Prezi - a zooming presentation tool

An overview of the technical aspects:

Prezi is a cloud based presentation tool (similar to microsoft powerpoint) that allows for a captivating experience with the use of zooming in and out to grab the attention of the audience. The software is based on a SaaS (software as a service) business model where a subscription fee must be paid monthly. The software is cross platform so can be used on both mobile and desktop devices. It has a very user friendly environment for creating the pretensions but an internet connection must be available as they are created online through the rezi.com site. Pretensions can be saved locally if a internet connection is not available at the time of presentation.

Learning outcomes.

The learning outcomes of using prezi are that students will retain more data by having a more immersive experience. The students senses are more deeply involved in the presentations therefore stronger memory connections will be made with the presentation material. The actives that prezi can support are presentations, tutorials, quiz games, flash cards, animations, digital posters.

SAMR analysis.

Substitution.
This technology could be used in the classroom the create language flashcards or substitution for a black / white board. Students could also create their own flashcards through prezi.

Augmentation.
The technology improves on conventional presentation such as a black board but with interactive zooming to grab attention and multiple slides to deliver more information.

Modification.
The technology could be used as a vocabulary language learning tool by adding pictures of nouns to the presentation with matching sounds, Students in the class could then be ask to name the nouns. Student could also make their own prezi presentation of nouns and share them with the rest of the class.

Redefinition,
The technology could be redefined into a 'where is waldo' style language game where students could interact with the presentation by zooming in on certain nouns as they are called out in the classroom.

Technology presentation:

The following presentation was created in prezi.

The presentation can also be viewed here:

http://prezi.com/oodbapdyh5td/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Digital Tools Digital Video & Images

Digital Video,  Images & sound what can it do?

The digital native generation of students today are more likely to access digital media rather than printed, so as modern day teachers we must take advantage of these new medias to scaffold learning outcomes that students can relate to and be engaged by. With these new tools teachers can engage students in ways that never use to be possible with hybrid mixes of video, text, pictures and sound. For example a blog can contain written text with embedded video and photos. These elements can also link to other pages on the web and also integrate into social media. If applied correctly adding visual elements to verbal lessons will help students retain data (eschoolnews.com).

Adding video, text and audio to lessons help creates linked memories that strengthen data retention in the brain. Care must be taken in this process not to overload the brain with data, if too much information is presented it could create negative learning outcomes.

The following diagram explains the learning outcomes possible by using digital video.

A. J. Romiszowski (1981).

How would I apply these media to my teaching context?

The following video was created in  Microsoft photo-story (unfortunately the sound input did not work), it depicts my two pet dogs going for a walk with text explaining the activities on each page. Students could be asked to create their own similar story. Care would have to be taken not to ostracise any students that don't have pets, in their case the could just take photos of scenery on their walk.

These photo-stories could then be shared by students within a lesson so each student could explore and learn the different parts of the city / town that each student lives in. The combination of pets, scenery, text and audio would create connected memories that would aid in data retention, 

Analysis: How multimedia can improve learning | eSchool News | eSchool News. 2014. Analysis: How multimedia can improve learning | eSchool News | eSchool News. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2008/03/26/analysis-how-multimedia-can-improve-learning/. [Accessed 22 November 2014].

Romiszowski, A. J. (1981). Designing instructional systems: Decision making in course
planning and curriculum design. New York: Nichols Publishing.

Week Three Reflection

Web 2.0 Website

The ICT technology that has been chosen in this post is based on a Japanese language course that has created in the web 2.0 website memrise. Being web 2.0 it allows users to contribute and dynamically interact with the sites content similarly to way a wiki works.

The course created can be found here:

http://www.memrise.com/course/429032/most-common-japanese-adverbs/

Again following the language learning theme memrise is a web 2.0 service that allows anyone to create spaced repetition courses mainly for language learning but the technology can be applied to anything that needs information recalled. Spaced repetition is technology based on Ebbinghaus forgetting curve which states that our brains gradually forget data over time. To increase the chances of  retaining this information our brains need to be tested on recalling the data using spaced time intervals.

Source:

https://p2pu.org/he/groups/studying-psychololgy-the-p2pu-way/content/task-21-the-ebbinghaus-forgetting-curve/

The beauty of the service is that the site gives you all the scaffolding tools to keep students engaged via the use of 'mems' which are visual mnemonic ques that help students retain the information buy attaching the information to something they already know.

