Week Four

In the Tutorial this week we jumped on the ABC website to check out 'Dusk Echoes'. The site is an electronic dream time hub. There are different dream time stories that you can listen to and read about. It's set up for teachers with activities related to each story, and then some general information related to each story. Then we got into Microsoft excel. Fun times.

 The story of the Wagalak Sisters from the ABC website, under Dusk echoes.http://www.abc.net.au/

The story is about two sisters who create, well, everything. One of the sisters has a baby, then they get eaten by a dingo. Am a little confused; I thought Dreamtime stories had a point. I thought the stories were meant to explain how things had come to be, ie, why the crow is black.

I have a couple issues with this site (old lady is emerging): Firstly, in a classroom setting, why do students need a story read to them on the computer? Maybe if they've got some free time they could watch it? While technology surpasses many traditional means, reading a book to children is not one of them. Secondly, I have politically based issues with this site. I like the idea behind, make indigenous culture readily available: ace. But who was in charge of this? The imagery? The narration? Where indigenous Australians heavily involved in the decision making processes? Doubt it. 

Finally, it took Greg and I a really long time to upload my version of the Mermaid from the ABC/Dusk Echoes.

M and Ms count: Count the number of m and ms in a packet then transfer that information into a graph using excel. I liked this exercise, it demonstrated how easy it is to incorporate ICT into the classroom experience. Using technology in the class adds another layer onto the learning experience; they learn what is set out by their teacher, but they also get to practise and enhance their technological skills.



Week Three

Design Briefs are aimed at developing children's higher order thinking skills while encouraging independence. The design brief provides support, ensuring the students have a higher rate of success while working independently. The children are given a challenge and the materials that can be used to solve the problem. It also provides an opportunity for children to work through every stage of a project: writing up the drafts, then making the final product. Not only will this help with their planning skills, it will also aid their analytical skills. If their final product doesn't turn out the was they had hoped, they can go back through the design brief to find where it went wrong.  

Out task: make the 'frog' jump using a piece of cardboard, some sticky tape, an elastic band, and a picture of a frog. All we did was fold the cardboard in half, tie the elastic band around it, then stuck the frog on the front. We didn't really talk about it before one of the group members (me) just grabbed the stuff and started playing with it. It was interesting listening to the members of my group talk about what they thought the challenge was: They thought it was about making the picture of the frog jump, whereas I thought it was meant to be all the one thing.

Practical application:While the use of a design brief is a good idea, it would be completely useless (especially for those 'hands on type kids') if they were given the material along with the brief because the kids will just start playing with it. We barely used ours. Start with the design brief, wait ten minutes, then give them the material.

Weekly Reading:

Materials technology (ID/P/E –VELS)

http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/dct/downloads.html

It's interesting to note the shift of focus through the last forty years within the educational system on what is deemed as important. When my parents went to school there were technology schools as an alternative to academically based secondary schools. These schools, for whatever reason, were closed down and all teenagers were forced into secondary schools. Throughout my secondary school career the technology aspect of education was never completely forgotten, wood/metalwork, ICT, home eco was still incorporated into the curriculum. Today we a shift from the importance placed on academia back to recognising the importance of technical skills. VELS places a heavy emphasis on creativity and technology.

Week Two

The interview process:

• be on time
• don't smoke in your car (good for me, I don't smoke)
• don't wear your trackie dacs
• consider working in schools that appear less than ideal (you never know where it might take you)
• at the end of the interview say 'thank you for listing me, I really appreciate the oppurtunity'. Sounds a little sucky to me.

So this week was all about publisher and ePortfolios. I agree with Woodward and Nanlohy who wrote the readings for this week about the benefits of ePortfolios ( if you want know what that is, it's all there, at the end of the page). I also see the benefits in a job application situation: it shows that you're up to date with technology, that you're organised, the list goes on. But here's my issue with the whole situation (what I'm about to say could offend, but if it's any consolation at least I acknowledge it): It's been my experience that people who are good with technology, generally, sometimes, (ok, I'm just going to say it) lack interpersonal skills. There! I said it. So this is what I'm thinking: You need strong interpersonal skills to be a teacher, thus people who are bad at technology, and don't have fancy ePortfolios: GREAT teachers. Huh? 

Publisher
We were meant to make a brochure for ideal travel destination. Just so you  know, I've been to Iguazu, and it is amazing, don't let my pamphlet put you off.
This is the first time I've ever used Publisher, I think the results speak for themselves. I had a bit of trouble with the images, the ones straight from google didn't blow up well (they went out of focus). I decided to copy my friend and get my images from the National Geographic which turned out a lot better. Despite the mayhem I can see the advantages of publisher for education, it'll give the students another a chance to present their ideas in a different format.

Weekly Reading:

Digital Portfolios: Fact or Fashion

By Helen Woodward and Phil Nanlohy, University of Western Sydney. Australia

I don't think this paper was asking the right question: is this digital technology related to portfolios worth investing time and resources on, or is it a waste of time? I don't think in this day and age anything related to computers is going to be a superficial 'fashion' accessory. Woodward and Nanlohy found evidence that suggested the e portfolio was a good investment for a number of reasons, which I'll go into later. But even if that wasn't the case, we live in a technologically based society. Digital trumps traditional anything: email vs the letter, text vs the phone call, typed vs handwritten. Yes, the latter of the pairs is more romantic, but let's be honest: not practical. We live in a fast-paced world, and the 'old way' just takes too long. The digital portfolio was always going to be better than the paper format for the simple fact that it is digital.
Despite this, Woodward and Nanlohy did find more substantial results proving the superiority of the            e-portfolio. The authors suggest that the e-portfolio streamlines the creators ideas, helping them to organise their own ideas, allowing them to go deeper into the material. The students weren't getting lost through lack of instruction because the program itself acted as guide, students were able to invest more time and energy in to creating their portfolios.