Week 8- How to work with Wikis

Week 8- How to work with Wikis

Image from: http://socialweblearning.blogspot.com.au/p/wikis.html

Task 2 is done and dusted…It is time to start preparing for task 3.

After watching the short video on task 3 it gave me an idea where to start. I have contacted all of my group members via email using gmail. Through the email communications so far we have given a little bit of background information on ourselves regarding what we do, why we study externally and so on. From this information we have come to the conclusion that we are all extremely busy people but are keen to work well together to complete this task.

I looked into communicating through ‘Skype’ which is a social media website that can be used for commenting or videoing for task 3. I have now realised that to have a group video session you need to pay a monthly fee. I found this out when I signed into Skype and trialled having a group discussion. A message popped up saying that you need ‘Premium Skype’ to have a group video conversation. For now I will keep this in the back of my mind but in the meantime I have contacted the group members to tell them this. I have emailed them to get their feelings towards this and for them to research any other social media sites that a free with the element of live steaming videoing. As we are external students I think it is a good idea to have a social media site that has the element of videoing to it when planning. This way we can see each other and you get more of a feeling towards how people are thinking and feeling. When we find a social media website that has videoing I think that there always needs to be one group member taking notes of the discussion. This is to ensure that we are all on the same page and have written version of what was said, it also enables group members to look back on the discussion or to even read it if they we unable to attend the group discussion. By taking these notes whilst the discussion is happening they can simply read the conversation to catch up.

I have made a community on ‘Google Drive’ for my group and I. This will be an area for general discussion in relation to task 3. Another feature of the community is that it allows files to be uploaded in which I have attached the group contract to. As this is a private community my group members and myself are the only contributors. The final element that will work really well is that it has an event calendar. This is where I plan to add group discussion sessions with the date and time.

So far we have decided to leave a group discussion until later next week. In the meantime we will be researching social media with videoing, grasping what task 3 is all about and adding information to the group contract. I feel confident with my group members, as we have all been very efficient with our replies and input to the email discussions.

Today in the ‘online lecture’ via blackboard collaborate the topic of ‘Wikis’ was discussed. This was discussed as it is will be a main element on task 3. The lecture was live streamed at 12.30pm and students were able to have discussion whilst the lecture was running via a discussion board. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the live lecture but it was really interesting to watch it and see how interactive it was. I think that it worked really well and it enabled students to ask questions about the information given. Uncertainties were clarified straight away. 

Another student towards the end of the lecture asked if we would be able to use blackboard collaborate for task 3 and group discussions. Jenni Parker the lecturer had stated that she will set this up for us to use. She mentioned that it is a payed website and that she will be able to make a group for all EDN113 students. This may mean that there will be other groups using it at the same time. I think this is a great idea and I will bring it to my group discussion next week when everyone’s had a chance to view the lecture. The only problem is that its not a video, it is a voice dictation. This will be a second option if we cannot find another site that has a video element I think.

Jenni gave us the run down of what a ‘Wiki’ is. My understanding of her detailed description was that it is like a website but it allows a group of people to edit and or add information to the area. It also shows when additions or edits were made, which is good for users to see how relevant the information is. There were four Wikis that were introduced. These were:

• Google Sites
• Wikispaces
• PB Works (which is like the ‘tech toolbox’ on LMS)
• Zoho

These Wikis are all on par and provide the same elements. It is just a matter of choosing one that your group and you feel is user friendly.

For  now I will be looking at reviews and blogs on the different Wikis mentioned above. I have quickly done a Google search and found a great website. It goes through what a wiki is and gives some example of wikis to use. Some are the same and some are not. I will be researching these in more details. Thought I’d add this website for you to have a look at.

Week 7- Summary of Task 2/Collaboration and Cooperation

Week 7- 
*Summary of Task 2
*Collaboration and Cooperation

 

Image from: http://www.vaibmu.com/foresight/

*SUMMARY OF TASK 2-

After researching online, reading/posting discussions on LMS and talking to another external student I finally decided on an appropriate 'social' event for task 2. I found task 2 time consuming to decide on a social event and then to find a social web platform that had all of the required elements. The links below helped me with task 2.

