Question 1:  a)  http://fire-and-spirit-year10re.pbwiki.com/ and http://fireandspirit.wordpress.com/

b) The five key issues were: putting myself in the students’ position, I thought that the assignment’s five main issues were:  

1.  Lack of motivation. The students were given over six weeks to finish this assignment, and motivation from both students and parents was lacking from the start. Also, the parents were a little unwilling to put time into this work because of a lack of motivation and because of the many other tasks that they have. 2.   Lack of knowledge and inadequacy. The realm of web 2.0 technology was way out of the parents understanding and it seemed foreign to them. The students also felt an inadequacy and this was a barrier to getting the project underway, as their familiarization with the technology took time and effort.

3.      Differing levels of ability. Students were grouped and in each group there existed a variety of ability and understanding. The students who were less able found it difficult to contribute to the group’s work, and at the beginning of the task, there was a marked difference in the input of the students; some students contributed significantly more than others.

4.      Access to the necessary technology. There was the issue with many households having inadequate access to the internet or to tools on the internet, such as video or certain necessary software such as shockwave. Access proved to be a barrier for many, but this was overcome as students were given sufficient time to work on their projects in class and took the initiative to meet up with others at locations with access to these tools.

5.      Lack of focus. In class, students would browse the internet for most of the time instead of focusing on their projects. They would browse websites such as facebook, flickr, myspace, hotmail, etc, and in the early stages did not put effort into their assignments. But this was overcome, as I immediately recognized the problem and kept students on task by issuing warnings and making sure that I kept up to date with their progress.  

c) Collaboration was the key element to the overall success of this project. It was a great motivator to work and a wonderful drive to succeed. Dreikurs comments on the four goals for students. These are (1) attention seeking, (2) power seeking, (3) revenge seeking and (4) displaying inadequacy. This collaboration was an opportunity for students to have their works recognised by others in the group and the rest of the class. Some students took control of the situation and then others in the group competed (in an indirect way) for control by increasing their contribution in consideration of the input of others. This is where power seeking takes place. Revenge was seen in students who were unwilling to be constantly remindede of their lack of effort and contribution, and as a result, made great efforts to contribute to prove the rest of the group wrong. Some students displayed inadequacy and sought help to get going, and their feelings of inadequacy were overcome.

  Question 2:  

a)      The teacher must convey information in a manner that is suitable to the students. The teacher must be able to come down to the level of the students to make the difficult work be understood to a greater degree on the human level. Furthermore, the teacher had to provide an environment whereby the student had full control over their own learning. William Glasser sees that one of the main drives for learning is less focused on rules but more-so on gaining power (http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Glasser,_William). In this way students have control of their own learning. When considering the possibilities of web 2.0, this is provided, because it is the user, not the website owner, but the user is in control.   

     This leads on to another necessary teacher approach. Play. In the classroom, constructivism best occurs when students, who are given control over their own learning, are also given the freedom to, in a sense do what they like. In this, play leads to learning in that a student can discover for themselves and construct their own learning by assimilation and accommodation (http://www.answers.com/topic/constructivism-learning-theory). In terms of the web 2.0 world, students are to be given the freedom to see how it works for themselves. Once a student has discovered a way to make web 2.0 work, he/she will then be competent and much more able to store and make sense of their learning in the various tools available in web 2.0. But, the role of the teacher is that of facilitator. He/she is not a dictator but one who keeps the learning on track. The facilitator keeps the students focused on their task, giving the necessary means to fulfil the task for themselves. The facilitator is a helper of knowledge construction, not the source. Students are not empty vessels. The facilitator helps the learner to get to his or her own understanding of the content. In this way, the learner plays a more active role in their learning, whereas in prior times, they would have had a more passive role (http://www.answers.com/topic/constructivism-learning-theory). In essence, a facilitator, especially in the web 2.0 world, directs the progress by minimising the learning. In effect, it kind of looks like this:

 

 

That’s the role of the facilitator. Showing the Problem, getting the students accustomed to the necessary learning means (in this case, the facilitator lets the students explore what web 2.0 is about), minimising and specifying their learning, letting the students explore and control their learning in the world of web 2.0, and the summing up.

