ICT Learning Innovation Centre’s Podcast Lounge

by Adrian Greig and Sonya Watts

Ever wanted to get into podcasting or Vodcasting? Adrian (A/Manager - ICT Learning Innovation Centre

) and Sonya (Project Officer - School Technologies) present on the place of podcasting and vodcasting in the classroom.

In their presentation, at the 2007 Learning Place Conference, called ‘Casting Out’ they discuss the whys and what fors of podcasting along with some brief demonstrations of both PC and MAC based software that can be used to get started in your classroom.

*Click image to start presentation*

Podcasting really has a huge range of potential uses in a classroom across all age groups and curriculum areas. Best of all it is really easy to create high quality pieces using a range of free software products. Watch the presentation and see just how easy it is!

Hi All! Long time no posting. Have had a change of role and staff and as such not much going on in the way of posts here lately. Apologies.

Have to share this one with you all. I shared some links on the QSITE Community Listserv recently as there was some interest in new technologies. Have a look at the the links and see what is coming in the interactive technologies area…

http://www.merl.com/projects/DiamondTouch/

http://on10.net/Blogs/laura/3903/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpyu24pyHDA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTIlD6aIZ98

I often use these in future gazing sessions with teachers. We have to be ready for change and ever cautious on the new flashy toys. Exciting times ahead!

What will be the implications for schools when this technology hits the ground?

State Library of Queensland has a commitment to facilitating links between Public Libraries and school libraries and ensuring that it supports online technological initiatives that support life long learning in regional, rural and remote education. State Library has a vast resource collection and a Public Library Service that are of high quality and of educational relevance to schools. This presentation will highlight some innovative projects that have been run since 2005 as part of State Library of Queensland’s new and dynamic partnership with Education Queensland’s e-learning environment, the Learning Place. It will showcase SLQ’s state wide online Travel Buddy project that can be accessed all Qld schools.

The Learning Place and State Library have partnered in an exciting project that should see a range of statewide communication events and curriculum resources being developed for schools. The State Library holds materials of both National and State significance that can contribute to enhancing Australian and Queensland content within the curriculum.  

About the Project (from the Learning Place):  A joint 12 month pilot project has been established to co fund a position to develop online materials and events that enhance access and relevance of the SLQ collection and program to Queensland schools. The position will also provide schools with a range of online events, engaging learning activities and curriculum units.For more information contact:
Carolyn Keighley
Project Manager
Email: Carolyn@eq.edu.au
State Library of Queensland: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/

Projects that are currently being focussed upon as part of the State Library and Learning Place initiative are: use the “State Library Projects” menu item on the left of this page to locate the different areas of this project. Place your mouse over the words without clicking, and the projects will be listed. Choose the one that you want to look at by clicking on its name.

1. Nestle Write Around Australia Online Writing Workshops
2. Gift of Presence - Towards Reconciliation
3. Artists Books
4. Online Literature Festival 2005
5. Travel Buddies

A late night visitor illustrates just how much the world has changed. Sitting in our lounge room last night, watching some television, my wife and I were visited by a very special guest.

(Click to Enlarge)

On our verandah, much to the utter disgust of our two fluff-ball dogs (both not too much bigger themselves), came a slow walking echidna. We  were both floored that we would see this little monotreme in our part of the bush on the Sunshine Coast. See the map from Information Queensland’s online mapping service below to see where I live (click on it to see a larger view).

. 

We both ran in and grabbed our phones to take photos of the little critter. Being obviously scared at being watched or more likely not wanting a close up meeting with the pooches, we left it alone to go merrily on its way back into the bush (*see definition below) that is our backyard!

What hit me later after seeing the echidna is what we actually did. We have a perfectly good camera in the house and yet we both went for our phones. Not once did we even consider grabbing it. Have times changed that much in such a short time? Only a few years ago if I had called out to my wife “Quick we have an echidna on the verandah…grab the PHONE!” my wife would be booking me in for a complete checkup.   

I started thinking about what I actually use my phone for these days compared to just a few years ago. It is my:

1. Phone (obviously)
2. Appointments Calendar
3. Alarm Clock
4. Game device
5. Music player
6. Still Camera
7. Video Camera
8. Video player
9. Address Book
10. To Do List Reminder
11. Voice Recorder
12. Calculator
13. Email Tool
14. Text Messenger
15. Satellite Navigation System (google a program called GPSXC. I use it when geocaching)

This quick list doesn’t mention a large number of features my phone could be used for like listening to the radio, web browsing, movie editing, blogging and photo processing. All of these are inbuilt as standard in my phone.

My phone is used for my work, professional development (podcasts both video and audio) and entertainment. This simple fact brings up the issue of Technology Convergence. It is becoming a greater issue these days as devices like phones do more than just the traditional ‘role’ its name suggests. What is even more interesting is how such technology convergence may or will impact on the classroom. More and more teachers and children are bringing more devices to school on a daily basis. These devices are getting more powerful and cheaper as time passes. It begs the question…

… “What will the classroom of 2010, 2015 & 2020 look like?”

Remembering of course the further into the future we look the less accurate our predictions will be! To give some perspective to this have a look at Australia’s first computer (one of the first in the world) which was last used in 1964 (after 15 years of service). Just think of how far we have come in the last 50 years since CSIRAC rans its first program. This photo was also taken with my phone.

*bush (uncountable) Source - http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bush

1. {Australia} The countryside area of Australia that is neither arid nor remote enough to constitute the outback, and that can include areas of natural flora even within conurbations