So the course has ended and this is official my last assignment I will ever have to do (hopefully). Before this course I thought that teaching ICT in classrooms would consist of PowerPoint, Word and standard Internet searches but boy has my view changed. This course has opened my eyes to the numerous tools that teachers can integrate into students learning. I have also learn how much the Internet will change over the years and how important it is to ensure children are exposed to these changes and learn how to use all the tools the web has to offer.
After studying all these tools I can already see some tools I will use in my classes, others I am still a bit hesitant on but the point is, ICT does not have to be a boring mundane exercise. Children are using the Web at home and are already engaging in different programs.
I have used this blog more as a reflective tool. It has been an extremely worthwhile exercise as it makes me sit and think about each tool and how I could use it in a classroom. I have had the opportunity to use these tools, such as wikis, xtranormal videos, Storybirds, podcast etc and if I have enjoyed using these tools are learnt valuable lessons then so will students.
Teachers will have to keep up with the students when it comes to technology and I will aim to keep my ears open to new tools and try to make ICT an interesting valuable lesson for my students
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Next Step
I am very excited to see what the internet and technology offers us next. The semantic web or web 3.0 is not that far away. New technology is being released every day. In fact the iPad was released in Australia today to hoards of people waiting overnight to get their hands on the new technology.
Web 3.0 will affect what we teach, and how, enormously. An article by Jason Ohler http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0840.pdf states education will change in numerous ways. Firstly ‘knowledge construction’ – the way we search the internet will drastically change. Instead of giving a list of websites, the search engines will combine all information into one multimedia report containing websites, blogs, wikis etc on the specific topic. Because of SNS the computer will have a good idea about the person you are and tailer the results to suit you. And finally Ohler talks about the change in learning institutions. There will be a shift away from centred learning institutions to students being able to access work across different courses in different institutions.
I think this next step is exciting and slightly scary. With technology becoming so prevent we need to make sure we use it an appropriate ways. People still need to have their own identity and interact with people one on one. Students will need to remember this new technology is only another tool they can use to find information and learn. It is just another alternative to a book or a paper and
Web 3.0 will affect what we teach, and how, enormously. An article by Jason Ohler http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0840.pdf states education will change in numerous ways. Firstly ‘knowledge construction’ – the way we search the internet will drastically change. Instead of giving a list of websites, the search engines will combine all information into one multimedia report containing websites, blogs, wikis etc on the specific topic. Because of SNS the computer will have a good idea about the person you are and tailer the results to suit you. And finally Ohler talks about the change in learning institutions. There will be a shift away from centred learning institutions to students being able to access work across different courses in different institutions.
I think this next step is exciting and slightly scary. With technology becoming so prevent we need to make sure we use it an appropriate ways. People still need to have their own identity and interact with people one on one. Students will need to remember this new technology is only another tool they can use to find information and learn. It is just another alternative to a book or a paper and
Information Overload
As I write this post I am watching TV, having a chat with a friend on Facebook, listening to a song on iTunes, while downloading more songs and I wonder why my computer is slow while trying to search the internet for articles on Multitasking. I am a chronic mutlitasker! It is very true that although you are performing all these activities at once, none of these activities are being performed to a high standard. It’s what Linda Stone calls, continual partial attention (cpa). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-stone/fine-dining-with-mobile-d_b_80819.html. Okay so I’ve muted the TV and paused my music. I can try to concentrate now. I think that is the only way to deal with cpa is to do just that, turn off all the other programs and focus on what you are doing. As a teacher I am very aware that children think they can do a number of tasks at once but it is important to teach students the effects of multitasking.
Another problem facing everyone using the internet is information overload. There is so much on the internet, where do students begin. First students have to possess sufficient information literacy to determine what sites are reliable secondly they need to be able to source and store the relevant sites. There are a number of programs that can be used to help internet users with this. Folksonomies are a great tool to help tag and bookmark relevant information on the internet. Students could set up a delicious site http://delicious.com/ at the start of a project and use it to bookmark relevant information. I would even assess their delicious account at the end of the project.
