Delicious/Netiquette/Blogs/Google Reader

Delicious is a wonderfully useful tool that helps save time trying to track down and find sites that you have previously visited. By using this tool and bookmarking and tagging the website you want, it takes you straight to where you want to bew. No hassle!

Blogs are really great aslo as they allow you to keep in touch with friends/ co-workers and peers. It provides people with the opportunity to comment on what you have said whihc in turn leads into an in depth conversation. Unfortunately with blogs there is little privacy as most people are able to view what is being said and track your comments and concersations. this is very dangerous in a schol context and I think that there are other safer tools that could be used.

Google reader is a fantastic tool and saves me plenty of time. it ensures that I am able to keep track of who has posted any new comments without the hassle of having to sort through everyone's blogs individually to check for new postings.

Netiquette is really quite important and some people unfortunately take it for granted I think. Netiquette is all about being courteous to people and engaging in ethical communication.It is about proffreading what you type in such things as emails and blogs prior to sending them. This ensures that nasty comments and fights do not errupt because something was said out of context.

Movie Maker/ Feedburner

Feedburner and Movie Maker are both multimodal tools in whihc the learner can present their information. I do not think I would ever use Feedburner in my classroom, however Movie Maker I could see to be useful for students to engage in. Oliver's Learning Design Framework applies to the Movie Maker tool in the sense that it is multimoda. I feel that students would get more out of the Movie Maker tool opposed to feedburner. The movie maker tool allows students to take responsibilyt and be creative, it could be used assome form of assessment task where the teacher can gauge the students understanding.

Amy

SYNOPSIS!!!!

Over the past six weeks I have engaged with various styles and types of tools that have the potential to work extremely well in classroom practices if applied properly. A list of all of the tools that I have investigated throughout my journey can be found by looking at Appendix 1. Each and every one of these tools as mentioned before has potential for enhancing student learning in some way, if used correctly and in appropriate contexts.

Using online tools such as the ones I have engaged with throughout my journey can help teachers to scaffold student learning while at the same time providing students with ownership of their work. Preferred learning styles are also catered for using these tools. This is highlighted by McInerney and McInerney when they state that a student’s engagement in a given activity is based upon how they operate as a learner (McInerney & McInerney, 2006). During my journey and through the use of one of the online tools, I discovered my own learning style. Results show that I best learn in a social context with the use of visual aids. More information on my learning style can be found by looking at my blog- http://amyjo89.blogspot.com/2009/07/style-scores-visual-9-social-11.html.

As a result of this journey, I have discovered that there are many amazing tools out there that are readily accessible depending on your requirements and preferences. Personally, I discovered that I most like blogs, PowerPoint, web quests and the Learning Place. I feel that as a learning manager you really need to find all the sources out there that are available and safe to use and then decipher through them to work out what it is that you feel most comfortable teaching and working with. You then need to identify what tools best cater for your specific group of learners’ needs. As there are so many varieties of tools available, catering for everyone’s needs is now achievable.

Blogs are something that are relatively easy to create, however do come with some safety issues. This is not a major problem however, so long as teachers initially make students aware of the safe, ethical and legal operations involved. Students need to be made aware that anything they take of someone else’s work, whether it be written text, audio or visual that the source must be recognized and reference needs to be made to where it was derived from. This is something that the teachers must continue to reinforce. Blogs are an excellent way of communication between students and can be used to provide peer evaluation. They promote students to use higher order thinking when they are commenting on other people’s blogs also (Eisner, 2000).

PowerPoint is a very basic tool compared to some other available tools; however it is still really excellent in the applications it contains. My favourite thing about PowerPoint is that you do not need the internet. This is such an advantage of this tool as some schools do not have access to the internet or they simply choose to operate using the intranet. The band width of a school is also an issue when it comes to internet and with PowerPoint this is not a concern. PowerPoint can be used in many different ways, whether it is for a presentation, assessment task or for other uses such as photo slideshows to share with friends and family. Teachers can use it to present lessons and then provide students with printouts of each slide, students can use it as an ICT component to an assessment task or they might choose to make a slideshow of recent camp photos to share with the rest of the school on parade. Whatever the use, PowerPoint is easy to navigate and almost all computers have the program today.

