Assessment 2 FAHE synopsis

Through the last 5-6 weeks I have been looking at different e-learning tools and reflecting on how they could be utilised in a pedagogy.  The first thing I looked at was using a wikispace to create a draft for the PMI on Vygotsky's theory of learning.  Together Sarah and I used this space to share ideas and collaborate.  We edited the one document and submitted a final copy of it on to the Uni's Wikispace.  I found this tool very useful and reflected on it using my blogspot.

http://emmaahern.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-week-one.html

The next tool I investigated was Windows Movie Maker.

http://emmaahern.blogspot.com/2011/08/windows-movie-maker.html

I then looked at using a Weebly and created a page as an experiment to see how it all worked.

http://emmaahern.weebly.com/index.html

I have been looking at the Prezi software and am having a degree of difficulty in understanding how it works.  I have gone through the instructions numerous times and still cannot manage to get mine to work.  I have looked at some of the Prezi's that are there and can see its relevance and usefulness in being utilised in a pedagogy.  This, however, is one tool that I must keep working on.  I would like to be able to use it myself in the future for my own pedagogy in combination with the other tools I have been learning to use and reflecting on.

  Children are growing up with a large variety of technology including mobiles, computers, PDA's and laptops, so how are we as teachers going to incorporate these second nature devices into our pedagogies in order to maintain the interest of our student?  After investigating some of the e-learning tools that are available I am beginning to understand and feel that these tools would be an invaluable resource in a modern classroom where it is important to be able to engage your student in learning that interests and stimulates their mind.  Most of these tools allows your students to engage and collaborate with each other in order to achieve their desired results, whatever the task may be.  I do however like the Weebly tool, it enables teachers to observe what the students are learning and posting.  Students are able to interact online and submit homework or assessments online.  They are able to utilise a large array of multimedia within their postings including photos, slideshows, videos, audio, links and texts.  I can see this as being a fundamental learning tool for our modern classrooms, it is simple to use with quite clear instructions with easy to achieve results.

Windows Movie Maker

Below is a short video I created using images of my kindergarten children at play, that I have titled "Child's Play." It was an experimental video and I am pleased with the result.  I hope you enjoy viewing it.

This is the first time I have created a video and I am thrilled. It worked amazingly well, it was easy and simple to use.  I think under the right guidance a child would be able to utilise this software to create documentries or presentations of any sort for school work and assignments.  It was fun choosing what to put in to it and being able to add music or verbal overlay was fantastic.  I would love to look in to using this with some of the children in my family for family videos as it would give me the child's perspective on the software and the ease at which they may be able to use it.  I do feel this could be incorporated into the classroom as part of a teachers pedagogy, as such technology already exists in highschool.  Earlier familiarity with the software will help children at that later stage in school.  I can be used for a variety of activities as well as used by the teacher to create a different learning activity for the children.  As long as the information being used and given through out this process is genuine and precise then the possibilities for the use of this software is endless.  I have a bit of work to go with this software however, learn how to use different fades, wipes and numerous orther tools that are in it.

Goto Meeting

Morning everyone,
There has been ads recently for the goto meeting software, it is a program designed to allow people to collaborate over the internet. Our software provider for the childcare centre I work in, Qikkids, uses this program to have webinars on updates to their program or CCMS as they occur.  It is actually a rather handy program, you can talk with people over the phone or over the net as you together collaborate on documents, software, or other.  I feel this might be a tool worth remember and could be used similar to wikispaces for student work in the classroom or homework.  It could be integrated quite easily in to anyones pedagogy.
I do think may information may be necessary and I am going to have a look in to what, or whom, you need to be in order to register for the software.
Hope everyone is having a fantastic day!
Emma

Early Morning

Good morning!!!
It is early and very cold :(

I have been going through the benefits of using wikispace while setting up the program for my children today.  So far what we have been using the wiki for has allowed us to comment, add to and edit a page of information.  Through this we are collaborating, sharing and helping each other learn about different topics.  Collaborative learning is a fantastic way to increase your own knowledge as each person perceives information in different ways and adds their perspective to the existing knowledge on the page.  It has been an invaluable resource so far and I am looking forward to working more with it throughout the unit, learning and understanding the many ways in which it can be utilised in to my own pedagogy.

End of week one

It seems we have reached the end of week one for term 2.  This is my first term studying and my first time at University.  My first week has been hectic, trying to juggle full time work and full time study.  I have made a few friends/contacts with other students in the same units as me and it has been a fantastic way of learning new and useful information for assignments.  They also helped me understand how to use moodle, wikispaces and blogs.  I am still finding my feet a little with using online tools, it is a slow process, but I am amazed at how much I have learnt in one week.  I am looking forward to learning so much more through the e-learning unit and ways that I will be able to utilise them in my own pedagogy.
I have found most of my information that I have used in assignments in textbooks from my Cert III and Diploma, I am not too confident in finding sources online that are reliable.  If anyone has found any useful places could they let me know? I would like to give them a try.
Now we go onward to week two :)

Additional Note

During this first week I have been developing a PMI about Vygotsky's theory of learning.  At first I felt a little overwhelmed at having to break down Vygotsky's theory into these areas.  Working with a partner certainly made this less daunting.  Together we were able to use a wiki page to establish main points and then add and edit to each others work until we felt we had achieved our goal.  I found using the wikispace very helpful as we never had to be online at the same time, we could leave each other messages and see what we had changed through the recent edits section.  If we happend to make a mistake or did not like a change that was made, it was easy to retract the change through the editing tools and set it back to it's original form.  I feel confident now in using a wikispace as well as a blogspot and look forward to being able to incorporate these tools in to future study and my own pedagogy.

Felder and Soloman: Learning Styles and Strategies Questionnaire

I have just been over to the Felder and Soloman website to take the Questionnaire that allows you to further understand your own learning style.
After viewing my results I have been able to look at my study plan and readjust some of it to suit my learning style.  I found it rather interesting to be able to view myself in this way.  I have not previously put a lot of thought in to the way I learn and the best way for me to learn.  Having a chance to do this is fantastic! 

 Below are my results;

Results for: Emma Kathleen Ahern


      ACT                          X                        REF
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEN                                  X                INT
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      VIS              X                                    VRB
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEQ                          X                        GLO
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

Link to the website Felder and Soloman: Learning Styles and Strategies;
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

New Blog

Hi everyone, I am new to using blogs, this is exciting for me!