Final Course Reflection

It has been an interesting couple of months discovering, learning and re-learning a number of useful Web 2.0 tools. It has enhanced my classroom environment and most importantly my students' learning. Even though I did gain valuable information from each Module, I will make a special mention of Module 4, 8 and 9.

Each of these Modules focused on tools that I have not discovered or learnt. I became quite interactive within these Modules in the following ways:

Module 4: I ventured out onto Vimeo and found additional videos for my lessons rather than always using Youtube.

Module 8: I receive RSS Feeds from a number of relevant domains that relate to my KLA.

Module 9: I have yet utilised Second Life, however this is definitely a tool I will not neglect.

Overall this course was great and I recommend it for all 21st century teachers, especially considering that there is a demand and shift for the use of technology in the classroom.

Module 10

Virtual learning communities such as Google Sites, Ning and Wiki provide a space to present knowledge to a community which can be controlled by more than one participant. In particular Wiki pages can be created, edited and saved by more than one user to collaboratively collate information for different purposes. In effect this can avoid countless emails bouncing back and forth in order to confirm details or information.

The use of virtual learning communities is one of many ways a teacher and class can collaboratively learn together effectively. I will refer to Wiki as I feel that this tool will enhance the learning that occurs in my classroom. It not only shares information that can be edited by students but it can organise groups, events and resources.

Scenario 1: In Food Technology students are to work in pairs, present and prepare a recipe of their choice. How will the teacher record the pairs? WIKI. Wait! The students can record their group and they can also record what they are making to ensure their are no clashes. The responsibility is on the student, so its first in first serve. The learning involved can rely on students accumulating a variety of recipes which can give other pairs ideas for future reference. Remember what you learn is always carried through in life.

Scenario 2: An assessment task for Technology (Mandatory) has been set and students are required to brainstorm a list of recycled materials needed to make a 3D bedroom model. Where was this list created? WIKI. One student can only think of three items: bottle caps, paddle pop sticks and tissue boxes. Another students adds to the list scrap fabrics. Eventually a list of 40 items are brainstormed by the whole class and therefore the low ability students will not be limited with ideas.

Scenario 3: Year 12 Textiles & Design students have an informal task that will run for the duration of the course. They are required to find websites that support content they have learnt and share it with their classmates. How will they share these websites with their classmates? WIKI. The page is titled 'Fabric Decoration' and students can write what it is and examples along with websites that helped them along the way.

Module 9

Which of these social and professional networking tools could enhance learning, both in my classroom and beyond it, and how?

- Second Life
- Facebook
- Twitter
- LinkedIn

Second Life is a 3D world where everyone you see is a real person and every place you visit is built by people just like you. This definition was taken directly from http://secondlife.com/whatis/. Just from the video I found positive and negative aspects and it is important to address the negative aspects in order to get a positive outcome in learning. I do encourage students to use their imagination and explore their options especially when designing in Textiles & Design. However with a tool so open to the imagination you as a teacher need to monitor and scaffold exactly what the students are able to create and control. 

This could be a great tool to create fashion runways reflecting the hard hours before the show and of course during. I am aware that the student will not be physically using a sewing machine however it caters for a different skill, the skill of creativity and innovation. Creativity and innovation are two of many points markers look for in design.

It can be used for school open days to promote subjects through the setting and characters created. For example students can create a kitchen setting and chef to demonstrate what they learn in the Food Technology course. Imagine a primary school student walking into a room and being captivated by the projection of an animated video about Food Technology. Animation is the new real-life!

Facebook and Twitter I am aware of and have been a previous user of both tools. 

Facebook has always been a tool for personal use not educational. Unfortunately it will be difficult to change the context of Facebook for a teenager but I have a solution. EDMODO!! I addressed Edmodo in Module 2 if you want to recap. It functions the same as Facebook but the difference is that it has been introduced to teenagers will an educational context. 

Twitter can provide more flexibility, it can be utilised by students doing the following:
- type questions that can be instantly answered by the teacher. This will maintain classroom behaviour and structure.
- type questions that can be instantly answered by peers. Similarly this will maintain classroom behaviour and structure.
- follow relevant companies, celebrities etc. that are relevant to the subject e.g. jamie oliver for Food Technology.
All of these points can be achieved by creating and storing hashtag (#) codes for particular pages, groups etc. 

LinkedIn is not necessarily a tool for students. Nevertheless it helps teachers keep in contact across occupation, industries and countries. It can effectively help teachers accumulate resources through sharing and use them in the classroom to enhance student learning. 

In summary I initially had in mind which social and professional networking tool could enhance learning and I am guilty to say that I only relied on one tool; Twitter. After this Module I can see benefits from Second Life, LinkedIn and Twitter as they all equally have distinct ways of enhancing learning as stated above. However I have to leave Facebook out of this one only because its been around too long to change teenagers perceptions of its purpose.   

Module 8

RSS Feed? This was the first thing that entered my mind when I viewed Module 8. I have heard of it but never took the initiative to investigate. After reading this Module I have not only learnt about a new Web 2.0 tool but I have also found a way for information to come to me. No more spending endless hours searching for additional information/ resources.

At first I thought what information can I possibly receive in my KLA? I utilised my personal social network aka TAS/VA department, brainstormed and searched for RSS Feeds for:

- taste.com

- Art Gallery of NSW

- Diet & Fitness section by Paula Goodyear in the Sydney Morning Herald

- Whitehouse Institute of Design

- Jamie Oliver 

- Alexander McQueen

They exist!!

