Final Post for ICT for teaching!

The course has come to a close. =[
I hate to say this, but I will miss it! I really enjoyed ICT; and i’m certain I have learned alot of new skills!
Mark asked us to re-take the Computer Competency Test and I was really happy with my results!
The first time I did the test, I received a result of 53/75. This time, my results illustrated HUGE improvement; 70/75!! WOAH!
I clearly took on board new skills from ICT for teaching; which was well taught by Mark, to be able to reassess myself to show such a great improvement!
Still, the aspect of Excel is challenging for me, and i’m yet to be confident with that skill.
Here is my Personal Competency Test:
Personal Competency Test 2
I think that this ICT course has really helped polish up my existing skills as well as teaching me those skills i didn’t know.
My strengths were definately Powerpoint – as I use that alot already. I also found Publisher,Inspiration and webquests easy to use
Weaknesses – probably my only weakness would be Excel. I’ve never really understood the complex formulas, and i struggled with that.
I know I will definately have to brush up on excel skills for use in the classroom and other uses for teachers.
Everything else i really enjoyed, and i’m certain i have improved alot from beginning of the Semester.

Finally: “How will your learning in this unit assist you in your future career as a teacher?”
I feel that ICT has really helped me to understand just how important technology is within the classroom.
There are so many uses for technology to help teach the students, to help the teacher to organise etc.
I know that when i get into a classroom i will be certain to use powerpoint and photostory to help me introduce a topic or enforce something that the class has just learnt. its a great way to use colour and visual representation which helps visual learners pick new material up, as well as being appealing for the whole class to enjoy.
All in all, I’ve enjoyed studying ICT and i feel it has really been beneficial for my further knowledge of technology that can be useful and used in the classroom.

Thank you Mark for being such a great teacher!
Thats all from me, See ya round!
MellyLou
xx

Week 11&12 Reading Reflections + Portfolio 8 Photostory

 Microsoft Photostory 3 is a software application which is downloaded free online.
It allows users to create storys through visual and audio representation.
This software uses photos, pictures, scanned graphics etc, in a slide show form accompanied by music that can be found online, added by its user from personal music collection, or found within the program.
Theres also an option for the creator to record their own singing to accompany their photostory.
This program is very easy to use and quick to create! It is also fast and free to download!!
It gives options of editing your photos by cropping, changing effects and lighting etc. as well as different choices of slide transition.

This would be a good progam to use in the classroom

Here is my portfolio Item 8 – my Photostory creation below.
PhotoStory Portfolio 8

MellyLou
xx

Portfolio item 6 + reading reflection week 9

Inspiration is the program well known for making concept maps (Mind maps)
Mind maps are a great tool to create a logical order of thinking, and be organised in a certain task.
Inspiration through mind maps, helps to communicate information in a visual way.
Inspiration is also used through the junior version, known as Kidspiration
- a program specifically focussed for children in K-5
While being inexpensive, it is still a very easy, simple to understand and well made program.

Here is my example of a mind map using Inspiration  on
 ”Interactive Whiteboards”

 I like inspiration, I can see myself using these later in my teaching career.

Portfolio item 7 is below!

Interactive Whiteboards Powerpoint

MellyLou
xx

Reading Reflection Week 7&8 + portfolio 5 = Excel!

The past two weeks of ICT lessons were all about Microsoft Excel
We learnt how to make a gradebook used to keep track of students achievements.
Sounds easy… Personally I struggled.
I struggled to remember and understand all the codes involved! but in the end I made it =]

Here is my Portfolio Item 5:
ICT Portfolio Item 5

With my new knowledge of Microsoft Excel,
I have come to believe that it is an extremely valuable resource for teachers.
(highschool and primary school)

Excel is “used to manage numerical data, but they can also be used effectively with text.”

Reading Reflection 6 – Publisher! + Portfolio item 4

Microsoft Publisher is a program that I hadn’t used before doing this portfolio item..
but it was really easy and straight forward to use.
I had no problems with changing the background colours and inserting text and pictures etc.
It is used for creating all types of publications; such as brochures, advertisments, CV’s and other posters.
The Study guide on publishing gave great instructions on how to use it, but I didnt really need the help. I figured it out for myself

 Here is my Portfolio item 4:
My Autobiography!

 That’s all for now!
MellyLou
xx

Portfolio Item 3 – Evaluate two WebQuests

This portfolio item required us to evaluate and assess the quality of two different Webquests according to the rubric.

