Week 6- Digital Media

Digital Media

A simplified definition of digital media is the content, whether it is text, graphics, audio and video, that can be transmitted over the Internet (Digital Media, n.d.). It is any type of media represented in an electronic format for the convenience of entertainment purposes. Different types of media include:

-          Digital media= is accessed using computers, mobile devices and television mostly for entertainment and educational purposes

-          Audio media= and music media is accessed via mp3 or radio devices. Audio files are easy to share amongst each other and are cost effective as it can be downloaded off the Internet

-          Visual media= and video media is used mainly to share ideas, information and entertainment with everyone

-          Gaming media= most often found in a physical format which must be purchased at video game retailers, or the more convenient downloadable forms that are found on the Internet

Some examples of the ways teachers and students can use and subsequently use digital media:

Teachers	Students
Slidecast: Photos Graphics Reports Stories Screencast: Tutorials Software Podcast: Lessons Interviews Summaries Reviews Updates Vodcast: Role plays Discussions Projects Tutorials	Create: Digital reports Record: Audio interviews Project summaries Develop: Multimedia presentations Produce: Video projects

References:

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQRTjCZ0B_Q

·         Digital Media (n.d.) Retrieved March 30, 2012, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/digital-media.html

·         What are the different types of multimedia? (n.d.) Retrieved March 30, 2012, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-digital-media.htm

·         Lifelong Learning. (2007) Digital Media in Teaching and Learning. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from http://www.slideshare.net/tonywh/digital-media-in-teaching-and-learning

Week 5- Hardware, Authoring and Multimedia

Hardware

Hardware refers to any external parts, which are connected, to the computer that you can physically touch. Some examples of hardware include:

-          Keyboards

-          Mouse

-          Hard drive

-          USB

Teachers can use hardware to make classroom activities relating to computers easier and more practical to complete.

Authoring

“Authoring is the process of compiling the individual video, audio, image and graphic assets of your content into a format that will play on multiple types of players and devices” (What is Authoring? 2010). It also involves the creation of an interactive user interface that allows users to access various elements of the content.

Multimedia

Multimedia is when computers use text, audio, video, animation, images and interactive features in various ways to create an interesting way of presenting content (Loretto, P., n.d.). By combining different types of media’s, multimedia becomes more interesting as different parts of the multimedia would appeal to different kinds of people. For example: combining a website with video, audio, or text images, makes the multimedia more fun because it has lots of different aspects to look at, but also it appeals to everyone’s different multiple intelligences, providing an opportunity for different learning types.

References:

·         What is computer hardware? (2007) Retrieved March 23, 2012, from

http://www.machine-information-systems.com/What_is_Computer_Hardware.html

·         http://www.warepin.com/computer-hardware-3/

·         Simpson, A. (n.d.) What is hardware?. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from http://www.coolnerds.com/Newbies/Hardware/hardware.htm

·         What is Authoring? (2010) Retrieved March 23, 2012, from http://www.cinemagnetics.com/media-services/dvd-bluray-authoring/178-what-is-authoring.html

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP1OEx_i4Fg

·         Loretto, P. (n.d.) What is Multimedia? Retrieved March 23, 2012, from http://internships.about.com/od/internshipsquestions/g/whatismultimedia.htm

·         http://www.pak4u.com/pakmart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=18_22

Week 4- Data Handling, Internet and Website Development

Data Handling

“The process of ensuring that research data is stored, disposed of and archived in a safe and secure manner during and after the conclusion of a research project. This includes the development of policies and procedures to manage data handled electronically as well as through non-electronic means” (Data Handling, n.d.). Issues that must be considered in data handling include:

-          Type of data being handled and the impact it will have on the environment

-          Type of data and its storage capacity, handling and storage requirements, reliability, longevity, retrieval effectiveness, and ease of upgrade to newer media.

-          Data handling responsibilities and privileges. Meaning who can handle which portion of data

-          Data handling procedures. This will describe how long the data should be kept and when and how data should be handled for storage, sharing, archival, retrieval and disposal purposes.

Internet

The Internet is a vast computer network linking up smaller networks worldwide. The Internet is made up of a series of networks such as commercial and governmental, which make the Internet whole. As teachers we can use the Internet for many different purposes such as lesson preparation, class activities, assignments and research tasks.

Website Development

Web design is the process of designing and building the pages that make up your web site. The key to successful web design is to register your domain name, have your web pages professionally designed, get your web pages hosted on a secure server, promote your web site and keep it up to date.

References:

·         Internet. (n.d.) Retrieved March 16, 2012, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/internet

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIQjrMHTv4

·         Data Handling. (n.d.) Retrieved March 16, 2012, from http://ori.dhhs.gov/education/products/n_illinois_u/datamanagement/dhtopic.html

·         What does web design involve? (2003) Retrieved March 16, 2012, from http://www.totalcsl.co.uk/webdesign.asp

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIwnMm17p0c

Week 3- Rubrics

A rubric is an evaluation tool for a teacher that gives themselves, students and parents a description the criteria that must be completed in order to successfully achieve the class. It provides a purpose for the work being completed demonstrating what is actually required from the task. There are generally two types of rubrics:

1.       Holistic= students work is given as a single score, therefore the whole assignment is given just one mark

2.       Analytical= gives separate scores for each individual criteria at each point of the assignment, providing extensive feedback

Why do we use rubrics?

