Mmmm.... Reflections...

I have definitely become a blogging convert over the course of the semester. My attitudes and reservations towards the use of e-learning resources within the classroom have altered and I now feel competent to embed technological elements into my teaching. I think that embedding technology can be an effective time saver, when it is incorporated with a structured pedagogy and this will effectively provide students with new avenues for exploration and interesting learning opportunities.

Engaging with technology is nothing like joining an exclusive club, who speak an 'secret' language, instead it can be used to anyone, anywhere! I think that it is important that we attempt everything and embark on a journey with the attitude that nothing is impossible, almost! We need to learn collaboratively with our students and experiment together to discover HOW technology works because learning is an active, constructive process for us as well as for our students.

I enjoyed writing my blog and found myself engaged in this assignment because I had the opportunity to develop practical skills and to be creative in the process. In my first week, it took me a long time to learn HOW to post a blog, without all of the excessive spacing between paragraphs. I also remember battling with a youtube video, which decided to embed itself into the middle of my paragraph and would not budge. But, I made it! We all made it! SUCCESS!!

Writing a blog requires a very different process to writing an essay. I discovered that blog writing is a much more personal process and I found that my writing style changed from entry to entry, while I was trying to discover the most effective way to express myself. I believe that the key to blog writing it to be honest and express my opinions and to not be afraid of taking chances.

I believe that the shared experience of peer discussions was one of the most beneficial educational experiences and the most constructive. I found it fascinating that we all have different contextual backgrounds and experiences and yet we can all come together and engage in technological discussions. In regards to e-learning, the key is to learn through doing, which is essentially what we are asking our students to do.

In the future, I am interested in creating and maintaining a blog. I believe that it opens students up to new avenues for communication and it provides students with an opportunity to speak in a public forum. I would like to use blogs or wikis in a classroom setting and I would encourage students to be open to engage in technology.

To learn or to m-learn... that is the question

The future appears to be in m-learning. I realised today, that I was not using my iphone to its full potential! My iphone is a much greater procrastination tool than I gave it credit for. This is honestly a little bit dangerous in the final weeks of semester, as I am always on the look out for new and exciting distractions. I think that the use of mobile technology is an interesting educational resource and provides  students with new ways of learning and experiencing the world. However, we do encounter the issue of privacy and when we are engaging with these technologies, we need to be aware that we are on public display and this has potential security ramifications.

I feel that the benefits of m-learning far out weighs the costs and students are encouraged to be actively involved in the learning process. Students are encouraged to seek out new information and to follow up information at their own pace. M-learning technologies encourage students to construct their own learning.

The Matrix anyone?

I have had minimal previous experience with virtual worlds, I once attempted to enter the world of The Sims but was instantly put off by the idea of having to build 'fake' houses, towns and communities, when the 'real' world existed outside of the computer screen. When engaging with virtual worlds, there needs to be boundaries. A virtual world is not the 'real' world, although 'real' money can change hands, which I find a little bit concerning. Virtual worlds appear to be like a massive international game, where users engage in 'real' world interactions, using an avatar. In a virtual world, users can dream up what they want to look like, what they do and how they act. I feel as though users risk losing themselves in their virtual world as a form of escapism from the 'real' world.

However, I can see some educational benefits for experimenting with virtual worlds. I really like the idea that students can explore an ancient world in a visual and practical way, which has the potential to provide students with a genuine experience of life in an ancient era. It also provides the more visual learners with an opportunity to engage with educational material in a way which is suited to their learning style. M-learning tools and visual worlds are educationally beneficial but should be accompanied by a strong pedagogical framework.

Information Overload!

DO YOU FEEL TRAPPED? 

NEED HELP?

MAYBE, YOU'RE SUFFERING FROM INFORMATION OVERLOAD...

How much information is too much? Are we in information overload?

