Course Reflection

Although I was hesitant at the start, I am very pleased that I have completed and finalised the Web 2.0 course. It has introduced me to a range of ICT resources that I had never heard of before, such as Picasa; it has helped to clarify some Web 2.0 tools that I had heard of but didn't really understand, such as Wikis; and it has also prompted me to think about how I can more effectively use some Web 2.0 tools that I was already familiar with, such as YouTube. Furthermore, it has provided me with a range of tools that I can use when I want to collaborate with colleagues. Teaching requires so much collaboration, whether it is working on a planning document or organising an excursion. Being able to collaborate with colleagues through Google Docs or a Wiki will definitely make the process a little bit easier.

           


There are some resources that I will definitely continue to use when planning and preparing lessons - Google Docs, Scootle, Prezi and Delicious instantly spring to mind. There are some that I feel that I am less likely to use, such as Twitter and Second Life. However, I am glad that I was given the opportunity to see how those particular Web 2.0 tools can be used in education and also to get an insight into some of the fantastic ways that teachers are using them to engage students and parents in the learning process.

                        



I found the final reflection to be very interesting and a great conclusion to the course. If eLearning is about creating engaging learning environments, then we as teachers have to be open to a whole range of teaching tools. The Web 2.0 course isn't just about learning about technology. It's about discovering what tools are out there and then using those tools in a way that makes our teaching effective, engaging and relevant to our students. I liked the quote at the end of the YouTube clip, "it's not about the technology but about good learning. The technology is a tool that can be used to achieve these goals".


                             

Finally, I commented on Wendy Dean's blog in Module 6. Her blog URL is http://alideannews.blogspot.com.au/.

Module 10

I have to say that I am very pleased to finally have a proper understanding of the term 'Wiki'. It is a term that is used often but I never took the time to find out what it actually means. I think that Wikis are very beneficial to education. They make professional and student collaboration so much quicker, simpler and easier. It is very similar to working collaboratively on a Google Doc.

The term 'Ning' is one that I hadn't heard of before. I thought it might be something complex, however the YouTube videos made it simple to understand. I also found looking at the English Comparison Ning helped me to understand the concept too. I think it's great that you can find virtual communities based on professional or personal interests and have a way of sharing and discussing ideas with people.

Google Sites could be used in so many ways for education. A way to share information about the school or even just a class website; it could be used by teachers to share information about a class project or to present students with information about a certain topic. The list is endless. I look forward to using Google Sites more often in the future.

Module 9

During this module I took the opportunity to really get to know Scootle. It is such a fantastic resource, very easy to use and it is definitely a resource that I will be using for lesson planning.

I was already aware of most of the social and professional networks featured in this module. Second Life was the only one that I hadn't heard of. I can see how Second Life would appeal to students in secondary school. I think it's a clever idea that will engage the 'gamer generation' in education. However as a Foundation teacher and someone who isn't a 'gamer' I have to say that it's not something that I can see myself using in the classroom. 

I am already very familiar with Facebook. I definitely feel that this is a social network and not a professional one. Facebook is something that I use to communicate with my family and friends and I think that it is too personal to use with students or to use as a professional network. 

I have stated before that I am not a huge fan of Twitter, however I can see how it may be useful to Tweet parents and colleagues. I feel that there are currently other ways that I am doing this though. In the huge world of Web 2.0 I have discovered some amazing tools, however I don' think my opinion about Twitter will be swayed.

LinkedIn is a professional network that I had heard of but not used. My husband uses it to stay connected with business colleagues and has found it very useful. As a teacher I can see how it can keep you connected with colleagues. If I am honest, I have discovered other Web 2.0 tools that I feel more likely to use to connect with colleagues and share ideas with them.

From this module I definitely felt that Scootle was the Web 2.0 tool that most appealed to me. I have already started using it to plan some of my upcoming lessons. It has introduced me to some fantastic apps that I am excited to show my students and I am so glad that I have discovered ABC Splash. I keep thinking 'how did I not know about this before?'. I thoroughly enjoyed this module and felt that it was very worthwhile.

Module 8

In this Module I went from not knowing what an RSS reader is to feeling relatively confident using Feedly. 

I was able to quickly set up an account and I have now subscribed to a few blogs and podcasts. I have even added the blogs of some of my colleagues who are also doing the Web 2.0 course.

I can see how using RSS readers can be useful in education. It's another way for teachers to stay up-to-date with teaching ideas and resources. It's also a way for students to stay up-to-date with information about particular topics.

Module 7

For this module I chose to use the Social Bookmarking tool Delicious. I found it very easy to use and I also installed the extension to my Chrome task bar. It has made bookmarking websites very easy. I also like the 'tagging' feature - this will make finding my favourite teaching websites a lot faster when I need them for specific topics.

I can definitely see the usefulness of online communities such as Delicious and Diigo. It makes finding interesting and relevant websites so much quicker as you can quickly see what other people have bookmarked and found useful. It's also a great way to share fantastic resources with friends, family and colleagues. The fact that you can access the bookmarks from any computer is also another huge time saver.

During this module I also took the opportunity to look at a few other blogs and also commented on a couple. I found it very interesting to read other peoples thoughts and opinions about the Web 2.0 tools that we have looked at so far. 

Module 6

I have to be honest and say that I didn't really learn anything new in the module. I have used a range of programs to upload and edit photos so I found Picasa relatively easy to use. I see how it is useful to upload photos, slideshows and collages to your Google Plus account.

Here's the collage that I created in Picasa. It was very easy to upload as Blogger can access my Picasa Web Albums.

Module 5

This was another interesting module that presented some new Web 2.0 tools that I hadn't heard of or used before. Bubbl.us was a great site and one that I can see myself using in the Prep classroom, especially when brainstorming information for Integrated Studies topics. Here is what I created in bubbl.us about my Web 2.0 journey so far.

Glogster was also interesting. It's a different way to present information to the class and also possibly a site that the Prep students could use in their ICT lessons later in the year. 

I also liked Prezi and the new spin that it has put on PowerPoint. Here is the Prezi that I created about Spring (we are currently learning about Weather and Seasons for Integrated Studies). I thought that I could use this Prezi in my classroom as a tool to open up a discussion about what students already know about Spring and also to present them with some new information.

http://prezi.com/pfa1ft_n3rq4/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy