Tool 1 – Wikispaces

Wikispaces, as mentioned before, are much like blogs in my view. There is definitely a positive to them though in ways which it can be personalized to the individuals preference, it can be readily available to anyone who has access to a computer or mobile device that has internet capabilities and has the ability to aide teachers who feel as if students are not getting the information they need when they need it. I have posted a link explaining De Bonos 6 Hats that I hope you will have a quick look at. Enjoy J

Synopsis  

I was a bit hesitant when I first set up a wiki account, just for the fact that I personally link wikis and blogs close together and I prefer blogs. All in all though I set up my wiki account and added a few things to it and did what I could. I felt as if wikis are a lot more complicated to use in regards to the steps that it takes to fully set up and account and how everything is set out. I also feel as if it is not as personal as blogs are to the individual. I much prefer blogs and I will continue using them more than the wiki spaces, but again that is just self preference.

Tool 2 - Bubbl.us

Bubbl.us is a great and inventive tool to use in a classroom environment, whether it be for a primary school setting, showing the paths it takes for evaporation, or whether it is for a secondary school setting showing the different kinds of tournaments that can be used in the sporting environment, it can be accessed by students who were away sick that day or for anyone who wants to update their own personal bubbl.us. This idea of online mind mapping evolves the standard mind mapping and propels it into the 21^st century or as we say digital natives. Have a look at the quick bubbl.us I created, relating to some of the sports that is taught at a secondary level!

Bubble

Just in case that link did not work here is a screenshot of the one that was created

 

 

PMI 

Positive	Negative	Interesting
·         Easy to use ·         Functional to digital immigrants ·         Can design to suit own preferences ·         Can be used and accessed by anyone	·         Some features are hard to locate ·         Finding a URL to share for others can be a hassle ·         Sizing can become an annoyance	·         No specific information needs to be incorporated, whatever the users wants to put into the bubble goes

 Synopsis  

Whilst creating my own bubbl.us, I came across different methods that can help better portray the information that I was trying to get across, this could include simple things such as changing the colour of the bubble to show positive information or negative information (e.g. red for negative and green for positive). It was difficult to give a definite link for the bubbl.us I created because I had to fiddle around with different ways of linking it before I finally added it to my blog but all in all it is very simple to use. Overall I highly rate the bubbl.us tool for the simple fact that it is not complicated and can be used for small pieces of information or large depending on the kind of lesson you are trying to teach.

Tool 3 – Prezi

This is another exciting new tool that will enable students to again recall on a mind mapping activity and share with their fellow students who can either add to one that has already been made or leave as is and give thoughts and opinions on how it can be bettered. I have recently done a prezi up myself to give you an example. Here is the link, let me know what you think!

http://prezi.com/profile/welcome/?license_type=PUBLIC

Synopsis  

Prezi was a tool that I was intrigued about and wanted to know more, so I signed up and did what I could to create a quick and easy template to show fellow students. I was, at the start, overwhelmed by the amount of instructions there were to creating a new Prezi (remember I am not the best with technology and even the smallest bit of instruction on a computer can really confuse me!) yet I stuck to it and in the end created something that I was quite happy with to exemplify the fact that even students, who would much rather see technology being thrown at some stages, can achieve success. I feel as if this alongside bubbl.us are great tools that will launch technology in the classroom forward another step.

Tool 4 – PowerPoint, Images and Websites

These are all tools that have been used by the majority of the teaching cohort and are possibly the most basic form of ICT tools that schools have at this early stage of incorporating ICT into the classroom. PowerPoint has been around for years now and is still able to be an efficient source of teaching regardless of the way it is used. Wendy showed us in the first week of E-Learning how PowerPoint can still be incorporated into the schooling system just in new and inventive ways. Websites have been used and referenced by students for many years (whether or not it is used correctly or not is a different question :p). Images on the other hand have been used for decades now regardless if they have been in the schooling system or not. Photographs have been used as entertainment, advertising and just memories and now have been incorporated in a classroom setting to engage students.

 PMI

Positives	Negatives	Interesting
·         Can be used as singulars or together in classroom activities ·         Related to most students at certain times or certain pictures ·         Able to change during class and be prepared before class	·         New Tools are coming into the classroom that could possibly make this tool obsolete ·         Images can usually give different opinions ·         Websites MUST be referenced at all times (anything of the internet that is going to be reproduced must be referenced	·         The first photos that were used in classrooms were not used as teaching tools or inspirational, they were used as punishment by telling the students they were incompetent and undeserving to be walking along side teachers

Synopsis

Using this tool in the classroom is in doubt a successful practice, but is it really successfully to students these days? I'm sure there are people that have heard the term ‘Death by PowerPoint’ and in some cases it feels like that. I have experienced lessons where it is just a PowerPoint of writing with no engagement whatsoever, so why should this continue to be how PowerPoint’s are used? I find that engaging the students with images, websites or PowerPoint’s can be used in all different ways instead of just the same old same old method. As stated before Wendy showed us all ways that could improve the engagement level of students with techniques that can be incorporated into the lessons. I personally find that this tool is still a extremely effective one, that is if it is used correctly and not as a tool to fill a lesson

Conclusion

E-Learning is not only a way for the distant future, but it is also a way for the near future. Schools all across Australia have embraced this new way of learning and are engaging children to the best of their ability. Students are evolving and are looking for exciting new ways to learn (regardless if they think so or not) so why should we as teachers give them the solution by using ICT in the classroom more regularly and as often as possible. The examples that were given is just a brief insight into what schools will look like in the near future.  

E-Learning.... for better or worse?

E learning has enabled me to find ways in which to not only enhance and further my knowledge within technology, but also offer me new avenues to explore whilst teaching at a secondary school. Technology is moving forward in this generation and teachers need to keep up to date with this. The best way to do this is to familiarise themselves with all different technologies and not just stick to the very basic Microsoft word or PowerPoint. In saying that though, those tools are still extremely engaging and useful to students within the classroom setting. At the rate that technology is evolving, it is hard to see the limits that they have, so it only makes sense for businesses that require technology, such as our profession, to adapt with change. The ability to engage student’s interests within a schooling environment is a strenuous task by any means, relating to their interests is even harder. So the solution to this problem could easily be suggested as... TECHNOLOGY! Technology is ever changing as I stated before, so I think all that we as teachers can do, is change with it. Throughout my next few blogs I will talk about wikis and how they are changing schooling life and also the Plus Minuses and Interests of some other programs that can be used in the schooling system.

Wikis

Unfortunately I was away during this week and I did not catch up this activity due to unforseen illness in my family, yet I have created my own wiki account and played around with it. Although it seems like a different sort of program compared to blogger, I must say that I don’t see the benefit as much as I wish I could have. It seems to me that wikis can aide in the successfulness of a classroom, but it also seems as if blogger can do the same if not more than wiki pages can. I will explain in more detail in later posts about wikis as well as including a reflective synopsis. In saying that I think blogger is the better option, there is no doubt that wiki can aid students develop I personally just cannot see the differences. If there is anyone that can elaborate for me that would be great. Until next time :)

References Department of Education. (2012). ICT in learning. Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/

Hennessy, S., Harrison, D., & Wamakote, L. (2010). Teacher Factors Influencing Classroom Use of ICT in Sub-Sharan Africa. Retrieved from www.cambridgetoafrica.org/.../Hennessy%20etal_FINALpdf

Prensky, M. (2003). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=12562