• http://meetingsnet.com/social-media/video-using-pinterest-meeting-planning-tool
• http://meetingsnet.com/social-media/pinterest-tool-planner-client-collaboration
• http://www.activenetwork.com.au/event-management-resources/articles/using-social-media-for-event-marketing.htm
• http://www.smartinsights.com/traffic-building-strategy/integrated-marketing-communications/integrating-social-media-with-event-marketing-infographic/

I also had a discussion with my colleagues regarding this task and brought my ideas forward to them.  The teacher that is very I.T. savvy gave me an example when her friends got married they used “Instagram” (http://instagram.com) to collate all the photos that were taken by there guests. The guest would simply sign up to ‘Instagram’ (http://instagram.com)  and the hash tag (http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2305444/The-Role-of-Hashtags-in-Social-Media-and-Search) the photos in the event name e.g. if the bride and groom called it #let’sgetmarried, that is what the people would hash tag when uploading the photos so they all went into the one area on the social media website. This was a way for the bride and groom to see and keep all the photos from their big day.

I liked this idea; I didn’t really have an event as such that I could do this for, instead I decided that as I had recently signed up to be a consultant for a candle company I would have an event involving this. I found this fabulous website called ‘twtvite’ (http://twtvite.com) which allowed guests to click attending if they could make the event and also allow them to post on the event wall. I also liked that this social media web enabled guests to pass the event on through other social media websites once they had clicked attending by posting it on ‘Twitter’ (https://twitter.com) directly or copying the URL.

After finding the right site for me social event I realised just how easy it really is to use a social media platform to create an event. From doing this it enables it to be spread on easily and as people are so into technology you can almost guarantee they will check it out!

I found ‘twtvite’ user friendly and when creating my instructions through PowerPoint I was very specific to ensure that my peers would find it easy as well. Have a look at my website http://rebeccaexley.wix.com/edn113#!social-learning/cvq8 as you can read about my task 2 event in more detail and look at the instructions. Feel free to have a browse at this social media platform as I feel that it could be useful for ALL informal/formal social events.

*Collaboration and Cooperation-

This week’s lecture covered key features of ‘teamwork’. This was in relation to the upcoming task 3, as we are required to work as a group. Teamwork is all about working together as a community of people to agree and to disagree mutually at times. The most important thing is to have the skills to overcome these disagreements and find solutions for them. Everyone in the group must have a good understanding of the required task, they must want to work in a team environment and they must stay positive to pull through the good and bad times. By having all of these elements a team is showing good ‘performance’. ‘Performance’ needs to be from ALL team members and this means the workload needs to be equally shared. To keep mutual flow and coherence in a team there needs to be a team leader. This person will need to be able to direct the group at times and ensure that everyone is on track and imputing ideas and thoughts. A group will start off by sometimes knowing each other and sometimes not. There are four stages in-group development. 

These are:

• Forming- getting to know each other, getting everyone’s thoughts organised and bouncing ideas from one another.
• Storming- the group is beginning to become familiar with each other and everyone knows the requirements of the given task.
• Norming- this is where the rules and goals are established and constructive feedback is given to work for a better result.
• Preforming- this is the management of the team and by now everyone within the team should feel confident to talk to his or her group members but also with the task they are doing.

I found that this lecture really made me get my head around what ‘teamwork’ is all about. This was through the lecturer laying it out simply and getting to the point. He was blunt at times as there will be positive and negatives within a team and we need to know this, as times during task 3 may get hard. This is why there needs to be a group leader to keep everything mutual. I am feeling a little bit nervous for task 3 as I am extremely organised. I know that this task may not be done straight away and it is going to be a team effort so I’ll have to be patient. I'm an external student and this is the first unit I’ve had to do a group assignment. This means that we will have to work together and work well in order to have a positive outcome and gain a good result. As an external student my group members may be working full-time, live outside of Perth or have busy family lives. For our communication we will be using social media. I have started to have a look and I think the best way to communicate will be to dedicate an hour block a week when we are all available to discuss the assignment. I like Skype, as it is a video chat room and that way we will be seeing each other and will actually feel like a team! As we are only in the early stages of task 3 I will get into contact with my peers and see what their thoughts are to how we communicate.