Considering that I have a number of Stage 5 & 6 Textiles & Design classes the RSS Feeds that would be useful to me is the Whitehouse Institute of Design and Alexander McQueen. I can receive updates for courses and workshops that the Whitehouse runs and set up excursions or pass on updated information to students that are interested to study Fashion Design. Alexander McQueen is one of many popular fashion designers and following him or any designer can keep myself and my students updated on the release of a collection or general information that can assist students in assessments especially in Year 12 for Major Textile Projects.

Module 7

Social bookmarking not only allows you to save great websites but it also allows you to share with other teachers. The key word 'social' contributes to the continual social network between colleagues and even teachers from other schools. You are not just limited to the websites you have discovered, you can build on with resources you yet discovered. It is similar to seeking an outsiders perspective when working very closely on a project, you may have missed something!

Although blogging maintains social networking, it functions differently to social bookmarking. Thoughts are shared and again may require an outsiders perspective towards an issue, reflection or reference. 

Online communities such as Delicious and blogging can be useful of course in the classroom especially when you want to teach a particular topic with the support of a good website. Simply find your bookmarked website, video etc and its one click away. Yes internet browsers do allow you to bookmark however what if your computer crashes? I have noticed that many of these Web 2.0 tools are resolving the issue of crashing computers. Another great social bookmarking tool is pearltrees. It is very similar to delicious. 

Watch this video about pearltrees.

Module 6

Picasa is an easy way to access and share your images online. The fact that it is online is an advantage in case your computer crashes. Similar to gmail and google docs your information will never be lost as it can be accessed from any computer online.

In terms of a classroom setting it is important that students are aware of the implications when uploading personal photos. It should be strictly for educational purposes. For example in Stage 5 Textiles & Design students can take a photo of their finished products and upload it to Picasa for other students to view each others work or the teacher can view it for marking purposes. For Stage 6 Textiles & Design in particular Year 12, teachers can share albums of the Major Textiles Projects to other schools.

Below is a link for an album I created on Picasa exhibiting Year 12 MTP 2012.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117784451264877850330/MTP2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOyl47W8rYve7gE&feat=directlink

Module 5

Bubbl.us and Prezi have been useful tools within my classroom. They serve different purposes however they are a great way to present information using online tools. Considering that we as teachers are attempting to make that shift in 21st century learning this is a good start.

Bubbl.us allows teachers and students to electronically mind map concepts and ideas for any topic or subject. It can be used before a lesson as a resource, created during a lesson for activities or after a lesson to summarise main concepts and ideas. Before bubbl.us students would mind map concepts and ideas with misperceptions of space leaving the information to be illegible. This is another reason why bubbl.us is handy as there are no limits with space and all text is legible.

Here is an example of how I have used bubbl.us to teach Year 11 Textiles and Design about 'Fibres'.

Prezi is a great way to create online presentations for students or students can create presentations for assignments. It has certain features and functions that are interactive and exciting for students. The outcome is a personalised and unique presentation which is engaging. 

Here is a link to view a prezi that I have created for 'Food Packaging'

http://prezi.com/szq6_fwaofax/food-packaging/

Glogster is a new tool that I have been introduced to in module 5. It was interesting to discover that there is a way to create online posters and another way to create a webpage. The most intriguing function is the online poster tool. I encourage visual learning in the classroom and have used posters for learning using cardboard, text and images however, glogster is mess free and can be accessed online.

Module 4

You think that you know a good handful of video sites that will be useful in the classroom such as Youtube however, it is amazing how many more there is out there; Vimeo, Teachers Tv, School Tube etc. This particular module has been a great discovery into the world of video sites. 

I am a true Youtube user in my classroom setting. I have used Youtube to present concepts, ideas and inspiration for my subject. It is a great way to cater for different learning styles in particular visual learners. Just recently as part of a Year 7 Technology unit the students were asked to produce a animoto  capturing images of their 3D bedroom model accompanied with images of their inspiration. The nature of the task was to make that connection with the inspiration and the final product and how they went through the design process. 

Can't wait to utilise the other video sites in my classroom!

Module 3

I have been introduced and used Google Docs in the classroom before exploring Module 3. Therefore I thoroughly enjoyed being interactive in this module. The first video titled "Google Docs in Plain English" is a quick and quirky way to explain what Google Docs is and how it operates.

It could be a way to teach our students!

I am excited to discover that this type of web 2.0 application is being used in the classroom. I must admit that although I am familiar with the application and have used it once, I have neglected it in my very own classroom. However after today Module 3 has inspired me to introduce Google Docs to my students. It not only shares information but it keeps the students updated with activities and assessments. I find myself having the same issue with students loosing assessment outlines and now I can use Google Docs to attach these worksheets and make modifications where necessary. Goodbye email attachments, hello Google Docs.

Other ways I can use Google Docs in my KLA (Textiles & Design/ Food Technology) include:
- conduct surveys for students to fill in as part of market research
- assign students to create powerpoint presentations collaboratively
- pre-test students through forms

I wonder how interactive the students will be?

Module 2

In my last year of my teaching degree I was introduced to twitter, an excellent way to connect with people and blog reflections, relevant resources and even ask questions. I did not understand the relevance at the time however after Module 2 I have greater understanding and insight into the usefulness of blogging and how it could potentially occur within a classroom setting to allow students to ask questions, engage themselves in the subject and as a result develop their learning. As a department we have created an edmodo account with Year 7 Technology (Mandatory) for their bedroom design unit.

Module 1

Hello my name is Danielle Russo and I am currently teaching at Bethlehem College Ashfield. I teach Technology (Mandatory), Food Technology and Textiles & Design. I enjoy playing sport particularly touch football. I play in a mixed team for summer and winter competitions. My passion in life is fashion design and teaching it to my students is very rewarding. I found Module 1 interesting and engaging as it encourages current teachers to interact with Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. This will definitely be useful for myself and the TAS department.