Thursday, 6 August 2015

Reflection Three: Images, Audio and Videos



Images
Technical Aspects:
Images can be created by students and teachers or they can be viewed.  As we found out this week they can be stored in a range of sizes, and this can be used to our advantages to minimize download time when opening them, which can be especially helpful in the classroom, so as not to give the students waiting time where they can get off task.  Images can come in a range of qualities low to high, a range of physical layout size, different lighting, different zooms and focuses, can be different layouts – portrait or landscape and can be of any topic.
Teaching Context:
“Visual literacy is the ability to see, to understand, and ultimately to think, create, and communicate graphically.“ (Thibault & Walbert, 2003). Images are used in the classroom as learning tools.  They are used for a variety of different purposes.  These purposes branch off depending on if they are being viewed or created by the students.
Students creating images:
·         Taking photos as; an art project, of a vacation to show and tell to the class, of an excursion to be able to reflect on what they saw, to create a story book, to edit to suit a certain purpose (story, art)
·         Finding images; for a story, to share learning, to learn form.
·         My students just used their iPad’s to create a story book for their prep buddies where they drew pictures for it
Students viewing images:
·         My teacher last year used to show the students (year 2, but could be done in a range of grades) an image as a stimulus for a writing task, so that students had more of an idea and inspiration to write.
·         The students have to imagine or analyse what is happening in a photo, when, why, does that happen now, why/why not, what could happen as a result, do you agree with this, what could be done to help, etc. (could be a photo of a historical event, a natural disaster, a cultural image, a modern day-families, cities, a fantastical image, an imagination invoking image). 
·         The teacher could show an image to better explain a science or geography concept (states of matter particles, food web, maps), etc. or to show real life examples of what he/she is teaching (foods form different cultures, landscapes of different countries, early towns in Australia).  The students are receiving information from these images.
·         An engagement piece to draw students’ attention and gain interest in the topic.

Plus
Minus
Interesting
· Engages learners
· More students are interested in it then just listening or reading something
· Can be used for a variety of functions
· Gives students more information on a topic
· Allows students to be able to reflect
· Gives students ideas about what they could write about
· Easy for students and teachers to find
· Easy to create
· Can be distracting
· Complex editing can be too hard for some students
· Can change image size to ensure faster downloading
· Lots of imaging editing software and websites
 

SAMR Model
Redefinition
Students create their own images to make their stories into a book so that the images suit the book better
Modification
Students find images for their story to make it into a book.
Augmentation
Students are given a detailed image or multiple images to choose from to base their narrative off.
Substitution
Students are given a very plain image to create a narrative as a prompt instead of a sentence.


Audio
Technical Aspects:
Audio can be recorded on a variety of different devices; microphones, headsets, computers, ipads, phones, etc.  These audio files can be converted to suit different needs and programs (which I found out when trying to create my voki). 
Teaching Context:
Using in the classroom can be for teaching and instructional purposes and assessment purposes.  Audio files can be used as to:
·         Give instructions to the class
·         Give instructions for group rotation tasks
·         Tell them what they are learning in class in that lesson or topic
·         Listen to presentations of experts
·         Record assessment pieces for marking or self-assessment
·         Record reflections about what students have been doing in class
·         Record reflections on how well they have been doing in class, academically and behaviourally, what they need to improve on, what they are good at
·         Record pieces of work that students have written
·         Teacher can use as a fun way to engage/introduce students to a topic
·         Students can listen to their own work and edit it
·         Students can use it to make notes to themselves of what has to be done
·         Can use it as a way to share and discuss world, local and classroom news (fake radio station)
Plus
Minus
Interesting
· Engages learners
· More students are interested in it then just listening or reading something
· Can be used for a variety of functions
· Gives students more information on a topic
· Alternate way to give directions and information
· Students can listen to someone other than the teacher
· Students can listen to their own work and hear what they have done well/ poorly and what needs to be improved on
· Teacher can use it to mark student work
· Can be distracting
· Can be difficult for some to use
· Has to be used in an effective many otherwise it just wastes time
· Can change the type of audio file to suit the program
· Can change voices
 

SAMR Model
Redefinition
Allows students to share audio files on the internet and receive feedback and share learning with others
Modification
Allows students to record an audio file of them pretending to be multiple  people in their speech (different researchers) by physically or technologically changing their voice, put in background noises to suit
Augmentation
Taking note of tone, pitch, long pauses, long stumbled phrases and editing
Substitution
Recording their speech as their assessment


