https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3 Evaluation of three different types of learning technologies that can be used in Media Studies teaching en-us 2014-03-26 18:21:15 UTC 2026-02-10 19:53:09 UTC hello@padlet.com becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/24500396 2014-03-26 18:21:48 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/24500396 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134335777
What can a blog do?

Definition:  "regularly updated web page typically run by an individual or small group.  Usually written in an informal or conversational style". 

It allows for the coming together of multi-media technologies in one place.  Video, image, app and text can sit alongside each other.

It can be live updated continually.

It allows bloggers to get instant feedback through the comments feature.

It can be accessed via mobile technology. 

Blogger seamlessly integrates with all other google applications. 

Who uses blogs?

Many well known media outlets use blogs as a way of keeping their audience updated with live events, for example, the very popular Guardian blog following Strictly Come Dancing:


]]> 2016-10-31 19:14:21 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134335777 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134345987
I already use blogger in Media Studies.  I use it for two different reasons. 

Function 1:  

The first reason is for a receptacle for the resources that I use in teaching.  I use Scribd to embed word documents and pdfs into the blog; I use youtube to embed tutorial videos into the blog; and I use the blog itself to keep my students updated with important news and information about the department.

The reason I use Blogger and not Blackboard/Moodle is because Media Studies is all about sharing and collaboration, and I like to be able to share my resources with other teachers in the country. The Media community is tiny and many teachers are English teachers with little experience of teaching Media. If I can help others to deliver inspiring and interesting lessons to other A Level Media students then I feel I have achieved something.

]]> 2016-10-31 20:06:50 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134345987 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134347010
Function 2

The second reason is a receptacle for our students' coursework.  The A Level Media Studies specification states that students must blog evidence of the research and planning for their Foundation (AS) and Advanced (A2) Portfolio.  Students are put into groups and each group has their own blog.  The students utilise the label function of the blog to 'tag' themselves in their own work.  Teacher filter by label to mark the work.Students are marked for their 'effective and appropriate use of ICT' in their blogging, and so will get more marks for using applications that can embed into blogger such as Prezi, EMAZE, Padlet, Powtoon and similar apps.  


]]> 2016-10-31 20:13:47 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134347010 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134347998
I have overcome some pretty tricky barriers around using Blogger with my students and to support learning in my department.  Blogger was introduced to the specification for first assessment in 2009.

The first barrier was bandwidth:  the internet connection to the sixth form used to come via CAS, which meant it was very slow by the time it got to us.  I was also told once that being on the 3rd floor slowed things down too (!?).  We couldn't load videos as the bandwidth wouldn't allow this.  I lobbied the then head of IT, quoting the specification and getting support from our awarding body, to increase the bandwidth for our Media Studies classrooms.  For two years we had a larger allowance of bandwidth than any other department to allow us to teach effectively.  Four years ago the bandwidth increased significantly and we generally tend to get by quite well now.

The second barrier was to persuade our 'E-Learning' Department that me not using Moodle was ok.  This was surprisingly less of a barrier.  I presented my department resources blog to the E-Learning team and they were impressed with the content and the use of IT in it's presentation.  It became an example of good practice in the college and was eventually quoted in a report as an example of 'best practice'. 

A barrier that I face currently is getting colleagues to contribute to the blog.  I believe there is an expectation that it is my role, and that of a colleague who is TL in our department, to keep the blog updated, and relevant to the students.  I don't know what the answer to this is as teacher workload is significant and I'm mindful of not causing more work for my colleagues. 

Final barriers (common to any learning technology)
A potential final barrier would be policy.  However, I don't believe the current Acceptable Use Police prohibits sensible use of learning technologies, and certainly Blogger, if used appropriately and sensibly, isn't an issue at all.  I have worked with the college on the 'social media' policy.

As with using any technology within my department there is an implicit assumption that students can access this from home, because they've chosen a subject that advertises heavy use of technology in the curriculum.  However, for students who cannot access technology at home regularly, perhaps they share a device with a sibling or have their internet use carefully monitored (in terms of hours used) then we provide free access to our well-spec'ed Media suite every lunchtime in the form of a supervised workshop.  ]]> 2016-10-31 20:19:27 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134347998 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134350495 2016-10-31 20:32:56 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134350495 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134350669
What can Prezi do?

Prezi is online non-linear presentation software (as opposed to linear presentation software such as PowerPoint.

It allows for the converging of multi-media elements for presentation purposes, such as video, image and hyperlinks.

Finished prezis can be downloaded as flash files, shared online or embedded into blogs and websites.

