Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Blogs in the Classroom
Blogs can be an incredible tool in the classroom. A teacher can set up a blog and then students link to it. This allows them to post anything they want the students to know online for all to see. This includes links, videos and pictures they want the students to see. Students can then post comments to the teacher as well as asking questions. It can create incredible class discussions and often the students dont even realise they are learning as they enjoy using these sites so much. A possible assingment can be for students to create blogs on certain topics and then post all the information they find on their and submit the assignment by handing the teacher the URL. These are only a limited number of uses for blogs in the classroom.
Web 2.0 - a window into the mind
I found an article on Scobleizer's Weblog. It was his thoughts on the idea of Facebook opening a hotel.
Think about how a business would change if it knew every one of its customers had a Facebook account.
I was thinking of a hotel/casino where when I walked in the iPod in the room was playing the music that I had set as my favorite on my Facebook profile. The digital screens in my room had all my photos and some random photos from my friends. My favorite movies and TV shows were on the video device. The bar knew my favorite drink and how I liked it made.
That got me thinking about how I’d change my business after I knew everything about my customers.
This thought really hit me about web 2.0. What kind of revolution could this create in business and education? Imagine if you could know everything about your customers or your students. What kind of service could you create. We are always told to interact with students on a personal level (E.g. find out interests and use them to build relationships) and now we have a way of doing this. If you have a tudents permission to access their site, you can see what music/tv/sport/movies etc they like. You can see if theyare mainly visual or prefer written. It can be like a window into their mind.
Think about how a business would change if it knew every one of its customers had a Facebook account.
I was thinking of a hotel/casino where when I walked in the iPod in the room was playing the music that I had set as my favorite on my Facebook profile. The digital screens in my room had all my photos and some random photos from my friends. My favorite movies and TV shows were on the video device. The bar knew my favorite drink and how I liked it made.
That got me thinking about how I’d change my business after I knew everything about my customers.
This thought really hit me about web 2.0. What kind of revolution could this create in business and education? Imagine if you could know everything about your customers or your students. What kind of service could you create. We are always told to interact with students on a personal level (E.g. find out interests and use them to build relationships) and now we have a way of doing this. If you have a tudents permission to access their site, you can see what music/tv/sport/movies etc they like. You can see if theyare mainly visual or prefer written. It can be like a window into their mind.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Blogs
One of the most widely used features on web 2.0 is that of blogging. Blogging is a term that describes a site where someone can develop thoughts on posts that are arranged in chronological order. Blogs are often used to comment on food, sport, literature, politics, personal or business views. Some even act as a form of virtual diary. The use of Blogs is incredibly varied.
The benifits of a blog is that you can post information on the net, edit it at any time and other people can see your thoughts and share their own on your site.
One problem can be that of privacy. Anyone can see your thoughts if you dont make it a private account. Also, it is always in chronological order and so you can never change the order of the posts, which can be frustrating as it means you cant put it into a more logical order (such as grouping certain thoughts together).
The benifits of a blog is that you can post information on the net, edit it at any time and other people can see your thoughts and share their own on your site.
One problem can be that of privacy. Anyone can see your thoughts if you dont make it a private account. Also, it is always in chronological order and so you can never change the order of the posts, which can be frustrating as it means you cant put it into a more logical order (such as grouping certain thoughts together).
Wikipedia article on Web 2.0
This picture below hight lights the main points of the wikipedia article below it.
Characteristics of "Web 2.0"
While interested parties continue to debate the definition of a Web 2.0 application, a Web 2.0 website may exhibit some basic common characteristics. These might include:
Characteristics of "Web 2.0"
While interested parties continue to debate the definition of a Web 2.0 application, a Web 2.0 website may exhibit some basic common characteristics. These might include:
- "Network as platform" — delivering (and allowing users to use) applications entirely through a browser. See also Web operating system.
- Users owning the data on a site and exercising control over that data.
- An architecture of participation that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it. This stands in sharp contrast to hierarchical access-control in applications, in which systems categorize users into roles with varying degrees of functionality.
- A rich, interactive, user-friendly interface based on Ajax or similar frameworks.
- Some social-networking aspects.
The impossibility of excluding group-members who don’t contribute to the provision of goods from sharing profits gives rise to the possibility that rational members will prefer to withhold their contribution of effort and free-ride on the contribution of others.