RRS feeds are a great way to get relevant news continually updated. If a student is studying a particular topic they could find an RRS feed and tailor it to their specific news. Students could study current events or track the progress of an issue in the news. Creating awareness of these sites will benefit students for years to come.
Network filtering is used by schools and in some offices to block the access to particular websites. In my part time job Facebook has been blocked which irritates the staff immensely. To be honest we probably get more work done. Network filtering is done in schools for this reason. It also helps to stop cyberbullying, cyber predators and students stumbling upon unwanted materials. However, if a student was desperate enough to visit certain material they would find a way. Network filtering could be useful to help stop multitasking on the internet and focus student attention on the research or job at hand.
Another problem facing everyone using the internet is information overload. There is so much on the internet, where do students begin. First students have to possess sufficient information literacy to determine what sites are reliable secondly they need to be able to source and store the relevant sites. There are a number of programs that can be used to help internet users with this. Folksonomies are a great tool to help tag and bookmark relevant information on the internet. Students could set up a delicious site http://delicious.com/ at the start of a project and use it to bookmark relevant information. I would even assess their delicious account at the end of the project.
RRS feeds are a great way to get relevant news continually updated. If a student is studying a particular topic they could find an RRS feed and tailor it to their specific news. Students could study current events or track the progress of an issue in the news. Creating awareness of these sites will benefit students for years to come.
Network filtering is used by schools and in some offices to block the access to particular websites. In my part time job Facebook has been blocked which irritates the staff immensely. To be honest we probably get more work done. Network filtering is done in schools for this reason. It also helps to stop cyberbullying, cyber predators and students stumbling upon unwanted materials. However, if a student was desperate enough to visit certain material they would find a way. Network filtering could be useful to help stop multitasking on the internet and focus student attention on the research or job at hand.
Social Networking and Digital Safety
When it comes to social networking, I love it! It is such an easy way to keep in contact with people, swap photos, organise get-togethers and parties but when it comes to using social networking in a classroom setting I get nervous.
Social networking sites have moved users from being more passive to more interactive. I know that I use to be a passive user of the internet until I got Facebook then I started to upload photos and comment and interact with my friends over the internet. It changed my whole perspective on how the internet can be used. But should we allow students to use these social networking sites in a classroom setting? I think it is important for students to be aware of these sites and the benefits of them but do teachers need to teach students this or as digital natives will they just get it?
I personally think there are s a lot better technologies that students can use in a classroom setting such as wikis and walled gardens these have functions that allow students to chat to each other and upload different things. Students will become accustom to using social networking sites outside the classroom. As a teacher you may want to talk about the benefits and dangers of using SNS but would not need to undertake explicit lessons.
A huge problem with these social networking sites is cyberbullying and cyberpredators. “Although technology provides numerous benefits to young people, it also has a ‘dark side’, as it can be used for harm, not only by some adults but also by the young people themselves. E-mail, texting, chat rooms, mobile phones, mobile phone cameras and web sites can and are being used by young people to bully peers”. http://www.atypon-link.com/AAP/doi/abs/10.1375/ajgc.15.1.68 This is known as cyberbullying and is a huge problem in today’s digital age. In a study performed by Q. Li in the article “New bottle but old wine: A research of cyberbullying in schools” over a quarter of year 7 students had been cyberbullied”. As a teacher you have to set clear policies on this issue. There are a number of activities you could use to combat cyberbullying. For example, explicit lessons on cyberbullying and the effects could be given, have a clear whole school policy on this issue, supervise the children using the internet and encourage students to speak up if they are experiencing cyberbullying.
Cyberpredation is a serious issue however the actual reported incidents are extremely low. The majority of cyberpredators are from people the children already know offline. It is important to educate students on this issue and warn students of the dangers. In class if students are using social networking sites allow them to only talk to each other. As a teacher I am wary of using social networking in classrooms because of this issue.
Social networking sites have moved users from being more passive to more interactive. I know that I use to be a passive user of the internet until I got Facebook then I started to upload photos and comment and interact with my friends over the internet. It changed my whole perspective on how the internet can be used. But should we allow students to use these social networking sites in a classroom setting? I think it is important for students to be aware of these sites and the benefits of them but do teachers need to teach students this or as digital natives will they just get it?
