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I've been using this software for so long and yet each time when I use it, I explore and learn new things due to the demands of the work or personal videos that I have to create.

Although it may seem very technical and difficult to use, it is actually quite straightforward and you get to enjoy trying out the different editing features to make your videos look aesthetically pleasing.

It is a pretty expensive (to me) software and can only be used on Macbook - but it is worth the price. :)

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During the last week one of the tools that I had the opportunity to look at was called “Flipgrid”. It is a free tool that allows students to learn together by using video discussions. This tool is particularly interesting because it will generate a full transcript for each video and it is able to read text aloud. It can also break up words into syllables for students who might benefit from this accessibility feature. We are working with a generation of students who enjoy using social media platforms such as TikTok to make and watch video contents. Flipgrid allows students to add in filters, captions and emojis in their videos. The beauty of this tool is that educators can create a grid for each student’s e-portfolio. This actually allow educators to collate the students’ participation and help to document the learning as well as the reflection from their learning depending on how Flipgrid is used in the class. I have not had the opportunity to try it in my sessions in school due to the examination period but I am certainly looking forward to using this tool. I can see how my students will be able to learn how to use Flipgrid quickly and above all they will find learning more enjoyable.

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Finally got the chance to use the activity templates in Wordwall. I like how I can differentiate the activities by duplicating the activity, changing the type of interactives and modifying it accordingly for my two groups of students. This website also gives us the QR code and this made it easier for students to access the quiz, as well as for the teachers as we do not need to come out with the QR separately.

The students enjoyed themselves and it motivated a few of my students with higher support needs to work on their own - "I can do it myself."

With a sudden notice of HBL last week too, I managed to use the activity template to come out with something for the Form Teacher Guidance Period. The random wheel in Wordwall was something that got the students excited as the teachers' names were also included and we took turns to share.

I shared the website with my colleagues and I hope they will receive positive feedback from their students too! The only mini downside to this... with the excitement in using the activity templates, I have reached the maximum number of resources that I can create and will need to upgrade to a paid account. Nevertheless, with how easily I can plan an activity for the students to assess their understanding and how the results can be tracked, it would worth the price!

Hoping to explore other websites when I can too.

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I took the opportunity of HBL to try out some of the tools recommended by course mates over the past few weeks. I still used SLS to create asynchronous lessons, since it is a platform that students are already familiar with and use daily. However, I embedded activities generated by Wordwall and Quizlet in my SLS lessons to achieve different learning objectives. Quizlet promotes student independence in that students with reading difficulty can listen to the audio of the content when using the flashcards and learn study modes; they can also use the spell study mode to do spelling independently by playing the audio of the words.

As I checked in with my students, I realised that a downside of incorporating Quizlet is that without being explicitly taught, some students would not know that they can click the flashcard to flip it or that they need to press 'Enter' to listen to the next word for spelling. My written instructions on what to do seemed insufficient to overcome this barrier. If I had more preparation time, I would have trained them face-to-face before HBL started. This is an example that demonstrates the importance of training, without which technology could become a hindrance instead of an effective means to an end.

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Notability is a digital note-taking app available on Apple devices. It's consistently one of the top-selling paid iPad apps. This app is perfect for students and professionals alike looking for a customizable and easy-to-use note-taking tool.

It offers the freedom to change the appearance of your note ( e.g. line or grid template), including ink color, "pen type" (e.g ballpoint or fountain pen), font size, or backgrounds. highlighter colors. Other features include easily sketching shapes (e.g squares, circles), tables, charts, and graphs; audio recording; easy exports to PDF; drop in pictures and web pages, and write directly on the PPT slides. You can share the notes with others in multiple file formats; or save and organize your notes in a virtual notebook. I found that I am more organized using this tool than writing on paper or using the word processor.

I would also like my students to try out using this app so that it will provide them with easily note-taking and help them to be more organized.

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I would like to share this Blooklet app that was used by one of my TSN colleagues for one of her recent online lessons, which focussed on mastering spelling words from the Stellar List. As a background context, she is teaching a Mastery class with a generally low-ability profile of students and many of them having a diagnosis of Dyslexia. Therefore, teaching literacy skills or topics that rely largely on literacy skills will often require the teachers to infuse certain elements of differentiated instruction (DI) in the instructional process in order to evoke the students’ interest and increase the chances of learning mastery. She further shared with me some additional awesome features of using this app as described below.

