Module 10: Learning Communities, Constructing Knowledge Together

For all the changes that have taken place in education over the years, the focus still remains on the people. The recent changes in technology have provided a major catalyst for a whole new approach to the education system. However, it is still just a tool and it will only ever be as effective as the people who make up the learning community and the lifelong learning opportunities it provides.

What is a wiki? A wiki is a great example of Web 2.0 technology. It enables anyone to create content online using tools. The most famous wiki is Wikipedia - an online encyclopedia created by users from around the world. Some example of how wikis can be used in classrooms include:

create online text for your class
students publish researched information or presentations using a wiki
create digital portfolios for students
create collaboration opportunities between classes
expanding your teaching beyond the classroom walls

Teachers can also use wiki's for PD, connecting with other educators to discuss, share and learn from each other.

I had never heard of 'Ning' and it was really interesting to read up on it. For me, the question was, 'what can it do differently to other social networking platforms?' One interesting idea I read up on was setting up a Ning class assignment. Ning provides the necessary Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs or message board and chatrooms. I read how teachers introduced an assignment with the blog or message board and had students respond using the comment feature or posting to the message board. The feature that I thought could also be useful was the option for adding YouTube.

The one that really appealed to me was 'Google Sites'. It is like a wiki, portfolio, blog all rolled into one! The benefit of course would be that all the other Google services eg. Google Docs, Picasa etc would all be embedded. Being free and seemingly easy to use, once your students were of the appropriate age, it would create a fabulous collaborative learning environment for students to improve their digital literacy skills.

Some of the ways Google Sites could be used in the classroom to enhance learning include:

discussion boards, announcements, reading materials etc
use it as a wiki
create a folder for uploaded documents to share with students
create student digital portfolios
collaborative group projects

Comments

DIGITAL SYSTEMS: CSER task 5 - Information Systems

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Module 7: Building Online communities

In today's cyber world, there is a plethora of data out there! Therefore, it's a great idea to discuss and learn different ways to tap into this wealth of information. I have some of my own ways - being the avid iPad user that I am - that I will tell you about later. However, I had not read much about Delicious or Diigo and it was interesting to learn of yet another way to try and itemise useful information for future uses. Upon delving further in Delicious I can see a range of benefits that I currently use. For example: there is never enough time to read interesting articles and its great to be able to bookmark pages, authors or work sites that have great lesson ideas you might like to come back to and trial in your own classroom. a benefit that is an absolute MUST, is the capability to be able to access your bookmarks from any device. it's also beneficial to be able to share interesting articles or sites with students and colleagues that promote discussion and act

Final Reflection

This Web 2.0 course has solidified my understandings and introduced me to some great new tools for the classroom. Web 2.0 has taken hold for educators and is having a significant impact on learning for the 21st century. Overall it can be said that the creation of collaborative learning spaces is huge. What is essential, and something this course most definitely provides, is the necessary and appropriate teacher preparation for the pedagogical impact of using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. It is imperative that teachers feel comfortable and ready to adopt the educational benefits of Web 2.0 E-learning with the iLE@RN pedagogical model can combine to provide the necessary student learning, teacher designed curriculum and creative lesson planning. You cannot just launch students into this style of learning. Skills need to be addressed that incorporate communication, collaboration, questioning, reflection, critical thinking etc so that learning is at its optimum. I am a big supporter

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