The concept of Web-as-participation-platform captures many of these characteristics. Bart Decrem, a founder and former CEO of Flock, calls Web 2.0 the "participatory Web" and regards the Web-as-information-source as Web 1.0.
Del.icio.us in the classroom
Del.icio.us would be a very interesting programme that can be used in all classrooms. Teachers can create an account and then all the students can connect so that the class shares a network. This can then be used to share links and websites with each other for collaborative learning. For instance, students can post an interesting website they found on a particular topic to the site, and then all the other students have access to it. This means that the students are learning from each other and working collaboratively to create a database of useful information. Also, a teacher can post links to the site for the students to research for homework or assignments, rather than handing out a sheet of paper with the links written on it. This means the students have access every time they log onto the internet.
Flickr in the classroom
Flickr can be used by many KLA’s and teachers as a resource in the classroom. Students can share photos for assignments and connect on a visual level. This is very important as one of Gardner’s multiple intelligences. However, this is just the basic level of it. More important is the idea that you can join groups and create networks. Also, the use of mapping photos. Students can go on an excursion, take photos and then upload them. They then have the ability to mark on a map where the photos were taken. This helps them keep an interactive and visual record of where they went and can then show others were they took the photos.
YouTube in the classroom
YouTube, when used correctly, has an amazing use in the classroom. It is the kind of research tool dreamed of for years. Students can use it to research topics through video. Many professors and authors tape interviews or lectures and post to the site, thus allowing very useful material to be available to all students with access to the internet. An example of this was when I was on prac at The Kings School and I took my Year 9 history Extension class to the computer room. The students instantly pulled up YouTube and within minutes they were watching snippets of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and listening to interviews with Dan Brown and leading religious leaders. This kind of information was much harder to access in the old Web 1.0 system.
Teachers can use programmes such as YouTube in various ways. They can give students links to videos to use when researching assignments, let the students research their own videos or even create videos of the classroom for the students to watch at home. The only problem with the last bit is there is no privacy on YouTube, so teachers would have to make sure they didn’t get students in the video and didn’t mind if others saw them teaching.
One benefit of using things like YouTube is that anyone can contribute, even students. This means that students can feel included in their learning, it can be self directed. This helps students feel they belong to the classroom and are more included socially. This is very important for a child’s development according to Dreikurs and Vygotsky.
Teachers can use programmes such as YouTube in various ways. They can give students links to videos to use when researching assignments, let the students research their own videos or even create videos of the classroom for the students to watch at home. The only problem with the last bit is there is no privacy on YouTube, so teachers would have to make sure they didn’t get students in the video and didn’t mind if others saw them teaching.
One benefit of using things like YouTube is that anyone can contribute, even students. This means that students can feel included in their learning, it can be self directed. This helps students feel they belong to the classroom and are more included socially. This is very important for a child’s development according to Dreikurs and Vygotsky.
YouTube
YouTube is one of the fastest growing Web 2.0 applications on the net. It started as a place for people to post videos and grew into a multi-million dollar networking programme. People are using the programme in ways never imagined before; it is not unheard of for music executives and potential employers to search YouTube videos and their creators for potential employees of clients. It encompasses an incredibly diverse range of videos such as videos of lectures, ads, home videos, music clips and movies off camera phones, though it is not limited to these.
Some statistics i found on YouTube are included below:
· YouTube hosts over six million videos, growing at about 20 percent every month.
· The videos take up 45 terabytes of storage — about 5,000 home computers’ worth.
· The total time spent watching YouTube videos since it started last year is 9,305 years!
· The content requires several million dollars’ worth of bandwidth a month to transmit.
Some statistics i found on YouTube are included below:
· YouTube hosts over six million videos, growing at about 20 percent every month.
· The videos take up 45 terabytes of storage — about 5,000 home computers’ worth.
· The total time spent watching YouTube videos since it started last year is 9,305 years!
· The content requires several million dollars’ worth of bandwidth a month to transmit.
Teaching about Web 2.0 - Video
If you are trying to teach a class about Web 2.0, this can be a useful Video for the students to watch. It teaches what Web 2.0 is and how it works.
