Virtual+Reality



Simone Cricelli and Nicholas Arthur Stamp

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==Technology is creeping into more and more areas of our everyday lives in today’s society. This means that there is a risk of overexposure to things such as TV, new gadgets, games etc. Technology is available to children from early ages; we see things beneficial to them like educational videos, educational websites, gaming consoles and new technologies evolving daily. Although it improves students skills in areas such as maths and English we as a team, think there should be an importance of maintaining a healthy balance of using technology and doing normal activities children would do, like playing outside or playing with their toys and friends. Use of too much technology at a time can affect a person’s health. It could affect sleep patterns or it can even become an addiction for some children and adults, where they may just be used to looking at a screen and listening. ==

==When discussing technology as a team, we discovered that it is becoming a huge part of our lives, something which we don't want to eliminate. However, maybe it plays too big a role in our lives? We can do everything with technology, homework, banking, shopping, socialising, learning, even exercising. Is it all too much? Playing tennis on the Wii or talking online is beginning to replace having to step outside of our homes. There are so many things to consider and question with technology. Will we begin to lose face to face social skills because of what we can do with our technology? ==

==After considering many different facts about technology and having so many questions about even our own use of technology, we decided that as teachers we should be encouraging students to find the balance between everyday life activities and their use of technology. We do not have to eliminate it from our lives entirely, in fact, we should embrace technology. However we should be able to balance our life between virtual reality and actual reality. During this unit we discovered that a major part of being an ethical digital citizen is being responsible with technology, which involves knowing when how much is enough. ==

==The unit we designed, focuses on students looking at their own use of technology in an engaging way. It involves them brainstorming all of the types of technology they use and looking at whether they use them too much. The students will be choosing one problem with their usage and making a short video (or ad) about how they could fix this. Students will be able to view the artefact we created which looks at scenarios which demonstrates some different ways of which using too much technology can be fixed with some simple alternatives. == media type="youtube" key="JbTcwEDEQ2k" height="345" width="560"









==Our unit was targeted at VELS Level 4, however, it can be also adapted to be taught into other year levels. Throughout our unit we were able to incorporate a number of domains from VELS. In our lesson focuses, we have targeted specific domains however, it became quite clear to us that many of the VELS domains are present even if they are not always shown in the planning. Here are some links to the standards and focuses of the main domains we used in our lessons:==


 * ~ Domain ||~ Learning Focus and Standards ||
 * ====Information and Communications Technology==== || ====ICT learning==== ||
 * ====English==== || ====English learning==== ||
 * ====Personal Learning==== || ====PL learning==== ||
 * ====Mathematics==== || [| Maths learning] ||
 * ====The Arts==== || [|Arts learning] ||
 * ====Interpersonal Development==== || ====[|Interpersonal learning]==== ||




 * ~ Lessons ||~ Resources ||~ Lesson Objective ||~ VELS ||
 * < [[file:IT_3rd_year_Lesson_Plan_1.pdf]] ||< [[file:Graph Rubric (lesson 1).pdf]] ||< Students will know how many hours they spend a day using the most common technologies of their household for example, TV, computer, Xbox and they will organise this information into graphs. ||< **__[|ICT] [| (visualising thinking)] & [|MATHEMATICS] [|(Measurement, chance and data)] __** ||
 * < [[file:IT 3rd year Lesson Plan 2.pdf]] ||< [[file:Script for video.pdf]]

||< Students will gain more knowledge about their use of technology and start to explore alternatives to using their technology and avenues of how they will present their ideas by watching a video production similar to what they will be creating. They will begin developing and understanding concepts of writing through the writing of scripts. ||< __[|ICT (] [|visualising thinking**)**]  & [|ENGLISH (writing] __ ||
 * < [[file:IT 3rd year Lesson Plan 3.pdf]] ||< [|How to use a flip cam video tutorial]





