Wiki What...?

This week we began the third and last task this unit. This task involved getting into groups of four, I was in a group with Hannah, Rachel, Janeea and myself. We had to work within a learning area, create a wiki to explain our project and create a presentation discussing what our project idea was.

So the learning area that our group decided to work in was cooking. Our project idea was to get the children to bake cookies and get them to decorate them how ever they wanted using icing. It would allow them to be creative and to be hand on with the activity. 

The wiki site that we used was google as wiki spaces needed use of a debit card to activate the account and no one in out group had a debit card so we solved this by using a different site to create our wiki. 

I think this will be a good topic for us and an enjoyable assignment to complete. As well as seeing how everyone will work together within the group, and getting to know them a bit more.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGdaiWJGJZRBsEpYHmLyhZW1AvHlC_K5C-VDbSRWdVQBIiysRe63uTXb6GMmmOYqd8TxuJK6YH_ZL5ziwdYaZEMVbDTR1QrpwddcUVwRmIRn3wGz4snPpHob-8y22aF82iolvs5GaNoE/s1600/wiki.gif 

Screencast...

So the last part of task 2 was to create a screen cast on how to use the referencing tool that we had chosen. Now before this assignment I didn't even know what a screen cast was let alone how to create one. But it really wasn't that hard and now I can officially say i know what they are and i can create one as well. :)

The screen cast resource that I used was screen-o-matic. I also looked at screenr but wasn't able to use it on my computer so screen-o-matic it was.

This resource was very easy to use all I had to do was download the resource and then press record. It was really that simply, the only hard part was thinking what to say how to say it and move your mouse at the same time!! Then having to listen to how you sound on a recording... now lets say I was sick so it was even worse then normal.

After a few attempts at recording myself I ended up with a version that I was happy with and could allow others to listen too.

http://myvajournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/how-to-use-screencast-o-matic-to-record.html 

why so hard?...

This week I got stuck into my assignment and decided that i was going to use the internet and google as my search engine for task 2. I found google very easy to use especially to find a website on using technology in the classroom. The website that I used for this assignment can be view by clicking here. I found this website very interesting, engaging and enjoyable to read. I was able to see how technology could be used in different ways to enhance teaching and learning for students within the classroom and also outside of the learning allocated times.

Next I typed my paragraph about the website that i found so i was able to reference it. Then I looked for a referencing tool that I could use to do my screencast on. I looked at endnote which I was able to download the 30 day trial version. But as it was not the full version I was unable to use this tool within pages where my paragraph was located. I tried to download the full version that is available for Murdoch students off the library site but as it wouldn't download, so I had to try something else.

The next tool that I downloaded was mendeley. This was a good tool but again I was unable to use it within pages. So my last option was Zotero. This I was able to use in pages but I couldn't get it to work on my computer.

So this left me a bit stuck as nothing was working, so the thing that I did next was transfer my paragraph that I had typed on my computer to my brothers computer. His computer has the software Word. This allowed my to use the referencing tool mendeley. I found it very easy to use in general and within in word to reference my paragraph.

It was a long process to get to were i am now and i had a few troubles but i pushed through. Found a tool that was compatible with what i had available and and was able to finish part of my assignment. Now to start the next and hope i don't have as many problems. :/ 

http://www.publishingtechnology.com/2013/04/mendeley-elsevier-and-the-importance-of-content-discovery-to-academic-publishers/ 

                                                                       http://www.talkandroid.com/155619-new-widget puts-the-latest-google-doodle-on-your-home-screen/

Technology Online...

This week was an interesting week as it was the first of three online weeks for this unit. For thoses that dont know what an online week for this unit is. It means that there is no contact time at the universtity this week there are no lectures or wookshops, insted a live chat that is operated though Skype. This chat is recorded for the students that are unavaliable at the time.

I was unable to sit in on the live chat this week so I watched the recorded version. I thought that it was interesting and different and would love to be able to sit in on the next one. The live chat allows you to ask questions while it is happening and Jenni (the unit coordinator) also allows questions to be answered during the chat along with votes on certain topics to answer specific questions.

I think that this is a good way of communicating and presenting lectures and workshops all in one, especially for this unit. I don't think that it could be done every week but a few times a semester is good as it is something different and engaging to learn the content and get information across.

                                    http://mashable.com/2013/01/09/microsoft-messenger-skype/