Vokis are an interesting and a really fun tool when engaging students.
Vokis may be used as a hook to start off a topic of discussion that students are un aware about. Technologies such as Vokis are an excellent way to facilitate engagement which is usually difficult to accomplish any other way. Vokis are an authentic and new technique for teaching and learning. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)
Sometimes starting a new topic can be daunting for both teachers and students, the topic introduced must be presented in a way which engages the learners and makes them motivated to learn due to the meaningful nature of the work environment and the activities. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)
For the Voki I created I used the topic Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The KLA for this topic is SOSE. Though this topic is important and a necessity to learn. Students may be put off from learning this topic; this is why teachers need to create a new and exciting tool to introduce this topic as positive and stimulating as possible rather then an overwhelming learning experience.
Get a Voki now!
Reference:
Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1999), Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning,
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm (17/08/10)
Hello Ornella. Looks like you encountered similar technical difficulties while trying to transfer your created Voki onto your blog. You raised valid points about the teaching implications of Vokis in a classroom. Another possibility is to upload a 'teacher' Voki onto the classes virutal classroom, where you as the Learning Manager can present homework, standards and expectations to students in the comfort of their own home. This might engage and encourage participation. Another application would be to list what was covered throughout the day to inform parents, other stakeholders or to inform a student that was away due to sickness.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shona for your suggestions. Teacher Vokis are an excellent idea. It is an engaging way to 'hook' students into a positive learning experience and definitely encourage participation. Cheers Shona.
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