Week 4 Specific Reflection - Videos!

Week 4 Reflection on Videos

This week I chose to do a reflection on videos as they are the most fun, incorporating both audio and visual stimuli. I also really like that videos can cater to students who are deaf or blind, to almost any degree. Videos engage students, and can introduce or elaborate on topics in a way that can be difficult to accomplish any other way.

Basically, I love videos, whether it be watching or creating.

What can videos do?

Videos can display information in an entirely unique format, with audio and visual cues. It is a very creative platform! Videos can be used to inform or entertain. They can present multitudes of information in a very concise format, as there are simply so many ways of presenting that information.

A good demonstration of how popular and useful videos can be is Youtube. The following is a screenshot from the website with some of the statistics collected, and as can be seen from the first point alone, Youtube is incredibly popular!

Youtube.com

One example of what a video can do is the following video I created with a friend in 2011. We wished to observe weather patterns as we lived in an isolated area with no weather forecasts. We did not wish to lay in the grass all day looking at the sky however, so we set a camera to time-lapse and viewed the results a day later.

What are the limitations or restrictions?

Videos have many different possible formats (or ways of saving the information so that a device may show the information), and sometimes this can be incredibly useful. Saving in certain formats will increase the amount of space required, but save in a better quality, and the reverse is also true. However to play any format, a device must be able to read that format, which sometimes can be a problem. For example, the earlier video will play on some devices and not others, due to some devices not being able to play 3gp files.

Videos are also not interactive in themselves. They are a similar to blogs in this fashion, they only present information. However, just like with blogs, often comments are able to be created and discussions can be created in this fashion.

What is the privacy settings and abilities?

Privacy is completely controlled by the creator of a video. If they wish to keep it private (like that video of you in the bathtub when you were little), then you simply keep that video off of the internet. If your intention is to educate or entertain a wide audience, then post it on Youtube. If you want to show a limited audience, then only show those you wish to see it. Websites that allow a creator to post to the page often have their own guidelines and rules that are followed in order to monitor anonymity, safety or usage.

Can you customise the tool or space?

Videos are entirely customisable, with creators being able to use various editors or programs to not only incorporate images and audio, but to also manipulate videos. This could be through the addition of transitions, use of green screen technology, or cutting the video into segments. You can often also choose the format the video is saved into!

Is it easy to use (create or view)?

It is extremely easy to view videos, after two minutes on Youtube it is nearly impossible not to! Creation is also simple for beginners, and more complex as a creator delves into the possible options. 

Movie maker - simple editor example

www.leawo.com – complex video editor

Possible ways to incorporate videos into teaching:

• using pre-made videos to introduce topics (Substitution level), such as watching an overview of fractions and their uses in maths.
• engage students (Augmentation level), such as asking students to brainstorm ways to create a plasma cutter then showing them a video on a simple creation (Slow Mo Guys).
• students creating short videos on a topic (Modification level), whic requires them creating and researching independantly. Such as create a video on fractals! (Done that, so much fun and so creative for a Maths C class!)
• discussion of possible outcomes in an event, watching a video on said event, then creating a short video reflection (Redefinition level). This can take up a whole 70 minute lesson, however not only engages the students, but stimulates higher-order thinking and creativity. It can be modified to include research in the reflection, and could be used in any class!

SAMR Model video
This video was very quickly created by myself to demonstrate how easily and effectivly videos can be created. The audio was sped up as I had to speak slowely for the microphone, and it is just more interesting to listen to in my opinion. It took approximately 5 minutes after the slides were created in Photoshop, and the audio made in Audacity within 5 minutes. In total maybe 15-20 minutes. No transitions or effects were added. It was created with mobile viewing in mind.

Note: I have realised that the audio is very quiet, maybe someone reviewing audio could explain where I went wrong when recording my audio?

Week 4 Question Time!

This week we are looking at different forms of communication in the modern era, particularly the technology used such as images, audio and video. Instead of posting a reflection this week in my general post, I would like to pose a few questions to you as reader.

Regarding images:

How do you think you should reference images on the internet? Were you ever corrected in school on image specific referencing?

I had set up a Flickr account once with images I had taken (with my tiny brand new camera) then digitally altered while in school. Since no one bothered looking at my art, I actually stopped using it and hid all those images in an album at home. Technology sharing can sometimes backfire when we are looking for attention! Teachers should be aware that when collaborating using technology, students will want recognition for individual efforts!

Regarding Audio:

Have you ever created music of your own that could be accessed via computer?

The podcast I listen to while driving is the RT Podcast by Roosterteeth, they actually release three a week however one hour of laughs is good enough for me!

