Reflection

When I consider  the iLE@RN model and this web 2.0 course this is the first time I have ever completed an online course using exactly what this course has been about, the diverse tool that the internet has to offer.

When I first started teaching back in the 80's computers were still a long way from being the personal and valuable resource they are today. But without the development of an electronic link, such as the internet, the whole social capabilities and the richness of learning it has to offer would not be possible.

As teachers we need to facilitate the development of this technology in the classroom, we may even find ourselves presenting information to learners not in a classroom setting, but they are learning from us over the web through you tube, google docs and wikis. We will provide the structures and reflective practices for our students. Learning is not restricted to a time or place but it is firmly linked in the engagement of students to learn, even the age and situation of the student can be different as any one can access our lesson.

Within a Catholic context, catholic as open to and welcoming all, the internet provides the opportunity to spread the Good News in our learning and links community groups together enabling us to support the needs of others who in the past we may not have been aware of or have even known there situation. It brings a sense of social justice to the learning of all people.

Module 10 Constructing knowledge together in WIki

What role do you see for using Web 2.0 tools in your own life as a learner and a member of online communities?

It is amazing to consider just how much collegial support exists in teaching. In your own school community this support has always been significant but limited to whether you had a teacher of your subject , especially in rural settings. Web 2.0 links us to the broader collegial support of teaching and the web enables me to broaden my knowledge and to obtain content that previously would have been impossible to locate or even access.

We live in exciting times and with a future of hope in the spirit of lifelong learning.

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

So often we are trying to look for and design differentiated lessons to meet the needs of the diverse students in our classrooms. Web 2.0 means that all learning is not teacher centred, the format of the classroom even the situation can be completely different. It means that students can look deeper into areas of interest, of which I may not have the extended knowledge or interest, or look for other ways of learning the content they need to know. We are building the classroom of the future, the forms of teaching and learning and the techniques we have grown up with means we will not be building a new old school but a learning environment for this century meeting the learning needs of the students of this century.

Module 9 Networks on the web, professional and social

Collaboration is the key to broadening opportunities for both teachers and students.Scootle is diverse in it's richness of IT opportunities for use in the classroom and within Key Learning Areas.

Having already joined linked in and twitter they provide opportunities to communicate both formally and informally with like minded people and to share updated information. Twitter broadens the techniques to communicate with our students regarding changes in the days activities (such as carnival cancellations) which in a regional setting used to be done over the local radio station. Since now we are a regional school all students & parents could receive the information eventhough they are well beyond the signal of the station, it is also instantaneous and not at the whim of the announcer or station management.

Facebook has it's benefits, but even when considering social media policies and digital footprint it is still not an area that I would set up as a personal site for social communications.

Module 8 Managing your flow of information on the internet

Rich Site Summary (RSS) is fantastic resource which enables me to update information more quickly which is especially relevant in Science  in regards to research both locally and internationally.

By subscribing to CSIRO, or the University of Sydney through my Google reader site I have enabled a quicker link to updated information and reduced the broader research requirements when going onto google.com.

It's search system is more specific and it is very easy to subscribe and than find valuable and relevant information that can be used in context of your lessons or to direct students research.

module 7; building online communities

Delicious is as it sounds. The opportunity to collect information and bookmark it as a link or stack would be useful for IWB presentations and general research.

By providing feedback to others through commenting on their blog enables effective communication and an opportunity to reflect upon personal and social needs.

Online communities enable a richer tapestry of information and contextual discussion once again broadening learning opportunities beyond the classsroom setting.

Module 6 Exploring photos and videos on the web

Flickr would be very useful for the sharing of resources amongst students and teachers to enhance the learning experience. It provides a beneficial alternative to facebook and enables the extension of students learning and experiences by creating links beyond the classroom.

Copyright guidelines need to be considered in the educational context and consider options such as fair and or flexible dealings. Need to realise as long as we are using it for educational purposes and communication copyright is not infringed upon.

Module 5 creating and communicating online

Mindmapping is a useful planning and post course experience. Can be used as a pre test prior to teaching a unit and to develop study notes at the completion of a unit. The Bubbl.us program is effective but difficult to use as links do not appear quickly.

Glogster is useful as a creative arts piece and another way of presenting information. Considering the importance of differentiation in teaching and learning both concepts enable students to use different types of learning and memory techniques to organise information.

Module 4; digital storytelling

The use of digital technology via podcasts and vodcasts enable access to a diverse range of materials that could be used in the classroom to enhance learning. They can also be used extend and enrich students beyond the limited information that can be presented/researched within class time. It also provides opportunities for students to share ideas beyond the teacher centred models of learning.

You tube is amazing in it's rich diversity of short relevant information that can be interspersed amongst the theoretical learning taking place in the classroom. No longer do students need to watch the complete movie, but easy reference can be made to specific learning. It also provides opportunities for students to create and submit their own relevant creations through the use of mobile phone technology and Ipads.

Module 3 Google docs

Google docs is a viable alternative to emailing documents and the storage of excess feedback from peers.
I have created a basic document and shared it with a peer for their perusal and editing. I also edited the document they sent to me and returned.

It is also useful for if your own system crashes as there is an alternative access to documents. The concern is that presently it is a free service, in the future once they have overall control of documents there could be a cost involved in terms of storage, access and retrieval.

For students and in the classroom it means students can work independently but still complete group tasks through the effective process of editing and adding detail to a set format. Looking forward to using in the classroom.

Module 2

Blogs are an extension of the email concept, except that it is accessable to more people and remains in a consistent format to be reviewed and commented on.

It would be useful in the classroom for students to share study tips, how they are going with tasks and general review of learning.

Once again this module broadens the horizon of IT usage and the myriad of opportunities it provides to communicate and share experiences while giving depth to teaching and learning. 

module 1 completed

This has been a great opportunity to broaden my IT skills. Opened a gmail account, began an IGoogle page and identified the 25 tools useful to diversify the web experience.The YouTube videos have been useful in supporting the process and the module was well set out and informative.