Wikis-R-Us

Please take same time out to view the wiki created by my group and I at http://wikistudious.wikispaces.com/home
Wikis are very useful instructional aides that can be used to actively involve your students in the co-operative learning process by allowing them to combine ideas and share them with the world. Wikis could be used by both teachers and students to improve classroom instruction by giving the teacher a way of assessing the children while they are able to write freely about presented topics while combining knowledge. This way, students learn from each other and the teacher is able to use that medium as a channel of overtime assessments rather than the pencil and paper assessments.

Reflection
The piece produced for portfolio #7 was a Wiki based on the effects of humans on the environment and what we can do to help restore a balance to Earth. It is to be use as an instructional aide for the grade six level. One challenge faced when creating the piece was simply learning how to navigate the site and understanding in its entirety how Wikis work. This challenge was overcome by group co-operations and members working together: discussing the ideas about Wikis and relating information about tasks they were able to complete using the Wiki for the completion of this piece. The piece could be improved by putting more detailed information on each page and by finding other ways of making the pages attractive - such as the general layout of the pages.

Let's Make a Movie

The video produced is titled "Saving Earth" and depicts four different aspects of earth: how earth was before, the effects of negative human impacts, the natural response of earth to these negative impacts and what we as individuals can do to help to save our planet. The intended audience is a Social Studies class. Students may be from grades three through six. 

It is a known fact that technology is becoming increasingly popular with adults and children alike. It is also true that some students spend more time in front the television than they do with parents. As such, using videos in the classroom is a good way to associate with the interest of the children by combining visual technological media with learning.

Reflection

The piece produced was a four minute video titled "Saving Earth" to be used as an instructional tool for a Social Studies lesson for students from grades three through four to familiarize then with the effects of negative human impacts on our environment. It will be used to demonstrate the extent at which the pollution occurs, the way in which pollution occurs and the measures that one could take to save our planet. One challenge faced when creating the piece is that the movie maker kept experiencing and error forcing the program to be closed and losing information. We were therefore forced to save after every edit that was made. Another challenge was getting all the information that we wanted to cover within the allotted time. One way in which this piece can be improved is by including cartoon pictures to effectively bridge what the younger children especially, are accustomed of seeing and prefer to relate to.

Multimedia to "Feed Ya"

A podcast is an essential learning tool because it enables the children to receive information in a fun and innovative way rather than the old fashioned "chalk and talk" which is increasingly becoming more and more ineffective. When allowed to be actively engaged, especially in the collection on information for the podcast, students get first hand knowledge and are able to identify with the information whether they happen to agree with what is being said or not. Podcast is a way of giving students a voice, and for those students desirous of becoming news reporters or related professions, a podcast is a good way to start.

The podcast produced by my group served to inform persons of a current issue challenging the education system in Antigua and Barbuda which is the circulation of pornographic videos involving school-aged children in their uniforms and adult participants. It was also aimed at sharing the views of persons within the education system – highlighting to those in authority the urgent need for this situation to be dealt with.

In the classroom, a podcast can be used in collaboration with other methods to deliver information on various topics. In some instances the words of the teacher does not carry as much weight as the words of others. Another way a podcast can be used is to replace the customary forms of essay writing. Students can be given guidelines and asked to satisfy all criteria using a podcast production.