Study Ladder Evaluation Matrix

Evaluation Matrix
Name of teaching resource
Study Ladder

Weblink (if web based)

https://www.studyladder.com.au/teacher/resources/browse?course=3&section=46
Who should this digital teaching resource be used with? (ie year/grade)

The example that I have given is for year 1. Most of the subjects available are for Primary up to year 6 except for Mathematics and Naplan they go up to year 7

How should it be used? (e.g. individual, whole class)

Most of the tools on Study Ladder are designed to be individual based but you could use them in a group situation when displayed by projector on the board.

Which subject or learning area would it be most appropriate to use in?

The subject that I choose was Mathematics but Study Ladder covers most subjects.

Identify the strengths of this teaching resource

Study Ladder has a wide range of resources to use in the class room. Video’s, posters, individual activities, just to name a few. It is user friendly and the children can find there way around easily.
Identify any weaknesses of this teaching resource

I could not identify any weaknesses.

Explain any ideas you may have for further use of this teaching resource

Study ladder is a great tool for the class room and can help teachers plan their lessons. It is also based on the Australian Curriculum.

Study Ladder

Study Ladder is a great tool for children for learning a variety of subjects but also learning to use a computer at the same time.

http://https://prezi.com/embed/iju9ra5osntb/?bgcolor=ffffff&lock_to_path=0&autoplay=0&autohide_ctrls=0#

Splash ABC and Prezi

Evaluation Matrix
Name of teaching resource
Splash ABC & Prezi

Weblink (if web based)

http://splash.abc.net.au/res/teacher_res/11-measuring-familiar-things.html
https://prezi.com/1znie2jhmi4k/edit/#20

Who should this digital teaching resource be used with? (ie year/grade)

The example that I have given is for year 1 & 2. But it can be used from Primary up to year 10.
How should it be used? (e.g. individual, whole class)

You can use these tools for individuals and the whole class. In my Prezi I have given the children homework to do on their own and also group activities to do in the classroom. This gives the children more ownership of the project when they have the opportunity to start the project on their own.
Which subject or learning area would it be most appropriate to use in?

I would add this to Mathematics lesson to begin with but it can also be added into the science class.
Identify the strengths of this teaching resource

Splash ABC gives teachers a scaffold of what they can do in the class room and follows on to similar subjects. It also gives teachers ideas of how they can teach certain things and them adapt each idea into their class room.
Identify any weaknesses of this teaching resource

Some of the applications that you download to use can only be used on a tablet and not on a laptop. I do not have a tablet at this time so I could not experiment will some of the features.

Explain any ideas you may have for further use of this teaching resource

Using Prezi to let the children know what they are learning about for the up coming week. I feel it is good for children to know what is going to happen next and they can prepare themselves for those lessons.

Splash ABC & Prezi

http://https://prezi.com/embed/1znie2jhmi4k/?bgcolor=ffffff&lock_to_path=0&autoplay=0&autohide_ctrls=0#

Participation and the Digital Divide

Living in this world today with the digital technology the world has available to people makes life a lot easier. Smart phones and wireless internet keeps people in contact with the world 24 hours a day.

Does it make life easier? Keeping up with current technology can be very daunting to some people and can take time to get to know how it works. Not everyone is tech savvy. New technology can also be expensive and is out of reach to some people. A computer that is 5 year old may be obsolete and will not support new programs or applications that are available today. (Howell, 2012). Mobile phones now are a mini computer that needs a fast internet connection to be able to use the applications.

“In 2012–13, 83% of persons were internet users. Those persons in the 15 to 17 years age group had the highest proportion of internet users (at 97%) compared to the older persons age group (65 or over) with the lowest proportion of internet users (at 46%).” (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014)

Today’s younger generation have been brought up with technology where as the older generation may not use social media or SMS as much may be the reason behind older people not using digital technology as much.

