Comments on: A Reader Needs Your Tech Advice! http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/ Education, technology, and other geeky things Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:11:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Sarah Stewart http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-359 Sarah Stewart Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:59:51 +0000 http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-359 Hi Kate, can I direct your reader to two open content courses (one is running at the moment which he/she can join informally) and the other one that has ended. They are a bit like Open PD. They are not about how to use the tools but rather designing flexible learning http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2008/03/designing-flexible-learning-open-access.html and facilitating online communities http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2008/02/facilitating-online-learning_7004.html cheers Sarah Hi Kate, can I direct your reader to two open content courses (one is running at the moment which he/she can join informally) and the other one that has ended. They are a bit like Open PD. They are not about how to use the tools but rather designing flexible learning

http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2008/03/designing-flexible-learning-open-access.html

and facilitating online communities

http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2008/02/facilitating-online-learning_7004.html

cheers Sarah

]]> By: Sue Waters http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-357 Sue Waters Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:57:30 +0000 http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-357 First I'd love to delete the word Digital natives because creates so much misconceptions and isn't the reason why we should be using technology with our learners. What types of activities using web 2.0 actually benefit the students? We need to stop thinking about the tools; go back to basics, focus on what we are trying to achieve and why is it important. By doing this we will ensure that we aren't implementing technology for technology sake. And not throw out good pedagogy when we use technology; I love the example of the two students in the UK that were given PDAs and insisted that they used them in every class for every circumstance. As they were bright, and using the PDAs a teacher made a bad assumption that they knew what they were doing and failed to check their progress. Meanwhile they were totally off task and had no idea how to even tackle the problem; or any understanding that they were lost. I would suggest your reader joins Open PD because we discuss each tool and the benefits of using with students. Plus I always recommend that educators use the tools for their own learning first, as they become effective they will soon realise the potential for using with their students. Which tool to start with is very individual - gets back to what engages them. I started with podcasting, then wikis and finally blogging. Others are more engaged by Flickr, digital story telling. Unfortunately as individuals we connect to different tools differently. We also need to accept the time frame between being shown a tool, being engaged by it and then using it effectively can be lengthy. Blogging was 12 months from first being shown a blog, to setting up my own blog. Which technologies do teachers have the ability to learn easily (quick learning curve)? Gets back to their passion and level of engagement. If they use it for their personal learning will be faster than if only used during work time. Probably wikis (wikispaces). First I’d love to delete the word Digital natives because creates so much misconceptions and isn’t the reason why we should be using technology with our learners.

What types of activities using web 2.0 actually benefit the students? We need to stop thinking about the tools; go back to basics, focus on what we are trying to achieve and why is it important. By doing this we will ensure that we aren’t implementing technology for technology sake. And not throw out good pedagogy when we use technology; I love the example of the two students in the UK that were given PDAs and insisted that they used them in every class for every circumstance. As they were bright, and using the PDAs a teacher made a bad assumption that they knew what they were doing and failed to check their progress. Meanwhile they were totally off task and had no idea how to even tackle the problem; or any understanding that they were lost.

I would suggest your reader joins Open PD because we discuss each tool and the benefits of using with students.

Plus I always recommend that educators use the tools for their own learning first, as they become effective they will soon realise the potential for using with their students. Which tool to start with is very individual - gets back to what engages them. I started with podcasting, then wikis and finally blogging. Others are more engaged by Flickr, digital story telling. Unfortunately as individuals we connect to different tools differently. We also need to accept the time frame between being shown a tool, being engaged by it and then using it effectively can be lengthy. Blogging was 12 months from first being shown a blog, to setting up my own blog.

Which technologies do teachers have the ability to learn easily (quick learning curve)? Gets back to their passion and level of engagement. If they use it for their personal learning will be faster than if only used during work time. Probably wikis (wikispaces).

]]> By: Marie http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-355 Marie Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:03:04 +0000 http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-355 What about setting up a school wiki with resources that would be useful for general teaching ie, math, English, social studies etc. Introduce it to teachers so they can tap into it for enhancing their lessons ... there are so many great sites. An example of what I have done (for our special needs teachers) is http://specialneedsresources.wikispaces.com/ What about setting up a school wiki with resources that would be useful for general teaching ie, math, English, social studies etc. Introduce it to teachers so they can tap into it for enhancing their lessons … there are so many great sites. An example of what I have done (for our special needs teachers) is http://specialneedsresources.wikispaces.com/

]]> By: Marie http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-354 Marie Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:00:18 +0000 http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-354 What about setting up a school wiki with resources that would be useful for general teaching ie, math, English, social studies etc. Introduce it to teachers so they can tap into it for enhancing their lessons ... there are so many great sites. An example of what I have done (for our special needs teachers) is http:\\specialneedsresources.wikispaces.com What about setting up a school wiki with resources that would be useful for general teaching ie, math, English, social studies etc. Introduce it to teachers so they can tap into it for enhancing their lessons … there are so many great sites. An example of what I have done (for our special needs teachers) is http:\\specialneedsresources.wikispaces.com

]]> By: Damian http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-350 Damian Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:45:18 +0000 http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-350 I've given PD workshops on wikis on both the local and regional levels, and they always seem to go over well. Wikis have such a low learning curve, yet they hold massive potential for a number of different uses. Without going into a huge post here, I'll just say that I think wikis are great points of entry for infusing technology into an existing curriculum. You can see the wiki I put together for a February presentation to the New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development here: http://njascd-wikis.wikispaces.com I’ve given PD workshops on wikis on both the local and regional levels, and they always seem to go over well. Wikis have such a low learning curve, yet they hold massive potential for a number of different uses. Without going into a huge post here, I’ll just say that I think wikis are great points of entry for infusing technology into an existing curriculum.

You can see the wiki I put together for a February presentation to the New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development here: http://njascd-wikis.wikispaces.com

]]> By: Susan Roustan http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-349 Susan Roustan Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:41:46 +0000 http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/a-reader-needs-your-tech-advice/#comment-349 1. What types don't? Anytime I've implemented Web 2.0 into student projects, I have had GREAT results - and all seem to impact student achievement. 2. Hmm...well, I can give a couple. I just did a preso on intro to Web 2.0 - that site might help: http://web2ools.teacherlearning.wikispaces.com My fav web 2.0 site is: http://go2web20.net 3. Web 2.0! Most web 2.0 are really great at being intuitive softwares - meaning that the learning curve isn't too steep. This is less wordy than some of my responses, but I'm in a hurry. Hope this helps! ~Susan 1. What types don’t? Anytime I’ve implemented Web 2.0 into student projects, I have had GREAT results - and all seem to impact student achievement.

2. Hmm…well, I can give a couple. I just did a preso on intro to Web 2.0 - that site might help:
http://web2ools.teacherlearning.wikispaces.com
My fav web 2.0 site is: http://go2web20.net

3. Web 2.0! Most web 2.0 are really great at being intuitive softwares - meaning that the learning curve isn’t too steep.

This is less wordy than some of my responses, but I’m in a hurry. Hope this helps!

~Susan

]]>