 b)      Learning is not merely an individual process. Students must be able to find the right circumstances to learn best. This is known as the ‘Zone of Proximal development’ which, by its very nature is a social process. It argues that students can, with help from adults or children who are more advanced, master concepts and ideas that they cannot understand on their own. This theory was put together by Lev Vygotsky, and it has proved very successful. In considering this, learning is social and is achieved best when social. The teacher must encourage and foster this as it involves a collaboration between different intelligences and abilities, and is a means for the increase of ability for students of all abilities (http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/social.htm).  This image best represents the great and wonderful world of collaboration web 2.0 and the possibilities for all learners:        

               

 Web 2.0 and collaboration provide many advantages for the students. Four main advantages are that: ·        cost effective

·        harnesses collective intelligence

·        myriad/diverse usage of devices

·        remix of data source and data transformation(http://www.elearnspace.org/media/connectivism_Web_2/player.html).   The tools of web 2.0 provide for the fruition and development of learning. They provide tools for different intelligences. Youtube videos and flickr help the visual learners. Mp3’s and midi’s help the musical learners. Online lectures by means of podcasting helps the more higher order thinkers who learn by listening. The ability to construct a wiki or a blog is a perfect way to help more pro-active and practical learners. In a group, different intelligences are inevitable, and web 2.0 helps cater for all these. Collaboration then helps the students to teach each other in the differing domains of web 2.0.  In web 2.0, collaboration best takes place, as it seems that it is a natural aim of web 2.0:  

c)      Classroom management is an essential factor for the teacher, but is not a traditional one. Vygotsky and Glasser argue that, in order for students to take control of their own learning and to follow the task requirements, which is essentially the purpose of classroom management, students are not necessarily required to follow rules and risk of punishment. Classroom management in this case should consist in putting the students in a fun, suitable, collaborative and challenging environment that keeps the student interested and focused (http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Glasser,_William). The learning environment should also be applicable to real life circumstances and long term situations, i.e. after school/university (http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/collab.htm). Web 2.0 helps to achieve this.  Take a look at this image:  

         

In web 2.0, this is what the teacher should provide as a way of classroom management. This is what keeps the students occupied with their learning.   

d)      Learning occurring at Bloom’s higher levels is essential. This website explains it all: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom’s+and+ICT+tools. The revised Bloom’s taxonomy looks like this:             

In Web 2.0, Teachers very provision of web 2.0 technologies into the classroom is the first and most fundamental step in ensuring that learning is occurring at higher levels. This table shows just how this is achieved:  Bloom’s revised taxonomy and Digital Approaches