||< Students will be able to use one of the design tools as they will be creating storyboards for their videos. They will also begin learning how to use different ICT tools such as a flip cam. The lesson heavily focuses on the pre-production of their videos, which looks at the wide range of things needed to be thought of before filming, such as props, costumes, sets and location. ||< __[|ICT _(creating)] __ ||
 * < [[file:IT 3rd year Lesson Plan 4.pdf]] ||< <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">[|iMovie tutorial video] ||< <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Students will film and edit their short videos and create a DVD packaging cover to promote their video and a blurb describing what it’s about. To be done over 2 or more lessons. ||< __<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">[|ICT_(creating)] __ ||
 * < [[file:IT 3rd year Lesson Plan 5.pdf]] ||< [[file:DVD Cover Rubric (Lesson 5).pdf]] ||< <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Students will be able to experiment with a range of skills and techniques on the computer using Microsoft Publisher to create a DVD cover for their movie. They will be planning what the cover will look like, developing it, refining it, then finally making it and presenting it. ||< __<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">[|The Arts (Creating and making)] & [|ICT (creating)] __ ||
 * < [[file:IT 3rd year Lesson Plan 6.pdf]] ||<  ||< <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Students will be presenting their movies and reflecting on their experiences from completing this unit as well as having a discussion and focusing back in on the original meaning of the unit (balancing virtual reality with actual reality). (This would realistically be done over two lessons) ||< **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 11pt;">[|ICT (creating)],[| Interpersonal Development (] <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 11pt;">[|Building social relationships] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 11pt;">[|)] & <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 11pt;">[|Personal Learning (The individual learner)] __** ||




 * Here are some iMovie/Garageband tutorials for advanced features:**


 * Enabling advance tools tutorial:** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkutbp55NAg
 * Side by side tutorial:** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivZiT2mKySM
 * Green screen tutorial:** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q64NAQsoUZg
 * Garageband tutorial:** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMuQchbJRG0
 * Flip Cam tutorial:** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCEIWWa8ORY
 * Converting Flip HD video to other formats:** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX86qlpzWvg


 * In the references you will find many books and articles that would provide you with in depth background information about the topic. This document was a very good resource:**
 * Here are some websites that will entertain students and help them learn more about being responsible with technology at the same time (Click on the pictures to visit these websites):**



Here we have referenced a number of useful books and journals that would be useful for information on the topic (virtual reality vs actual reality):
Alger, J. (2011, May 1). Edjudo. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Technology, sports, life – It’s all about balance: @http://edjudo.com/technology-sports-life-its-all-about-balance.html

Barry, E. (2011, May 24). Herald Sun. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Kids turn off the TV and play outside: @http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/kids-turn-off-the-tv-and-play-outside/story-fn7x8me2-1226061442253

BASSETT, K. (2011, February 2 2). New technology or imagination: Finding that balance. HARBOR LIGHT NEWSPAPER

Christian. (2011, January 24). Where To Purchase. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Where To Find Balance For Kids Growing Up In the Digital Age: @http://www.wheretopurchase.com/electronics/where-to-find-balance-for-kids-growing-up-in-the-digital-age/

LeClaire, J. (2006, June 9). Kids and Tech: How Much Is Too Much? TechNewsWorld

LeClaire, J. (2006, September 13). Warning Signs Appear Along Road to Video Game Addiction. TechNewsWorld

LeClaire, J. (2006, September 20). Personal Tech Addiction Snares Teens, Adults. TechNewsWorld

McNamara, P. (2011, March 7). Network World. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Need more sleep? Turn off the TV and gadgets earlier : @http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/030711-tv-gadgets-sleep.html

Morris, C. (2011, January 24). Fox News. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Growing Up Digital: Can Kids Balance Tech Skills and Life Skills?: @http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/24/growing-digital-balancing-tech-skills-real-world-know/

Rosenberg, M. (2011, July 11). ConsumerReportsHealth.org. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Prescription to fight obesity epidemic: Turn off the TV : @http://news.consumerreports.org/baby/2011/07/prescription-to-fight-obesity-epidemic-turn-off-the-tv.html

SCOTER, J. V., ELLIS, D., & RAILSBACK, J. (2001). TECHNOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Finding the Balance. Portland: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

Shift Doctors. (2011). Shift Your Life. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Maintaining Balance: Children and Technology: @http://www.shiftyourlife.com/2011/maintaining-balance-children-and-technology/

Stopper, S. (2011, February). MetroKids. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Kids' Tech Habits Need Balance: @http://www.metrokids.com/MetroKids/February-2011/K

YAPKO, M. D. (2010, December 1). Can Too Much Reliance on Technology Become a Depressant? Psych Central