File Storage

File storage allows anyone to safely store and keep files with the ability to share. You can upload hundreds of files, organise folders, share your files by a variety of methods such as instant messenger, myspace, blog or forum. There is also a photo gallery so you can share photos and graphics also. And best of all its free.

Heres a few reasons why you should get a Mediafire account;

* unlimited storage

* up to 100MB per file

* unlimited up & downloads

* no sign required

* no software to install

* it's quick and simple to use

* did I mention that it's free.

I have created my own Mediafire files as I have a huge amount of powerpoints, photostories and pdfs that take up an enormous amount of space on my hard drive. I already have an external hard drive for big or old files but with Mediafire I can share them with others who have internet access. You access my media file at; http://www.mediafire.com/?lykatnyhoeh

This would be a great tool for Learning Managers to use as students would be able to link to the site from anywhere at anytime. According to Siemens (2004) connectivism theory, it is important to plug inot sources to meet our desired requirements that are to become vital skills in the future. Rather than handing out pieces of paper, students would have to download the work before they began the set task. With the strict filtering tools in place in the schools, Mediafire could be an alternative for out of school time access. File storage could be intergrated into any KLA task and as Stansbury (2009) found these tools will make it easier for the students to go beyond their classroom walls.

References

Siemens, G. (2004) Citing computer references. Retrieved August 1, 2009 from, http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Stansbury, M. (2009) Eschoolnews: six technologies soon to affect education. Retrieved July 21 2009 fom, http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm

Slideshare

Slideshare is a service which lets you share your PowerPoint presentations on the internet. It allows you to upload, view and search for presentations and users can collaborate in the comments and group sections (Wikipedia, 2009). It's a great way to embed Powerpoint or Keymote presentations into your Blog and other websites.

Slideshare is just one host, others include Slideboom, SlideServe and Authorstream. Slideshare allows you to embed items up to 100mb where as Slideboom only allows for 30mb upload. Slideboom allows animated .gifs movement when the slideshare animation is static. Slideboom also allows custom animation movements while slideshare does not. I think Slideboom has some positives to it especially with the animations but, I will stick with Slideshare as has the 100mb capacity compared to the 30mb.

Slidehare is another tool that the Learning Manager could utilise with tools to create an effective and meaningful learning experience. Engagement as Prensky (2005) stated is not just about the fancy graphics but how we use.

References

Prensky, M. (2005) Engage me or enrage me: What today's learners demand. Retrieved July 28, 2009 from, http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf

Wikipedia. (2009) Slide hosting services. Retrieved August 13, 2009 from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_hosting_services

Web music

We have all downloaded music from time to time, but was not aware of the copyright regulations regarding the sharing of music until I was recently. The copyright laws within the schools are complex, but there are ways of utilising music from the web in the class without infringing on these laws. As long as you are using it for educational purposes and not sharing the music with others (school community, web) it should be allowed.

File sharing is the distribution or the providing of access to digitally stored information (Wikipedia, 2009) such as computers, MP3 players, iPods where they can manually share. There are numerous options for sharing files but the most popular is the peer to peer networks (P2P), which allows the sharing of any type of digital media.

As a Learning Manager I feel that music can create a sense of comfort and order to a classroom, it can enhance a learning experience, provide inspiration and motivation, release tension and create a sense of fun. Teaching my year 7 class to check for copyrights before using music is a great learning experience for them as it is meaningful to the learner in and outside of the classroom (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999).

References

Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999) Engagement theory. Retrieved 11 August, 2009 from, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Wikipedia (2009) File sharing. Retrieved 12 August, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_sharing

Music in the classroom

In the 21st century, research has been undertaken to validate and expand our analytical knowledge of music. This research supports what we know, music greatly affects and enhances our learning and living! Research continues to be conducted to provide helpful guidelines for our intentional use of music, especially in the classroom. "Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents." (Beethoven, L, n.d)

I have seen music used in the classroom in several ways. Firstly soft, gentle soothing music playing as the students enter the class room to help create a sense of comfort and order within the classroom. Music used in photostory/powerpoint assignments is another, to create an atmosphere and represent the chosen task. Music is also used in the memorization of formulaes with the students designing and writing their own is a great learning tool.

Music creates attitude, attention and atmosphere (The 3As) in the classroom (Boyd Brewer, 1995). Certain music creates a positive learning atmosphere and help students to feel welcome to participate in the learning experience. In this way it also has great affect upon students' attitudes and motivation to learn. The rhythms and tempo of musical sound can assist us in setting and maintaining our attention and focus by perking us up when we are weary and helping us find peace and calm when we are over-energized in some way.

Using background music during classes, vocabulary decoding, or group readings is a foundation in Accelerated Learning (effective multisensory and whole brain learning) techniques . There are 2 methods for using music, designed to create very different but equally effective learning environments, Active Concerts and Passive Concerts. The Active Concert activates the learning process mentally, physically and/or emotionally while the Passive Concert is geared to place the student in a relaxed alpha brain wave state and stabilize the student's mental, physical and emotional rhythms to increase information absorption. Both teaching methods result in high memory retention. Music can help support Learning Managers in implementing a lesson experience (Oliver, 1999) as music can reinforce the learning by creating another layer for the learner tho engage with.

