Prezi

Today I have made my own Prezi and to be completely honest I found it really difficult and confusing! I believe it would be a great tool to use when collecting and displaying information in the classroom, although in saying this I could hardly navigate the site.

I found it difficult to move words around; I would click the wrong section of the circle that covers the word and either the page would zoom, or the words would become bigger! I then was trying to navigate the tools I could use to make my Prezi fancy and the buttons disappeared and I couldn’t find my way back!

In the end, with much difficulty, I developed a very simple Prezi as you can see below:


This tool would be extremely useful in a classroom setting, it could be used on the Smartboard or the Data Projector to display, brainstorm, collect and organise information. However, despite this, I would not use Prezi in the classroom. Due to the fact that I struggled to use this tool I personally would prefer to use a simpler tool such as Bubbl.us to display, brainstorm, collect and organise information. Not to mention that in an early childhood setting Prezi would not be appropriate as much simpler tools, that the children could use, would prove to be more useful and engaging.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a tool I have used many, many times before! It is useful in various situations and numerous educational settings. It is an effective way of displaying information and is easy to use by many age groups!

Below are a couple of examples of how I have used PowerPoint in the classroom and to enhance university presentations:



During my practicum placements in the past year and a half I have used PowerPoint to enhance lessons. Throughout a lesson I delivered this year to my grade three class, a PowerPoint was used to help the students complete a flowchart. It proved to be extremely helpful and successful! In young classes PowerPoint can also be used to exhibit recounts and images from important events that occur throughout the school year. Exhibiting events such as excursions, under 8’s day or sports days through PowerPoint can prove to be worthwhile. Students learn how to recount events whilst ICTs are effectively embedded in the lesson.

Not only has PowerPoint been functional throughout my practicum placements but also throughout my university course so far. For nearly all of my oral presentations delivered PowerPoint has been used as a tool to present facts, key points and ideas. It has been an ICT that has continuously proved to be effective.

PowerPoint is a beneficial ICT when used correctly in the classroom and I would definitely continue using this tool throughout my future practices!

Weebly Website

I feel the more technology I discover and try the more competent I become when dealing with different and new technologies. Up to this date I have created three very different sites, my own Blog, Wiki and Weebly. Three weeks ago I had no idea what either three of these sites were or did and now I have my own! Through the creation of these websites I am constantly developing new knowledge of technology which I believe will positively assist me in the classroom. To view my Weebly click - My Weebly.

These websites I have discovered and developed all have strengths and weaknesses, in particular the Weebly. I found it easy and fairly simple to create a Weebly and therefore believe it could be a positive in the classroom. To organise my thoughts regarding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a Weebly, I have developed a SWOT analysis. This SWOT analysis will display whether or not this tool would be beneficial in the classroom and valuable to individuals and their learning.

Strengths
• Easy to create
• Useful display of information
• Cannot be altered
• Simple to view
• Can be developed appropriately for a classroom setting
• Made to suit the individual
• Supports technologically driven students

Weaknesses
• Does not promote collaborative learning
• Is not interactive
• Students are unable to offer warm or cool feedback to other students regarding displayed information

Opportunities
• Creativity
• Students can access school work and homework when they please either on school computers or at home
• Develop computer skills

Threats
• Children may trust the information displayed
• Is not a scholarly source of information

This SWOT analysis shows me that a Weebly would be very useful in a classroom, I would consider using this tool in the classroom as I believe it would enhance the students' learning through the use of ICTs.

Wikis

Today I created my own Wiki on Wikispaces, as you can see below! To view my Wiki click - My Wiki.


To be perfectly honest I have been dreading making a Wiki as I feel like I have no idea about technology anymore! In saying this, as I made my Wiki I became more and more confident because I found it easier than making a blog! As seen in the picture I chose my layout and colour and continued to choose colour fonts. I tried to install a picture but as clearly seen that didn’t pan out as planned!

After watching the Plain English YouTube video as an explanation and introduction to the use of Wikis I understood and grasped the concept of a Wiki and its usefulness! Originally I thought that a Blog might be of better use in a classroom as all the information produced by individuals can be displayed and not constantly changed or deleted. However after learning about Wikis, I can certainly understand the point of using a Wiki in the classroom for a number of different activities and group assessment tasks. As I personally have a couple of group assessments this term, I can see the usefulness of being able to access the site in your own time and be able to see what has been done and what needs to be done. A Wiki would be a great way of collaborating ideas and sharing the workload whilst proving to be accessible and an easy communication method.

I would use this tool in the classroom due to the fact that group assessments, excursions and camps are just a few activities that would benefit from this tool. I believe that if I can create a Wiki any students within this 21st century connected society would be able to make, work and use a Wiki to their advantage!

Bubbl.us

I have now completed my very own concept map online, and I really enjoyed it! I found this tool simple and straight forward to use, I even had some fun with colour changing!

I completed my mind map on ‘Managing E-Learning’ in general. I brainstormed everything that this course means to me and what I believe our knowledge gained from this course will mean in the classroom.


I feel confident in using this tool and personally believe it would be a fantastic tool to use in the classroom. I have always thought concept maps were a precise and clear way of displaying knowledge whilst a logical checking for learning. However, when drawing a concept map on paper it can become extremely messy and confusing with different lines coming from here and there. With this tool I found that my information could be colour coded and moved around as many times as necessary! This made the display of my knowledge extremely easy to comprehend. I think this online tool keeps the making of a concept map simple, neat and tidy, whilst being more enjoyable to create!

Blogs

I have always thought that when it came to technology, in particular the internet, I was completely competent with regard to websites, setting up accounts and uploading files whether it was text or images. This was previous to having to create my own blog.

“Blog” is a term I never understood, I have heard it used before but have never understood its purpose, meaning or function. It has indeed been a struggle setting up my blog and figuring out how to sign into my own account! Although after reading and discovering the purpose of blogs I now release the value of blogging. I have developed a PMI to enhance my opinion concerning blogs and their functionality in the classroom.

Positive
• Engaging
• Flexible
• Accessible
• Shared learning
• Innovative teaching and learning
• Interactive learning
• Proactive
• 21st century connection to society

Minus
• Need for computers
• Not all students are digitally active
• Students may lack motivation
• Restricting to certain age groups

Interesting
• Individual, yet collaborative
• ICTs are becoming integral to learning
• Promotes home – school interaction
• Gives students responsibility

Through the development of the above PMI I have come to a conclusion that blogging would be a beneficial learning and teaching tool in the classroom. In saying this, this tool would only be useful in a classroom in which the necessary resources were available and the class was a grade 4 class or older. If these two particular negatives were not an issue I would be pleased to be able to use this tool in my classroom!