Google Earth

Google Earth is a powerful tool that would be very useful to show student's the world realistically! Above are screen shots of New Delhi, however below are shots of Times Square, NY.

With the special features of 3D view and Street View, this capabilities can make any Geography or SOS class exciting and almost tangible.

Podcasting: World News for Kids

I've never really tapped into podcasting, however after 'dipping-my-toes-into-the-water' I'm very keen to dive in! Podcasting is a brilliant concept and after discovering the World News for Kids podcast I was excited that there was something that could cater for what I would be teaching my class if I was a teacher. The thought of spending only 4 minutes of a lesson in order that my students could engage with what's happening around the world around them with the ease of doing it all online couldn't sound any better!

Podcasting isn't only audio but it can be visual too. TEDTalks was introduced to me not long ago and the few I've seen have been very impacting and have left a big impression on me.

As more of a 'visual learner' I would need to find a balance with my students to know if podcasting would be effective for them in their learning experience. I cannot simply cater for the visual learners or the students who engage better who thrive audibly, but I would need to incorporate a practical and more 'hands on' side to the podcasts that we engage in.

On the other hand, when refering to Ron Oliver's (1999) ICT Learning Design Model of; Learning Tasks, Learning Supports and Learning Resources - podcasting could very well encompass all of these areas.

Therefore, I think podcasting matched with some inventive thinking of how to make podcasting come alive in a classroom is the winning formula to bring a new dimension in the learning experience.

References:
Oliver, R 1999, Exploring strategies for online teaching and learning. Distance Education, 20(2), 240-254. viewed 21 August 2009http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm

YouTube

I chose this video because I had already gathered information about India - and it's a place where I would like to go in the future. Furthermore, this particular was chosen because it's not only well made but it talks about the history of India in a visually interesting manner.

Quizzes with ClassMarker

I invite you to take part in my online quiz on some general knowledge questions of India.

Simply click the link below:
Take our online test

All the best!

I think this online Quiz software is a brilliant idea. If I were a teacher I would choose to create some online tests/quizzes that my students can take online and in their own time. The other handy thing is I won't have to mark all of my students' answers!

Picnik / Flickr

This is an original photo that I uploaded on Flickr:

Below is the same photo but after I've edited it in Picnik:

I love how it was so easy to be able to access photos from my Flickr account and then edit them in Picnik! Picnik was also really user-friendly which is great for anyone who hasn't done photo editing before. Another great feature are the pre-made functions and tools that are right at your fingertips - with these settings you can make customise your adjustments while also have a live preview of what your photo will look like - easy!

For example, if you wanted to adjust the Exposure of the photo, simply drag those sliders either way and Picnik (2009) will give you a live update.

Image from Picnik 2009
http://www.picnik.com/app#/edit

Powerpoint

I created a short photographic presentation on India which consisted of 9 slides - some with random facts about India and the others with a single photo. The purpose of this presentation was to simply give people a very small glimpse of what they could expect to see if they ever travelled there.

My struggles probably outweighed my achievements, only because I found Powerpoint a very tedious program to navigate around. However, after compiling and completing this short presentation I found that Powerpoint does provide a solid platform for people who desire a smart looking presentation but maybe aren't too confident in video editing or using another form of technology. I think Powerpoint could definitely bring a fresh edge to a classroom by making things visual for students, however the time factor of preparing the presentation needs to be taking into consideration.

Wishing that I was there at this time last year...

That unspoken feeling, of knowing that right now is all that matters.
Originally uploaded by ♥ Sanne

Just set up my Flickr account and thought I'd have a look at photos taken from this time last year.

And then I came across this photo.

It captured where I wanted to be, this year and last year. It was a place where I would be able to collate my thoughts and just be refreshed.

Oh well, hopefully someday soon I'll be in this picture.