Journal #4

Campbell, L. O. (2012). If you give a kid a video camera .. Learning & Leading with Technology, 39(5), 30-33. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx

The article "If You Give a Kid a Video Camera..." talks about how using technology can benefit a classroom. In this case it is a video camera used in a Language Arts class. 

The author explains how a camera can be used in every classroom in some way to benefit the education of the students. It just takes time to develop how it can be used. In most cases simply filming a student discussing the topic will works best. The tech-savvy youth are drawn to recording themselves on personal devices and by using this in class they are more engaged in the subject. It also acts as a way to reinforce the material by creating multiple ways of taking in information. It is also pointed out that film has benefits outside of the class. For students who are unable to attend a lesson or a class trip, the film can be put online so the students can insure that they are not left out or fall behind.

Question 1: In what situations should a camera be used for given subject?

This seems to very a great deal base on the subject matter. The two subjects that this can best be used in are English and Social Studies. In English film can be used to make reviews of books as well as short clips of vocabulary being used. Social Sciences can use it to make presentations and to record skits done by the students. It can also be used while performing an interview. For science the camera can be used to document the steps taken throughout an experiment. If something goes wrong it is much easier to locate the problem than trying to remember it.

Question 2: How does technology increase a students understanding of the subject?

Technology can be used to expand a students understanding of a subject greatly. Not every student learns simply from seeing something written down on paper or a whiteboard. For a student who best learns by use of audio or spatial skills technology can be of great benefit in understanding the content of a subject. By using video clips they can hear the material allowing them to take it in or by making a video they are able to interact with the material.

Journal #3

Krauss, J. (2012). More than words can say infographics. Learning & Leading with Technology, 39(5), 10-14. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx

Infographics according to the article More than Words Can Say Infographics, are visual representations of data that can come in the form of a picture, graph, timeline, etc. They go beyond the standard reading and writing when it comes to expressing ideas since it allows for information to be seen from multiple angles. Pictures promote questions such as "what am I see" and "what does it mean?" The concept behind using Infographics is that it stimulates the mind in ways that are not normally done from reading and writing. The article explains that if you want to make a successful infographic a person must be trying to tell a story based on good data and to be clear on what you are trying to say.  

Question One: How can Infographics work in creating a deeper sense of understanding?

Most students are not purely audio learners. It is pointed out that humans have two types of learning systems. These are linguistic, which are audio and reading skills, and non-linguistic, which are visual and kinetic skills. By using infographics which is a blend of the two skill-types it helps cultivate both of them. By doing so a student has more outlets to obtain a better understanding of the course material.

Question Two: How can Infographics be used in a classroom?

Infographics can be used in almost every aspect of a class. They give a visual representation of the course material. Graphs can be used to show public opinion during the Vietnam War or to show the mortality rate during the Bubonic Plague. In mathematics it can benefit the understanding of subjects such as statistics or ratios. Science can use it to explain data gathered from a lab or can be used to create flowcharts showing different steps for different results.. English classes can incorporate infographics in the way of pictures depicting the actions in a story or to show a visual of the vocabulary. These are only some examples, the possibility is truly limitless.