We are constantly bombarded with Facebook and Twitter posts, each containing essential information which we must absorb here and now! We are surrounded by so much information that we don't know how to deal with and the vast majority of this information is irrelevant to us. Users are affected by a sort of "infomania," which is a doubled edged sword. Users are stuck in a constant cycle of never ending information and are also affected by the alluring desire to stay up to date with all of this information. This cycle can be extremely overwhelming for users and may reach the point where the information becomes uncontrollable.

But, do we really want to control it?

We like to be surrounded by a vast array of information. We choose to be overstimulated by associating with too many sources and paying minimal attention to each. Essentially, we are the cause of our information overload. We have the continuous desire to be in the know and to be constantly interacting with the people around us. We need to be selective with the information which we interact with. There is no need to be trapped by technology!

Information Strategies:

a) Folksonomies: A collaborative way to categorise information on a particular topic or area, so that users are able to easily access a database of resources.

b) RSS Feeds: A hosting system where information on a particular topic can be gathered, such as a news feed. 

c) Network filtering: A way of connecting a range of networking sites onto one site.

Time-saver or time controller?

Information strategies can be an integral component in controlling the massive surge of information, which is all around us. They can be an important time saver and also a good starting point for research into a particular area. They filter out "unwanted" information, so that we are provided only with information which will be useful to us. This element is also a limitation, we may miss out on information because an outside source has decided that it is irrelevant to us. A solution to this limitation, is to use these strategies as a starting point and then explore information further through other sources.

In a Classroom:

Information strategies can be very useful in the classroom. They allow teachers to structure and filter information which is appropriate for the students to access and utilise. I would definitely utilise folksonomies in the classroom, to provide a set of resources for the students, this a way to ensure that I know what materials students are accessing and that they are safe and reliable. RSS feeds are also a useful in the classroom, the teacher may embed a news feed for "The West" on a class' website or wiki and students will have access to the latest news from the site. If teachers engage with these resources, they will have control over what students are accessing. 

Are we accountable for our 'online' actions?

Social Networks, not a time waster... crazy!

Surprisingly, I have never considered that spending time on social network sites, such as Facebook, may actually be beneficial for my future. I always considered Facebook more of a time wasting procrastination tool, rather than a valuable career networking tool. The internet is a 'public' space, where 'privacy' is non-existant. Establishing a 'public' profile of the internet, is essentially placing yourself and your communication network into the 'public' sphere. However, internet users often seem unaware that interaction on internet sites (even with 'privacy' settings) is a very 'public' process. Interacting with Facebook (even on the highest 'privacy' settings), involves placing your posts, images and personal details into the hands of Facebook. Once the information is placed online, its permanent... forever!!

So, should this stop us from interacting with social networking sites? 

Of course not! Social networking sites can be fun and they serve as a way of connecting people from all around the world in one space. They make organising simpler and 'friendships' and 'acquaintances' easier to maintain. However, I do believe that we need to have an awareness of the nature of the internet and users should be cautious when accessing websites. Users should be aware of who they are 'friends' with online and to ensure that they are comfortable with the information they are posting becoming 'public' knowledge. Internet users should be aware and consider the vast beliefs and contexts of their potential audiences.

'Spying' on employees or potential employees... reasonable or voyeuristic?

Should 'private' information which is stored on social networking sites be accessed and judged by future employees? Is the 'private' information which users place on social networking sites truly 'private?' The answer is NO, any information which is placed on social networking sites ceases to be 'private' and instead becomes 'public' information. So, by this definition, is is reasonable that employers utilise any information that is found online. Although I initially found this idea difficult to grasp, it is a reality that 'private' information does not exist online.

What is our responsibility as teachers?

I think that it is important that, as teachers, we are prominent in online activities. At the same time, I feel as though we have a responsibility to be role models for the students and to model professional behaviour online, through social networking sites, blogs and video/photo sharing sites. Teacher should maintain a positive online persona (with the appropriate privacy settings attached) and should always be aware that we are role models both in and out of school.

What should we teach our children?

The most important aspect that we should teach children is an awareness of the nature of the internet. Students need to be aware that the internet is a 'public' space and that they need to obey a code of conduct when engaging online. It is important that students learn self-regulation skills, so that they are both aware and accountable for the information that they access and post online. Students should receive early instruction in internet awareness and protocol.

