WEEK FIVE

A basic PowerPoint for learning| Reflection 

I have been using powerPoints to present my work for many years. PowerPoints are a great way to summarize work and to present images and videos to a classroom of students.
Powerpoints are very simple to use and you can embed pictures, videos, music, colour and shapes.
With my own experience, providing the teacher spoke as well as presented the powerPoint, it gave me two ways of receiving the information:
- Visual |
- Aural
I would use PowerPoint to present statistics in a SOSE class or to present instructions to an activity in a technology class. Classroom use of PowerPoint  presents some great ideas about using powerPoints in a classroom as a teacher as well as ideas for getting students to present their work via PowerPoint.

Creating a Prezi | Reflection | Selection on Group 3 Tool

I loved the idea of using a Prezi. I found the tool to be so engaging and easy to use (after I spent a little while working it all out). A Prezi will defiantly be used in my classroom! especially for classes that I require my students to brainstorm as a group. On the top of my page on the right hand side I have placed my Prezi that I had created. My prezi is a simple brainstorm activity that I had written up in an acting class. My prezi is a brainstorm based on the activity of 'Improvisation'. I would use this tool in my acting classes and ask my students to brainstorm what is required when we 'improvise'.
I prefer using a Prezi over a PowerPoint presentation because I found it to be more engaging and fun to create. Like most tools, there are always positives and negatives of using such a complex tool in a classroom. I have created a SWAT analysis below to show the Pro's and Con's of using a Prezi in a classroom.

Weaknesses            -   Need’s internet connection           - ICT skills are needed to use this tool            - To use in a classroom a projector may be needed to connect it to a big screen for students to see it better -      - Does require a payment if the tool wants to be used permanently

Opportunities           -             - Kids can be involved in writing up their own ideas in the flow charts for other students to see and    for the teacher to oversee.  -      - Its a positive way of getting students to contribute ideas          - Does the setting out for the users (no drawing lines, creating boxes, manually copy and pasting)

Threats            - Needs adult supervision unless you spend time teaching students how to use the tool. otherwise this is a great tool to use for classroom discussions instead of independent work - Takes a little bit to working out how to use the site and all of its features    -

Strengths            - Kids can access this site at home and use it! It can then be saved onto your computers.            - Kids can transport it to school using a USB disk  - It is more appealing to the students  -

I have selected a Prezi as the tool I would use most in a classroom and have more results. I decided on a prezi based on my own experience in using this engaging tool. I believe it was more creative and had a larger variety of features to use than what a simple PowerPoint has. The only downfall to using this tool I believe is that It does require an internet connection if you want to create your work online, otherwise you can write it all up, create it, and then save it to your USB stick and access it through your computer. A Prezi is a useful learning tool to have in a classroom of students because it has a zoom in and out feature which is helpful for younger students to see more clearly and it also has the layouts all set out for you, you only have to choose one and then write on it! So simple!

Creating a Glogster| Reflection 

Kids! Lets Warm-up for Drama!


Today, for the first time I have created a Glogster. I had heaps of fun creating my glogster for children to access. I believe that my glogster (and any created Glogster) has heaps of learning benefits! a Glogster can be used in any class to present information, questions and even display pictures of videos.
I have created a Glogster for a drama class of preps- year three's. In my Glogster I have pre drama warm up activities for children before they start their class. This glogser has a learning benefit because it teaches children to stay fit and healthy while ensuring that warming up prevents injury. I think that my created glogster can be used in a P.E class and also a dance class. Warming up children before they learn is a great way to wake them up and get their little minds active and working while keeping their bodies fit and healthy.
This tool was simple to use and was very easy to work. There are features on the tool that enables you to upload anything that will be of an advantage to a child's learning. I would defiantly be using Glogster in my classroom, especially in a history lesson or a science lesson where students can upload pictures or videos that they found interesting about a topic. The only disadvantage of this tool is that children need to have the ICT skills to use it, otherwise time needs to be set aside for the teacher to educate the students how to use this tool.

Group 4| Technologies| Assessment 2 

Types of open-ended tools include; 
- adobe flash

- Google maps

- Online concept mapping 

I decided to research more about Google maps because I am most familiar with this internet tool. I began thinking about how Google maps would benefit a students learning. I decided to make a list of all the activities that students can do using Google maps.

- Directions- A student can pick a place in their city and then another student can pick another place. The map will then show the directions. The students can then see how the map can show street names and also roads that are needed to be followed in order to get to a particular destination

- Students can show other students where they live

- Students can navigate their way around their city/town. 

The following link has a really good set out of teaching google maps to students.
take a look! freeteach4teachers