The Learning Place is another very valuable and worthwhile resource to incorporate into classroom practices as it caters for not only student learning but also for teacher scaffolding. Teachers are able to access a resource within this site called Blackboard. Blackboard is a tool that I use regularly at University. I do this to engage with course material that is in addition to what I learn in class and also to refer to material that I have been exposed to during class that I made need to revisit. Teachers can upload there notes from class, any additional information about assessment task etc. Options for students using this tool are endless. They have the freedom to engage in learning objects, forums, chat rooms, blogs and much more. Of these avenues all can be seen to link closely to Keirsley and Schneiderman’s Engagement Theory (1999) and also Oliver’s Learning Design Framework (Oliver, 1999). Students are engaged and working collaboratively with the help and scaffolding the teacher provides.

The final tool in which I believe to be essential in a classroom context includes web quests. Web quests are ideal for both students and teachers. I know this as I have previously created a Web quest and the associated benefits were quite clear and obvious. Teachers have the ability to plan ahead and create a web quest for students to undertake that specifically links to the work being studied. Teachers are able to scaffold the tasks and the learning within the web quest to suit the needs and ability levels of their specific group of learners. Students on the other hand have the opportunity to work with multimodal material, either individually or collaboratively with fellow peers. Not only does the site allow teachers to be specific with what information they want the students to view by adding in hyperlinks to specific web pages, they are responsible for the order in which students complete the web quest. This was teachers are assured that the students are taking all of the required steps in a sequential order which means that nothing will be forgotten or neglected.

All of the tools I have investigated and engaged with over the past six weeks have potential to work efficiently in any classroom. I feel that as Learning Manager’s of the future we need to familiarise ourselves with the available tools and be active in identifying new tools that arise with social change. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and think that someone else will teach our students these vital tools; we need to take charge and be that person! This can be done by working collaboratively with our peers/ co-workers and engaging in discussions. As you can see in Appendix 2 this is what I have done all throughout my learning journey.

Important!! Legal, Ethical and Safe Operations.

Using the internet can be quite a scary concept to fathom at times, especially if you are not computer literate. There are many unsafe and illegal operations that occur through people using the internet. Some people know about and still choose to do these things hoping they wont be caught, others people simply aren't even aware that they are breeching such things as copyright licences. Especially in classroom contexts, teachers need to be very careful that they themslves aren't in breech of any liceneces but most of all that they aren't involving their students in illegal and unethical opertaions through using particular interent tools. This is something that teachers need to be aware of and need to consult their principals if in doubt of whether or not something is safe to use.

I have in recent times been informed of a rule that outlines you can only use 10% of a persons work at any one time and that anymore than that is illegal. this does not oocur in all cases, however, it is a very common and general rule that is always good to remember. having said that there are many unsafe tools to use on the internet, there are also a lot of safe ones too. Such sites as ones that I have previously mentioned in my Blogs including things like the Learning Place are always safe to use as they are educational and backed by the government.

Amy

Blackboard

This tool is one that I have become very familiar with over the past year and a half that I have been studying at Univeristy. It is a really fantastic tool for many reasons as it benefits both students and teachers/lecturers immensely. Teachers are given the option to upload new information as they please and to update the site whenever required. students on the other hand are gievn the opportunity to take charge of their own learning away from campus. This links to Keirsley and Schneiderman's Engagement Theory as students are in control of how much they engage with the materials that lectureres and teachers upload. It provides students with the opportunity also to collaborate with their fellow peers using such places as the discussion board. It is also very benefical for those students who cannot attend University on campus and who study by flex as they are able to keep up with the learning that is occuring by engaging with the resources on blackboard.

Amy

Interactive Whiteboard

Prior to commencing this course I had heard a lot about this tool, however never really understood how it worked exactly. After having it demonstrated to me in a tutorial, I can now see what everyone was talking about. This tool is great to use in classrooms as it is engaging for the students and teaches them how to use computers and the associated technology. Interactive whiteboards are basically a touch screen whiteboard that you navigate like a normal computer without having to use a mouse, instead you use a pen.
Another benefit to using this tool and incorporating it into your classroom is that you can also buy a mobile version of it called Mimio. This would be ideal for teachers who teach part time or teacher who do relief work as they can take the resource wherever they need it on a particular day. It could also be used in other professions such as in business meetings where you are presenting information to a room full of people in a seminar.

Both Oliver's Framework and Keirsley and Schneiderman's Engagement Theory would apply to this tool as it would be engaging for the students to use and view given that it is multimodal.

Amy

Weebly

Weebly is a tool in which people are given the opportunity to create their very own website, relating to whatever they may choose. Although websites are fantastic options for many people and can be used for many different purposes including advertising a business or product, they are very dangerous tools. The fact that anyone can access it can be quite scary, especially if it is produced or contains anything about a minor. This thereofre means that the safety of the students who would use this tool can not be guaranteed. I personally would not use this in my classroom for this reason. I tend to feel that there are many other safer available tools that would be more beneficial for students to engage with. As with other tools that I have previously mentioned throughout my blog, this particluar tool closely aligns with Keirsley and Schneiderman's Engagement Theory as students are in total control of the information they view and produce.

Amy

Quizzes

There are probably more sites than simply ClassMarker that involve quizzes, however this is the one in which I have had experience with during my e-learning journey. This particular site provides teachers with the opportunity to create online quizzes for students to complete that will be marked by the website, providing both student and teacher with immediate results. I believe this would be a really good site for teachers to incorporate into their classrooms practices as it encourages students to activate their prior knowledge and to use higher order thinking to answer the questions within the quiz.

I personally don't feel that this is something I will use in my classroom a great deal as it does not cater for all learners' needs. I feel that quizzes such as these do not provide a very accurate means of testing and that gauging a students knowledge and ability is not the best way of finding out what it is they know and what needs to be taught in more detail.

Keirsley and Schneiderman's Engagement Theory applies to this tool as students would be engaged and enthused by the fact that they are receiving on the spot feedback. They would more than likely see it as a type of competition between peers.

Amy

Mediafire

Mediafire is a really useful tool that is free for people to use. It is what is known as a file hosting site that enables people to save documents using the internet. This is really good for people who may forget to take their USB sticks with them and who aren't on their own computers. They have the option to safely save it to the interent so that it is there for them to access at a later stage.

As there is both an input process and also an output componnent to this tool, it can easily be linked to the Active Learning Framework.

Amy

The Learning Place

The Learning Place is one of the best tools I have come across to date. Both schools in which I have completed prac at have both been very much in favour of incorporating it into their classroom practices. It is an excellent site that is Education Qld approved, which means total safety for all users. As an embedded feature of this tool, hundreds of Learning Objects can be found. These Learning Objects are digital copyright free resources that teachers can incorporate into units or lessons of work for the students to engage with and complete. There are a variety of learning objects that look at many different KLA'S. They are also designed according to specific year levels which is great for teachers as they do not have to sort through hundreds of learning objects to find what they are looking for.

I know that I will be using the Learning Place in my teaching practices as it is beneficial for the students learning to be exposed to as many different tools as possible, especially if you know that it will engage the students in learning that enthuses them.

