ICT Enhanced Backdrops & Tech Enthusiasts

We have a fantastic system in place for encouraging the authentic, effective integration of digital technologies in classrooms across the college with our Tech Mentors, but maybe what is less well known, is that increasingly (and this is a great problem to have), we have more and more teachers who are not 'Tech Mentors', who would be if they could be, but they can't, because there are no available spaces. Teachers in this category are teachers who are what I like to call 'Tech Enthusiasts', and this post is a case in point; som of our 'tech enthusiasts' in Grade 1, who put their enthusiasm for all things tech to great effect as multimedia backdrops for their class Arts Festival performance.

Keynote - Sonia Magnus & Susanne Khalek 

"Using ICT for the backdrop meant a great deal of pre-planning, but relieved the need for building, storing and cumbersome shifting of large pieces of scenery for a one-off performance, as there were several scenes where the story took place. It was also more environmentally responsible, avoiding the need to create and dispose of large props, like boats and trees.

The soundtracks for the presentation were worked on in music lessons with Susanne Khalek, and she ably interpreted Sonia's ideas so that the children selected appropriate instruments, composed short pieces and developed chants and rhythms for the movement on stage. The children were involved in listening to their recordings, evaluating the performances, suggesting improvements and re-recording. All recordings were made in Garageband so that the soundtrack could be edited, and additional sound effects could be easily included."

iMovie - Alice Whitehead 

Alice chose to use iMovie because she wanted a powerful way to visually represent the concept of the children's 'dreams' moving from thought to action. iMovie allowed her to do this by merging each child's drawing of a picture with an image they had chosen, then Alice filmed the children performing in front of a make shift green screen in the corner of her classroom, to create the 'special effect' of the children see themselves in their dreams for the future. The novelty of using a green screen definitely increased the students engagement and also helped them to understand the big idea behind their Arts Festival piece.