I have continued to use the links and readings Google Reader sends me daily on my key search words. The energy being generated by web 2.0 social networking applications continues its upward trend.
Over the coming weeks, I'll focus more on classroom teaching tools and strategies for each of the applications I have explored.
I am looking forward to reading Alan Levine's material from his coming Australian tour.
Showing posts with label social software. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social software. Show all posts
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Friday, 28 September 2007
Social learning tools - help, hype or time guzzler?
To end this week, I have spent some time reflecting on this question. I'll start with the oft repeated comment: "Teachers are busy people!"
Sure, learning new skills takes time, social networking and learning takes time. Setting up the tools takes time. If seen as a professional learning opportunity, then perhaps the time taken can be justified by most. The only thoughts, I honestly have about time, are "It's about time!"
In fact, time may be running out for educators who are not at least a little informed about the classroom teaching and learning potential of social learning software. You can rest assured, students will soon start to wonder why so little is being done to capitalise on their knowledge and skills with these technologies and applications. Teachers could be facilitating this learning to motivate and engage all students in their learning.
After this reflection, I put this problem aside, remembered the power of positive thinking and I got straight back to my cyberhaunts to follow up the social learning links provided my google reader and RSSMicro alert informtion. I happily receive these updates each day in my mail box. I still enjoy email. No plans yet to abandon that tool.
I have also looked at the Voicethread application and saved the most useful threads. This is a fascinating tool with potential for high impact. Why not explore this tool and brainstorm its potential with friends. Happy web 2.0 learning!
Sure, learning new skills takes time, social networking and learning takes time. Setting up the tools takes time. If seen as a professional learning opportunity, then perhaps the time taken can be justified by most. The only thoughts, I honestly have about time, are "It's about time!"
In fact, time may be running out for educators who are not at least a little informed about the classroom teaching and learning potential of social learning software. You can rest assured, students will soon start to wonder why so little is being done to capitalise on their knowledge and skills with these technologies and applications. Teachers could be facilitating this learning to motivate and engage all students in their learning.
After this reflection, I put this problem aside, remembered the power of positive thinking and I got straight back to my cyberhaunts to follow up the social learning links provided my google reader and RSSMicro alert informtion. I happily receive these updates each day in my mail box. I still enjoy email. No plans yet to abandon that tool.
I have also looked at the Voicethread application and saved the most useful threads. This is a fascinating tool with potential for high impact. Why not explore this tool and brainstorm its potential with friends. Happy web 2.0 learning!
Friday, 21 September 2007
Social learning - the story so far ...
I have been exploring web 2.0 applications for about ten weeks. Still, as far as opportunities go, there is no end in sight. I have signed up to around 20 of the best known social networking and bookmarking sites accessible at my workplace. So I have got the feel of what Facebook, MySpace and YouTube offer without subscribing. It is clear to me that the potential for high impact on teacher and student learning outcomes is very great! All this without the need for a great deal of imagination or high level ICT skills. Time to learn the basics is the key issue.
A brief history of the main stages of my web 2.0, social software for learning journey goes something like this.
Part 1. I heard about del.icio.us at a principal's meeting and when I continued to hear this word, I then noticed the little icon on webpages and knew it was time to sign-up. I have never looked back. This tool is very valuable and can be used in many ways to support learning. The tagging concept these tools use is becoming more and more visible on the web.
I also signed up to and still use on occasions: digg, reddit, blinklist, stumbleupon. In a later episode, I could talk about some of their unique features.
Part 2. Making an igoogle page and exploring the huge number of widgets and apps. available has been a real eye-opener. Google is upgrading its offering on a daily basis. I also set up a pageflakes page and plan to try to maintain this too. First, I need to assess whether I can access the same functions on igoogle and decide if I have the time.
Part 3. Signing up to ning a social network that offers privacy. I have since joined a number of ning groups for educators across the world. My ning page has not progressed as well as I had hoped. It's the time factor and which tool is of most immediate use.
Part 4 Signing up to slideshare. This application is fabulous! I have set up my own group as you can see. There are now around 15 members and I have worked daily to locate over 100 slideshows relevant to my group name. Google Reader has been my main source. I also have a favourites list for other specific learning area slideshows.
Part 5. Creating and maintaining this blog.
Part 6. Creating and maintaining my wiki. My wiki work has been the most labour and learning intensive. It is most definitely not beyond "under construction", but maybe that is the whole intention!
I have dipped into many other interesting poll, quiz and writing tools on the way!
Part 2 next time.
Happy web 2.0 learning!
A brief history of the main stages of my web 2.0, social software for learning journey goes something like this.
Part 1. I heard about del.icio.us at a principal's meeting and when I continued to hear this word, I then noticed the little icon on webpages and knew it was time to sign-up. I have never looked back. This tool is very valuable and can be used in many ways to support learning. The tagging concept these tools use is becoming more and more visible on the web.
I also signed up to and still use on occasions: digg, reddit, blinklist, stumbleupon. In a later episode, I could talk about some of their unique features.
