So here I am finally doing my last post... Yay! The real challenge now is to put into practice all the things I have learned and to somehow work the various tools into my teaching practice. I have to be honest and say that I will probably only use a third of the different tools that we have looked at. Partly because I feel like I will really have to master them before I can attempt to introduce it to my students in the classroom.
As I mentioned in another post I had trouble leaving comments on people's blogs but was finally able to leave one on Jake Degeling's... here is the link:
http://jacobdegeling.com/2011/10/18/module-10-ningin-wikis/#comments
Web 2 and the iLearn model - I'm loving the idea that learning can be done anywhere and anytime! The thing that rings true to me most is a quote from the iLearn video is that "people learn best when they are engaged and challenged to learn". But I am going to play the devil's advocate here and say what about the students who don't have the basic foundations for learning? ie literacy and numeracy. I only say this because the majority of students I work with don't have these basic skills. So would it be possible to engage them and for them to learn using blogs and Delicious if they can't even read properly??? Tools like podcasting, vodcasting, school tube etc, have merit for students that have trouble reading, but again, do we engage them in learning with things like these or do we go RIGHT back to basics and teach them how to read and write the old school way??? I think it might be a bit of both...
Web 2 and Bloom's Taxonomy -
Do you find this adaptation of Blooms to digital technology helpful in planning your curriculum? I like the examples that are given for each of the key terms of Bloom's taxonomy. I can already see several examples of where I might be able to slot in activities that are sepcific to my subject area. But I would want to sit down and really nut out a whole unit of work based around this rather than just come up with random stuff.
Where would you place other tools such as Second Life, Flikr or Mind mapping on this map? I think Second Life would fit best under the "creating" heading as it is largely based on designing and constructing, Flickr would be best suited to "applying" as it involves uploading and sharing while Mind mapping and Bubbl.us would fit into the "understanding" and "analysing" areas as it involves summarising and deconstructing.
I'm happy that I got the chance to give this a go and I hope my entries made sense (they were done late at night between nappy changing and feeding my 4 month old!). Like I said, the challenge now will be for me to remember everything and apply it in a meaningful way to my lessons. That and keeping up with the ever evolving and changing approaches to learning!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Module 10
The "Wikis in Plain English" video made it pretty clear that emails are the old way of sharing info... And after viewing the video this was very obvious to me. I'd be keen to set up a wiki for one of my classes but I'm sure I would need to give a few introductory lessons so that students would be able to confidently navigate their way through...
With regards to Nings am I right in saying that a Ning is basically a website that has a theme with lots of useful resources and groups within that webiste that have a specific goal? Is Ning just a fancy word for a website?
How can Web 2.0 assist in improving learning outcomes for all students?
Look in any class and it's blatantly obvious that the students in it are as varied as snowflakes! They each have their own strengths, weaknesses and learn in VERY different ways. Web 2.0 takes this into account and pretty much squashes the whole "chalk and talk" approach to teaching and learning (not that I ever taught like that!). Previously students have had to approach learning in a way that was very "black and white", Web 2.0 means that learning is all the colours of the rainbow and students are given a sense of ownership over their learning. They can choose to be as different and creative as they like while still remaining engaged in their learning. As long as they still reach the same end point I guess it doesn't really matter how they get there hey? :-P
With regards to Nings am I right in saying that a Ning is basically a website that has a theme with lots of useful resources and groups within that webiste that have a specific goal? Is Ning just a fancy word for a website?
How can Web 2.0 assist in improving learning outcomes for all students?
Look in any class and it's blatantly obvious that the students in it are as varied as snowflakes! They each have their own strengths, weaknesses and learn in VERY different ways. Web 2.0 takes this into account and pretty much squashes the whole "chalk and talk" approach to teaching and learning (not that I ever taught like that!). Previously students have had to approach learning in a way that was very "black and white", Web 2.0 means that learning is all the colours of the rainbow and students are given a sense of ownership over their learning. They can choose to be as different and creative as they like while still remaining engaged in their learning. As long as they still reach the same end point I guess it doesn't really matter how they get there hey? :-P
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Module 9
Second Life has alot of possibilities though I'm unsure whether I would utilise it properly in the classroom. It has merit with regards to adding dimensions to learning. For example, if you teach History you can get students to wander through Ancient Egypt or Colonial Australia. My question here is that if it doesn't exist can you create it? My learning area is PDHPE so could I potentially get students to design a gym or sports stadium? I like the idea of having online tutorials. Again, the main difference with doing it on Second Life as opposed to just posting links to documents on a blog would be that another dimension is added, you know, students walking into a virtual library, sitting in a virtual classroom, etc. It seems like it would be alot of work to set something like that up and monitor it properly...
