Images

Useful learning resource - image used as stimulus for topic about force. Image retrieved from www.flickr.com

Image from personal collection that I have resized to be able to upload onto this blog. I also cropped a bystander out of this image.

Using picresize.com to change the size of an image, crop it, add effects and choose how you want it saved.

Having people around me that know how to resize images and are generally tech savy is great but it also made me reliant on them. Instead of learning for myself I find myself just getting someone else to do it for me. But by having to resize images for the purpose of this task, it gave me a reason to do it myself...and how easy is it!

After attempting to use the recommended site and not being able to access it I searched for other similar sites. I did not realise how many sites there were on-line that do this for you as well, one that I found really user friendly was called pic resize. I especially liked this site because it was free and you did not have to sign up as a member. You simply upload any or multiple images you want to adjust, choose how you want to adjust them and hit the complete button. Then you can preview it, re-adjust, publish it straight onto a website, email it, save it or upload more images.
I also utilise paint to save something as a jpeg, it has been the quickest and most efficient way to save the screen shots I have been taking in order to upload them to this blog.

Images I find are a great way to start a lesson or to get students to think outside the square and develop higher order thinking. Images are also a nice way to share information. When students have input and ownership in presenting and displaying things they seem to take more pride and their peers are more engaged as it is relevant and they can relate it to something.

Pod/Vodcasts are yet another way to communicate, share and present anything we want to. In a classroom context podcasts allow you to embed or save them so you do not have to view them live, which prevents the risk of exposing students to unappropriate content and needing internet access or having to wait for it to download. It also allows you to view/listen to these casts anywhere as they can be downloaded to your ipod or mp3 player. For homework you could have students listen to or view a podcast on your particular unit. For example you can have them watch the latest Behind the News episode and complete a comprehension activity relating to it or then have them make their own podcast reflecting on the main stories and what impacted them, the possibilities are endless.
I though was unable to create my own podcast or I do not have the appropriate resources to be able to. Therefore this is something that needs to be taken into account when setting such things for homework, not everybody had a microphone for example.

I also like having access to podcasts as it means I do not have to be home to view a particular show or to listen to what I want to at a certain time, I can just download it and view it at my convenience and then listen to it on the run while travelling instead of wasting time on the couch.

I encourage you to search through what is available and download something that may interest you. Experience the convenience!

B