Taxonomy ElementHigher order to lower order thinking	Keywords & ActionsItems in italics are part of Blooms’ digital taxonomy	Digital ApproachesKey: WP word processing, DTP desktop Publishing, GIS Geographic Information Systems
Higher Order Thinking
CreatingGenerating/creating new ideas, products, or ways of viewing things (Putting together/combining ideas, concepts or elements to develop/construct/build an original idea or engage/stimulate in creative thinking).	Designing Constructing Planning Producing Inventing Devising Making Building programming, filming, animating, Blogging, Video blogging, mixing, remixing, wiki-ing, publishing, videocasting, podcasting, directing/producing	Film (Movie maker, Avid Free DV, Pinnacle Studio, Adobe premier elements Online tools [See web2.0] www.jumpcut.com, www.eyespot.com, www.pinnacleshare.com, www.cuts.com, www,animoto.com)Presentation (Powerpoint, Impress, Zoho presentation tool, Photostory, Google present) Story (WP, DTP, Presentation, podcasting, photostory, voicethread) Project (WP, Ganttproject for Gantt charts and PERT Charts, Openproj for gantt, Pert and critical pathways) calendars, flow charts [inspiration, freemind, C-Map , smartideas], mind maps) Blogging video blogging – Blogging tool, blogger, wordpress, classroom blogmiester, bloglines Vodcast, podcast videocasting screen casting – voice thread, blogging tool, skype Plan(Inspiration, Cmap, free mind, WP, Calendar) New game (Gamemaker, RPGmaker) Model (Sketchup, Blender, Maya3d PLE, autocad) Song (finale notepad, WP, Sound recorder, Audacity, podcasting, recording narration in presentations [photostory 3, powerpoint, impress] Online tools [See web2.0] http://voicethread.com/ http://www.looplabs.com/ http://www.jamglue.com http://www.podomatic.com/mix ) Media product (DTP, Movie maker, Corel, GIMP, Paint.net, Tuxpaint, Alice, Flash, Podcasting – Online tools [See web2.0] http://voicethread.com/ http://www.looplabs.com/ http://www.jamglue.com http://www.podomatic.com/mix ) Advertisement (DTP, Corel, GIMP, Paint.net, Tuxpaint, Movie maker, Alice, Flash, Podcasting) Painting (Corel, Paint, GIMP, Paint.net, Tuxpaint online tools – http://www.picnik.com http://www.ajaxwrite.com/)
EvaluatingJustifying a decision, solution, answer or course of action (Judge/evaluate/analyse the value of ideas, concepts, materials and methods by developing/constructing and applying standards and criteria).	Checking Hypothesising Critiquing Experimenting Judging Testing Detecting Monitoring (Blog/vlog) commenting, reviewing, posting, moderating, collaborating, networking, reflecting, (Alpha & beta) testing.	Debate (WP, sound recorder, podcasting, inspiration, free mind, Chatrooms, IM, email, Discussion boards, video and Phone conferencing [skype, IM]) Panel (WP, chatrooms, IM, email, Discussion boards, Video and phone conferencing) Report (WP, DTP, Presentation, Camera) Evaluation (WP, DTP, Mind Map Presentation, camera, GIS[Google earth, Google Maps, Flickr Arcview/explorer]) Investigation (Internet, Online tools, camera, WP, GIS[Google earth, Google Maps, Flickr Arcview/explorer]) Verdict (WP etc) Conclusion (WP, DTP, Presentation) Persuasive speech (WP, Sound recorder, reasonable -argument software, Mind map – presentation mode) Commenting, moderating reviewing posting – discussion boards, forums, blog, wiki’s, twitter, threaded discussions, bulletin boards, chatrooms Collaborating: discussion boards, forums, blog, wiki’s, twitter, threaded discussions, bulletin boards, chatrooms, video conferencing, chatrooms, instant messaging, txt and pxt messaging, video messaging audio conferencing Networking – social networking tools, audio and video conferencing, email threads, telecommunications, instant messaging etc
