REFLECTIVE SYNOPSIS

In our current day and age, ICT's are readily available to be used for even the most simple tasks. This approach can be applied to learning management, as it is common now for even the simplest learning environment such as a classroom possesses a computer often with a live internet connection.

I week 1 and 2 I investigated only some basic technologies, including an activity to determine my own "learning style". With the activity giving me a result as being a "VISUAL" learner, I responded to a learning design forum posting by fellow peer Lean Thinee. I stated,

"I think maybe with the increase of digital technologies that children use these days, a lot more students may appear as VISUAL learners. "

In response to this, Lecturer Scot Aldred stated that my point of view had been supported by 'Profiling Research' that his students had done in the past. An additional comment was posted to my week 2 blog posting by fellow peer Karen Stewart, and she added,

"Just following through on your statement that the increase in the use of ICT in the classroom creating more visual learners, do you think that (by extension) the traditionally successful students who were verbal/written language learners will find it increasingly difficult?"



I do agree with Karen's statement, but I still believe my point of view is still valid as well.

From weeks 3 until 5 I investigated the use of PowerPoint presentations and Avatars. Even though PowerPoint has proven its value after many years of use since it was first utilised in the late 1990's, it is still very useful as a technological tool for learning/teaching today. After completing the learning activity in which I created an avatar, and saw many of my other peers' avatars, I realised how useful this could be in a learning environment. With online avatar creating software, there are almost endless options in how you can make the avatar look like and what you want it to say, even with a choice of widely used languages.

This language feature could make it particularly useful for teaching LOTE, as students could create a foreign speaking avatar, and change what it says to learn correct pronunciation.

I weeks 6 and 7, I investigated the use of online slide shows. I found the online slide show software (Slideshare)not very useful, as other websites such as YouTube and MySpace can be used to display and convey information in this type of format just as easily, and often with an easier to use layout. Digital storytelling can also be used with YouTube and MySpace.

In response to my slide show that I posted under the heading "PowerPoint presentation" peer Karen Stewart again offered a response in regards to my slide show,

"In delivery, would you incorporate more interaction from the students? I would suspect getting the students to research some of the bands, identifying (and playing or interpreting) linking music themes/riffs/note sequences [I'm not a musician, so clutching here] between the periods would be a great collaborative exercise that could be shared."

This led to me responding with,


"Yes, I suppose it could lead to exercises. For example, listening to short examples taken from songs and asking students to identify a possible genre and era."(as I did in my undergraduate degree in some exams)

OR

"for a composition assignment. (compose 32 bars of a genre of the GIVEN CHOICES for guitar, bass, drum-kit and vocals) This is a common type of assessment in Senior Music."

In my final 5 posting I investigated the use of a photo sharing website called "Flickr", a photo re-sizing website called "Picnik", YouTube, Wikipedia, Google Earth and a free music website called "INCOMPOTECH"

Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia could be so easily used as an effective learning/teaching tool in classrooms as they offer such a rich and diverse range of information. Flickr offers anyone in the world to share their photos, and allows them to keep other information private, as apposed to Facebook which is also a good medium for sharing photos, but only with friends and colleagues.

YouTube and Wikipedia could be used hand in hand with each other. For example, students could be shown a video on YouTube, and then be asked to research the content of the video on Wikipedia, which could then lead to a brief oral presentation in which students present their findings.

After using Picnik to re-size a photo which i posted to my blog, I was not impressed as it is common for many computer to already have photo resizing software. Students are often tech-savvy enough to have these skills and wouldn't take the effort to search the internet for this kind of software.

After exploring and enjoying the many possibilities that "Google Earth" offers, I posted under the heading "Google Earth & Wikipedia" that,

"Using Google Earth in a subject such as Geography could prove to be very useful for showing physical features of the earth such as volcanoes, mountains, oceans, latitudes and longitudes but in teaching music, I don't see it as being as resourceful. Possibly it could be used to show important historical sites in the development of western music, such as the many homes of Mozart and where he traveled to perform his many concert dates as a child."

Finally, after using the website INCOMPOTECH, which provides internet users with free music samples I came to the conclusion that this website was extremely resourceful, as it offers music samples from many genres. Music can be used for many types of learning experiences to convey emotion or as a hook to get students' attention.

I conclusion, after completing my blog and reflecting on my experiences with many new technologies, I have found many new ways to use ICT's within a learning environment.