reflection

Before taken this course, I thought I had integrated technology into the curriculum quite well. I did use powerpoint presentations and I got students using the internet with webquests and the likes. But, I was not aware of the possibilities that webtools can enhance teaching and learning. I never heard of the term web 2.0 before, but I’ve used some of the tools without knowing it’s web 2.0. The fact that these tools were allowing consumers to be producers never struck me, because I had not made the distinction between the web as a static platform versus a dynamic one.

Initially, when I heard we had to write a blog, I was a bit apprehensive. I did not know what it would look like or how I was going to document my experiences. Writing and maintaining a blog was a new thing for me. It was not that the blog was difficult to setup or that it was complicated to use. The reason that I was apprehensive was who the audience was going to be – the world. Throughout all my schooling, all my work that was produced were for the eyes of one person, and that was the teacher/instructor’s. Sure, there were instances of peer review, but that was half a dozen people at most. I quickly got over the anxiety of writing on a blog, because the focus had shifted onto the webtools. The weekly examination of a new web 2.0 tool was both exhausting and invigorating. The process was made easier by reading others’ blogs and comments, which helped in the creation of my own understanding. I don’t think I would have learned as much if it wasn’t for the feedback and the blogs of my classmates.

The web tools for the most part were not very difficult to use, expect for podcasting – that I would get to later. Tools like Flickr, Facebook, and Voicethread were easy to setup. The question that I constantly ask myself is how can I use this tool positively to affect teaching and learning? How can I use this in my teaching today? Week after week an impromptu cost benefit analysis was done for the web 2.0 tools. I’m still learning to develop a critical eye when looking at educational tools. I realize that if it’s new technology that doesn’t necessary make it beneficial for learning. That’s the whole idea of moving away from “hands-on” to “minds-on”, which I need to apply in my teaching.

There was one tool that I was not aware of before this course, and now I could not live without it, it's social bookmarking tools. Before my realization of sites like Furl, I would save my favourites onto the computer. Everytime I used a different computer or installed a new operating system I had to manually copy and transfer the links over. Del.ici.ous is now one of my most used tool of mine. Back in the old days (4 months ago), if I wanted to share I link, I would e-mail to that person. Now I can share hundreds of links and resources just by giving out my del.ici.ous url.

The most challenging tool to learn and use was podcasting. Most of the other tools can be created directly on the web. Podcasting required a multi-step process of recording, uploading, and broadcasting. Editing a piece of audio was new for me, and I spent alot of time trying to perfect the podcast. I found that the Mac OS was easier for podcasting because of software that was available. Through online tutorials and blogs, I was able to create and upload my first podcast successfully.

There's a Chinese Proverb that says: I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand. This is especially true for technology. I have learned a great deal by exploring the web tools and through trial and error. Having now subscribed to a few educational technology blogs, I will now be informed of new webtools and will take an explorative attitudewhen trying them out.

As the futurist Alvin Toffler once said, " The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." Technology is going to change, so learning, unlearning, and relearning will be needed to adapt to such change. This learning experience is just the beginning of many more to come.

web 2.0 pro-d

All of the web 2.0 tools that we have looked at thus far can be used in the classroom. Some are easier to use than others, but all of them have educational value. In deciding what tool I would introduce to the staff, I had to examine how computer technology is currently being used at my school. The computer lab is part of the library. As a teacher librarian, I have the opportunity to see different classes, and to observe how teachers and students use the lab. Quite often, the computers are mainly used for typing, playing games, and doing research. Knowing that, I wanted to choose a tool for professional development that the teachers can use and implement immediately. Videos are not new to the classroom. There are media departments in school districts that acquire and deliver such resources to schools. From the days of the film projectors to today's video on demand, the medium has changed, but the intent of showing moving footage with sound in order to complement the curriculum is still there. I think introducing YouTube as the first webtool will be beneficial because teachers are already familiar with the benefits of audio-visual. It is now in a different format - on the web, on YouTube. YouTube (videosharing) will be a great springboard to understanding the web 2.0 paradigm and the web tools' collaborative nature.

YouTube's educational potential :

You Tube is ranked the 7th most accessed site in the world; therefore, people are converging to this site from all over the world. Over 1 million videos are showed each day, and 12-17 years old are 1.5 times more likely to visit YouTube than the average internet surfer. Our students are using YouTube already. Their main purpose for accessing YouTube is for entertainment, but YouTube can still be used in an educational setting. The benefit of YouTube is it's streaming video, so there is no need to download software. Unlike DVDs and VHS, anyone can access it with a computer and an internet connection.

How can videosharing be used in teaching and learning?

I've used YouTube on many occasions as a hook to a lesson or unit. I found that the students were engaged with the content easily. There are videos that are related to the curriculum, but one needs to search for it. Video clips are a good hook to a lesson or unit. It captivates the students' attention and motivates them.