AnalysingBreaking information into parts/components to explore/develop/construct understandings and relationships (Breaking information down into its component elements).	Comparing Organising Deconstructing Attributing Outlining Structuring Integrating, Mashing, linking, reverse-engineering, cracking, mind-mapping, validating	Survey (Web, WP, Spreadsheet, surveymonkey email, discussion boards) Database (relational; databases using MySQL and Access,Flatfile database using Spreadsheet, wikis, GIS [Google earth, Google Maps, Flickr, Arcview/explorer]) Abstract (WP) Relationship maps – Herring or fish bone mind maps, SWOT Analysis, PMI, Venn, 6 Questions [See Bloom's, Learning styles & thing organisers] ( Inspiration, kidspiration, smart ideas, Cmap, Mindmapper, freemind Online tools - http://www.gliffy.com/ http://www.mindmeister.com http://www.drawanywhere.com/examples.aspx) Report (WP, DTP, spreadsheet, presentation, web, GIS [Google earth, Google Maps, Flickr Arcview/explorer]) Graph (Spreadsheet, digitizer) Spreadsheet (Calc, excel) Checklist (WP, Spreadsheet) Mashing – intel mash up Chart (Spreadsheet, digitizer, mind mapping tools online tools – www.gliffy.com)
ApplyingUsing information, concepts and ideas in another familiar situation (Using strategies, concepts, principles and theories in new situations).	Implementing Carrying out Using Executing Doing, running, loading, playing, operating, hacking, uploading, sharing, editing	Illustration (Corel, inkscape, GIMP, Paint) Simulation (Floor map, graphic tools, google sketchup) Sculpture Demonstration (Presentation, graphics, screen capture) Presentation – impress, powerpoint, google presentation, Zoho presentation Interview (WP, mind mapper,podcast, vodcast, audacity, sound recorder) Performance (Podcast, vodcast, film, audio recording, speech, Powerpoint Show) editing – video and sound tools playing – mmorpg’s online games, simulations like Global conflicts palenstine
UnderstandingExplaining/defining ideas or concepts (Understanding of given information).	Interpreting Exemplifying Summarising Inferring Paraphrasing Classifying Comparing Explaining, Advanced searches, boolean searches, blog journalling, twittering, categorising and tagging, commenting, annotating, subscribing	Recitation (WP, Mind map, flashcards, presentation tools) Summary (WP, Mind map, internet, wiki) Collection (WP, Mind map, internet) Explanation (WP, Mind map, internet) Show and tell (WP, presentation, graphics, audio tools – audacity sound recorder, video tools, Mind map) Example (WP, Mind map, internet, DTP) List (WP, Mind map) Label (WP, Mind map, Graphics, online tools – ajaxdraw) Outline (WP, Mind map) Advanced and boolean searches – advanced search features – google etc Blog journalling – bloglines, blogger etc Diary/Journal (blogging, Myspaces, bebo, facebook, bloglines, blogger) Categorising and tagging – Del.icio.us etc tagging, comments annotating – -noticeboards, discussion boards, treaded discussions, adobe acrobat reader, blog readers, firefox, zotero Subscribing – aggregators – bloglines, firefox extensions
Remembering*Recalling specific information (Recall or recognition of specific information).	Recognising Listing Describing Identifying Retrieving Naming Locating/Finding, Bullet pointing, highlighting, bookmarking, social networking, Social bookmarking, favouriting/local bookmarking, Searching, googling,	Quiz/Test (Online tools, WP, Cue sheets) Flashcards (Moodle, Hot potatoes, scorm objects) Definition (WP, simple Mind maps, wiki) Fact (WP, Mind map, internet, discussion boards, email) Worksheet/book (WP, Mind map, Web) Label (WP, graphics tools) List (WP, Mind map, Web publishing) Reproduction (WP, internet, graphics tools, Chatrooms, email, discussion boards) Bookmarking internet browsers, web 2.0 tools del.icio.us Social Networking – facebook, myspaces, bebo Basic Searches – search engines google