Fox News Bias Example

Are we critically literate enough?

Critical Literacy is "the ability to read texts in an active, reflective manner in order to understand power, inequality and injustice in human relationships." (Coffey, 2011)

I found this definition of critical literacy valuable as it explains that students must be active and evaluate all information that they encounter. This definition also suggests that students are vulnerable and easy targets for manipulation, when biased information is presented to them. This concept is increasingly relevant when students are dealing with technology and possible threats from predators.

Critical Literacy skills have always been important in schools, as students need to be actively aware of what they are accessing, where it originated from and any biases that underpin it. The development of critical literacy skills is even more integral now with continual advancements in technology. Information providers have changed from the once 'reliable' big companies (such as Msn and Fox), to individual users, who are reporting on everyday events, inevitably incorporating their own biases. This can be very confusing for students and they need to learn skills to differentiate between what is 'reliable' and 'unreliable' information.

How about search engines? Can they be trusted to retrieve the most up to date and credible information?
Simply put, no. Search engines, such as google and yahoo function with an algorithm, which determines which information will be of most relevance to the user, based upon past searches and the popularity of particular websites. Students need to develop critical literacy skills, so that they are able to critically evaluate information, based upon their origins and examine possible biases existing in the texts. Students need to be educated on how to be critical aware of the information they are accessing via search engines.

So how about us, are we critically literate enough? Do we know enough about evaluating the information we are presented with in order to make informed decisions and judgements? I think that most people have received an email from a Prince in Africa, explaining how we must help him because he is stuck in a difficult situation. The story continues on and we are asked to send him our bank details and when he has escaped his situation, he will then send us a financial reward. Those kind of emails are the obvious examples. What if it was a friend who was asking for money? How can we be absolutely critical and clear in this situation? If those thoughts are occurring in my head, they would almost certainly occur to a child, who is more likely to be trusting of others. I think that it is important that we become more critically literate and in turn educate students to also be critically literate.

Aluminium Foil Mind Deflector Beanie... You know you want one!

Aluminium Foil Mind Deflector Beanie (AFMD) is probably something that everyone should get ahold of right now... you know, before the aliens attack! 


What is an AFMD?

• Form of head ware constructed from aluminium foil (or aluminum - for American readers)
• Protects users from Electronic Psychotronic Mind Control Carriers
• Cheap and Unobtrusive
• Blocks the brain from unwanted brain scans and mind control forces
• Incredibly fashionable

Warnings:

• Anti-AFMD research which is (of course) unreliable
• Beware of 'fake' eBay AFMDs - they may be pre-programmed for mind control
• Try not to become confused with the American and the British spelling of aluminium, yes they are different and no the american spelling is not correct.

So, what are you waiting for... go get one now! And join the fight against mind control!

How would you use this resource in the classroom? 

A Multitude of Literacies

This week the focus was on multi-literacies, so I found that the most effective way to present this blog was to actively experiment with the multimedia resources. I examined pod/vodcasting, digital storytelling and social sharing.

Multi-Literacies:

• is the ability to communicate across different cultures and contexts. Students require instruction on how to utilise literacies in the appropriate context
• is the ability to communicate across different mediums. Teachers need to prepare students for interacting with text based as well as oral and visual mediums.

(Kalantzis & Cope, 2011)

Podcasting (audio) & Vodcasting (video) are audio and visual tools that are used to share information.

• Students can be active (creation of information)
• Students can also be passive (listening & viewing)
• Students can work together collaboratively
• Students can also be active listeners to the work of others and can provide constructive feedback
• Students participation will reinforce speaking and listening skills - while actively engaging with multimedia materials.
• Students can be autonomous, with the freedom to choose characters and voices. This element can protect student privacy.

Digital Storytelling is the creation of a narrative using multi-media materials.

• Students can be active constructors of information
• Students can also be passive and engage in others stories
• Students can work individually or collaborate in groups
• Students require fundamental print literacy skills before engaging in digital storytelling. It is important that students understand narrative structure and chronology as well as grammatical rules.
• Students can create stories which can be stored as private, and can determine who they interact with.