Flickr
Wow, if you don’t have a yahoo account, signing up to Flickr can be rather irritating. There is a lengthy sign up process and email confirmation. However, if you have a yahoo account, all you need to do is enter that and you’re set. Flickr is a programme that allows users to create accounts where they can post photos to share with others, or just to create a photo album on the internet. It is possible to join same interest groups and thus share photos. For example, I joined the Holden vs. Ford group, which means I can now view lots of pictures of these cars and can post pictures of my own Holden on there. This allows me to connect with people who share an interest in these cars and thus allow me to interact and collaborate with others on the topic.
I fin Flickr really hard to use as it doesn’t have a very good interface. You have to figure out how to navigate the site on your own and figure out your possibilities or limitations yourself. The site’s graphics are also very basic and simple, so not very enticing to many of the people who would use it.
However, it was very easy to post my photo to the site and to join groups is relatively simple as well. This ease makes using the site a lot faster and gets rid of annoying loading and waiting times.
I fin Flickr really hard to use as it doesn’t have a very good interface. You have to figure out how to navigate the site on your own and figure out your possibilities or limitations yourself. The site’s graphics are also very basic and simple, so not very enticing to many of the people who would use it.
However, it was very easy to post my photo to the site and to join groups is relatively simple as well. This ease makes using the site a lot faster and gets rid of annoying loading and waiting times.
Del.icio.us
Del.icio.us is a really interesting site where people can add their favourite URL’s online rather than on their browsers favourite list. The reason this is a Web 2.0 application however is that you can network with friends or people with common interests and share links to websites you deem interesting or useful. When you add a site, you are informed how many other people have bookmarked it and can then link to them. This is a very useful way of connecting with people who share common interests as well. Whilst the sign up process is a little lengthy, the interface is incredibly easy and simple to use.
Benefits of this site include being able to access your favourites from any computer compared to the old system where it was only stored on your computer.
Downsides include the fact that others can view your links and so it looses an eliment of privacy.
My links and the connections they open are easy to view at the Del.icio.us site.
Benefits of this site include being able to access your favourites from any computer compared to the old system where it was only stored on your computer.
Downsides include the fact that others can view your links and so it looses an eliment of privacy.
My links and the connections they open are easy to view at the Del.icio.us site.
After many people pressuring me to sign up to Facebook, i finally agreed to join today. It’s an interesting site where people can create their own space and then add friends to their network. This allows people to share thoughts, feelings, photos, messages and many other things with their networked friends. It is common for someone to post a message on your wall, poke you, send you a drink, create picture albums and join interest groups, such as the ‘Chasers war on everything appreciation society’ group. It is a good way to find old friends or keep in contact with new ones.
One benefit of Facebook over similar applications such as MySpace, is its aesthetic appeal. In MySpace, people design their own sites so it can look messy and is hard to navigate, whereas Facebook has a set template that can be slightly rearranged. This means that you can access anyone’s site and still know where all the links will be located. One man’s thoughts on the ‘ugliness’ of MySpace can be seen in this video by zefrank.
The downside to this programme is the constant email alerts you receive, though this can be turned off. Also, to try new things such as create your own virtual garden or virtual pet, you have to download more applications which can become rather annoying.
One benefit of Facebook over similar applications such as MySpace, is its aesthetic appeal. In MySpace, people design their own sites so it can look messy and is hard to navigate, whereas Facebook has a set template that can be slightly rearranged. This means that you can access anyone’s site and still know where all the links will be located. One man’s thoughts on the ‘ugliness’ of MySpace can be seen in this video by zefrank.
The downside to this programme is the constant email alerts you receive, though this can be turned off. Also, to try new things such as create your own virtual garden or virtual pet, you have to download more applications which can become rather annoying.
Creation of Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is the new generation of internet. Old systems like Blackboard and Encyclopaedia Britannica are slowly becoming obsolete as new programs that allow communication and collaboration are developed. Examples of Web 2.0 are programs such as MySpace, Flickr, Facebook, Wiki’s and blogs. This new ability to share ideas quickly and easily has the ability to radically change technology and learning in the classroom.
Overview of Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is essentially an increasing range of software that supports a variety of technologies for open and collaborative communication, learning and creativity.
