Powerpoint V's Prezi

Both these tools are fantastic.  I do find myself using PowerPoint so much more than prezi.  i find that PowerPoint is easier to use than prezi although i have had little experience with it because i found it difficult from the start.  Both these tools are a great way to present topic information to students in a very engaging manner.  Last year during my first prac I created a PowerPoint presentation for PE about nutrition.  After some research i found a product on the Internet called presenter media.  This product provides PowerPoint templates and animated pictures to add to your PowerPoint presentation.  The students were very engaged in the material when there were animated characters doing funky things on the screen.  as you can tell I would prefer PowerPoint over prezi.

BeFunky

I love photo editing tools and this one is no exception.  There are so many effects and you can upload any photo or picture you want from your computer.  Again this tool will be fantastic in Home Ec.  This editing software will be great for pictures is powerpoint presentations prezi or even glogster.  Loved this tool.

Glogster

I loved using glogster.  I have never used or heard of this before but what an amazing ICT tool.  This tool allow you to add both pictures and videos with ease.  It has amazing templates that are easy to use and edit.  Home Ec is one of the subjects that I am Studying to teach and this tool to encourage creativity in students as well as being very engaging.  This would work well as a homework tool.  I am extremely excited about this tool and will definitely be using it in future learning experiences.  My first attempt at Glogster:  http://www.glogster.com/tamw81/felting/g-6lbj854cbc8shmdocaiu8a0

Mobile phone wiki activity

Wiki is something I have never heard of or used before.  Navigating the site was reasonably easy.  Wiki is a great tool for collaborative learning and encouraging the flipped classroom.  This type of activity would be very engaging for high school students.  This type of ICT tool will engage students and encourage participation.  This is also a great tool to monitor the student participation.  Although this is a new and a  little exciting for me I feel there are some disadvantages to this tool.  It is very easy to edit or delete other comments.  This way of posting unless structured like the six thinking hats could become very messy and off task.  Using the six thinking hats provided structure and keeps their thoughts collected and on task.  Wiki promotes a combination of constructivism and connectivism.  Constructivism is promoted by relying on previous knowledge and understanding of a topic to comment and also to comment on others comments.  It also allows students to put forward their own views and perceptions about a particular topic.  Connectivism is promoted in wiki's by collaborative learning.  Students nee to create and connect with Wiki to provide feedback through collaborative learning with other students.  Wiki's will be a prevalent ICT tool in my future leaning experiences.

Go TPACK

TPACK is the teaching of now and the future.  The integration of technology within the classroom is engaging for the students and when technology, pedagogy and content are correctly balanced students are in a positive and engaging learning environment.  The diagram below explains TPACK in a simple way.


When the three are combined they create effective and efficient teaching for the 21st Century.

Engage or Enrage

I definately believe engage or enrage.  Prensky's theory that the students of today are digital natives is spot on.  What student now does not have a mobile phone, laptop, computer, access to the internet, facebook, twitter the list goes on.  For my first prac I was in a very small country school even these students as isolated as they are have lives based around the digital age.  Students at a catholic school where I am doing my current prac do something with ICT every lesson.  Most students love the class love using the ICT and if students are enjoying something then they are learning at the same time.  Students need to be engaged to learn or the do become enraged and don't learn.  Great theory Prensky!!!!

A Little behind

Well life has been very crazy for me these first couple of weeks.  My son has had representative football and life just hasn't had a chance to fit in uni.  So here I am my very first blog ever.  Not sure that i like the idea but the times are a changing.  I am nervous about this course thought i knew allot about ICT but seems I have barely touched the surface.  In the first week of the school holidays I had to do a teaching textiles workshop where we touched on the ICT aspect of Home Ec the lecturer we had a teacher from Chanel College in Gladstone uses a blog for students to put up there homework reflection question answers.  What a great way to engage students.  Well that's it from me for my first blog.