Course Reflection

eLearning

The vodcast was very interesting and informing.  It maintained that eLearning is:

Engaging

Learning

Environments

Anywhere, anytime, anything

Reflective/ responsible learners

Networking

International

No boundaries

Global and local learning communities

The vodcast also noted that I am responsible for my own learning.  I would further add to it by saying I am responsible for creating engaging, challenging and intellectually stimulating learning for my students.

 It also raised the questions of :

‘How do I learn best?’ Teachers need to not only explore how they learn but also how their students learn.  If they do not learn by opening a textbook, summarising and answering questions then they are unlikely to learn by reading off a powerpoint, summarising and answering questions. It is important that I present information in ways that my students learn but also extend them to learn in new and different ways.  Variety is the spice of life- by using a range of strategies I am going to be more likely to engage my students

What skills do I need? Which explores not only the technological skills but also the behaviour management skills necessary for eLearning.  It also includes the skills of my students and are they sufficient enough to use the various eLearning and Web 2.0 tools.

How do I contribute to a 21^st centenary learning community?  This refers not only to my classroom learning community but the wider ones, of school, region, professional and internet communities.

I fully agree with the quote “we learn best when we are engaged and challenged to learn”  I think this is the major benefit of eLearning.  Web 2.0 provides students and teachers with this engagement and challenge.   

The vodcast raised an important point “it is not about the technology it is about good learning and teaching first.  The technology is merely a toll to enable us to achieve our goals.”.  This is further supported by Higgins et al who assert that “Good teaching remains good teaching with or without the technology.  The technology might enhance the pedagogy only if the teachers and pupils engaged with it and understand its potential in such a way as the technology is not seen as an end in itself but another pedagogical means to achieve the teaching and learning goals.”  (Higgins, S., Beauchamp, G., & Miller, D. (2007). Reviewing the literature on interactive whiteboards. Learning, Media and Technology, 32(3), 213-225.)  While elearning and Web 2.0 are great tools they can only be useful and effective if they are supporting good teaching and learning! 

Web 2.0 and Blooms Taxonomy- Blooms Digitally

I found the Andrew Churches take on Blooms Taxonomy very helpful.  It is important that as teachers we are extending our students higher order thinking skills.  His taxonomy is very beneficlal to look at before setting tasks to ensure that students are been challenged in a variety of thinking skills.  I can see myself refering to this document while planning programs and units of work.

Final Reflections

The Web 2.0 course has been an interesting journey.  Although I struggled with subjects at uni that were offered in the online format I have really enjoyed this course.  I found myself learning much more than I expected (ahh the arrogance of a member of gen y!).  I enjoyed been introduced to various web 2.0 applications and exploring how I would use them in the classroom.  I have decided to split the applications into three categories:

I don’t see myself using in the classroom	With a bit more exploration I might use in the classroom	I will definitely use this in the classroom
Second life- I do not see how I could use it effectively in the classroom Nings- I doubt I would use them in the classroom but I could be convinced to join one for professional collaboration	Bubble.us – I am yet to be convinced that this is the best mind mapping application RSS- this will require a change of habit to use so may not come as easily.  But I hope to explore it more	Blogs- I think they are a great tool.  A good way to keep in touch with students, parents and other teachers. Google docs-  I think this is a great resource for promoting collaboration between students and colleagues Flickr- I will encourage my students to do creative commons searches Podcasts- I can definetly see myself downloading podcasts and vodcasts for my students.  Hopefully I will even be able to get my students to create their own! Glogster- My year 2 class loved glogster.  The glogs were very easy to create.  You can create a glog based on your own skills!  You do not need to be the a techno wiz to use it! Delicious- I am a big fan and will continue to use this great social bookmarking site Scootle- has lots of potential for interactive white boards Wikis- a great way to encourage collaboration and information sharing

I commented on Suzanne’s  (http://suzanneblain.blogspot.com/) Bernadette’s (http://bhaw60.blogspot.com/)  and Helen’s (http://helenmarylee.blogspot.com/)  blogs

All in all I have found the Web 2.0 to be an extremely positive experience, and I am excited to use what I have learnt in the classroom   

