Class 4: January 28, 2010

How we use tech...

...quite honestly, depends on us. Of course, you may think, well, is that not the most obvious of the obvious. Yes, perhaps. But, click on the following link and press PLAY, http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/077/2/e/Animator_vs__Animation_by_alanbecker.swf.
I'd like your feedback on the show. Had you seen it? What does this short film say about technology in education? I'll say more after I post to the confernece on NiceNet.
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Ok, back from NiceNet conferencing. I found the animation of the stick figure fighting it out with the developer really neat. There is a fair amount of work that goes into making such a show. It was sent to my dad through a video club, Winnipeg Amateur Moviemakers.

So, getting to how technology is used in the classroom. A video like the Animator vs. Animation could be done as a Flash project, if one teaches that. It can definitely serve as an exemplar of creativity and quality work. Of course, that example speaks to a minority of teachers and students. But the creativity element is universal. Another universal is critical thinking. How should tech be used to develop that? The Maddin film is an excellent example. On NiceNet, all we've done is offer critcal analysis - not negative remarks, but reflections about its meaning. Film is a powerful medium. Did anyone, besides me, watch the CBC series ZeD that ended on 2006? It was on after the late news. It had some very interesting short films and an ethereal kind of music that had groove. I think the short film should be used a lot, as work projects students do. They could create something like Maddin, finding old pictures, mixing them with new, adding their own voice. All to tell a story or make a report (documentary). In a school I worked at a few years ago, a student ran for student council but didn't make a live speech. Instead, he played a video made of him. It was good. He won. I may try the video essay soon. How about a video thesis?

We all know about how we need to handle the internet; but, like James said on NiceNet, there just may be teachers out there who don't know what it means to Google something. These days, I'd say that would be rare, but not impossible. In a nutshell, teach how to search and tell about authoritative sources. I have found guided searches can work well with middle years kids.

One more thing... PREP!! Using tech well requires prep. Those who don't want to make the prep investment probably won't use tech well, if they do at all. There are many ways to effectively use tech in the classroom given today's tools. Computers & peripherals, smartboards, mobiles, TV, radio, films, sound recordings. What am I missing? How about everyone at the high school level taking a computer science course (programming, not Word or Excel)? Creating software certainly can develop great critical thinking skills.