by

Final assignment, Task 2 Unit 7

Finally it is over. Having spent many hours on this unit with frustrations with the laptop – freezing, very slow and generally the web tools not always doing what I wanted — here it is. This is the link to my task using Xtranormal.

Originally I wanted to use GoAnimate. When I had completed it and wanted it published – it asked me to upgrade. In frustration I left it and went to Xtranormal. As I used it last year, I wanted to try something different. Sorry.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/14562279/future-of-learning

 

Thank you everyone for all your support.

Dannie

by

Task 2, Unit 6

Task 2, Unit 6

  1. What are the characteristics of an effective learner?

-Being active

  You have to keep learning – keep the brain active. The mind is like any muscle –if you don’t use it, you will lose it.

-Being current

You need to continue with learning i.e. it is not enough to say that you know everything, technology and the world changes all the time and we have to keep up with these changes and not be left behind. Do not be afraid of change but embrace the challenge of change. Keep up to date.

-Being innovative

Trying doing something a new way – think outside the square.   

-Being motivated

  I must admit that there were many times when I wanted to quit. I thought it was  too hard and I was unable to do it. However, sitting in front of this computer, thinking and answering the questions, I am surprising myself that I am able to do it. Thus it is important to be motivated when you are doing anything. You have to find a reason why you need to continue.

-Practise

 As with anything, practise makes perfect. So we need to continue to use these new tools that we are studying.

 

Think about:

  • Your own progression with technology. How has it changed the way you  

      learn and shaped your professional practice?

      -I am surprising myself that, I have to admit to being 62, I am able to understand and retain what I am learning. I am

using tools such as Evernote, Diigo, Facebook, Twitter, Animoto (which I love) etc. If not for this course, and

working in a school library, I believe that I would not use any of these tools.

  • Your feelings about the impact of technology on us as citizens

-The changes that have taken place over the last few years have been astonishing. Before doing my library technician course, in 1998, I had to have help with the internet. As stated before, we have to keep up with the changes in technology or be left behind. When my eldest daughter started primary school in 1992 a new principal started at the school also. He was not only like a breath of fresh air, but a tornado. He modernised the school with new technology. Computers were introduced to the school and library. I was a volunteer library worker at the time. The modernization was great but at a cost. The librarian could not handle the change. She was taken out of the library and replace with someone who had computer skills. Eventually she retired. Some people find the changes frightening. I have a friend, who is my age, who doesn’t even have a computer – not willing to learn how to use it. I feel under different circumstances, if I did not do the library course, that I would be in the same boat.

  • Your thoughts about the use of technology in learning and the role educators

      play in modelling the use of technology

-The use of technology in learning is a wonderful tool. It enables the students to extend themselves, eg, by using

video links to enhance their presentation instead of using the old PowerPoint. They can save their web browsing in

Diigo until they are ready to do deeper research and then transfer what they want to save to  Evernote to keep.

-Educators can use technology in helping them to teach and make their lessons more interactive, imaginative and

more enjoyable.

  • How technology can be used to support your chosen 5 characteristics of an effective learner

–Being active

Have the students use the technology wherever possible

-Being current

        Have the students keep up to date with new technology

            -Being innovative

        Have students do their own research into new technology and use it.

-Practise

To reinforce what students have learnt they have to keep using the technology

  • We’d also love to read your predictions about how technology will change

      the way we learn in the future.

–With change in technology so rapid it is really anybody’s guess as to how far it will go. The use of paper and pen might be a thing of the past – antiquated.

by

Task 1, Unit 6

  1. 1.    Consider your own attitudes to online citizenship. How do you manage your privacy and reputation? Why?

I have two daughters in their 20’s. The eldest is always on the computer – Facebook, chatting, gaming. I do worry about her and the anonymous people with whom she is chatting.

I have a personal Facebook page, as well as a professional one. On my Personal page the setting is such that only my invited friends can see the page. I do have a friend, however, who is constantly on Facebook and I must admit that I rarely read everything that she writes.

Facebook is wonderful in that I can keep in contact with my niece and cousin and see photos of their families.

