....;.;;;

Test

Test

Facebook

Today we are going to study facebook

???

WoooHoooo

It Worked!!!!!!!!!

Test Post

My blog has not been posting lately.....

Flickr

So when technology works, it can run the world! But when it is not in the mood to co-operate....... :(

My attempt to join the flickr community during the week could only be described as UNSUCCESSFUL!!!!! It can drive you to insanity!

What Is Web 2.0?

It is essentiall an increasing range of software that supports a variety of technologies for open, collaborative communication, learning and creativity.

It requires:

1. a platform
2. social networking
3. read/write web
4. social software
5. gathering and sorting

Lecture One

THE WEB

• Web 1.0 is gathering information on the web.
• Web 2.0 is constructing knowledge collaboratively on the web.
• Web 2.0 is the heart and soul of online education. e.g. podcast, ajax, tagging, second life etc.
• Web 2.0 is putting the "we" in "web"!!!
• Experts in Web 2.0: Andy Budd

http://www.andybudd.com/presentations/dcontruct05/

WEB 1.0 EXAMPLES

Personal Web Sites

Britannica Online

Content Management Systems

Directories

Screen Scrapings

WEB 2.0 EXAMPLES

Blogs

Wikipedia

Wikis

Tagging

Web Services

Semester Two

WELCOME TO NETWORKED LEARNING!!!!!

ICT and the Multiple Intelligence

Over the years the use of computers and technology within the classroom has grown exponetially.

I think thats this is not only due to that fact that it is now more easily available but also becasue as we've shifted away from behavourilism the focus has been placed more heavily on deeper learning, inclusion and the multiple intelligence.

We are now coming to see that ICT is a great way to promote higher level thinking through different learning styles in many different ways including the following.

1. Lingustic
Through the use of tools such as blogs, students are able to converse with fellow students all over the world. improving vocabulary, reading material and sources of written knowledge. Search engines also allow for the gather of more nfrmation faster then ever before.

2. Logical
Online games such as

http://www.cosi.org/onlineExhibits/farm/farmFrame.htm

allow students to participate in a virtual game while developing logic skills and problem solving abilities.

3. Musical
The web makes podcast and video sharing far nmore readiliy available then ever before. This allows for students who learn through music and its rhythms to gain access to educational and non educational sounds and videos.

4. Kinesthetic
Games available on the internet allow students to learn strategy, spelling, social skills and life experience in a physical and avtive way. They can see movement and have a greater involvment as they dictate the outcome of the game.

5. Spatial
This is probably one of the intelligences that is not promoted throgh the use of ICT in classrooms. This is an intelligence that is deeply rooted in the idea of spaces, locations and directions. Although ICT is highly interactive, their is often very little physical movement involved and there for does not require and understaniding of physical space of direction.

6. Interpersonal
There is such a wide range of information avaailable on the internet from events to people and more. This means that for students who learn will with and from other, there are a large number of people available for them to learn about nad from.

However because a computer is a solitary thing, ICT does not really promote the group work that interpersonal people learn best from.

7. Intrapersonal
I think that this is another intelligence that does not really benifit from the use of ICT in the classroom. This is becasue this is an intelligence that really developes from within. It is a personal, solitary thing for the person. They learn from themselves, abou themselves and who they are. This is not neccessarily knowledge that is gained from external source no matter how interative they are.

Intrapersonal Intelligence

Intrapersonal Intelligence entails the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations. In Howard Gardner's view it involves having an effective working model of ourselves, and to be able to use such information to regulate our lives.

I think that as a teacher developing thsi intelligence should be one of our highest priorities. Students, especiall Stage 4 students are on a constant struggle to independantly figure out this intelligence. they are striving for identity, freedom and purppose.

It should be a teachers priority to nuture, feed and drive this growth as undefined human beings will undertake no real learning, input or purpose within themselves.

Interpersonal Intelligence

Interpersonal intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively with others. Educators, salespeople, religious and political leaders and counsellors all need a well-developed interpersonal intelligence.

