Virtual Classrooms

A virtual classroom is very similar to a live classroom, only virtual classrooms are accessed online. There are many different reasons why someone may access a virtual classroom. For instance, a complete class may be offered online, such as the one I am writing this assignment for. In that case, all of work is assigned and turned in online and all of the notes and overview of materials are offered online as well. Another version of a virtual classroom is one that is offered for extra information. This particular type of virtual classroom suppliments the information given in a live classroom meeting. Virtual classrooms can include all types of information including, but not limited to, audio/video, web links, discussion forms, live chats, work stations, and email or a similar form of communication. Virtual classrooms are a great new tool for people who are not able to make it to live sessions. For example, many people in today's world are very busy from day to day and simply do not have time to attend traditional class-like sessions. These people are often working and trying to further themselves in their career. Virtual classrooms are a great alternative which allow them to accomplish their desired career paths.
In my opinion, virtual classrooms are a great idea. The best part about them is that you can contact classmates or the instructor in a timely fashion. There is no waiting for the next session to get missed information. Also, the fact that they allow for little to no time to be lost throughout the day is a great benefit. I know that my life is fairly hectic with two jobs and being a full-time student. Online classes, or virtual classrooms, allow me to maintain my hours at work and get my school work done at the same time.
I would like to see further research done to see if people generally perform better in virtual classrooms or a traditional classroom setting.

Article link: http://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/Content.nsf/wELNBLL/Virtual+classrooms?opendocument

Streaming Video

Studies have shown for decades that all children learn differently. For example, some children learn better with hands-on activities while others can simply read a book and retain the same amount of comprehension of a particular topic. Streaming video is yet another resource which allows students to attempt to learn more by using their resources. In short, a streaming video allows video, voice and data to be shared on one continuous stream via the internet. The article I read was based on schools in Rhode Island which utilize streaming video and incorporated it into their curriculum. In this state there is a "Rhode Island PBS Video-Streaming subscription service" which organizes videos, voice and data into categories based on topics that would be covered in classrooms.
As previously stated, this would benefit many students because it allows them yet another resource for learning. Some students might be able to achieve complete comprehension of a topic after viewing a streaming video via the internet.
I believe this resource would greatly benefit students and allow for further learning. It would also allow students to see many topics being studied in action instead of just reading about them. It would be a great substitute for hands on when hands on is not an option. I would like to see further research done to show how much more streaming video helps students learn. Also, would students be more apt to learn from streaming video because they are used to watching videos at home on websites such as YouTube?

Article Link: http://www.ripbs.org/Education/video_streaming.html

Podcasting

Podcasting is a new way to communicate information. They are used to record and play messages similar to songs on an iPod, which where they got their name. Podcast can be accessed from many different devices including iPods, the internet, palm pilots, and laptops. Podcast can be created in many different formats, which allows them to be viewed on such a variety of electronics.
Podcast can be used in teaching to communicate with students outside of school and reiterate lectures. For instance, a teacher can record a lecture or the main points of a lecture in the form of a podcast and post it online so students may refer to it at any time. This would allow students to go back and access information that may help with assignements or just their overall comprehension of a particular topic.
I believe that podcast are a great new way to communicate. I like the idea of being able to go back and listen to a lecture which would help to retain information and allow one to make sure he or she fully understood a lesson.
I would like to see further research done to investigate how easy it is to create a podcast and how easy it is to access them. Also, do podcast require special software to create or are their websites available for this process?

Article Link: http://www.learninginhand.com/podcasting/

Web Based Multimedia/Animation

My article focused mainly on the benefit of web based multimedia and animation as it pertains to science. Basically, by utilizing web based multimedia students are able to view science experience that would otherwise not be possible due to low school budgets and not having the proper equipment. Therefore, students are able to see more in depth experiments which would hopefully broaden their knowledge outside of the limits of their textbooks. Another advantage to using web based multimedia and animation is that they target a wide variety of learning styles. As it states in the article, animation encourages student interaction while videos stimulate visual senses to encourage interaction, no more than 5 minutes in length. Sound alsstimulates the auditory senses to encourage interaction and student Interest concepts are conveyed quickly and effectively to students.
I think that web based multimedia and animation sound like a great tool to help teach students. The more resources a teacher has, the better. Also, the more angles a student views a particular topic, the better chance he or she has of having a complete understanding of that particular topic.
I would like to see more research done about which websites are the best at providing valid multimedia. I would imagine that there is a large variety of these websites that are not very scholarly.

