Today's workshop will provide an overview of some of the technologies I have discovered and how I use them in the classroom. Following a short presentation on what Web 2.0 is, and some of the online tools available, I will show you some of my examples. Then we will set up our own blog, embed You Tube links and look at some other tools that could come in handy.
This year I began teaching at Coburg Senior High School. The school has a unique open plan design which incorporates learning commons rather than classrooms. Student and staff learning is enhanced by an IT rich environment. We do not use textbooks and there are no whiteboards. Teachers therefore need to find ways of teaching that both enhance student learning and use the technology that is provided. So, my challenge this year was to find a way to use some of the Web 2.0 Technology so that is effective in the classroom. My experience is quite limited, and I have learnt by watching other teachers at school, trial and error and using teacher blogs from other schools.
What is Web 2.0?
The following You Tube provides an overview of how Web 2.0 has changed the internet.
The presentation above was something that I created. You can then embed this in your blog using a program called Slideshare. Become a member and then upload your powerpoints. This then allows you to clearly display the content on your blog.
There are new Web 2.0 Tools and Applications popping up everyday. It does become quite daunting trying to keep up with what could be useful to use in applying Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. One site, GO2Web2.0 provides a link to all types of tools and applications. You can search these via category or purpose.
Your Task
Following the You Tube movie and presentation, what do you understand about Web 2.0 and the applications it has in the classroom? Using a wordle, brainstorm your ideas.
A wordle is a toy that allows you to create word clouds from the text that you provide. Instructions on how to create a wordle can be found by clicking on here.
An example of a lesson where I used a wordle can be found here.
Blogs
I have found blogging to be one of the best Web 2.0 tools available to me in the classroom. As a beginner, this was the easiest way to embed and link files, as well as provide instant access for my students. A blog also allows students to comment. There are a number of options available if you are interested in creating a blog for you class. Possible sites that I know teachers use are Edublogs or Global Teacher.The following is a link to my class blog - Bec's Classes. This is my main teaching tool and I usually put together a new post for each lesson.
Video Tutorials for Edublogs are found here
Embedding a Video in Your Blog
The ability to embed movies into a blog is one of the main reasons that blogging is so useful. In my experience You Tube does have the best videos available. I suggest that you subscribe to You Tube, so that you can save favourite videos, as well as upload your own videos to embed on your blog. One issue is that many schools do block access to You Tube. One option is to see if teachers only have access to You Tube so that you can show the video files on your blog. There are also other options available. These include:
The other issue is finding a video and only taking out the useful sections to embed on your blog. The following application - TubeChop - allows you to chop a funny or interesting section of a You Tube movie and embed it on your blog.
Your Task
Sign up and create a blog using a site of your choice. Once you have created your account, you will need to write your first post. You are to design a Geography lesson on Natural Hazards. This is the introductory lesson, and will need to provide a number of tasks and links. The minimum requirements of this task include:
- embed a movie
- upload a picture
- create a number of links to various sites
I have to admit that I am still not an expert on the use of the wiki. It is a wonderful collaboration tool for students when they are working on a project. It is also particularly useful as we do not have a textbook, and over time it allows both the students and myself to create the content and knowledge needed for senior subjects. The settings on a wiki can also be changed so that they are more private than a blog. This allows the only selected students from selected classes to add to them. Wikis are also great tools to use for professional learning teams. Some wiki platforms that you could use are PB Wiki or Wikispaces.The following powerpoint provides an overview on how to create your wiki.
Getting Started on Wikispaces
View more presentations from Jess Mcculloch.
Podcasts
Podcasts are gradually becoming replaced by videos or vodcasts. However, there are still opportunities for you to subscribe to podcasts or vodcasts via an RSS feed. It is best to link to a Feed such as Google Reader so that you can subscribe to various podcasts and vodcasts. A lesson showing students how to subscribe to RSS Feeds can be found here - Getting Your News Online by Jess McCulloch.
Podcasts can also be recorded by you and uploaded to your blog. This can be done using programs such as Garageband and recorded on your computer. You can also use other applications that link recordings from your mobile phone directly to your blog. One example of this is a application called Utterli.
Other Resources and Tools
The following resources may be useful when putting together your blogs or wikis, or discovering new Web 2.0 technologies for the classroom.
Web2.0 for the Classroom Teacher
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - Web 2.0 Tools
Directory of Educational Resources on the Web
Ning - An online social network that could work like a blog in your classroom. Some examples to have a look at in the education context include:
Ning in Education - Using Ning for Educational Social Networks
The Global Education Collaborative
David Rayner's Page Key Stage 3 Geography Ning
Great Teacher Blogs
Jess McCulloch - Notes to Self
Mr Robbo - The P.E Geek
Posts
Very nice template, it is so fresh. I like it, too.
ReplyDeletefree wordpress themes