Last year, there was a male student who was constantly in trouble at school. He found that he could come to the library and talk to me. Towards the end of the year he asked if I would befriend him on Facebook. It took a lot of explaining as to why it was inappropriate for me to do so, even after he left school.

I believe that a person’s reputation is very important. Once it is gone, it could be gone forever. It is vital, when online, to keep in mind that whatever we publish is there forever, no going back later and saying sorry.


16 year old niece – Chris

  1. 1.    Attitudes to privacy online:

-On Facebook: general settings; didn’t look too closely into privacy options; photos – public; profile – private

 

  1. 2.    Are they concerned about their online reputation and do they take steps to protect their privacy? Consider the relationship between digital fluency and citizenship.

-Not really. Too young to really understand the consequences.

 

  1. 3.    What tools do they use to stay in touch?

-Mobile phone; social media; email.

 

4. Do they have multiple personae?

-No

           5.    How would they feel about using the same tool for their personal lives and their learning?

-Did not want to mix her personal life with her school life.

 

If one of the powerful aspects of online platforms is the way we can connect with others, then is it okay to try and lock students into walled digital gardens?

-Depending on the age of the student. I believe young students are not mature enough to realise the consequences of going online. A wrong chose could haunt them in later life.

-With education older students would understand the consequences of their actions.

 

How far does an educator’s responsibility stretch?

– An educator’s responsibility would go only so far. It is a parent’s duty to also supervise and explain to the student their responsibility when online.

 

Do they need to teach students to be responsible and informed users of social tools?

-Yes, an educator should teach students to be responsible and informed users of social tools. Younger students might have the attitude that they know more than their parents and be more willing to listen to the teacher. But parents have to reinforce the learning.

 

 Is this limited to the tools that we encourage students to use, or does it extend to the tools that students want to use? For example, should we be teaching responsible use of Facebook, or is it better to model behaviour in a platform like Edmodo and hope that it rubs off?

–It is important to teach and encourage students to be responsible with all the tools that they use – it is not enough to suggest that they only use certain tools. Parents could help by setting a good example with how they use the tools also.

 

by

Task 1, Unit 5

American Revolution

Google search –

-brought up 386,000,000 results in 20 seconds (not bad!)

-the Knowledge graph – included colour images

-by clicking More – Videos – brought up 74,200,000 video clips in 30 seconds

-by clicking the Options button – Advanced Search – you can redifine your search terms

-there are more search options by clicking Search tools

DuckDuckGo–

-did not bring up as many search results as Google

-it does have a Try this search on: collum with suggests on using other sites

-it has a different ‘feel’ to google – appears more sophisticated.

Bing–

-also has an auto suggest querry box

-brought up 26,400,000 results

-can search: Web, Images, Videos, Maps, News

-there is also a More button – for further search tools

-does have a Related searches for American Revolution – for other search terms

InstaGrok

-then layout for InstraGrok is different from the other three search engines

-the result for American Revolution came in the form of a graph search with text, images and videos coming out of the centre of the search term

-by chosing Journey you can add your own notes

-clicking the More tab will bring up extra search tools

For serious research I would prefer to use IstraGrok and DuckDuckGo. They seem to have more relevant information. There is no need to scroll through thousands of pages to find what you need.

However by using Googles Advanced Search and their other options,  you should be able to narrow your search.

by

Task 2, Unit 5

Time to test those evaluation skills! Your task is to:

  • Find and post a trusted web resource

SCOPE

SCOPE is a fast, funny and informative scientific entertainment for children

http://ten.com.au/scope.htm

SCOPE is a science television program for kids aged 8-12 years with a different theme every week

http://www.csiro.au/Portals/Education/Programs/SCOPE.aspx

I have taped SCOPE for both primary and secondary schools.

  • How do you know it’s reliable? Use one of the “crap detection” tools listed above.

5Ws:

WHO

  • Who wrote the pages and are they an expert?

Yes they are an expert as it is produced in association with CSIRO

  • Is a biography of the author included?
  • Yes a biography of Dr. Robert Bell is included on the CSIRO website
  • How can I find out more about the author?

