Week 4 Reflection

Digital Tools create another world of engagement and learning for students and in many cases even teachers. There are many benefits of incorporating Digital Tools into school classrooms teachers can positively save time in a number of ways as they enable information to flow faster, can be added to and edited on the go through mobile, teachers can also track student progress as they work through the task (Cohen, 2018). It also has a way of reducing costs and waste at the same time through printing and stapling loads of work sheets and instead using these online resources to contribute towards a sustainable future (Cohen, 2018).

Image from: http://www.khawarpapermart.com/how-many-trees-are-cut-down-each-year-for-paper-products/

As technology keeps progressing, there is so much that can be achieved for both the teacher and their students in response to their learning through the types of media that are available. We focused on many different types of different media tools this week that can be incorporated into learning in the classroom including creating and sharing videos, 3D Images, 360 Panoramas, Audio and Podcasts but I was mostly surprised and engaged with the endless opportunities that Images and creating and manipulating images can provide. It is no longer about just inserting a related image from Google into a PowerPoint Presentation for your students to look at but not really make a connection with. It is now about editing an image from certain websites to make it more attractive and memorable to students but also creating images such as Thinglinks and Infographics. I will focus on the Infographic option in particular for this reflection. 

I have discovered through this weeks content that image technology as a creative tool has so many options. Infographics provide an easier way to understand a topic through a collection of graphs, images and minimal text and use noticeable visuals to quickly communicate the content (Nediger, 2018). When studying for exams during high school and uni I have always loved finding a relevant infographic as it would help me to interpret and understand the information due to the colours and images used. It is a powerful and memorable way of communicating information for students, even about the most boring of topics, i.e. the yawning example below. 

Image Screenshot from: https://venngage.com/blog/what-is-an-infographic/

Through sharing the Infographics that are created beyond the classroom for say, other teachers and education communities, you are creating a brand for your teaching as well as a positive image as a teacher. Also by sharing content that has been created saves time for other teachers who are generally willing to share their own resources with you. Arkansas State University (2017) claims that collaborating with teachers is important not just for sharing resources but also for sharing loads based on strengths and providing emotional support. 

There is an amazing world for customising and creating the digital media of images, Infographics can be created from scratch using websites such as ease.ly and Venngage. You are also given the option to start by using a template from the large range, which I used as it was my first time creating an Infographic. 

Image Screenshot from: https://www.easel.ly/home

When using Infographic creator sites such as ease.ly and other image editing sites that have a free trial but the option to pay for a plan, I found there has been very little options available to edit and make it completely your own. It will be worthwhile taking the time to experiment with the free options and if it is really worthwhile and beneficial to both me as the teacher and my students to invest in some of these sites. The image below shows a basic attempt at using a template found on ease.ly and replacing the information in the boxes. (I am a little MKR obsessed, it is cooking inspiration 😉) This was a very easy task for the first 8 bits of information to fit in the 8 boxes that were provided. I did need to add in an extra box and year box which I found the best way was to copy and paste as I could not find the shape in the objects tab on the free trial. I found the changing of the size of the font a bit tedious but it was much the same as having to do it on other applications such as a graphic on word.

Image created and downloaded from: https://www.easel.ly/create?id=https://s3.amazonaws.com/easel.ly/all_easels/4642360/1554426345&key=pri

When getting students to work with images, including the manipulation and creation of images as well as other digital media tools it is important that they are exposed to the legal, safe and ethical protocols that are involved. Students need to be aware of what they media they may download and use and ask themselves questions such as:

• Where has it come from?
• Is it okay that I get this from here?
• Who owns it?

And then to be ethical if the item is okay to use they should ask:

• How do I reference this?
• Where and how can I use this?

As a teacher using digital media, it is a responsibility to ensure that students are being ethical online. This needs to be done so in many ways but using this type of digital media students should consider what and where students are sharing the media as well as their own information online as well as making sure they are getting their information and media resources from ethical sources such as YouTube and iTunes (Media Smarts, 2019). 

A very important responsibility for a teacher is to ensure that their students are safe. This even includes with what they are doing online. To ensure that students are safe, put together a few rules for being 'Cyber Smart'. If using particular digital media tools can cause children to go off track to unknown sites, make a list of sites that students need to stick to to complete the task, have the school block inappropriate sites if students happen to come across them. When sharing images they have created or manipulated, share it to a safe place such as a class Google Drive or their own class learning blog. 

This week I want to incorporate my Food Technology teaching area to suggest some relation to the teaching context. To cover the SAMR model, I have come up with an exciting learning process that will not only help students with their remembering and understanding of safety in the kitchen but also improve their skills as digital citizens. I think this will be a fun activity to bring to the classroom in my future teaching years. 

Substitution

Students will be given a printed hard copy of a table of information to remember that relates to the rules and safety of the kitchen. They are required to use a word processing document such as Microsoft Word to type up the safety rules and procedures and add images using Clip Art.

Augmentation

To improve the layout of the safety rules and to understand them better, students will use their own words to describe the rules and move this into a Microsoft Graphic along with the images that have been found.

Modification

Students are then required to retrieve an image of the school kitchen from the Class Google Drive. They now have to insert this image into their Thinglink accounts and analyse it and make sure that they add in the information at appropriate and relevant points. They are also required to do further research and analyse some websites to back up the safety rules that have been made. This website and a relatable image also need to be inserted onto Thinglink. 

Redefinition

Now students are required to apply the knowledge and skills they have learnt from their Microsoft Creations and Thinglink to create an Infographic from a blank canvas using easel.ly. This Infographic will not just include the safety rules but students will also be required to find and evaluate recipes for ingredients, equipment and the method that they will cook in a nominated lesson. Students will only have the Infographic to use when creating the recipe so it is important that it includes all of these aspects. 

I'd love to share the very simply Thinglink I created for a typical hospitality kitchen, however this required the full version to be bought. Please accept this image with a few '+' instead. Image screenshot from: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1170547242726064129

References

Media Smarts. Online Ethics. Retrieved April 5, 2019, from http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/online-ethics

The 4 Benefits For Schools Going From Paper to Digital. (2018, June). SkoolBag. Retrieved from https://www.moqproducts.com.au/skoolbag/blog/benefits-of-going-paperless-in-schools/

The Importance of Teacher Collaboration. (2017, June). Arkansas State University. Retrieved from https://degree.astate.edu/articles/k-12-education/importance-of-teacher-collaboration.aspx

What is an Infographic? Infographic Examples, Templates, and Design Tips. (2018, Aug). Vennage. Retrieved from https://venngage.com/blog/what-is-an-infographic/