Educational Technology: Whiteboards, Web Resources, and Digital Media Evaluation

Posted on Nov 25, 2024 in Other subjects

Applications of Interactive Whiteboards (IDPs)

Interactive whiteboards offer numerous classroom applications:

  • Supporting Teacher Explanations: Visual aids, web pages, videos, CD-ROM/DVD materials, and TV programs can enhance lessons.
  • Presenting Diverse Activities and Resources: Teachers can better address individual student needs by presenting a wider range of resources collectively.
  • Student Presentations: Students can use whiteboards to present their work, including websites and multimedia projects, receiving feedback and corrections.
  • Group Work Presentations: Facilitates collaborative project presentations.
  • Debate Support: Provides visual aids for both students and teachers during debates.
  • Computer Corner: Use as a standalone computer without a projector.
  • Daily Internet Access: For quick online consultations.
  • Video Conferencing and Group Communication: Enables remote collaboration.
  • Classroom Exercises and Collective Work: Interactive activities and shared problem-solving.
  • Answering Unexpected Questions: Quick online research for immediate answers.
  • Recoverable Board: Project and edit any information (schemas, tables) using a text editor.
  • Joint Synthesis: Capture main ideas collectively using a text editor, fostering discussion and collaborative note-taking.
  • Multicultural Classroom: Immigrant students can share online information about their countries.
  • Software Learning: Hands-on software tutorials.
  • Intranet Hub: The whiteboard and intranet become a central information resource for students and teachers.
  • Webcam and Scanner Integration: Display any document or image on the whiteboard.

ITEM 6

Internet Applications in Education

The internet provides vast research opportunities and educational tools like WebQuests and Treasure Hunts, along with platforms for inter-school collaboration (e.g., eTwinning). WebQuests (also known as Guided Navigation Didactics) are constructivist-based activities involving group work, research projects, and core teaching/learning tasks. They focus on information transformation to create a final product. There are three types: Long (1 week/1 month), Short (2-3 sessions), and MiniQuest (one session). Treasure Hunts are similar but consist of questions and website links to find answers, often culminating in a question requiring knowledge integration. Platforms like eTwinning facilitate communication and broaden educational horizons.

WebQuests vs. Treasure Hunts

WebQuest: Structured, guided activities with instructions and web resources, emphasizing a constructivist learning approach, distinct roles for group members, and information transformation. Duration varies (long, short, mini). Treasure Hunt: Worksheets with questions and web resources, centered on information retrieval, often including a final question requiring knowledge integration and assessment.

Skills Developed Through Website Creation

  • Enhanced creativity
  • Information organization
  • Documentation skills
  • Group work skills (autonomy, self-esteem, cooperation, achievement)
  • Computer skills

Skills Developed Through Email Communication

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Creativity and imagination
  • Respect for others’ ideas
  • Discussion and debate skills

ITEM 7

Functions and Objectives of Teaching Aid Evaluation and Selection

Evaluating teaching aids serves multiple purposes:

  • Equipment acquisition
  • Establishing criteria for effective use and implementation
  • Analyzing cognitive skill development potential
  • Improving technical and aesthetic aspects
  • Adapting materials to student characteristics, interests, needs, and developmental levels
  • Designing and redesigning materials for readability, cost-effectiveness, and ergonomic design

Dimensions of Media Assessment

Evaluation dimensions include:

  • Content: Scientific accuracy, up-to-date information, prerequisite knowledge, sequencing and structure, originality, and attractiveness.
  • Technical and Aesthetic Aspects: Sound quality, graphics, images (considering display support), image-sound synchronization, and minimal extraneous noise.
  • Accompanying Materials: Realistic proposals and techniques, post-activity planning, and opportunities for media utilization.
  • Internal Information Organization: Redundancy, examples, real-world applications, summaries of key aspects, and appropriate pacing for students.
  • Economic Cost: Cost-benefit ratio considering scientific and physical durability and quality.
  • Ergonomics: Comfort of use, portability, and accessibility for all users.
  • Physical Aspects: Ease of use, lighting requirements, mobility, and accessibility services.
  • Audience: Cultural and psychological characteristics of students, shared cultural models between designer and recipient.

Media Evaluation Strategies: Pros and Cons

  • Self-Evaluation: Creators assess throughout the development process. Advantages: Immediate feedback, continuous improvement, personal development. Disadvantages: Potential lack of objectivity, limited perspective, possible bias towards designer’s viewpoint.
  • Professional Consultation: Expert advice and external evaluation. Advantages: Theoretical basis, objective assessment, consideration of environmental factors. Disadvantages: Potential subjectivity, need for pre-defined criteria, expert selection and availability.
  • User Evaluation: Assessment by teachers and students in the actual learning context. Advantages: Relevance to target audience, ecological validity, practical feedback.

Teacher’s Role in Media Assessment

Teachers should reflect on technical, aesthetic, and curricular aspects of materials, ensuring they are adapted to student characteristics. Their roles include:

  • Evaluating media selection
  • Adapting materials to student needs and the learning environment

Teachers should maintain a record of material evaluations, noting issues and suggestions. Pre-viewing and evaluating all materials is essential, requiring teacher training in this area. Collaboration between media producers and teachers for resource assessment is recommended.

Objectives of the Xarxipèlag Project

The primary goal is to provide Balearic Islands students with ICT access and training for learning and future employment, including:

  • Equipment for all schools
  • Internet connectivity for all Balearic schools
  • Facilitating academic and administrative management
  • Providing training and educational resources for teachers

Xarxipèlag 2.0 Computer Equipment

Over 24,000 fifth and sixth graders will receive mini laptops for classroom use (in public schools). 885 classrooms will have charging stations. 614 fifth and sixth-grade classrooms in public schools will receive interactive whiteboards, projectors, and desktop computers.

PRACTICES

GIF vs. JPG

JPG: No transparency, lossy compression (quality degrades with each save), supports 16 million colors, suitable for high-quality photos, larger file sizes. GIF: Supports transparency, lossless compression, supports 256 colors, suitable for icons, logos, small graphics, web use, smaller file sizes, can be static or animated.

Sound Digitization

Sound digitization involves representing sound as numbers for storage and manipulation. It consists of four stages:

  1. Sampling: Periodically measuring the wave amplitude. Sampling frequency is the number of samples per second.
  2. Retention: Holding samples long enough for level assessment (quantification).
  3. Quantification: Measuring the voltage level of each sample, assigning a value range to a single output level.
  4. Coding: Translating measured values into binary code (or other codes).

HTML

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the primary language for building web pages. It uses tags (e.g., <info_to_display>, </html_tag_name>) to structure content and create hyperlinks. Common tags indicate HTML content, page sections, hyperlinks, and images. HTML can be written in any text editor or using specialized programs like Dreamweaver.