Journeys with Learning

Macarthur Schools Joint 1:1 Staff Professional Learning Day

The Macarthur Schools Joint 1:1 Staff Professional Learning Day is an initiative to support teachers in their move to a 1 child-1 laptop(1:1) learning environment in 2008. This posting supports a session on Web 2.0 tools delivered on the day.

This session will look at a selection of web 2.0 tools that can be integrated into your classroom practice immediately.

The presentation can be found below, hosted on slideshare and the examples displayed can be found at http://del.icio.us/MarkWoolley/MacPDDay

[slideshare id=50739&doc=web-20-tools-for-your-classroom-right-now-10302&w=425]

The Web 2.0 tools in our grab bag can be found at the links below

For each of these tools it is simply a matter of signing up and start exploring. You can probably find a class expert for each of these tools

You can find additional information about blogs, wikis, del.icio.us and RSS on the pages of this blog.

Technorati Tags: Web2.0, Education, Learning

YouTube Banning??

YouTube has been banned in Victorian state schools . The intention of this ban is to halt the use of Youtube as a cyberbullying tool.

Banning publishing and sharing tools like Youtube is one way to limit its use DURING SCHOOL HOURS as a bullying tool but completely misses the opportunity to address cyberbullying and appropriate use of technology.

So in one part of the world (for example Shanghai American School) we have schools creating Youtube accounts for students to publish and share their work. Below is an example of a movie created to teach people at cyberbullying

In the Victorian example we have a powerful learning and sharing tool blocked, in the school above we have students learning about cyberbullying and actively engaged in educating others about its impact.

Which strategy best prepares students for the future?

technorati tags:youtube, education, learning, banning, cyberbullying, publishing

Blogged with Flock

A 15 year old Student blogging on Web 2.0 and School

This is from a 15 year old Student blogging on Web 2.0 and School

The Benefits of School 2.0

I was sitting in maths earlier this week, learning about some formula
that I’m almost certain I’ll never see again after my exam in May
(unless I fail that is…) when I turned to the guy sitting next to me
and told him about the Blog I wrote a couple of days before hand, and
how there were people out there taking a serious interest in my
opinion… which to be honest really surprised me. When I had finished
the story there was a pause. He then asked me, “What’s a Blog??”… My
only thought after that was if only he knew. If only he had discovered.
Not just what a Blog is, but what a Wiki is, what an RSS or and Atom
feed is. How it could benefit him. If only he had been taught…

Read the rest at the source

technorati tags:web2.0, students, bassplayersblog, learning, school2.0

Blogged with Flock

Great Podcasts for Professional Learning

These podcasts provide some great opportunities for professional learning. Subscribe and enjoy

Connect Learning – David Warlick

K-12 Online Conference 2006

Moving at the Speed of Creativity

National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) 2006

Learn 4 Life

The Scottish Learning Festival (SETT)

The Online Connectivism Conference (OCC) 2007 You can download the audio from the presentations, view the videos or the powerpoint presentations

technorati tags:professional, learning, podcasts, web, 2.0

Blogged with Flock

How are other Teachers using blogs??

TecnoTeach has a useful post of blogging teachers sorted by subject area and complete with a description of what their blogs are about.

TecnoTeach: How Can Teachers Blog?

technorati tags:teachers, blogging, blogs, web2.0

Blogged with Flock

Blogs of Interest

Preparing a session on RRS I decided to review and list some of the blogs that I subscribe to and read on a regular basis. They are largely focused on the use of technology to engage students in meaningful learning. If you like the look of some of these blogs look for this RSS symbol and subscribe. (more on RSS coming soon)

Will Richardsons blog about web 2.0 in the classroom

Wesley Fryers blog, Moving at the Speed of Creativity.

Also see this wiki of Wesley Fryer’s workshop resources!

Every One Learns - a place for comment and reflection on what it takes to make school a place where everybody learns.

The education.au blogs

The purpose of Aus Mac Ed is to provide a hub for Australian educators using Macs and iPods to engage and facilitate the best educational outcomes for their students.

