Week 5 Term 3

I attended the QSITE conference last Saturday in Townsville. The presenters were from the ICT Learning and Innovation Centre in Brisbane. The focus was on digital story telling, and exploring various free software available such as photostory, audacity and Web 2.0. We also had the opportunity to work with Sam animation which was very interesting and a great deal of fun.
I have also launched into my focus of professional development - reflective and self directed learning supported by e-tools and e-Portfolios.
I have been exploring the Literacy Cycles developed by Dorothy Burt and thinking about developing a cycle with the central focus being reflection. I am in the process of developing this.

As our present Inquiry has a science focus, culminating in a science fair celebration, I have decided to use Art Coasta's 16 Habits of Mind as the main focus for the starting point in talking about and identifying ways of thinking and metacognition.

We started off by talking about and sharing ideas on habits that we may have, good and bad habits and what a habit is and the kinds of habits that we might like to have.
I then spoke to the children about good habits also applying to the way that we think about things.
I had gone onto the Habits of Mind website and downloaded the simplified explanation of each habit with the symbol cards. From this I developed a matching activity. The children worked in pairs, reading the descriptors and matching these to the picture symbols.
In the next lesson we then went through each descriptor and discussed the matching symbol. We also talked about what we might say or do (or what it might sound like or look like) for each of the Habits.
In the next learning we have worked in small groups of 5, with teacher aide support, and highlighted which habits or kind of thinking a scientist might display.
Our next step is to move into some paired research into a famous scientist, and provide 3-5 habits that the scientist of choice displayed and provide an example of each habit- what they actually did or words that described their kind of thinking.

Authentic and meaningful reflection is an important part of the learning process. It fosters critical thinking, connections, deep understanding, and metacognition. Publishing reflections to the web encourages students to find their voice and express their identity more than if they know only the teacher is going to read it.
It seems that Blogs and Voice Threads are two commonly used and effective tools to provide a framework for students to reflect on their learning. Both tools can be built on over time and students can refer back to previous reflections to understand the growth of their learning. On the Voice thread issue, I have found out that Queensland Education has blocked this site so I think that I am going to have to explore alternatives.

In terms of my own further professional development, I have been given permission to attend the 6th Annual IWB and IT conference in Sydney from the 20th - 22nd August.

Upskilling in my own knowledge of e-tools that will support audio reflective practice

I thought that this would be easy because I feel that I am quite Web 2.0 savvy. However, this has been a lot more difficult than I thought. I have had such a problem with Voicethread and have now sent emails out to colleagues and to the Helpline.
When I upload from my computer there is a X in the corner of the block and no image.
When I try it at school I can get the picture, then I record and when I play back there is no sound,. When I type a message there is no sound. I have listened to the tutorials and followed their instructions - but I am not having any luck.
However I have discovered another great option for audio reflection of learning - narrating powerpoint presentations. I stumbled cross this accidentally while looking at a site which will help me to download videos that the children have made.

Here are the notes on how to narrate your powerpoint:
THIS OPTION IS FOR MAC COMPUTERS

Recording a Voice Narration
When you record a narration, you must run through the presentation and record on each slide. If you need
to, you can pause and resume recording. Please note that in order to record a voice narration, your
computer needs to have a sound card, microphone, and speakers. Follow these steps to record a voice
narration:

1. Make sure your PowerPoint presentation is saved.
2. On the Outline tab or Slides tab in normal view, select the slide icon or thumbnail that you want
to start the recording on.
3. On the Slide Show menu, click Record Narration.
4. Click Set Microphone Level, follow the directions to set your microphone level, and then click
OK.
5. Do one of the following:
A. Embed the narration by clicking OK on the Record Narration dialog box.
B. Link the narration. To do this, on the Record Narration dialog box:
a. Check the checkbox next Link narrations in.
b. Click Browse.
c. Click a folder in the list, and then click Select.
d. Click OK.
6. If in step 2 you selected the first slide to begin the recording on, go to step 7. If you selected a
different slide to begin the recording on, the Record Narration dialog box appears. Do one of
the following:
A. To start the narration on the first slide in the presentation, click First Slide.
B. To start the narration on the currently selected slide, click Current Slide.
7. In slide show view, begin speaking into the microphone, and click in the slide to advance. Begin
recording for that slide, advance to the next slide, and so on. You can pause and resume the
narration.