Video
Technical Aspects:
Videos can be made up of moving and still images and sounds.  There can be voice overs, background sound and music embedded.  They can show a recording of something that has been created or something that has happened in real life or to compile images taken.  They can be shown on computers, televisions, iPads, phones, etc.  They can be uploaded and shared with specific people or everyone.
Teaching Context:
“Student generated digital video projects….are now being used in many classrooms to support, extend, or change pedagogy and curriculum outcomes” due to the increase in usability and function (Kearney & Schuck, p.189, 2006). Kearney and Schuck (p.190, 2006) also inform us that “authentic tasks provide real world relevance and personal meaning to the learner.” This needs to be considered when planning classroom tasks and using technology, it needs to have a purpose. Authentic tasks can be created through using and creating videos in your classroom.  Videos can be made by or shared with the students.  They are a great engaging and informative learning tool.
Students creating videos:
·         Taking videos as; an art project, a technology project, of a vacation to show and tell the class, of an excursion to be able to reflect on what they saw, to create a story book, to edit to suit a certain purpose (story, art), to show what certain students have done or learnt, what the whole class is working on, a how to of class activities or routines, to show class rules
·         Finding videos; for a story, to share learning, to learn from.
·         My students just used their iPads to create a story book for their prep buddies.
·         Creating a video of acting out a storybook that they have created
·         Filming themselves presenting and then looking back on it to reflect and to share with other students to increase their peers knowledge of a subjects
Students viewing videos:
·         The teacher shows the students a short clip as a stimulus for a writing task.
·         Teachers can show students a video of an expert on the topic they are teaching
·         Teachers can show a video to help explain the content, either a quick clip of a how to, or a long video on Antarctic animals, etc.
·         An engagement piece to draw students’ attention and gain interest in the topic.
·         Showing students how to do certain class tasks
·         Recording student performances and learning to later mark, show as an example, share with parents, reflect on
·         I used videos in my science lessons to show students how states of matter changed from one form to another, as it is easier to show in a video
·         My current students watch multiplication YouTube videos that are songs and they have to sing along to help them remember what their multiplications are
·         My current students are studying government so before going to Parliament house next week they have been watching  a video on the different types of parliament and writing notes on what they have learnt from the videos
Plus
Minus
Interesting
· Engages learners
· More students are interested in it then just listening or reading something
· Can be used for a variety of functions
· Gives students more information on a topic
· Used to record work so that it can be looked back on later by teachers or students, or shared with parents or other students
· Students love making videos
· Most programs are easy to use
· Can learn more information from other sources
· Can show visual representations of a topic that a teacher couldn’t
· Can record student work
· Create ownership and pride in work
· Can see their own presentations
· Can add visual effects, voice over’s, music, background, animations
· Encourages peer collaboration
· Can be distracting
· Can be difficult for some to use
· Can be time wasting if students have to have everything perfect, so needs to be monitored
· May need extra helpers that are tech savvy
· Teachers need to ensure that both them and students are using safe and legal/ethical  practice if uploading to the internet
· Different types of audio files
· Can add anything to a video
· Can edit out anything
· Can share worldwide
 

SAMR Model
Redefinition
Students create a video of their story with classmates acting it out, sound effects, voice overs, green screens, mystical effects, background music, any other features that make it a great end product.  They can then share this with peers and parents
Modification
Students find images and create a video to go along with their story and have them as a voice over.
Augmentation
Students record them reading their story to edit and to reflect on to see what they could improve on
Substitution
Students record them reading their story to show to their teacher


Comparison:
There are similarities and difference between the functions and usability of each this week’s digital tools.  Images can be shown by just images and through videos, and sometimes even audio.  Audio can be used for just plain audio files and functions or to improve a video.  Each of the tools can be effective teaching and learning tools in the classroom and are engaging to learners.  Each tool can either be used or created by students and teachers.  Each tool; Engages learners, more students are interested in it then just listening or reading something, can be used for a variety of functions, gives students more information on a topic and can be distracting.

 
Evidence of Technologies:
Audio file: Voki at the beginning of this post

 
References:
Kearney, M., & Schuck, S. (2006). Spotlight on authentic learning: Student developed digital video                 projects. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 22(2).
Moodle, (2015). Managing E-Learning. Digital Tool 4: Images .CQUniversity. Retrieved on 7 August 2015 at https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=101681
Thibault, M., & Walbert, D. (2003). Reading images: an introduction to visual literacy. Learn NC.

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