http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom’s+and+ICT+tools?responseToken=c58c3e368875b57b4e893312dba8b91d 

The above table shows just how specific tools cater for specific levels. The teacher can facilitate this progress. Let’s consider this: Remembering is necessary before understanding. You cannot understand if you don’t recall. Before you apply your knowledge, you must be able to understand it first. Knowledge can only be analyzed once it is applied, so applying precedes analyzing. Evaluation occurs only when information has been analyzed. When one is then able to evaluate, determining the quality of something and being able to judge information, only then can a learner determine the suitability or the quality of something. Then are they able to create, design, etc. The facilitator can ensure this occurs in web 2.0 by going through the process and progress. He/she must first introduce web 2.0 tools that contribute to the lower learning levels, and then proceed in proper order according to Bloom’s taxonomy.  Tools in web 2.0 help to make this progress possible. For example, igoogle allows for the learner to select different field of learning, specifying it, and analyzing the way information is conveyed.  The role of the facilitator is to provide, explore and direct the progress of web 2.0 so that the learners are thus able to achieve higher levels of thinking.                   

The internet is a domain that is growing silently. Since its beginning just under 15 years ago, it has become the main source of information and entertainment. But, over the last few years, the definition of the concept, ‘the internet’ has changed dramatically. The reason for this change is Web 2.0. Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis and other forms of media which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. This goes beyond msn messenger and other chat rooms. This is a whole new world in collaboration. The world suddenly becomes smaller but more expansive.   Web 2.0 is a new dimension to the internet. It adds that increased information processing aspect. Suddenly internet websites are easy to make, information is easier to process and learning is made more fun, creative and exciting. But not only that, a person can take greater ownership of their own learning and discovery. Anyone can do it. You don’t need to be an expert. Sir Tim Berners lee, creator of the World Wide Web says that Web 2.0 is really just an extensions of the original ideas of the web. Web 2.0 is really what the internet should be (although, there are now movements to even improve and develop into what’s already being called web 3.0). Some of the applications of web 2.0 are: wikis, blogs, tagging and social bookmarking, multimedia sharing, audio blogging and podcasting, as well as many other forms of applications. A Wiki is a webpage or a set of web-pages that can be edited by anyone who is allowed access to that page. The best example of this is wikipedia.org. A blog is a simple page that is set up by someone in which they can post opinions, articles, or anything that is of interest, allowing for the use of multimedia posting. Users may visit these sites and leave comments on posts. A great example of this is blogspot, mySpace or even wordpress. Tagging/social bookmarking sites are sites that allow you to store websites on to an account set up by you, and these stay as an online favourits page that isn’t restricted to your own PC (as was the case before) but now can be accessed online on any computer you want. A great example of this is del.icio.us. A multimedia sharing site allows you to facilitate the sharing and storing of media online. These could be in the form of pictures and videos. Probably the best example of this is YouTube, and for pictures, Flickr. Audio blogging and podcasting allows you to listen to mp3’s in the form of interviews, lectures, songs, etc on a website, desktop or any handheld device with internet access. Most universities have made this media available for their students’ study applications. Audblog and odeo are great examples of this.           What has web 2.0 done? It has brought the internet into the classroom and into the daily lives of students. It has educational value. The technology within schools and tertiary education centres is slowly developing and utilizing web 2.0 to its full potential. Those essential elements within the school that were seen as breakthroughs to learning in the technological sphere are not classified as efficient technology in the classroom of 2007. Technology such as over head projectors and computers used just to type out assignments are now old and out-dated. Every educational centre has enough internet installed computers to available to a class of students. Ninety percent of these students according to Brian Alexander also have a computer at home and almost all students being able to access a computer at school or a library. Web 2.0 has introduced to students and teachers a more rich, collaborative, interesting and above all creative way to present their work and commence in research in however way they please. Some of the great ways that education has used web 2.0 to its advantage is by use of some of the applications mentioned earlier. For example, the use of the wiki has made assignments more interesting, challenging, but has increased the quantity and quality of learning. Students can embark in a group assessment by making their own website, displaying all their findings and assignment outcomes. Wiki’s not only become an online social learning environment, but is a great way to facilitate for the learning styles and for the talents of each individual in the group. This applies directly to Howard Gardner’s ‘multiple intelligences’ theory which is very logical.  Students have multiple intelligences and learning occurs at different levels and at different styles such as visual, telestetcial, aural and with working individually or and in groups extrinsically. Learning with web 2.0 allows for the consideration of multiple intelligences as students can work with tools to suit these needs. It allows for a more efficient and a better production of work. Another great way it facilitates this learning is through the application of facebook. This can be used in the classroom by the teachers/students as a way to facilitate efficient learning. facebook is essential an online social tool where one can find friends from their past and present, make friends, make groups, join groups, share info and communicate. The teacher can make facebook a safe and interactive learning environment for his/her students. He/she can create a group for his class only that can be protected from any one else from intruding by restricting a person joining by means of invitation. In this case the teacher will invite only his/her students. This can be a space for posting relevant information, assignment topics, reminders of work to be handed up, as well as receiving help from the teacher outside of school hours. This can be fully supervised by the teacher who can ensure safety and maintaining an appropriate standard, and if there is any breach to these agreements, then the teacher can fix things up. The teacher can post things up such as pictures, information, links to helpful websites and videos as he/she sees fit. This has now become exactly like a classroom, only it’s in cyberspace. Very little of the fundamentals of learning have changed, but the environment has. this allows students to teach themselves not only how to use ICT more effectively, but it gives them the responsibility of using and manipulating the given information in whatever way they want in order to produce high quality work.  Del.icio.us is another great aid to learning. Here, an account can be made by students and they can link to eachother and to the teacher on cybersapce. This website allows for the permanent storage of website that can be accessed from any computer that has access to the web. It is an online ‘favourites’ page that now does away with sending websites through the email. Here, students and teachers can find relevant and great websites to assist in assignments and units of work and they can be stored onto the account. The beauty about this is that, whenever a user adds a friend’s del.icio.us page, which grants access to his/her page and to see the websites that each has added. This is just online sharing. And it’s simple and quicker. It does away with the hassle of finding a great amount of websites with relevant information. Find a few, share them, and then use what your friends have used.  To sum up, web 2.0 is an extension of the original idea of the internet, but in a way that is more useful and simpler to the user. By using web 2.0 technology a high level order of thinking and learning clearly takes place while working collaboratively as a class running in the virtual world developing high level skills in both education and ICT skills.   BibliographyAlexander, Brian. (2006) http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0621.pdfAnderson, Paul,(2007). What us Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implication for education. Retrieved 25 October 2007 from, http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/techwatch/tsw0701b.pdf.MacManus, Richard. (2007). E-learning 2.0: all you need to know. Retrieved 18 October 2007 from, www.readwriteweb.com/archives/e-learning_20_all_you_need_to_know.php.Hauser, Judy. (2007). Media Specialists Can Learn Web 2.0 Tools to Make Schools More Cool, Computers in Libraries, v27 n2 p6-8, 47-48 Feb 2007.Bull, Glen & Ferster, Bill. (2007). Ubiquitous Computing in a Web2.0 World, Learning and leading with technology, v33 n4 p9-11 Dec 2005-Jan 2006.                  