Note: 1. When advancing the presentation to the next slide, halt briefly for 5 seconds before starting the narration.
2. To pause and resume the narration right-click on the slide and on the shortcut menu select Pause
Narration or Resume Narration.
8. Repeat step 7 until you've run through the slides, and when you come to the black Exit screen,
click in it.
9. The narration is automatically saved, and a message appears asking if you want to save the
timings for the show as well. Do one of the following:
A. To save the timings, click Save. Your slides appear in slide sorter view, with the slide
timings shown below each one.
B. To cancel the timings, click Don't Save. (You can record the timings separately.)

Note: 1. In your presentation, only one sound can play at a time. So if you have inserted a sound that is to play
automatically, it will get overridden by voice narration.
2. To run the presentation without narration, on the Slide Show menu, click Set Up Show, and then select the
Show without narration check box.

Editing Voice Narrations
It is possible to modify the voice narration you have added to your PowerPoint presentation, turn it on or
off, or simply remove it completely from the presentation.
To remove voice narration from a slide:
1. On the slide, select the sound icon or CD icon, and then press DELETE.
2. Repeat for each slide you want to delete the file from.

To turn narration on or off in a presentation:
1. On the Slide Show menu, click Set Up Show.
2. To turn narration on or off, clear or select the Show without narration check box.

To re-record a voice narration
1. Follow steps 1 through 6 in the Recording a Voice Narration section of this handout.
2. When the slide for which you want to re-record the voice narration appears in slide show
A. To stop re-recording, press ESC.
B. To continue re-recording, click the mouse to advance to the next slide, speak the
narration on the slide, and click to the next slide to continue re-recording. To end the re-
recording before you go through all the slides, press ESC.


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Technology integration - five interdependent characterisitcs of meaningful learning environments

What is the Technology Integration Matrix?

The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) illustrates how teachers can use technology to enhance learning for K-12 students. The TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaningful learning environments: active, constructive, goal directed (i.e., reflective), authentic, and collaborative (Jonassen, Howland, Moore, & Marra, 2003). The TIM associates five levels of technology integration (i.e., entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, and transformation) with each of the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments. Together, the five levels of technology integration and the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments create a matrix of 25 cells as illustrated below.

What is the history behind the tool?

The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) was developed to help guide the complex task of evaluating technology integration in the classroom. Basic technology skills and integration of technology into the curriculum go hand-in-hand to form teacher technology literacy. Encouraging the seamless use of technology in all curriculum areas and promoting technology literacy are both key NCLB:Title II-D/EETT program purposes. The Inventory for Teacher Technology Skills (ITTS) companion tool is designed to help districts evaluate teachers’ current levels of proficiency with technology and is also used as a professional development planning and needs assessment resource. The TIM is envisioned as an EETT program resource which can help support the full integration of technology in Florida schools.

I have had a good look at this matrix. I think that the levels of technology integration that support the characteristics of meaningful learning, will provide a useful scaffolded structure for the guiding the teaching and support of reflective practice. MOre comment on how I have used this matrix to follow.

Technology Integration Matrix

Classroom strategies and e-tools that support the strategy

I was reading about these strategies and thinking about how they related to reflective learning. I think that the e-tools that support each learning strategy will also support some kind of reflective practice. I think that the e-tools will provide the support and scaffolding to show the process of learnin and thinking. I also think that the children will be able to use these scaffolds as a guide when they talk about their learning.
8 teaching strategies outlined in Marzano's Classroom Instruction that Works. For each strategy, we will be brainstorming technology tools that could enhance that strategy (see where you come in?)

The 8 Teaching Strategies: a listing and brief explanation for each teaching strategy. The page # is also referenced for you convenience.

