Course Reflection & Feedback

With the combination of the Web 2.0 resources and the iLE@RN model, E-Learning will always be up to date, interesting for the students and an effective method to ensure students are always meeting their learning outcomes.

Through using the iLEARN model teachers are helping students focus on a multitude of skills as displayed above and through constantly revisiting the three questions in the other diagram teachers are able to keep their ICT tools and programs up to date.

Blooms Taxonomy is a model which is very helpful when planning the curriculum and it has been so for quite sometime. This is due to the fact that it takes into account the different levels of thinking which helps when constructing activities for the students to complete in class or at home. It gives all teachers something concrete to look at when preparing the curriculum or an assessment for the students.

Blooms Taxonomy is certainly a theory that needs to be considered when preparing activities for the students, because even though students may be completing work using ICT tools or programs, amongst those students are still lower order and higher order thinkers and each must be accounted for, especially within unstreamed classrooms.

The Blooms Taxonomy Revised Theory takes into account a number of words associated with technology and links these words to each level of thinking. This will obviously help prolong the use of such a successful model and assist teachers to use the model effectively when preparing ICT assessments or activities.

The Web 2.0 course has been a big eye opener for me! I have learnt so much from this course and it has given me scope for new ideas and activities that I will certainly incorporate into my classroom.

Some of the tools we used such as blogging, I had an idea what it was, but I never bothered to find out about it as I never thought I would use it, and thus this course has brought to my attention the power of a blog in the classroom and how it effective it can be.

Furthermore, tools such as glogster, podcasting and bubbl.us etc all have the potential to be great learning tools as they stimulate the students and promote interest in a topic. This can obviously help teachers achieve each of the learning outcomes more efficiently.



Module 10

Wiki's are websites that allow users to collaboratively create, use and view web pages. My only issue with Wiki's is the fact that if you are a member of a Wiki webpage you are able to add, remove and alter information as you see fit regardless of whether or not the majority of members of the Wiki agree with the information being changed. An example of this is Wikipedia. Wikipedia has the potential to be a fantastic educational resource aside from the fact that it is not considered a reliable source due to the fact that anyone is entitled to add/change the information on the webpage.

Nings are a form of social networking website which could also be used quite effectively in the classroom as a form of collaborative learning. My understanding is that to participate in Ning website activities you need to be a member of the webpage (just like with Wiki's). Therefore, if you set up and Ning and control who becomes a member of Ning webpage, then you would have an interactive webpage which can be used collaboratively by the class. This would then have a flow on effect as well in regards to teaching the boys, because being an active member of this educational Ning would also promote the appropriate way for students to interact on social networking websites.

Although there are still a number of issues which need to be addressed with Ning's and Wiki's I do believe they are both valuable tools that can be implemented in the classroom very effectively. Providing these webpages can be easily managed and the teacher has the full control of the domain and who can participate I can see both Wiki's and Ning's having a very promising future in the classroom.


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

With the use of technology in the classroom vastly increasing in recent times and the knowledge that it is only going to continue to do so in the future, I feel Web 2.0 has greatly assisted me as a teacher in regards to knowing what resources are available online and how I can now utilise these to further focus on the learning outcomes for the students.

To begin with, the roll out of the laptops to most students means that each student should have access to a computer. This solves a big problem from the get go, which is access to a computer so these resources can be utilised.

Web 2.0 has informed me of a number of amazing resources which can implemented in the classroom. These include Blogger, Glogster, Wiki's, Ning's, Bubbl.us and Delicious. Each of these has the potential to improve learning outcomes for students in the classroom if used appropriately.
I think Blogging is a fantastic tool which would promote collaborative learning amongst one another. This would give the students a chance to learn from one another as well as the teacher and it could be easily monitored by the teacher.
Glogster and Bubbl.us are more creative tools which can be used by students to illustrate their knowledge of a particular topic or activity. The fact these tools are quite enjoyable to use will promote more effective learning for the students.
Wiki's and Ning's as mentioned above, providing they are managed by the teacher incharge can be a very effective and efficient tool to promote interactive and collaborative learning for the students, which would further ensure students are meeting their learning outcomes.
Delicious is a fantastic tool which can assist students with their learning outcomes as the teacher could bookmark any number of webpages that relate to a specific topic. This will further a students learning by reading through these webpages or completing activities relating to these webpages.

By incorporating these Web 2.0 tools into the classroom, the teacher would be catering for all students needs in a variety of ways. Each of these tools will assist in making learning an enjoyable experience for all students and in turn, this will go a long way in helping students get the most out of their education.

