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Nina

Podcasting

right here

Google Maps and ITD

Get a load of this monster... click here

http://www.whatpoll.com/giant-machines

Google maps

How can google maps be used to engage students and motivate them to indulge in critical thinking? This evaluation will use the “Big6 framework”(Eisenberg, 2001) to seek an analytical answer. The big6 uses six questions in the framework.
1. Task Definition; define the information problem, identify information needed.
Relevance?
Bridge structures.
Google maps can search for bridge structures, which can link to history or the building of the bridges; both past present and future. Google maps can also give a street view, which gives a perspective of the scale of the structures due to comparison with people, cars, trucks etc.
Machinery and architecture design.
Coal mine drag lines, shovels and any other mining equipment has the capacity to show the students the wide spread dependency of engineering and design. This topic could also endeavour to discover the process of steel manufacture.
2. Information seeking strategies.
Determine all possible sources, select the best sources.
This step will require student researching skills to further research the interest topic with the information gathered. Google maps, being effective with sourcing the interest topic, may provide a starting point to look deeper into the topic. Pictures may be readily available with care taken to reference. Key words from google maps provide students with the use of further credible sources to gain more information.
3. Location and access
Locate sources (intellectually and physically), find information within sources.
This is where students may elect to use the library, computers, search engines, or other creative ideas such as: human capital lost in early bridge building, advances in architectural design by computer aided design programs, productivity increase and so forth.
4. Use of information
Engage (eg. read hear, view, touch), Extract relevant information.
This stage requires students to analyse the information gathered, and evaluate which components have the best impact, and which direction the presentation or research will proceed. 5. Synthesis
Organise from multiple sources, present the information.
This is where all the hard work can come together for a presentation for a specific audience. Specific audience may also be student choice, or a selection provided using a “tiered activity” where students are given a simple to complex design (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 84). For example: a power point presentation, debate, movie, documentary etc.
6. Evaluation
Judge the product (effectiveness), judge the process (efficiency).
The evaluation process will consider whether other IT tools could be implemented, and the effectiveness of the tools used.

References

Eisenberg, M. (2001). Big6 skills overview. Retrieved from CQUniversity moodle, http://www.big6.com/2001/11/19/a-big6%E2%84%A2-skills-overview/

Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). More instructional strategies to support differentiation. In Differentiated classroom: responding to the needs of all learners (pp. 75-94). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Retrieved from CQUniversity moodle, http://library-resources.cqu.edu.au/cro/protected/eded11400/eded11400_cro2842.pdf

Weebly link

My weebly site This great free web building site is terrific. I had never thought that there would be a web site to make a web-site. It is a bit like the machine making machines. I found the weebly site to be user friendly as it has templates to choose from, tools and previews.
I have used my weebly site to collect games which relate to ITD, so far I have only found one. As the weebly is a web site, it can only be altered by the administrator, which renders it useless for collaboration, but useful for keeping links, or other information.

Wiki verses Blog

What is the difference between a wiki and a blog?

A blog, or web log, shares writing and multimedia content in the form of “posts” (starting point entries) and “comments” (responses to the posts). While commenting, and even posting, are open to the members of the blog or the general public, no one is able to change a comment or post made by another. The usual format is post-comment-comment-comment, and so on. For this reason, blogs are often the vehicle of choice to express individual opinions.

A wiki has a far more open structure and allows others to change what one person has written. This openness may trump individual opinion with group consensus.

In an aducational context a wiki can enable a poll on a subject, have available documents for editing and provide a short list to specific subject areas. I feel that wiki's can provide a larger range of prospects, prospects that I'm in the process of discovering. Go Digital Immigrant, keep your head up.

http://garymanarts.wikispaces.com/

http://garymanarts.wikispaces.com/

mindmap

Here's a mindmap print scan of how would a blog be useful in my teaching context.

Unfortunately the program won't allow export, this privaledge cost 99 bucks.

imindmap

This site offers a free trial, the only catch is that the trial doesn't allow export. This comes with a price tag of $99.

Bubble wrap protects

After the confrontation of thoughts that my brain won't cope, I have discovered that eLearning will mean a vaste change in my current world.

I'm in two mind-sets at present, the first being that I need to let go of my taught experiences and levatate to the creative side, whether ICT or not. Secondly; is it essential to discover the good and bad side of ICT in the classroom, before making an informed decision? Cyber bullying for example.

At this stage I have an open mind to just explore this side of learning, and seek applications for this technology. My forethought of creating a blog in an educational context, would be to share thoughts with fellow teachers, not students. I'm thinking that any sharing of resourses be available through a wiki.

Hello BlogLand

Having minimal understanding of the function of a blog, I am presented with many questions. After looking at fellow students' posts to capture the essence of the blog, I can understand that it has a great ability to act as a reflective journal.

40 yrs of never using a journal, I can see how the reflection process and documenting it in the journal, to be an enhancement to my learning journey. As this is my second term at University, I can honestly say that it feels like I have learnt more over the past six months than I have over my entire life.

Getting acquainted with the technology side of the knowledge and creativity economy, brings a sense of closing the gap between my generation (X) and the current generation. I am excited to pass the learnt knowledge to my friends, family and educators; as I see that this new arising technology can only benefit, enhance and engage our current generation.

I must not forget that it will take more than my lifetime, so I will need to collaborate with complementing networks.