Article Link: http://teachingtechnology.suite101.com/article.cfm/multimedia_advantages_in_teaching_k12_science

Digital Imagery

Digital cameras have been around for many years and are becoming less expensive each year that goes by. It used to be that few people had digital cameras of their own, for personal use. Now it seems like every family has at least one, if not more! The world we live in today relies on attaining information quickly and efficiently. A few decades ago, for instance, fliers for shows or important events were mostly covered with writing and maybe a few pictures. Now, everything from billboards to movie posters to special events are advertised using pictures. The quicker someone can understand something, but better. It would take me about 30 seconds to read about certain type of animal and try to understand it. On the other hand, show me a picture, or perhaps a short slide show of pictures, and I will have a pretty good understanding in almost half the time it would take if I read the same information.
For this reason, schools are beginning to incorporate the proper use of digital cameras into their curriculum. Some schools are now able to have a class set of digital cameras due to the drop in cost which allows students to learn how to use a camera the right way. As a result, students are learning many different advantages to having digital cameras. For example, students can take those digital cameras on field trips and take pictures for future reference when writing a report or just reflecting on the experience. As you can see, many more lessons can then be based on these pictures. For instance, teachers can then show their students how to make collages, or put pictures into a word document. The possibilities are endless.
I believe that utilizing digital imagery by means of digital cameras will definitely benefit students. Not only will it enhance the knowledge of these children, but it will also enhance their creativity as well. Many kids these days are interested in doing some sort of graphic design when they are older, and this is a great start for them!
I would like to see further research done to see what type of cameras these students are using, and how much they are learning that they did not know already just from personal use with cameras.

Article Link: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/17145

Storyboarding

Storyboards are a creative tool that help children to get their thoughts out and into action. The actual definition of a storyboard is a graphic organizer such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of previsualizing a motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity. These storyboards can be used at many different grade levels and in many different subjects. For instance, when children are just learning to write short fictional stories they may have trouble getting their thoughts organized. By using a storyboard, the children can draw their thoughts out in a short sequence that may help them get their thoughts together for their paper. I think that storyboarding sounds like a new age way of constructing a rough draft. When I was in grade school we would be required to write a rough draft before all major papers. These rough drafts were usually in the form of some chart that would demonstrate our flow of thought. Storyboards sounds strikingly similar with a bit more fun built in. I would like to see further research done to prove if this method of previsualizing is indeed more effective than some older methods that have been used for years. Also, I wonder how well these storyboards would work if they were group assignments in which each student contributed a little of their own original thoughts. Storyboarding sounds like a fun activity for individual students and for classrooms as a whole!!

Article Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard

WIKIS

A Wiki is a website that allows people to collaborate on a piece of work from different computers using a word document. A wiki allows anyone with access to it to edit, delete, or modify the content via the web. Wikis keep track of previous documents each time they are changed so that one can see the progression of change. Each time the document is revised the new draft is saved as well as the old one. Teachers have become very familiar with wikis and have incorporated them into their lesson plans as a way to do group projects. Students are now able to work together more efficiently outside of school. Just a few years ago, group projects were a hassle because it was always a challenge to get each member of the group at one place after school hours. Some students would not be able to meet at all, and their group would take the fall for it. Now students can simply get their computers at home, or at school and actively participate in the group project.
It is no secret that technology has glitches. I would like to see further research done to show how dependable wikis are at saving information. What would happen if two students were working on the document at the same time from separate locations?
I had never heard of wikis before this assignment, and would highly consider using them in my own classroom in the future. They are a great way to get kids involved and familiar with technology. I would also have a way to see just how much revision was done on a work and exactly how my students produced their finished product. Wikis just may be the next big fad in classroom technology.

Article Link: http://www.scienceofspectroscopy.info/edit/index.php?title=Using_wiki_in_education