I will demonstrate a lesson that I've done using YouTube as a hook and as a centrepiece for discussion. This demonstration shows how YouTube and video sharing can complement the curriculum. Next is the developmental phase, where I will ask my colleagues what units or subjects they are teaching right now. We will search together for clips that are relevant to the curriculum. There are different video sharing sites out there like YouTube, TeacherTube, and Google Video, which will be looked at. We will venture to the channels on YouTubes dedicated to educational content. There is also a group on YouTube where educators can discuss and share videos with each other.

Using sites like YouTube is a good way to address the multiple intelligences especially the visual learners.

Once the consuming side of YouTube is mastered, we can then explore more into the production side of things.

blogs as pd

There are many ways that blogs can be used as a teaching tool to enhance learning in students. It can also be used as a communication tool with parents, staff, and the community. How about blogs as a professional development tool?

A blog is like an online journal. You write and people can comment on your post. Blogs are ideal as a platform for self-reflection. It is beneficial in keeping a journal, so you can keep track of the experiences and challenges. Not only that, others can comment on your views and insights. I enjoyed reading my classmates’s blog entires. The opportunity to read so many different perspectives on the same issues or tools is inspiring.

Throughout the course, I’ve been following a few blogs. The first one is Educational Technology. There isn’t really much of a discussion, but rather a posting board of interesting news and theories of technology use in education. Ray Schroder, University of Illinois professor, is the editor of the blog.

Blogs:

Remote Access - Clarence Fisher a teacher from Northern Manitoba writing about what it means to be literate in the 21st century. This is a good example of how web 2.0 has made it easier for people from different parts of the world to communicate with each other regardless of their location. Fisher said, “This blog is proof to me that people who live on the margins can gain a voice in the 2.0 world. Informational availability and transparency has gained importance. Most important is the fact that we have changed from being voices alone crying in the wilderness (some of us more in the wilderness than others ;) to a network, a community of learners examining each other's practice. This is my blog. I write here as much as I can. But it is only because of all of the comments, the kind thoughts, the people challenging me and driving me forward that this space continues to exist.”

The Fischbowl -
The Fischbowl was an extension of a staff development session in order “to continue the conversation”. It has evolved into a blog that explores issues relating to 21st century learning skills.

Anne Clyde, in Shall We Blog (TL 30:1), stated “weblogs are an empowering phenomenon; they make it possible for everyone to publish and to have other people read and respond to what they say. On the other end of the spectrum, Clyde mentioned, that there are blogs that provide updates from authoritative commentators in their field.

I believe that the following are some Teacher-Librarian blogs that contain “authoritative commentators”:

Wanderings -
Thoughts about libraries, information technologies, and information literacy.

Joyce Valenza’s Never Ending Search - A blog that we are all familiar with.

I definitely learn from others’ knowledge, practice, and insight. However, it is time consuming to check each blog. That is why I love RSS aggregators and feeds. I can subscribe to a blog by adding the feed to my aggregator, which is Google reader, and I can see the new and updated posts. I can quickly skim through the headings and pick and choose which article I would like to read. Blogs and RSS aggregator is essential to my professional development, because I need to constantly stay updated with the technology and theory. This speaks to the whole idea of life learning, which is what we strive to instill in our students. Blogs are part of my life long learning for sure.

My experience with Facebook

I've been using Facebook for less than a year. It's been mainly used as a communication tool with friends and family. Facebook is a good way to keep in touch and see what everyone else is doing. Photos and videos can be uploaded and shared for everyone to see. There are privacy settings that users can control, but it's still possible for a security breach as discovered last week. It's important to consider the materials before uploading them. If I decide to use Facebook in an educational setting, I would setup a different account to use for contact with students, parents, and colleagues. 

Students are using Facebook for discussion and homework help as evident in the alleged cheating case with a Ryerson student. Facebook is a tool for online communication and collaboration. I've found a list of educational applications that you can add on Facebook. Some examples are flashcards, virtual book shelf, and online study group. 

What is social networking?

What is social networking? Social networking sites are sites where users meet online to share and exchange information. They can post images, videos, files, and comments online. Users begin the socialization process by creating an online profile. The users are able to search out other profiles, and begin to make connections. There are many different networks and groups that users can join. Social Network sites are really just a collection of Web 2.0 tools combined into one that helps to build an online community

Risks 

Nancy Willard listed some potential risks for teens using social networking sites: 

Unsafe disclosure of personal information -- providing potentially dangerous or damaging personal information. Many teens appear to have no understanding that what they post in those communities is public, potentially permanent, and accessible by anyone in the world.

Addiction -- spending an excessive amount of time online, resulting in lack of healthy engagement in major areas of life.

Risky sexual behavior -- becoming seduced by a sexual predator or child pornographer, posting sexually suggestive material or self-producing child pornography, or making connections with other teens for sexual "hook-ups.

Cyberbullying -- being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material online or through a cell phone, or by engaging in other cruel actions.