I don't know how much merit Facebook or Twitter would have on an educational level. But having said that I did stumble upon the blog of a PE teacher in Victoria and he set up a Facebook page for one of his senior subjects that was accessible not only to his students but to anyone studying that subject. He'd posted a heap of resources and study notes on there. A good idea in theory but I'm sure I read in the CEO Sydney's Staff Use of Social Media Policy. that this was a no go.
Linkedin - from what I know about this it would be more useful to us as educators, not our students. If I was wanting to get in touch with other teachers in my subject area I guess this could be of use...
I don't know how much merit Facebook or Twitter would have on an educational level. But having said that I did stumble upon the blog of a PE teacher in Victoria and he set up a Facebook page for one of his senior subjects that was accessible not only to his students but to anyone studying that subject. He'd posted a heap of resources and study notes on there. A good idea in theory but I'm sure I read in the CEO Sydney's Staff Use of Social Media Policy. that this was a no go.
Linkedin - from what I know about this it would be more useful to us as educators, not our students. If I was wanting to get in touch with other teachers in my subject area I guess this could be of use...
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Module 8
I had never heard of RSS feeds before today. Being a bit of a bandit for adding websites to my favourites list (and then forgetting that I have them there) I can see the merit of using an RSS feed.
In terms of using one in the classroom I would probably be more inclined to set one up for students or at least give them a list of websites and letting them choose which ones to add to their feed. In a world where time is precious, things like RSS feeds and Delicious means that time spent trawling the web and sifting through sites is greatly reduced. I have noticed that often when you get students to do a google search for something, they can spend a fair bit of time just trying to find meaningful information and before they know it the period is over! Having RSS feeds available to them would mean having more time to do constructive work.
In terms of using one in the classroom I would probably be more inclined to set one up for students or at least give them a list of websites and letting them choose which ones to add to their feed. In a world where time is precious, things like RSS feeds and Delicious means that time spent trawling the web and sifting through sites is greatly reduced. I have noticed that often when you get students to do a google search for something, they can spend a fair bit of time just trying to find meaningful information and before they know it the period is over! Having RSS feeds available to them would mean having more time to do constructive work.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Module 7
So I'm having a fair bit of trouble commenting on other people's blogs... Does anyone else have this problem? I've tried on about 4 different blogs but as soon as I press the "Post" button it says that my current account doesn't have access to view the page... What's that about?!?! How annoying.
Anyway, the idea of social bookmarking seems like a really good way of having access to particular websites from any computer. I have heaps of favourites on my computer at home that are perfect for my subject area but always forget them when I'm at work... Problem solved!
I think it's amazing that we can have access to all these different types of technology and services in the "cloud". My husband told me about it a while ago but I thought it was just a thing for big computer geeks... Looks like I've just joined the club then! Hehe.
Anyway, the idea of social bookmarking seems like a really good way of having access to particular websites from any computer. I have heaps of favourites on my computer at home that are perfect for my subject area but always forget them when I'm at work... Problem solved!
I think it's amazing that we can have access to all these different types of technology and services in the "cloud". My husband told me about it a while ago but I thought it was just a thing for big computer geeks... Looks like I've just joined the club then! Hehe.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Module 6
Copyrighting is always one of those dry issues that you don't really want to know about but need to be aware of (considering the amount of photocopying that goes on in schools!) The Creative Commons video on TeacherTube and the "Get Creative" video link gave clear and easy to understand explanations.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Module 5
My mindmap on bubbl.us was easy enough to create, but I haven't figured out how to get it on this page! I can see it's advantages on a few levels. Firstly, it would help students to map out what path they need to take when doing a research task eg: come up with a topic, where they get their research from, when it's due, etc and secondly it would be a good platform to share class or group ideas. It would be of particular use to visual learners.
So I had a go on glogster and came up with this...
http://melpainter.edu.glogster.com/Web-20-Stuff/
It's a good tool if you have the time to spare and even more engaging to use if you're the creative type. I like to think I am but clearly don't have the patience! (My bubble.us mind map had alot more tools than this poster).
Prezi seemed simple enough to use and would be a good alternative to using Powerpoint.
So I had a go on glogster and came up with this...
http://melpainter.edu.glogster.com/Web-20-Stuff/
It's a good tool if you have the time to spare and even more engaging to use if you're the creative type. I like to think I am but clearly don't have the patience! (My bubble.us mind map had alot more tools than this poster).
Prezi seemed simple enough to use and would be a good alternative to using Powerpoint.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Module 4
So I don't know about the rest of you guys but I was unable to watch the "Podcasting in Plain English" video... I have to say that the accompanying videos have been really helpful as I feel I pay more attention and gain more information out of it rather than just reading.
