8 minute read
Information and Communications Technology
Information and Communication
MOOCS
What is a MOOC?
A Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is designed to educate students on a specific subject which they would not usually have the resources or opportunity to learn about in such depth. It is open to all students from Years 7 to 10 to freely participate in, and they are able to follow through the videos and course resources at their own pace and ask questions in the chat.
Why do a MOOC?
These courses were very personalised and provided opportunities for students to be more self-directed and independent in their learning with the ever-present guidance of trained professionals in each different subject on offer. We found that it was a fantastic experience, especially during home learning, when we had the freedom to learn to the same standard we would experience at school. Unique features such as the Leadership Development NBI quiz and the Practical First Aid course’s Padlet and videos kept students engaged and on track. Through Microsoft Teams, we were able to share our ideas, accomplishments and creations with other team members and teachers to receive feedback and support.
Coding – Creating a Game MOOC
There were two coding MOOCs, both run by Mr Brown. There was one for creating a machine that emulates a hand (basically a robotic arm), and another for creating a game. In the Coding – Creating a Game MOOC, we were introduced to the Game Lab on the website code.org. The aim for this MOOC was to learn and create a final game on the website and present it to a specific target audience. To do that, we first had to learn new skills – not only about how to code, but also about the composition of a game. We learned about sprites, variables, arrays, and so much more! The MOOC meetings were run via Microsoft Teams, with Mr Brown sharing his screen and demonstrating new skills (everything was recorded, of course), but we also worked in pairs (to give each other peer feedback) and we regularly shared our work and progress with each other. This was a really unique experience, in the midst of online learning, and we highly enjoyed it. We loved taking part in this MOOC, and we learned some very valuable skills that would definitely correlate with our current modern lives.
Public Speaking MOOC
In the Public Speaking MOOC (which was run by Mrs Hubbard, our Head of Language Arts), we focused on two main branches of public speaking: Stories and Speeches. In the first week we explored the topic of storytelling and oral tradition. I found this topic highly interesting as it is something that is not commonly associated with public speaking, but is very important, nonetheless. The next week, we looked at speeches, and then techniques to improve them. At the end of the course, we prepared either a story or a speech and recorded ourselves presenting it via a collaborative videosharing website called Flipgrid. The Public Speaking MOOC meetings were a bit different from the Coding ones, they were less demonstration-based and more discussion-based. I really liked the discussions, learning about each other’s experience in public speaking, and how we individually interpreted a speech. We also did some teamwork – we split into groups to discuss our stories and speeches, which was really fun. Overall, I learned a lot from this MOOC and I found it really helpful with writing essays, debating, class presentations and the like!
Leadership Development: Understanding Your Thinking Preferences MOOC
We both did the Leadership Development MOOC, which was run by Dr Hadwen. The MOOC was mainly about exploring and understanding our own and others’ strengths, and then learning to apply this to real situations. The MOOC was very interactive and engaging, as Dr H had prepared Google Docs with course notes, online polls and Padlets about thought-provoking topics such as values and morality, neuroscience and what personality is. A large part of the course was dedicated to completing a professional personality quiz called the NBI certification. It measures the four quadrants of personality types (emotional, experimental, practical and analytical) for an individual. We found it really interesting how everyone’s results were slightly (or completely) different, and how everyone seemed to think differently. Dr H encouraged us to think about how this could affect everyone’s working/
Technologies
teaching styles, and how we could play to our own strengths and support others as a leader. We both learned a vast amount from this MOOC, about ourselves and others from different year groups. The Leadership Development MOOC was not only unique in its interactive approach and online materials, but the content was interesting and new – neither of us had encountered a class or course like it. We both had so much fun with the MOOC, and we absolutely loved it!
Nourish and Flourish MOOC
The Nourish and Flourish MOOC was like an online, virtual version of Food Technology. It was hosted by Mrs Burgess and Mrs Wiedemann. Over the span of a few weeks, we cooked three meals: a breakfast, a lunch and a dinner. The meetings were via Microsoft Teams, and Mrs Burgess and Mrs Wiedemann demonstrated how to cook each of the meals during a live stream. The participants could either watch or cook along with the demonstration. The three meals were made to be healthy but also delicious. It was very entertaining to watch the demonstration, as Mrs Burgess and Mrs Wiedemann chatted about many things such as handy tips, the proper materials and historical facts about certain foods. There was also a Padlet where we could share pictures of our creations and ask questions, which was really useful and interesting to read! Overall, I think the MOOC showed really admirable adaptations to online learning, and I was surprised how the MOOC managed to still be as fun as person-to-person Food Technology! It was great to use up some of my excess time during home learning making things for my family. I thoroughly enjoyed the Nourish and Flourish MOOC, and I learned so much!
Practical First Aid MOOC
The Practical First Aid course was run by Mr Clark and taught students about basic, practical first aid and what to do in situations where it is required. The course consisted of a video introducing the course and then a series of ten videos covering a range of critical interventions in-depth. The content was very well organised and easy to follow and understand. It included anaphylactic shock and using EpiPens, asthma and how to use puffers, choking, bleeding, poisons, managing injuries such as burns and cuts, how to administer basic life support and CPR. The Practical First Aid course was full of new information which was both engaging and incredibly educational. It contained information such as how to properly do chest compressions in CPR, how to help someone who is choking and how to manage bleeding. It was great to have the freedom to watch the videos and do the practical activities at our own pace.
We were also provided with a Padlet, where we could share images with captions of what we practised by following instructions in the videos, and we could see and respond to what our friends and fellow participants did. We were able to ask questions about what we were learning, and we would very quickly get a response with feedback and encouragement from Mr Clark. There was a quiz uploaded toward the end of the course (with answers), where we were able to test all the knowledge we had gained. We found it to be one of the most educational and engaging experiences that we have ever had, and we would highly recommend it to anybody of almost any skill level looking to extend their knowledge and skill set when it comes to practical first aid. In the words of Mr Clark, “You have the power to change somebody’s life, and that of their family, by applying your first aid skills. You have the power to save somebody’s life.” There is no doubt that doing all these MOOCs greatly benefitted both of us in so many ways. We gained a lot of highly relevant and useful knowledge that we can apply to our daily lives. We had some wonderful and unique experiences in topics that we hadn’t explored before, and we made connections and interacted with new people, despite being at home. The benefits of doing these MOOCs are endless, and we are both so glad to have tried them. We’re both really eager to try more MOOCs! Every time you do a MOOC, you learn something of value, so we would really strongly encourage everyone to give a MOOC – any MOOC – a go. You won’t regret it!
Mulan Xu and Grace Ho, Year 8
PyMedia
This year we started a new group called PyMedia. In PyMedia we film and edit or live stream events at Pymble Ladies’ College. We met on Fridays at lunchtime and our group was open to anyone from Years 7 to 12. The first project we worked on was filming the Athletics Carnival, which was a lot of fun!
We had the opportunity to learn different features on a camera, as well as working out which clips would go nicely together to make a final product. We also did a live stream of the Combined School Assembly. We experienced all the work put in behind the scenes and were able to assist in running the live event. I am excited to explore more about live streaming and different sites that can be used to enhance the quality of them. It was such a great experience and I look forward to continuing to learn more about filming, editing and live streaming. Isabel Aveling, Year 8