Cheers

Maria

Module 10

Wikis

I like wikis I think they embrace the collaborativeness of web 2.0.  Wiki sites like wikispaces allows a teacher to create a wikki, it can become an online forum for sharing knowledge.  The students are able to edit, and add to the information and teachers are able to see who wrote what.  Wikis also provide a very easy website for teachers to use to share information with their students and other teachers.  I agree with Suzanne Blain who in her blog wrote “A good site, constantly updated by the class teacher, can provide a rich source of information to the student”  Although it requires a lot of work, if students are keen and the teacher is motivated wikis can be great for encouraging student learning and collaboration

Nings   

I have to admit when I first read about nings in this module I thought of the song” in the ning nang nong where the cows go bong and the monkeys all go boo”  I had never heard of a ning in the context of social networking. 

From my explorations it seems to cost to use nings themselves (although you can sign up for a free 30 day trial).  It seems to me that nings are an educational version of facebook.  I think that they have their place for professional discourse but it is unlikely that I would use them in the primary classroom.  Tools like wikis and blogs provide the teacher with greater control than nings seem to. 

How can Web 2.0 assist in improving learning outcomes for all students?

This is a big question!  I think Web 2.0  can help capture the interest and learning styles of a range of students.  I think by utilising Web 2.0 tools more students will be able to participate and be engaged in learning.  If students are more engaged in learning it is likely that they are absorbing and thinking more about the content.  And, thus hopefully will gain a better understanding of the content.  Web 2.0 adds more tools to a teachers repertoire of teaching and learning strategies.  It allows teachers to cater for the individual needs of students eg by providing podcasts of audio books.  It facilitates collaboration eg by using wikis and google docs.  It can help appeal to the different learning styles eg glogster, bubble.us, podcasts, vodcasts.  It can allow students to learn when they want and how they want.   Web 2.0 can allow students to learn at their own pace.  Most of all Web 2.0 can help all students improve their learning outcomes. 

Module 9

Scootle

I was introduced to the Learning Federation at uni.  Scootle seems to be pretty much the same as it.  Scootle has some great interactives for use in the classroom.  Some are appropriate for the smartboard others work better for students to use individually on a computer.  The resources are a great way of exploring the content in a manner that is enjoyable for students, 

Social Networking

The teachers tv video was great and raised many interesting points – 90% of 15-24 year olds who use the internet use a social networking site- WOW!!!  I guess I am one person in those statistics as I have a facebook account which I use to stay in touch with friends and relatives.  However, I think that facebook is an inappropriate medium for the classroom.  Nonetheless I do think it is important that students are taught about digital footprints in relation to facebook and other social networking sites as well as cyber safety.  This needs to be explicitly taught because students will not necessarily just pick it up.   However I do think the collaborativeness of social networking is to be encouraged.  Students learn by explaining their thinking.  Social networking allows this to occur. 

Second Life

I began this module very sceptical of the use of second life in the classroom.  The youtube clips on the educational uses of second life was interesting.  However at this point I do not see myself using second life in the classroom.  I think there are other ways of achieving the same outcomes eg physical acting out rather than using second life.  I am happy to be convinced otherwise though. 

Facebook

As I said earlier in this blog, I do not think facebook has a place in the classroom.  However students may use facebook to communicate with each other about group assignments and homework.  However it should not be explicitly encouraged by the teacher.  The comment “All CEO staff must abide by the standards of professional conduct policy and these standards apply to content posted to social networking sites” reminded me of the firing of people regards to their inappropriate facebook posts.  It is important that we all realise the permancy of comments on facebook and other such sites.  It cannot be unsaid and it is there for the world to see.  Thus it is important not to post confidential or irresponsible comments.  It is also important that teachers are not friends with students online as this blurs the professional boundaries

Twitter

I know it is unsual considering I am of the generation Y but I am a bit of a twitter skeptic. I do not really use it.  However, we were introduced to twitter at uni as a means for engaging in professional dialogue and collaboration.  I can see the benefits for teachers to use to share ideas, resources and thoughts.  Twibes are a great way to facilitate virtual conversations with a number of people.  I can see twitter becoming more popular way to collaborate between teachers in the future. 

Cartoonise a photo at befunky!