I liked the setup of "Storynory" the free audio stories and the fact that there were accompanying transcripts. As many of the students at my school have difficulty reading, I think this would be of particular use to them. I realise that the same thing could be achieved with audio books on CD but using Storynory would mean that the teacher would not have to worry about carting a CD player to and from classes, students can replay sections that they don't understand/weren't paying attention in and if a student is absent from class (which happens ALL the time at my school) they can just pick up from where they left off.
SchoolTube was another cool website that I could see myself using in the classroom. I realise YouTube is just as good but the problem with that is the temptation for students to open up irrelevant clips (like music videos or things that their friends have uploaded). At least with SchoolTube you know that even if they aren't looking at the exact clip you want them too then they will be watching something with some sort of education value!
Digital story telling in the classroom would be good for the all students, in particular those who are more creative or those that have learning difficulties as it adds another dimension to their learning. It could be used as an assessment tool, for example a simple creative writing piece could be accompanied with music, pictures or turned into a movie where students act everything out. I'm sure there will always be some students who are not into this sort of thing so in that instance they could be given the option of how they want to present their assessment piece. This will give them ownership over their work and add another dimension because they are deciding on a way that they will best be able to present their work.
I liked the setup of "Storynory" the free audio stories and the fact that there were accompanying transcripts. As many of the students at my school have difficulty reading, I think this would be of particular use to them. I realise that the same thing could be achieved with audio books on CD but using Storynory would mean that the teacher would not have to worry about carting a CD player to and from classes, students can replay sections that they don't understand/weren't paying attention in and if a student is absent from class (which happens ALL the time at my school) they can just pick up from where they left off.
SchoolTube was another cool website that I could see myself using in the classroom. I realise YouTube is just as good but the problem with that is the temptation for students to open up irrelevant clips (like music videos or things that their friends have uploaded). At least with SchoolTube you know that even if they aren't looking at the exact clip you want them too then they will be watching something with some sort of education value!
Digital story telling in the classroom would be good for the all students, in particular those who are more creative or those that have learning difficulties as it adds another dimension to their learning. It could be used as an assessment tool, for example a simple creative writing piece could be accompanied with music, pictures or turned into a movie where students act everything out. I'm sure there will always be some students who are not into this sort of thing so in that instance they could be given the option of how they want to present their assessment piece. This will give them ownership over their work and add another dimension because they are deciding on a way that they will best be able to present their work.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Module 3
Yay! So I was finally able to produce my own sample class assessment using google forms... The link to it can be seen below -
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dHVaR3Iza0pid3dfX1V1eW42dC1tR0E6MQ
I can definately see the benefits of google docs and use them primarily as a revision tool. I think that giving tasks to students as documents/presentations would be an easy way to keep track of their progress and give constant feedback. This would mean they are able to continually modify their work rather than complete the task in full, receive a large amount of feedback at the end and then have to possibly change the whole thing. Given the type of students I work with, they would find it much more meaningful to have constant feedback and guidance. It would also mean that their work can be carefully scaffolded and therefore set them up for success rather than failure.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dHVaR3Iza0pid3dfX1V1eW42dC1tR0E6MQ
I can definately see the benefits of google docs and use them primarily as a revision tool. I think that giving tasks to students as documents/presentations would be an easy way to keep track of their progress and give constant feedback. This would mean they are able to continually modify their work rather than complete the task in full, receive a large amount of feedback at the end and then have to possibly change the whole thing. Given the type of students I work with, they would find it much more meaningful to have constant feedback and guidance. It would also mean that their work can be carefully scaffolded and therefore set them up for success rather than failure.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Module 2
I was most interested in discovering that there is an incredible number of blogs on the web. I already knew about blogs for entertainment/social purposes (like Perez Hilton!) but it I can honestly say it never crossed my mind that blogs could be used for educational purposes.
I especially like reading through the blog - Weblogg-ed - The Read/Write Web in the Classroom. Much of what Will Richardson discusses rings true to the type of students that I work with and student learning in general. Some lines that really stuck out were:
"We’ve become so dependent on the test to tell us about our students that we know less and less about who they really are"
"Every student's brain is wired differently"
And most importantly - "It’s not about the grades they get, whether or not they “pass the test,” or even so much about what they “know” at the end of the year. More, I’m wondering whether they will love learning more next spring, be more patient problem solvers, understand more fully their place in the world, and embrace failure as opportunity, not defeat. None of that, however, will be reflected in their report cards"
This is so true in many schools isn't it? We become so preoccupied with getting all our assessments done, rankings, marking and all the rest of it that we don't really think about the bigger picture - will our students still love learning? Do high assessment marks really mean they love learning? Or does it just mean that they remembered a heap of information?
I think blogs would serve as a great way to get students to love what they learn. In this day and age where technology is becoming increasingly popular, why shouldn't we use blogs to engage students? Get them to start their own blogs as a way to show their understanding of content? It will give the more creative students a chance to display their talent and the students that hate writing in books (or have messy hand writing) something to take pride in.
However, I can see potential problems with using blogs and computers in general with the students at the school I work at - for those of you that know what kind of students attend my school you will understand! There is always the possibility of them "pretending" to do work yet go on Facebook or some other website they shouldn't be on or the possibility of them using the blog in the wrong way (leaving nasty/stupid comments on the blogs of other students).
This is not to say I wouldn't at least try to get them to use blogs in the classroom, it would just have to mean being extra vigilant and making sure they were not abusing the system.
I especially like reading through the blog - Weblogg-ed - The Read/Write Web in the Classroom. Much of what Will Richardson discusses rings true to the type of students that I work with and student learning in general. Some lines that really stuck out were:
"We’ve become so dependent on the test to tell us about our students that we know less and less about who they really are"
"Every student's brain is wired differently"
And most importantly - "It’s not about the grades they get, whether or not they “pass the test,” or even so much about what they “know” at the end of the year. More, I’m wondering whether they will love learning more next spring, be more patient problem solvers, understand more fully their place in the world, and embrace failure as opportunity, not defeat. None of that, however, will be reflected in their report cards"
This is so true in many schools isn't it? We become so preoccupied with getting all our assessments done, rankings, marking and all the rest of it that we don't really think about the bigger picture - will our students still love learning? Do high assessment marks really mean they love learning? Or does it just mean that they remembered a heap of information?
I think blogs would serve as a great way to get students to love what they learn. In this day and age where technology is becoming increasingly popular, why shouldn't we use blogs to engage students? Get them to start their own blogs as a way to show their understanding of content? It will give the more creative students a chance to display their talent and the students that hate writing in books (or have messy hand writing) something to take pride in.
However, I can see potential problems with using blogs and computers in general with the students at the school I work at - for those of you that know what kind of students attend my school you will understand! There is always the possibility of them "pretending" to do work yet go on Facebook or some other website they shouldn't be on or the possibility of them using the blog in the wrong way (leaving nasty/stupid comments on the blogs of other students).
This is not to say I wouldn't at least try to get them to use blogs in the classroom, it would just have to mean being extra vigilant and making sure they were not abusing the system.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Module 1
So here I am... On maternity leave looking after my 10 week old baby girl and blogging away like a mad woman... Hows that for multi tasking?!
Just to give you an idea of who I am in a nutshell, I am a PDHPE teacher at a school in Lewisham, I've been there for 6 years and have found it to be a rewarding, challenging and amazing experience.
My thoughts so far on Module 1 and the whole Web 2.0 business are varied to say the least.
Firstly, I had no idea that there were so many different tools on the web that could be used in the classroom to help engage students. Working in a school where it is a constant challenge to keep students engaged I can certainly see the benefits of doing this course.
Secondly, I've come to realise that the number of passwords and email accounts I now have is a few more than I would like. No doubt that before the end of this course I will have gotten passwords and user names muddled up.
Thirdly, how good is You Tube for just about anything?! I've used it in the past to look up really trivial things like how to cast on when knitting, when I've wanted to re-live my days as a child of the 80's and watch snippets of cartoons like Fraggle Rock and for more important things like ways to spice up lessons for students. Can I just say I'm glad that there are tutorials for things like how to add blog details to the course Wiki because without it I would have no idea.
Finally, I can see the appeal of blogging although I am unsure of how people find the time to do it regularly.
Just to give you an idea of who I am in a nutshell, I am a PDHPE teacher at a school in Lewisham, I've been there for 6 years and have found it to be a rewarding, challenging and amazing experience.
My thoughts so far on Module 1 and the whole Web 2.0 business are varied to say the least.
Firstly, I had no idea that there were so many different tools on the web that could be used in the classroom to help engage students. Working in a school where it is a constant challenge to keep students engaged I can certainly see the benefits of doing this course.
Secondly, I've come to realise that the number of passwords and email accounts I now have is a few more than I would like. No doubt that before the end of this course I will have gotten passwords and user names muddled up.
Thirdly, how good is You Tube for just about anything?! I've used it in the past to look up really trivial things like how to cast on when knitting, when I've wanted to re-live my days as a child of the 80's and watch snippets of cartoons like Fraggle Rock and for more important things like ways to spice up lessons for students. Can I just say I'm glad that there are tutorials for things like how to add blog details to the course Wiki because without it I would have no idea.
Finally, I can see the appeal of blogging although I am unsure of how people find the time to do it regularly.
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