I think for myself this would be the itelligence that would try to dominate all of my lessonsa s it is one of my strongest intelligences.

It would be a very useful intelligence to build group work, social skills and an understanding of an interdependat society for the students.

Spatial Intelligence

Spatial Intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas.

I think that tis would be a very difficult intelligence to incorporate into everyday learning in most subjects. However would be a very useful one in drama and other more physical and athletic subjects.

Kinesthetic Intelligence

Kinesthetic Intelligence entails the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements.

I think that this is a very fun intelligence to use in lessons. It breaks up the often monitimy of learning for the students and is a very active and creative way of learning that appeals to a number os people.

Musical Intellignce

Musical Intelligence involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms.

I think that this intelligence is a fantastic one to try and incorporate into lessons.

I think that to be musically intelligent you don't neccesarily need to be able to read or create music as Gardner indicates but like myself, perhaps you learn through the rhythm amd repitition of music.

Logical Intelligence

Logical Intelligence consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically. This is the intelligence most often associated with scientific and mathematical thinking.

Studnets who learn well through logical thinikning are the ones most likely to exell in mathimatical and scientific subjects.

For me as a teacher i think that this would be one of the hardest intellegences to appeal to in my lessons as it is my least dominant intellegience. I am more of a creative thinker and like to be physically involved in an activity to solve it rather then evaluate it logically. This is why it is so important for teachers to be aware of not only the different intelleginces but their own intelligences.

Linguistic Intelligence

Linguistic Intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn languages, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals.

This intelligence includes the ability to effectively use language to express oneself rhetorically or poetically; and language as a means to remember information.

These are the students who are more likely to learn through, novels, peotry, reading and writing.

More Random Teaching Thoughts

Random Teaching Thoughts

Vicious Snowmen!!!

http://www.arcadevault.com/snowcraft_2.html

Help defend the helpless blobs of snow before they melt!!!!!

Pod Cast

mp3 codes | Fall Out Boy MP3s

Video Post

As ICT can be used in all different subject areas it must be able to transcend learning styles and appeal to all students.

Videos suc as this one can be addded to a class blog to break up the monotimy of straight facts, information and rote learning.

Videos appeal to more creative, visual, musical and kinetic learning styles. They also help to develop deeper, higher level thinking as the students can only view the information and has to analyse it themselves, where as written information often includes discussions, conclusions and evaluations within it. A video simply stimulates this.

Our Class Wiki

our wiki address http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddjz64dp_0gwkpss

So after quite a bit of confusion, a few giggles and a dash of silliniess..... we created our own Wiki!!!!!!

As a class a wiki is a famtastic learning tool as it is basically like a online classroom! The students can go on at home whenever they like to share ideas, discuss work and view other people thoughts.

The wiki can appeal to many different learning styles as it assists group work, can incorporate visual learning as well as allow students to venture on in their own time and work individually.

Wiki

Example of a small Wiki...

Contents [hide]
1 Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
2 Application in classrooms and similar settings
3 Evidence of effectiveness
4 Critics and their rationale
5 More Books by Dreikurs
6 Alternative explanations due to diversity considerations
7 Signed "life experiences," testimonies and stories
8 References and other links of interest

...then on to further detail in these topics

SOURCE: http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Dreikurs,_Rudolf

A Wiki is similar to a blog in which it is a document that is served on a server and anyone can access, view or add to the information on the Wiki.

It is an example of e-leraning for the second generation (2.0). It is a group colloaberation to gather and construct knowledge for the general public to access and use at any time on almost any topic.

It is also an example of Web 2.0. This means that it is an example of collaborating with other people to create knowledge.

Wiki's are designed to make learning very easy. The possible structure of a Wiki would be something like the following:
1.Name of wiki
2.Aims, Goals, Objectives and Outcomes
3.History and members of this group who are contributing
4.How have we learnt? Key elements of our experience that have worked well or that we would improve on
5.What we have learnt about online learning
6.What resources have we found that are really good
7.How would you structure an e-learning group
8.How would you asses an e-learning group
9.rubric for a course using e-learning 2.0 approaches.

