Week 4 - Images, Podcasts & Videos

Hey guys it's Jess!

This week we were looking at how we could use images, videos and podcasts in a classroom situation. We also discussed what was plus minus and interesting (PMI) about these topics in a classroom situation and how this would provoke teaching. 

Images

Source: Google Images

Using images in a classroom allows children to use both their imagination and high thinking to either think of a story or think about what is happening in the picture. Although these things may happen it is best to develop skills with the learners that pictures are not only to decorate with but are also to help others be visually aware. Allowing the learner to look at a picture critically and carefully to develop what the creator had in mind helps the learner develop visual literacy (Thibault & Walbert, n.d.). 

Although learners may just use individual pictures to help them understand certain aspects of a situation they may also create a picture story of something they did (e.g. a science experiment, excursion). 

Click here to see my own photo story

Using images in a classroom may be helpful but if you just use images for the sake of using images it just makes the lesson boring. 
Here is a Plus/Minus chart on how images helps learners in a classroom situation.

Podcasts
Podcasts allows the teacher to help learners reinforce a different concept they may be learning about in the classroom throughout the term. It may also be useful in a situation with learners to update the newsletter for people with visual impairment. 
Unfortunitly I can not upload a Podcast for you to listen to, however if you go to The State of Tech, you will hear the first part of Gamification. 

Videos

I have seen on youtube lately that some bands are doing Vodcasts (if you didn’t get from the name, they are Video Podcasts) which allows the audience to become involved through comments etc.

In the classroom videos are a great way to help learners understand and build their knowledge through movement and visuals. There are many youtube clips that allow learners to understand a concept through song while giving them movements to do in different parts of the song. Videos are also great in the way that learners can create their own even if it is just for a different way of presenting information.

I found this video that I used in my prac classroom last year. It helps the learners understand the concept of doubles and learners were to always move while singing the song. 

Source: Youtube

Videos allow learners to build products that are highly creative and expressive through a reflective process.

All these ICT's allow learners to be involved and help them understand different concepts that may be learnt about in the classroom. They allow learners to question the mode of technology and understand what is expected of them through reflective processes. 

See you all in week 5!

Jess

References

The State of Tech. (2013). The State of Tech – Episode 029 – “Gamification Part 1”. Retrieved from http://www.thestateoftech.org/

Thibault, M. & Walbert, D. (n.d.). Reading Images: an introduction to visual literacy. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/675