Reflection

Our society has changed and the way we communicate and interact with each other has also changed as a direct result of advances in technology. Information is freely available to anyone with the right technology and instant communication around the world is a reality and is used for personal, business and educational purposes.Technology is becoming the foundation upon which nearly everything is built. Today there are very few jobs that our students will be encountering which do not include technology in some way.

Very often in schools there are mission statements that propose to prepare students to be productive members in an ever-changing society. Much of these changes is due to technology and without a conscious effort to using technology in the classroom, these mission statements will be unattainable. Teaching and learning must progress from focussing on facts and lectures to focusing on critical thinking and problem solving.

This ICT course has been instrumental in preparing me to integrate the curriculum with technology and so enable students to learn in ways not previously possible. I have had the pleasure of discovering new, free tools to engage students.The use of Web 2.0 tools promote a social, collaborative and sharing approach to learning.

I learnt to blog.Through this blogging activity, I have come to realise that the only way to become proficient in the use of a tool is to constantly use the tool. I have also learnt so much from my peers through reading and commenting on their blogs. I also learnt to use wikis. this is a great tool for collaborative learning, information sharing and increasing student participation and engagement. I have also learnt to use powerpoint presentations to create eBooks. This, for me is my favourite web 2.0 tool, one which I will definitely be using a lot. The integration with visual, audio and text can be a powerful learning tool in the classroom and employs Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory (1991). i have also learnt the rudiments of digital storytelling, which for me is a powerful medium for telling true stories in a compelling manner. Enormous possibilities exist for using this tool to tap into student's creativity. Like eBooks the use of audio, visual and text can make thoughts and feelings come alive in an awesome manner.

Although there were challenging moments in this ICT course, the benefits far outweigh its drawbacks and I must sincerely thank my lecturer, tutor and peers for making this a truly learning experience, one which will definitely equip me with the skills to effectively engage students in the 21st century classroom.

I have been hearing about teachers wanting to use Podcasts...

During the course of the last few classes, I have been hearing about teachers wanting to use podcasts in their lessons and writing about podcasts in their blogs, even though we had not been formally introduced to the technology in the classroom. I wondered what was it about podcasts that seemed so interesting? I decided to be try to find out more about podcasts. Surprisingly, this Web 2.0 tool seems to offer a lot of possibilities to teachers and students.


First of all, the term "podcast" is a portmanteau ( a blend of two words or morphemes) of the words "pod" which means "playable on demand" and "cast" from the word "broadcasting". A podcast is a media file that is distributed over the internet using syndication feeds. You can set up syndication for your website and expose your content for the world to see using RSS feeds. These can be used for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. Podcasting therefore, is RSS that is used to collect, organize and distribute audio files. RSS feeds contain what is called an enclosure tag which is used to include certain types of files. The files in an enclosure tag may be an image, a data file, a video file or an audio file. Podcasting specifically refers to RSS feeds that contain audio files in their enclosure tags.The user employs a type of software known as an aggregator sometimes called a podcatcher or a podcast receiver to subscribe and manage their feeds.

One benefit of podcasting is the fact that users can sync content with their media player and listen at a time and place suitable to them and have radio on demand. While this technology is not limited to music, it is the area that has the most attention.


How can I publish a podcast? In three simple steps my voice can be broadcasted or heard:

1. Create the audio content and post it on the website for listeners.
2. Create or edit an existing RSS feed including a link to the audio file in the "enclosure" file of a RSS 2.0 feed, uploading it to a website.
3. Tell all that a podcast is available.

Podcasts offer immense possibilities to educators. They can enable students and teachers to share information with anyone anytime. If a student is absent he /she can download the podcast of the recorded lesson. Teachers can also create podcasts and use them as tools for students before teaching which would be the equivalent of reading the text before the lesson. Educators can also use podcasts to communicate with parents and members of the community. Teachers can record book talks, vocabulary, foreign language lessons, musical performances, debates. It can also be a tool for publishing students' oral presentations.

Some say podcasting can be considered a m-learning strategy for teaching and learning since it focuses on learning with mobile devices where the learner is not at a fixed predetermined location.

I hope this blog will give some insight into what is a podcast, how it works and some of the educational uses of podcasts.

Electronic books for Readers with Disabilities.

Our Educational Policy Paper states that every child has an inherent right to education and that every child can learn. However, data collected from National Tests and Secondary Entrance Assessments (SEA) scores show that many students still score below the thirty percent that is required for placement into secondary schools. A fairly significant percent of these children are those with special needs. Studies done by Rhodes & Milby (2007) show that electronic books or eBooks as they are frequently called, can be effectively used to support students with disabilities as well as struggling readers.

Children need many opportunities to read. Traditionally, teachers provide time for repeated text readings using tape recordings. However some children require additional support . Technology in the form of electronic storybooks can provide the same benefits as audiotaped books but with the added multimedia effects such as sound, animation and interactive activities to support student understanding of the content. (Shamir & Korat, 2006).

Students with both physical and learning disabilities can use eBooks to enhance text format and the opportunities available for multiple readings. I distinctly remember having a student with a visual disability in my class last year and enlarging print for her to read was a challenge. The use of eBooks would have made learning so much less complicated both for her and me.

Teachers can meet the needs of students of varying abilites by using the multimedia features of computer applications and Internet sites. By using teacher created eBooks, students can gain access to literature and so deepen their understanding. For children with physical disabilities, the physical turning of pages is unnecessary and through multiple readings, students can acquire vocabulary, comprehension and fluency with the text.