Alan November is recognized internationally as a leader in education technology.

click on the digital edition or subscribe to the RRS feed

Marc Prensky’s blog (Digital Native fame) not updated very reguarly

Holiday Readings

I have had a couple of requests for holiday readings and so I thought I would share a few ideas here.

For a good introduction to blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS, and all things Web 2.0 you would be hard pushed to go past Coming Of Age: An Introduction To The NEW Worldwide Web This “booklet” is a free download and a great example of the online collaboration that Web 2.0 is enabling. (Source Website: http://www.ictineducation.org)

On a similar theme Will Richardson (find his blog here) presented a great presentation at NECC this year entitled A Web of Connections: Why the Read/Write Web Changes Everything. You can listen to a podcast of this presentation here

And I recently wrote a post about Social Software and Learning another great article from FutureLab. Again well worth the read.

And finally if you have any energy left you might like to look at the prereading for the TEACHnology moving toward 1:1 for Leaders course .

Have a great holiday whatever you get up to.

Technorati Tags: Web2.0, Reading, Learning

Social Software and Learning

Social Software and Learning

This is a great professional reading about social software, Web 2.0 and learning in the current web environment.

[Open pdf version for best printing results (opens 994kb file in same window)]
CONTENTS

_{Executive summary}

_{1. Introduction: How do we learn in an era of connection and collaboration?}

_{2. What is social software?}

_{3. Does learning change in an information society?}

_{4. How do we move towards ‘c-learning’?}

_Bibliography

_{Appendix 1: Some annotated links}

Technorati Tags: Social, Software, Learning, Education

What does Web 2.0 mean for LEARNING??

OK so most people have heard of Web 2.0 but there are still many teachers who haven’t caught on.

What does Web 2.0 mean for LEARNING?
Image from Andy Budd.

Well possibly the first time it takes the “TECHNOLOGY skills” out of publishing content on the web, leaving CREATIVITY as the primary driver.

Two way web, read/write web, students as equals, everybody and anybody can create, publish, share, collaborate and influence.

So what does it mean in your classroom? Well that’s up to you!! Its really only limited by your imagination.

Will Richardson (find his blog here) presented a great presentation at NECC this year entitled A Web of Connections: Why the Read/Write Web Changes Everything. You can listen to a podcast of this presentation here

If you prefer video there is quite a good video from the Guardian in the UK about web 2.0, not education specific but still engaging.

And if you really need to experience some Web 2.0 applications you might like to start at google for educators.

If you are looking for more interesting Web 2.0 links you can find my Web 2.0 del.ici.ous  links here

Technorati Tags: Web2.0, Education, Learning

Student thoughts on podcasts

As I mentioned last post one of our year 5 classrooms decided to use the podcasts of the public speaking. To quote the teacher

“We are focusing on text type ‘review’ in English at the moment ..so it fitted in naturally….plus I wanted to expose the the students to podcasts”

This was the first time the class had listened to podcasts and the student response was really interesting. Below is one boys quick review of the morning session

“I enjoyed listening to the podcasts during this morning’s session of learning. We listened to the public speaking finals and we were able to hear most of the speeches. One of the speeches was on ‘School is important’. That one claimed the winning prize. The next speech we heard was a speech about ‘My worst nightmare’. That one captured the second prize. The last one out of the three speeches was on ‘Creating Peace’. As we were listening to the speeches, we created a mind map to summarise the speech that was our favourite. After that was done, we were able to hear Lance Lagaspi’s speech. Everyone in the room thought that Lance should of come first, not third. His speech was on ‘Creating Peace’ and we thought that it was the best out of the speeches that we heard.

Listening to the podcasts was a great experience for us. I think it is much easier to listen to podcasts, instead of paying money to go to the actual venue….even though the public speaking comp was free …but we were all stuck back at school. Podcasts can be listened to when you’re walking, jogging, biking, working out in the gym, meditating, listening to it in the car and during many other times. They can even be downloaded onto an ‘Ipod’. Having the chance to listen to podcasts is an incredible experience and I’m sure that I will be listening to many podcasts later on in the future. “

Written by,

Kirsten Navarra

You can view 3 of the mindmaps here

Wouldn’t you enjoy lesson reviews like that from your students? I’m sure Kirsten will be podcasting his reviews in the near future.