Digital Technologies: Part 4

Digital Tools; Animations and Simulations

Animations and simulations can add to the engagement and enhancement of a digital tool.

Being web based often these animations and simulations alone do not provide sufficient educational learning. It is the primary role of the learning manager to select these tools to enhance and assist the learning journey.

There are some amazing and interesting animations and simulations in the world wide web- the learning manager can call upon these to create further learning experiences.

In this 21st century of digital technologies, daily, people are creating new and exciting animations and simulations to enhance learning and skills. Educational games, sites and other digital tools can be used to create meaningful experiences. Multi-literacies involve creating learning experiences within the curriculum that involve digital tools and technologies.

This week I look at a few learning objects and provided feedback in relation to their use within the classroom. There are hundreds of learning objects- the key is to ensure they can enhance learning.

Engagement activity 5: Interactive learning objects

The first learning object I investigated was "Darfur is Dying."

Image retrieved from: http://www.darfurisdying.com/index.html

This highly confronting interactive object allows users to understand what life might be like for a refugee.

Tasks involve foraging for water, you can become captured by the militia etc. The learning object explains what happens if you get captured and what scenarios happen in Darfur.

This could be a learning tool for much older students as I found it to be very detailed and rather confronting. This can often be good when discussing poverty and refugees however it is the role of the learning manager to play/participate in all parts of the learning object to ensure that it is appropriate for the students and year level.

Engagement Activity 7:  Google Earth

Image retrieved from: http://sites.duke.edu/tlge_cmk30/

According to Google Earth Students can use Google Earth to:

Explore the animal kingdom and endangered species with the National Geographic layer and other content. 

Create annotated place markers indicating location of school and points of interest in their town such as the local fire and police stations, the city library, local parks, and museums.

Study climate change and the effects of global warming.

Create tours of their school or community. 

Track earthquakes in real-time.

Teachers can use Google Earth to: 

Set the scene for geography, history, literature, astronomy and other lessons.

Involve students in pro-active engagement in a wide-range of Google Outreach projects.

Adapt traditionally abstract lessons to the “real-world” by having students interact with virtual “real-time” data such as weather, earthquakes, elephants migrations, etc.

I love using Google Earth in the classroom. Maths, history, science, English, SOSE, the possibilities are endless. It allows the students to instantly access the globe- linking their knowledge to real world locations.