Week 4: Reflection - Videos, Imagining the use of Images in Learning, Podcasts and Audio

VIDEOS:
For an activity this week we were to create our own video using images and audio. I created this video with the help of the MacBook program iMovie.

IMAGES:
Images are a tool used in eLearning as students will create images in the classroom or online and access images via the internet to be used in schoolwork. (Fasso, 2014) 

This week I created a Flickr account to investigate how this tool would be useful within a learning environment. I was able to find some ideas where this tool would be able to improve students learning and engagement in certain subject fields.

An Art Portfolio is usually created by a student to show their artwork they have created and to describe what each artwork is, how the artwork was created and what the artwork portrays or means to the student. Students usually take photos of their artwork, upload them to a computer then print the photos to cut and glue into a scrapbook where they will write those description with pen and pencil creatively. Flickr would allow the students to easily take photos and upload from a computer straight onto the website instead of printing and gluing into scrapbooks. By uploading straight onto the internet students will be cutting down on the costs of printing paper, and the time spent on cutting and gluing, as well as the mess created when carrying out that activity. Students would be able to add a caption and description to their uploaded photos on Flickr. This basic caption and description tool will also decrease the time spent on creating fancy writing and making colouring boarders etc. in a scrapbook. Using Flickr as an Art Portfolio would be an example of Substitution. We are simply asking the students to substitute the use of paper and pencils to the use of a webpage.

Story writing and story boards could also be easily created using a Flickr account. Story board is designed like a comic, students usually draw a picture then give a few sentence description of what is happening in each box. This could also be used as a basic story writing tool. Students would be able to create their own picture book through the use of the Flickr's photo books tool. It also allows students to create a cover and title page. Story boards and Picture Books would be an example of Augmentation as the students tasks are changed to be completed through the use of technology only.

Flickr "Explore" allows students to search for various images that have been uploaded to the website. The "Explore" has different links to find certain images, such as Recent Photos, The Commons, Getty Collection, and Galleries. The Commons page would be a useful tool in history or instead of organising excursions to museums. This page has links to other flickr pages such as The Australian War Museum, The Australian Maritime Museum, and the Royal Australian Historical Society accounts. Other flickr accounts such as the Library of Congress, The Royal Library of Denmark, The National Media Museum and NASA. The use of "The Commons" on Flickr would be an example of Redefinition as the technology has created a new task that was previously unthinkable due to students needing to travel and visit other cities to explore this information.

(http://www.flickr.com/map/)

The image above is a screenshot of the Flickr "Maps" webpage. The webpage has a large map of the world, in the image above I have zoomed into the area of Iceland to show the exact pinpoint of where this picture was taken. The picture that was taken in this area shows the architect and scenery of the town Husavik, Iceland. From this image student's are able to develop an understanding of Iceland and would be great in subjects such as geography and history where students can use these images in their assignments when learning about different countries. 

(Queensland Government, 2005)

The image above was released by the Queensland Government and Education Queensland to help teachers understand they way a contemporary student is to learn effectively in this modern day. There are three major points that I found Flickr to assist children in effectively learning, mobile, connected and globally engaged. Flickr allows the modern day student to learn effectively by being able to access the account on either a school or home computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Students are connected as they collaborate with school friends, experts, resources and learning communities. Resources, experts and communities would be the Flickr accounts of the museum, libraries and others such as NASA on "The Commons" webpage. Students are also globally engaged through the use of Flickr "Explore" to find photos from various countries and cities to help participate in the present events happening all over the world.

Although Flickr seems to have some great reasoning for being a wonderful tool in the classroom, I personally wouldn't employ the use of this webpage in my own teaching.
The disadvantages I found personally with Flickr were:

1. Students lose exploring their own creativity as they are no longer creating their own pages with creative writing and drawing their own pictures.
2. The layout I found to be messy and un-organised in the sorting of photos.
3. The privacy of photographs can be changed to be private, however the Flickr is part of the Yahoo! company and is a largely used social network. Students could stumble upon inappropriate images or accidentally upload their images for the public to find. This could also be photos of students that become accessible by the general public.
4. Issues with using and coping images due to copyright laws.

PODCASTS and AUDIO:
This week we were encouraged to create a podcast or audio tool account. I chose to create an AudioBoo account. Here is an example of an AudioBoo podcast and I have given a simple explanation on how to create an account.

https://audioboo.fm/boos/2007729-triailing-audioboo

Over and Out,
Alanna.