Intelligence Test My Results

http://www2.bgfl.org/bgfl2/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/results.cfm

The intelligence test is available to take online and the results indicate which intelligences are your strongest.

As a teacher it is very important to know which intelligence is dominating your learning as this will tend to bised your teaching towards this learning.

Personally I learn well through visual and kinetic aides and am very people based. This means hat as i teacher i would probably be more likely to teach through groupwork and very active, hands on type activitys.

This means that when preparing lessons I'm going to need to take special care to not be biased toward these and incorporate all learning styles, including the ones that do not appeal to me.

Second Life

www.secondlife.com

Second Life is a digital world. It is literally a second life that you can live out as naturally as your real life online.

It was created by the people that "live" in it and since its creation has had a virtual population boom. The complicated and intricate nature of the program is what makes it so real and life like. The people who reside in ths wolrd have possesions, laws, jobs, trades a and hobbies. They interact with their fellow residence on a dialy basis, form connections and have families just as real human beings do.

When used in education, the program could cover quite a few topic in relation to students. For younger students it can give them an idea about the "real world". About how adults live and interact in the world. About their responsibilities and positions.

It could also help to make children more aware of serious issues or conditions such as schitzo[phrenia and multiple personalities. As the students live doubkle lives, they become aware of the anxiety, fear and hope associated with trying to continuously keep those two live seperate and manage to control one or the other at any given time.

Cyke!!

www.cyke.com

Cyke is an example of an interactive learning website. However this one in particualr is aimed at kids with learning disabilities.

Whislt cnatining useful information for both parents and children, Cyke also has multiple games and activities on line for kids. These games not only healp to advance learning but they can also healp the children to accept and learn in spite of their disability.

The games are often thearaputic as well as appealing to many different intelligences to ensure that the child is not dependant on one particular intellegence, which may be thier disability leading ultimatly to "failure".

Multiple Intelligences

http://surfaquarium.com/mi/intelligences.htm





Again this website is an example of an interavtive website that allows for multiple intelligences.

However I found that for teachers this website would be a great assistance tool in lesson planning and conducting. It sets out the different intelligences and give examples of games, activities, projects and websites that would appeal to each seperately.

For a teacher this means that they could incorporate different activities into differnet groups depending on dominate learning styles as well as incorporating ICT into lessons.

Knowledge Tree

The knowledge tree is an online cognitive tool that allows for the sharing and tracking of documents and records.

Knowledge tree's exsist in many different business anf expert fields. However in education I think that it can be a very effective teaching tool. As mentioned in previous posts learning needs to be funa dn creative for the students of today to reach their potential. However as teachers were not neccessarily all trained in this though form it may be hard for some to make theri teaching reach this medium.


A knowledge tree allows for teachers who have been teaching for a long time often by different standards to access the work and ideas of teachers who amy be able to relate better to the students and their different learning stlyes. This means that a graeter range of teachers have the tools to reach a different range of students.

Networking

Part of this project was to post blogs on other people blog space as such!!

To do this we had to invite and be invited oin turn to join and contribute to someone's blog. This was an activity that was done in class, and in class for a reason. To overcome difficulties easily!

Personally I was absent for the actual tutorial that this was done and as a result the task itself was harder even with the guidance of these wonderful people!! Many of s were new to this blogging and the ability to do something new such as intive authors to our blogs was a lot easier with the authors present to help troubleshoot!

For example people were present at the time to give their emails and confirm their invitation almost instantly. Where as if we had been doing it seperatly at home, we wouldn't haev had this quick acception and would not have known if we had actually done it right!!!

When undertaking the intivaton process, my invitation from a classmate (cough Stefan cough hehe) was continously not coming through. If we had been seperate at home, this may have caused an issue! We would either not have noticed or we would have had to converse through other means to correct it! It turns out it was simply an error in the email address given but even something like that if we were not both present may have been a larger issue to figure out!!!