Image from: http://laisogata.wordpress.com

I have signed up to a group of 'google plus' and plan to get in contact with my peers soon.

Week 6- 21st Century Education

http://iteachteacherstech.com/category/uncategorized/

This week’s lecture talked about 21st Century Education. It discussed ways in which we as future educators can use different approaches to assist with our teaching. These approaches will ensure all learning styles are catered for at some point. We as teachers need to remember that we do need to keep our teaching interesting to engage the learners at all times. 'Authentic Learning' is a big focus today in schools as it encourages students to be engaged at all times as the content taught is interesting and connected to the real world. It is teacher directed, however, the learners are encouraged to use their imagination to think out of the box and to complete the task individually. 

Teaching and learning has dramatically changed. These days’ teachers are integrating technology in all learning areas. An example of a teacher integrating technology into a lesson would be rather than the children drawing their family tree on paper they're creating them on the apple program called 'Pages'. The children are inserting pictures onto their pages document in a family tree format and then they're attaching a hyperlink to the picture. This hyperlink then goes off to a voice recording of the child giving information about that particular family member. I was amazed when I saw this happening in the classroom to not only see how capable the students were with minimal teacher direction, but to also see the final products as they looked appealing, were interactive and had many elements of technology to them. 

I am astounded daily with how well the teachers are integrating technology at school I work at. I feel that the students want to learn and they always want to up their skills by asking questions if they're unsure. By the time I become a teacher I will have many 'authentic projects' that my students will be able to create.

The school has moved with the change of technology. Below are the pictures of the 'learning hub' in my school that was referred to in my blog last week. This area is for students to have a space with no desks and for them to have a space where they can learn authentically. As seen in the pictures the room is colourful, sectioned and well resourced. There is a smart board, a smart TV and a bank of Apple MacBook Airs for the children to use. 

*Note: Permission given to take the above photos by the Principal.*

As you can see the classroom environment has dramatically evolved giving active learners the chance to succeed. By integrating technology and using it for various tasks, I believe all learning styles are catered for at some point in teaching. This kind of space in a school also allows teachers to plan an 'authentic project' for the students to complete as the resources are so readily available. 

The focus for task 2 is 'Social Media'. At the moment I'm going through the planning phase and can't quite decide on an event and a social media site. I am persisting and getting feedback from various sources but I still can't seem to make my mind up!

So far I have asked on LMS for feedback on my event idea, so far and my fellow students have given me feedback which was constructive  From the feedback I revised my event idea as it didn't really have the 'social' element to it. I found this website (http://socialmediatoday.com/jeremy-taylor/1410731/18-ways-use-social-media-events) and it also helped me clear my head to what kind of event you would create using a social media platform to assist in the organisation of it. 

I have been in contact with another external student in the unit called 'Jodie Connors'. We have been bouncing ideas for task 2 back and forwards to each other via Facebook and text message. Thanks Jodie for looking at my final event and inspiring me to go ahead with it!

Week 5- Authentic Learning

http://scope.bccampus.ca/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=9471

After finishing today's Lecture I was thinking about 'authentic learning' and how it truly does work wonders within a school environment. I was relating it to my workplace and how well the students learn when the responsibility is put on them as learners. After the lecture I was researching a Psychologist by the name of Andrew Fuller as I have attended one of his professional development sessions. I related his information to the lecture today. The points he made below fitted hand-in-hand with 'integration of technology'.

• Students should work in pairs when using technology, this way they are still having human interaction and bouncing ideas off each other. 
• Technology shouldn't be used as a teacher, it should be used to assist with the learning process.

I believe these points that he made will give me the strategies to ensure I have a good balance of explicit teaching and teaching with the integration of technology. When I do integrate technology I will know how to do it well and effectively by learning off my University peers and teachers in my workplace. 

