Feelings of Defeat, but Relief

I just can't help but feel that everything I have put towards this task had either been shot down or ignored. I put so much effort into the wiki and I'm not sure I'm being appreciated for that. Google Sites is a pain to work around and graphic design is not an easy thing to do either. But I will keep on keeping on. I'm not one to bask in these sorts of feelings so I will move on!

The wiki is almost complete and is looking great! The ladies of my group have put so much effort into everything they have done and it really shows. There is a lot of information and I'm a bit worried it will seem overwhelming but all that is needed to be included is there, and more. Our communication over Facebook had calmed down and easier to get through the conversations now. Unfortunately I could not join another Skype chat so one of the ladies just added me to the conversation so I could read through after, so that was handy.

I have added a summary page to our wiki just as an overview for visitors to get a quick idea of the final wiki. I am happy with what I have written because I don't believe people want all the information thrown at them at once when they open a page so I kept it short and concise. The presentation that has been made (not by me) is fantastic and I think everyone is really going to like it.

I am actually really looking forward to the peer reviews and final mark for this assignment. It will be interesting to see how well we have done, because I think it's spectacular!

(Casa di Nico, n.d.)

Our wiki link is https://sites.google.com/site/animalsurvivalstories/ :)

Unit Content: Am I Missing Something?

I am finding the content of this unit, hmm, simple. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what the staff of this unit do and the help they provide but for the most of it I find it almost boring.

(2012)

In saying that, I am a very confident and capable technology user so I assume that's most of it. I have always loved technology and always wanted the latest gadget, or app, or 'toy' so I am almost excited to see that these inventions are slowly finding their way into the classroom.

Although I don't find the lectures overly challenging I certain find the assignments that way. I get overwhelmed quite easily so I think if I just make sure that my time management is well organised I would be a lot less stressed. I really love that we actually get to try out all of the technologies and use them as/in our assignments. I guess there is positives and negative in everything.

I find the information in the lectures on how to incorporate certain technologies into primary education very interesting. I can't wait until I can implement them myself! It's just amazing that things like the Apple iPad can now be found on some children's school lists. Amazing!

(2012)

Decisions and Creation

Well things have certainly moved on. My group has had a Skype 'date' and made sure everyone knows what the task is. We also decided on the elements each of us with be focussing on. I put my hand up to do the wiki because I really like creating websites and graphic design, and apparently I'm good at it too. We also had to think of a name for a task/group and one of the ladies mentioned Stories of Survival, and it stuck. The Skype chat was really great to get to know each other and to know the task too. I would definitely use it as a form of communication again!

So, I decided to get straight onto making the wiki so I jumped onto Google Sites to see what I could do. I found that finding an available URL name for a wiki was hard because Stories of Survival was already taken but after some exchanges with my group members we found one that worked! That was Animal Survival Stories. So after I did that I could start editing. First I created a banner using an editing software that I already have that is a bit like Photoshop. I was a bit nervous about putting it on the wiki because I wasn't sure if the other ladies would like it. But it turns out they did, yay! I then added colours that matched the banner and made some additional pages for when the other group members were ready to add their components.

The banner that I created for the wiki.

I almost feel as though now I'm not sure what I am meant to be doing, but I'm making sure I'm keeping up-to-date with my group members and what they are including. The Facebook group is getting very confusing because of all the new posts everyone is adding so it takes a while to understand what we are all thinking. Hopefully things will calm down so I can get a grasp of what I can do next!

(Makeuseof.com, 2011)

Assignment 3 take off

Well Assignment 3 has come out of nowhere, just as the first and second one did! For the task we have to create groups and then create an Authentic Learning task. We have to detail and demonstrate this task in the form of a wiki.

My group consists of three other ladies (all external students) and we're all really enthusiastic to get the ball rolling. We began by communicating through email and then decided that creating a Facebook group would be easiest for us all. We decided to choose English as our subject area very quickly and this made it easier to narrow down the possibilities of our task. There were many ideas from everyone but we have decided on short stories, and using Endangered Animals as the topic focus. We still have ideas flowing about what could be involved in the task but that will become more concrete as our communication goes on.

