Final Reflection

I forsee the immeasurable abundance of knowledge being harnessed by a set of skills performed by digital natives.

The skills will lead to enjoyable learning, as long as they are many and varied. We don't want students becoming 'all powerpointed out', as we saw in the 1990s.

ELearning > Engagement > Involvement > Examination of Practices

Engaging Learning Environments will provide the stimulus for students to go forward, be challenged and succeed.

Anything Anytime Anywhere learning will meet the needs of all students.

Access > Control of information will enable a range of learner abilities to be met.

Mobile learning via technology tools will provide greater access.

Reflective and responsible learners will develop the attitudes, values and skills required to promote a just and equitable society.

Networks of people sharing their knowledge to assist with the greater cause.

No boundaries > physical, geographic, socio-economic to be overcome

Global learning communities to assist the development of skills.

I am responsible for my learning, the key to 21C success.

Fundamental 21C Questions:
How do I learn best?
What skills do I need?
How do I contribute to 21C learning communities?


Learning results from: engagement, challenging, equipped with skills and resources, receive timely feedback to make a valued contribution to both physical and virtual learning communities

Elearning is about:
Leading > Negotiating > Creating 21 C learning spaces > Professional Development using 21C Tools > Collaborative Knowledge creation by teachers and students > varied and timely Assessment of Skills > Learning strategies developed by the teacher modeling whole school model for creating and sustaining change.

Module 10 Wikis and Ning

WIKIS
The process involves the following:
Activity > Planning > Coordinating Input > Wiki

Participants are able to:
Collaborate > Annotate > Update > Publish

Who can participate?
WIKIs are available 24/7 to anyone with an internet connection

The value of a WIKI:
Formalise and ease the planning process, or the collaboration process for a Project:
To accomplish this participants will:
Edit > webpage becomes a document
Save > document becomes a webpage again
Link: > can create a link to a new webpage


NING:
Forum for collaborative work
The unfortunate side of ning.com is that it requires a fee.
I guess we expect the internet resources to be fee free...

* What role do you see for using Web 2.0 tools in your own life as a learner and
a member of online communities?


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

Being a series of collaborative tools they can be used to develop a 21st Century pedagogy.

Gone will be the 'teacher expert', replaced by a set of skills required to obtain the necessary information to participate wholly within society, either as learner, trainee or worker.

The internet has become the central source of data and tools. Equitable access will result in the ability of all to advance themselves and society in general.

Module 9

Social Networking:
What a potential minefield, littered with opportunities and consequences!!!

What are these sites all about?

1. Connectivity, individual social isolation, interaction, collaboration, feedback, anonymity, time consumption, social integration for isolates
2. Social and technological divide between age groups / parental control
3. Promotion of social activities, business, hobbies and talents (bands)
4. Provides a public voice for useful projects and causes
5. Enables users to be creators of content not just consumers
6. Personal safety: trust of ‘friends’, divulgence of personal information, naivety
7. Identity theft
8. Bullying: via text, audio, video causing social / emotional / physical impact
a. who is responsible for controlling cyber bullying
b. e-safety policies and guides
c. establishment of clear boundaries
d. avenue for reporting incidents
9. Publication of anti-social behaviour
10. Use for nefarious purposes

Considerations:
1. Who is the actual real audience?
2. What motivates this audience?
3. What is the real appeal for this audience?
4. What reach do publishers have?
5. Do users fully understand the implications of online publishing?

Module 8 Feeds

This module de-mystifies the concept of 'feeds'.
It demonstrates the old and new ways of receiving up-to-date information on topics of interest to the computer user.
Old way: sit at a computer and logon to blogs, news sites etc
New way: new things come to you via a single website

You need:
1. a Reader e.g. Google Reader (with an account)
2. setup connection between Reader and Favourite sites; Subscriber
a. RSS Feeds; click and the Page will open
b. XML Feeds; copy the URL and Paste into Add Subscription

What is RSS?
RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.
Why RSS?
It allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in. You save time by not needing to visit each site individually.
My Privacy
You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each site's email newsletter.

The number of sites offering RSS feeds is growing rapidly and includes big names like Yahoo News.

Feeds are for the convenience and control of information that hits your desktop.

Module 7 Social Networking

The Bookmarking exercise is easy to follow, quite intuitive.
In terms of the Web 2.0 Tools modules; I have found them most rewarding as it changes the pedagogy and thereby challenges us to think and act differently before, during and after lessons.

