We move to MOODLE!!! A new way of learning...

Perhaps many of you know what MOODLE is and what this word means, but if not, I'll explain it to you. MOODLE is de acronym of Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment, which means a new way of learning thanks to the help of modular and dynamic tools that allow us to learn more and better.

We have began two weeks ago to work through this educational platform, and the results are being very good.

Now we can communicate with the rest of our classmates to ask some questions , both through chat and forum, send the tasks that we have to do about each new theme, and also we receive the grade through the same platform and our mail!!

So we are very happy of having this new possibility, and we'll do the best of ours to improve both our technology and english level...

An example of what you have to do with Augmented Reality based on marks

Today we have began with the new task of doing educational materials for our school based on Augmented Reality. As I told you and it's written in one of the posts of this blog, the main objective of this task is that you learn how to improve the learning and teaching processes through 3D materials.

So in groups of 5 members, you have decided which kind of educational material you would like to do (singular buildings of Santander, parts of the human body, the best constructions in the world, diferents types of trees,...)ower

Whichever project that you want to do, you need to look for information about it, and look for a 3D model of it. When you have this two things, you can start to write a document which must include that information, a picture and an augmented reality marker that you can find in this blog.

You have to use the 20 markers, so each member of the group have to work on four models about the theme that you have decided.

HERE YOU HAVE AN EXAMPLE

I have looked for 3D models of important buildings in the world. Here you have a lot of models of the Eiffel Tower that you can find in 3D Warehouse.

Now I look for information about Eiffel Tower and I make a document with that information and one of the Augmented Reality markers, like the next one:

It's your task for this thursday 27th

En este vídeo está contenida la tarea que tenéis que comenzar a desarrollar en grupos durante la clase de hoy:

1. Leed las indicaciones y explicaciones siguientes y traducidlo en vuestro cuaderno.
2. Ved los distintos vídeos que os adjunto para que os den alguna posible idea sobre la tarea a realizar.
3. Reúnete con el resto de miembros de tu grupo y piensa en un material a desarrollar en equipo.

     We have been watching some videos about what Agmented Reality is and what can we do with it. Do you remember that I told you that we were going to do some educational materials for other students of our school? That is what we are going to do. We are going to make good educational materials (books with Augmented Reality).

     For example, imagine a group of children of 3th course of primary school who are learning about senses, and we would like them to learn visually through 3D materials. Watch the following video and think on how do you believe they could learn with this technology...

     But we can do more things than books. Have you ever noticed on the pictures that are in your classroom aisle's walls? There are very famous pictures as "Las Meninas" from Velazquez. Imagine that whenever you point to the picture with your smartphone, you can watch a video about Velazquez or information about the Museum where the original picture is... Wouldn't it be amazing?

Now it's time for you to work in groups. There are going to be five groups, and they will do five diferent projects to improve the way we learn at our school. This groups are:

GROUP 1               GROUP 2                GROUP 3               GROUP 4                 GROUP 5

Ayelén                     Renzo                        Paula                       María Jesús               Álvaro

Joana                        Ricardo                     Pilar                         Leticia                      Víctor C.

Elias A.                    Marina                      Alex                         Manuel                     Cristian

Iván                          Laura G.                   Bryan A.                  Luis F.                       Isabel

Víctor del R.            Sandra                      Diana                       Ioana                          Josely

In each group you have to choose three possible ideas of educational materials that we could use at SAint Joseph School to improve the learning and teaching process. Write down in your notebook for me to see next week!!

Some tips for the Technology examination

As you all know, on Thursday the 13th you have to make the first Technology's written test. Its  grade will be a 30 per cent of the whole grade of this term. The three SketchUp exercices that you have done will be another 35 per cent of your grade, the SketchUp personal proyect a 20 per cent, your behavior a 10 per cent, and your own evaluation, the last 5 per cent.

For you to know how to prepare this examination, I'm going to give you some tips (consejos):

• Watch all the videos that are linked in the blog. Click on the subtitle option and choose the english version.
• Pay special atention to know how to spell the most importants parts of the computer's hardware.
• I will ask you 5 questions in the writen examination. Each one worth two points.
• There are two questions about the video of the african boy (Richard Turere) and his invention, One of them is a True or False's question and the other one is to show whether  you have understood or not the whole history.
• The third question is about the Google SketchUp software and some of its buttons and functions.
• The fourth one is about the hardware of the computer.
• And the last one is about Augmented Reality.

The exciting AUGMENTED REALITY!!

Do you know what AUGMENTED REALITY is? Have you ever experienced whit it?

Augmented reality (AR) is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality. By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one. Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally manipulable. Artificial information about the environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world. But let's watch a few videos about this, so you can draw your own conclusions.

Using the geolocation feature in Google SketchUp!!

Today we are going to learn how to geolocate whatever building or construction we have made with SketchUp, using the feature that connect SketchUo to Google Earth.

Imagine for a moment that you have a piece of land near your town and you would like to build your own house there. Are you going to pay for a design that you would be able to do?

Open Google Earth and look for your plot. You can even take measurements without having to go there, from your home computer. So you can have a previous idea more or less accurate about the dimensions of the building or house you are going to design.

Then you can go to SketchUp and begin to create your model house. When you have finished your design, you will have to go to file menu, and choose the geolocation option, and then the add geolocation option.

Watch the next video about how to do it, and ask me whatever doubt you have, when video finish.

Hello everybody!! Today we are going to have a practical class about how to identify the components inside our computer. The day before we were here, at the library, we were watching a video about how to mount a PC from scratch. I told you that we were going to open one of our computer room's PCs, so here we are.

I have brought this computer with me, and we are going to dismount it piece by piece, while you note down on your notebook each one of the components. You have to note down the name of each component in english and in spanish too.

But as I know that you weren't paying me attention the day before..., I've linked another video to our blog, so you can learn a little more about computer parts and its vocabulary. So, pay attention now, because I'm going to evaluate you about this...