Weekly Report & Reflection Blog Post #11:
Being Creative with Your Voice
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Say it ain’t so – but the end is here! Well, at least in my digital context course that is. This last week brought me to the last set of digital tools to explore – webcasting tools. In particular I was able to experience what it was like to personalize a screencast tool with my voice in an audio file. This was a challenge for me indeed – especially since I do not like listening to my own voice. However, being able to conquer this challenge allowed me to appreciate the power that these types of tools have in learning.
MOOCs ROLE IN EDUCATION
One of the
many tasks this week required that I research Massive Open Online Courses
(MOOCs) and in particular, how they impact learning in a digital society. A MOOC
is a rapidly growing category of online courses that host any of its material
in a cloud which can be assessed from anywhere on the web. Having the ability
to access this material becomes an asset to students and educators since it
offers a format for self-paced learning, just-in-time instruction and 24/7
access (Ruffini,n.d.).
Most students today rely on technology to
make things more easy and convenient. The use of Massive Open Online Courses
(MOOCs) offers a self-determinedpace of learning so students can study according to their own individual
schedules. Learning from these types of tools such as webcasts is just one way
that makes learning attainable for anyone, in anyplace. With the few limitations
that MOOCs have it makes their advantages
seem almost desirable in any educational
setting. However, just as in any learning environment, for MOOCs to be
successful, certain conditions have to be in place. According to Morrison(2012), “one fundamental is the motivation of the learner, where the learner
actively participates because he or she wants to
learn and thus constructs knowledge based upon his or her input and
activity/engagement in the course. Learning, in other words is not passive”. Being an active learner is what makes online
courses so successful – it gives the learner a chance to participate at their own
pace, in most cases, and lets them take responsibility in their own learning.
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Shaffer, J. (2011, June
20). MOOC Crib [Online Image]. Link
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The
inclusion of webcasting tools for online instruction can have positive
effects on learning and can be pedagogically equivalent to face-to-face
instruction.
Having the ability to create and share
through MOOCs has changed our educational ways of learning. It takes learning from the traditional
classroom walls into an infinite wall in our digital environment. Even with the
critics that frown upon
MOOC (including its name) some still agree that its contribution to our digital
society has made it one of the most popular digital innovations for learning online.
LAST TOOL
EXPLORED WINS FIRST PLACE IN MY PLE
I have
finally discovered a tool that I can use in both my professional and personal,
life. With the introduction of webcasting tools this week, I have been able to
discover that these tools are just what my final PLE needed as a final
touch.
Even with all the frustrations that I experienced using Jing and Snagit – see my SCREENCAST page – these screencast tools have definitely found a place in my final PLE as creative tools. Jing and Snagit are basic tools for adding visuals to your conversations, unlike other tools such as VoiceThread and Google Docs, these tools are not so much of a collaborative tool since they only provide a one-way means of communication. However, its versatility in making my professional life more adaptable in meeting the needs of my students far outweighs any limitations that it has. Screencast tools augment many of the learning styles that students use to succeed in learning.
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Forsythe, G.
(2012, December 5).
Recording Lectures ... Considerations [Online Image]. Link
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“Using
screencasting in the classroom has many advantages for both the teacher and the
student. Teachers can have students view their own published screencasts online
to describe a step-by-step process, explain a particular concept, or present a
lesson using a PowerPoint presentation with narration (Ruffini,n.d.).
I can use Jing to provide short tutorial lessons - or Snagit if I prefer to give longer lessons - online for students that may require additional assistance or I may even choose to give lectures on topics that may interest them. In my profession, the ability to ‘do’ is a must in the ‘tell, show, do’ method of teaching. Using screencasts will allow me to demonstrate the essential learning material that is required for learners to succeed in their chosen profession. Essentially, it enables learners to access and review online materials as much as they need in order to ensure that what they need to ‘do’ is accomplished successfully.
On a personal level, I can use screencast tools to influence my learning on topics that must be attained for academic purposes. I like to think that I am mostly a visual learner but having digital tools that can enhance my auditory learning style can boost my abilities in learning more effectively. I can also use them to create informal learning topics online or even use it to capture that special conversation that I have on Skype with family oversees. All these benefits and more have made the inclusion of screencast tools easy to place at the top of my list as a digital creative tool – well maybe tied with PowerPoint that is.
