WEEK FOUR REFLECTIONS: DIGITAL MEDIA

The more I delve into this Digital Pedagogies unit, the more I realise that I underestimated or misunderstood completely, the extent of ICT’s uses and the expectations on teachers to include these aspects into almost every facet of teaching. My understanding of teaching and pedagogical practices in general have been turned upside down – I truly feel like I know nothing, and the so-called “teaching traineeship” I thought I was lucky enough to have as a teacher’s aide was in reality, a lesson in “what can no longer be termed teaching”. I have examined many forms of digital media this week however as a visual learner myself, I continually return to image-centred media; perhaps this is also where my level of expertise currently lies.

(Source: Doyle, 2019).

I’ve explored other students’ blogs and noticed how clever they are, particularly students whom are able to “cartoon” themselves (I’m not sure of the correct terminology here). In this week’s course content there were multiple recommendations of imagery tools, where I thought I might find the “animate myself” function. Instead, thanks to befunky.com I believe I’ve discovered that I’m more of a $2 Silly Solly’s paint palette kind of girl; I’m also yet to find the “animate myself” function.

When planning lessons, teachers now have an overabundance of data, information, material and media to select from. Embedding images within learning experiences, creating images, representing data and information through imagery, and concept mapping, are only some of the processes that encourage creativity and meaningful productivity. A wide and extensive range of images and image capabilities assist teachers in transforming the learning experiences of students from insignificant to valuable, and when utilised by students, provides relevant and engaging elements that enhance learning (SERC 2018).

Notetaking programs:

Notability and GoodNotes are apps that allow for note taking, annotating, typing, drawing, audio recording, organising, sharing, and creating, features that can be used simultaneously and produced in a single note.

(Source: Ginger Labs, 2021).

These apps can be purchased for a fee; teachers can create and embed images into learning experiences, for example illustrating concepts and adapting them for PDFs and PowerPoint presentations, so that information is represented in a significant and stimulating way. Teachers also have the capabilities to upload student drafts and annotate them with interactive feedback, and share documents and images with students via email, Microsoft Teams and Google Drive.

*** Note: I investigated Notability and GoodNotes at length, and purchased Notability for the purpose of adding images to this reflection post… my attempts were inferior. I need to watch some YouTube tutorials, as I’m not as fluent in this technology as I’d hoped. I do believe in its capabilities however, and will definitely be exploring this technology further for the purpose of future posts and assessments.

Barriers to using these apps however, include its price, and lack of access provided to students by some schools; Microsoft OneNote is a program used in many Queensland schools that has similar capabilities, providing a valuable (and free) teaching tool. When using programs such as Notability and OneNote, students can take digital notes from direct instruction, take images from websites to annotate, and share notes and links with other students during collaborative work. 

 

Infographic programs:

Infographics are excellent visual tools that engage students with learning material, supporting knowledge comprehension, retention and recall (Darcy, 2019). Easel.ly is an online platform that enables the creation of infographics, in order to represent data, information and ideas in a simple yet effective visual form. For teachers, infographics convey succinct information and provide stimulating learning experiences, encouraging students to apply critical thinking skills whilst simultaneously expanding their digital and visual literacy (Darcy, 2019). For students, infographics provide a space to organise information in a visual and logical way that makes sense to them, whilst allowing them to express creativity and individuality.

(Source: Pan American Health Organization [PAHO], 2019).

SAMR:

An example of how the SAMR model can be used in a junior geography class:

Legal, safety and ethical considerations:

Teachers have a responsibility to ensure that students are aware of their own rights and responsibilities when working with digital media. Key aspects must be considered and applied when students are working in digital spaces.

References:

BeFunky Inc. (2021). Photo editor. Retrieved from https://www.befunky.com/create/photo-editor/

Darcy, R. (2019). Infographics, assessment and digital literacy: innovating learning and teaching through developing ethically responsible digital competencies in pubic health. Personalised Learning. Diverse Goals. One Heart. Retrieved from https://2019conference.ascilite.org/assets/papers/Paper-140.pdf

Doyle, L. (2019). Why are infographics effective in the classroom? [Online image]. Retrieved from https://www.easel.ly/blog/infographics-effective-classroom/#:~:text=It%20helps%20students%20exhibit%20their,teachers%20to%20learn%20something%20new!

GingerLabs. (2021). Notability (Version 10.3.3) [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from https://apps.apple.com/au/app/notability/

Kaulbach, W. (2014). Infographics in the classroom: Simple strategies for AP world history [Online image]. Retrieved from https://www.easel.ly/blog/seeing-pov-simple-strategies-for-ap-world-history/

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). (2019). Infographics. How the environment impacts our health. Retrieved from https://www.paho.org/en/documents/infographics-how-environment-impacts-our-health