Module 9

Scootle appears to be a great teaching resource. With the push towards incorporating a variety of new technologies in the classroom, Scootle offers a number of different interactive forms for many different key learning areas and even topics within those key learning areas.
I will certainly be building up my resources with the use of Scootle and I believe it is a good way of keeping all your resources as a teacher fresh and interesting for your students.

Social networking sites have certainly become a lot more popular in recent times and will continue to do so in the future. They are quite easy to join, generally free and when a particular site i.e. facebook takes off, it usually does so in a big way.
Generally, I would never associate social networking sites with the classroom/education, however having completed the vast majority of the course I now know that is not entirely the correct view to have. In my opinion, there are two types of social networking sites: Those that can be used for educational purposes and those which cannot be.
Those sites which can be used in the classroom include blogs and wikis, while those which should never be used in the classroom include myspace and facebook.

Myspace and facebook are for personal use and in my opinion are not worth the time people put into them. They also offer a way for cyber bullying to occur. Although these bullies can be caught, it is a lot tougher to catch them for a number of reasons.
Not only is bullying an issue, but as is privacy and the ethical use of such sites. Before allowing children/students to run riot on social networking sites, they should first be made well aware of how to use these sites correctly and the implications of not doing so.

Blogs and Wikis are two social networking sites that can be used effectively in the classroom and in a variety of ways as well. Obviously issues such as bullying and privacy etc are still of concern with these particular sites, however if used carefully in the classroom and clear guidelines are set out from the get go, they can be magnificent ICT tools to further a student's education.

Module 8

Rich Site Summary (RSS) is defined as a format for regularly changing content. I understand that the main advantage of RSS is that you can easily stay informed by receiving updates from your favourite blogs or websites without actually visiting them.
Although I like the idea of this, I actually don't mind visiting sites. It really is not that much of an effort and chances are I usually come across something else of interest along the way.

This could be implemented quite effectively in the classroom, especially in the KLA of HSIE. By signing up to an RSS feed from a news website, or just a site of interest relevant to a student's studies, students and teachers could stay up to date with what is happening in the world and by doing so, that would give the students relevant data to implement in their courses. For example: Any new aid or trade agreements Australia may have entered into in the last 6 months - This would obviously be useful information for students studying Australian Geography.

RSS feeds for an educational purpose could be quite useful, however, it is not a tool that I would personally use on my own accord.

Module 7

Using an ICT tool like Delicious was a new concept to me and I am yet to be sold on it. I am not someone who really bookmarks that many web pages and nor do I see it as something I will necessarily begin to do.

I do however think it could be utilised with great success in the classroom.
For example, if you set up a delicious account and have each of the students set up an account, it could be a good way of assessing at students bibliography for an assessment. This would mean that each student could share in a good resource found by another student, and it could also mean a teacher could keep a close eye on what resources the students are using and whether or not the information in their assessment correlates with their resources as displayed on their delicious page.
Alternatively, it could be a great way for teachers from the same KLA's or possibly from different schools to share quality resources.

This is not a tool I would personally use but as a resource for school I think it could be quite effective.

Module 6

Bubbl.us is a useful tool that I know I will be using again sometime soon. The fact it enables me to create a brainstorm that looks professional with minimal fuss is fantastic. I could see this tool being implemented in the classroom quite effectively too.
How could I implement this tool in the classroom?
I could encourage students to use this tool when completing homework activities. Alternatively as a class we could brainstorm and I could type up the students suggestions, I could then print out a copy for the students and have it to them by the next lesson.
Although it is a very simple ICT tool, it is one which has the potential to be quite a useful tool.

Below is an example of a brainstorm I created about the Web 2.0 course.

Glogster is a site which allows you to create your own poster online. It is free, easy to use and allows you to add many functions, which makes it a popular ICT tool.
Glogster is an excellent tool that I am quite excited about using in the class room. The students would thoroughly enjoy using this ICT tool and that will make it easier keeping them interested in the topics being learnt.
A tool like this not only displays a student's creativity and ICT knowledge, it further develops their skills and promotes growth in their knowledge of the course.
This is a tool that I will certainly be using with my students because I know they will love it!

