QUESTION 2. D)

ENSURING THAT LEARNING OCCURS AT BLOOMS HIGHER LEVELS. 

 

Blooms taxonomy is broken up into six major headings. The goal of web 2.0 is to ensure students are embracing higher level thinking such as evaluating and creating. It is the role of the classroom teacher to ensure the students are given all the tools available to them to create a well presented and well thought out piece of work. Wikis and Blogs are an excellent source to ensure the higher level learning can occur. Teachers can be added to the student’s network and so can read over work completed by the student. By constantly checking the students work it will be motivating the students to work at that higher level to offer a well thought out piece of work.

Web 2.0 focuses on the theory of conectivism and it is extremely important that the students are gaining a level og higher level thinknig especially during the more senior years.

Blooms taxonomy works hand in hand with web 2.0. By offering valuable resources such as google reader to the students this will ensure the students are working at a higher level. By including challenging and creative activities this will again enhance their level of thinking.

 

By including the marking rubric to the students, they will be able to view what is exppected of them and what their class teacher will be looking for when marking the project. This is the link to my marking rubric that shows the students what is expected of them to ensure they are working to the best of their ability and higher level thinking is taking place.

QUESITON 2. C) CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT METHODS.

Many teachers are finding classroom management is becoming an issue when using web 2.0. With so many exciting programs such as Facebook that entice the student into using them one option is to embrace this trend and introduce it into the classroom. This will mean creating an online community where students will be able to collaborate and work with one another while still using the exciting novelty of using Facebook in the classroom.

Another option for many teachers is top use Igoogle. This is the traditional Google site but with many more links to sites of importance. This will help to stop students from acting out when they are unable to find the information that they need. Google reader (link to my personal google reader) is part of Igoogle and this will enhance they way they find information on the net. Google reader searches thousands of sites, newspaper articles and scholarly journals for the most relevant information.

 

This video shows students and teachers how to create a Igoogle account, thus reducing the classroom management issues in the classroom.

The classroom managment issues that are faced by the teachers in the classroom must be embraced calmly. To gain evryone’s attention a bell system can be created whereby the bell is rung and students understand their role is to turn and face the teacher. This system is based on repect on all individuals of the classroom. The social constructivist approach means embracing the social nature of the students. This must be taken into consideration when creating a classroom management technique. Some students wish to lead and by placing them in a postinio of leadership when gaining everyone’s attention then it will be tapping into their social nature and their tendancy to listen to their peers.

 Here is a link to an excellent classroom management technique called digital storytelling tnat can be exteremely beneficial to the class environment.

 This powerpoint represents the different technologies that are used and how they can be used most effectively in the classroom. It also discussed the classroom management issues that arise when using web 2.0.

(If many of the other classroom management strategies do not work, there is always the options of hands on head which will ensure all attention is baing given to the class teacher. However all teachers must realise that the subject is student focused not teacher focused.)

QUESTION 2. b)

THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF COLLABORATION AMONG STUDENTS.

 

ICT and collaboration go hand in hand. Again the world of web 2.0 has created many sites and programs that are made to enhance this process. Teachers may face issues in the collaborative environment and how to encourage their students to work collaboratively online. However there are many options that allow students to share their work and therefore their knowledge. On wordpress the students are given the opportunity to share information with their fellow students, this means opening up a dashboard. This dashboard means friends and peers can be added to the individuals blog so members of that online community are able to share information. This is the link to my personal dashboard and presents the different work added by my fellow peers.

Wikis are an excellent tool for encouraging collaboration. Projects can be created to enhance student’s skills while they work in a team environment. (follow this link to our recently created online project) They can then post this information on their blog for their fellow peers to read and to learn from thus creating a collaborative environment.

To encourage collaboration classroom teachers must embrace the idea that web 2.0 is all about communication over the net. This means embracing sites such as Facebook and myspacethat encourage communication between, students. For those students who may be more advanced using ICT an online classroom in Second life can be created which encourages communication and collaboration between students.

 

 

This is an image of a second life classroom where students can meet and discuss the different information they have discovered.

 

So many new programs have been created that embrace collaboration among students.

 

QUESTION 2. a) THE WAY IN WHICH THE TEACHER CONVEYS NEW INFORMATION.

The world of web 2.0 means embracing the new technology that is available to all teachers and students. To convey new information teachers now have a vast array of new technology that is available to them. Many new programs have been created that can be manipulated to enhance students learning. Sites such as PB wiki allow teachers to provide information to their students online thus improving ICT skills and providing students with the important information needed for a project.

 

Sites such as delicious also provide a links page that is able to convey the new information to the students. With this information being made to the student through important links etc it will ensure the students are being kept on the path of academic information rather than the students getting lost in cyber space.

 

Podcasts are an excellent way to add new information to the students online sites. Podcasts can be created by the students or may also be taken from the web. here is the link to one of the main podcast sites. By placing this information on the net rather than the teacher standing and lecturing the students it is creating a student focused environment rather than a teacher focused.

