Lauren McLean's Education Blog

Alexa’s Blog Feedback

On June 9, 2020

I liked how you tied the idea of Inquiry Learning into Multimedia Learning. These two ideas are ones that are increasing exponentially in popularity and are shaping education in the modern world. I believe that Multimedia Learning can lead to a more self-taught experience. While some examples like PowerPoint require a live teaching experience, things like the educational picture books or videos online are great ways for students to explore their interests on their own and in their own time. Through both visual and auditory stimulation students are able to be fully immersed in their learning. This, I believe, can lead to increased interest in subjects as it is a more engaging experience. Multimedia Learning is a way that differentiation of teaching can take place. Students can more easily teach themselves about their inquiry topics while having a guiding teacher or librarian help steer them in the direction of resources.

Your personal anecdote about how PowerPoint has helped you to stay engaged and learn more effectively is a testament to multimedia learning.

https://alexamcleantech336.opened.ca/2020/06/06/my-past-with-multimedia-learning/

Feedback on Miss. G’s Blog Post

by laurenmclean

On June 9, 2020

In edci337-feedback

Your blog post had a tone of vulnerability in your initial hesitation of learning about Microsoft and a tone of enthusiasm about learning the new content and multimedia instruction already. The addition of your personal anecdote about your french class showed your understanding about the subject and how you already can identify the reasons for its popularity.

Additionally, distinguishing the difference between the tech-centered and Learner-centered interactive learning is one that, as you said, is vitally important. I agree that in this age of ever evolving technology it is important to be adaptable and introduce tech to students. Technology is something that is part of every day society, the working world and students life which makes it something that young learners do need to learn to be successful adults. That being said, it is important to regulate, carefully select and provide meaningful experiences with technology. As you stated “teachers chooses the tech that will best support their learning experience”. Providing an example of how you would help build students literacy skills shows how you already are thinking about all of these things.

Finally, the addition of the video was a great summary of the ideas that Mayer was talking about in the first chapter of The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning and a great resource to share to a peer who is just being introduced to the topic of multimedia learning.

One thing that could have been improved is adding more information from the sources. Particularly in the section about your french class. Your argument could have been strengthen by applying some of the multimedia principles that were present.

https://hgustavsson.opened.ca/2020/06/04/blog-1-what-is-multimedia-and-interactive-learning/

Feedback on Miss. Bjelde’s Education Blog Post

by laurenmclean

On June 9, 2020

In edci337-feedback

After reading your blog post I feel that I have a clear, concise yet detailed summary of the resources that were assigned in Module 1. I liked how you began with a real experience, tied it to multimedia, explained how multimedia learning can support learner-centered teaching and then were able to give important definitions and a video that summarized the learning really well. The video that you imbedded is a good example of purposeful media that can be added into these blog posts, and it is an example of multimedia itself. It not only helped to clarify the content of the blog post but began to touch on the subjects of Dual-Coding theory and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning that is further explored in the next Module. Through this video I was able to easily make connections between the introduction of what multimedia is, why it is important and how it can be used and the material of CTML explored this week.

Additionally, I enjoyed how you connected the idea of storytelling into multimedia. This is a really important aspect of the education of young learners as it is a very natural place to begin their exploration of new topics. Further, storytelling is a great place to begin introducing aspects of Indigenous culture and pedagogy into a traditional classroom. Storytelling is a sacred and popular practice in many indigenous cultures and is an easy place to start in the effort of Indigenizing education as per request of the new BC curriculum.

Finally, I enjoyed how you ended with some personal experiences of multimedia learning and how it benefited you as a learner. All the while you continued to add a note of hesitancy with the addition of technology as it needs to be used in a meaningful way.

https://sarahbjelde.opened.ca/2020/06/07/edci-337-blog-post-1-introduction-to-multimedia-and-multimedia-learning/

Multimedia Learning- Blog #1

by laurenmclean

On June 6, 2020

In edci337-blog, Uncategorised

Throughout my education, I have many experiences with multimedia learning and traditional learning. One of the main ones that I can remember was in my grade 10 History class. We were reading from a traditional textbook, taking notes, writing papers, and taking traditional multiple-choice tests. A couple of different multimedia learning opportunities were used and encouraged as well.

