Tuesday 17th January 2017

Web 2.0 tools

 

Another week in digital technologies brought fun ideas using technology within a classroom. However, firstly we started working with our Glow accounts again. This was to be sure that we could navigate sufficiently through the site and that we were comfortable with where everything was placed. I was now very confident on how to add apps, find tiles and use my own home screen with Glow. We were then instructed to tie up any loose ends with any Glow blogs that we started, to make sure that we comfortable in what we were supposed to be doing with our Glow Blogs every week.

 

Once we had all completed this, we started to work with yammer. I have a little previous experience working with yammer due to the Situated Communication module. We used it for a lecture so that we could do a questions and answers session but electronically rather than face-to-face. However, I just used that one site and one page. I did not navigate or explore as to what Yammer had offer. I was actually very impressed as to the different: chats, groups and who can access the different chats. I especially thought yammer would be perfect for a classroom, in a homework perspective. It would allow the children to ask questions out-with class but sill in a professional and monitored way. I could set polls up and add pictures and/or media files. I could use this application to get children learning ‘out-with’ the classroom. This is very relatable to the new ‘flipped’ classroom approach where the children learn at home through an application such as yammer with the lesson and then come in to class to talk about it. This saving much more time and meaning the teacher and children can go into more reliable and thorough detail, giving the children a better learning experience!

 

The good thing about the yammer accounts also is that the teacher can monitor behaviour and check that the children are using the application properly. The teacher can also take a step back when questions are asked and allow the pupils to answer and help one another. However, if no students’ know the question the teacher can step in and help. The teacher can also praise pupils with the praise button which could be an interactive and fun way for the child to actively engage and participate within yammer or with activities. The notifications system allows the teacher and pupils’ to both know when someone has posted something and they can check up with what has been said and/or asked. As a teacher I will definitely be using this application as it makes normal tasks more fun and accessible through the uses of technology. A 5/5 from me!

 

We also set up another application called Glow Wikis. I however, liked this site a wee bit, but found it a little more step-out in the basis of being a beginner. I cannot navigate as confidently through this site as I could with yammer. The appearance of the site is nice but the mechanics for me is a bit confusing. I would need to check this site out further and see what applications and functions I could use in a classroom or out-with the classroom learning environment. It to was useful for allowing classroom discussions to happen both with each other and/or with the teacher. It allowed pupils to ask questions and help one another if some students needed further clarification with what was being asked in such things as a science experiment homework task. The one thing I did not like about this application was there were no notification signs. This meaning the teacher and pupils would not know when a discussion was happening or when updates had taken place without having physically going through them all. This could be very time consuming both for the pupils and teacher if there are a lot of different groups.

 

The professional and point of using the internet through the use of ICT is that: “new technologies can widen the variety of places for learning from beyond the classroom to include the back-bedroom….” (Loveless, A. 2003, P. 114) This showing that learning does not have to just take place in the classroom. The use of ICT is now allowing children to learn out-with the classroom and at home. This has a major advantage to pupils, as the teacher can give any pupils who may be struggling with a certain topic work away with them to practise. This means the child can work on their weaknesses at home rather than being stuck in class and falling behind other children.

 

….children are demonstrating ’emergent capabilities’ as information handlers in society which teachers need to understand and relate to teaching and learning.” (Loveless, A. 2003, P. 114)  ICT allows the children to develop any weak areas out-with the classroom easily and accessibly which is excellent. However, for the technology to be used successfully out-with the classroom the teacher must be confident in using technology and platforms to help the children. The teacher must progress with the children in the use of technology or digital technology learning will not work. And as time progresses we are moving into a time where the children know more about certain technologies, teachers need to make sure they stay up-to-date with these trends to provide the best learning opportunities for the children. “New technologies also widen the definitions of roles for the teachers and leaners and raise new challenges for teachers in their understanding and use of ICT to support learning” (Loveless, A. 2003, P. 114)

 

Though, the above programmes have several advantages, there was and still is some scrutiny and criticisms that are talked about. For example, critics have said that it is a good way to get children evolved in technology through the use of such things as computers but should  not be used in the classroom. Those opposed then or are still against technology being used in the classroom is due to:

• There not being enough time to constantly evolve with the ever changing technology
• There is no money currently in the budget to implement a fair and equal amount for every child through the use of technology
• The teacher’s are not confident enough to work the technology they are a ‘technophobic’
• They think the children will become distracted and play on the technology devices rather than do what they are asked.
• It could stop working and cause problems for the teachers to monitor all the time and constantly check that the devices are working and keeping the children on task.

(Leask M. and Meadows J. P21, 2000)

 

Today, has shown me the different ways such things as homework tasks can be presented. It has allowed me to open my imagination to using technology with tasks I give out in the classroom. It has helped me to think more uniquely and how to be more fun with lessons and tasks. It has helped me to think outside the ‘traditional’ way of just giving tasks out through paper. I will try and integrate more technology and tasks as a teacher through technology. I do however; need to develop my understanding and knowledge of using glow wikis as I am not currently confident yet with the use of this application.

 

See you next week

Christopher.

 

References:

Leask, M. and Meadows J. Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Primary School (2000) London: Routledge Falmer

 

Loveless, A. The Role of ICT (2003) London: The Bath Press, YHT ltd.