I personally think there are s a lot better technologies that students can use in a classroom setting such as wikis and walled gardens these have functions that allow students to chat to each other and upload different things. Students will become accustom to using social networking sites outside the classroom. As a teacher you may want to talk about the benefits and dangers of using SNS but would not need to undertake explicit lessons.
A huge problem with these social networking sites is cyberbullying and cyberpredators. “Although technology provides numerous benefits to young people, it also has a ‘dark side’, as it can be used for harm, not only by some adults but also by the young people themselves. E-mail, texting, chat rooms, mobile phones, mobile phone cameras and web sites can and are being used by young people to bully peers”. http://www.atypon-link.com/AAP/doi/abs/10.1375/ajgc.15.1.68 This is known as cyberbullying and is a huge problem in today’s digital age. In a study performed by Q. Li in the article “New bottle but old wine: A research of cyberbullying in schools” over a quarter of year 7 students had been cyberbullied”. As a teacher you have to set clear policies on this issue. There are a number of activities you could use to combat cyberbullying. For example, explicit lessons on cyberbullying and the effects could be given, have a clear whole school policy on this issue, supervise the children using the internet and encourage students to speak up if they are experiencing cyberbullying.
Cyberpredation is a serious issue however the actual reported incidents are extremely low. The majority of cyberpredators are from people the children already know offline. It is important to educate students on this issue and warn students of the dangers. In class if students are using social networking sites allow them to only talk to each other. As a teacher I am wary of using social networking in classrooms because of this issue.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Social networking in classrooms
Check out the atricle in Wired http://www.wired.com/culture/education/news/2007/04/myspaceforschool It talks about using a social networking site, Elgg in a classroom setting and the benifits of using social networking in classrooms
Using facebook in class
The article http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/20/100-ways-you-should-be-using-facebook-in-your-classroom/ has a really interesting list of "100 ways to use facebook in your classroom" There are many I wouldn't attempted but it's great to see that teachers are starting to embrace this technology and are coming up with some interesting lessons. With Web 3.0 around the corner it is important to get use to the social networking sites such as facebook and twitter.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Information Literacy
Information literacy is a skill that everyone needs to possess to be able communicate and survive in today’s technological culture. It has become more important over time as the internet has shifted to a web 2.0 format. People are not just passive users of the internet but contribute to the internet and continuously interact with each other. People not only need to know how to critically analyse the information they look at but need to be able to create and upload information that is has been sourced using their information literacy skills.
I have to admit my information literacy is not that good. Until recently I have only really used Google and Super-Search (UWA journal search engine) to find my information and my search stings for looking for information (key words) are often limited. For my future research I will endeavour to use meta-search engines like Metacrawler and Dogpile to help broaden my search and take a range of mediums to get a better view of my topic.
I think it is extremely important to start to teach students this concept as early as possible. It doesn’t have to be a specific, explicit lesson on information literacy but continually mentioning the concepts throughout their learning. When students are a bit older and have to start to produce research project, I think students would have to be given an explicit lesson on information literacy. I think one of the reasons my information literacy is not that good is because as a young student most of my research was done by using books in a library and I was never taught the principles of information literacy or the premise of search engines. The sites shown in class such as the “Save the tree octopus” website http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus would be such an interesting idea for a lesson on informational literacy. Actually showing students that websites are not always correct would be a good starting point.
I have to admit my information literacy is not that good. Until recently I have only really used Google and Super-Search (UWA journal search engine) to find my information and my search stings for looking for information (key words) are often limited. For my future research I will endeavour to use meta-search engines like Metacrawler and Dogpile to help broaden my search and take a range of mediums to get a better view of my topic.