One instance of this was YouTube videos such as the “Crash Course” channel.
My teacher was able to pick specific videos that would give a condensed summary of a topic that we were learning. He would introduce these after we had read the chapter and he had lectured about the material. This allowed for the material to be shown in many forms and to be understood from multiple different mediums.

The “Crash Course” videos are a great example of multimedia learning. They include a person narrating throughout the video, drawings, and animation. There are two pictorial representations, drawings, and animation, which increase the visual stimuli. Additionally, it most prominently uses narration rather than a written form of communication, supporting the “modality principle” that specifies that visuals combined with narration rather than written text increase learning (Mayer, 2014). The narrator also is featured in the video where he can be seen using “human-like gestures and movements”, has (at least for Canada and the United States) a non-forgiven accent and is speaking in a more conversation like narrative, all supporting the “Personalization, voice, embodiment, and image principles” (Mayer, 2014). These videos use technology in an engaging way that increases student comprehension of the material. For visual learners, this quick summary video can help to solidify material that was unclear in the readings.

I enjoyed this use of multimedia learning as it was a step away from the traditional PowerPoint that is often overused as a way of implementing multimedia learning in the classroom. It was a supplemental resource that could be watched again at home and was engaging. The history was conveyed in a story-like narrative that according to AJ Juliani increased comprehension as all parts of cognition are being used (Juliani, 2016).

Upon further research I found that they now have Crash Course Kids. This takes the same format but includes content for a younger audience. This is a great resource for elementary age students.

Another example was a presentation style that I was asked to use in my grade 10 English class. Instead of a PowerPoint with lots of text, few pictures, and myself narrating over it, I was asked to instead use only visuals on the PowerPoint and narrate based on these picture prompts. This forced the listeners to focus in on what the presenter was saying as there was no text to distract or fall back on. It also utilized both visuals and narration rather than visuals and text which, again, the “modality principle” stresses (Chapter 1, p.8). It was an interesting step away from how presentations are traditionally given and made for a memorable experience.

Juliani, A. J. (2016, March 21). The Hidden Importance of Teaching With Stories. Retrieved June 5, 2020, from http://ajjuliani.com/hidden-importance-teaching-stories/

Mayer, R. (2014). Introduction to Multimedia Learning. In R. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 1-24). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139547369.002

Final Ukulele

by laurenmclean

On April 1, 2020

In Music

Movie on 4-1-20 at 2.28 PM

So, this term took a turn and I had to scramble to find a ukulele in my hometown while a majority of things were in lockdown. Luckily a neighbor, and close friend, ended up having one that I could borrow. Getting used to a new instrument took some time but I found this ukulele easier to play as the strings were softer.

I continued to struggle with switching between A minor and G and honestly, did not have it figured out until a few days ago. I am not sure why but even after practicing a lot, this song was just struggling to take shape. One day the chord changes were there and then the strumming or tempo was off or vice versa the next day.

In the end, I feel that I can play the song. There are a few places in the song where I messed up the chord change or the tempo was a bit fast but overall, considering everything, I think I did well. One place that I lacked was in having the correct posture/holding the ukulele. This was a hurdle that I never was able to get to. I thought it would be better to submit a song played well then a video of me holding the ukulele correctly but not playing well.

Music Blog #5

by laurenmclean

On March 22, 2020

In Music

In my continued practice I am still struggling with the same things (tempo, strumming and the change from A minor to G). I have tried to slow down as I play, but have discovered an interesting thing about this. I am playing “Riptide” by Vance Joy which is a song that I know quite well. Due to this as I am playing I hear the song in my head. I hear the tune, the melody, the lyrics and the tempo. Therefore, when I try to play slower it is really hard. It sounds wrong and I end up rushing the the U-D-U part of the strumming in an effort to accommodate how slow the tempo is.

I have also found that practicing in the middle of a pandemic to be hard. If I already knew how to play it could be a source of comfort, but to be honest, I am already very stressed and adding in practicing and feeling defeated, as my progress has been very slow in this song, makes it hard. I really see the deadline of learning the song and am trying as best I can to push through the negative thoughts. I want playing to be something that I can do to mentally check out of all the other stressors and just zone in on playing.

Fitness and Nutrition Exploration

by laurenmclean

On March 22, 2020

In Free Inquiry, Uncategorised

Over the course of this term I feel that I had some success and some failure. As far as fitness goes I think I was moderately successful. I did the Fiton exploration for four weeks which I really enjoyed. It took the stress of planning a workout out of the picture. I also learned that I like working out from home sometimes. It allows me to do it whenever I want, reduced the overall time it takes as there is no travel time and I feel less “gym intimidation”. This was something that I didn’t think was going to happen. I thought in order to get a good workout in I would need to be in a more gym dedicated space, but turns out I could work up a sweat just as well in my living room as a gym.

While doing this I also explored green smoothies. I found a recipe that I really liked and was genuinely looking forward to drinking it everyday. I felt that it started my day off in a healthier way rather than the traditional bagel or ego waffle while running out the door like I usually do. That being said I did this for about 2 months and then gave up. I started waking up later which meant I did not have time in the morning to make a smoothie and I returned to the easy cereal or toast.

I also watched “Forks Over Knives”. While an interesting concept and one that I would not mind leaning towards, I did not feel that I had the time, resources or cooking skills to completely adapt my diet in this time. The idea of eating more plant based and less processed is one that ideally I would do, but I struggle with how to do it in a healthy way. I feel that I do not know how to eat in that way while still getting enough of my daily protein and micronutrients.

Finally, I did circuit workouts out with my dad doing circuit training. This was nice as I felt like I had a personal trainer and it fit the final piece of the puzzle into what it will take for me to make working out a lifetime thing. I really need a buddy who will create accountability for myself. I was doing all these workouts by myself and was struggling to get the motivation to do them. When I went home I was much more motivated as I had my dad there to support and push me through the workout.

Overall, I feel that I was able to jump start by fitness back into a place where going into summer I will be able keep building on my strength rather than start from scratch. I have more motivation to keep going and have already started a fitness challenge with my family and friends while in quarantine. As far as nutrition goes, I could have done better. I did not put a lot of effort into refining my diet. I was more cognizant about what I put in my body and tried to have more fruits and veggies, but to be honest most weeks I would have one or two good meals a day and then snack on junk food that night. This is something that this summer I want to try to tackle as I feel like something in my diet is making me tired all the time. I want to see if when I transfer to a more whole foods diet if I will be more energetic.

Through this process I learned that it is really important to go in with a plan. I had a loose plan, but I felt that as the weeks went on I was more and more lost on how to keep the inquiry going. When it is about fitness I felt like it was hard to do “checks ins” on my fitness as I was starting from scratch essentially. It wasn’t like between week 1 and 2 there was much progress. From week 1 to 8 there is, which can be noted, but it was hard to find things to write about that were not repetitive.

My advice then for conquering an inquiry would be make it something you are interested in or some goal you have wanted to always achieve. For me I wanted to use this blog as my source of accountability. So inquiry can be a way to push yourself to learn to sing, knit, draw etc. Something you have always wanted to learn. It does not have to be a topic exploration it can be a skill exploration.

What Cameras to Use

by laurenmclean

On March 21, 2020

In EdTech Inquiry

Some last tips: What Cameras should you use

Instax Mini by FujiFilm: This is a polaroid camera that is all in one. It offers students instant feedback with printed film to immediately show them what they captured. It also has the feeling of a film camera, meaning that your film is precious and you have to set up the shot before you start shooting. It has some basic aperture settings. This allows for an easy entrance point for learning this concept in photography. The drawback of this camera is that it is expensive and the film itself is expensive. This might be better to use it as a special education camera. Price:$40.00
Our Life Kids waterproof camera: Made out of eco-friendly materials, this camera is durable and small, perfect for young children. It also supports video, audio, and photography. It captures high-resolution photos and videos using a 32GB Micro-SD card for storage. It has a rechargeable battery as well. Price: $38.99
Powpro Mini kids camera: This is a miniature camera that packs a punch. It can take up to 4000 pictures. Due to its small size it does require small motor skills. Price: $41.00
VTech Kidizoom duo camera: It is designed for easy use for kids. It has large rubber edges to be gripped easier and it has few buttons that are large and clearly marked. The camera quality is low, but this is a good place to start with young children. It also has binocular viewfinders which can be easier for young children. It also has 5 games that utilize photography built into the camera. It has a front and rear camera. Photo Effects can also be added in later. Price:$48.82