Oliver's Learning Design Framework is able to be linked to this tool as it aids teachers in scaffolding the students learning.
Amy

Incompetech

Incompetech is a great tool for students to use as it allows them the opportunity to download music for free to use in their work or assignments. The fact that the music is free to download makes it possible for schools to use, which is really beneficial for the students. It is also great news for teachers as they do not have the concern or worry of breeching any copyright laws that are associated with other music download companies/sites. It is safe for the students to use and as along as the music is accompanied by a reference of where it came from.

The only instance in where I could really see myself using it as a teacher is if I was to make it an essential feature of the students assignment where they had to find music to accompany the task. Powerpoint may be an instance where students could use it or even digital storytelling. If students were to include the music from this site in such things as a powerpoint, multimodes of communication are clearly evident. This in turn means that Oliver's Learning Design Framework applies.

Amy

Tag Galaxy

This is probably another one of my favourite tools as it is so extensive in the varitey of photos and images it contains. This is an ideal tool for teachers to use in their classroom practices as it can aid them in describing the concept in which they are trying to get students to understand. The images on this site are also very valuable resources that can be used to compliment other tools such as Powerpoint. Students that are given such tasks as completing a powerpoint can simply go to the Tag Galaxy website and find what photo it is they are looking for and then include it in their slides. Tag Galaxy is also useful in the sense that students can search for what they are looking for and often find aspects of a topic in which they had neglected to consider. It is a great tool for enhancing students to think more deeply about other possibilities. Oliver's Learning Design Framework applies to this tool as it not only scaffolds the learning for students but it also helps teachers to plan their ideas and really capture what it is they want the students to get from the task they set.

Amy

Flickr

Flickr is an excellent tool that explores the idea of photo management and sharing. Flickr is ideal for people who have family and friends that they want to share their photos with as it is free and gives you the option to share with the everyone or simply a small group of people you choose. A really important feature offered by Flickr is know as Creative Commons. Creative Commons explores the idea of copyright and provides alternatives for the person who is sharing their photo/image. The Creative Commons feature consists of four alternate categories in which the photos are able to be used for. These four features include:

Attribution: You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your copyrighted work - and derivative works based upon it - but only if they give you credit.
Noncommercial : You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your work - and derivative works based upon it - but for noncommercial purposes only.
No Derivative Works: You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform only verbatim copies of your work, not derivative works based upon it.
Share Alike:You allow others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work.

This above definitions have come from the flickr website
http://www.flickr.com/

Here is a link to a photo I have found of a dragonfly using Creative Commons:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelzimmer/3838152959/

Flickr can be linked to Keirsley and Schneiderman's Engagement Theory, as students will undoubtedly be engaged in the task due to the fact that they are in charge of their learning and the photos in whihc they choose to use for the particular set task.

Amy

Voice Thread

Voice Thread is a tool that again relates to group coversations. Voice Thread is about sharing multimedia slideshows that contain images, videos and documents. It is a site where people can easily work their way through the pages of the slideshow to leave comments using either their voice, written text, audio or video. Although I don't personally believe that I will incorporate this into my teaching practices, I do think it could be beneficial to use for peer evaluation tasks. students would be able to each create their own slideshow and then other students are able to comment on these by leaning any of the 5 different types of comments. Because of the many different types of commenting that can be used, the tool is seen to be mutlimodal. This in turn links to Oliver's Learning Design Framework.

Amy

Ning

Ning is very similair to many other sites that are already established and used by people all around the world. Ning is basically a social networking site where people can create their own group or network of people to communicate and chat with about whatever they please. It is also really great for people who want to join in a group that shares a common interest to themselves. Keirsley and Schneiderman's theory aligns closely with this tool as it is purely about social netweorking and collabortivvely communicationg with groups in the community.

Although a great tool for people who like chatrooms and collabortive communication, I personally do not think I will use this in my classroom as I think there are many other easier and more beneficial tools available.

Amy

Digital Storytelling

I absolutely love this tool. The options for incorporating this into teaching practice are simply endless. By using My e-book teachers are able to deliver content and teach students about the characteristics of a book in a more intersting and engaging way than by simply using a hard cover book. This idea can easily be linked to Keirsley and Schneiderman's Engagement Theory as students would be enthused to create and read stories that are presented in digital format.