I created a phone ring tone once for school, but liked it so much I wanted to continue making digital music. Then my computer crashed and I lost the program I had used initially, and could not afford to purchase it again. Teachers need to remember that backups are vital when creating via technology, I live by them now!

Regarding Digital Video:

Have you ever created a video or had one created for you?

I love creating videos, especially when they are about something I am passionate about or interested in. My favourite were a few ‘blast from the past’ videos I created for friends, where I grabbed music specific to that person and images mixed with videos from years ago. Mixing sound to match the mood of images, having it all blend well, is really fun. I would recommend teachers having a video creating assignment at least once each year, students can be as creative as they like and it really reinforces copyright skills.

Week 3 Specific Reflection: Blogs

I chose to complete a scaffolded reflection on Blogs as I had heard of them only in passing, and it is a completely new experience for me. In school I had completed an assignment each on Wikis and Websites, both creation and use, so although these technologies are also very new to me, they are not quite as unfamiliar (a lot can change in a few years but not that much!). This is all based on Blogger blogs (www.blogger.com).

What can blogs do?

Blogs allow users to share information to a wide audience in a unique format. The information is presented as newest post at the top of the page (generally), and the creator has the greatest control over features such as the inclusion of comments or quizzes.

For example blogs can show the creator the user traffic to allow users to adjust their posts to generate more traffic.

CQUBlogger132 Traffic to date

What are the limitations or restrictions?

Blogs do not encourage discussion very well, as there is little opportunity to direct the flow of conversation in the comments beside creator input and moderation. It is reminiscent of Web 1.0, where creators created and viewers view, however it allows anyone to be those initial creators.

What is the privacy settings and abilities?

Creators can choose to have any combination of the following:

• Phone numbers to recover/reset passwords
• Recovery emails to recover/reset passwords.
• Two-step verification
• Notifications of activity on the account (email or phone)
• Public/ private to search engines
• Editing who can read your blog at all
• Who can comment
• Comment moderation
• Word verification
• Language and time zone

Comments Settings Options

Can you customise the tool or space?

It is possible to customise blogs through the Blogger Template Designer, with a variety of general view appearance options and colours. You can change background colours, widths of blocks of space (for example making the main posts wider with less room for the sidebar of information) and the general layout. Beyond these options, you can choose from hundreds of text options, or directly edit the page HTML. The options are practically endless! For example, in this blog, I have added a poll to the right-hand side to gather information I am curious about.

Blogger Text Options

Blogger General View Options

Screen For Adding Gadgets In Blogger

Is it easy to use (create or view)?

To create, blogs are fairly simple for those with a basic technological background (capable of completing a Certificate 1 in Information Technology independently is my interpretation of this level). Blogger steps users through the setup process, and labels/buttons have clear meanings. It also has the capacity to become more complex as the settings can become quite in depth. This means that first time users can navigate the setup process without hassle, and yet can customise their blog any way they want.

Process To Create A New Blog

To view, blogs require very little computer literacy as it is possible to simply enter the blog address into the address bar, and click to view any post that is open to public view. For some, viewing may require a user to log on, but again this is simple data input with very clear directions by the hosting website.

Classroom use of blogs:

SAMR Level	Activity example	Advantages/ Disadvantages	Best class for use	Possible use in a mathematics or accounting class
Substitution	Teacher uses blogs to present information instead of in the textbook. The blog is projected onto the board and restricted to prevent students from ‘playing’ on their laptops.	No real advantage over a textbook. Students have no contributions or ownership. This could cause issues for students who cannot see the board clearly as they may prefer a textbook.	None, it is essentially a hard to set up projector.	Presenting worked examples for the students to view in Maths.
Augmentation	Teacher uses blogs to present the lesson reading content, and allows the students to use their own laptops to access the information independently in class or at home.	Students are able to view the content from home, which can be advantageous if a student is ill or falling behind. Students still have no ownership or contributions.	English classes as the teacher has no specified textbook and must present larger chunks of information to students.  It allows students to use ICT in the classroom to some benefit.	Classes where the teacher has become ill to still present information to the class from home, or a student to access from home in the same situation.
Modification	Request students to investigate different views or opinions on a particular topic which has caused debate. They are to find a minimum of two blog posts that support their view, and then prove/debate with examples whether this blog is credible (eg. Using a reference list in a scientific blog). They are to present their find in their own post on a classroom blog.	Students have limited control in finding viewpoints that match their own views. This activity can challenge their own views, without feeling like a certain view is imposed upon them (as they have this measure of control). Students have ownership of their own blog post, and this post can spark debate among the class.	Science, Law or similar, where investigations are common.  It allows students to use ICT in the classroom to shape and improve their learning.	Investigations into ethics in Accounting (will also boost their technology skills which is important in Accounting).