1 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:09,866 There are wide range of freely available tools 2 00:00:09,866 --> 00:00:12,732 that teachers and trainers can use. 3 00:00:12,733 --> 00:00:16,266 In this video, we will look at the role that Google tools, Prezi, 4 00:00:16,266 --> 00:00:18,866 and Audacity can play in supporting your teaching 5 00:00:18,866 --> 00:00:22,332 and improving your learners' success. 6 00:00:22,333 --> 00:00:25,866 Google offers a suite of tools designed for collaboration. 7 00:00:25,866 --> 00:00:27,732 These are all free available and 8 00:00:27,733 --> 00:00:32,999 include tools for collaborative writing, presentation, drawing, and much more. 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,300 Content can be shared between teachers and learners 10 00:00:36,300 --> 00:00:38,966 encouraging team working. 11 00:00:38,966 --> 00:00:40,932 Listen to Johnny from Sheffield College 12 00:00:40,933 --> 00:00:45,533 describing the benefits of Google tools for personalising the learning experience, 13 00:00:45,533 --> 00:00:48,566 increasing engagement, and offering flexibility. 14 00:00:48,566 --> 00:00:52,432 15 00:00:52,433 --> 00:00:55,433 In terms of the use of Google tools in a blended learning setting. 16 00:00:55,433 --> 00:01:00,166 It certainly allows for a lot more personalisation of the learning experience. 17 00:01:00,166 --> 00:01:02,532 So in advance of the class, for example, 18 00:01:02,533 --> 00:01:06,233 if you were publishing resources, materials, documents, 19 00:01:06,233 --> 00:01:09,433 students can access that at their convenience 20 00:01:09,433 --> 00:01:11,299 prior to a timetabled session. 21 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:15,600 Once in the class, tools do allow a lot of teamwork, collaboration, 22 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,600 but also in terms of, I guess, innovative approaches. 23 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,033 What we found is it's very engaging for the learners 24 00:01:22,033 --> 00:01:24,499 if they're using a range of devices, 25 00:01:24,500 --> 00:01:28,066 if they're able to see the real value of an activity 26 00:01:28,066 --> 00:01:30,499 as opposed to filling in a worksheet, 27 00:01:30,500 --> 00:01:33,500 which they may not receive feedback on for a period of time. 28 00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:35,400 In addition to Google classrooms, 29 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,566 there's a wide range of Google tools 30 00:01:38,566 --> 00:01:40,466 that tutors can use. 31 00:01:40,466 --> 00:01:42,532 Students are able to use that. 32 00:01:42,533 --> 00:01:45,699 There's apps available so they can download that on their smartphones or 33 00:01:45,700 --> 00:01:47,400 even access it through home, 34 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,566 whether that's a laptop or fixed PC. 35 00:01:49,566 --> 00:01:52,232 So accessibility is key that-- 36 00:01:52,233 --> 00:01:54,566 I feel that the biggest benefit of these tools 37 00:01:54,566 --> 00:01:57,766 is that students could start to personalise their own approach to 38 00:01:57,766 --> 00:02:01,132 learning as well as the structured formal teaching timetable 39 00:02:01,133 --> 00:02:03,033 that they may be following. 40 00:02:03,033 --> 00:02:05,666 In addition to Google tools for producing presentations, 41 00:02:05,666 --> 00:02:07,466 there are a number of web-based tools 42 00:02:07,466 --> 00:02:11,332 for creating, engaging, and interactive presentations. 43 00:02:11,333 --> 00:02:14,466 One such tool, Prezi, is very popular. 44 00:02:14,466 --> 00:02:16,566 Prezi is a powerful tool 45 00:02:16,566 --> 00:02:20,532 that allows users to create multimedia based stories for presentation. 46 00:02:20,533 --> 00:02:23,433 It can be more engaging than a traditional presentation, 47 00:02:23,433 --> 00:02:25,566 and it's easier to use. 48 00:02:25,566 --> 00:02:28,132 Prezi particularly supports learning outcomes 49 00:02:28,133 --> 00:02:31,933 where learners are gaining skills in narrative and storytelling. 50 00:02:31,933 --> 00:02:35,933 Prezi is a flexible tool with cloud-based storage, collaborative features, 51 00:02:35,933 --> 00:02:38,799 and is available on mobile devices. 52 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,233 Listen to Richard at Bradford college talking 53 00:02:41,233 --> 00:02:45,599 about how he has engaged learners with their studies through the use of Prezi. 54 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:50,433 55 00:02:50,433 --> 00:02:53,433 Prezi is an online open tool, 56 00:02:53,433 --> 00:02:55,499 which you access through your browser 57 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:58,533 and allows you to create presentations in a more dynamic way. 58 00:02:58,533 --> 00:03:01,233 So it has a sort of zooming effect or travel effect. 59 00:03:01,233 --> 00:03:06,599 It has a number of templates that come with it to make it even more exciting. 