Glasser

Glassers work is one that we have studied extensively over this course so far and I think this is with good reason. I am a strong believer in Glassers theories, especially his theory of needs.

Glasser says that childrens behaviour is not random but acted out in response to the fulfilment or neglect of five basic needs.Children need these five things incorperated into all aspects of their lives.

1. Survival
2. Love and Belonging
3. Power
4. Freedom
5. FUN!!

I think that Glassers theory has a lot of relevance to me as I like to think that there is a reason behind bad behaviour and that a child is not naughty just for the sake of it. Glasser says that misbehaviour is simply a response to the neglect of one of these needs.

I think that I like this theory because Glasser also focuses on increasing good behaviour through the fulfilment of these needs rather then the decreasing of bad behaviuor through the use of punishment.

Hattie

Hattie's work focuses mainly on what situations and influences best maximise effective teaching and learning.

My personla favourate amognst his work is the idea of support. HAttie says that support is fundamental in the learning process. I like thiis idea as it applies to both teacher and student. It is part of a teachers job to support their students. To guide them teach thema nd to a point nuture them until they understand, gain knowledge and leran independantly.

However I think that it is also inportant that I teacher is just as supported as a student. This is linked quite closely with the idea of respect within all areas of a classroom. To be their most effective, I thnk a teacher must be supported by the school system, parents and most importantly the students as well.

Vygotsky

Vygotsky's theories were developed in the developmental psychology, child development, and educational fields. He believed in a much higher order of thinking in children as well as adults and the importance of language and play in learning.

I think that many of Vygotsky's theories are very relevant in teaching today.

The theory of higher order thinking is shared by theorist such as Bloom and reflected in his taxonomy diagram. That is that children learn better when different mediums are involved in the learning process in order to appeal to different learning styles. Bloom and Vygotsky both believe that creativity is important to a childs learning.

I think that language is a very important aspect of teaching and learning that is probably often overlooked. I don't think that is so much in relation to different cultures and languages but more in relation to the idea of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. The teacher who are currently in classrooms were trained around 40years ago. This means theat in relation to the student of today, these teachers are speaking an arcaic language of the past! I think that it is imperative that teachers can relate to and associate with the student that they are teaching if effective teaching and learning is going to occur.

I also think that Vygotsky's idea of play in learning is also very important. It is similar to Glasser need of fun and Blooms idea of creating. All children need something different to break up the consistancy of learning and play is a creative, fun and changing way of involving this. Play can also range through many things such as drawing, use of ICT and role-playing.

Piaget

Piaget's main theory revolved around the four stages of cognitive developement in children. The four stages are as follows:

1. Sensorimotor Stage
Age of birth to 2years
Children learn through their senses and movement of both themselves and their environment. They also learn about object
permanance. This is when they begin to understand that an object exsists even if they can no longer see it.

2. Preoperational Stage
Ages 2-7years
This is when children acquire their motor skills. This includes things such as coordination, hand-eye coordination and speech.

3. Concrete Operational Stage
7-11years
It is in this stage that a child start developing and using logic

4. Formal Operational Stage
11+years
This is the final stage of cognitive development. In this stage chldren can think abstractly, draw conclusions and evaluate
information.

I find Piaget's work slightly difficult to accept on the whole. I believe that yes children obvioulsy develpoe in stages but I don't think that those stages are neccessarily the same for all children. Piaget's theory states that the stages develope at the same rate that the child ages. However I don't think that this allows for pyschological developement or different learning rates which are inevitable amognst children.

Piaget's stages are sequenctional. However children do not develope at a detirmened rate and occurence and timing of their developement cannot be timed to such a key as Piaget has it.

The following is a link to a short video on Piaget and his work on the different stages of cognitive development.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcjPkPIwsog

I thought the clip was quite effective in explaining the stages as it shows how children react to cognitive thinking and problems differently and more advancingly as they progress in the stages.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Blooms work identifies different levels of cognitive thinking and behaviour in measures of use and importantce. His work allows for the inclusion of different learning style.