The first Web Quest that I evaluated was ‘Freaky Frogs’.
This Web quest was dedicated to the research and understanding about deformities in frog species.
This site, while the writing was large and easy to read, lacked visual appeal which children willing to learn would like to be involved with. There are few graphics, and the graphics that are on the site have little relevance with the topic.
The font used in this web quest is clear and large, but it rarely changes its style except if it is hyperlink. Children react to things that appeal to them like colours and an interesting layout, but this web quest is mostly just chunks of information that they need to process and do.
Included is an assessment rubric for teachers to assess the student’s performance in completing the web quest, which I think is a great idea so that the teacher can see what information has been absorbed.
There are good selections of links used to direct students to more sources helping them understand how to use to Web.
The topic is good as frogs are animals all kids like to learn about.
The site is well structured, and the activities are interesting and relevant.
The site could be improved with more graphics.
I scored ‘Freaky Frogs’ 38/50
Evaluation Rubic for Freaky Frogs

*********
 
The Second Web quest I evaluated was ’What it means to be Australian‘.
This Web quest was based about Australia; its culture, it’s people, it’s people. This web quest is bright and colourful, with a great variety of information, font styles, colours, graphics etc.
I think with these components alone it would appeal to students.
It encourages a great deal of group work which is essential in forming communication skills and a sense of responsibility. It also features presentations skills where students are asked to present their information they found in the form of oral presentation.
This web quest is interesting, and appealing. It provides a great variety of links used to access to further information, helping students to find a sense of understanding to do with the internet and research.  
Within the conclusion, the information is summed up to help recap students of what they should have learnt throughout the study.
It also gives a list of outcomes that the students will be evaluated with when they present their information.
This site could have been improved with a further assessment rubric and perhaps more graphics, but overall I think this web quest in comparison to ‘Freaky Frogs’ was more appealing to students.
I scored ‘What it means to be Australian’ 44/50
Evaluation Rubric – Australia

I liked doing this portfolio item, as it helped me understand how webquests work and what their purpose is, their use for teachers in the classroom situation, and what would be more appealing for the students who are to use them.

Thats all for now!
MellyLou
xx

Reading Reflection 5 – Webquests

What is a webquest?
I certainly didn’t know until Mark explained it to us!
I thought it was just a regular website, but no. In fact, its different to a website in the way that is specially designed by teachers to aid education on a particular subject.

Webquests generally contain 6 main parts. These include:
*Introduction
*Task
*Process
*Resources
*Evaluation
*Conclusion

It is mainly a tool that assists students to undertake investigations and personal research to answer investigation questions and learn the basics on how to research correctly.

WebQuests are great ways to introduce the internet into a classroom situation, in a simple and structured way so not to scare or confuse the kids about it.

Pretty cool I think, and I know I will use webquests in my future classroom!

MellyLou
xx

Reading Reflection 4 – Word Processing

Word Processing
A very important concept that we use almost everyday.
Assignments, tables, presentations etc – all of which made possible by word processing programs like Microsoft Word.

It contains so many features accessible to its users such as:

• Adding graphics/pictures/photos to a document

• adding borders, changing font size and style of writing

• comparitive tables, graphs etc.

Its one of the most used AND useful progams on the computer.
It’s important for everyone – but especially teachers who will eventually be teaching the skills of word processing – that they are competent with how to use them, and how it works!
Its incredibly important for teachers and students as show in the table below:

Teacher and Student uses for Word (adapted from Newby, 2004)

MellyLou
xx

Reading Reflection 3 – WWW

This reading dealt with WWW – World Wide Web
Something which has taken the world by storm.
making communication fast, simple and easy.
Its an effective tool used in all businesses, schools and homes.

Often, internet users are not aware of how to use the internet properly to search or how the internet works.
Its a simple understanding for those who are familiar with the internet, like myself, but not for others.

Searching is made more accurate with its results depending on the search term – this idea had alot to do with Portfolio Item 2 comparing search engines, where i utilised Boolean search terms ie AND, OR , NOT which in doing this allows the search engine to refine what it is the user is looking for, therefore giving the best ultimate relevant results.

 This reading was a good reminder of these techniques to make browsing and searching the WWW beneficial for its users!

 Until Next Time,
MellyLou
xx

ICT in relation to Teaching Practical

I was just thinking back to when I go to practical every Tuesday.
The kids during maths class break up into groups. One group always use the computers to access the ‘Rainforest Maths’ website, which is dedicated to maths education for primary school students.

This just shows the real influence of technology in schools.
where some school actually rely on it to help teach units of work.

This reflects the need for teachers to be competent in the use of technology – in particular computers
because with the advancements made in society now, its even more important to keep up to date with the developments.

I’m off to class now!

MellyLou
xx