QUESTION 1. C)

 This wiki that had been presented by the group allows students to work collaboratively in an environment that best suits their learning style. This enhances their motivation to work on the project because the students are given choice in their learning. This responsibility will allow the students to work in a task that best suits their talents. The group is given the opportunity to work collaboratively to present their work in a format they feel would best suit their project. The students have control over what they work on and when. This is following Dreikurs democratic discipline model and is again giving the students choice in their environment.By giving students the choice to work at their own pace and on a project that both interests and challenges them it will be embracing their personal motivation. As Dreikurs principle states people seek power, by giving the students the power over what they learn they will be more motivated to push themselves to the best of their ability thus offering a high quality project.Since this project is to be undertaken as a collaborative group it is giving the students the opportunity to choose who they believe would best be suited to the different tasks that are offered. The project that has been presented has allowed students to collaboratively discuss who would suit the five different tasks offered. The final task that is offered is an essay. While this task must be undertaken individually it is enhancing the valuable skills needed during the HSC year. A task most students would choose to undertake.

QUESTION 1. B)

1. Finding a legitimate and interesting activity for our students was difficult, the Board of studies site had to be visited many times to ensure the project we were creating fit into the assessment guidelines. The main issue that all of the group faced was giving our students the background information that was exteremely valuable, where would it come from and how could that be relevant to the project.
2. Attempting to utilize all of the skills learnt throughout the course and combining them into the wiki. Having so many different skills it was difficult to collaborate and agree on what skill would best suit the project. This meant working out whether it wolud be best to add in vidoe footage of our topic or whether that would be best left to the students so they would be able to enhance their ICT skills.
3. Agreeing on the style of questions/tasks in the team I worked with. Working within a group always means some challenges with opinions. However this was worked through with discussions from all members of the group.
4. Finding accurate information on the internet that students could rely on. With so much information on the web, it was our difficult task to sift through and find the most historically accurate information. Also finding information that was suitable for the age group, ensuring the language level was suitable was also a difficult process.
5. Working on the format of the Wiki, the set up of the wiki posed difficulties. What to include and where meant the group had to discuss what all members wanted and what they felt would benefit them the most.

EXAM QUESTION 1 Major Project URL

http://trenchwarfare.pbwiki.com/

Essay

Web 2.0 is essentially an increasing range of software that supports a variety of technologies for open and collaborative communication, learning and creativity. Discuss. 

Web 1.0 started off as what we consider today to be a simple process, it was based on three key themes: reading, receiving, responding. (Hargadon 2007). Web 2.0 has developed into a much more personal and collaborative way to use the internet. Over the past 2 decades Web 2.0 has increased its range of programs and software. ‘Technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn.’ (Siemens 2004) This software is able to be used in the current classroom environment. The different programs that can be used in the classroom environment include: del.ico.ous, facebook, Blogs, PBWiki’s, WordPress, Blogger (both blogging sites), igoogle, and many more specialized programs that are constantly being developed. Web 2.0 has opened up education to many possibilities; students are now able to further their research skills by using many of these programs and sites. These sites contribute to the creation of a productive learning environment. Sites such as teacher tube and Hey Jude have been created to aid teachers who are working with Web 2.0 and how to use it to their advantage in the classroom. Not only does Web 2.0 teach students how to properly use the internet but also use these resources to create a collaborative environment. Web 2.0 means constructing knowledge collaboratively via the web. In education there are some sites which are extremely advantageous.

When discussing the uses of Web 2.0 in the classroom, it is important to note that the theory of Connectivism is being applied. Connectivism ‘is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories’ (Siemens 2004). This includes understanding that Web 2.0 is constantly changing and being developed and strategies must be worked on to ensure students are receiving the most up to date educational tools available to them over the internet.

A Wiki is an online educational tool where students and teachers can post information to their own mini site. The detailed pieces of information can be placed on different pages therefore creating their own private data base. This software creates a creative learning environment as students are given the opportunity to edit their own work but also contribute to the layout of the Wiki. Del.ico.ous: An online favorites list where other people “friends” can view what sites a person has previously looked at. This site is extremely advantageous to students and teachers because they are able to share websites and web pages that they consider to be important. This opens up the learning environment and it gives all students the opportunity to share sites to others they may not often communicate with thus creating a collaborative environment.

Blogs, one of the most common uses on the internet. Blogs are a series of postings on a certain subject by one individual. Blogs encourage an extremely large amount of creativity as students are able to personalize their Blog and create something they have a sense of ownership over. Blogs can also increase communication in the classroom as “friends” can be added to a person’s network and work can be shared which then increases the amount of learning taking place. Students using a Blog are able to take control of their own learning as it is them who choose what should be placed on their site thus creating an open, collaborative educational classroom. Blogs enhance the student’s abilities to research online while creating a piece of work that is adequate enough to be posted onto the internet.

Face book has become the second most used personalized site after Myspace. Facebook allows people to communicate with one another via the web. A classroom teacher may be able to use this by using facebook to create a collaborative on line school community. This site will allow students to discuss work they have been attempting and other subject focused questions that may be able to be answered by one of their peers or even by the teacher. Stanford University was the first to enhance their web 2.0 programs by using face book in their class.  They stated. ‘The class is not so much about Facebook but the interaction between the user and the web applications’ it also goes onto say ‘the class is not focused on the building of Facebook applications but, rather, how to create persuasive and engaging user experiences.’ (Kapur 2007)  This is an important step when creating online projects. Facebook allows students to explore their creativity as well as opening communication within the classroom. This interaction between students online will improve their personal relationships face to face.