Different learning styles occiur in all classrooms around the world as each student is different and learns differently. Learning styles include they way that student understand information given to them the best. Such as through visual, written, creative or emotional mediums.

The following is an example diagram of Blooms Taxonomy




This diagram shows that Blooms theory values Higher cognitive thinking most. Creating is at the top of the triangle showing its difficulty and importance. Creating is a very deep level of thining in Blooms taxonomy. IWth this I agree. It is very easy to it back, listen and learn. However when asked to create something that reflects this knowledge a student must really learna dn then recreate this learning and knowledge in a phsyical form.

Unfortunately the triangle also shows that creating is the least used cognitive tool. And tools such as simply having the remembering are far more widely used.

I think that this is quite sad and not the maximum benefit of the student. I think hat the perfect way to truly learn something is to teach it to others in a crteate and effective way.

Constructivism

The basic concept of constructivism is that knowledge is built upon and within a student.

An older or maybe even behaviouralist view of teachibg is that children are empty vessles into which a teacher is meant to simply pour in facts and information.

Constructivism says that this is not the case at all. It is a teachers job to give the information and facts to students yes, but not just for them to memorise or learn by rote. They must create ways in which the student absorbs and understand this information to have it as knowlegde.

Constuvtivist teachers aim to incease good behaviour and learning rather then decrease bad behaviour and increase teaching.

Personally I find constructivism to be very relevant in teaching today. Children are often strving for independance and od not want to be taught as one class entity which learns and understands at the same rate. They react better to a more personalised style of teaching which is what constuctivism promotes.

Children all have different learning styles, learning rates and behaviour patterns and for this reason I beleive constructivism is very valuable as it allows for and nutures this.

Board Of Studies

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/pdf_doc/english_710_syl_brief.ppt

The above is a link to The Board Of Studies website. In particular the syllabus briefing presentations for English in years7-10.

Over the past year in this course I have grown to become very familiar with the board of studies website. Obvioulsy as a teacher this is a must!

The above program covers the topic areas to be taught as well as the areaas that the students are assesed on. I really like the way that the board of studies presents the syllabus to schools and teacher. They do highlight the topics that are compulsory obviously but there is also sligh flexibility in different areas and fields. I think that this would be effective in maximising learning as obvioulsy no one ig going to know a class's learning style and abilities better then their teachers. To me it makes the most sense for a teacher to be able to select specialisation areas for their students for this reason. Although it is a virtual impossibility t have topics that apply to every student of appeal to every students learning style, the teacher is the most likely to be able to achose topics, tasks and assignment that appeal to the majority of their students and will not upset the minority too much.

The briefings while detailing the syllabus and possible assesment tasks do not dictate down to the note what the teachers must do.

They also outline the ways in which teachers can relate the assesment criteria to their students. The different mediums put foward also allow for teachers to once again select a certain tool which best relates to their students and their students learning styles.

the briefings only dictate what areas the studentsmust be assesed on. They do not dictate how they must present their work to be presented.

This means that teachers once again have the option of selecting tak which best suit their students. Assesments can be written and assigned by the teacher to be pesented in many different forms. Assesments such as written essays, short stories, plays, scripts, performances, posters, and pamphlets can all appeal to different learning styles such as visual, written, oral and tactile.

What Makes A Good Blog...

Blogs have become such a craze for a reason. Beacuse they are different!

When they first became popular they were a first in their field. We have Insant Messaging and things similar butnever a medium for regular people to have their life story on the internet for publis viewing. The make sharing ones life easy and global!

Blogs can range from high schoolers chating and exchanging with their friend to serious schollers publishing works of deep thought.

One example of a more serious and well thought out and applied blos is that of Stephen Downes at:

http://www.halfanhour.blogspot.com

Downes' blog has many of the features that make a blog a good blog.

One of these features is that it is constantly changing. The posts made to this blog are regular but always ranging in topics. A blog is viewed by many different people on many different occasions. For this reason it needs to be always interesting and up to date. However Downes' posts are still awlays thoughtful, crutical, reflective and written with purpose.