Indigenous Australians who live in remote area’s of Australia also have restrictive access to digital technology. Not only are do they miss out on the speed of communication and access to information but also with the opportunities that come with that. “HITnet, an Australian social enterprise, has implemented a solution and has rolled out touch screen kiosks in 70 Indigenous communities across the country, placed in central community areas.” (Param, 2015)
References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2014) Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2012-13. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/8146.0Chapter32012-13

Param, K. (2015) Bridging the digital divide in Indigenous communities. The University of Melbourne. Retrieved from http://voice.unimelb.edu.au/volume-11/number-2/bridging-digital-divide-indigenous-communities

Howell, J (2012) Teaching with ICT. Melbourne. (P56) Victoria. Oxford University Press.

Transmedia

Transmedia is like telling story through different types of media.  A lot of the DC Comics like Batman and Superman they all started with comics books and newspaper comic strips. Over the years as technology has evolved, so have our favourite characters using the latest media applications. Movies, Television shows, You Tube video’s, video games and Lego characters, just to name a few.
“Like a giant puzzle, each piece also contributes to a larger narrative. The process is cumulative and each piece adds richness and detail to the story world, such as character backstories and secondary plotlines.” (Rutledge, 2015)  Dr Pamela Rutledge also explains that transmedia allows the audience to be creatively involved in the characters stories. Following the characters through their stories and also creating new stories for them with the use of videogames, fan blog pages and social media.

Transmedia storytelling can attract all types of people to connect with their favourite characters through different types of media. Not only the main story but also the back story of the co characters. For example, The Harry Potter series of movies, a book was mentioned in one of the movies called the Tales of Beedle the Bard. JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, published this book after the last book was published. There are also websites related to the series. One that I quite liked was “Beyond Hogwarts” (this website is not affiliated with or approved by Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros., or J.K. Rowling).  It has stories regarding the movies, about some of the spells and also has a discussion page where like mined Harry Potter fans can chat and discuss the story and characters.

Transmedia has transformed how we can tell stories in the the 21st Century. If we love and connect to a character, we can follow their stories like they were real life.

References

Dr Rutledge, P. (2015) What is transmedia story telling. Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/

Warner Bro. Entertainment. (2015) DC Comics. Retrieved from http://www.dccomics.com

Haber, D. (2006-2010). Beyond Hogwarts. Retrieved from http://www.beyondhogwarts.com/harry-potter/topics/beedle-the-bard.html

Rowling, JK. (2012) JK Rowling. Retrieved from http://www.jkrowling.com/en_GB/#/timeline/beedle-the-bard/

What is a digital World?

Technology today is everywhere and we can not hide from it. We need to use it to keep up with current events, our social lives, our employment even in our car to tell us which way to go. Today we can use social media like Facebook or Twitter to keep in contact with friends and colleagues from all over the world instantly.

When I went to school in the 70’s and 80’s, there was no Google or email, no smart phone or tablets. We used cassette tapes or records to listen to music and not an Mp3 player. When the teacher used coloured chalk on the blackboard or an over head projector, we all thought that was cool. (Stansbury, 2013) Today teachers can use PowerPoint Presentations, You Tube and iPads to make learning more engaging to today’s students.

Children and adolescents in today’s society are referred to as “digital natives”. (Gallo, 2013) They have grown up with digital technology and use it socialise with their friends on social media pages like Face Book, Instagram and Twitter and are very quick to pick new technologies to use. Not only is it used for fun chatting and photo’s but also bullying, which is called Cyber Bullying. Parents need to be able to keep up with recent technology to be able monitor what our children are looking at and posting on social media and who are our friends on social media. Not an easy task.

Our world would not function well without digital technology. To go back to snail mail or even not having a mobile phone and relying on a land line phone. Wow, could you imagine it.

References

Gallo, L. (2013). Living in a digital world. Retrieved from http://now.uiowa.edu/2013/06/living-digital-world

Stansbury, M. (2013). 10 ed-tech tools of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Retrieved from http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/05/10/10-ed-tech-tools-of-the-70s-80s-and-90s/?

Elhage, A. (2014). 80% of Parents Think Their Kids are Growing Up too Fast: Is Technology to Blame? Retrieved from http://www.aleteia.org/en/lifestyle/article/80-of-parents-think-their-kids-are-growing-up-too-fast-is-technology-to-blame-5909666181677056