Journal Post # 9

Chapter #9 Creating and Sharing Information with Multimedia Technologies

Focus Question # 1: What is multimedia technology and how can teachers use it to effectively create and share visual information dynamically in their teaching?

     Multimedia technology in the educational process is just the proper, balanced and effective selection, combination and integration by teachers of those tools that use words, images, voices, sound, video and animation, in order to convey information in an attractive, interactive, and creative manner and get students to assimilate, understand, remember and apply the study material.

     Common examples of these are Power Point presentations, academically CD-ROMs, DVDs, TV programs, podcasts, etc. However, the main point of all this is to use them in such a way that the teaching and learning process can be interactive. Only then, the students will be an active part of their own learning making them to live a unique and unforgettable experience.

Tech Tool Link: NGA Kids: The Art Zone

     In my opinion, something that makes the learning experience boring and even stressful, is when students are forced to do something they do not feel identified with, do not understand, do not see the relevance and applicability and to top it off, they have to memorize it for a test. It is not the same to get a lecture about an artist and his works, that personally to experience the process of creating something. Precisely this website enables children and young people learn while they themselves made ​​a painting, a collage, a sculpture, etc. At the same time, traditional folk music and surprising animations enliven the online compositions. Really it is a great tool to teach students to love the art. I tried the Collage Machine and created my own version. Here you are: 

Journey Through Life

Summary and Connection:  As inherent characteristic of this course I am still learning about the infinite possibilities that technology puts in front of us, the educators.  Many of us complain that our students remain too much time glued to their devices and technologies and that it takes them away from family and social realities enclosing them in a virtual world. But, you know what? At this point of this course I have realized that this is just a justification for our intellectual laziness and lack of creative effort. There are neither the students nor the technology; there are some of us who do not want to get out of our shell to experiment with new teaching methods exploiting the potential of the technology.

Photo credit to colemama on Flickr

Reference: 

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S. A., & Park, B. (2011). Creating and Sharing Information with Multimedia Technologies. Transforming Learning with New Technologies (pp. 243-244). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.