, 2008). 9.
This type of learning is where education is headed. Virtual field trips, like other visual/audio aids allow the students to learn abstractly and are very successful, especially when concrete, participatory activities have preceded. (1) These trips “outside” of the classroom allow a student to see and experience visually, an idea or concept that has been addresses during typical classroom time and it also helps the student to relate personally to an experience. Students are not just sitting through a lecture and reading a text. They are actually seeing and hearing about the ancient ruins of the Roman Empire or a particular science experiment. The students feel like they are walking past the Roman Forum or that, they are facilitating the maturation of an egg in the lab. Not only is this type of learning experience a great way to take a break from tests and lectures, but it also allows a student to make an experience their own.
On a practical note, visual field trips can also achieve the impossible. Is every class able to visit Rome or a state of the art lab? Visual fields trips allow teachers to give their students the best of an experience that may otherwise be impossible due to budget constraints and or plain distance.
The only thing I came across in my research that could be an obstacle in using visual field trips is that it is expensive to make your own. Still, there are thousands (my Google search produced, 1,940,000 hits for visual field trips) websites that offer free visual trips to be used in the classroom.
From what I read, visual field trips seem like a great way to enhance the learning experience in any classroom. Children today, are not learning in the same ways we did in the past and their lives are full of visually stimulating experiences. Why not make education just as stimulating? Otherwise, how can educators compete? Of course an actual field trip is a great experience for students, but even a small break in the day, to do a visual field trip, can provide them with the type of learning that could intrigue them for the rest of their lives.
For further information, check out these websites:
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/666
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/
http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic35.htm
http://www.fieldtripearth.org/strategy.xml?id=14
1. Smaldino, Sharon, E., Deborah L. Lowther, James D. Russell. Instructional Technology and Media for Learning. (Ohio: Pearson, 2008). 9.
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