More information about Dr Bell, who is the program host for Network Ten’s science television show SCOPE and a science education officer for CSIRO Education, South Queensland, can be found on the CSIRO website.

WHAT

  • What does the author say is the purpose of the site?

SCOPE is a science television program for kids aged 8-12 years

  • What else might the author have in mind for the site?

The show can be used for classroom learning, in conjunction with activities

and resources available from the SCOPE website

  • What makes the site easy to use?

The channel 10 SCOPE website is easy to use. It includes video clips of past

episodes as well as being bright and colourful – easy for students to manoeuvre around

  • What information is included and does this information differ from other sites?

The SCOPE website provides video clips, resources and activities for use in the classroom. Students can research the ideas introduced in each episode and ‘Ask Dr Rob’ for more information.

It includes links to Enhance TV, the Double Helix Science Club as well as a website  where you can find out how to “do all the cool” experiments on the show. You can also view the programs on iTunes.

It differs from other sites as it includes an archive of past programs that can be seen, by students, on a large screen

WHEN

  • When was the site created?

I cannot find when the site itself was created, but the show on Channel 10 started its run as of 2005

The CSIRO website, however, was created on 15.1.2007

  • When the site was last updated?

Again no information about the SCOPE website.

The CSIRO website was updated on 14.10.2011

WHERE

  • Where does the information come from?

The website is on the Channel 10 website

  • Where can I look to find out more about the sponsor of the site?

http://ten.com.au/scope.htm

WHY

  • Why is this information useful for my purpose?

It enables a user to find an episode that is relevant to their current studies

  • Why should I use this information?

If an episode is missed, then it is easily found and viewed when needed

  • Why is this page better than another?

It contains all the relevant information needed by the user

 

  • Record your findings in your blog post, but also tell us about your thought process

– How did you go about evaluating this resource?

I chose the SCOPE website as I have used it many times before.

I chose the 5Ws as I thought it would be easier for students to use.

By alternating between the questions and the website, as well as the CSIRO website, I was able to answer the questions. It did take some time to be able to find all the answers

-How might you use this process with students or colleagues?

I am planning to make a booklet of the whole evaluation process and then introduce it to my colleagues

by

Reflections – Unit 4

Reflection questions                Unit 4

Animoto

  • Does the service require a login? If so, what information needs to be provided when signing up for an account?

-Yes it does require a login.

-It needs your full name and your email address. Also requires a password.

 

  • Read through the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy of the site (if applicable). Do you see any potential issues for staff or student use?

-The agreement is limited. For a free version it only allows 30 seconds of use. For a yearly subscription of $30 it is unlimited – a reasonable price.

-If you download the application on a mobile device then the agreement only allows up to five devices.

-You are also responsible for all activities and transactions on the site.

-They also reserve the right to anonymously track your activities and report them.

-Animoto as the owner retains all propriety rights to the site, and the services provided by the site as well as its associated copyrights, trademarks, brands, service marks, patents or other proprietary rights.

-You are permitted to use the site and its content only as specifically authorised by them.

-As to the Intellectual Property Rights – you retain any and all rights you hold with respect to Image, Content and Musical Content.

-You need to abide by all copyright agreements. You need permission from the owners if you are going to download music and images not created by you.

-You also grant to Animoto a royalty-free, perpetual license to use, copy, create, modify, display and host your Animoto Video, Image Content and Musical Content solely to the extent necessary for Animoto to provide the Services.

 

  • How could you use this tool in your professional learning? Can you see it being useful to someone else in your organisation? Why?

-Animoto could be used to make Book Reviews in the library. 30 seconds is enough time to review the book and hold the students attention – to “wet their appetite”.

-The librarian in our school, who also teaches art, uses Animoto to showcase her students’ artwork.

-It is a great tool to display student’s work. I love Animoto.

 

  • Could this tool be used in an educational setting? What tasks might students complete using the tool? How could it change the tasks students are already doing? Where does it fit in the SAMR model of assessment?

