Multimedia Making Meaning Real

By Lois Smethurst 2011

Blog - My ICT Journey

Twitter: loisath

WHY?

Vygotsky (1978) also highlighted the convergence of the social and practical elements in learning by saying that the most significant moment in the course of intellectual development occurs when speech and practical activity, two previously completely independent lines of development, converge. Through practical activity a child constructs meaning on an intrapersonal level, while

speech connects this meaning with the interpersonal world shared by the child and her/his culture.

Gordon Wells emphasizes the importance of speech and writing as a means of building and clarifying knowledge.

“The fact that the processes of thinking, such as categorizing, hypothesizing, reasoning, and

evaluating, are not only realized in language, in the sense of being made manifest in

speech and writing, but also

actually constructed and improved through its mediating means.”

WHY?

Visualizing Strategies for Comprehension

For students in primary school, the processes of thinking are more likely to be realized if the students are encouraged to use speech.

Young students are inexperienced writers and we cannot expect them to use written language as the main expression of their thinking

Students speak before they write

If we really want to know

what they are thinking and

how they are thinking,

then the first form of communication should be spoken

especially for primary students who are still in the early stages of developing their reading and writing skills.

HOW?

Lets talk about it: Add audio to anything enhances the learning

VoiceThread

Glogster

PowerPoint

PhotoStory

Skype debating

Nick’s LEEP Story made with Tux Paint and PhotoStory

VoiceThreadReader’s Theatre

An Innovation on the Stellaluna Picture by Janelle Cannonhttp://voicethread.com/share/483703/

Which One to Use

Students work in pairs coaching each other.

How to Record Clear Audio in the Classroom

They are expected to listen critically to their buddy and offer constructive advise

Uni-directional microphones suppress the background noise. Good sound cards are important.

Drawings to Animations with VoiceThese were created with Tux Paint (free to download) and SAM Animation (Trial version available). You can see some more detailed instructions on my blog.

What Students Say

How I learnt about Global Warming: First we, the LEEP kids watched a movie, but that wasn’t enough because if it did tell us everything about Global Warming and other stuff we would just stay home and watch videos to learn.  After that we discussed the matter and our LEEP teacher, Mrs. Smethurst simplified it because it was a bit hard to understand. We all drew pictures about it to help us understand even further because it was still a bit blury in our minds It unblured for me when I explained it to a microphone on Audiotouch. It really helped me to understand what Global Warming is and how to present it.http://berwicklodgeps.global2.vic.edu.au/2009/08/21/how-i-learnt-about-global-warming/

What Students Say

How I Learn?Posted by: MarnieHow I Learn…I learn best when I am on AudioTouch talking and when we are in a discussion. I need to talk when I am learning to fully understand it. Rather then just reading a whole paragraph that totally means nothing to me.Learning About Global Warming…When I was learning about Global Warming the part where I understand the most was when I was on Tux Paint and when I was on AudioTouch because…When I was on AudioTouch talking about it was easier to understand than researching on the internet.It was easy to understend when I was drawing because I understood what I was drawing.

Global Problem – Local Solution

Students can use a lot of the tools without signing up for an account.

Voki – Australian Bush Ballads

Blabberize, KahootzRoyalty Free Music Site

HAVE FUN WITH WEB 2.0

Easy but very effectiveCommonCraft

Find out, draw it, script it, practice it, sequence it share it, film it.

Works with whole grade.