Wikis and Blogs

“Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser” (Blankenship, Boyland & Consiglio, 2009). Wiki sites or blogs have completely transformed my learning environment this term. As a flex student, I have had to engage with the University’s LMS which has enabled me to become a little more competent in the realm of e-learning. However, nothing could have prepared me for the world of wikis and blogging! Wikis are not something you can read about and then create. Working with wikis requires the learner to actively engage with the content as you have to (procedurally) learn how to use this tool. This process can prove to be very challenging at times as there is no hardcopy in front of you to guide you through the learning process.

Analysing wikis in accordance with Kearsley & Shneidernman’s Engagement Theory (1999) wikis emphasise a student-centered approach to learning and have the potential to meaningfully engage students. This is evident in the sense that wikis are a technology-based approach to learning, requires collaboration amongst peers and requires students to physically engage with the technology in order to be successful at the task.

Wikis and blogs offer such a large spectrum of learning opportunities to both teachers and students particularly in terms of collaborative learning. I would use wikis with my Year 12 Geography class which would form their summative assessment item for a term. They would do this in the context of Responding to Climate Change where students work in pairs and have to design, develop and engage with their own personal wiki along with their classmates’ wikis which further encourages collaboration. I would firstly show them the wiki technology and conduct several practices which focus on students successfully using and engaging with the tool (scaffold). The task would require them to research an alternative green-energy technology (solar, wind, nuclear) discuss this technology on their wiki; include images, comments from peers and how this technology is going to reduce the impacts of Climate Change.

By using the wiki technology in this context, it conforms to Oliver’s ICT Learning Design Model. This is evident in the sense that the students would be responding to a real-world issue (Climate Change), I have scaffolded their learning of the technology by showing them the tool and allowing them the opportunity to engage with it (Oliver, 1999).

References:
Blankenship, L, Boyland, C & Consiglio, D 2009, Wikis and Blogs, viewed 6 August 2009, http://www.brynmawr.edu/etc/tips/wikisandblogs.shtml.

Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B 1999, Engagement Theory: A Framework for technology-based teaching and learning, viewed 24 July, 2009, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm.

Oliver, R 1999, Learning Design: The Learning Design Construct, viewed 9 August 2009, http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm.

Learning Management Systems

As stated by Wikipedia (2009), a Learning Management System (LMS) is software designed for delivering, tracking and managing training/education and holds a strong focus on collaboration.
Learning Management Systems have played a major role in my learning as a flex student as I have engaged with CQU’s Blackboard on a daily basis throughout my course of study.
I utilise Blackboard when tracking my course of study, undertaking online activities as set out by the course, collaborating with other flex students and lecturers and managing my own education.
The Blackboard LMS draws on those components as identified in Kearsley and Shneiderman’s (1999) theory of collaborative learning in terms of having to relate (communicate), create and donate (email, discussion forums) with other learners.

References:
Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B 1999, Engagement Theory: A Framework for technology-based teaching and learning, viewed 24 July, 2009, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Wikipedia 2009, Learning Management System viewed 3 August 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_management_system.

Power Point in the Classroom

As identified on the Microsoft Office Online website (2009), PowerPoint enables users to quickly create high-impact, dynamic presentations which present information in an easy-to-understand manner. I think that this is an adequate summation of the benefits that PowerPoint offers as this particular tool is my most frequently used ICT of all the proposed technologies. PowerPoint presentations are easy to create and you can choose to make them as basic or as fancy as you like.

Whilst I was already familiar with creating slides, editing, adding images and charts and adding motion and sound, I had no idea how to take a PPT with you in terms of sharing over the internet and embedding it into a blog so this activity was worthwhile just for that! The tutorial offered additional tips in regards to timing and custom animation that I was previously unaware of. I went back and edited a PowerPoint that I am planning to deliver this week to my 11 Geography class regarding Sustaining Communities. Hopefully these changes will add a bit of extra spark to my presentation and the students will engage more so as a result.

In terms of using this activity and technology in the future, I will use this tutorial as the key focus for one of my Business Education lessons when teaching students how to use PPT effectively. I will also most likely refer back to the website for the tutorial (http://www.actden.com/pp/) for my own personal use when I want to ‘jazz up’ a tired presentation. I would also like to see my senior Geography students use PPT to present their findings on their chosen alternative green technology (next term).

As iterated by Oliver (1999) for ICTs to effectively enhance students' learning, the technologies must be incorporated into the learning experience so that they support what is being delivered i.e. they serve a purpose and are not merely being used to make it look better. I think that this is an important consideration when using PPT in learning experiences as PPT is often used to simply replace the tired old Overhead Transparencies.

Here is one of the PowerPoint presentations that I have edited and uploaded.

Introduction To Sustaining Biodiversity And Biomes

View more presentations from Hanselearningjourney.