Our students are digital natives, irrespective of their socio-economic background, and if we are to educate and challenge them, we must adopt their 'playing field'.

The game is the same, just the rules are different.

Module 6 Mind Mapping Bubbl.us and Glogster

Mind Mapping
www.bubbl.us

Bubbl.us provides a Brainstorming and Mind Mapping Online resource:
• Central idea > tangents for development of idea, top-down hierarchical design tool
• Fun to use for students
• Effective form of planning as the visual proviides stimulus and reinforcement
• Soft copy to hard copy available
• Collaborate > Work with Friends
• Web storage > 24/7 accessibility
• Export / import
• Help box provides guidance



Bubble buttons:
1. Parent bubble
2. Child bubble (press Enter key)
3. Sibling same level as Child (Press Tab key)

Share:
3. Via friends
4. Via Print
5. Via Export > Image XML HML
6. Send Read Only link to an email box


Glogster:
www.glogster.com.au

What is it?
An Editorial Cartoon (not comic book) building site.

What can you do?
Users can combine text, pictures, graphics, video, and audio to create an interactive online poster that you can embed it into a wiki, blog, or school / class web site.

How can it help the learning process?
1. Motivates students to be involved, to contribute, to learn from their research
2. Teacher can logon and check student progress, provide feedbackFacts about a topic can be displayed
3. Comments can be made by the editor, and opinions suggested
4. Can be shared by being embedded within WIKI

What does it allow you to do?
• Combine text, graphics, audio, video
• Create videos, podcasts to share in glogster

Module 5

Digital resources not only provide teachers with a wealth of information and mediums, but students as well.

Our digital natives use these resources on a regular basis and are very familiar with them. So, tap into the students as a potential resource. Give them ownership and see the dynamic change and evolve.

These resources provide opportunities for collaborative knowledge and skill growth. For 21C learning they are a must. They provide the medium, the information and the intuitive ability to develop skills.

Geoffrey

Module 4

Flickr is an accessible medium for the management and distribution of image media. It's easy to share the media via the Search function using either a name or email address. As well there is the ability to use a Guest Pass. Having image media available on the web increases accessibility, as they are available whenever and wherever the users are. For users of social sites the media can be shared via facebook, twitter, yahoo or blogs. I took the opportunity to post some images that comment today's technology in the light of past experiences, as cartoons they provide satirical value.


Copyright is an issue that must be understood by teachers and students alike.  It is too easy for users to convince themselves that because there is no access fee the material must be copyright free. Educationalists have a responsibility here to promote good web citizenship, and at the same time protect the content of web contirbutors.

Module 3 Google Docs

Google Docs enables the power of sharing and collaborating on a document to assess its value, make improvements and finally publish.

The process is simple; Visit Google docs, Login, Upload drafts, Share / Invite Collaborators

 There are many uses and advantages to be gained from using Google Docs: 

(1)  Accessibility 24/7 globally

(2)  There is always only one visible document edition for all users / collaborators to work with.

(3)  Replaces multiple address emails and the associated copies of the document

(4)  Tracking of who is inputting / how much / how often / improvements in the quality of their input

(5)  Larger audience inspires better work

(6)  Replaces physical meetings

Remeber the process to publishing is straightforward:  brainstorm / draft / revise / edit / publish (upload)

Geoffrey

Module 2 Learning

The experience of this Module is to create a blog.  The procedure is straightforward.  I found the ability to design your own blog useful, if a little extravagant.  To me the purpose of a blog is to communicate more than to decorate.  I like the ability to share or not share a blog.  I found accessing the Wiki to add my details frustrating as the webpage form loaded very slowly and would not allow me to enter my details.

Module 2

Blogging:  Blogs are designed to be a collaborative tool.  Like all tools the fundamental question is; how can this tool further enhance my teaching and learning?  The tool must enable communication to be equitable and available.  The ability to build a response to a question or activity is one advantage of blogging.  Let's not forget that the means, the ability to communicate, is just as important as the end, the collaborated material, for some users.  The 'magic' of the internet as a communication medium is demonstrated by blogs.                                                   

Module 1

Simple, easy to follow instructions to get going.

 I have maintained an MSWord Table with useful sites I have already found along with a description, for future reference and to make available to all staff.

Tip:  Create a password different to all other passwords that can be used for all Course associated sites.

Geoffrey