Our ideas:

Disposable cameras $24/ twin pack
Point and shoot $150
Phones $1000 or free depending on how you look at it

Twine

by laurenmclean

On March 17, 2020

In EdTech

In my exploration of Twine I found it to be really fun. I thought that the idea of creating a choose your own story would be a fun unit of creative writing. This software could be used after reading one of the “Choose Your Own Adventure books”. This way students would understand the nature of the software.

Creating the story was easy. Making the spider web of pages was fairly intuitive, but I did have trouble when inserting pictures. This did not work for me. I am not really sure why. Also saving the story did not work on my computer. It just saved a really long PDF of all the back end coding that made up my story. Therefore, these two functions would need more explanation.

The audience that I feel is best suited for this software would be grade six and above. Other wise this would be really confusing. For younger students to explore this website they could have a mentor student help. Having an older buddy help a primary level student make their story would foster a sense of community in their school as well. The older student could navigate the website while the younger student could write the story and help select the pictures and such.

Overall the software has a cross-curricular aspect that is intriguing. The intro level coding, digital literacy and literacy all align seamlessly in the function of this software.

Summary of Findings

by laurenmclean

On March 16, 2020

In EdTech Inquiry

Photography as a teaching tool(pedagogy)

Acts as a window into the student’s lives and bonds school and home life
An accessible way to explore the world and lessons with students
Easy way to build digital literacy with students
- Photography skills
- Camera knowledge
- Photo editing and uploading
An alternative way to display learning and the learning process
Builds worldview through an exploration of local and international photographs

Photography as an assessment tool

Photographs by teacher
- Show students in process of learning and creation
- Add to portfolio
- Supports Reggio Emilia Photography of learner
Photography by Student
- Show learning from the student point of view and showcases their voice
- Allows for self-reflection
- Displays all steps of learning
- A visual way of representation

Pros and Cons

Pros:
- Place based pedagogy
- Gives students a purpose for being outdoors
- Easily cross-curricular
- Display student work in authentic way
- Connect to students lives outside the classroom
- Documenting memories
- Portfolios
  - Lower paper trail
- Self reflection capabilities
- Authentic material (young student doing an adult thing)
Cons:
- Needs to be integrated to be effective
- Availability of equipment
  - ArtStarts or PAC can help
- Important to teach students to hold to camera steady
  - Respect tools
- Need to be aware of socioeconomic divide in upper level grades in terms of camera/ phone availability

Ethics

Need photo release form from administration to take pictures of students
- This applies to photographs used inside or outside of the classroom
Any photo clubs need additional permission slips
- For transportations
- Rental equipment
- Use of photographs
Pay attention to where photos are being stored/ privacy in drives
- In or out of Canada
- Public or private

Project Ideas primary

Photography scavenger hunt
ex) Take pictures of different species in an ecosystem, different objects of the same colour, ect.
Multimedia art projects
ex) Adding googly eyes and faces to printed photos of inanimate objects
Creative writing: write a story and take photos to act as the illustrations
Send cameras home and have children document things that are important to them

Project ideas intermediate

Starting an extra-curricular photography club during lunch hour or after school
ex) Historical building photography club
Requiring students to use their own photos for social studies, science or other subject area projects and presentations
“Photojournalism” about field trips and important school events
Creating stop motion video stories
Video projects
ex) imovie book trailers, newscasts, ect.

Resources:

Jodi Streelasky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sacuuqjHPXo

https://freshgrade.com/

https://www.weareteachers.com/7-ways-to-use-digital-photography-in-the-classroom/

http://ocw.umb.edu/early-education-development/echd-440-640-eec-language-and-literacy-course/learning-module-1/module-11/consider%20the%20walls.pdf

https://www.picmonkey.com/

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pic-collage/id448639966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLyOAp3XLLY&list=WL&index=2&t=5s

https://artstarts.com/

https://expertphotography.com/principles-of-design-photography/

https://www.city-academy.com/news/photography-composition-rules/