According to Goodrich (Just what is a rubric, 1997):         

- they help students and teachers to define quality

- students will begin to accept more responsibility for their end product as they will be able to identify where they are making errors and subsequently will be able to fix them for next time

- reduces the time teachers spend on grading

- helps parents to understand what their children are doing at school and gives them an opportunity to help the children whilst actually knowing what they need to achieve

 

How do we develop rubrics?

“To develop a rubric we use 8 simple steps:

1.       Determine what the assessment will encompass

2.       Review previous student work and/or other rubrics to identify any additional assessment criteria

3.       Define each dimension

4.       Adopt a scale for describing the range of products/performances and write a description for each dimension for each point on the scale

5.       Develop a draft rubric

6.       Evaluate the rubric

7.       Pilot test, revise, and try the rubric again

8.       Share the rubric with students and their parents” (Rubric use and development, n.d.)

Example of a rubric:

References:

·         Just what is a rubric? (1997) Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www.middleweb.com/CSLB2rubric.html

·         Rubric use and development. (n.d.) Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www.bused.org/rsabe/rsabe05.pdf

·         http://www.echospace.org/articles/522/sections/1802

Week 2- IST, Copyright and Policies

Information and Software Technology (IST)

Information and Software Technology helps students to develop knowledge, understanding, confidence and creativity in analysing, designing, developing and evaluating information and software technology solutions (Information and Software Technology, n.d.)

Copyright

Copyright is the term given to a type of property that is founded on a person's creative skill and labour. It is designed to prevent unauthorised people using the work in its original form and taking credit for it as their own (What is copyright?, 2011). Copyright acts a form of protection for original works and it literally means the right to copy. Copyright infringement is when work that has copyright protection is copied, distributed, or made into some other work without the permission of the owner (What is copyright infringement?, n.d.).

How does copyright affect teachers?

As teachers we must ensure that we are not “stealing” other people’s work through use on worksheet, presentations and other media projects. Copyright can costs schools thousands of dollars, so we must ensure we are doing to right thing. To ensure protection from copyright the © symbol should be used at the end of each page at all times.

Policy

A policy is a plan or course of action intended to influence and determine decisions and actions of relationships. A policy is neither right nor wrong, but it does act as a contract for business deals and work requirements. The following is a brief example of what a policy could look like.

References:

·         Information and Software Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/technology/7_10/information/index.htm

·         What is Copyright? (2011). Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://www.ag.gov.au/Copyright/Pages/Whatiscopyright.aspx

·         http://www.youtube.com/t/copyright_what_is

·         How do Copyright Laws Affect You as a Teacher? (2011). Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://theteachingbank.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/how-do-copyright-laws-affect-you-as.html

·         Policy. (n.d.) Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/policy

·         http://www.missmaud.com.au/Restaurant/HouseManagementPolicy.aspx

Week 1- Ethics and Ethical Issues

“Ethics involves systemising, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviour” (Fieser, 2009). Ethics can be divided into 3 main areas:

1.       Metaethics: where our ethics come from

2.       Normative ethics: moral standards that regulate right or wrong conduct

3.       Applied ethics: examining specific controversial issues

Although the distinction between each area is vague as, for example the issue of abortion is an applied ethical topic however it is dependent upon general normative ethics. The issue also involves metaethics as we try to determine where rights come from. Ethics are important as they are essential for human life. Ethics guides us through life with direction, by knowing the difference between right and wrong we are able to understand limits and boundaries and achieve goals with great success.

Ethical issues that are associated with technology include:

-          Privacy= the use and misuse of data about individuals, which is stored in computer systems

-          Accuracy= inaccurate data has the potential to ruin people’s lives, whether it be their career or livelihood

-          Property= “electronic information on different media makes property right for information and software a difficult legal and ethical question. Intellectual property law is now a specialty in the legal profession” (Computer related ethical issues, n.d.)

-          Access= the ability for individuals to gain restricted information

An example of an ethical issue is ATM fraud. ATM fraud involves cards being skimmed of money by people who have created devices that can take money straight out of your bank account whilst you enter you details, such as member numbers and pins. This ethical issue raises ideals of privacy invasion, stolen property and access.

References:

·         Fieser, J. (2009). Ethics. Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/#SH3b

·         Landauer, J., Rowlands, J. (2001). Ethics. Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://www.importanceofphilosophy.com/Ethics_Main.html

·         Computer-Related Ethical Issues. (n.d.) Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://www.blurtit.com/q248732.html

·         Social and ethical issues in computer science. (n.d.) Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://www.fixedpoint.org/sarah/seweb.pdf

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p6Ff7DcnBc