My Response to Priya Jayakrishnan's questions on "How can Digital Stories fit into Math and Science"

short, personal multimedia tales told from the heart

How can a digital story be used in Math and Science?

http://techstories.edublogs.org/

http://students.ed.uiuc.edu/sbuikema/490TER/buikema_proposal_1.htm

Digital story delves into many aspects of the child's personality and potential.
Digital storytelling an idea that produce videos that reads as films rather than as multimedia stories. The story is incorporating the children's imagination/fantasy play.

So how can Digital Stories fit into Math and Science?


www.digitalstories.org
http://www.pearsondigital.com/waterford/wems.cfm

How does Digital Stories help students master Math and Science concepts?

Digital stories can be a help in Math and Science because it about making connection between math and science and everyday items that young people are engaged which is one way to break down the walls that suggest that this is something foreign.

Digital story is one of the instructional media designed specially to help meet the varied needs of learners in 21st century classrooms.

With Digital Story, students can:

* Work together or independently to watch movies or work on software modules
* Engage in exploratory, hands-on activities to construct their own means for understanding new material
* practice both traditional and nontraditional testing skills such as multiple choice, fill in the blanks, portfolio development

http://www.coe.uh.edu/digital-storytelling/

Science:

THE LOOK

http://www.wmich.edu/pt3/ds/look.html

Check it out!

Reflection

What I’ve learned so far…

When I first sign up for this class, I know that I am going in as an Immigrant. And then.. I realized that as I am picking up new stuffs and I have been stumbling and struggling to understand, I am getting better and better day by day.

I learn about Project-Based Multimedia Learning and the one that I enjoyed most is building my own blog..something I definitely will share with my native students...!!

Then I moved on to making the webquest, something which so new to me and I am really struggling with it but along the way I picked up a lot of interesting like how build the rubric..something that I thought it will so difficult to build but actually it is so easy.

Now the cool thing that I am learning is the Smartboard and the Virtual Worlds for kids. Welcome to Webkinz is a new whole world of building and arranging rooms that works so well with kids because they are tapping on their creativity. Not only that the kids learn how to feed and take care of their pets. Not only that..they can make money by playing games or do jobs. The money is to used to buy food for the pets.. Cool..

I am excited with Designing my OWN multimedia project....


What I’m still struggling with..

Being an immigrant left me with inability to move faster in grasping the fast-paced knowledge. I am learning to assess which website is good for myself and my students. Not only that..most of the time I am lost..so I need to learn the direction and way to move in the world of technologies so that I am NOT lost all the time. It takes time to get used to the sign and the language and the facilities but I know...I will find my way.

The Usefulness of Web 2.0 in the classroom

What is Web 2.0
Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software by Tim O'reilly

The concept of "Web 2.0" began with a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Dale Dougherty, web pioneer and O'Reilly VP, noted that far from having "crashed", the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity. What's more, the companies that had survived the collapse seemed to have some things in common. Could it be that the dot-com collapse marked some kind of turning point for the web, such that a call to action such as "Web 2.0" might make sense? We agreed that it did, and so the Web 2.0 Conference was born.

The web became a platform where there is no hard boundry but a gravitational core. It is a set of principles and practices that tie together a veritable solar system of sites that demontrates some or all principles. Examples of Web 2.0 design patterns are Netscape, Google, DoubleClick , eBay.

So, how can teachers use Web 2.0 in classroom?
It depends on how a teacher is willing to move from her whiteboard to the computer screen and letting the students to take charge of their own learning. Web 2.0 is providing essential tools for teachers to use.

Teachers must change the attitude to... "Do it" ...don't just say it!!

Defining and Planning a Multimedia Project

Planning...planning..planning..It does matter where you start..Answer these questions before you do your lesson plan because it may help with your lesson.

1. What do I need to teach?
Well refer to the curriculum or the standard.

2. What equipment do I have available?
Work with what you have

3. What applications do I have available?
It really depends on your computer.

4. What is the project?
Use all the sources available and select what you need

5. What multimedia product will the students create?
It is all about giving the students the experience.

6. Can I put it in a nutshell?
Just focus on the essence of the project

7. What are my goals and objective?
You must be able to reach the student with your objectives and be more realistic of your goal

8. How much time should we spend on this?
As much as it takes and you should love doing it with your students.

9. How will I involve students in decision making?
Let the students feel the power of decision making.

10. What forms of collaboration will I include?
Build a structural working environment to build their confidence.

11. What resources will I need?
Look at the Library material, what about the field trip, Peole, the internet, News Media, Or the originsl

13 How will I measure what my students learn....!!
It is all about Rubrics

14. What's the real world,
More of the students want to be part of the real world and able to build the connection with the real world.

15. What's my own life now?
Test pilot your project so that you will be able to see the flaws before you start doing the lesson plan

My Conclusion:

I like working with ideas that can be used again and again. So when I focus on these questions, things became very easy. That is a proper guidelines for teachers to be better teacher!!

Making a Real-World Connection

Imagine we are walking along the river and seeing the water flowing and not wondering where the water ends... That is how the the situation in class when the teacher is teaching yet not reaching the students and the students are not sure where they are going.

Most teachers are trying very hard to understand their students but the real challenge is to build a connection. Multimedia is a time of invention and connecting to real word. The students and the teachers are able to build a bridge that connect them to the real world.

Using the TEN kinds of Real-World Connections, a teacher is able to do a project based on topics where they are able create a presentation and share their knowledge about their interest with everyone. They are also able to connect themselves through the future by working using an adult skill..something that kids always pretend to be.
When a teacher is able to find the connection through the curriculum, then a new world is open for the students to explore and be more connected to the world that we are sharing.

Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives by Marc Prensky

Name : Marc Prensky
Article : Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives

Summary:

The best part about this article is the realization of the differences between the old school and the new school. The students in this millenium have change radically and the teachers of old school are struggling to keep up with this drastic turn over of school of thought where most teachers are trying to understand the new methodology in teaching. The core of teaching now focus on the learning of new ways to teach the legacy of education. As students are attracted to the digital and technological approach, it is understood that a new approach in reaching these students must be develop.

Response:

Marc Prensky's idea in looking the need to change the methodology in teaching is indeed hitting the core in teaching. The article is giving a very in depth view about our students' methods in learning. They are no longer rely on teachers to gain knowledge because their teachers come in many forms, either in a form of a game, computer, hand phone, i-pod and many others. They are constantly learning new things while the human teacher is still waiting for the students to come!!

My View:

Reading this article made me see my students in a different light altogether. They are born in a world which totally different from what I used to have. The way they approach learning fascinate me because they learn not in the way I want to teach them. More and more I am learning from them and evolved with the wind of change. I am learning to accept that I am a digital immigrant trying to speak their language as digital natives. But it is better to accept the fact that there is always room for improvement and accepting the fact that as teacher, I must be versatile and open for options in making my students a life long learners.

Question:

How can I as a teacher make use of the digital infusion to the advantage of the students and myself? Will I be better learner if I am able to learn from my student? Will I be a better teacher even though I am not digital savvy but I am able to teach my students the value of being an intelligent students?

Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

This is my first night of multimedia class. Things I already know about technology are:
I know about skype, IM, Internet, E-mail, how to do print screen and send it to someone.

Things I WANT TO KNOW about technology:
1. How to maximize the usage of multimedia
2. Gosh..everything about multimedia is interesting....It is about Everything n Anything that got to do with multimedia and tecnology

Things I hope to Learn about technology are:
1. How to create multimedia based lessons plan for myself and teachers
2. How to use internet with my students
3. How to design podcast
4. How to use ipod in the class

an ant,
Sharifah