References:
Microsoft Office Online 2009, Office PowerPoint 2007: 10 Reasons to Try, viewed 2 August 2009, http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/powerpoint/HA101650281033.aspx.

Oliver, R 1999, Learning Design: The Learning Design Construct, viewed 9 August 2009, http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm.

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is an interesting concept particularly in regards as to how it should support my learning design and pedagogy. I understand the various benefits associated with using Wikipedia as a collaborative e-learning tool in terms of the expanse of knowledge, resources, references and supporting links that the website offers (Wikipedia, 2009). This collaborative learning environment holds closely to Kearsley & Shneiderman's (1999) theory of active engagement where collaboration amongst peers (partcularly when technology is embedded) is citied as one of the key ingredients to learner engagement.

However, I have found throughout my teaching placements that the use of Wikipedia (particularly by senior students) is commonly discouraged. For the three senior classes that I am taking at the moment, Wikipedia sites are not to be used as a reference material for any of their assignments.
I guess this is largely due to the negative perceptions as held by teachers as they believe that the content contained on the website can be altered by anyone regardless of its academic quality. Personally, I find Wikipedia a good starting point when I require the fundamental knowledge or underpinning ideas regarding a particular subject that I am unfamiliar with.

References:
Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B 1999, Engagement Theory: A Framework for technology-based teaching and learning, viewed 24 July, 2009, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm.

Wikipedia 2009, Wikipedia: About, viewed 2 August 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About.

Google Earth

Google Earth is amazing! After having a play with this technology I managed to copy an image of my house into my blog. This photo was taken several years ago as there has been significant residential development to the left of this estate since. It amazes me the kinds of information available to us citizens. I remember hearing about the issues when Google Earth first started in regards to being able to view certain areas such as military training grounds. Not that I expected it to work but I still tried to look at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area north of Yeppoon-however this view was restricted and I was unable to zoom in on anything in particular.

As a SOSE/Geography teacher, I have already used Google Earth throughout my learning design. Google Earth is an excellent tool to develop students' spatial knowledge in terms of locating, identifying and deducing information from the site. It is a requirement of my Year 12s Geography assessment that they locate the correct image from Google Earth/Maps in regards to the location of field trip. I firstly went through/explained/demonstrated how to use this technology which essentially provided adequate scaffolding for the learners who are now expected to demonstrate their ability to use this technology in their assignments. By showing the students how to engage with this technology, I was conforming to Oliver's ICT Learning Design Model (1999) as I scaffolded the learning journey for them so that they were equipped with the knowledge/skills in terms of how to use the Google Earth tool for their assignments

Reference:

Oliver, R 1999, Learning Design: The Learning Design Construct, viewed 9 August 2009, http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm.

My e.Portfolio

Just when I had thought I had gotten my head around my blog I’m introduced to this new concept of an e.Portfolio. After watching the prescribed clips of how Mahara works, I embarked on the journey of setting up my new account via Net.Spot. This proved to be quite easy as I navigated myself through the process and before I knew it I had created yet another profile of myself and an active e-learning blog. For some reason I could relate more easily to the Mahara website design as I think it holds clear links to both MySpace and Facebook networking sites which I have engaged with in the past.

One benefit I immediately associate with Mahara is the learning opportunities it offers to both me and my learners. Firstly, Mahara would be an effective interface by which I could communicate with other learning managers in regards to sharing insights, tips, information (websites) and other useful facts specific to the trade of teaching.

As iterated by SRI International (2009) embedding technology into classroom pedagogy is an effective means by which to ensure that students actively engage in the learning.
By students establishing either a class or individually monitored blog, it would offer endless learning opportunities. This would be in terms of the students having a wider access to resources and knowledge and more actively engaging with the learning process. I would love to see students writing up a class blog in terms of sharing the knowledge they have just learnt or chatting with students/industry professionals from other schools/sites in regards to curriculum content. It is this cooperative approach to learning that looks beyond the physical classroom walls that needs to be adopted if we are to better provide for the needs of our learners.


Reference:
SRI International 2009, Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students: Change in Student and Teacher Roles, viewed 1 August 2009, http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html.

An RSS explained…

As I am now a daily user of the web due to my constant blogging, an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeder has made my life so much easier. Before I had installed an RSS, I was relying on the course forums and emails to keep me up-to-date in regards to what everyone else was blogging about. Once I had installed an RSS into my Google account, it has enabled me to more closely monitor and manage my colleagues’ postings.

It has allowed me to stay more easily informed, saves me time in regards to only subscribe to the content that I am interested in and ensures my privacy as I don’t have to subscribe to each site’s email newsletter (Software Garden, 2004). Depending on what information I am seeking (responses to delivery technologies, thoughts on the frameworks); I can now quickly locate and further explore relevant and timely information as posted on my colleagues’ blogs.

For further information on what an RSS is, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU for a free tutorial.

Reference:
Software Garden 2004, What is RSS? viewed 1 August 2009, http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.html.