Like me, I’m sure that many of you had or have no idea what a wiki is. I searched for hours trying to grasp and understanding of this ‘mysterious’ wiki and finally I think I have got it!!
Think of Wikipedia. We all know that everyone can add and edit the information on any on the pages without any concrete guidelines. However, experts in the ‘community’ can come onto the page and challenge the information that has been provided. Basically, a wiki is a database of information around a specific topic in which a community has a collaborative approach of adding and removing information.
Although it all might seem a little vague still, I can see numerous applications of this in the classroom. For example – say the class has a semester around World War I. The teacher can set up a wiki for the students to post up any ‘interesting’ information or websites that they have found. All students can access this and collaboratively analyse the information. Instead on each person doing a whole heap of research – the class can work together.
Once I thought about it, I realised just how valuable this tool could be. It provides a sense of community and teamwork and makes sure that all students are on the right track. It minimises the amount of searching for information that students sometimes see as endless and frustrating and provides an opportunity for students to communicate freely.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Blogs - A Great E-Learning Tool
Blogs (web logs) are another tool that can be used to help make the learning environment more stimulating for digital natives. What you are looking at now is a blog – a way to post text, photos, videos and web links to the public.
When creating my blog on blogger.com I found it an easy form of technology to create and use and would definitely consider using it in my classroom in the future to help manage my classroom and engage my students.
Blogs are a great way to keep communication lines open within a class. By posting notices, homework, work content, reminders, discussions and revision questions on a class blog, it is easy for students to keep up to date and informed, as well as post any concerns that they have and communicate with other students and the teacher.
Blogs could also be used as a form of assessment – much like this course. I think many students would like the opportunity to show off their web skills and creativity and would jump at the chance to create their own blog as a form of assessment – a change from the routine essay or report.
When creating my blog on blogger.com I found it an easy form of technology to create and use and would definitely consider using it in my classroom in the future to help manage my classroom and engage my students.
Blogs are a great way to keep communication lines open within a class. By posting notices, homework, work content, reminders, discussions and revision questions on a class blog, it is easy for students to keep up to date and informed, as well as post any concerns that they have and communicate with other students and the teacher.
Blogs could also be used as a form of assessment – much like this course. I think many students would like the opportunity to show off their web skills and creativity and would jump at the chance to create their own blog as a form of assessment – a change from the routine essay or report.
Amazing Avatars
Despite being a digital native, avatars were quite a new form of technology for me. I had heard of them but I had never used them.
Avatars are usually models that represent real humans in the digital world. They can come in many forms such as humans, animals and anything in between. They can be programmed to say and do whatever the user intends.
After some research and playing around on Voki (www.voki.com – a site to create speaking avatars), I found that avatars could have numerous useful applications in the classroom – and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to create one. They can be used in conjunction with other technologies such as blogs, Moodle/Blackboard and PowerPoint to interact with students around different topics. Other applications include using them as reminders, revisions or to reiterate homework tasks. Below is Emma, an avatar I created to tell my students about their homework tasks.
Get a Voki now!
I think the use of avatars in a learning context is a great way to provide some variety in to the classroom. They are fun and break up the usual routine of some classroom tasks. They are also a great communication tool for both students and teachers and appeal to both visual and audio learners.
Avatars are usually models that represent real humans in the digital world. They can come in many forms such as humans, animals and anything in between. They can be programmed to say and do whatever the user intends.
After some research and playing around on Voki (www.voki.com – a site to create speaking avatars), I found that avatars could have numerous useful applications in the classroom – and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to create one. They can be used in conjunction with other technologies such as blogs, Moodle/Blackboard and PowerPoint to interact with students around different topics. Other applications include using them as reminders, revisions or to reiterate homework tasks. Below is Emma, an avatar I created to tell my students about their homework tasks.
Get a Voki now!
I think the use of avatars in a learning context is a great way to provide some variety in to the classroom. They are fun and break up the usual routine of some classroom tasks. They are also a great communication tool for both students and teachers and appeal to both visual and audio learners.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Engaging the Digital Native
So how can we ‘engage’ these so called ‘digital natives’? The answer may be simpler than it seems.
Dales Cone shows that some of the most effective ways of keeping students
engaged is to have see and do things (eg. field trips, demonstrations, visual symbols, direct and purposeful use/experience) – ICTs can greatly help this. Dale is not the only one to identify this approach to learning. Marzano and Pickering (1997), Snowman et. al (2009) and McInerney and McInerney (2006) all agree that ‘active learning’ is the key to keeping students on track and interested as well as minimise disruptive behaviours. I more than agree with this approach.
Throughout my pracs I have employed this technique and used a variety of technologies (eg. interactive websites, powerpoints, you tube) in my classroom. I was surprised at how effective they were at keeping my students engaged and on task. Even as a student at high school I remember how great and interesting it was when teachers incorporated the technology that we used everyday into a lesson – it made a significant difference to my understanding of many concepts. A lot of the time I was learning but didn’t actually know it.
From my experience as a prac teacher and a student, the key to teaching digital natives is to incorporate ICTs into the classroom. You also must realise that learning is not restricted to the traditional classroom. Use what they are familiar with. Use what they use everyday. Use what they enjoy. Use ICTs to engage. But always remember to be creative.
References
Marzano, R & Pickering, D (1997). Dimensions of Learning: Teacher’s Manual. Aurora: McREL.
McInerney, D & McInerney, V (2006). Educational Psychology: Constructing Learning. (4th Edition). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia .
Snowman, J, Dobozy, E, Scevak, J, Bryer, F & Bartlet, B (2009). Psychology Applied to Teaching. Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia.
Dales Cone shows that some of the most effective ways of keeping students
engaged is to have see and do things (eg. field trips, demonstrations, visual symbols, direct and purposeful use/experience) – ICTs can greatly help this. Dale is not the only one to identify this approach to learning. Marzano and Pickering (1997), Snowman et. al (2009) and McInerney and McInerney (2006) all agree that ‘active learning’ is the key to keeping students on track and interested as well as minimise disruptive behaviours. I more than agree with this approach.Throughout my pracs I have employed this technique and used a variety of technologies (eg. interactive websites, powerpoints, you tube) in my classroom. I was surprised at how effective they were at keeping my students engaged and on task. Even as a student at high school I remember how great and interesting it was when teachers incorporated the technology that we used everyday into a lesson – it made a significant difference to my understanding of many concepts. A lot of the time I was learning but didn’t actually know it.
From my experience as a prac teacher and a student, the key to teaching digital natives is to incorporate ICTs into the classroom. You also must realise that learning is not restricted to the traditional classroom. Use what they are familiar with. Use what they use everyday. Use what they enjoy. Use ICTs to engage. But always remember to be creative.
References
Marzano, R & Pickering, D (1997). Dimensions of Learning: Teacher’s Manual. Aurora: McREL.
McInerney, D & McInerney, V (2006). Educational Psychology: Constructing Learning. (4th Edition). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia .
Snowman, J, Dobozy, E, Scevak, J, Bryer, F & Bartlet, B (2009). Psychology Applied to Teaching. Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Digital Natives
In today’s society, a major player is the ‘digital native’. These are those people who have grown up with the evolution of technology – like me and those younger. We are familiar with the constant stimulus of the internet, social networking, mobile phones, mp3s etc. We multitask by using each and every available technology all at once. However, although many people think we are lucky to grow up with such variety of technology at our fingertips, there can be many downsides. One of which is how easy it is to become bored.
This issue of ‘boredom’ is huge in a schooling context. At home we are watching TV, texting, listening to music, searching the net AND talking on MSN, Facebook, Twitter. At school, we are expected to listen, read and write – and usually in the boring old traditional ways (chalk and talk). We are not stimulated. We are not using the technology that we have grown up with and constantly use. We are not actively learning. We are bored.
This issue of ‘boredom’ is huge in a schooling context. At home we are watching TV, texting, listening to music, searching the net AND talking on MSN, Facebook, Twitter. At school, we are expected to listen, read and write – and usually in the boring old traditional ways (chalk and talk). We are not stimulated. We are not using the technology that we have grown up with and constantly use. We are not actively learning. We are bored.
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