Reflection Task 2: Digital Media in the Classroom
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| Image source: Author created image - www.befunky.com |
How ICT in schools
have changed since I was a student in the late 90's and early 00's! I vividly
remember my science teacher using an overhead projector and transparent sheets
to present content, from which we students diligently copied into our
notebooks. Now, classrooms are characterised by a wealth of technology; every
class I observed during my last three placements has involved ICT in one form
or another. This shift complements the fact that today's students will spend
the majority of their lives immersed in the digital world in one way or another
(Gerwin et al., 2018). As a result of this change, I need to significantly
adjust my expectations to align with the opportunities for and expectations of
students. And so, this week, I have taken a deep dive into the realm of digital
media in classrooms - specifically audio and visual digital representations.
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| Image source: befunky.com (Authors own) |
The use of audio files can be very beneficial to students who have an
auditory style of learning or for students who like to listen whilst exercising
or doing chores. Podcasts have become very popular in recent years due to their
accessibility and availability, in addition to podcast creators becoming more
and more innovative with their design. Podcasts as a teaching resource are
likewise becoming popular, with some teachers even incorporating a
so-called Walking Classroom, whereby students listen to a
podcast while going for a walk, and it has been linked to increased retention
and attitudes in the classroom (The Walking Classroom, 2022).
Podcasts also allow students to engage more with the texts they are reading, prompting further analysis and evaluation which would be difficult to achieve through reading alone, and podcasts will usually highlight links to further resources for students to explore further (Goldman, 2018). Fizzics Education collates 12 podcasts which could be used in high school science to supplement and extend learning in this subject area. Science Lessons That Rock also provides some useful podcast options with ideas for how to integrate them into your science lessons.
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| Image source: befunky.com (Authors own) |
Visual Representations: Video
I use video's in almost all of my lessons. I consider them to be
extremely useful for introducing a new topic or concept, consolidating learning
or extending thinking. YouTube is the obvious source for videos; however, some
schools may block YouTube or there may be the risk of students being exposed to
non-education related material (such as ads and the auto play function moving
on to the next video on the algorithm).
Students can also
create their own videos to show their learning and understanding. The video
below shows one example of how this might occur: students create their own
animation to show changes in states of matter. Although this is aimed at
primary students, it is easy to see how a similar activity could be translated
into junior or senior secondary:
Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rzgFFFAHH0
Visual Representations: Images
Integrating images or visual representations into learning is, in my
opinion, a valuable strategy to engage learners and consolidate learning. In
the subject of science, students are taught concepts on a theoretical or
microscopic level. How can we teachers adequate select the most appropriate words
or phrases so that student can understand what a cell looks like or understand
the concept of a mole in chemistry. The phrase "a picture paints a
thousand words" rings true in this sense - showing student images or
videos of what they are learning will assist in generating knowledge, prompting
questions and consolidating learning. Likewise, where students create their own
visual representation of concepts, they are tapping into higher order thinking,
thereby promoting critical thinking and creativity (Department of Education and
Training, 2021).
There are also a number of software programs available where students can edit or manipulate photographs such as Photoshop, Be Funky and PicMonkey. I have used BeFunky to create the visuals, including the infographic below, for this blog post! The BeFunky website is a very easy and free to use; however, an upgrade in subscription is required to access some features. It allows students to add text, filters, various effects and share their work; they can also create collages, graphic organisers or infographics which would be a great alternative tool for showing their learning in ways beyond traditional written assignments. It did take me a little bit of practice and playing around, but I was easily able to create these images. Imagine how a student might create a collage or graphic organiser which shows their understanding of forces in physics, with annotations to highlight key aspects.
Bringing it together with SAMR
Let's see a practical application of visual imaging and creation in the science lab. In a traditional lab where students are studying cells, tasks and activities may involve note taking, drawing annotated illustrations, or perhaps creating models of cells and mitosis. However, with technology, students are free to choose their own adventure! Here is one such example:
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| Image source: befunky.com (Authors own) |
The Serious Stuff: Privacy, Ethics, Safety and Legal
As with all things
ICT, teachers must also be cognisant of the privacy, ethical and legal
implications for students.