I think it is extremely important to start to teach students this concept as early as possible. It doesn’t have to be a specific, explicit lesson on information literacy but continually mentioning the concepts throughout their learning. When students are a bit older and have to start to produce research project, I think students would have to be given an explicit lesson on information literacy. I think one of the reasons my information literacy is not that good is because as a young student most of my research was done by using books in a library and I was never taught the principles of information literacy or the premise of search engines. The sites shown in class such as the “Save the tree octopus” website http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus would be such an interesting idea for a lesson on informational literacy. Actually showing students that websites are not always correct would be a good starting point.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Digital Storytelling
Below is my attempt at creating a digital story. I have to admit I got addicted to making these little movies and spend a whole afternoon on it. It is so much fun! I even had my brother hooked. This would be a fun new challenge for students to combine their literacy skills with technology. There are so many ways to combine digital storytelling with the standard curriculum. Students could use this when learning about camera angles, character portrayal, audience etc.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Here is a website all things txt speak. http://www.lingo2word.com/ There is even a translator and a dictionary.
Txt Speak
Txt Spk. What a controversial topic! I find I am split when it comes to the use of txt spk within a classroom. I understand the world and technology is changing and we need to keep up but is txt speak the answer?
I use to be a fan of txt speak when typing sms's but with the introduction of iphones and other advanced technologies that can predict the word you are writing and finish it for you, my use of txt speak has decreased substantially. Will the use of txt speak decrease if mechanisms like this are continually introduced?
I agree that students must be aware that txt speak exists and that they can shorten words when taking notes or sending informal sms's but as teachers should we be teaching it or accepting in within a classroom setting? I think txt speak is something that evolves naturally once people have a good understanding of the English language. It is not something that needs to be taught or even really explained. Once a person has a solid appreciation and knowledge of English, then they can break the rules. As Primary school teachers do our students have a really good understanding of the English language or are they still learning? If we do introduce txt speak within our lessons do we risk leaving students that have not yet learnt the rules behind?
And another thing. Can you imagine the out roar from parents if we start to introduce txt speak? It is too controversial, I can't even decide if it is a useful tool, let alone pleasing all the parents. I think we will just have to wait and see where this one ends.
I use to be a fan of txt speak when typing sms's but with the introduction of iphones and other advanced technologies that can predict the word you are writing and finish it for you, my use of txt speak has decreased substantially. Will the use of txt speak decrease if mechanisms like this are continually introduced?
I agree that students must be aware that txt speak exists and that they can shorten words when taking notes or sending informal sms's but as teachers should we be teaching it or accepting in within a classroom setting? I think txt speak is something that evolves naturally once people have a good understanding of the English language. It is not something that needs to be taught or even really explained. Once a person has a solid appreciation and knowledge of English, then they can break the rules. As Primary school teachers do our students have a really good understanding of the English language or are they still learning? If we do introduce txt speak within our lessons do we risk leaving students that have not yet learnt the rules behind?
And another thing. Can you imagine the out roar from parents if we start to introduce txt speak? It is too controversial, I can't even decide if it is a useful tool, let alone pleasing all the parents. I think we will just have to wait and see where this one ends.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wikis
This week we have been diving into the world of wikis and their role in collective intelligence. Collective intelligence is based on the theory of social constructivism which we discussed last week and a great example of an online version of collective intelligence is Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a website where anyone can add or change information about almost topic. The premise of this site is to encourage users to add and change information by consistently building onto one another’s ideas. The theory is that this information would not be attained if it wasn’t for the collective thoughts and aptitudes of all contributing users. Although this idea is innovative and great by theory there is one major downfall, not all contributions are factual, leading to scepticism when referencing this site.
There are many advantages of Wikipedia despite it being banned in schools and Universities. I particularly liked the UTUBE video clip from this week’s readings (http://henryjenkins.org/2010/02/_children_and_young_people.html) where Henry Jenkins states, “students are learning more outside of school these day then in”. Programs like Facebook, Myspace Wikipedia etc are discouraged and banned from use inside schools however these are the programs used by the young generation of digital natives to seek out new content and socialise with people. Henry Jenkins states ‘the internet is based on collective intelligence’. Students should be encouraged to access these forums to continually discover, debate and build on their prior knowledge.
