Xtranormal

("Robots Go Gaga" by Linda Cahill)

I was recently taking a look at what some of my fellow educators had produced for their first technology assignment and came across an inspiring blog by Mrs Karen Willis which can be found here. In Karen's blog she wrote about the beauty of collaborating to produce her first animated movie using Xtranormal and she did a fantastic job. Xtranormal for those who don't know is a movie creation tool that uses text to speech technology. Users can create a video by choosing characters, a background, and then typing the dialogue to be read aloud by the computer program. Additional animations and sound effects can be easily dragged and dropped into the text boxes to add to the dialogue. This site allows for movies to be shared to popular social media sites, provides embed codes linking directly to your own movie, and allows for easy publication to YouTube. As a tool within the classroom students could easily use Xtranormal to create narrative stories, recreate scenes from a novel being read in class, or they could use it for reflective learning to share what they have learned. A fantastic site which list some of the uses of Xtranormal according to specific content area's can be found here, and another site which provides an overview of how Xtranormal can be incorporated within the classroom can be here. Wanting to try out Xtranormal, I created a short movie with my children based on a popular pop song for fun. I hope you enjoy it!

Skype In The Classroom

(Introducing Skype in the classroom from Skype in the classroom on Vimeo).

I was conducting some research regarding the use of Skype in the classroom and it got me to thinking about how Skype could also be incorporated into the library. Of course, the benefits of Skype are endless and a list of 50 reasons as to why it would be a fantastic tool within the classroom can be found here, but I also believe it would be a phenomenal tool in the library as well. Based on a similar premise to a reading circle, Skype could be incorporated into the library by providing students with the opportunity to have a meaningful discussion with other students or teachers in different locations about a book they are reading, or even provide students with the opportunity to speak directly with an author! Using Skype within the classroom isn't a new idea and there is a fantastic Skype community for teachers which can be found here. There is even a Skype An Author network. For fellow inspiring educators who may have further interest in viewing or reading about Skype, an interesting article about the benefits of incorporating Skype into a lower grade classroom by one teacher can be found here, and an equally interesting and more comprehensive article about how it can be incorporated into a library can be found here. There is also the Vimeo movie embedded above (allow to buffer first). Skype has the potential to assist students world wide by removing traditional economic, geographical and cultural barriers to communication allowing for a truly enriching learning experience. Would you consider using Skype in your classroom?

I Speak For The Tree's

 

"I am the Lorax. I speak for the tree's".

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a die hard fan of Dr Seuss, so when it came time to pick a new display for the library, I thought what better to do than "The Lorax". For anyone who doesn't know "The Lorax", it is a children's book that was first published in 1971 that chronicles the plight of the environment and the danger corporate greed poses to nature. It was also turned into a very successful animated movie in 2012. The truffula tree's that you can see in the first photo were created using pool noodles, black electrical tape, dowel and plywood. The tops of the tree's were created using tissue paper and wire, following the directions that can be found here. The Lorax was also made from plywood, spray-painted and painted in the appropriate colours. As a family we had such a great deal of fun creating this display (yes kudos to my husband and daughter who made the bases and took their hands to making the truffula tree tops - we are a wonderfully creative family) and the students and teachers loved it as well.

Mind Mapping Using Simple Mind

 

As part of the technology subject that I am doing at uni, I was asked to construct a mind map indicating the reasons to incorporate ICTs within the classroom. Wanting to take a break from sitting at my netbook, I thought instead that I would use my iPad. I like to think that I work smart when I use my iPad - conducting research about the best available apps before purchasing but on this particular occasion I failed. Whilst I did read the reviews which were positive and downloaded the for mentioned app at the cost of $7.99, I was disappointed with the results. Even though the mind mapping tool allowed me to synthesize my thoughts into a comprehensive whole - the result wasn't as polished as I would have liked it to be. I was hoping for something a little more like my fellow pre-service educator Kerry Dowden's at The Road Ahead. She used a mind mapping tool which can be found here. Oh well live and learn.

ICTs –The What and Why?

 

Primary education in Australia can best be described as the formal teaching of children aged 5 to 13 years from Prep to Grade 7. For this year’s professional experience I am eager to be placed in a P-3 grades. These grades can also be identified as The Early Years, Lower Primary or Early Childhood contexts.

At St Francis de Sales Catholic School, Clifton where I have applied to do my practicum this year, the use of computers to enhance learning plays an important part in delivering the curriculum. By incorporating ICTs within the classroom environment as well as providing a developmental, activity based curriculum St Francis de Sales Catholic School aims to provide for the needs of the whole child in order to foster a readiness for learning in all areas.

With a commitment to following the National Curriculum guidelines, whilst applying knowledge of children’s developmental stages, early literacy and numeracy skills remain an important part of curriculum provision at St Francis de Sales Catholic School. These skills are explored by providing a rich programme in a stimulating environment where optimum learning experiences remain the focus of pedagogical practices.

With an awareness of the need to encourage, nurture and provide experiences for students that will promote a love of learning, delivering the best possible educational experiences for student’s remains at the forefront of my developing pedagogical practices and I believe this can be achieved by incorporating ICTs. How and why you may ask? My answer can be found above – enjoy!