Being aware of
copyright laws is not only limited to print media, but also extends to their
use in the classroom. Showing students how to search for and identify images
which do not have copyright licences. Although this blog is targeted towards an American
audience, it does contain some valuable information about copyright and how to
protect yourself (and your students).
From an ethical
standpoint, care and consideration must be given to the alteration of images.
Edited images are all around us - from the advertisements to social media
posts. Drawing students' attention to manipulation and the risks associated
with this practice is not only good practice but will guide students towards
being more conscientious and having a positive impact on the world through
integrity and trust (Photography Ethics Centre, 2018).
And of course, we
have the risks of media content on the social and emotional instability in
teenagers, particularly where teenagers can be easily influenced by what they
see online (Gerwin et al., 2018). While we need to protect our students from
these risks, the world of image or video manipulation could also be used as a
learning tool to raise awareness that not everything online is necessarily
real.
References
Department of Education and Training. (2021, December 14). Higher
order thinking. Victoria State Government. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/high-ability-toolkit/Pages/higher-order-thinking.aspx
Department of Education, Skills and Employment. (2021). Links to
21st century learning. Australian Government. https://www.dese.gov.au/australian-curriculum/national-stem-education-resources-toolkit/i-want-know-about-stem-education/what-works-best-when-teaching-stem/links-21st-century-learning#:~:text=What%20is%20it%3F,working%20and%20ways%20of%20living.
Gerwin, R. L., Kaliebe, K., & Daigle, M. (2018). The interplay
between digital media use and development. Child and Adolescent
Psychiatric Clinics, 2, 345-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.002
Goldman, T. (2018). The impact of podcasts in education. Advanced
Writing: Pop Culture Intersections, 29,1-15. https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=engl_176
Photography Ethics Centre. (2018). Photography ethics and why
they matter. https://www.photoethics.org/content/2018/5/31/photography-ethics-and-why-they-matter
The Walking Classroom. (2022). Walking classroom research:
Positive effects on physical activity and learning. https://www.thewalkingclassroom.org/research/
Hi Bec, thank you for the opportunity to read your blog. I found it very interesting and thought provoking. You have thoroughly explained the potential uses of digital media in the classroom, and I found your ideas on Podcasts of great value! Have you ever incorporated Podcasts into your classes and if so, how? The walk and listen approach sound like an excellent activity. I could not access the hyperlinks, I kept being redirected back to the blogger homepage. It could just be my computer, but it would be worth checking that they are working correctly. I really like the way you have displayed the SAMR model, linking it to Bloom's. You may consider adding a brief description of the original task when discussing SAMR to provide more context on how learning is being transformed/enhanced. Your blog was excellently written, thanks again for the great read.
ReplyDeleteHi Megan. Thank you for your response. I have fixed up the links now - it seems to be a glitch when I am transferring my blog into Blogger. Always learning in the digital world! I'll have to make sure I re-check hyperlinks before I publish in future :)
DeleteI found the idea of Podcasts in the classroom very interesting - I have never given it much thought before (and therefore, have not used Podcasts as a teaching tool). There is a risk of students not listening to the prescribed Podcasts and instead listening to music etc.; however, there are ways around that. As with all lessons, students need to show their learning so if prescribing a Podcast, I would also prescribe a worksheet, discussion or other task (perhaps digital based!) based on the content. Alternatively, Podcasts could be used a sort of "reward" for students completing all assigned work.
Thank you for your insights!
Bec
Hi Bec,
ReplyDeleteLove the detail you put into this blog post. The links are working for me, thank-you these are great resources! I personally love listening to podcasts but this is my first time thinking about how I could introduce them into the classroom. I found a podcast on Spotify designed for teachers to listen to on the way to school called 'The Classroom Commute'. I found the talk '6 common mistakes teachers make (when it come to ICT)...and how to avoid them' very useful in understanding ways we can integrate ICT in a meaningful way. I enjoy that you can find short 5-10min episodes that focus on a single topic. Perhaps this is something we should keep in mind when integrating podcasts in our classes so students are more willing to listen, especially if it is for homework.
Link to podcast
homepage - https://open.spotify.com/show/39sbVnjOQ9Eq5Uy0HJkl4v
Hi Elly.
DeleteThank you for the tip! I will definitely listen to that podcast!
Glad you enjoyed the post.
Bec