1) No Need for a Student Account

One of the great features of Blooklet is that it only requires the teacher to create an account via either Google or indicating an email NOT the students.

2) Correlating learning mastery with points earned in games

Furthermore, Blooket infuses the element of fun and motivation by allowing students to attempt the questions set while playing a number of a game modes simultaneously. After creating their question sets, teachers can choose the game modes for the students to play either as a class or individually. What’s more? There is also the café-mode for teachers to select, which allows students to run their own restaurants by answering the questions correctly.

3) Choice of creating the questions

In addition, teachers have the option to either create their own questions set from scratch, choose from an extensive range of questions sets OR even import their own question sets from Quizlet!

4) No one game type for too long

Moreover, certain game sets are continuously changing; hence, it helps to ensure that students do not get bored playing the same type(s) of games over a period of time.

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If you want to make an easy yet impressive video, try Prezi! I have used to 6 years ago for my SEN sharing to all my colleagues and had fun using it. A noob then and only knew powerpoint all my life before Prezi, this was fun to create my presentation. :)
http://prezi.com/rgrumitb0ass/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
The above was what i created 6 years ago.
So now i revisted it to see how I could use it for video presentation!
Besides this, i also tried out Teleprompter to use in my self-intro video. It allows me to read my script without (or lesser) mistakes.

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McEduHub.
During HBL, I decided to re-use MCEduHub resources to review Math topics for the coming end year exam. I find the textbooks useful to re-visit topics that my students have not mastered yet.
Teaching can be done thru Zoom and students can key in the answers directly on the textbook. Or I can use the stylus to highlight key words and getting the students’ attention to the source of information. For students who needs differentiated lessons, I’ll use the SLS platform to put up MCQs or audio-recorded responses.
There is a Resource Bank folder in the hub where you can find all the workbooks for our easy download.

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My groupmates and I were making use of google forms to come up with a survey for another module. It is an easy tool to use, and we appreciate the fact that responses are captured and analysed instantly. Despite having used it several times, I like that the creation of the form itself makes us think more deeply about how to craft the questions. Some of the thoughts that crossed our minds are:

1. Do all questions need to be short answer / long form?
2. Which questions benefit more from being placed on a linear scale (e.g. strongly agree to strongly disagree)?
3. How can questions be crafted (and which answer format) so that we glean the most relevant answers from those who are completing the survey?

As the responses slowly come in, we are learning more about how teachers feel about processes in school. I appreciate google forms' non-threatening format to gain answers to some challenging questions.

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I was looking for some student response system to replace the questioning part for SDR lessons and I had thought Kahoot was something that the students have used before and would be bored by it. I also thought that it was maybe too simple.

As I could not find something satisfactory in time, I used it that particular lesson and I realised that the students were still very receptive and excited by it. When I asked them later if how they felt about it, they expressed that it is something that they still like partly because they already know how to use it and it is accessible to all of them. Sometimes maybe we over think some things and a total change might not be necessary.

Maybe I can start by making the questions more fun and challenging to preserve the longevity of this particular tool instead of burning through different tools without maximising their value.

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After the last session, I realized that we have to do a video introduction of ourselves. Hence, I have started to look at the tools that I can use to produce my video. I have used my trustee Microsoft PowerPoint previously to record videos of my lessons to be uploaded into SLS. But I wanted to try something different hence I tried the iMovie app on my iphone. I can add videos, pictures as well as my background music. I have tried making a short video combining both Microsoft PowerPoint and iMovie to test it out.

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Shamini's compare/contrast activity conducted was useful in understanding the different platforms and their uses!

Building on that, I discovered another platform that I find more interesting and fun to use in the creation of the e-portfolio. I have since shifted my material there and the process has become so much more engaging since it is a platform I find a little more enjoyable!

I suppose the same goes for the application of technology in the classroom. When choosing to use an app or programme, the students will be more engaged if it is something they can navigate comfortably and is enticing in its presentation and content.

