SOCIAL COLLABORATIVE SITES APPROPRIATE FOR ONLINE EDUCATIONAL LEARNING!
QUESTION TWO:
(A) Teachers of Web 2.0 are now faced with new issues regarding information processing. Teachers can access information that would otherwise be inaccessible.
(a1)Teachers themselves have become more accessible. No longer are teachers restricted to JUST the classroom. They are available online, for students to talk to in regards to school work. This is an important aspect for students especially that in year twelve approaching the HSC. To be able to converse with the teachers, students are able to talk about issues, work and get help when they need it.
(a2) Web 2.0 has become a clever way to introduce new topics to students in an interesting and engaging way. As we have seen through the development of our own classroom online project, students are able to engage more comprehensively to Web 2.0 technologies then if it were a normal classroom environment.
The following video will explain initiatives sought after by the introduction of Web 2.0 technologies to education. Teacher tube
(a3) Another aspect of information accessibility is the idea that students themselves need to gain the information and share it around. By collaborating with each other and developing sites that SHARE information students have information at their fingertips thanks to their classmates.
Wikis, Blogs and social book marking sites all allow students to access information readily. Popular Book marking site, Del.icio.us is a perfect example of how online collaboration is used in learning and education.
The following clip shows how Del.icio.us is used as a social book marking site for teachers.
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7c623fbd095b4a565b5b
(B) Encouraging and motivating students is easily achieved through the use of Web 2.0 technologies. Ultimately students are in their element using these technologies. They are aware of how they work its capabilities and its ability to engage people immediately. Most importantly Web 2.0 attracts students because to its ability to cater for all the different learning styles teachers will find amongst their students.
Facebook and MySpace are able to offer students the familiarity of friends incorporating it to their school work. Teachers are also able to set up accounts for the class; security settings are applicable to ensure the safety of all students. Students would enjoy using these popular sites for working in and off task behavior would be kept to a minimum as they would be emerged in their set task.
(C) Blooms higher level learning MUST be incorporated into learning online. Otherwise the likelihood of the task being a waste of time is high.
Students need to be asked analytical questions but further from that they need to be able to reflect upon their newly gained knowledge. They need to be able to sit back after working online and think, what have I learnt? How has this helped me? Although students should ALWAYS be asking these questions it is vital that after time spent on their online work they are reflective upon the process. They will have learnt more than expected.
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