Until next time, happy blogging

Cheers

Maria

Module 8

RSS in plain English gave a very basic overview about what an RSS feed is.  I have seen the little orange icon on many websites but I never realised that you had to sign up to an RSS reader.  This would probably explain why I have never had much success with RSS. 

RSS as a range of benefits for the Web 2.0 teacher

·         Keeping up to date with a range of blogs and websites.  I have subscribed to an RSS feed of Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day.  This is a great blog for suggesting websites for use in the classroom.  Subscribing by RSS feed means I can check out the new blogs with very little effort.   

·         Time saving.  RSS means that it I can check updates for a range of blogs by just going to one webpage

·         No Spam.   Unlike subscribing by email to websites I will not be inundated with spam

·         It is easy to share good websites.  This promotes collaboration between colleagues.

·         It is automatic- I do not need to do anything besides signing up to the RSS feed

I can see myself changing my internet habits by checking my RSS feed first before searching the net.

Until next time, happy blogging

Cheers

Maria

Module 7

I think delicious is a fantastic resource.  I am a firm supporter of it.  Simon Crook the elearning advisor at the southern region gave an inservice last year at my school.  As a result of this I created a delicious site for the Learning Support Department at LaSalle.  Check it out at www.delicious.com/Learning_Support  At the moment I have over 900 resources bookmarked

I think delicious is very useful for schools.  Not only does it mean I can access the bookmark from any computer it also facilitates collaboration of resouces.  Any teacher in the school (or at any school for that matter) can check out the Learning Support Delicious account and use the resources.  So if an English teacher is teaching a lesson on adjectives they can go to the delicious account click on the tag bundle of English and then click on adjectives.  They will then be presented with a range of interactive websites, games and videos that they can put up on the smartboard. 

I originally started delicious for the Learning Support department, because as a teachers aide I was going into a range of classes working with students on topics that I did not always have the most up to date understanding of.  Delicious ensured that I could bookmark videos, interactive websites and games for a whole range of subjects and topics.  Thus when working with students I could pull up the appropriate resource within a couple of seconds. 

Delicious is also beneficial for sharing resources with students.  With the 1:1 laptops in high schools teachers can create delicious accounts for students to easily and quickly access the websites, games, videos etc needed both in the lesson and for extra study.  With the huge range of information available on the web, delicious can help teachers point students in the right direction of accurate resources. 

Delicious would also be beneficial in the primary classroom.  Students can have the address and then be able to access the resources at home.  Furthermore this is also beneficial for parents to ensure that their students are on reliable and educationally sound sites. 

Delicious is also a great way for departments to share their resources and sites.  Additionally delicious would be a fantastic resource for any casual teacher as it would mean they could have an endless supply of resources easily accessible.

A huge benefit of delicious is that it is easy to use.  Delicious is also a great way of finding other resources.  When I bookmark a site I look at the people who have also bookmarked the same site and see what other resources of theirs would be helpful to me.

An important point to remember is that when creating tags it is essential that you are consistent with spelling and are diligent in adding the tags to tag bundles.  This ensures that the delicious account is kept clean, tidy and easy to use. 

Module 6

Glogster

I had a great lesson with year 2 today.  Working with half the class (the other half will do it tomorrow) each student created a successful glog.  On the weekend I had a play around with glogster and created a model of what I wanted my students to create.

  I signed myself and my students up to glogster edu.  It was relatively easy to add students especially when filling in the excel spreadsheet and uploading the information to the web. It was also beneficial that I could create their nickname and password to ensure they would be able to access their account without to much hassle.  I also created step by step instructions for the students to follow to create their own glog.  The students were asked to create a glog for an alliteration they had written in a previous English lesson.  Check out some of the glogs my students created:

The students really enjoyed using glogster.  It was very user friendly and the students had great results.  We printed their glogs to hang in the classroom.  With older students it would be great to insert audio and video clips and embed their glogs in a blog.  The benefit of glogster is students can extend themselves as much as they are able to- great for differentiation.