References

Beethoven, L., V (1770-1827)Retrieved 11 August, 2009 from, http://thinkexist.com/quotation/music-is-mediator-between-spiritual-and-sensual/533568.html

Boyd Brewer, C. (1995) Music and learning: intergrating music in the classroom. Retieved 11 August, 2009 from, http://www.newhorizons.org/

Oliver, R. (1999). Exploring strategies for online teaching and learning: distance education, 20, 240-254. Retrieved 11 August, 2009 from, http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm

Podcasts

A Podcast is like an audioblog. I was familiar with downloading music to my ipod (music soothes my soul), but I had not heard of vodcasts before. Just as podcasting downloads audio files, vodcasting relates to video (visual) files. So I suppose you could call it 'videoblog'. Both podcasts and vodcasts can be listened and viewed through a variety of ways, computer, MP3, ipod, mobile phones and even Nintendo Wii as my sons have just informed me. The students could have control over when, where and how they wish to view the casts, which instantly creates a sense of comfort and order.

Podcasts allow students to practise their literary skills through the use of vocabulary, writing, editing, public speaking and presentation skills as well as communication, time management and problem solving skills (Schmit, 2005) which will be envaluable for their future. I have subscribed to a Podcast called 'Technology 4 Teachers' (Martinson, 2009), which aids Learning Managers in intergrating the technology into their classroom. As well as teaching tools they are also a great resource for the Learning Manager.

As we all know, Children learn best when they are entertained greatly and educated gently, and by creating an educational experience in an environment where they feel a sense of comfort affects student's ability to learn (Marzano & et al, 1997). By using vodcasts as learning resources in learning experiences, they can create meaningful and worthwhile tasks (Oliver, 1999) that engage students in medias that they are comfortable with.

References

Martinson, S. (2009) Technology 4 teachers. Retrieved 11 August, 2009 from, http://www.technology4teachers.org/

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., Arrendondo, D. E., Blackburn, G. J., Brandt, R, S., Moffet, C, A., et al. (1997) Dimensions of learning: teacher's manual (2nd ed). Alexandria, VA: Association of supervision and curriculum development.

Oliver, R. (1999). Exploring Strategies for Online teaching and learning: distance education, 20, (2), 238-240. Retieved 11 August, 2009 from, http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm

Schmit, D, J. (2005) Kidcast: podcasting in the classroom. Retrieved 11 August, 2009 from, http://lansinglearntech.pbworks.com/f/k-12+podcasting.pdf

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a free web-based reference guide. Wikipedia is a learning resource that can support students in completion of activities and tasks (Oliver, 1999), it is quick and simple to access so that students usually use this as there first point of call when investigating. I find Wikipedia a good starting point for discovering new things before I move onto a more academic or authorative source. The pages contain links to other resources and learning materials. Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopedia, which anyone with access to the internet can edit, add or delete (Wikipedia, 2009), so students must be aware that it is not an authentic reference source.

My year 7 class are studying politics at the moment, and recently conducted group work on the Australian Parlimentary Process. The seekers in the groups searched Parliamentary System and found the relevant links needed for their groups, Commonwealth Government, House of Representatives and the Senate. This information was then reported back to the group for a class presentation.

As every classroom is time poor, Wikipedia is a fast, effective learning resource that can be utilised by both Learning Managers and students. It presents many opportunities for students to collaborate and investigate tasks that are meaningful and worthwhile (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). How often do you or your students use it?

References

Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999) Engagement Theory. Retrieved July 28 2009, from, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Oliver, R. (1999). Learning Design. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from, http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm

Wikipedia. (2009). Wikipedia. Retrieved August 13 2009, from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wikipedia

Webquests

A webquest quite simply is a quest for information on the web. It is purposeful, organised and scaffolded that using the inquiry model promotes higher order thinking. The different inquiry models include intergrating socially, action research and the TELSTAR approach. Students are presented with a focus question which defines the task and has the students investigate, ideate, create and evaluate. The webquest task should be rich, real-life and relevant to the learner which give a connectedness to the students real lives (Queensland Education, 2002). When the students make connections and build on their on understandings, "it is this process that enhances their reflection and metacognition."(Wilson, J. & Wing Jan, L., 2008)

Webquests were created in 1995 by Bernie Dodge and Tom March, as a type of electronic lesson
plan that included links to World Wide Web. To be honest the first time I heard of a webquest was last year when we were asked to create one for a SOSE class. The webquest asked the students in groups to investigate endangered flora and fauna in their local area and choose one and investigate its vulnerabilities, predators (introduced or native), what is being done to protect this species, and what they can do to help. They then had to write a detailed report on their findings and choose to either write a poem, create a poster or oral presentation in front of class. Even though it was time consuming to design, the students were engaged and as I was only in the classroom one day a week, the students were able to work on it while a wasn't there.

We also created electronic learning tools for Science, which contains information, web links and activity pages. After comparing the two (webquests and electronic learning tools) I found that the electronic learning tool is about the facts, more lower level thinking and more appropriate as a learning experience, whereas the webquest was more an investigation guide for the students as it presented problems and could be seen as a more a unit of work.

A good webquest should be purposefully planned and contain real, relevant and rousing tasks that hooks them in by challenging them with an intriguing scenario that inspires them to take up the challenge."With careful planning, WebQuests can allow both students and teachers to be creative and productive, using this powerful medium to spark the imagination, solve problems, and promote discussion about important issues"(Brown Yoder, n.d)

References

Brown Yoder, M. (1999) Learning and leading with technology:The student webquest. Retrieved August 12 2009, from, http://www.tenafly.k12.nj.us/do/technology/notebook/resources/5%20The%20Student%20Web%20Quest.pdf

March, T., & Dodge, B. (2001) What are webquests. Retrieved August 12 2009 from,
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquestrubric.html.

Queensland department of Education. (2002). Productive pedagogies: classroom reflection manual. Retrieved July 28, 2009 from, http://education.qld.gov.au/public_media/reportscurriculum-framework/productive-pedagogies/

Wilson, J., & Wing Jan, L. (2008). Smart thinking:Developing reflection and metacognition. Primary english teaching association:Marracksville, NSW.