I work in a primary school and recently there has been a major technology upgrade. The school has went to a 'Apple' platform. We have resources ranging from iPad touches, iPads and Macbook Airs. This change has been a whole learning experience for both the staff and students. The main reason that this technology upgrade occured was to move away from worksheet based learning and move into 'authentic learning'. By doing so it has given the teachers and students the opportunity to explore technology within the classroom. 

I was talking to some teachers in my workplace and Murdoch University students about 'Schooling' today and how it has changed in many aspects. I felt that there was a mixture of positive and negative opinions. The older teachers and students were happy with how learning occurred previously and felt that students still succeeded in school, whereas, the younger generation thought that it was great to see education moving with the times and giving all learners the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways. 

http://www.thinkmythink.com/ibuy-good-reasons-to-buy-apple-products/

I am extremely lucky to work in a few classrooms and get to see many different teaching styles. I see  teachers integrating technology within their classrooms daily and the students are gaining so much! Yesterday I had a student come to me and say Miss Exley I have created a game on the computer. As the student was explaining what the task involved I was thinking about the 'authentic learning' that took place for the student to create this resource. The students firstly had to familiarise themselves with using an Apple computer, they then had to learn how to use Apple software (Pages etc.) and finally they started off by creating simple resources and have now went into much more complex tasks. 

The teachers are also getting technology support from a company called 'Winthrop Australia'. The company has teachers that come out to schools to give classroom teachers ideas for integrating technology within their classrooms. They assist the teacher and the students to use different resources. So far the students have created some awesome resources. Some of the things that I've seen them create are iMovies, interactive stories, games, websites, blogs, advertisement posters etc. The tasks have all been 'authentic' with many elements of learning within the one task. It has taken a period of time to have a finished product which is also another major part of 'authentic learning'. Check out 'Winthrop Australia's' website to find out more information at: http://www.winaust.com.au/index.html.

http://www.winaust.com.au/AboutUs.html

I can't wait to move onto next weeks topic that is covering '21st Century Learning' as the school I work in has made an inviting work space for the students to use. It is called the 'Learning Hub'. In the space children are encouraged to learn 'authentically' and 'independently' with guidance from the classroom teacher.

I'll be posting pictures of the 'learning hub' next week which will give you an idea of what it's like to be 'learning and teaching in the 21st century'.

http://www.sector7g.com.au/folio/adelaide-university-learning-hub-hoarding/

Week 4- Study Break

http://www.netsquared.org/blog/netsquared-polished-targeted-messaging-through-social-media

This week was really good to spend time focusing on Task 1...

I have looked and made final adjustments to my website and blog. One thing that I have been doing is when I write a paragraph on my website I copy and paste it into a 'Word' document and spell check it. I think this is a good tip, as Website's generally don't have the element of spell check as you're typing. By doing this I have found simple typing errors that I didn't pick up myself.

As I'm an external student sometimes I find the communication hard. I have managed to find a person that is also doing this unit and is studying externally as well. We have been communicating through a 'social media' website called Facebook to discuss Task 1. Today I sent my link to her and she sent me her link. We then edited each other’s and gave constructive feedback. I found this really useful and would recommend that other students do it. 

I created my poster using the' Microsoft Word' application that is on the desktop on MOST computers. At the beginning I felt that this was too easy and original. After completing my poster I feel that I didn't just depend on the one application. To make my poster interesting I found images off the Internet and downloaded fonts to use. Check out www.dafont.com to download free fonts! The reason why I decided to use this application is that when I become a teacher I will be making resources on it regularly. I felt that it's an application that is always accessible. It's kid friendly which is also a bonus, as I will be fluent in using it myself I will be able to teach my students key features and tips. Go to http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/word/word-2010-features-and-benefits-HA101810003.aspx to check out 10 benefits and features of using Microsoft Word.

http://www.guidingtech.com/14218/insert-web-images-word-2013-2010-2007/

I feel that I have been able to dedicate a sufficient amount of time into my task 1 this week to ensure I have covered all of the elements required. 

I hope everyone else has found this week as useful as I have.