Below is a link to a Glog I created. Enjoy!

http://fitzgeraldm7.glogster.com/web-20-glogstermf/

Module 5

Podcasting and Vodcasting are both terms I am familiar with although I am yet to incorporate either of them in any of my lessons. They both have the potential to be quite powerful tools in the classroom or at home and they can be used by students at their own pace.
Pods and Vods are easily accessible by students however putting together either tool I'd imagine is quite time consuming. I see Podcasting and Vodcasting as tools that could be used for some variation or possibly revision of material learnt in lessons, but I would not feel confident enough to rely on either of these methods just yet.

You Tube is a tool I have been using in the classroom for sometime now and it is an invaluable resource in my opinion. I never plan a lesson around You Tube, but I can always find time to show a quick 5-10 minute video on something relevant to the lesson for example, some footage of landslides, tsunamis or earthquakes relevant to the Year 9 Elective Geography course.
Some of those Web 2.0 video links also looked quite handy.

I guess I am already on my way to using digital story telling in the classroom, but I am still very cautious. I have found that if you rely too heavily on these things sometimes it really can come back to haunt you!
I am quite comfortable with using You Tube already and the boys always show great enthusiasm when I put a clip on. Although Pods would be my next step I think the effectiveness of Vods would surpass that of Pods either at home or in the classroom, but thats just my opinion in relation to the subjects I teach.

Module 4

Flickr is a certainly a tool that is new to me, but not entirely a new concept. I do feel like it is similar to Facebook although it is entirely based around photos and images.
Generally, if I am going to personally share images I would use Facebook, however I am aware of the copyright issues associated with Facebook, and that is what makes Flickr such a good tool. With Flickr you are able to control what images you want to share and those images you want to keep personal.

For educational purposes, using flickr to store and share images is a convenient and relatively safe method, especially by comparison to some of the other similar ICT tools out there. I also like the idea of having Flickr closely linked to my educational blog or another ICT tool so that I can upload images and already created slideshows with ease to my blog etc, all the while knowing my images are safely stored away for when I want to use them again.


Below is a link of my new puppy Dash which I uploaded to Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/web2-0mf/4970310347/

Module 3

I have never come across Google Docs before and for me this is quite an exciting find. We are in an age now where technology is beginning to dominate our classrooms and the use of Google Docs would eliminate an issue which I have found to be a problem over the years.
As Microsoft continues to move forward every few years with new and updated programs, a lot of us get left behind on older programs. This then causes problems when work is begun in class and then cannot be continued at home because the student's parents have a different version of microsoft windows to that of the school. Google Docs is the answer to this problem.
I think Google Docs is a great resource and certainly a resource I will be using in the near future.

Module 2

"Blogging" is a term I have always heard quite a lot, but I never really knew what it involved, nor did I take any interest in it. However, over the years (especially recently) and through various people, I am aware of the power of blogs and the fact that they are a tool in which you can convey information or your opinions in a simple and comprehendible manner.
Creating a blog for the first time was quite an experience. It was quite easy to set up and is very easy to manage. I was actually stunned at how easy it was to set up a blog. I found it a lot harder completing activity 3 of this module which involved me entering in my blog details into the course wiki (that took some time).
 
Having completed this module, I feel like I understand a lot more about blogging and am confident that I could implement this ICT tool into the classroom quite successfully.


I am of the opinion that blogs have the potential to be an extremely useful tool in the classroom and with more practice I am very interested in starting a blog specific for one of my classes.
I think starting up a blog can be a great way of assessing how well the students are receiving the information learnt in class, or alternatively, it can be a great way to actually learn in class, for example getting students to work on their own blogs and process and document everything learnt in a particular subject. I could then assess their work by being a follower of their pages.

As an ICT tool that could be used in the classroom, for me this really has legs!

Module 1

My name is Matthew Fitzgerald and I am currently in my third year of teaching at Marcellin College Randwick. Having completed the first stage of my NSW Institute of Teachers accreditation process, I saw participating in the Web 2.0 course as a good opportunity for me to actively grow as a teacher and work on my IT knowledge and skills, as well as to build up my inservicing hours as part of the next step in the accreditation process.
I was able to finish module 1 of this course without much fuss. I used to have a Gmail account years ago, so there was no real issue in setting up the account apart from the availability of an email address, which took some time.
I have seen and used some of the gadgets before too. I was however very surprised with the amount of gadgets that are now available and how helpful (and pointless) some of them are. I added so many gadgets to my igoogle page that it took an awful long time to load, so I have had to remove a few of them.

This was a pretty cruisey introduction to a course that I am sure I am going to get a lot out of and it gives me some level of confidence going into the next few modules.