Prezis can be collaborated on - multiple people can all create and access the same prezi at the same time.  

Any updates to a prezi will live-updated if it's embedded via hmtl code.  ]]> 2016-10-31 20:34:12 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134350669 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134352280
Function 1

I also ready regularly use Prezi in my teaching as a way of delivering lessons.  These Prezis are then shared to the department resources blog, allowing students to go back over the content of the lesson.  I am able to bring together videos, links, and images together in once place.  Most recently I have created a series of Prezis for delivering the theory connected to the second year exam. I have brought together videos that illustrate the theory, along with an overview of the theory and links to useful documents in one place.

I also use Prezi to set up flipped learning activities. 


]]> 2016-10-31 20:46:05 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134352280 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134353137
My students use Prezi to present their research and planning ideas for their coursework productions.  They will often work together to collaborate on ideas.  Prezi allows them to create visually interesting and creative presentations of their thinking. My students find using technology to show their ideas much easier than writing them down on paper. Using Prezi allows them to get feedback on their ideas and then go back to their presentations and make corrections live - rather than having to re-write an essay, for example.

]]> 2016-10-31 20:53:08 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134353137 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134354594
The first barrier: 

As with blogger, I initially struggled to use Prezi because of bandwidth problems within the department, and I still have problems today.  If a Prezi contains a lot of multi-media elements then it can take a long time to load up if the bandwidth is slow.  It's particularly difficult trying to load up a Prezi between 11.30-12.15 in the morning as this seems to be the time when the most internet traffic is moving.

The second barrier:

Encouraging others to use it!  I ran a training course for interested parties in about 2010 and introduced it to several teachers.  I know that there are teachers in other departments who now use it, which is great.  But as with Blogger, trying to persuade teachers that it's not more work than creating a PowerPoint can be difficult.  I think a lot of teachers are scared of technology and are looking for barriers to using it (more work, too difficult to understand etc). ]]> 2016-10-31 21:03:12 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134354594 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134356233

]]> 2016-10-31 21:19:45 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134356233 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134356469
What can Padlet do?

Padlet is an electronic 'wall' which allows for mindmaps, collaborative discussions and moodboards.

It is: "a virtual wall that allows people to express their thoughts on a common topic easily. It works like an online sheet of paper where people can put any content (e.g. images, videos, documents, text) anywhere on the page, together with anyone, from any device".  

It allows for collaborators to work on a 'wall' simultaneously or individually.  

Finished walls can be embedded into other applications such as Blogger. The live html link means that when a Padlet is updated in the Padlet account this live updates to Blogger.


]]> 2016-10-31 21:21:46 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134356469 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134357047
I am reasonably new to Padlet. 

Function 1

I have encouraged my students to use it in their research and planning stages of their portfolios.  It's an excellent learning technology for producing moodboards and for sharing brainstorms and ideas for production. Students have use Padlet to bring together influences from real music artists, for their A2 coursework, for example. The students like the 'look' of Padlet and the ease of embedding into their blogs.


]]> 2016-10-31 21:26:04 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134357047 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134357544
I've yet to really embrace using Padlet in my teaching but I can see that it could enhance what I do in the classroom brilliantly.

I would like to use the 'invite' option to get students discussing topics as a group. Many students find putting their hands up in class daunting but I've found, from using Socrative and similar, that they are happy to discuss topics from a laptop screen.  This is what I am aiming to do with it.  

This is an effective way of tracking progress for me as their teacher.

I really like the ability to come back to Padlets and add to them as ideas and topics develop during the course of the units.  These could also be kept for future cohorts of students.  ]]> 2016-10-31 21:30:20 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134357544 becks_morris https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134357916
Institutional barriers would be the same as those for Blogger and Prezi:  Bandwidth predominantly.  I can also see some potential barriers with students: I introduced this software to a group before half term and we suffered from some technical difficulties, which I think were caused by the broadband speed, which meant students got frustrated by using it.  They kept getting logged out while trying to create their Padlets. This meant that students didn't trust the software to save their work and are therefore less likely to rely on it again.  This was disappointing because I can see the great benefits that this has to creative productions and collaborative work.  

As with Blogger, it's crucial that the college keeps up to date with developments with learning technologies so that the ICT Acceptable Use and Social Media Policies reflect this. It would be concerning if we weren't able to use new and emerging technologies as a result of an outdated policy. ]]> 2016-10-31 21:33:02 UTC https://padlet.com/becks_morris/r356jdvto3/wish/134357916