Personally, I have found this tool to be so beneficial when working with students who struggle with reading or who don't particularly 'like' reading. I have used it in tutorial sessions with students to engage them and have also used it as a resources where students can create their own story relating to whatever it is that is being taught in the classroom context.

This would be a fantasic tool I think to use across all grade levels and is one that has many additional features. Not only can words and images be inserted, but sounds, voice -overs and u-tube clips are also accessible features. One additional bonuses for schools that makes this tool even more valuable within a classroom is that passwords can be set so that only select people can view it. This is an essential feature to ensure the saftey of all students. Oliver's frameowrk could also be seen to link with this tool as it is mutlimodal and allows students to create their own digital stories.

Amy

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a free,[5] web-based and collaborative multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its name is a portmanteau of the words wiki (a technology for creating collaborative websites, from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning "quick") and encyclopedia. Wikipedia's 13 million articles (3 million in English) have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone who can access the Wikipedia website.[6] Launched in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger,[7] it is currently the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet.[3][8][9][10]

The above definition/information has been taken from the wikipedia website:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a fantatsic tool if used correctly by someone who knows how to decipher information and be critcal analysts. I have used it on many occasions to seek information or definitions of particular words. I think it is a very valuable tool and if used correctly within a classroom environment students will benfit from it. I do believe however that more problems that not will arise with incorporating this into a classroom context. Due to the fact that information can be added by anyone, it therefore means that the information is not always going to be reliable. I feel that although I have used this tool myself on previous occasions that I would more than likely shy away from it when I have my own classroom as dictionaries and other similiar resources such as books etc are more reliable and easier to navigate and decipher what information is right and wrong.

Amy

Picnik

Picnik is a very fun tool to use and would most definitely be an engaging tool for which the students are able to interact with. This notion of the tool being engaging aligns with Keirsley and Schneiderman's Theory in the sense that students are responsible for their work and what they create. Students have the option to simply fiddle with an already existing photo and make alterations to it to further tell a story.They can also create photos to match the work/project they are completing which will add meaning to what they are trying to say.

Amy

Slideshare

Slideshare is by far one of the most useful tools I have come across to date. It comes complete with already created resources that are ready for use. No need to reinvent the wheel.

This tool is a fantastic resource to use in a classroom context as it encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and allows them to control what they view and produce depending on their personal learning style. Aligning closely with both Keirsley and Schneiderman's Engagement Theory, students would not only be interested in their learning as they are making the choices about what it is they want to view, they also have the full control of the information they want to include in their work.

Amy

Powerpoint

I believe Powerpoint is an extremely valuable resource in any classroom context. Prior to commencing University studies, specifically this journey, I had seldomly used powerpoint. I had done the odd photo slideshow using Microsoft Powerpoint for parties etc, however, I had never fully understood the many options available within this fabulous tool.

In the year and a half I have been at University, I have increasingly become more familiar with powerpoint through incorporating it into presentations for assessment. It is an excellent tool to use to accompany any presentation as it can have as little or as much information embedded in it as you please. If desired, powerpoint can stand alone, however, it can also be used as a simple reference point for the presenter if need be. Powerpoint has also been extremely valuable for myself as a learner, as I have been able to access the notes and material lecturer's have presented in tutorials. I find that being able to print out the slides directly from the Powerpoint to be fantastic as you can remind yourself of what has been discussed in tutorials. Often, Powerpoint slides are completed prior to tutorials so that students are able to come ready to class equipped with their copy of the notes so that they can follow along.

Looking specifically at Powerpoint within a classroom context, I honestly believe that all teacher's should be incorporating it into their everyday classroom practices. Through my experiences in classrooms as a student teacher, I have seen Powerpoint used quite regularly for assessment tasks. I feel that through using this tool students will be more engaged than they would be if they were to write a story/ report with a paper and pencil. It is an ideal tool for all students, especially the visual learners. Powerpoint is a safe tool to use and is easily accessible to all schools with no internet connection required.

