Change your Traditional Stories to "Digital stories" and Make Lessons Interesting Ones

Story is an old vivid strategy used in teaching. It is very effective since it stimulates imaginations, imagery and activation of existing knowledge. Walker (2012) mentions that human beings are story telling creatures since our memories are organized  in the left hemisphere as stories which makes stories paly vital role in teaching. He further declares that  allocating part of the lesson for telling stories makes it " engaging and creative". Moreover, lessons suffused with stories enhance students' critical thinking and develop their vocabulary' skills since they make students relate stories' events with their own lives. Furthermore, generating an effective story requires good descriptive language and coherent logical events. Additionally, different reactions are generated to different kinds of stories. For example, stories about the teacher's own experiences strengthen the relations between him or her and his or her students while fiction stories stimulate imagination.

Nowadays, technology is integrated with stories to make story telling more interesting. As a result, digital stories emerge which allow students to transform events to multidimensional experience. They also encourage students to use their creativity to choose the best way of displaying the story via media and narrating it in an interesting way.

Stories are widely used in our schools but teachers are stuck to traditional ways of telling stories which is narrating the story orally. Students need new ways of doing things to make them interested in the subject and thereby achieve better in their study.  Teachers have to look for new ways of narrating stories to grab their students' attention and make them like the study' materials. One new way of telling stories is by displaying them with a suitable software. There are many programs teachers can use to produce a digital story, such as power point presentation, Powtoon, Prezi and movie maker.

I have used Powtoon to create stories and I found it an easy program that everyone can learn to use. Using Powtoon, teachers can produce interactive stories where the story's characters move according to its events. The limitation of using Powtoon is that not every character you want to use in your story is available in Powtoon's characters' list but the teacher can be creative and overcome this problem. 

Story is an important strategy that I will use as a teacher in the future and I will try to display it with different programs. I will also ask my students to create digital stories to enhance their reading skills and add sound effect to it as a record of it to improve their speaking skills. 

_Information source;

1. Digital Storytelling in the Classroom 

 

•  Here is an example of a digital story I have created using "Powtoon";

Why Mapping Tools are Important for Education

Mapping tools are frequently embedded in school curricula, students projects and teachers' delivery techniques. The emphasis of using mind map as a facilitative tool in schools' curricula is because of its effective role to teach students critical and analytical skills and help them understand the relationships between different concepts. Teachers as well as students prefer using mapping tools since they display the content in a succinct diagrammatic relationships instead of detailed wordy descriptions. Davies  (2010) points out that using graphs and diagrams are more understandable than using only words. Mapping tools are also more effective in clarifying and facilitating complex materials.



Mind Map





Concept Map

There are different names used for mapping tools , such as, mind map, concept map and argument map. Although these names differ in their connotations and attributions, people usually use them synonymously. Those mapping tools have the same aim but they differ in their implementation. Mind mapping uses pictures mainly which encourages students to imagine to find the relationships between concepts; concept mapping uses words essentially with some pictures to help students comprehend the connections between concepts themselves and the domain in which they are used; and argument mapping requires critical thinking to infer the links between the suggestions

and the disagreements about the topic
 and asses the validity of the argument.

Argument Map

Mapping tools especially mind maps and concept maps are widely used in our schools but there is a lack knowledge of the availability of mapping software. Mapping software allows teachers and students create attractive and well-made maps in a short time but they have some drawbacks. In the future I will teach my students how to use mapping software and I will offer help to the other teachers who find difficulties in using mapping software.

From my experience in using mapping software I encounter some limitations which curb the use of them. Some programs, such as, inspiration don't allow Arabic' access. Others, including Xmind don't allow saving maps as pictures. This means that the user has to display maps each time using the program itself with available access to the internet.

_information source;

1. Concept mapping, mind mapping and argument mapping: what are the differences and do they matter?

•  I have created concept mind using "inspiration software" to summarize some of the counseling course materials as a preparation for the final exam ^^

Example of Using Mapping Tools for learning

Involving "Mobile Learning Devices" in Education Mainstream

We live in a world saturated with media. Media is displayed as facilitative tools in all fields including education. In education  there is a wide range of mobile learning devices that are used to stretch students' opportunities of learning and engage students in learning. Children and youth enjoy using mobile learning devices in their own lives, thereby involving these devices in schools will make kids and young people enjoy academic learning as well. Using mobile learning devices is very essential to improve the educational' outcomes and facilitate students' access to information wherever they are and in any time. mobile learning devices transform the learning environment to be inside and outside schools.

