My brain feels like it is experiencing a cave-in, so I know you are too. Three days of awesome discussion and sharing have led us to myriad engaging experiences and "ah-ha" moments. With so much to digest in such a short time, you may be feeling overwhelmed. Remember to take it one step at a time. Avoid the urge to try all these new things at once. KISS...Keep it super simple.
Tonight's Homework
* Read chapters 6 and 10 of our text.
* Select one chapter to summarize on your blog.
* Read your classmates' summaries and comment
* Work on your mini-lesson and independent hours
** Make sure you have a google name and password for tomorrow's class
Did I miss something here?
ReplyDeleteNo comments at all?
Chapter 8 in the text was the one I related to the most. The listing the authors provided struck a chord; Having seen students use these in different classes, I was able to understand the assignment and help them in an appropriate way. Let me state that I haven't used anything other than Flickr and that was only for travel purposes. When I saw other sites being used in lessons, I became more interested.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the authors, the rationale behind using these resources is that students must develop critical abilities to decode the meaning of visual images and the effects the images were designed to produce (p. 102) and "students need the ability to create a product" that reflect understanding of why and how an image is crafted, the message it conveys, and its effectiveness in doing so. I'm frequently surprised by some students' inability to read behind the images they are exposed to in their lives. Is this a matter of maturity or lack of sophistication? I agree wholeheartedly with the authors. All too often, images designed to produce responses do not always lead to critical thought about the effects. Students may not understand that visual means convey and/ or enhance meaning. To some, it becomes yet another stream of images.
The authors present various tools for integrating technology into lessons for digital storytelling. Listed alphabetically with annotations, they provide guides towards what these resources offer.I am aware of a few but have used only one as noted above, an educational tool but of limited use within my context. I appreciated that I can now understand why teachers made their choices, where the lessons integrated the use of technology to make the content more interesting and engaging. Research has many facets and can be enhanced in a number of ways but using visual learning tools lifts the tasks to a higher level.
Given students' fascination with visual imagery, it seems that expanded use of appropriate tools to create their own is much more of a hands-on lesson. We often forget that the next wave of image makers are right in front of us. I expect that as the tools become more sophisticated, and students more adept at image production, that we will be seeing much more of their output outside of a classroom setting.
I cannot locate any further posts by the students in the class to which I can respond.
ReplyDeleteReflections
ReplyDeleteI had no idea what to expect at the first class meeting but being with classroom teachers put me in an uncomfortable position. What could I possibly bring to the discussions? I must say that the class was very supportive throughout the five days of meetings.
A lot of material was presented and discussed that first day. Even so, the pacing and the clarifications of 'foreign' (to me) terms and concepts had me wondering.The introductions were reassuring, especially the must-do lists we were asked to generate. Even though this was a survey course, I felt the challenges would increase. They most certainly did. Questions were generated that I hadn't considered before.
Where do I think the trends are headed? I surmise that with the advance and acceleration of all forms of technology, an increase in its use in the classroom will be seen. It is impossible to predict just in what forms this will take but it will be adapted and refined as the needs arise. It is not the a trend; it is the future of education.