Using Digital Tools, Web2 and OER

These days for digital literacies we have, Web2 technologies (social media) Open Educational Resources (OER) e.g. learning objects [posted earlier] and Digital Tools. Some free digital tools of use are hyperlinked here. They're organised via activity types. I guess it's like music right, you have to practice. To find some free digital tool favourites, follow this link to the screen grab from Mindmodo below or just click the Mindmodo map. When you arrive at the webpage's URL, you can click on the centre graphic to enlarge the map, then click on the + arrow to the icon hyperlinks, happy clicking.

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It's a good idea to organise project work visually; e.g. with Popplet, a great little storyboard mind mapping organiser. A project idea can then be edited and developed. Below is an idea I used with Popplet which could be used for students of different levels, ages, backgrounds, etc; e.g. HE students'. This project activity will cross cognitive and dynamic boundaries with intra and inter communication. It should get them working together in teams sharing their skills and attributes. Here, by linking the Mindmodo resource above with the Popplet storyboard below, the project comes to life, and there are other digital tools of use not mentioned here and others in the making.

A Day in the Life of a Pigeon

Introduction

After learning to use 'Popplet', I created this mind map from watching pigeons in my neighbourhood next to a park with lots of trees. We had chickens and the pigeons would always come around looking for food, that’s all they seem to be interested in; however they were useful during the war as homing pigeons because they are born with an in-built location device, just as humans are born with an inbuilt language acquisition device.

Digital Tools

The significance of language learning is interesting when creating a project such as a short documentary with elements that link to digital literacy using digital tools. With the advent of digital tools students can link their media creations via Web2 technology; e.g. social media. Working in an EAL/D teacher role, my Spanish is minimal. However, I am able to teach a Spanish lesson by working in collaboration with digital tools and applications such as 'Byki Mobile' or 'Transparent Language' online https://www.transparent.com and I could use www.babbel.com also, as different applications have advantages [and disadvantages] over others.

However, for e.g. as a teacher, I am able to learn and plan a structured lesson in Spanish with the aid of OER, digital tools and Web2 technology. I am also able to use them for revision and practice via mobile technologies; like using a Chinese application called WeChat and/or Fakebook. Used as a mind-map, Popplet helps students think and learn visually. But how do we know if OER’s are any good? Well, that’s what the matrix is for, to evaluate one from another. A matrix is an evaluation tool for assessment. It asks many questions for funcationality, usability, safety, subject matter and so on.

Getting back to this project though, students' can capture facts, thoughts, and images and learn to create relationships between them. While, at work, professionals can use Popplet to generate ideas and plan projects, brainstorming and jotting down notes/ideas, and organising thoughts to generate creativity. Hence, I can introduce students to learning Spanish via a ‘flipped classroom’ approach to learning and teaching, and they can take this learning into their professional lives and life-long learning.

A Language Learning Project Example

This is not a lesson plan, rather an outline, as it will need to be drawn up. However, from this introductory storyboard a script can be developed by groups of students. Other groups of students can be working on a different topic. They can produce short media pieces using digital devices for documenting and recording with other applications for editing vision and sound. This requires the use of language and literacy, and digital literacy. Such as, using hand held portable devices for storytelling, writing, location scouting, filming, editing, and so on. Other team members can get involved with publishing their project online via a portfolio and blog documenting the journey/process experienced by students. They can also share their project via Web2 technologies such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. Naturally, the teacher works with the students’ ideas and facilitates their learning although they take on an ownership role. The teacher/facilitator will need to have digital media skills and a vision to help students achieve their goals in and interesting way.

Now, If I were to use this concept for primary school students then I would select a different perspective and digital tools to accomplish learning outcomes. For example, I could select 'Lights, Camera, Pony' and 'Color Number' from iPad, which will keep learners engaged.

The final draft/storyboard can be filmed; e.g. via an iPad, edited; e.g. via the simple easy iMovie application that comes free with the iPad. The beauty is, the components can be turned into an interactive interface online that can access different parts of the storytelling that can include more content and learning; such as transcriptions for reading, listening, questions for discussion, a quiz for comprehension tests, CCQ’s, writing reviews, reflective writing, a letter to the editor, a project production review and so on. In this way learning is owned, interactive and user-generated via OER, digital tools and Web2 technologies for sharing via social media.

Furthermore, this can include other interactive links to other learning resources; e.g. gamification or other applications such as typing speed tests using the story as a vehicle to engage DL learners, listening and comprehension activities, reflective writing, presentations, or creating a story book with activities for children and adults linked to the online project and blog. So, creativity is only limited via imagination and collaboration. For example when using computers there would be at least 2 students working together.

Hence, for this type of extended project and context, we see this develop into a labyrinth of things to discover, not only for the students, the audience is far and wide reaching with Internet capabilities; e.g. adding a blog and forum page to the student portfolio website. Later, knowledge can be contextually transferred for learning another language; e.g. Spanish, or perhaps via an education exchange program in Spain or a language learning facility in Australia via Moodles https://moodle.org or the Sakai Project found at https://www.sakaiproject.org

So, Popplet possesses a lot of power beneath its engineering despite some of its flaws. It’s advantageous as an interactive learning and teaching tool. In this context collaborative and interactivity are unavoidable. And it’s versatile; it can be used on a desktop computer or mobile device. It allows students to collaborate by creating ‘popples’ together, by moving and editing elements, inserting images or films; e.g. via links to other resources and portfolios (USQ 2017). That is, popples can be hyperlinked to other online Internet media; i.e. direct assess to Web pages with their own dynamic elements.

References Web2: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Web-20-or-Web-2

Social Media: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-media Video: https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/pluginfile.php/1440349/mod_resource/content/0/English%20learning%20video.pdf