Course reflection

The iLearn model video makes some very good points. Technology is amazing but needs to be used with the right intentions. As a teacher it is not enough to say to students, ‘We’re going to create a podcast today’. We need to first create a reason to use the technology. We need to engage students and have them decide what technology can help them solve a problem or accomplish a task most effectively. Yes, we need to expose students to what is out there but the most beneficial learning covers all aspects of Bloom’s Taxonomy. This learning becomes an exploration where students are engaged and find answers to questions that they themselves pose.

The language associated with Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy just helps us to align what we do with our technological tools with the different levels of Bloom’s.

Completing the Web 2.0 course has been eye-opening. Each module has opened up new avenues to take in order to get to a desired destination. Web 2.0 gives you the fastest option and the scenic option or tourist drive. In other words, the tools we can use might help us to get a job done faster or they might let us discover so much more on the way.

Thanks for providing this information and collection of tools. I have already used so much of what I have learnt and know I can refer back to this in future when trying to solve any new problems.

Module 10

Web 2.0 Tools definitely have a place in my life. Many hands make light work- this is the case when you have access to everyone else's ideas and materials. The web makes this possible. Wikis and Nings are two tools that enable me to access more information and more people to bounce ideas off.

As a teacher I think it's important to expose children to the resources that are available to them. As a learner I know I need to remind myself to access the knowledge that is out there more often. As a member of an online community, I would like to think I can positively contribute to others' learning.

Module 9

Scootle is a great site. I used it quiet a bit, particularly for setting homework in mathematics, after a visit from Scott H in 2009. There are some fun activities for the kids and it was easy for the children to log on with the given code.
I haven't really used it much since Mathletics has been around (we just subscribed to it earlier this year) but will have to remember to log in more often when searching for resources. I recommend you try it out.

Social networking sites stimulated some good discussion with colleagues in the staffroom. I personally think there are some dangers associated with them. Besides the 'creep' factor, there is also the addiction and loss of reality. I would not feel comfortable introducing my students to a site such as Second Life- even for an educational purpose such as exploring different countries/eras. I have read too many stories of people spending too much of their real life in their virtual life which I think is way too unhealthy.

As for Twitter, what's the point? Not needed. Not wanted. Get a life!

Module 8

I watched all the videos in Module 8 and could see how easy the process of setting up a Reader would be. However, sorry but I just don't want one. There are no websites that I currently regularly check out apart from my hotmail and (reluctantly) my facebook. The example of a recipe website was pretty poor. Can anyone suggest what kind of sites I would need/want to regularly receive updates from? Feel free to persuade me :)

Module 7

Very cool! I really like Delicious. It is something that would have previously made life much easier for me in several ways.
Firstly, I have updated computers several times over the last 6 or 7 years. Each time, I have had to go into my favourites and copy and paste all of the URLs into a word document and re-bookmark them on the new computer (I had always suspected there was an easier way but never bothered to investigate- thankyou web 2.0). Also, I use several different computers at school so Delicious makes it easy to view your pages wherever you are.
Secondly, Delicious is so much better than Google for searching educational resources as you can eliminate so much cr*p. The results are much more relevant.
I will be setting up Delicious on my home computer as well.

I enjoyed looking through other people's blogs. It's always good to read similar postings to reassure myself that I'm doing the right thing. It's also good to look at different perspectives people have on different applications. So, Thanks!

Module 6

bubbl.us is an easy to use tool but I'm not sure I would use it regularly with any class. It definitely has some uses as far as professional loooking presentations are concerned. Perhaps it could be used in class as a tool for students to organise their thoughts. This could be in the form of planning writing or a generic organising activity such as the classifications of animals...

Glogster was a fun site to explore. It was also very easy to use. As you can see above I made a little collage of my bubbl and a few product logos relating to Web 2.0. I am sure kids would love using Glogster but as you need yet another account to use it properly, there would need to be a good reason for needing your/their poster on the web.

Module 5

Digital storytelling is really expanding. With companies like Apple iTunes, there really is no limit to what can be broadcast for others to view.... and there is no limit to what people want to watch!
There are clips on YouTube that are only of interest to the people who posted them there. It is an avenue for people to share anything and everything. On the other hand there are clips that are extrememly popular, usually due to their entertainment value.

I have used video websites such as YouTube every now and then in class. I downloaded some Aboriginal Dreamtime stories for my children the other day and have previously searched things as trivial as 'how to make an origami paper crane'. A different visual/aural stimulus can really mix things up and keep the students tuned in.

I have been an iTunes user for years but have never downloaded any podcasts (only songs). I have just recently updated my internet contract so should take advantage of an increased speed and download limit. I'm not sure of the educational advantage to this yet, but on a personal level I am sure I will enjoy the availability of more entertainment at my fingertips. If I am after a program that I think is appropriate for a learning experience, a podcasting service would be a great place to begin my search.