Dangerous communities -- at-risk youth making connections with other at-risk youth or adults to discuss and share information, which can result in a shared belief in the appropriateness of potentially very harmful activities.

The things that Willard mentioned is not just limited to social networking sites. These kinds of risks are prevelant in any cyber environment. It is something that definitely needs to be considered and discussed with students. (Nancy Willard-Education World) 

I came across a debate about social networking on The Economist website: The topic that was debated was social networking technologies will bring large [positive] changes to educational methods, in and out of the classroom. Ewan McIntosh, the proponent is the National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures for learning and Teaching Scotland, he stated that social networking is helping learners "become more world-aware, more communicative, learning from each other, understanding first hand what makes the world go around." We are living in a global society. With the advancement of globalization, the world is truly getting smaller.  21st century students need to think of the world and communicate with the world.   

McIntosh also mentioned that social technologies, like social networking sites, "help us learn when we're outside the domain of formal education." Students don't stop learning because it's 3pm and school is over. They continue to learn online through their peers as their teachers. I know many students go online and discuss homework and projects afterschool and on the weekend. McIntosh said, "We need to have a lifelong set of peer-teachers on whom we can rely to thrive and social networks provide that ever-changing network of peers." This speaks to the notion of life long learning that we want our students to embrace. 

Michael Bugeja, director of Greenlee school of Journalism and communication provided the argument against social networking: He argued that online social networking acts as a substitute for real-world interaction. He argues that the more successful The opponent to social networking sites in education argued that online social networking acts as a substitute for real-world interaction. He hypothesized that the more successful that social networks become the greater damage they might do. This might be true. If people are spending all their time on these sites they might neglect their relationships and other responsibilities. On the contrary, people who have many "real-world interaction" might just be extending it to cyberspace. 

Sites for younger students?

Social networking for young users:http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=37032&CFID=1475029&CFTOKEN=82574361 There are social networking sites for young users and Whyville.net is just one of them. Whyville.net is a online social networking site that is game-like in nature and resembles a virtual world. "They must manage money, make sure they eat properly, and have the ability to communicate with others." To begin, users need to create an online character so they can travel through the virtual world. There is a good detection system to monitor language use. If student's used foul language or discussed inappropriate topics then they will not be able to talk for a few days. They also need to pass a test in order to start communicating with others. This seems like a viable option to Facebook. I will investigate more about sites catered to school-aged children. 

My Voicethread

This is my voicethread about the fur trade route. The doodling feature enhanced the presentation because I can highlight and illustrate the route along with my voice commentary. 

What's a voice thread?

Voicethread is a site where you can upload almost any digital media ranging from a photo to a powerpoint presentation and share it online. The neat thing about it is that it allows other viewers/users to make comments in 5 different ways. Comments can be made by using voice (microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video. Web 2.0 tools allow for collaboration and interaction, and voicethread takes it to the next level by allowing more options to develop your voice.

Like most web 2.0 tools, the setup was easy and quick. All that was required was an e-mail address and an user-created password. I decided to browse through voice thread to see some examples of the different voice threads. It's like a slide show with commentaries by voice, text, audio, or video. There is a feature called video doodling, where you can draw on the picture itself. People were posting their pictures from vacations and others commented on the photos. One problem that I saw was the lack of security features. You can make the voice thread public or private, and that's about it. There doesn't seem to be a feature that allows or prevents certain users from accessing the voice thread. This can lead to online vandalism. For example, the voice thread that teaches how to make Hoisin steak. Some users were recording random things that weren't related to the cooking process. Also, others were doodling/scribbling all over the pictures.

According to Brenda Dyck, from the University of Alberta, "teachers and students are using Voicethread as a storytelling tool, a deep thinking tool, a research tool, an expository communication tool, and even an assessment tool." I think Voicethread would be an excellent teaching and learning tool. Voicethread allows teachers and students to share their thinking and knowledge. Students can show their learning in different ways - orally or written. Also, students can learn through different means and utilize different skills such as listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing.

Some examples:

Library tour

I like this tour of the library. This is a good example of how you can use this tool to guide students or explain something without you or them being physically there.

Language lesson - assessment tool

Learning a language requires the use of a multitude of skills like listening, speaking, writing, and reading. Voicethread can easily facilitate language learning and development. Teachers can record the correct pronunciation and associate it with an image. As an assessment tool, students can doodle on the objects and say and label them. They can also describe and comment on a given image or photo in the target language.

Web 2.0 potentials

Voicethread is a good tool for collaborating and sharing information with others. This voicethread was created to highlight the potentials of web 2.0 technology.

The security/privacy level is at the level that I'm not comfortable with. I discovered many incidents of online vandalism, which I don't think anyone, especially young students should endure. Also, it seems that the different voice comments left by users cannot be rearranged or removed. I still need to play around and try to figure that out. Other than that, this is a tool that I will definitely use.