Example of a mem that has been created. 

Using the SAMR model this site could be used in the classroom via:

Substitution: The system uses a digital flash card system that can substitute for real life flash cards.

Augmentation: The flash cards have functional improvement because the system integrates the use of spaced repetition.

Modification: The system allows for students to add their own mems and courses. For example a classroom exercise could be for each student to make their own memrise course and then swap their course with another student. This in turns builds the social constructivism aspects of the learning experience. 

Redefinition: The system allows students to add additional words and mems to their courses. 

Assessment task 1 - Analysis of digital technologies - De Bono's Hats

Source:
http://katekendall.com/2010/04/05/graphic-facilitation-of-de-bonos-six-thinking-hats/

Task page:
http://debonoshats.wikispaces.com/Term+3%2C+2014+C

The de Bono's Hats activity is a modeled designed to engage the students into thinking in more complex ways by using the explicit scaffolding of the various hats that target the particular areas of the topic "What do you think about mobile phones in the classroom?' The activity is performed through a collaborative online wiki and each contributor has colour coded responses that identify who they are. 

Through my own personal experience of understanding the learning theory and analysis of the wiki activity the main core principal of learning theory that is being used in the task is social constructivism. The main scaffolding of the learning process are the modeled hats that are guiding responses to each question and followed by scaffolding by other students responses. 

Reading other student responses also forced me to think outside of the box and write  answers that no one else had mentioned,  in doing this I hope I influenced other students to do the same strengthening the social constuctivism aspects of the task. In turn this leads to unique learning outcomes because each persons answer becomes scaffolded by others. 

I would also say that cognitivism is also playing a role in the wiki learning process because I can see other students responses , therefore gauge if my responses are accurate. This in turn takes away the fear of being wrong and allowing my brain to process the information and allow the  the learning outcomes of the information entering the reflective brain. 

Creativity and 21st Century Learners

This TED presentation by Sir Ken Robinson really hit home for me. Being the proud father of my one year old daughter who is about to enter the Australian education system has made me concerned that the current system may not be geared to prepare my daughter for a ever changing future..

Ken appears to be asking for a revolution of the current systems and a refocusing of attention towards a child's creativity. I do agree that a child's creativity needs to encouraged but I worry what the end result of that will be if the work force can not support an oversupply of creative people. In saying this I can not predict the future and perhaps the demand for creative people will increase with the change in the way they society functions.

Ken's comment that people are inhibited by the fear of being wrong and if your are not prepared to be wrong you will never come up with anything original was interesting. I believe this to be very true and again relating this back to my language learning experiences, if I am not prepared to have a go at speaking the language (without the fear of being wrong) I know I will never get anywhere.

Ken also mentions the intelligence is know for three things. It is diverse, dynamic and distinct, as educators it is our job to focus on these factors and use ICT to personalize learning in the three areas.

Edutopia Webinar - How the Brain Learns Best

From personal experience trying to learn Japanese for the last 10 years I agree that the brain does not respond well when under stress, or when the brain perspectives the information to be too difficult (as stated by Dr Willis).

For example if I learn a new Japanese word that I know I can use regularly and will help me achieve a goal I will tend to remember it. But if I try to learn a new word that I have little interest in or I know I will rarely use I find it very hard to retain no matter how hard I try to force it into my head.

Also after trying may different methods to learn the language I can also understand that the different people learn in different ways. I tried many different ways to learn the language and I finally settled on a way that I have customized for myself. Additionally I will not learn unless I can find a way to enjoy the process, otherwise I am just wasting my time trying to rote force information into my head. This is similar to Dr Willis stating that students need to stimulated into caring about what they are learning so the information is retained.

It was interesting what was mentioned about visual learning and how the brain links what was visualized during the learning process and what was learnt. I have recently been using memrise  which is a spaced repetition flashcard based system to memorize anything. Memrise uses the same visual ques to recall and retain information. The students are encouraged to create mems which are pictures created from Google image searches that related to the words that they are learning. The system also has social media links and forums for the students to share and discuss their progress with other users. Creating the visual mems also helps personalize the learning process as recommended by Dr Willis.