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Google Sites vs Wix (BEST WEBSITE BUILDER 2021)

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I’ve tried using Vimeo to develop my self-introductory video for the e-folio. The interface is user-friendly and straightforward. As I was navigating around the interface, I was thinking of ways to create content that would last for at least 3mins. I didn’t think it would be an easy task, having to talk about myself for that long until I stumbled upon galleries of pre-designed templates. It was an ‘aha moment’ at that time to make use of the pre-designed vignette templates to ‘fill-in’ with descriptive text that act as placeholders prior to each commentary.   The inclusion of descriptive vignettes created a more interesting and aesthetically pleasing video. I was also pleased to realise that I’d managed to create a video of at least 3mins in length 😊.

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"HBL is here again!"

I managed to squeeze a few pockets of time to explore Wordwall last week after our EPB lecture and explore ideas on implementing these exciting activities to the students' already piled-up work assigned by their class teachers.

Since I am out of school on Mon-Tues and down for PSLE duties, I am not able to check on them often. So when I was back in school last week, I took the opportunity to introduce Wordwall to my P2-P5 students and explore the site together during our lessons. Encouraged by their enthusiasm, I have assigned them some activities based on their focused skill sets. Tapping on the results reflected on the scoreboards, I can use them during my end-year review with the students' parents. It also serves as a wrap-up session for the semester. It's like killing many, many birds with one stone! On a side note, parents have feedback that the activities kept their children occupied in the afternoon while parents continued to be engaged at work virtually.

Oh, fun fact! I learnt that my school has a Pro account with Wordwall and many other tech tools that my ADISE peers shared before. I need to start paying attention to all these IT fine-dining sessions that the ICT committee has planned for the staff throughout the year. >_<'

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I was browsing through a list of software applications and I came across PowToon.

PowToon is a software for creating animated presentations and videos. The name "PowToon" is a combination of the words "PowerPoint" and "Cartoon".  There is a free version available, as well as paid subscription that allows for more features.

I gave it a try and find that PowToon’s presentations look clean and professional and add an element of fun.  PowToon comes with tools like images, stickers, backgrounds, and animations and the animated slideshow presentations are like videos.

I am contemplating to make use of PowToon to create the self-introduction video.

https://www.powtoon.com/

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Powtoon | Create Awesome Videos Yourself

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Powtoon gives you everything you need to easily make professional videos and presentations that your clients, colleagues, and friends will love! No design or tech skills are necessary - it's free, easy, and awesome!

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Home-based Learning (HBL) started on 27 September till 7 October for 9 days. Therefore I started to familiarize myself with SLS so I can distribute some more learnings for my students. I did not do HBL previously as I was on maternity and no pay leave previously. So like a child who got a new game to try, I was excited to see how I can use this platform to assign small learning task for my students daily.

I trained my lower primary students to be familiarized on how they use decktoys independently to learn sight words. I base on their final reading at the end of the deck to re-teach or teach new words again. You can check out here! https://deck.toys/zmn-nsgg-mgs

For students with higher ability, I assigned MCQ questions and Cloze passage via wordwall games and uses classkick to give work that cannot be given in the game format.  You can view a sample of the work I assigned here. https://app.classkick.com/#/login/NVFLMB
After the student completes. I marked and audio record my feedback for my student.

I put up the links up in SLS for my students to access. What I like about SLS is that I can schedule when I will like them to access the work given. I realized that for lower ability students, I need to practice with them on how to click on the link in SLS to access the work. And so to troubleshoot the problem of not clicking the link, I linked the game picture to the url on SLS and also  provide a voice recording of my instructions. There are still many function on SLS I have yet to explore.

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Weebly and Wix

I must first thank Faisal for sharing this with me. Learned about this two sites maker from Faisal when I was planning for my e-portfolio. I started out with Google Site but experienced with a lot of "huh, is this correct?" moment. Before I proceed further I went to explore Weebly and I totally agree with Faisal that it was so easy to toggle especially for someone who is not very creative and IT savvy like me. I also wanted to challenge myself further and explored Wix. So what I learned about these two sites: Both have very nice templates to choose from (you will be spoilt for choice) just that Wix allows you to start from scratch and if you are a creative person this is probably for you. However if you are the drag and drop person then Weebly would be easy enough for you. One of the advantage for Weebly is that your desktop and mobile mode will sync based on what you created. Wix however does not have this advantage so if there is anything you changed on the desktop mode then you need to adjust the mobile mode.

