Course reflection

The web 2.0 course has covered a range of tools that can be used as part of the learning process.

Challenging, frustrating , time consuming ...... enlightening and now time for reflection.
E learning
As was indicated in the course, the "e" represents engagement as well as examining emerging practices. Engagement of students in the learning process is vital but there is a need for a warning at this point. Engagement does not equate to learning. Students can be engaged in a task, they can be doing "busy work" without quality learning taking place. It is the role of the teacher, whether they are using traditional methods of delivery or utilising the tools presented in this course, to focus on quality teaching and learning. I was at a meeting during the week where a very relevant statement was made: poor pedagogy is still poor pedagogy even if it is uses e learning tools.

We need to be very careful to maintain quality teaching while at the same time embracing the new tools presented. When using the web 2.0 tools we, as the facilitators, must ensure that the focus is on improved outcomes and on high quality student learning. It is very easy to become carried away with the production of a product with very limited substance when it comes to the learning process.

As teachers we are fully aware that the student who is disengaged is not learning but the reverse can not always be said . The student who is engaged is only " learning" if the activity has been effectively designed to process information, to facilitate student thinking, to emphasise reasoning, to build from existing cognitive structures, to solve or explain complex problems etc. The focus must be on facilitating challenging and intellectually demanding learning for all our students and therefore the effective use of the web 2.0 tools depends upon quality pedagogy.

The constructivist approach to learning emphasises that the student is not a passive recipient of knowledge and that there is not a fixed body of information but rather students build knowledge and the teacher becomes a co-learner. Students are encouraged to accept more responsibility for their learning with an emphasis on deeper knowledge and complex understanding and this can occur with the appropriate use of e learning. This student centred approach is balanced with the demands set within syllabus documents and external assessments.

The concept of anywhere, anytime presented in the video clip in the last sessions (which would have been better placed in the first session!!) is worthy of further exploration. The use of wikis and blogs do give students the opportunity to collaborate "anywhere anytime". There is not a restriction on the exchanges that can occur through social learning communities- they can occur 24/7. Again a word of warning... learning can occur 24/7 but the involvement of the teacher or access to the teacher does not need to occur 24/7.
Learning 24/7 - not teaching 24/7

Blooms taxonomy modification

The modification of Bloom's taxonomy to reflect the use of e learning and the web 2.0 examined is of use. The higher order thinking skills can be reflected in activities that engage students through the use of web 2.0 tools. As with the traditional Bloom's taxonomy, activities can be differentiated to meet the range of learning needs within the one class. If Bloom's is used in conjunction with the multiple intelligences models effective learning gains can be made.

Course structure

I have found many aspects of this course both challenging and frustrating:

• The setup of pages with scrolling within scrolling was of concern. I do not understand why this course could not have been created using a programme similar to Dream Weaver that would have allowed movement between web pages. Such a set up would still have allowed the links to websites and the embedding of video clips.
• My digital footprint has grown and I do not think this is a good thing!!! As part of the course I have been required to register on a range of sites and now have many nick names, log ins and passwords. While I have used a table to record all the log ins, the process is not manageable in the long run.
• I found the instruction in some parts of the course or in some of the programmes very unclear. For those who have been raised with computers much of what is presented may be intuitive but for those who have not, frustration develops. In some of the early modules I required the assistance of those who were computer savvy. While I have no problem asking for help, I think that the course should have been able to be understood without the need for further instruction and assistance.

Posting on other blogs

As part of the course I have posted comments on the following blogs:

G Bellamy Module 7

http://gennypat.blogsopt.com/2010/05/module-7.html#comments

C Azar Module 5

http://cathscorna.blogspot.com/2010/04/sandpit-from-ohare-on-vimeo.html#comments

Conclusion

As a result of the course I have learnt about the opportunities that exist in web2.0 and am keen to adopt many of the tools to enhance the teaching and learning with which I am involved. I have already been using some of the tools such as Scootle, pod and video casts, but there are some tools that will not become part of the repetoire of strategies that I use... second life ...

I have followed a number of blogs with interest but I have found the staff room discusssion concerning the course of greater value and I am grateful to my colleagues for their encouragement.

In education we live in an era of change and if we fail to adapt we will be left behind. However, the essence of good teaching remains and it is this that I will keep centred as I continue to evaluate the worth of web 2 tools.

Module 10

A wiki is a simple website that allows users to create and edit material and can be a very useful tool in education. I see its power in the fact that individual and groups can work collaboratively to create understanding. As each student or group adds information the combined knowledge grows. The wiki can be used to share research and compile data. A group can take responsibility for creating their own content.

The wiki also allows for changes in a document to be tracked. It is possible to see who has made changes and when they have occured. Information is not lost as each version of the document is stored. Students work on the latest version but can look back at earlier data if necessary and modify the "current" document.

On some occasions when students are developing research material they become preoccupied with the setting out of the material e.g. web page format. They have to master the skills in creating a web site. When using a wiki the process is far simpler and the focus remains on the content.

One concern I have with students developing or creating information is the possibility of incorrect information being put forward as fact. There is a need for the teacher or other expert to review the information created in the wiki for accuracy.

The use of wikis along with a range of other web 2 tools enable our students "to learn how to learn" and encourage the formation of knowledge based networks. Students are developing the skill of creating knowledge and in the new "knowledge economy" this is vital.

Within the classroom the wiki can allow for differentiation with students/ groups being asked to add material with different degrees of difficulty. In addition, lower ability students may write queries that some of the more able students can answer. In this way peer learning can occur.

The use of the wiki in the classroom encourages the concept of each learner being part of a community of learners where each can bring new infromation or experiences to the group and where individual ideas can be shared.

Module 9

This was an interesting module.

I have been using Scootle for some time and have found it has a range of useful activities. Many of the activities are designed for younger students and some are very short. The short activities are great if each student has access to a computer in your classroom but it can be tedious to move a class into a computer room for one quick activity.

I have been able to use a couple of Scootle activities through a learning path to provide for the needs a Life Skills student in a mainstream class. The Life Skills student is able to undertake an activity at his level while the rest of the class follows a different path. Differentiation in this manner has worked well and has meet the learning needs of the range of students.

As with many of the Internet resources it does take time to find and preview the resources in Scootle. Within our school we do email each other when we find particulaly good activities. This type of collaboration can only be encouraged.

I did not like the virtual world of Second Life and would not use it in the classroom.

While I do not have a Face book account, I am very familiar with this social network site and can see its value as a means of "keeping in touch" with friends and family.

Module 8

Having updated material at your finger tips is exactly what teachers in the HSIE key learning area require. To have the latest postings from the Reserve Bank or from other institutions will certainly enable both Economic teachers and students to remain current without the need to trawl through older material.
Care will need to be taken in being selective with the site that are added to your subscription list or you will be overwhelmed with material and will fail to look at what has been linked.
As a class it could be possible to have students set up a similar list of subscriptions and to ask them to comment via a wikki on what new materail they have received and its link to the area of study.

Module 7

Using Delicious has many benefits as the number of excellent sites in my "favourites" list continues to grow. To be able to organise and categorise these sites will improve the efficiency in the way I use the Internet.

To gain access to a range of sites which have already been "discovered" by other with similar interests is a great advantage. In this age of teachers being incredibly time poor it makes sense for us to share the sites that we have found. Within each key learning area we are all teaching similar units of work and therefore we are all searching the web for material that will engage the students and enhance their learning. To share what we have found will be to our mutual benefit.

My challenge now will be to add myself to the delicious sites of people with similar interests.
In the classroom, collaborative research can be further encouraged with students sharing their research and directing other students to the best web sites they have found.