Helen:
I teach in the primary school with Year 1 students(5yrs). We use digital cameras to record learning along with voice recorders which at age 5 are a lot easier than writing what students think down.
Digital cameras and voice recorders are part of our daily life. We use them to record events and present a weekly news for parents of what students have been learning this week. The photos are uploaded into hyperstudio with the sound attached to the buttons. The main problem is that the students are more savvy than the parents and parents don't use the news as their first source of information yet.
We also use hyperstudio to animate the children's stories, by creating a background and a character which they move progressively across the cards making a basic animation with a voice recording of their story attached. Last year we did a similar thing using 'digital blue' and this year we're going to experiment with 'frames'
Assessment and planning are still challenging and I regularly feel limited by my physical class surroundings and timetabling.
We had a go at blogging last year but it was too hard for us all(me and students) at the time.
In planning I use google docs and we use this for team meetings. I see the potential with IT in education and am looking forward to learning more about how I can integrate into the class and continue to updating my teaching practice.
Jenny:
Before joining HKU for the full-time programme of MSc in LIM, I had worked as a financial analyst in a US fortune 500 company for 3 years. By that token, I had been an internal trainer of SAP system for the Finance department. Normally, I use ppt as a main document type to deliver the traninig material and apply the technology of projector in showing the process skills on class. After training sessions, Lotus note is the main method for sharing information and distributing digital training documents.
I once had online training sessions via net-meeting by which the host can share either the computer screen or the programmes with the participants online and delegate the participants to use the programmes online.
Stella:
Stella:
I have used a blog to share learning, handed my assignment and group project with my group members. I also used an online powerpoint software called "Slideshare" to do my assignment and group project.
I have also used googledoc to do group projects with group members. Moblie phone has been used to record the process of interviews during project research. I have also participated in an online meeting held by Google among students in Beijing and Hong Kong to discuss the use of technology and design the user interface.
I always learn and use various kinds of technologies including software, hardware and programming during my routine job duty. It helps me to perform my work efficient and effective and can enhance my productivities.
I have shared my knowledge of using softwares techniques with my team members and colleagues. For example, OCLC installation, AnzioWin installation and settings, expect programming and Microsoft Office, etc. It is very relax to share the knowledge of mobile phone settings with my friends in daily lives. It is my rewards to see their smiley faces after they knew the solutions.
I always eager to learn more about latest technology to broaden my knowledge and share with my relatives, friends and colleagues.
Thanks for telling us about your previous use of technology. I have one question? Do you thing that technology somehow transformed your own practice as a learner?
ReplyDeleteOnline environment provides us the opportinuity to become learners and teachers at the same time without boundaries.
ReplyDeletePeople could express their thoughts and ideas via Internet by online medias such as Blogs or Wikis, etc. People read or create online articles, resources or blogs as to perform the roles of teachers or learners. Synchronously, readers / learners could express their comments, reflections and queries to direct or stimulate bloggers / writers / teachers / scholars' thoughts.
The flexibility of learning and teaching via Internet could enhance and upgrade our knowledge, satisfy our needs of information and act as a platform for scholars to contribute their ideas and research results.
The knowledge will be broadened among the communications of learners and teachers / mentors' changing roles.
I benefited from the comments of my group members to my presentation via the blog. I transform from a presenter to a learner in this process.
During using wiki, I transform from a creater of context in the project to a learner of language codes of Wiki due to the creation of a table list.
stella
Helen
ReplyDeleteam curious to know how u teach & record in class at the same time? do u have teaching assistant? do you have a site to post all the class/student work? or it's the school's Intranet?
re blogging,
do the 5 years old know how?
do they parents allow them home computer time?
do u teach them first?
do u have to lead them e.g. give them a subject?
how often do they blog?
am interested to know the younger kids's IT behaviour. will ask u more in next class if u don't mind.
thx
hilda
Hi Hilda,
ReplyDeleteAll good questions! Year 1 certainly presents some challenges in terms of independence. The starting point for me is generally play with the equipment, so for approximately the first few weeks of school I give the children the digital cameras and voice recorders to use. I don't do any real teaching of how to use, except push this button for on and this picture for taking a picture etc. Generally I give them a few tasks to do like take a full body shot, ask your friends some questions on the voice recorder. The children become quickly able to use and generally I never answer their questions, referring them to someone else in the class to ask which gets them into the habit of solving their own problems. As we go we talk about what worked and didn't work. The quality of their recording quickly improves. We then shift the focus to recording learning rather than anything they feel like. Generally after a few weeks of free use of the equipment they are able to use independently which means that yes their recording is done is class as I teach.
All our products that we produce are posted to the school website which has restricted access.
With regards to blogging.... we didn't get very far. Writing was too difficult for the YR1's and I didn't have enough experience to use other tools like voicetread. We'll have another go at that some other time soon.
Computer time is a concern for parents and they find it hard to see the need as their learning background was different to their childrens. Parent education is required is this area.
I'm happy to talk to you about junior school and the challenges it can present.
helen
Helen,
ReplyDeletethx a lot for the elaboration. it's really very innovative. how did u come up with this ideas of incorporating these IT gadgets into the classroom???!!! i saw u mentioned about betterchinese, do u teach chinese?
hilda