-Yes, definitely, Animoto is a great educational tool.

-Humanities subjects like Geography and History could use Animoto.  

-The students could incorporate Animoto into their assignment eg. if studying the French Revolution, they could add photos and video clips to enhance their work.

      -At this stage it is Modification stage – the addition of images and video clips into   

       their work modifies the assignment. If the student collaborated the assignment with 

       others then it would be Redefinition.

 

  • Were you able to create something useful with the tool? Is it easy to share what you’ve done by either publishing it online or even embedding it into your own site? If so, share what you created by pasting a link into your blog entry or embedding the item.

-I made a “fun” video clip of my hobby – my garden.

-Initially I had problems embedding the link to my blog. But with perseverance – I DID IT. I hope you enjoy watching it.

 

It took me a few days to finish this unit. A lot of times it was frustrating. Finally here it is!

 

 

by

First task in Unit 4

The task

1.  First of all, choose an online service you’re already using (it could even be one of the tools you’ve signed up for in the first three units of the course, such as Evernote, Diigo or Google services).

Diigo

2.  See if you can locate the Terms of Service page and the Privacy policy page for your chosen service. If you find them, read a random section of each page. Is it written in clear language, or is the language designed to confuse? Do you see anything that surprises or concerns you about the service you are using? How long are the policies – could you read the whole thing or did you get bored? Did you read it when you signed up?

-The Terms of Use Agreement is nine pages long – written on May 1, 2006.  At the end they even have Ask A Lawyer Online Now which takes you to a sight called Just answer

Australia Law – where there are lawyers ready to answer any questions.

-The agreement states that it is legally binding and is written in legal “jargon” – meaning that it is heavy reading – it is not easy to read and could be confusing.

-However their Privacy Policy is easy to read. It is set out over three pages and in point form.

-I was able to read the entire Privacy Policy document but the Terms of Use was another story. After a few attempts I gave up – too heavy.

-My concern with the Terms of Use is that it is heavy reading – it needs to be simplified just like the Privacy Policy.

-I must admit that I did not read the documents before signing up.

 

3. Now explore whether your chosen service has a way to back up or export your data. (You might find these options by logging in and looking for a Settings or Account menu.) Does it seem like an easy process?

-I cannot find any evidence that Diigo backs up or exports my data.

 

4.  How easy is it to close down or delete your account? (Don’t go deleting it, just see if you can find the option or details of the account closure process.)

– There is an option in the Settings to delete my account.

 

Okay, now you’ve explored these four questions, consider this. Putting aside the actual usefulness of the service and based purely on your findings about these four questions, do you think you’d be happy recommending that other people sign up for the service?

-Yes I would recommend other people using Diigo – it is a research tool as well as a tool that can be used to share the information with others.

by

Unit 3

  1. What role might they play in education – for you?

As a means of building up a network of Library Technicians who share their knowledge and experiences.

2.

  • Tell us a little about how you find the tools we suggest.

Once I start using these tools and familiarise myself with how they operate, I become more confident and more willing to use them. I find that the tools that are suggested a great learning curb and a great help in this digital world.

When I started my Library course in 1998 I had never used the computer, and as to the Internet, I had to have help from one of the students. Nowadays that has changed completely. Doing this course has certainly increased my knowledge and confidence in my abilities. I come from an age when only typewriters and paper and pen were used.

3.

  • Have you used Twitter or Facebook before?

Last year I did the PLN course while working at Endeavour Hills SC. However I did not use the Twitter, or Facebook, accounts I had set up. This time I have been reading both Twitter and Facebook. I also have a personal Facebook account in which I follow my friends, family members and former colleagues.

4. Did one or the other appeal to you?

I’m not sure about Twitter as yet. I do like Facebook and love to read the messages and photos that are sent.

5. Do you have objections or are they blocked in your school?

If used correctly I have no objection to using Twitter and Facebook in the classroom. However at my school they are blocked.

6. What scope can you see for tools like these in collaborating or communicating with colleagues?

Using these tools you can set up a network of professional colleagues who share their knowledge and experiences.