Stephen Downes also includes a number of more interactive aspects into his blog which can help to make it more interesting
thoughtful. Aspects such as pictures, videos and podcast like the following...

http://omegageek.net/podcasts/edtechposse_20050822.mp3

To Blog Or Not To Blog

http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2006/10/top-ten-reasons-to-blog-and-top-ten.html

This article is simply a humurous acknowledgment of the fact that YES blogs exsist and YES we are all going to have to live with that!

The article highlights the fact that blogs are not a craze, that students and young people ould almost rely on them like a life line! It makes the point that if a teacher wants to relate to their students and really optimise their learning then the best way to do that is through mediums that students relate to. mediums such as computers, technology, ICT and gasp... BLOGS!

It also makes light of the Digital Immigrants stuck in the "dark ages" who refuse to acknowledge or use blogs. It says that thses are the people who will literally be left behind. In tearms of effective teaching and learning and relating to their students, I think
it is very true! Teachers must understand and communicate effectively through all means with their students if they wish for them to learn!

Networking

Hi guys just thought you should read this...
What would it have been like if this was done at 8pm last night???
Well this could have been an interesting phone conversation, alot of swearing and some laughing about how stupid we are because we can't do it. Then the questions would have come flying 'how did you do that?' 'what does your screen look like?' 'how come mine doesn't look like that?' 'what's wrong with my #$!* *^#$@!* computer?'. This could have been a disaster last night, but because we were all sitting here helping each other we were talking it through. Guys this is SOCIAL INTERATCTION at its best. We are now a community, an online community who would have thought... Communicating in person and with a screen infront of the both of you is so much easier than over the phone, where little, stupid mistakes are easily missed.

Cognitive Tools

Cognitive tools help learners with complex cognitive learning activities and critical thinking. These tools are learner controlled: They construct their knowledge themselves using the tools rather than memorizing knowledge. Cognitive Tools can be used by teachers to integrate the technologies that students of today are familiar with into their everyday lessons and learning. Different age groups, intellectual groups and subject areas are provided with numerous amounts of these tools in differing content and degrees of difficulty. Such tools for an older, more intellectually advanced age group include:
1.INSPIRATION.
A tool that prompts and assist in high-level analysis and evaluation. Inspiration allows for ideas and thoughts to be isolated and highlighted all steaming from the main theme of the subject.
2. GAMES.
When a game is relevant to the subject matter, it can be a very effective higher level-learning tool. Games can be very inclusive for students allowing them o interact with each other as well as with the new knowledge and ideas. Another point for games is that they fulfill one of Glasser’s 5 needs; FUN. If a student is given the freedom and fun associated with games they will more likely to be open, receptive and retain the newly acquired knowledge.
3. WEBQUEST.
Webquest are almost like games on the internet. However they are always educational based and can be geared towards specific learning areas and topics. Webquests are a great tool to use in teaching as they incorporate fun and challenges into learning. Students often react well to them as they are different to the way that learning is “suppose” to be i.e. boring, monotomous and teacher based. The students are in control of the webquests in different mediums such as story writing, acting and art.
The following are a few examples of good English and History based webquest exercises.

http://bestwebquests.com/bwq/listarea.asp?wqcatid=3&edid=

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/ath/library/webquests/backintime/default.htm

Digital Natives

The technology of today appeals to the newer generations because although it may seem time wasting to older generations, for the younger ones it incorporates the idea of higher level thinking. When participating in playing games on the internet, using instant messages, creating blogs any other of the multitudes of activities available thanks to technology, students are attracted because there are always numerous things occurring. They can participate, communicate, learn, share and relax all through the medium of modern technology. Not as the older generations are used to letters and books, newer generation demand and expect instantaneous satisfaction and results through technology and are always continuously involved. Whether they are controlling the hero of a computer game, chatting with friends or analyzing their next biology assignment students are always occupied, challenged and involved when using modern technology.