Part 2. Making an igoogle page and exploring the huge number of widgets and apps. available has been a real eye-opener. Google is upgrading its offering on a daily basis. I also set up a pageflakes page and plan to try to maintain this too. First, I need to assess whether I can access the same functions on igoogle and decide if I have the time.
Part 3. Signing up to ning a social network that offers privacy. I have since joined a number of ning groups for educators across the world. My ning page has not progressed as well as I had hoped. It's the time factor and which tool is of most immediate use.
Part 4 Signing up to slideshare. This application is fabulous! I have set up my own group as you can see. There are now around 15 members and I have worked daily to locate over 100 slideshows relevant to my group name. Google Reader has been my main source. I also have a favourites list for other specific learning area slideshows.
Part 5. Creating and maintaining this blog.
Part 6. Creating and maintaining my wiki. My wiki work has been the most labour and learning intensive. It is most definitely not beyond "under construction", but maybe that is the whole intention!
I have dipped into many other interesting poll, quiz and writing tools on the way!
Part 2 next time.
Happy web 2.0 learning!
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Big questions about web 2.0 in education
Big questions about web 2.0 in education
Tuesday, September 04, 2007. Posted by Steve Hargadon
At the Office 2.0 Conference in San Francisco, there will be a panel discussion on "Classroom 2.0" and the use of Web 2.0 software in education. A wiki with more information is here.
As preparation for the panel, an Office 2.0 Conference group in our Classroom 2.0 social network has been formed to allow for the discussion of ten possible panel topics. We will be encouraging attendees to join the group and participate in the discussions during and after the conference. We believe that some in the edublogosphere will be interested and hope you will contribute your wisdom!
Here are big questions to the forum discussions in that group. Follow the title link above to find the linked questions.
1. Is Web 2.0 a good fit for education?
2. Is Web 2.0 significant to future student achievement, workplace skills, information literacy, and digital citizenship?
3. Do we need to start teaching "digital citizenship?"
4. Are the formal structure of education changing because of online learning, and what roles can Web 2.0 software play in those changes?
5. Technology decision-making in schools: The divide between IT and the classroom, and why is it so hard to implement new technologies in education?
6. How much commercialization should be allowed in the classroom and in the school?
7. The conflict between school security issues and the innovative technologies of Web 2.0
8. Publicly shared lives: how transparent should students lives be, and is it appropriate for students to be "clickable?"
9. The training gap: professional development and rapid technological change. How do we train a huge workforce in skills that are just being understood?
10. How important is equitable access to technology, and do the tools of Web 2.0 change that?
Tuesday, September 04, 2007. Posted by Steve Hargadon
At the Office 2.0 Conference in San Francisco, there will be a panel discussion on "Classroom 2.0" and the use of Web 2.0 software in education. A wiki with more information is here.
As preparation for the panel, an Office 2.0 Conference group in our Classroom 2.0 social network has been formed to allow for the discussion of ten possible panel topics. We will be encouraging attendees to join the group and participate in the discussions during and after the conference. We believe that some in the edublogosphere will be interested and hope you will contribute your wisdom!
Here are big questions to the forum discussions in that group. Follow the title link above to find the linked questions.
1. Is Web 2.0 a good fit for education?
2. Is Web 2.0 significant to future student achievement, workplace skills, information literacy, and digital citizenship?
3. Do we need to start teaching "digital citizenship?"
4. Are the formal structure of education changing because of online learning, and what roles can Web 2.0 software play in those changes?
5. Technology decision-making in schools: The divide between IT and the classroom, and why is it so hard to implement new technologies in education?
6. How much commercialization should be allowed in the classroom and in the school?
7. The conflict between school security issues and the innovative technologies of Web 2.0
8. Publicly shared lives: how transparent should students lives be, and is it appropriate for students to be "clickable?"
9. The training gap: professional development and rapid technological change. How do we train a huge workforce in skills that are just being understood?
10. How important is equitable access to technology, and do the tools of Web 2.0 change that?
Thursday, 13 September 2007
It's more about learning 2.0 than the tools.
I read a great article this morning on this topic. It's worth reading in full.
Jeff Utecht wrote in his blog - It's not about Web 2.0 it's about learning! He writes: "I was invited in to give a lesson on how knowledge is changing in the 21st century. My first thought was "How do I tell students knowledge has changed, when they already know that?"I set up 3 Skype [...]"
When exploring web 2.0 social software, the deliberations, discussion and reflection must be on how to best use the many applications to ensure high impact on student motivation, engagement and learning.
My task now will be to continue to deepen my knowledge and skills to use the tools effectively but mostly to explore High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS)for use of the tools.
Jeff Utecht wrote in his blog - It's not about Web 2.0 it's about learning! He writes: "I was invited in to give a lesson on how knowledge is changing in the 21st century. My first thought was "How do I tell students knowledge has changed, when they already know that?"I set up 3 Skype [...]"
When exploring web 2.0 social software, the deliberations, discussion and reflection must be on how to best use the many applications to ensure high impact on student motivation, engagement and learning.
My task now will be to continue to deepen my knowledge and skills to use the tools effectively but mostly to explore High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS)for use of the tools.
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