Exposing students to Wikipedia is a lesson in itself. Not only does it give students a starting point for locating information but it also teaches students about ‘information literacy’. In the article From Blogs to Bombs: The future of digital technologies in education, Mark Pegrum describes information literacy as the skills used to evaluate the origins, authorship, history, accuracy, objectivity, completeness, currency and relevance of digital documents and to compare and cross reference them with other digital sources. Information literacy is an essential tool that all internet users need to poses.
Overall I think teachers a wary of using wikis such as Wikipedia to gain information but it is important to expose students to these sites not only to access and build information but to teach students to be critical of the internet. I believe that teachers are uneducated when it comes to technology and would prefer to shy away from it rather than embrace it (faults and all). I personally think setting up a Wiki in a classroom setting would be a create way of running a social constructivism class where students can build onto one another’s ideas, give feedback to each other and discuss topics in more depth. However saying this, teacher monitoring would have to occur in all stages to ensure students stayed on track and no cyber bullying occurred.
There are many advantages of Wikipedia despite it being banned in schools and Universities. I particularly liked the UTUBE video clip from this week’s readings (http://henryjenkins.org/2010/02/_children_and_young_people.html) where Henry Jenkins states, “students are learning more outside of school these day then in”. Programs like Facebook, Myspace Wikipedia etc are discouraged and banned from use inside schools however these are the programs used by the young generation of digital natives to seek out new content and socialise with people. Henry Jenkins states ‘the internet is based on collective intelligence’. Students should be encouraged to access these forums to continually discover, debate and build on their prior knowledge.
Exposing students to Wikipedia is a lesson in itself. Not only does it give students a starting point for locating information but it also teaches students about ‘information literacy’. In the article From Blogs to Bombs: The future of digital technologies in education, Mark Pegrum describes information literacy as the skills used to evaluate the origins, authorship, history, accuracy, objectivity, completeness, currency and relevance of digital documents and to compare and cross reference them with other digital sources. Information literacy is an essential tool that all internet users need to poses.
Overall I think teachers a wary of using wikis such as Wikipedia to gain information but it is important to expose students to these sites not only to access and build information but to teach students to be critical of the internet. I believe that teachers are uneducated when it comes to technology and would prefer to shy away from it rather than embrace it (faults and all). I personally think setting up a Wiki in a classroom setting would be a create way of running a social constructivism class where students can build onto one another’s ideas, give feedback to each other and discuss topics in more depth. However saying this, teacher monitoring would have to occur in all stages to ensure students stayed on track and no cyber bullying occurred.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Constructivist Learning Using Technology
Over the past few weeks I have been spending some time in a Year One class and am amazed at how they incorporate technology into almost every lesson. At the beginning of the 'Teaching with New Technologies' course I was skeptical of the notion of normalisation and believed that even in our generation as teachers technology would not be used in everyday lessons in an everyday classroom. I thought that older years would be using computers to type and research (Web1.0)but had no idea year one's would incorporate smart boards and computers in most lessons.
This brings me to my second point, the benefits of integrating technology in web2.0 format in constructivist lessons. Constructivist see that learning results from accommodation of new ideas and using Web2.0 is a fantastic way to fuel discussion and deeper investigation on certain topics. It requires students to think and brainstorm ideas and react with other students opinions. It is important though from a constructivist's prospective for ideas to be carefully selected and sequenced to provoke appropriate perturbations in students thinking, therefore teachers must be constantly monitoring and directing information to ensure students are working in their zone of proximal development.
This brings me to my second point, the benefits of integrating technology in web2.0 format in constructivist lessons. Constructivist see that learning results from accommodation of new ideas and using Web2.0 is a fantastic way to fuel discussion and deeper investigation on certain topics. It requires students to think and brainstorm ideas and react with other students opinions. It is important though from a constructivist's prospective for ideas to be carefully selected and sequenced to provoke appropriate perturbations in students thinking, therefore teachers must be constantly monitoring and directing information to ensure students are working in their zone of proximal development.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
My First Blog!
I'm extremely excited to have my very own blog! I've read a lot of blogs over the years and can't wait to get started documenting my learning in 'Teaching With Technologies' this semester. Please feel free to comment and give me any advice you have.
Regards
Michelle
Regards
Michelle
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