I owe Jeff Murrell, a BIG THANK YOU for his fantastic screencast video on how to apply a Creative Commons License to your blog – his tutorial really made this process as simple as 1,2,3. The CC license allows me to share my work with others and lets them know what rights they have to my creative works. Additionally, being able to mark my work as creative is rewarding and has made me realize the importance of ensuring that my digital rights (and hardwork) are protected. This kind of protection, however, also means that I must act digitally responsible with the rights that technology grants in our digital world. I am responsible for sharing material in an appropriate manner and not misusing this material in any, knowingly, unethical or unlawful ways.
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Maxwell, S. (2008, February
20).
LuMaxArt Gold Guys with Creative Commons Symbol [Online Image].
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“Creative Commons licenses do two things:
They allow creators to share their work easily, and they allow everyone to find
work that is free to use without permission. As long as you obey the terms of
the license attached to the work, you can use Creative Commons licensed
material without fear of accidentally infringing someone’s copyright”
MAKING SURE THE MATERIAL IS APPROPRIATE FOR CC LICENSING
Even though I have now embedded the CC logo into this blog I am still left wondering if I ethically represented all those that are cited within this entire blog. Can I attain a creative commons license when I am not sure if I followed all the copyright rules within this blog? Reading the fine that CC has for considerations for licensors had me thinking twice about what I was actually sharing. Particularly when I read, “If the material includes rights held by others, make sure to get permission to sublicense those rights under the CC license”. Did I do this? Am I still being a responsible digital citizen if I am unknowingly breaking any rights that I think I have? These questions and more have made me realize the complexity that technology embraces. Being a digital citizen is more than learning about the rules of technology; it is about applying the rules in our everyday digital society. In any world – people may make mistakes and if the old adage of “learning from your mistakes is what counts” – then hopefully, I am on the right track in becoming a model digital citizen.
FEEDLY OFFERS MORE FREE DIGITAL PHOTOS
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Free Digital Photos. (2012,
August 2). FreeDigitalPhotos website logo [Online Image]. Link
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The article Free Digital Photos and a Guide to Citing Them (Bryne, 2013) was a delight to
find on my Feedly this week especially since I am now only trying to use
copyright free images in my creative works. FreeDigitalPhotos.net is a resource
that allows users to be more creative with images that are meant to be shared.
They also provide there users with a simple chart that outlines how to credit the creator of an image; which helps to ensure that you are giving
credit where credit is due.
FINAL WORDS – YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS TALK
How fitting to end this course with audio
creation tools – tools that allow you to voice your opinion on things that
matter. Some people may say that people talk the same way they write but, I
tend to think that you can not always be as persuasive in your words as your
verbal expressions. Your voice is a powerful tool that, when combined with
digital tools, should be used to share appropriate and effective information in
a digital environment. The purpose of using digital tools in learning is to
ensure that all the acquired knowledge – whatever it might be - is attained successfully.
Yet, being the one that provides the acquired knowledge for others means that
you have to be effective in how you convey that knowledge – either in images,
videos, writing and even speech.
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Hamblen, A. (2009,
May 30).
Digital Footprint [Online Image].
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If you live, work, or breath in a digital
world than there should never be a time that you forget about your digital footprints. Your footprints tell your digital story – a
story that will mostly likely be read (or heard) and judged in digital society.
Having the control over what your digital story tells should prompt you in
making the right choices online. Making the right choices may not always be
easy; yet, if your goal is to have a story that truly symbolizes who you are than it is imperative to know how to appropriately use all that technology bestows to us. Only then can you feel safe in knowing that your digital
footprints are talking all good.
REFERENCES
Byrne, R.
(2013, November 26). Free digital photos and a guide to citing them. Retrieved
from Free Technology for Teachers [Blog] at
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/11/free-digital-photos-and-guide-to-citing.html#.UpqHC-JDTHG
Morrison,D.
(2012, May 29). MOOC Mythbuster – What MOOCs are and what they aren’t.
Retrieved from http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/mooc-mythbuster-what-moocs-are-and-what-they-arent/
Pang, K.
(2009). Video driven multimedia, web-based training in the corporate sector:
Pedagogical equivalence and component effectiveness. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning,
10(3). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/629
Ruffini, M.
(n.d). Screencast integration: Flip and face/flip models. Retrieved from http://assets.techsmith.com/Docs/pdf-landingpages/Screencast-Integration-Models-techsmith.pdf
University of
Michigan. (2013). Licensing your own
material under a CC license. Retrieved from http://www.lib.umich.edu/copyright/licensing-your-own-material-under-cc-license
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