Although many eBooks are available, as seen in this course, teachers can produce eBooks that are directly related to their curriculum with little effort using Microsoft PowerPoint. Integrating eBooks with instruction helps to level the playing field fr students with disabilities.

Writing to Learn and Learning to Write.

While reading some journal articles for my assignment, I came across some readings about Writing which I thought were interesting and which I thought might be worthwhile to share with you all.

Do you know that there is a difference between learning to write and writing to learn? I guess, like me it's only when it is posed in that format that we realise that there indeed is a difference. Mastery of content according to Brandenburg (2002) is demonstrated not only through reading but also through writing. He contends that integrating writing with reading develops comprehension skills because the two are reciprocal or shared processes.

Writing to learn differs from learning to write in several ways. Learning to write entails a series of stages writers typically go through to arrive at a final product. These steps include prewriting, writing, reviewing, revising, editing and preparing a final draft for publication.

Writing to learn on the other hand is different because the writing that is produced does not entail going through a process but instead the purpose of this activity is to serve as a means of making meaning and encouraging further learning. Writing to learn engages students, extends thinking, deepens understanding and energises the meaning making process.Writing to learn offers the opportunity for students to recall, clarify and evaluate what they know about a particular subject.

Studies show ( Fisher & Frey, 2004) that writing to learn is is often left out of the classrooms because of an overemphasis on process writing and and the confusion between learning to write and writing to learn.

I hope that this blog helps to clear up this misconception and acts as a catalyst for educators to pay more attention to teaching students to develop the skill of "Writing to Learn."

Blogging: A Web 2.0 Tool to Increase Intrinsic Motivation to Read and Write.

Working on this week's assignment was a demanding but highly satisfying activity. This assignment made me think deeply and critically about the use of blogs by the classroom teacher. In this blog I will give a brief synopsis of what I have learnt.

Blogs are easy to create and maintain (as we all know). It is important to note however, that when students are allowed to create and customise their own blogs by adding text, images and themes and changing font sizes and colours it creates a phenomenal sense of "ownership" in students which motivates them to persist in reading and writing in their personal space.

The fact that blogs are generally accomplished in a "non-classroom sanctioned" environment, they provide the opportunity for teachers to extend learning and engage students beyond the classroom. (Downs, 2004). Students can work at their own pace and can spend more or less time at each stage of the task depending on their individual abilities. This reduces anxiety and and therefore motivates students to read and write blogs. This can be of particular benefit to the struggling reader or writer as it provides individual support from the teacher in a safe environment.

The "comment" feature of blogs also allows students to develop and express their thoughts and ideas and receive feedback from others. This allows students to earn from each other in an enjoyable manner in a social forum and increases confidence which in turn fosters intrinsic motivation to read and write. These findings are supported by studies conducted by Papert (1998).

Reading and writing blogs forces students to engage in critical literacy or higher thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation and synthesis. When students read blogs, they generally analyse what was read, they reflect and they adopt a point of view based on what was read. This enables the blogger to thus write critically because the critical skill of writing is central to the act of blogging.

However, as teachers we must ensure that students are aware that blogs can be inaccurate sources of information as they are maintained by individuals and may therefore contain biased information.

Upon reflection, I have realised that doing this assignment has made me somewhat of an expert on blogging and its effects on increasing motivation to read and write among students.

The Joys of Using eBooks

Stories are an integral part of children's lives. Most people can remember their favourite stories which were found either at home or in libraries. Today, a vast array of books are available to children in different genres. With advances in technology, students now can access eBooks. Today there are over 2 million FREE eBooks available for download.

What is an eBook? Prior to this course, I had a vague idea of what an eBook was. An eBook is the abbreviated form for an electronic book and is also known as a digital book. according to Oxford it is an"electronic version of a printed book which can be hand held or which can be read on a personal computer.

Originally I thought eBooks were books that could have been read electronically ONLY on the computer so I was never too keen about them because I thought curling up in bed with a book was the thing to do. I could not have imagined curling up with the computer, so it never appealed to me. However, when I was exposed to the various types of eBooks in the ICT class, I must admit that I was hooked! I went home stating that I wanted an ipad and my children looked in amazement , stating, "What do YOU know about ipads?"

Using Powerpoint to make an ebook was an exciting and awesome experience, one which I definitely will be using with my First Year students. Making that Alphabet Book in class demonstrated the tremendous possibilities available to teachers for use to motivate children. The ability to put in sound, clip art as well as text really caters to the multiple intelligences of the child.

This is truly a wonderful tool.

My Fascination with Digital Storytelling

After today's lab session, I have come to the conclusion that I am budding movie producer, author, graphic designer, music maker and writer! Digital Storytelling is an awesome tool that has immense opportunities for teachers and students in today's classrooms. Digital Storytelling caters to the Multiple Intelligences of students in the classroom as it develops skills which would normally have gone unnoticed.

A digital story according to Davis (2004) is a short, generally personal narrative, told in the first person, presented as a short movie for display on a television or computer monitor or projected on to a screen.

Once Photostory 3 is downloaded onto the computer, (which I was unable to do because I do not have Windows 7) digital storytelling is fairly easy to create. In order to create a digital story, it is wise to create a storyboard or storymap which will summarize each major story event. All storyboards have essentially three major components: a call to adventure, a central problem and closure.

Features such as adding and customising text, inserting music and voice completes the story. In a society where media prevails, this is truly an awesome tool for today's children in today's classroom.