Week 3 Reflection

I am finding it very interesting learning about the different types of web tools that are available to use within the classroom today. I now understand the difference between web 1.0 and web 2.0. It makes sense to me that web 1.0 is static and can only be changed by the webmaster therefore making it a ‘read only’ web. It also now makes sense to me that web 2.0 is owned by the user and whereby individuals and groups are able to share, publish, network, download and upload. I will be honest in saying that the three types of tools which I am reflecting on today were all new to me when I started university. I have since learned how to create and navigate my way around weebly when working through other courses this year. However wiki and blogs are brand new to me this semester in doing Managing eLearning and Ensuring Student Success. 

Reflection on Weebly

The first time I had to create a weebly it was daunting for me, but now I find it quick and easy and I love what it can do. Weebly makes it very easy to create a website from scratch. I love that you are able to include text in various ways, such as you can type it straight in and then edit it if you need to. It has all the icons which allow you to make text bold, italics, change colour and so much more. In weebly it is also possible to upload word and pdf documents. It has a link whereby you can upload video and audio clips as well as Youtube videos. It also allows you to upload YouTube clips which you have created by uploading your video to Youtube and then imbedding the appropriate link into your weebly page. It allows you to create a home page and then add as many more pages as you wish.  I believe that weebly is a wonderful tool to use within the classroom because it caters for all types of learners. A weebly is owned by the user, therefore the teacher or students are able to create them. Teachers could form a unit within a weebly site whereby students could go in and work through activities. This would be engaging for students and a great form of visual and auditory learning for students. However it would be classified as a substitution on the SAMR model of web based learning and it would not encourage students to perform and achieve to their best ability. The best use of a weebly within a classroom would be to allow the students to create their own weebly websites. This use of ICT would allow for higher order thinking and be considered as modification within the SAMR model of technology for learning. The reason being is that the creation of a weebly would allow for significant task redesign. In order for you to explore my most recent weebly creation please click here:  http://globalsciencetask.weebly.com

Reflection on my Blog

I created my first blog this term which I am so excited about. It took me a little while to set up my blog and then to try and figure out how it works. I now feel quite confident with it and I love how it is mine, but people are also able to comment on my posts. Technical aspects of a blog are fairly similar to that of a weebly. You are able to create your own webpage and input text in various shapes, forms and colours. You are also able to upload images to your blog and personalise your page with your choice of design and colour. A blog is owned by the user and they are set out chronologically. Blog’s are single author however others are able to comment on the author’s blog postings, but cannot be used as a discussion thread. In the case of students using blog’s as well as exploring other's blogs would be considered as augmentation within the SAMR model of technology for learning. The reason for this is because it allows students to explore how others visualise different representations of things as well as interact in dialogue. My evidence of my blog creation is this one.

Reflection on Wiki

After exploring the three tools this week I feel that the use of wiki within a classroom would be the most beneficial. I believe this because a wiki incorporates all of the technical aspects that a weebly and blog offer, but in one tool. Since only recently learning about wiki’s I have found that they are a truly wonderful ICT tool. A wiki is a multi-author page which enables an entire class of students to work collaboratively on one web page. Students are able to edit, make additions and delete information on a page. A wiki is not set out chronologically and the students own it. Wiki’s allow you to add in images and text which can be altered in any way. They are an interactive and engaging way of working with ICT’s in collaboration. Students are able to share, create and contribute ideas with each other. This tool allows for Vygotsky’s theory of children learning through interaction, to be brought into the 21^st century (O’Donnell, Dobozy, Bartlett, Bryer, Reeve, & Smith, 2012). A wiki encourages students to interact with knowledge rather than just reading and consuming it. Depending on what students use a wiki for within the classroom, would depend on where it would fall within the SAMR model of technology for learning. If students were encouraged to use a wiki in order to redesign tasks to assist in building understanding this would be classified within the modification level of the SAMR model. An example of this within a classroom would be the teacher creating a wiki containing some information on a city in Australia that students are learning about in SOSE. The teacher would put the information in the wiki about the city, but not all of the information would be correct and not all the content knowledge would be there. The teacher would set a challenge for the class whereby they need to modify the wiki to ensure that all the content it contains about that city is correct and all the information they have learned is there. However a wiki can also be used within the substitution and augmentation levels on the SAMR model. An example of using it within the substitution level would involve the teacher setting up a wiki with various links to websites containing information of the city that she wants her students to read about. The students are then able to browse through and click of the links to view what the teacher has included. Within the augmentation level the teacher would encourage students to explore various other wikis containing information on the same city that the class is exploring. The students would type their findings in their class wiki and get involved with each other in discussions about their findings. A wiki could also be used within the redefinition level of the SAMR model. This would be done by students creating the city that they have been focusing on in a virtual form on the internet. They would need to make sure that all the aspects which they have learned about the city are incorporated. The link to their virtual city would then need to be embedded into the wiki space so that the teacher is able to access and view the city. There are various other ways in which I could apply the use of a wiki within my teaching. A wiki could be created for a class to access in order for them to create a study guide for ideas on a presentation. This allows students to put their heads together and each bring their own piece of information to the wiki. All the students are able to access and retrieve this information which makes everyone feel as though they are contributing and learning the same information as each other. Not only that, but if there is an error or a misconception which has been posted by one student, another student who notices the error is able to edit this information so that it is correct. A wiki can be used as a form of collaborative research within a class. For example if the teacher sets out a SOSE assignment which is based on an area of Australia where not all the students have visited. The teacher could create a wiki whereby those students who have visited the area are able to write about what they know. Those students who have not visited the area are able to ask the others questions about it. Although this can be done in class, a wiki allows for this to occur when students are at home in the afternoon and working on their assignment. A wiki is also a great form of formative assessment for a teacher. The teacher can set up a task on a wiki for students to be involved in, this gives the teacher immediate insight into those students who need further explanation on the content. Wiki’s are also a great way of setting up authentic assessments and projects whereby students are able to explore real-world problems and challenges. This creates an engaging and interactive form of learning which encourages students and results in a deeper understanding. I have created a separate wiki for this course, but please click on my wikis and then on ‘Authentic Success’ to also get an idea of what I have created so far in ESS this term. http://eloiselearning.wikispaces.com  the username is: authenticsuccess and the password is: cqu2013.