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Wix Vs Weebly - 4 main differences to help you choose the best builder

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"Story Telling" with PowerPoint's Animation

PowerPoint is everyone's familiar software for presentations. It has rich animation capabilities allowing teachers to create captivating animated stories which may be saved and deployed as slide-shows or video-playbacks.

In order to get students' "Readiness" for a better classroom learning, teachers would often use "pre-exposure & priming" strategy; providing them the big-picture of what is coming.

For example, in a session on SEL programme for primary level students where explicit teaching of abstract concepts like "Respect, Obey, be Wise" are taught, an animated story has been created and used to support students understanding at the start of the lesson.

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Today, I spent about 30 mins creating a very simple one scene video using Animaker. I watched and followed the step by step instructions, pausing and rewinding on and off when necessary.
Some thoughts about Animaker:
- It has been quite a fun experience seeing how the character, which I customised to make it look more like me, comes to life. I can make the character move (fast or slow), jump with joy, carry heavy books, sit and cry. I can even change the expression accordingly.
-It allows you to choose live voice recording, text to speech (can choose the language, gender and even the accent) or upload a prerecorded audio for the video.
- And once you have inserted the audio, the application will automatically sync the facial expression of the character according to the speech being made - how cool is that?
- With the free version, there are already many templates, background and music available for our use readily - sufficient to make a decent video.

I am still deciding if I want to use this to make an introductory video for the e-portfolio, but I definitely have fun exploring this. Again, with so many things on hand now to manage, I really hope I have more time to make a few more videos and think about how I can use this for my lessons in future.

And I must also mention the two tech tools that make this exploration and trying out of the new Apps possible when I am already juggling so many things on hand:
1) The abundance of tutorial videos on YouTube.
2) My trusty 23 inch monitor for allowing me to watch the video and work on the Animaker App concurrently.

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How to make animated videos [Tutorial for beginners]

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I was introduced this tool years back but since having to juggle both work and school, I’ve started using Google Keep a bit more! I find it very useful in organizing things I need to do as I can categorize and colour-code it into different sections, include checkboxes, dates, attach images and drawings, and even include reminders!

It’s free, and anyone with a Gmail account is able to access this feature. It helps me keep track of deadlines and things I need to do. You can sync it on your phone and computer (works for both my work laptop and macbook), which makes it convenient and seamless for when I have to refer or add in items/notes. I have also started introducing Google Keep to my students as they require guidance in keeping their studies organized, especially nearing exam season.

(image is not mine, just an example off the net!)

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I have been using a brain training app called Lumosity for years. It was recommended to me by an occupational therapist. It offers a variety of brain training games which develop attention, focus, memory, visual-processing, math and language skills, and Mindfulness. I am no gamer but I find the games quite interesting and challenging. On the downside, the app is not free of charge and only a few games are available in a free account. My elderly parents and children have been using it as well and I let some of my students have a go for a few minutes as a reward at the end of sessions. The segment on Mindfulness has recently branched out to form a separate app altogether called Lumosity Mind. Lately I have not been using the games as much as Lumosity Mind - to calm, to develop focus, even to sleep...

Another app I use is Tide, which is free. My mind gets very scattered and overwhelmed with the many tasks that need to be done sometimes, especially those which require me to really sit down and think. I use Tide to carve out time for lesson planning, working on access arrangements - anything really. The app is based on the Pomodoro technique, a time management system that encourages people to work with the time they have. I programme how much time I will need for each task and the short breaks in between which I can skip if I want. I can also choose ambient sounds from the app (like Ocean, Rain, Forest, Campfire etc.). Tide also allows you to customise your preferences and goals (e.g. reduce stress, increase focus, sleep better, etc.). A little self-care is important to enable us to care for our students.

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"Focus on the learning outcomes not the tools. " After going through last week's lecture, I felt that it is important for us to stay grounded on the planning of the lessons based on the purpose rather than the novelty of using new and high tech tools.

While working on the e-portfolio resources, I tested out some tools and find that certain tools serve similar function like quiz/presentation modes/mindmapping/literacy. I certainly wish for a platform that integrates all these tools together centrally to minimise the need for sign-ups (remembering of username/passwords). And in an ideal world, the makers of similar Edtech to join together in enhancing the existing functions rather than develop new/similar ones.