This is a quick explanation of Web 2.0 and a quick snippet into the future world of web 3.0. already, things are moving so quick…why? I need to master 2.0 before i can even start thinking and psyching myself up for 3.0. NOT HAPPY JAN!!!

 

I remember when i first watched this video i was abit shocked. the Adavancements in the world that this video shows is quite unbelievable, and if shift is happening at this kind of rate well then, it’s quite absurd. I know what you’re thinking-Bullshift. Yep i thought the same thing. I never thought that a human could make something “smarter” than himself/herself. Have a watch.

Trivia note-the music is actually off the movie by Michael mann “the Last of the Mohicans” with the music scored by Randy Edelman. Good stuff.

well, would u have a look at that. So much like all technology, the video requires no words to decribe what is actually going on. A great introduction into the usefulness of web 2.0.

 

Twenty-first century learning in schools.By Bob Pearlman. 

Link to article:http://web.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=22&hid=102&sid=4a0902af-bc2e-42ef-aa98-1748d68d6cce%40sessionmgr103  

Abstract: 

There are a lot of changes which started to take place during the 1990’s according to Bob Pearlman. These included globalization and an increased role in technology in work and life. Learning in the 21^st century includes information and communication skills, thinking and problem-solving skills, interpersonal and self-directional skills, and the skills to use twenty-first century tools such as information and communication technologies.

This article goes through how the government is planning to spend over 80 billion dollars in re building schools within America which are over 15years old and create a 21^st century environment  which is able to inspire learning for decades to come. But to do this we need to know what the students want to learn and the skills they need for the 21^st century. I think this is really important due to the fact that this is the future, technology is our future and if the future generations don’t know how to function within society and to keep up with the recent technological advancements then we wont be going anywhere and we will be trapped in the past.When thinking about preparing students for the 21^st century we need to address a few important questions and Bob Pearlman asks these: 

• What learning curricula, activities, and experiences foster twenty-first century learning? 

• What assessments for learning, school based and national, foster student learning, engagement, and self-direction? 

• What physical learning environments (classroom, school, and real world) foster twenty-first century student learning?

 • How can technology support a twenty-first century collaborative learning environment and support a learning community?

Walk into a classroom at New Technology High School (NTHS)in Napa, California, and you will see students at work: writing journals online, doing research on the Internet, meeting in groups to plan and make their Web sites and their digital media presentations, and evaluating their peers for collaboration and presentation skills. Another teacher’s students may also be there in a team-taught interdisciplinary course. These activities have a name and a purpose.

This is called project-based learning, and it is designed to engage students in learning deeply.

 A simple strategy was planned out to tackle complex problems and will require critical thinking: 

• To learn collaboration, work in teams.

• To learn critical thinking, take on complex problems.

• To learn oral communication, present.

• To learn written communication, write.

• To learn technology, use technology.

• To develop citizenship, take on civic and global issues.

• To learn about careers, do internships.

• To learn content, research and do all of the above.  

 This strategy can be enforced if students can work on projects that are designed to extract collaboration, critical thinking, written communication, oral communication, work ethic, and other critical skills while simultaneously meeting state or national content standards.  

Bob Pearlman also goes through what a traditional classroom is like: 

·         They mainly work alone on non – complex tasks

·         They emphasize short term content memorization

·         Write for the teacher alone

·         And rarely work on group presentations  Project- and problem-based learning takes a different
approach:
1. Put students into teams of three or more students, who work
on an in-depth project for three to eight weeks.
2. Start the project by introducing a complex entry question, and
scaffold the project with activities and new information that
deepens the work.
3. Develop a time line for the project through plans, drafts, timely
benchmarks, and presentations by the team to an outside panel
of experts drawn from parents and the community.
4. Provide timely assessments to students on their projects for
content, oral communication, written communication, teamwork,
critical thinking, and other critical skills.

