Digital Storytelling

Just a quick note to describe how digital storytelling could be used in teaching maths and science to high school students.
As part of a unit of work you could ask one student (or pair of students) each week to prepare a three minute digital story so that once each week you could open the lesson with a different story. The teacher would tell the student the topic three weeks in advance of their presentation date to give them time for preparation.
Topics which would suit maths and science include:
- introduce the life and work of a one famous person that changed the course of history in that subject matter;
- a book review of a portion of the textbook the students are using for the subject, or;
- a day in the life of the student that highlights their real-life encounters with maths and science.
The digital story would need a simple script with a beginning, a middel and an end, and students could use web clips and researched text.

Reflective Synopsis

This year during my studies in the course Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Learning Design I have investigated the use of the following software programs: Blogs, Google Reader, Wikis, Mahara, Voki Avatars, MS Powerpoint, Learning Management Systems, Flickr, Picnik, YouTube, Explorelearning, Google Earth, Wikipedia and Music (Incompetech). Before I started the course the only programs I had properly explored were MS Powerpoint, Google Earth and Learning Management Systems (although I had occasionally read a friend’s blog and accessed Wikipedia). It was great to be encouraged to try these programs as it has increased my understanding about the variety of professional and personal interests in our community, as well as the character of the internet and its possibilities for global collaboration.

Early in the course our lecturer posed a question that has the ability to strike fear into any self-reflective ‘wanna-be’ learning manager (such as myself)…“why will students want to come to your lessons?” (Aldred, 2010). Luckily, I was assisted to answer this question by a Kearsley & Shneiderman (1999) course reading. The reading describes an attractive learning process ‘relate-create-donate’ and argues that collaborative teams that work on projects meaningful to someone outside the classroom will have more engaged learners.

The first aspect of designing attractive learning experiences requires creating opportunities to relate to others. In the context of education, relating may include the development of teacher-student, student-student, teacher-community or student-community relationships. ICTs may enhance these relationships inside and outside the classroom environment. For example:

• Learning Management Systems such as moodle facilitates discussion between students and teachers who are separated by large distances during flexible learning experiences;
• MS Powerpoint supports both students and teachers to confidently and efficiently share information (see blog posting Food for thought: Creating a powerpoint (2010) and its comment from my colleague Tina Byrne);
• A class blog may support learning outside the classroom (see blog posting Food for thought: Mathematics applications (2010)), and;
• More advanced learners may use programs such as wikis or Mahara to enhance knowledge sharing in the wider community (see blog postings Food for thought: Mahara (2010), Food for thought: Easter Road Culture (2010) and My teaching journey: Engaging with a wiki (2010)).

Marzano & Pickering (1997, p.15) indicates it is a shared responsibility of the teacher and the students to maintain positive attitudes about the learning environment.

The second aspect of designing attractive learning experiences requires providing opportunities to develop and enhance the learner’s creative talents. Smith, Lynch & Mienczakowski (2003, p.3) argues there is a movement toward student autonomy over what, how and why learning takes place. The concept of competence is subordinate to capability, and the focus is on “‘imagining the future’ and bringing it about”. In the context of profiling students and strategising experiences that ensure learning outcomes in clients, ICTs may enhance creativity. For example:
• Visual content of teaching, learning and project work may be supplied by image software such as Flickr and Picnik (see blog postings Food for thought: Apple tree from flickr (2010) and Food for thought: Playing chicken (2010));
• Audio content may be supplied by music software such as Incompetech;
• Audio-visual content may be supplied by video software such as YouTube (see blog posting Food for thought: Tubes on youtube (2010)), and;
• Space and mapping content may be supplied by software such as Google Earth.
We should value diversity as every person has a contribution to offer the world. However, strong habits of mind are required if individuality and creativity are to be supported and encouraged. The blog posting Nat’s student teacher journey: A cyclone is a learning experience (2010) describes an inspiring story about persevering in the face of adversity.

Dimension 5 [Habits of Mind] is concerned with one’s determination to be a
critical thinker, a creative thinker, and a self-regulated thinker. The
commitment to live up to high standards – to be concerned with the quality
of
one’s thinking – is what finally distinguishes Dimension 5 from the other
aspects of thinking.
(Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p.263)

The final aspect of designing attractive learning experiences requires purposeful, authentic creations which, if possible, are donated back to the community. Lucas (2007) indicates all kids want to be adults because they know that’s what they will grow up to be. Giving children authentic “adult type” jobs and projects will engage them to learn. A great example of an authentic learning experience which could be developed and then donated to the school library is described in Christie’s blog posting Christie’s ICT for learning design blog: Youtube (2010). In general, there are many features of the internet that will support authentic learning experiences. The web provides a wealth of information about real people that are involved in real events located in real settings around the world. If the written content isn’t enough, usually the publisher’s contact details are provided to support further investigation.

So it seems ICTs have a major role in designing learning experiences that will be valued and result in student achievement. Apart from email and social networking sites, this reflective synopsis has highlighted the way various programs may be used to enhance on-line relationship building. Examples were provided that demonstrate visual and audio content may be found to support individual and shared creativity. Websites link learners and teachers to real-life information and contacts to support purposeful learning projects. Finally, as highlighted in blog posting Food for thought: The first post (2010), the publishing of student work on the internet can be an authentic conclusion to a project that results in a donation to the global community.