Other Resources that might be of use:
Web 2.0: Cool Tools for Schools Wiki
I Want To: Tools for different purposes
TrailFire: Favorite Web 2.o Sites for Education

Part of my next step

This is going to be very valuable information and my project for this investigation and upskilling myself this weekend. Voicethread is one of the tools that I am looking at to use for audio reflections of students thinking and learning. I am going to start next week, working with each student and ask them a few questions about their learning ( I will add these to the blog ). I will record their responses using Voicethread.
I took this information from Marie Linder. She has a blog about internet and communication technology in education.

VoiceThread is a web-based, digital, storytelling application. It is a tool which enables you to create picture or video presentations, to which you can add audible, audiovisual or written comments. It is also possible to add handwritten scribblings (here called doodels) to highlight things in the pictures if applicable. These fades as the presentation goes on, but the fading function can also be turned off.

Once a presentation is published; written, audio or video comments can be left by visitors. This provides an excellent way for teachers to give feedback to students; and of course also for student-to-student feedback. The comment function can also be used to let students present views or knowledge regarding the contents of a specific picture. Example (The Carbon Cycle)

Have a look at this presentation about the planet Saturn by young Jack Brock. Notice how he at the end of the presentation is given written and audial feedback by both his parents and his teachers.

With VoiceThread stories can be created by groups of people and it can also be used as an on-line tool for discussion. It would make an excellent tool for collaboration between school and parent and a very good way of enabling parents to get an insight into their children’s school work.

I can imagine using VoiceThread in language classes for students to create digital presentations; fact or fiction. Though the tool can of course be useful on any occasion where presentations are to be made. What makes it especially interesting for language training is that it, thanks to it’s comment making tool, encourages both communication and collaboration – which is of course what using language is all about.

I feel very excited about using VoiceThread this autumn. I can definitely see myself using it when I do Geography work with year 6, in our work with the continents of the world. I can also imagine myself using it to present assignments to students. This would seem like a very good way of using it, as I can add voice instructions and thereby make instructions audiovisual for students with special needs.

Below are some examples of presentations made with VoiceThread (I have noticed that it sometimes is hard to get back to the blog from the VoiceThread site – two quick double clicks should do it though):
- Voices from around the world
- Story telling (Three Little Pigs). Notice how the comment function is used to narrate characters in the story.
- Book reviews
- History assignment; Vikings travel across the Atlantic
- Handicrafts; Felting
- Biology; Ecosystems
- Maths; Fractions
- Teachers history presentation; Russian Revolution
- Science; Sink or float
- Student presentation; Real life maths

Many more examples to be found here.

The beginning of my daily reflective journal Term 3 2009

The ethics documents have been passed by the principal of the school and I have handed these out to 15 children. I have asked for the returns by the 24th July.
I am not sure if I should share my present state of thinking because at the moment I feel a little undirected. My project which is based on developing my knowledge of and implementation of developing metacognitive practice, e- tools and e-portfolios which will support reflective, self - directed learning has opened many other avenues of thinking and identified issues related to and which may impact on this kind of learning practice, which I had not realised eg. the amount of writing time that students are involved in, in class and the relation between this, engagement and reflection and self directed learning. I have just been making a note of how much time children in my class actually spend in this mode of learning each day. They are 8/9 year olds and I have been shocked at what I have recorded in just one week.
Other issues that have impacted on my initial project has been looking at boys and their learning. I am wanting to teaching them to be more reflective and yet much of the literature identifies boys at this age being far more speculative rather than reflective. I have also been looking at teaching instruction and how much is teacher - student engagement, student - student or student - teacher engagement. In order for reflective practice to become part of a students thinking process they have to be given more ownership of their learning. So the dilemma is that if learning is done to students ( teacher - student ) for the majority of the day, then it is very difficult for them to take ownership and responsibility for their learning.
I am in thinking overdrive at the moment. I have decided to keep a daily record of types of instruction for the entire length of this study as well as the type of instruction.

NECC09 Monday 29th Breakout

I have been attending this conference online. There have been many interesting keynotes and breakout sessions. I attended this session on Podcasting for Beginners. I want to try and use podcasts to support reflective practice. As a beginner, this session was very interesting and quite informative.