What web 2.0 applications bring the best rewards?

The battle of the tools | Sharing the Addiction

Susie Vesper wrote in her blog: " ... This is just one example of the kind of exploring that I have been doing recently. All of which means that I am now getting a little bamboozled. So many options and they all have features that set them apart from each other while still having the same key functions. I don’t want to be uploading images to multiple places on the web but I don’t want to miss out on great features either.

How are the rest of you out there finding the range of web 2.0 tools on offer? Are you coping?"

I commented:

This is a timely and topical post. Every day, on blogs, Twitter etc. not just one but many new (web2.0) tools. It is distracting and confusing.

I like the way you have displayed your best finds. For teachers, newbies especially it is important to keep it simple and relevant to good teaching practice and professional learning.

Hasten slowly I say, and select a couple. Present a rationale for why they should be the first and give many practical examples.

All teachers are learners - All learners are teachers » Blog Archive » Show and learn vs Show and Spoonfeed ?

All teachers are learners - All learners are teachers » Blog Archive » Show and learn vs Show and Spoonfeed ?

Another must-read post from Lauren O'Grady. My comments in reply, stimulated by a talented young woman's reflection.

Another very insightful post. Once again, your reflection will lead you to the best way to go forward.
As for the future: both spoonfeed and sandpit.Tricky balance, I suppose.
Scaffolding-enough is probably never enough. Link this to easy to use in class docs or ...
Do I need to make tutorials-as for scaffolding? It is great to take things away or make them available on a wiki or have them as google docs for use in class.For IWB, information about sites that have lessons and links for all proprietary software could be valued.

This blog is one to subscribe to. Have a read and post your comments.

Langwitches » Blogs vs. Static Websites

Langwitches » Blogs vs. Static Websites

Silvia Tolisano's Langwitches blog is a great one for languages teachers to follow. This post on using blogs to develop learning communities is very valuable for teachers wanting to maximise connections for students through blogging.

She wrote: This upcoming week, we will have a Professional Development workshop for our faculty. The topic will be blogs. We will introduce the new features of the upgraded Wordpress 2.6 version, remind teachers how to sign in and comment on our SJEDS Travels to Latin America blog and mainly how to move from using their classroom blogs as a static website and moving towards creating a learning community for their students in that online space.

My thoughts: I like the smooth progression you are framing here for staff. The charts that outline the concepts and your thinking are very useful.

The 7 steps ladder for blog communication is a neat way of thinking about literacy development and learning through this medium.

Free Technology for Teachers: New Podcast - When Technology Fails

Free Technology for Teachers: New Podcast - When Technology Fails:

This blog as the name suggests, is worthy of being on any educators top reads list. Anything that assists a teacher find new strategies and applications to improve learning should not be missed.

The post states:
"In this episode I share my experience of going to plan “b” when the technology I had planned to incorporate into a lesson fails. The lesson I was reminded of is that as much as I love to incorporate technology into my instruction sometimes the most memorable lessons for students don’t involve any technology at all."

You can bookmark, subscribe or follow on Twitter.

My Quick Start Tips for New Twitters | Mobile Technology in TAFE

My Quick Start Tips for New Twitters | Mobile Technology in TAFE

Sue Waters, top Oz bloggers writes about Twitter. A must=read for anyone looing at taking up this valuable micro-blogging application. My comments:

I signed up to Twitter mid 2007 and did not tweet until May 2008. I just could not see the value in investing my time.
I took up the tool, when BeTwittered became available for my igoogle. page. I then found TweetDeck and liked that idea, to organise groups of those I was following. I knew who to follow initially since I was familiar with most of the top edubloggers worldwide.
My tips, are similar to yours. I like to follow top UK and Oz/NZ people since this perspective balances the US presence.
I favourite tweets to peruse later. While it takes a little time, I do always review the action from different time zones. I enjoy tweeting links to good articles, reports and SlideShare.

Go read the full Sue Waters post and get tweeting to develop another perspective to your PLN.

Some questions about teaching at dougbelshaw.com

Some questions about teaching at dougbelshaw.com

Doug Belshaw wrote: It’s the start of the new academic year and so naturally a time when I start musing on the whys and wherefores of education. By the end of the academic year I’ve almost come to accept the system as normal but now, at the beginning of the year - and fresh from summer holidays - it all seems rather strange…

asked for some feedback to a number of questions, these are my responses:

1. We use a value-added (growth) measure and like for like. Does your system really demand "better than last"?
2.Ask the question, what is our filtering software and how is this site categorised (media sharing). Who has access? Who doesn't and why? Is there a review process?
3.Good question. Administrative needs overtake learning needs. The timetable decides.
4.I think all intervention should lead to some improvement. Why bother otherwise?
5. A seemingly intractable problem being debated across the world, I believe.
8. Our public selective schools are outdoing many private schools, in public exams. This occurs with vastly different resourcing.

A lot more could be said in response to each of his questions. Why not have a think, visit his blog.

All teachers are learners - All learners are teachers » Blog Archive » Teacher 2.0 ? Have we gone label mad?

All teachers are learners - All learners are teachers » Blog Archive » Teacher 2.0 ? Have we gone label mad?

This is another must-read post by Lauren O'Grady. As usual, she has identified a topical issue and explored it honestly. After you look closely at this post, have a read of and comment on her many other substantial posts. My comment on this post was:

This is a very thought-provoking post. I felt challenged by the sentiments and that is what great bloggers do.
I do like the 2.0 label and I try to use it to provide the opportunity for teachers and leaders to articulate what quality teaching with 2.0 applications can achieve in terms of enhanced teacher and student learning.
However, you are right about buzzwords. They can be a distraction away from the main game of teaching especially if it just comes down to an exploration of a "tool" without a practical learning purpose in mind.