Review+of+the+Topic

Review of the Topic

I found the digital story task the most valuable and yet the most challenging. This task opened my eyes to the potential of digital storytelling and how it can be used in the classroom. The skills I learnt in this task (recording, editing, planning, taking photos that add to the content and the configuration of the story) are great for students and they will help sharpen their ICT skills. I also found the use of a wiki valuable as this is something I would like to use as a future educator.
 * Most Valuable Activities: **

I found the assignment on Web 2.0 tools the least valuable as I a completed a similar task in a different topic where we went into more depth and looked at a larger variety of tools. I felt that I was repeating myself from critique of a tool to another. If we were to focus on Wikispaces, Google Groups and Delicious (because they are in fact very useful in the classroom) and then be asked to find a tool that is not widely know or used and critique that it may create more interest, as everyone would be investigating a different tool.
 * Least Valuable Activities: **

Throughout this topic I have learned a great deal and expanded my teaching portfolio of skills. I have now gained skills in editing and creating both radio edits (just audio) and digital stories (with media: photos and/or videos), creating and maintaining a wikispace and the issue of having an online presence. The latter is a very important issue in the school environment and I believe needs to be inserted into the curriculum and monitored.
 * Summarisation and the Future: **

The curriculum is a complex concept and it can be overwhelming to attempt to incorporate ICT. A number of teachers believe that adding ICT to a lesson is as simple as using the SMART Board, or showing media clips, or getting students to create a web page or power point presentation. However, this is not the case. It is important to ensure that the students are not only learning about ICT, but learning new skills and are understanding the concepts and are able to critique the use of such skills, while also adding value to the chosen topic. It is all a bit overwhelming, but with some thought and imagination. It is possible.

~//The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential//.~ Steve Ballmer