Igoogle is an important site that had added to open education. Igoogle is again a very personal site, people choose what they would like to include on their home page. Mostly things that is relevant to their personal lives. However Google reader can also be added which is an automatic search device that trawls through journals and websites to find suitable documents that suit the search term placed in. This opens up learning as it ensures students no longer have to waste valuable time researching sites that are of no use. Many if not all of these sites can be linked in with one another creating more communication between students. For example those important sites found on Google reader may be placed into the students Del.ici.ous where other students are able gain access to these sites. With these sites being able to be linked and then visited by other students it creates collaboration between the group without the classroom teacher being involved and interfering.

However while there are many sites that are able to benefit students and teachers all must be aware if the dangers of using the internet. It is extremely important that on each class wiki a set of rules is the first page to be established, this ensures the students will be able to contribute without fear that others will delete their work. This is where communication becomes extremely important. All members of the online community that has been created must understand the importance of respecting one another online. This can be tracked by the classroom teacher to ensure all students are contributing to the task and collaborating with their fellow students. Without this an open classroom where students are given the opportunity to research and learn for themselves will fail. Boundaries must be placed for each and every site as to what is suitable for a school project. For example Google reader should be set on search mode for the recent project the students will be undertaking and not other sites that may distract them, this must be monitored by the classroom teacher to ensure effective learning is taking place. However restrictions on a student’s creativity should not be hampered especially for a personal page such as a Blog. By teaching the students to use this software collaboratively and effectively the learning space will become more productive.

Many teachers have so far embraced the possibilities of web 2.0. Schools are beginning to set up ‘learning experiences’ (Hey Jude 2007) on second life, where students are able to experience the subject online rather than simply discussing it in a classroom. This use of web 2.0 opens up communication, creativity and learning for the students and enhances the way a classroom is run. However while many are embracing the change others find so much online teaching ‘worrying’ (Bugeja 2006).  Many educators believe students will become more distracted, however it is the role of the Web 2.0 teacher to understand when their students have reached the next stage and introduce them to a more challenging activity.

With Web 3.0 already on the way there will be another bundle of software that teachers and students will be able to embrace. With a constantly changing framework the web will constantly continue to challenge students and teachers and ensure their classrooms continue to have a high level of communication, creativity, and learning taking place. Web 2.0 is ‘the age of engagement’ (Hargadon 2007), this means connecting, creating, and contributing. Web 2.0 is allowing teachers to create personal learning spaces online, an activity that will be both educational and interesting for the students. This personal space creates a sense of ownership and pride for the students and all members of the online school community will benefit from this. Web 2.0 is most definitely an increasing range of software, there is immense evidence online to prove this, simply by looking how many programs are available now is evidence enough to prove that new technologies are constantly being added and there is constantly a new way to stay in contact, research, and even teach online. With so many technologies being added to web 2.0 a decision has to be made not if a teacher should use web 2.0 in the classroom but exactly what program would suit the task.  

 BIBLIOGRAPHY Michael J. Bugela, (2006), Facing the Facebook, Chronical Careers, Vol 52 (Issue 21), Pg 1  Salone Kapur. (2007, September 25). Facebook moves into the Classroom. Stanford Daily. Steve Hargadon, The Web 2.o and School 2.0 connection. Retrieved October 2007, from, Stevehargadontheweb2_0andschool2_oconnection.html Siemens, G, 2004, “Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age’, elearnspace, http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm.    

i Google

• The advantage of using a blog and a wiki etc is that if your computer at home ceases to work then all of your work is still stored in cyber space. However it is better to be saved into a USB.
• The web 2.0 is a commercial world, the internet is a non-commercial thing, and it is not for profit. The catch of this being free is that there are advertisements.
• For example if you are using PB wiki as an educational tool is that there will be no advertisements. Some organizations are generous in what quality of web pages etc they give for free.
• Always keep Google in mind. It has an enormous profit base. They will soon be the people to provide EVERYTHING needed to use cyber space.
• Semantic Web: eight years in the making, a non for profit organization. This way to search the internet that is completely different from Google. It searches ideas, sentences and structures searches for meaning unlike Google that searches for words. THIS IS THE FUTURE
• Google is controlling the world by: personalising their home page. This should be done for students in a classroom as well. It creates a sense of ownership. It is instinctive for humans to have their own space, this in cyber space is I google

Excellent Article

Here is the link to the first article. This article describes As early efforts to introduce learning technologies into higher education mature, evaluation becomes important. This article pursues two ends: to describe, evaluate, and compare various methodologies and strategies available for evaluating learning technologies, and to illustrate several key strategies in practice.

My view: This article reflects the benefits of web 2.0 in the classroom and how it enables teachers to open up a new avenue of learning in the classroom. The different learning technologies focused on have inspired me to try something new in the classroom and to always search for new technologies that can be used efficiently.