 

The internet isn’t as dangerous as people think it is, with parents help it can be a pleasure to use for all.Students using web 2.0 tools are at a great advantage as it teaches them to work together collaboratively within the classroom with their fellow peers and teacher. Parents are unaware of this technological shift and sometimes its their children that update them about these new advances.Educators within schools should take it upon themselves to venture out into the world and find what is on the internet, it will truly amaze you. Effectively engaging students with school work that can be done using these web2.0 tools will shed a whole different light on the way the students see their school work.Parents on the other hand are often nagging students asking them if they have completed their homework and to get off the computer and start doing some writing, when in fact they are on the computer working on their blog for homework or working on a wiki to be able to work collaboratively with other students within their class. 

We do have teachers in our schools who are exploring right alongside me, and others who can see the power of Web 2.0 for blending learning experiences with global education and business contacts. But you are right – it is a big shift for educators to jump into social networking. The tools are definitely no longer fads – they ARE our kids, and they are their future…..here and now! JUDY O’CONNELL

 My reflection:

The internet really is a good place if it is used properly. Parents I believe don’t know enough about the advantages of the internet and are hung up on the negatives. And then you can have the other extreme; parents who let their children do what they want on the internet without keeping tabs on them. We need parents to be informed on the positives of the internet in order to get the most out of their children’s potential.  

I actually don’t like one thing about this article, the fact that kids are seen as tools. I see the kids as the end or goal and the future and internet are the means. I don’t think humans should be at the service of technology, but rather technology at the service of us, humans.  

Do u have 2 computers at home? I do. We got one in the actual computer room downstairs and one in my bros room upstairs. both share the same internet connection.

Sometimes, i have to switch computers. i’d be working on the downstairs computer, but then it would be occupied. see i have 2 sisters who are studying, my mum who is studying and my dad who loves the internet and uses it to look at the latest soccer news and videos as well as news and info from his old home town in Argentina. so what happens to me, I have to go upstairs.

So i take my files on my usb and open up my files. Then i get on the net to do my research. Ohh noooo! I’ve lost all my websites. damn. I thought i saved them onto my favourites. Oh wait, i saved them downstairs! oh noooo! so i have to search for them again. 

That happens. U could save something to favourits at home, but if u go to a computer at university or anywhere else, u don’t have quick access to them, but u have to search for them again. it can be frustrating and annoying.

with del.ic.ious, u can avoid that trouble. u can make your own account to store and save ur favourite websites so that u can access them from any computer. it’s pretty good stuff.

also, on delicious, you can pe part of a network community of friends and u can share websites with eachother. U can access all of their websites and they can access all of urs.

this would be great in a classroom. simply, the teacher can create his own account with the students and the teacher can direct the students to helpful reliable websites for assignments and homework, or just for some extra help. the students themselves can share websites for their own personal gain.

in the end, students and teachers are all winners.

September 12th, 2007  

 http://search.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=5028426&site=ehost-liveThis paper serves as the introduction to a collection of 8 projects and a commentary seeking to understand and promote complex learning using technology. Selective evidence on the current state of technology for learning in schools is summarized along with numerous recommendations. Key issues associated with the uses of technology to promote complex and active learning are highlighted. It is argued that accessibility and interactivity with the material and other learners are important features which influence the underlying motivational and cognitive processes which affect complex learning using technology. The nature of cooperative learning is briefly summarized emphasizing positive interdependence and individual accountability as means to promote peer interaction. Fourteen learner-centered psychological principles are listed under several headings: cognitive and met cognitive, motivational and affective, developmental and social, and individual difference factors influencing learners and learning. Finally, key issues in the technology integration process are discussed: creating the school vision, taking stock, partnerships, professional development, implementation, and review.

My Reflections

The article shows how technology supports collaborative learning within the classroom and how it supports the individual in learning and most importantly learning effectively. This in turn will enable students to be self learners which is important. In describing the importance of psychology on technology and learning the author also suggested lifelong learners, whether inside or outside the classroom, self-regulate their own learning. Such is an interesting point as it shows that learners will engage with the learning task cognitively, metacognitvely and motivationally. Overall it makes a clear point of how technology plays an important role in the process by enhancing students interactively with the material to be learnt.