Photo Slide show and MovieMaker

I found this task really fun and interesting, as we were able to use our own material for the slideshow and movie. I had recently come back from Thailand and used all those photos for my slideshow. This was really engaging as I could relate to the material and bring back fun memories and experiences of my time overseas. It also provided me with a platform to present my times in Thailand to my friends and family in a way where they were not bored and actually found it interesting, especially through the use of music to create the atmosphere.

For creating slideshows and movies in the classroom, there are many ways to utilise these technologies. However, I feel it is important to make the material relevant to the students, whether it is photo’s they took on an excursion, or video footage of something they are investigating. The teacher could provide this for the students, but if it is predominately the students work, they would have greater ownership of the task, which in turn will hopefully create greater engagement.

The type of student that would be most enthused or advantaged by this type of task would be a hands on individual, who is creative, innovative and likes to bring something original to the table. Also the beauty of this task is that it can be presented at completion and will be engaging to most audiences, it is not simply a written task that is to be handed in. This may create more involvement and ownership of the task, as students know their work will be seen by many.

Through the use of videos and films in physical education, it allows the teacher to bring the subject to life, especially in VCE units 1-4. As the content is sport science based, needing high technological, expensive equipment, as well as elite athletes, teachers are not able to demonstrate everything to the students. This is where film brings the real content to the classroom and allows their textbooks to come alive. I myself taught VCE unit 4 physical education in my second placement this semester. One topic covered was the hydration needs of athetes. I searched YouTube and discovered a great range of short clips to show the students, in order to develop their knowledge further, and see firsthand how real elite athletes use fluids and utilise a hydration strategies. This specific clip can be found at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJQ6ra-q8yo

Following the lesson I asked both the students and my mentor teacher as to their responses to the clip and it was all positive feedback. They found it engaging, as well as informative and substantiated their prior knowledge.

I personally have not seen video footage used in junior physical education classrooms as yet, but it is something I will definitely promote when I begin teaching. Junior classes can use still shots or films to demonstrate correct technique, as well as to promote the sport prior to the commencement of a new unit. Students can also in pairs or small groups, film each other, then later analyse and if needed correct their technique. This gives ownership to the students for their learning and also some students find that if they can have a visual on how they are performing, they find it is quite different to the way they feel their body performing.

As for VCE Health and Human Development (HHD), it is again a subject that is hard to demonstrate in the classroom, particularly unit 4 which is global aid. Students cannot see in their own classrooms problems such as famine and disease, so again this is where film and still images can bring the content and textbook to life. On placement I have used a DVD which has short case studies of people around the world, looking at how they live and the problems they face every day.