My Personal Learning Space!

Image was retieved from:
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/lessons/index.html

Just wanted to write a quick comment giving kudos to the Adobe online Digital Kids Club. In this site students and the like can participate in lessons which enable them to learn how to become photographers and videographers. Along with lessons there are games and activities that students can play in order to practice their new learnt skills. This online resource can be used by teachers when introducing the concepts of photo-taking and video-shooting. Teachers can also share lessons online for other teachers to use and share.

Students are to use their own digital cameras to take photos, and then edit and enhance their image by using the program Adobe® Photoshop® on either a Mac or PC. This site has simple instructions for students to follow and learn how to best improve and create their own piece of art. This site seems to be very easy to comprehend being both clear and practical. Definately worth checking out! Here is the website if you would like to view it: http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/lessons/index.html 

Digitial stories seem to be a new way of writing a narrative. Instead of putting pen to paper, students can create a movie using programs such as imovie and movie maker to create a story. Students use creative commons pictures and photos they may have taken to illustrate the movie whilst they narrate.

In a commentry on Digital Stories in the Classroom the writer states that ‘like all tools, it takes some practice and thought to use effectively’. The writer goes on to quote Van Deurse by stating ‘A good Digital Story, comes from a strong question and a powerful narrative. Before students even touch a computer they need to have given significant time and thinking to what their story is about. It is very easy to become distracted by all the visual options. It is important that the music, pictures and video serve to enhance a well written personal narrative’.

Below is an example of a digital story that I have created in class. The question I try to answer is slightly personal being ‘Why do I want to be a Primary School Teacher?’. Have a look and let me know what you think about it.  

 To view the video please click HERE- edublogs and I are having difficulty with uploading.

 Now that I have caught your attention with this clever title, I would like to introduce you to the THREE X’s. For those who do not know what they are, the three X’s stand for: eXploring, eXpressing, and eXchanging ideas by using new digital media. This concept has been explored by Idit Harel which can be found at Skills for the Millennium. These three X’s act as learning tools in this “technological driven world”.

I found this article to be quite interesting as not only does it explain what each concept means and how it is applicable, it also gives various activities and games where students can test out these skills. For example, for the term eXploring, Harel explains children’s natural abilty and desire to explore. He then goes on to state how the internet itself can become an open space for students to eXplore and discover. A link to ROMP is then attached which teachers can log onto for students to use. In this site students eXplore a “wide range of sites linked to specific researched words’.

I found this to be a very interesting read with an abundance of useful resources that can be used within the classroom. The three X’s are clever tools which can be used in both technology and non-technology activities (technology meaning computers and the like).