I know that when I begin my career as a teacher, I will not only be using powerpoint as an assessmnet tool for students to use, I will also be incorporating it into my everyday lessons to ensure that I am catering for all of my students varied learning styles.

Amy

Web Quest

This is one of my all time favourites!! Along with two of my fellow peers I have actually previously engaged in creating a webquest for a past assignment. I probably never really understood the value of one back then, however, having been shown the types of webquests available, I see now that they are a great resource for teachers to use and also a great learning tool for students. By getting the students to complete a webquest, you will not only be engaging them more than you would be if you were to simply give them a booklet to work through but you will also be enhancing their computer skills at the same time.

Amy

Tag Crowd

Hi Everyone,

This tool was one that I really liked and could see myself potentially using in the classroom. I think it would be an excellent tool when creating word walls and spelling lists, however I think that is where it stops. I am slightly confused and possibly not 100% sure of how it works. Can anyone help, what else could you use it for?

Amy

accommodate adjusting construct constructivism experiences founded generates learning live mental models philosophy premise process reflecting rules sense simply therefore understanding world

created at TagCrowd.com

Bubbul.us

Hello Again,

This is one of my new found favourtite tools. I think it is an excellent tool that could be incorporated into any classroom. I know that concept maps can be done on the white board or with pencil and paper in a book, however, doing it this way will be a great deal more engaging for the students. I tend to think that doing it through Bubbul.us is also a great option for students and teachers as you can make a mistake and fix it instantly. If you were doing it on a white board in a classroom, you rub one thing out and you accidentally smudge something else out or erase the wrong bubble and you are constanly correcting yourself. Bubbul.us allows you the option of using many templates that have different shaped stems etc. It allows the students to enhance their creativity skills while at the same time providing them with endless oportunities to go in whatever direction they choose with their concept map. Now that I know how to use and create a concept map with this tool, I kow that I will be using it in what further studeies I have and also when I began teaching in a classroom.

Amy

YouTube

Hi Everyone,

I love U-Tube!! Although I knew about U-Tube prior to commencing my journey in E-Learning, I never really knew how to look things up or in what context clips can be used in. Since talking to people about it and taking a look for myself, I really feel it to be quite an exciting tool. You can find anything your heart desires. In a classroom context I believe this would be an invaluable tool for students to use. They can search for what it is they require and in most cases find it. It will enhance their ability to use the most relevant information as they will have to sort through all of the clips to find the one that is most suitable. It also has the potential to hone their paraphrasing skills. If they search for something and they don't quite get the results they want, they will have to slighty alter the words written in the search bar.
I think both Keirsley and Schneiderman's Engagement Theory as well as Oliver's Learning Design Framework can be linked to this tool as it is multimodal as well as the fact that it would be engaging for the students.

Here is a youtube clip that I could have possibly used in one of my previous units in which I implemented on prac.


Amy

Google Earth

Hi Everyone,

I am so excited about this amazing tool. I had heard people talk about it previously but never really knew how it worked and the endless use of options that come with it. Google earth is an excellent tool to locate particular places of interest. I feel that this could be used in many different situations including:
- Planning a holiday and mapping out your route.
- Giving someone directions.
- In a classroom context, it would be ideal to show children where you are talking about when studying a particular place as opposed to just using the globe whihc is quite hard for 30 students to see.

I know that since I have been made aware of this tool that I have used it to locate a lot of my friend's houses. It is also a really fun and exciting tool as you can look back on old houses in whihc you used to live in. I really do think it would engage students and make it more real for them to see the an actual photgraphed poisture of something opposed to using a globe or an atlas. It has the potential to be much more specific then these previously mentioned resources also.

Thanks Amy