Web 2.0 Technologies
As Cisco (2008) point out Web 2.0 technologies such as Blogs, Nings and Wikis have clear benefits for students such as collaborative communication, users in control, and device independence. They are free and easily accessible. Students in the middle years I’ve observed on my placements have often used Wikipedia to find information but are unfamiliar with what it is and how to create a Wiki to share information they know.
I had never set up a blog or a wiki before so using www.blogger.com.au and www.wikispaces.com was a new experience for me. I think they would be great to use in the classroom as they allow students to collaborate and record a body of knowledge. In the case where different student groups research different things a wiki can be used to create a reference for the class to refer to. It can be used in a range of subjects to record specific information.
Web 2.0 Technologies clearly support the VELS curriculum. The VELS Information and Communications Technology Domain has 3 dimensions; ICT for visualizing thinking, ICT for creating, ICT for communicating. A class/student Blog allows students to practice their ICT skills for communicating as students ‘present ideas and understandings to audiences, communicate with known and unknown audiences and support knowledge-building among teams’ (VELS 2010). Students can also use Wikis or Blogs for ‘discussing alternative views, acquiring expert opinions, sharing knowledge and expressing ideas’. Instead of just handwriting or typing a persuasive essay students could create an opinion leading blog.
Inspiration
Inspiration is a very user friendly ICT tool (http://www.inspiration.com). It gives students practice using visual tools. Visual tools include; mind maps, idea maps, concept maps, plots, and webs. The mind maps I created are on fruit and animals at the zoo (see below). I found making these fun and think students would be engaged making a mind
map using Inspiration. Using Inspirations visual tools helps students to think critically and analyze and evaluate information they encounter. It also helps students to think creatively and take risks with their thinking and make connections. Inspiration also helps students reflect on ideas they have and then refine them. Inspiration Software, Inc (2010) identify that research shows that visual learning enhances reading comprehension, student achievement, thinking and learning skills (e.g. seeing patterns) and retention.
Inspiration also allows students to meet the ICT for visualizing thinking dimension of the VELS Information and Communications Technology Domain. This dimension requires students to use ‘ICT tools to assist their thinking processes and reflect on the thinking strategies they use to develop understanding’ (VELS 2010). The inspiration software visual tools assists students to ‘clarify thoughts, and to identify patterns and form relationships between new and existing knowledge’ (VELS 2010).
The use of Web 2.0 Technologies and Inspiration 8.0 IE help students practice not only ICT skills but also real life skills (e.g. problem solving) that will help them in the future careers. As Seimens (2005) states ‘The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe. Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today’. Learning how to understand and make meaning from information available to us is an important skill that the above technologies help students to practice.
References
Cisco (2010) http://www.getideas.org/sites/default/files/whitepapers/9/getideas_21st_century_whitepaper.pdf
Inspiration Software Inc 2010 (http://www.inspiration.com/sites/default/files/documents/How_Digital_Tools_Prepare_Students_for_the_21st_Century.pdf).
Powell, G. (2010). Lecture 1 Learning Technologies (ICT) and Twenty First Century Education
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm
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