I'm excited to see what we can do with this project, it's looking promising.


The Numbat. (Garnett, 2012)

Week 9 - Time flies by

Where did all of my time go!? I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since my last post. In those 3 weeks I have done a lot of work for the second assignment for EDN113. I have decided on the resource I will use and have completed a majority of the work.

I finally chose the book "Maths and ICT in the Primary School: A Creative Approach" and analysed it so I could write a short description about it. I really liked this book, mainly because it introduced me to ideas that I never would have thought of myself. The insight into how careful we as teachers need to be with using technology to educate intrigued me. To ensure to use technology in a creative and important way, not just as a means of reward or filling in spare time.

Book cover of Maths and ICT in the Primary School: A Creative Approach

It was quite easy to find my resource. First, I went to Google Books and used some keywords to see what results would come up. I didn't have much success with that so I decided to try somewhere else. Next I went to the Murdoch Library homepage and used the search function (picture below) to type in some keys words for results. 

Search function on Murdoch Library page.

 I did a few searches with keywords such as 'ICT', 'maths', 'technology', 'primary', 'mathermatics', and 'teaching'. In the end I found my resource using the keywords 'ICT', 'maths', and 'primary'. This search came up with two different books that interested me so I accessed the information pages for them and noted their locations  in the library. After I had found both of them I read their introductions and summaries and decided which one I thought suited what I was looking for more than the other. It was quite an easy decision because Maths and ICT in the Primary School: A Creative Approach directly addressed using ICT to teach Maths.

I have not been able to create my screencast yet because I have been very ill, but I have written the transcript and practised the order in which I will do the task. I have also download the screencast program from Screen-O-Matic.com because I found it easier to used while just practising rather than the online version (my computer just seemed to like the downloaded version better). I'm quite nervous to record the screencast to show how to use EndNote and how to add a reference to a Word document. I have never done a screencast before so to coordinate movement on the screen plus talking might need a few takes!

As for my website, I actually found it really hard to describe the components of this task. I wrote quite a bit but I think I covered all areas, so I'm happy with the final write-up.

Week 6: Oh, the confusion of assignment introduction

Phew! It feels as though I only just finished Assignment 1 for EDN113 and now I have to jump right into Assignment 2. I'm feeling a little confused about this assignment (Researcher) because we have been told it's a group project but all the elements seem to be indivdual and not joint in any way. I think I'll have to do some extra reading, listening, and asking to clarify and help me complete this task.

I chose to research books/e-books related to maths. I have used the search function on the Murdoch Library website and I have found a few different resources, some of which are available at the South Street Library and some that are unfortunately not. I would prefer to find a book rather than an e-book because I believe it's so easy just use online resources now instead of using one of the most common and reliable sources, in books. The main reason why I haven't chosen a resource yet is because I'm not sure exactly sure what I'm looking for. Am I just looking for a maths book that I think would be helpful and understandable? Or am I looking for a book that relates maths to technology and the ways technology can be useful? So confusing!

I do have the confidence in myself though that this assignment will 'click' with me soon.

Week 4: 'Indecisive' is my middle name

So I've changed my mind... My mother would not be surprised at all.

I did a bit of my own research and found an online website creator that I immediately fell in love with. So I have transferred from using jimdo.com to wix.com. I used a pre-made template and did a bit of my own customising by using my prior knowledge of website developing to create something I am very proud of. My Social Learner page has now be created and finalised and I added a few other pages to make my website more accessible and user friendly.

On another point, I thought I'd share the experiences that I have had while studying at university this year. I can't believe the change I have experienced compared to my two years of studying Sports Science. I feel as though I fit in at uni now that I have transferred to Education. The people I have met have been so friendly and willing to help and I have enjoyed helping the other students, especially the ones that look like a deer in the headlights that have only just started uni. In addition to the great people that I am surrounded by I am also absolutely loving the content of this unit, and the Bachelor course as a whole. I have been introduced to so many ideas relating to teaching with technology, and it is encouraging me to think of ways I could use certain advancements in my own future teaching. Not only using current technologies but also thinking of my own ideas for new technologies that could assist in children's learning.

I really do believe I have found my true passion.