There are some limitations and drawbacks about using them in schools but few research have investigated them. Most of the drawbacks are about the limited internet access, the financial power required to afford the devices' price and some limitations regarding the availability of electricity.

Disadvantages of mobile learning are given little attention and concern because overcoming them is easy and achievable. Another reason is due to the striking benefit of them that worth sacrificing and surrendering their disadvantages.

Although western schools are extremely using mobile learning devices and frequently adapting new devices, our schools seem slow in this domain. For about six years , personal the  computers and laptops were the only devices used in our schools and in the past five years interactive white boards was activated as will in the learning mainstream. No IPod, no IPad and no smart phones are allowed to be used in our schools just because the administration' staff are afraid that students will misuse them in ways free of manners. Personally, I evaluate this reason as no more valid. To curb students from all the astonishing benefits of mobile learning for such reason seems pointless since students are already using mobile learning devices at home. There are many achievable ways to insure using those devices only for learning. We are in need to modify the way we look at things to make our students step up in education.

 

For the English subject particularly, using mobile learning devices is very important since there are many applications and software available to facilitate learning English' skills. From my experience in using the smart phone and the IPad I have found a number of applications that help me improve my English skills and facilitate the study materials for me. Some examples of useful applications include "English Language Test" which tests the English language proficiency of the user; "test Your English Vocabulary" which aims to improve the users vocabulary to be prepared for national exams, such as TOFEL exam; and "English Conversation" which daily uploads videos for native English speakers to help the user improve his or her speaking skills. There are many other free applications that aid the user to improve his or her language' skills with interesting enjoyable ways.

Thereby, in the future I will try to find a way to allow students to use mobile learning devices in schools to benefit from the available applications. There is hope to do so since the awareness about the importance of mobile learning is increasing nowadays. 

_information source;

1. Disadvantages of mobile learning
2. Benefits and Drawbacks of mLearning

 

 Importance of Mobile Learning

Using IWB in the learning environment

Before reading, please watch this short video;

Using IWB in Classroom

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that are structured to serve the pedagogy field are expected to: ease the teaching process for the teacher;  strengthening the interaction between the teacher and the students and make the learning process more interesting for the students.


The Interactive White Board Technology (IWBT)



The Interactive White Board Technology (IWBT) is the epitome of such technologies.   IWB is simply an electronic touchable whiteboard connected to a network-computer and a data projector. It enables teachers and students to use a  non-ink pen tool to write on it and some types of IWB allow finger touch as well. The IWB promises to be a tool for "the creation of a student-centered collaborative environment" but after using it, it has been

viewed as a double-edged sword instead.



It facilitates the delivery of information to the students. It provides the teacher with an easy and quick access to the internet that enables him or her to upload  facilitative materials for the lesson and enhance the presented materials with multimedia. It also allow the teacher to save what he or she has done during the lesson as notes that can be used later by the students when revising and by the teacher him/her-self anytime he/she wants to teach the same content.The notes-saving feature helps the student  focus on the teacher's explanation rather than on taking notes.



The non-ink pen used with the IWB



There are some limitations in the use of IWBT in the classroom. One of them is the fact that sometimes either the board or the projector doesn't function properly which consume time to be fixed . Furthermore some of the IWBT's services require a technical mastery which some teachers lack  and thereby this stands as a challenge in using IWBT.  Moreover some teachers take the pen which is linked to the board to their offices by mistake which affects the other teachers' ability to use the IWBT. Additionally, some teachers forget to save notes which pan the students form  utilizing the notes-saving feature.



In our schools, one main challenge in using IWBT is teachers. Our teachers are not qualified enough to deal with  different technologies and fix technical problems. In many schools, IWBT are available but they are not used effectively by the teachers who prefer using the traditional way of information delivery rather than tangling with technology. The surprising thing is that those boards are used as passive tools instead of interactive ones because of the teachers low mastery in using them. Another challenge is the network. Unfortunately, the network access in our schools is limited which place our teachers and students far away from the available media that support the study materials .