It consits of
1. A Platform
This is browser based - e.g. Internet Explorer or Firefox. (Firefox is preferred because it is free and open software in a constant state of development (Web 2.0), whereas Explorer is owned and comes out in a fixed form and then has updates and upgrades on an irregular basis (Web 1.0))
It operates on open and collaborative principles
Communications are the key applications
I'm not sure if you want the thinking behind our construction fo this wiki in here to. For example, as I read the first part of this wiki "A Platform" I immediately wanted to have an image to click on which would represent this for me. Pictures help me to learn and thus understand a concept. I began searching for diagrams through Goolge, Web 2 platform, and diagram....I knew the image I had in mind but I wasn't able to find it. \
Next step- I had a hard copy of "Knowing Knowledge" by George Siemens and in this text there are useful diagrams which would serve this purpose. The diagram I ended up with below took me to Flickr where Siemens has the posted the diagrams in this book. I signed up to Flickr using my yahoo i.d and then search ed for Siemen's images. I was reminded of the principle of a learning ecology. For me, this is a richer term than platform, this is about networks, connectivism, learning processes and e-learning.
2. Social Networking
Personalised and open collaborative knowledge spaces
Access people as well as knowledge
Copyright issues exist and have to be dealt with and replaced with a Creative Commons culture
This is beyond the normal formalities of the classroom and can take place anywhere at any time
3. Read/Write Web
People are consurmers of content and services
People and publishers of content and services
Such people are called Produsers
4. What makes Web 2.0
Blogs - a social tool and medium for personal expression but it's public. Great for information and knowledge sharing - purpose built
An active blogger to know about is Stephen Downes www.downes.ca
Wikis - a collaborative writing document. A 'knowledge blender'. People are writing books online in wikis.
Social Tagging - bookmarking, Tag Clouds allows you to connect with others based on the resources they use/ categorise. A folksonomy where the end user says what the resource is about (de.lici.ous, flickr)
Sharing sites
Podcasts
Mashups
Aggregators
Ubiquitous connectivity
5. The future of the Web?
An interesting paper presented by Sir Timothy Berners - Lee before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
What is the functionality and instructional use of Blogs, Wikis, RSS, podcasting?
What are the unique features of current social technologies?
- choose from audio or ppt slides, or be like me and use both : http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/archives/002679.html
It consits of
1. A Platform
This is browser based - e.g. Internet Explorer or Firefox. (Firefox is preferred because it is free and open software in a constant state of development (Web 2.0), whereas Explorer is owned and comes out in a fixed form and then has updates and upgrades on an irregular basis (Web 1.0))
It operates on open and collaborative principles
Communications are the key applications
I'm not sure if you want the thinking behind our construction fo this wiki in here to. For example, as I read the first part of this wiki "A Platform" I immediately wanted to have an image to click on which would represent this for me. Pictures help me to learn and thus understand a concept. I began searching for diagrams through Goolge, Web 2 platform, and diagram....I knew the image I had in mind but I wasn't able to find it. \
Next step- I had a hard copy of "Knowing Knowledge" by George Siemens and in this text there are useful diagrams which would serve this purpose. The diagram I ended up with below took me to Flickr where Siemens has the posted the diagrams in this book. I signed up to Flickr using my yahoo i.d and then search ed for Siemen's images. I was reminded of the principle of a learning ecology. For me, this is a richer term than platform, this is about networks, connectivism, learning processes and e-learning.
2. Social Networking
Personalised and open collaborative knowledge spaces
Access people as well as knowledge
Copyright issues exist and have to be dealt with and replaced with a Creative Commons culture
This is beyond the normal formalities of the classroom and can take place anywhere at any time
3. Read/Write Web
People are consurmers of content and services
People and publishers of content and services
Such people are called Produsers
4. What makes Web 2.0
Blogs - a social tool and medium for personal expression but it's public. Great for information and knowledge sharing - purpose built
An active blogger to know about is Stephen Downes www.downes.ca
Wikis - a collaborative writing document. A 'knowledge blender'. People are writing books online in wikis.
Social Tagging - bookmarking, Tag Clouds allows you to connect with others based on the resources they use/ categorise. A folksonomy where the end user says what the resource is about (de.lici.ous, flickr)
Sharing sites
Podcasts
Mashups
Aggregators
Ubiquitous connectivity
5. The future of the Web?
An interesting paper presented by Sir Timothy Berners - Lee before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
What is the functionality and instructional use of Blogs, Wikis, RSS, podcasting?
What are the unique features of current social technologies?
- choose from audio or ppt slides, or be like me and use both : http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/archives/002679.html
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