Picker Wheel is effective in facilitation of lessons when it is used in physical lessons. I plan to use the electronic version during the HBL next week during my zoom sessions with the children as they love the suspense of waiting for their names to be called.

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I freaked out when our lecturer announced that we need to produce an introductory video for our ePortfolio. Luckily, we have the choice of not recording ourselves but find other means to do it. From among the resources shared to prep us for this task, the article, How to nail your introductory video script, resonates with me most. It puts things in perspective for me. While the idea of producing a video is a daunting one, the article helps me realise that at the heart of this introductory video is the narrative, which is something that I can manage better.

Next, I started to explore the tools shared with us and decided to work with Vimeo. The website has an impressive collection of video scenes and still pictures, searchable by themes. That means I do not need to produce a video, starting from scratch. I can create video footage using the media resources from the library. This is good news for a novice who is not so competent in video-taking technology and skills.  I explored the editing tools, like adding a text box, music, special effects, trimming video etc. They are rather user-friendly but there are limitations too. For example, a limit on the number of words on the screen, text appears in all caps etc. After checking out the Vimeo features, I started scripting. The hands-on work carried on from there.  It is not an easy task, indeed a very tedious one, to do a video but I finally learnt something new. However, the greater learning from this assignment for me is learning about stepping out of my comfort zone.

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Secure Online Video Library & Respository: Store Digital Content with Vimeo

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A secure video library is the perfect place to store your internal video content. Allow users to browse, share, and view private or work-related videos.

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This past week, I tried using these answer buzzers in my lesson with a kid who often makes many calculation errors in addition. Hence rather than hearing from my verbal feedback, I would play the "boing" sound when there's an error, and a "ding" sound when he got it correct. I reckon these sound effects are more palatable to hear multiple times than my voice of correction.

There were few verbal dialogues between us during the process but only the buzzer sounds, his "oops" and his occasional self-praises when he got questions right. It was a quiet but importantly enjoyable lesson for the student. The buzzer sounds must have made it feel like a game show and the lack of my corrective human voice when he miscalculated might have removed much of the tiring top-down element in teacher-student interactions.

Because it went well, I began to Google search for customisable answer buzzers that can add sound effects into my lessons and to enable me to reduce the amount of verbal directions given in a lesson. Long story short, I found a digital soundboard that can be used in the classroom: https://bit.ly/32oYH56

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Using Mindomo for mind-maps.

Technodino noob here, and I have to admit that in the past... I have been making my mindmaps via PPT slides or Word Doc. This in itself is fine, but I usually have issues when I want to do graphic mind-map with my students on the spot.

For example; I tend to use mind-map designs as Choice Routes to help my students with ADHD. (I find verbally telling them what are good and poor choices tend to be less effective than having it on visuals. The simple act can enable them to internalize better). When I used to do it on PPT slides, I find that it is TIME CONSUMING (inserting the arrows, dragging and pasting); my students being diagnosed with ADHD tend to get turned off and easily disinterested while Techno Dino noob here struggles with the task.

I tried using Mindomo and it was easy breezy and fast. I am now able to do mind-maps or Choice Routes with my students on the spot during my session! It takes half the time, and because mind-maps are almost an essential for us educators; it's worth the sign-up ;)

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I would like to share a mind mapping tool called Mindmeister. Mindmeister is a free tool that can be used to create mind map with your students. I like it because of it is easy to use and neater as you can edit as much as you want while maintaining the clarity. Mind mapping is an excellent  tool for students with ASD as they are visual learners. The downside for the free one is that you can only create up to 3 mind maps and you cannot print. What I did was I screenshot and printed out for my student's reference. If there is funding, you can upgrade to the personal one as compared to the basic free tool. Features for the upgraded one includes:
Unlimited mind maps

File and image attachments

PDF export

Image export

Mind map printing

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I think today's session was pretty difficult for me (and my group too). We had to think of some tools that learners can use to create creative stories online. However, Shamini managed to help our group through the thinking process, especially when she touched on the branching process of the stories that the learners will create. This has helped the group and I to process better and think about 2 tools that the learners can use i.e. ppt and IG stories and it was interesting how much our thought processes can be aligned so much so that we put ourselves in our learner's shoes to "see" how the tool can help them to learn the various skills.