In the future I hope I will be employed in a school where IWBT is available because I believe that we have to accustom our students to using technology to help them cope with the current world. Furthermore, IWBT will make my students interested about my lectures and simultaneously about the subject  because IWBT: makes my students experience a new sophisticated way in learning; enables me to enhance the study material with multimedia which  students like and the touchable nature of the IWBT attracts students and allows them to interact with the board.  Even if IWBT is not available I will use the active inspire program for some of my lessons since this program has similar features like the IWBT.         

_information source;

1. Determinants of interactive white board success in teaching in higher education institutions

Using Technology in Special Education

 Can Technology Change Education?!

`          Students with disabilities ,as defined by Macmillan dictionary,  are those who lack  the ability "to use part of their bodies or brains properly because of injury or disease." Technology is one of the ways used to help this group of students copes with their world. Using technology  for students with special needs is vital because there is an increasing number of these students  – "50 million"  (p.50)  students are labeled as special needs in America only. One advantage of using computers to teach disabled students is that computers help them work independently. Computers also widen special needs' opportunities in the classroom by changing impossible activities, such as "participating in  lab activities" (p.50)  to easy achievable ones. Furthermore, media facilitate fine-motor-requiring tasks by using ''single-switch" (p.50) technology which asks students to click the mouse only to solve activities. Our world is designed for able-bodied people which creates many barriers and difficulties for disabled people doing normal tasks. Thereby, it is very important to use technology to address disabled people's needs, so that they can live normally. 
            Autism, as Gillian, Hayes, Hirano, Marcu, Monibi, David, Nguyen & Yeganyan note, is one of the diseases that needs serious intervention as soon as it is diagnosed. Autistics are individuals "with extremely limited verbal communication"(p.679). Helping autistics involves the use of a variety of visual tools that display real-life abstract and concrete concepts by "images, words, and tangible objects" (p.664). Using visual tools is effective to diminish "the symptoms" (p.664) of autism and to enhance individuals' communication and learning skills.

Microsoft SenseCam

           An experimental research  conducted to examine the effectiveness of media to help autistic children, provided children with autism with different media. One medium is "the Microsoft SenseCam"  which is created to record automatically the child's everyday activities with pictures when it is worn. This cam is accurately designed to take photos  of everything the wearer sees. SenseCam equips autistic children with enough pictures to express their ideas and take decisions about their different needs including favorite food. Moreover, this device helps teachers who need to collect images themselves for autistics. Caregivers also use recorded images to understand their children's behavior and satisfy their needs. The research further declares the fact that media which is used to help children with autism can be modified according to the time they are used and the user 's age. For instance, SenseCam provides the user with big number of photos and gives him or her the freedom to use them in the best way that serve their needs.  The research find that media can effectively enhance autistics' communication skills which help them perform well in their study.         

         There is a great emphasis to use technology in education in our country but little attention is given to the importance of using technology for disabled students. In our schools, disabled students are asked to do the same tasks as their able-bodied peers in same sittings regardless of the challenges that they face to cope with this difficult situation. In our country there are many talented disabled people whose creativity is killed by all the barriers which they face to survive.
        Thereby I'm planning to spread the awareness of involving technology in teaching disabled students. I'm using this post as a start point so that by the time I become a teacher this issue will be settled.
         Besides, it is important to know that technology is not fully bright. It has some drawbacks that force us to be careful in dealing with it. From my experience with technology in SQU I have learned two facts about technology. On one hand I learned that technology is indispensable and on the other hand I learned that technology is not trustworthy. Although these facts seem contradicting each other, they are both correct. As part of our academic program, we are asked to do many tasks using technology ,including presentations, assignment and research papers. But each time we have to display a presentation for instance, we have to go to the class at least half an hour before its time to make sure that all the devices are working well. Because it has occurred for several times that we lost part of our lectures to fix technical devices. When I become a teacher I will do the same when dealing with technology since this is out of my hands.

_information source;

1. Technologies for Special Needs Students

1. Interactive Visual Supports for children with autism 

_Examples of displaying study materials using Prezi;  

1.  Media
2. Success