60 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,433 Teachers can create a very engaging 61 00:03:10,433 --> 00:03:15,533 and dynamic presentations that's interesting, interactive, and embedded 62 00:03:15,533 --> 00:03:20,199 with different types of media stored in a VLE or other environments, 63 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,800 which could then be shared quite easily. 64 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,633 They don't need special software other than a web browser. 65 00:03:25,633 --> 00:03:27,899 So they can access on the mobile devices, 66 00:03:27,900 --> 00:03:30,466 on laptops, smartphones, tablets, 67 00:03:30,466 --> 00:03:32,366 wherever they can get Wi-Fi. 68 00:03:32,366 --> 00:03:35,266 It also allows collaboration between teachers. 69 00:03:35,266 --> 00:03:39,299 For students, the benefits of Prezi are numerous. 70 00:03:39,300 --> 00:03:43,266 The teacher has created the path in such a way within Prezi 71 00:03:43,266 --> 00:03:45,932 that they can follow that learning through very sequentially, 72 00:03:45,933 --> 00:03:48,933 but they can explore it any way they want. 73 00:03:48,933 --> 00:03:51,099 So they can really engage with that material 74 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:54,633 and update their own material onto the presentation 75 00:03:54,633 --> 00:03:58,333 if the teacher has set it up to be a collaborative sharing tool with the students. 76 00:03:58,333 --> 00:03:58,933 77 00:03:58,933 --> 00:04:01,933 Increasingly, we want learners to create digital assets 78 00:04:01,933 --> 00:04:03,366 as part of their curriculum. 79 00:04:03,366 --> 00:04:06,199 This supports the development of their digital literacies 80 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:08,966 and encourages active engagement with learning in fun 81 00:04:08,966 --> 00:04:10,932 and social ways. 82 00:04:10,933 --> 00:04:14,366 Previously, it was hard to create and publish audio resources. 83 00:04:14,366 --> 00:04:17,399 But now there are a range of tools available for this, 84 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,133 often on our mobile devices. 85 00:04:19,133 --> 00:04:24,899 Sometimes, however, learners may need to create high quality and professional audio resources, 86 00:04:24,900 --> 00:04:28,766 which requires editing, mixing, and other features. 87 00:04:28,766 --> 00:04:32,199 Many people use a tool called Audacity for this purpose, 88 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,700 as it is web-based, easy to use, and freely available. 89 00:04:35,700 --> 00:04:40,433 Learner created audio resources can be used to support many types of learning outcomes 90 00:04:40,433 --> 00:04:43,333 and can be used to build up a repository of resources 91 00:04:43,333 --> 00:04:46,433 to support the whole learning community. 92 00:04:46,433 --> 00:04:48,133 In this final case study, 93 00:04:48,133 --> 00:04:50,299 we hear from Richard at Bradford college again 94 00:04:50,300 --> 00:04:53,966 who has embedded Audacity successfully into his curriculum. 95 00:04:53,966 --> 00:04:58,332 96 00:04:58,333 --> 00:05:02,199 Teachers presenting their material either visually 97 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,200 or through spoken word. 98 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,033 There's no way for the learners to go back over 99 00:05:07,033 --> 00:05:08,499 that other than their own notes. 100 00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:11,633 What Audacity does is allow you to record 101 00:05:11,633 --> 00:05:13,999 what you say and then present it back, 102 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:18,166 either via a file or a link to the VLE. 103 00:05:18,166 --> 00:05:22,332 Audacity, used to record what happens in the lesson 104 00:05:22,333 --> 00:05:26,533 allows students to be able to go back over what has been said, 105 00:05:26,533 --> 00:05:27,966 what the emphasis was, 106 00:05:27,966 --> 00:05:29,299 what the context was, 107 00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:32,166 in a way they can take their time over it, 108 00:05:32,166 --> 00:05:35,966 so they can listen to it on the train via their mobile devices 109 00:05:35,966 --> 00:05:38,932 or at home in the bedroom via their laptops. 110 00:05:38,933 --> 00:05:41,799 For a teacher, it gives you the power to 111 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:43,366 create a summary tool 112 00:05:43,366 --> 00:05:46,566 that's very quick and easy to do. 113 00:05:46,566 --> 00:05:50,166 And I know a lot of teachers that have recorded a one minute snapshot of 114 00:05:50,166 --> 00:05:51,532 what the lesson was about. 115 00:05:51,533 --> 00:05:52,766 And the learners really enjoy that, 116 00:05:52,766 --> 00:05:55,332 because they get the sort of summary and it jogs the memory. 117 00:05:55,333 --> 00:05:58,066 And there's a number of different types of research you can look at. 118 00:05:58,066 --> 00:06:01,999 On average, they listen three times to something you record, 119 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:03,700 whereas if you're just presenting it, 120 00:06:03,700 --> 00:06:04,733 it's a fire and forget. 121 00:06:04,733 --> 00:06:05,666 It's a one off. 122 00:06:05,666 --> 00:06:07,699 They'll never get to listen to that again. 123 00:06:07,700 --> 00:06:12,200