Module Two - Blogger

When I decided to become a teacher in 2002 I never thought that education would take the technology turn that it has over the last 5 years. Since entering a school on a full term basis I have been blown away with its potential.  At our school tools like blogger have been introduced to upper primary students and the ways that they use them never ceases to amaze me. We had a technology sharing afternoon where teachers showed children’s contributions on things that I had never even heard of.

Now teaching in a middle primary grade I can really see its how it can be used in a classroom. As the ‘Blogs in plane English’ said it allows news (any news) to be shared and the idea of children commenting on each others posts will allow them to learn from each other.  A class blog could be a great way for children to respond to tasks, books and research projects.

After viewing some of the blog sites in this module I could see how you could have this as a class news page, where classroom updates etc are made.

Also the ‘teacher blogs’ were great as a means of locating resources, web links and activities that could be used in the classroom. Having a blog like this would limit the time it takes to search for things and we could comment on their effectiveness in the classroom.

I think with further exploration I will be able to see what else I can do in the classroom.

Module One - Web 2.0 and iGoogle

The internet is a media that we have become accustomed to and use without hesitation. Watching the 'YouTube' video 'Viral Education' it makes you realise its potential but also reminds you to be mindful of what you read and what you post. Its potential seems never ending.

Words such as ‘significant change’, ‘revelation’ spark thoughts on exactly what the internet has done to our culture. I hope to learn through Web 2.0 how people use the web applications and how the development of these dynamic and interactive sites can change my teaching. My favourite line from ’Web 2.0 what is it all about?' was "if you need any help just ask a teenager!!!" I know as a teacher I feel that in the general sense this is what it can be like in the classroom. They don't even have to be teenagers, even upper primary children can develop things I never even knew existed!!

All the 'YouTube' videos just enhance the significance of the internet in our culture and the potential that these sites have for communication.

The term 'Google it' has become a very common saying when you don't know the answer to the problem. iGoogle has put another dimension to this term. After setting up my account, you can see its potential. I think it would be great to encourage children to be able to set up their own account to enable them another way to bookmark frequently visited sites The gadgets are great as you can choose what appeals to each individual and this could allow children to share with you some of their interests.

I can't wait to learn more!!