Reference List
Aldred, S. (2010, March 01). Learning Management Rationale [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from
CQUniversity e-courses, EDED20491 ICT s for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=9976
Natalie Arthur, Nat’s student teacher journey.
(2010, March 23). A cyclone is a learning experience [Web log messge]. Retrieved from
http://nataliearthurgdlt.blogspot.com/2010/03/cyclone-is-learning-experience.html
Tina Byrne, My teaching journey.
(2010, March 30). Engaging with a wiki [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://bean-the-teacher.blogspot.com/2010/03/engaging-with-wiki.html
Christie, Christie’s ICT for learning design blog.
(2010, April 10). Youtube [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://christiesictblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/youtube.html
Samantha Green, Food for thought.
(2010, March 27). The first post [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-post.html
(2010, March 29). Mathematics applications [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/03/mathematics-applications.html
(2010, April 4). Easter road culture [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-road-culture.html
(2010, April 9). Mahara [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/mahara.html
(2010, April 17). Creating a powerpoint [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/creating-powerpoint.html
(2010, April 20). Apple tree from flickr [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/apple-tree-from-flickr.html
(2010, April 24). Playing chicken [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/playing-chicken.html
(2010, April 28). Tubes on youtube [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/tubes-on-youtube.html
Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement theory: A framework for technology-based
teaching and learning. Retrieved from
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Lucas, G. (2007, September 18). George Lucas: Sharing his hope for education at dreamforce [video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.edutopia.org/george-lucas-education-dreamforce-2007
Marzano, R. J. & Pickering, D. J. (with Arredondo, D. E., Blackburn, G. J., Brandt, R. S., Moffett, C. A., Paynter, D. E., Pollock, J. E. and Whisler, J. S.). (1997)
Dimensions of learning teacher’s manual (2nd ed.). Alexandria, Viginia: ASCD.
Smith, Lynch & Mienczakowski. (2003). The Bachelor of Learning Mangement (BLM) and education capability: why we do not prepare ‘teachers’ anymore. Retrieved from
CQUniversity e-courses, EDED20491 ICT s for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=9976

Tubes on YouTube

I have just found a great resource from YouTube for a Year 9 science class I am teaching tomorrow.

Below is a short video which describes the tubal system for transporting water and sugar in plants. Tomorrow the Year 9 class will learn about the structure and function of plant stems and the video will be an excellent visual teaching aid.

The commentary on the video is not particularly technical. I intend to show it to students after I have provided them with a full description of the stem system. While the video is playing I will pause it at appropriate locations and ask students to identify the correct terminology.

Playing chicken

I have just used an image manipulation program called picnik to crop, resize and add warmth to this photo of my beloved boyfriend and friend.







Before photo (2.7 MB)













After photo (0.2 MB)

Apple tree from Flickr

I downloaded this photo of an apple tree from Flickr. It reminds me of a fun poem "Ipple-apple Tree", by Spike Milligan which I have in his children's poems book called "Unspun socks from a chicken's laundry".

I found it easy to create an account to use Flickr, but was slightly disturbed to have to provide a lot of personal details.

There are two levels of privacy settings within the program. The first allows you to share the images you upload just with your family and friends. This would be very useful for networks of people separated by large distances. There are size limits on email attachments so Flickr is more useful than email for this purpose. The second privacy setting is for public sharing of images. If you upload an image you can then choose whether to allow the public to use the image for commercial purposes and/or make alterations to it.

One use of Flickr in learning and teaching is the potential to get feedback about your image since there is a facility to add comments. Art and photography classes could use Flickr to get exposure and feedback on their creative work - either from the general public or from a previously set-up network of peers.

The creative work that other people contribute is likely to be a very useful resource to find images when students need to demonstrate their learning by creating posters, presentations and reports.

When teachers use visual aids it can really assist students who are visual learners - 'a picture is worth a thousand words'. According to Behaviour Intervention Service 2004, students with Asperger's Syndrome may require visual aids to aid comprehension. Flickr is a resource which could greatly assist teachers to provide visual content to their students.

Creating a Powerpoint

I have been using Microsoft Powerpoint to create presentations for quite a few years. It is a useful program to organise your ideas, highlight main points and show graphs and other images to support your arguments. It also assists with presenting information in small amounts, which allows for reinforcement (see behaviourism theory).
This week I learnt how to add animation and sound in Powerpoint and this has added another dimension. Instead of simply making a presentation about a topic, the use of sound and animation provides the potential to fully dramatise the performance for maximum audience engagement.
I never took drama subjects at school and generally shied away from making oral presentations whenever possible. However, using powerpoint as a prop has helped me to face an audience and speak confidently in a range of challenging situations. Perhaps the enhancement of my presentations with animation and sound will help me face tougher audiences in even more challenging situations in the future!
The benefit for student learning is that Powerpoint supports the ability of the student to communicate and defend their point of view to others, that is, for students to create persuasive arguments. According to Daniel Goleman (2007), the number one competence that distinguishes the 'stars' from the average, is the singular drive to achieve. People who have it have very high internal standards of success. They are also able to create persuasive arguments and set challenging goals.

Avatar Reflection

I can think of three ways voki avatars may be useful in education:

1. To break up the monotony of the speaker. For example, they can be used to attract attention at the beginning of a presentation, or to maintain interest half-way through a longer presentation.
2. To demonstrate different accents in speech. For example, in subjects such as languages other than english or drama, students could use vokis to research accents from different countries, or to submit an assignment using their own recorded voice.
3. To man a display if you need to take a toilet break. For example, at a careers expo you could leave an avatar playing on a computer at your display to bring attention to it while you are away.

Creating a voki avatar was light-hearted and fun. I spent a little time chosing the appearance and voice of my character, which gave me the opportunity for creative expression.

According to Multiple Intelligence theory, some people may have more linguistic, interpersonal and visual/spatial 'smarts.' Vokis may have the potential to capture the interest of people with these talents to engage in subjects they may otherwise avoid.

A disadvantage of using avatars in education is that it is reasonably time consuming and uses alot of internet download memory.