A-Z of Internet Tools and Techniques: Letter M

So here we are with Letter M of the tools and techniques which you can use to get the most out of the Internet.

M stands for….

Mobile Learning

Possible the most interesting, challenging and exciting change happening in schools right now.

Your average blanket school policy on “No Phones in School” has got to be the most disregarded rule, perhaps ever!

And who can blame them when I love and adore my own mobile device. (iPad)

The trick for schools is to stay ahead of the game (or the students) and have a “Responsible Use” policy rather than an impossible to enforce blanket ban. This debate is currently happening here in TDAc.

 

So what makes me a fan of Mobile Learning?

As phones become another educational tool, it is likely that ‘misuse’ or frivolous use will fall, especially in school.

and there are so many fantastic things that we (yes this does include staff) can use to aid our learning (and our teaching!)

Use the camera to take pictures of notes, the whiteboard, different stages of a piece of art work, design projects, timetables….

They can film roleplays, science experiments, teacher demonstrations, lectures, drama rehearsals, dance practices, sports skills….

Foreign Language students or dyslexic students can use it to record notes which they can re-listen to at their leisure. Or to record their own ideas when they can’t write as fast as they think.

Science, Maths, Technology can use them to record measurements and data logging.

Use Apps like Evernote to collate ideas on a project and keep them all together.

Use JotNot Scanner to scan paper documents and convert to PDFs, or JPEGs.

Use EasyBib to scan in ISBN’s and turn into citations (okay so Harvard isn’t included yet…) but how I’d love to promote this in yet another tool against plagiarism.

Do I need to mention Kindle? or iBooks? or Overdrive (there are plans to link this with our LMS Oliver, so students could borrow ebooks from the MRC – watch this space!)

Plus many of the Apps have authority – that is the information can be trusted and is more reliable than random internet searches. Have a look at Science 360 or The Elements or BBC Bitesize….the list is endless, and talking of revision have a look at Cramberry for creating your own flashcards, or InQuizitor – where testing your knowledge becomes a game!

And all this choice – well that is exactly where the role of your friendly librarian comes in. There is so much to choose from, where do you start? The information is essentially the same – just the media that is a bit different but the skills to organise and find the right information at the right time are the same.

I’d like to start an App Club at the Academy so we can share the latest and the best Apps.

 

I could go on, and I’ve probably gone on too much, but Mobile Learning excites me – all those possibilities…

PS.

QR codes are fab too! Endless uses – but perhaps I ought to save that for the letter Q!

 

Bibliography Scott, Elspeth. (2009). All kinds of e-verything. School Librarian. 57

A-Z of Internet Tools and Techniques: Letter L

So here we are with Letter L of the tools and techniques which you can use to get the most out of the Internet.

L stands for….

Learning Objective

It is really important to think about what the purpose of using the technology is and how it will develop understanding.

Remember eLEARNING not Elearning!

Bibliography Scott, Elspeth. (2009). All kinds of e-verything. School Librarian. 57

A-Z of Internet Tools and Techniques: Letter K

So here we are with Letter K of the tools and techniques which you can use to get the most out of the Internet.

K stands for….

Kineo

Kineo is a commerical elearning company but the FreeThinking section of their website has information and reviews of a wide range of elearning tools and tips, this is useful for VLEs.

There is also a Green Room which has been devised with Learn Direct and has some really good information about designing elearning courses.

 

Bibliography Scott, Elspeth. (2009). All kinds of e-verything. School Librarian. 57

A-Z of Internet Tools and Techniques: Letter J

So here we are with Letter J of the tools and techniques which you can use to get the most out of the Internet.

J stands for….

Jing

Jing

Jing is a screen capture tool that allows you to make a narrated video showing how to do something on a computer. It records your mouse, and everything you click on and show on your screen.

 

Ever had a  conversation over the phone with your parents, trying to explain to them how to open the attachment you sent in your last email? (“Double-click on the attachment icon!” – “There isn’t one!”…): this trick could help you solve this kind of situation and, more importantly, some work-related issues like having to explain over and over again to your students or friends how to do something on the computer.

 

Alternatives are Cam Studio,  Screencast-o-matic,  Camtasia and Lightshot.

Bibliography Scott, Elspeth. (2009). All kinds of e-verything. School Librarian. 57

A-Z of Internet Tools and Techniques: Letter I

So here we are with Letter I of the tools and techniques which you can use to get the most out of the Internet.

I stands for….

Interactivity

Fully interactive, multi-media, broadband enhanced are just a few of the terms that spring to mind when I think of the interactivity of the internet.

Increased form of interactivity leads to greater reader involvement and engagement, two things that every teacher wants to encourage into their classroom.

Interactivity caters for and indeed increases the number of learning styles you can include, visual, written, audio, kinesthetic – all are possible with making use of the best sites on the web or creating your own online resources.

For instance I love using Flash to create interactive learning activities that include both the teaching objectives and information literacy objectives.

 

Bibliography Scott, Elspeth. (2009). All kinds of e-verything. School Librarian. 57