Bubble.us

I consider myself a kind of visual learner.  I like to use mind maps as a way to sort out my ideas.  I was disappointed by bubble.us.  Although it was easy to use it could not do many things that I wanted it to do.  I use webspiration to create mind maps and I find that it has better mind mapping capabilities.  However bubble.us is very easy to use and sign up to.  (which is great for the primary classroom).  It is also very easy to save created mind maps and therefore share them.  I have not completely ruled out  bubble.us but I would be interested in exploring other web 2.0 mind mapping applications.

Until next time happy blogging

Cheers

Maria

Module 5

Podcasts
I enjoy podcasting.  I frequently podcast Hamish and Andy’s radio show if I miss it.  I have also listened to many audio books through podcasting while driving.  I enjoyed the Podcasting in plain English clip.   I like the definition of podcasting -Personal, On, Demand CASTING.  Learning in hand (http://learninginhand.com/listening-to-podcasts ) explained podcasting in simple and easy to understand terms.  The benefits of podcasting include:

• anyone can podcast
• it is reasonably cheap
• Podcasts are available on a wide range of topics
• It is easy to subscribe to podcasts
• It is easy to download to my ipod

When to use:
There seems to be three ways podcasts can be used in the classroom.

1.     Using already available podcasts.  There is a huge range of podcasts that have already been created.  The possibilities for using these podcasts are endless.  Sites like learning out loud (http://www.learnoutloud.com/ ) have thousands of free podcasts for any subject.  You could play a story or novel and have it on in the background while students are doing an activity eg and audio book.  Teachers could also use available podcasts for learning about topics before teaching it.  For example if I was teaching a unit on China I could listen to podcasts about China or Chinese culture.  Furthermore students could also listen to these podcasts as a listening activity.  Students could listen to students in China describe their life.   

2.     Using teacher created podcasts. Teachers could create podcasts as another way of presenting information to their students.    Or they could record instructions for students for assignments.  Teacher created podcasts would be beneficial for independent or self directed learning.  

3.     Using student create podcasts.  Podcasting could be used as a teaching and learning or assessment activity.  It would be a great opportunity for English as a Second Language students to practice their English speaking skills.  Students could create podcasts for their teacher or classmates to listen to.  Students could also interact with people in other states or countries by exchanging podcasts.  

Podcasts would be extremely beneficial for students with special needs or disabilities.  Teachers could podcast components of lessons.  Students could listen to an audio version of the book the class is listening to.  Students with writing difficulties could podcast their classwork.... The possibilities are endless.  

However, a major difficulty of podcasting is ensuring the students have access to working technology.  Students would need to access the Internet, a computer with software like audacity,  a microphone and a device to listen to podcasts.  As the technology hopeful comes more accessible in classrooms (eg with high school students having laptops), podcasting will hopefully be very user friendly.

Vodcasts

It is hard to know where to begin with youtube!  I think it is an extremely valuable learning resource.  I find when I play a youtube clip at the begining of a lesson it captures the students’ attention.  It is equally useful to use when working one on one with students to give both the student and myself background information about the topic.  A fantastic youtube video that shows erosion is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChEHQUMEkXw&feature=related the year six class I showed it to really engaged with the video and the content.  This video shows a coastline in England and explores how it is eroded by the ocean during a period of one year.  It is a fantastic and almost scary video.  I highly recommend that you check it out!  

While not youtube another great video resource is BrainPop.  BrainPop have animated videos that explore a huge range of educational topics across a variety of subjects.  BrainPop uses two characters Tim and Moby to answer questions.  There is also BrainPop UK and BrainPop Junior.  It costs to sign up to the Brain Pop site but they do have free videos available.  

TeacherTube is also a great resource to find more educational videos.  Set up like youtube members of the public can upload their videos.  However, like its name suggests TeacherTube has a range of educational videos.  

Vodcasts are a great teaching and learning resource.  Shown to students they capture the students’ attention and show the material in another way- catering for your visual, auditory learners.  Resources like Photostory and Movie Maker means that it is relatively easy for teachers and students alike to create their own vodcasts.  Like podcasts their is a huge range of possibilities for the application in the classroom!

Check out my avatar I created through wimpyourself.  Based on the book Diaries of a wimpy kid you can create a picture of yourself and save it to your computer.

Make your own one at http://www.wimpyourself.com/