Digital Storytelling... An example! on Storybird

Social Sharing is the "hub" where collaborative interaction occurs on the internet. Social sharing falls into three categories; text, images and video.

• Students are able to actively engage in the construction and publishing of their own creative works; whether it be text, image or video based.
• Students can also be passive users and act as the 'audience' 
• Students are also interactive on social sharing sites - they are free to choose what they contribute to, to target particular audiences and to constructively evaluate the work of others.
• Students develop fundamental multi-media skills and critical literacy skills.
• Discussions regarding privacy on social sharing sites are integral before students engage in online activities.

Youtube Example: Examines the principles of effective youtube participation.

• Quality Video Content: Videos should be interesting and engaging. This will encourage channel subscription and participation.
• Develop an audience: Users must develop an audience of subscribers, who will revisit their channel to view future videos.
• Algorithm: Youtube videos surface in search engines based on an algorithm. Participants must provide clear descriptions and tags for videos.
• Promote Videos: Videos can be promoted via social networking sites and also embedded into outside websites (embedding a youtube video on to my blog, is broadening the potential audience for the video).

OMG! Txtspk in action!

'Hey Lexi. How r u? Sry dint txt u bak. bin busy.' 

The above extract may (or may not) be the kind of text message which I usually receive from my brother. I am not a fan of text speak, I actually find it incredibly difficult to understand. 

I have two reasons for my stance: 

i) I feel as though I am reading a foreign language (I was never particularly good at languages)

ii) I find it difficult to understand why people wouldn't just send the text out over two messages, the 140 character barrier is easy to defeat... stand strong. 

However, I am not saying that students are 'dumbing' down the English language. Instead, they are altering it in a way that makes sense to them and to their friends. In a way, they are creating their own language which they can use to communicate with each other. Text speak is a form of language, as it is understood by a group of people and assists in communication within that group. 

I think that it is important to realise that there are many different types of literacies. My focus has mostly been on print literacy and I have applied this knowledge to information technologies, instead of perhaps taking on some of the information literacies. Text speak is a form of literacy and has just as much validity in the lives of our students as academic literacy, but I do think that there needs to be a distinction within the classroom. Students understand when text speak is appropriate and utilise it outside of the classroom in social settings, such as sending a text message, on facebook or on twitter. It is important that students understand the distinction between academic and non-academic writing. At the same time, I feel as though it is important to acknowledge students language and culture, as it is part of who they are and it would be demeaning to degrade or to ignore it all together. Potentially, if teachers are facing difficulties with students confusing text speak with academic literacy, they could place the two versions up against each other and allow students to compare and contrast and to make their own decisions about which language is appropriate for different contexts. I think that it is important that students become critical of all literacies and that they are able to think and to analyse different sources and to realise the place of each of these literacies and know how to engage with them. It then becomes the role of the teacher, to provide students access with a range of resources and experiences to develop confidence in the different literacies.

My name is Lexie and I am a twitter convert. At the beginning of this year, If I had been told that I would not only have my own twitter account but would also enjoy using it, I would have laughed and not given it another thought... oh, how times change! I have actually taken to twitter and my twitter knowledge has developed mostly through collaboration with friends. Just last week, I discovered what trending was and found this to be truly was one of the most exciting elements. If everybody is talking about a particular topic (or person), then this topic may then emerge on the trending list. I think that had a huge part to play in the promotion of one Miss Rebecca Black and the "Friday" song, which had spread over the internet in less than a week! So, twitter is an almighty powerful force to be reckoned with!

What I find fascinating about twitter is that anybody can communicate with anybody around the world. Twitter, when compared to facebook is much, much simpler. While facebook has a element of microblogging, in that users can update each other with their status', it is also concerned with sharing relationships, photos and interests with your 'friends.' Twitter allows you to follow, or be followed by others from around the world. Twitter also allows users to send out short posts (140 characters), which can be directed to ALL of your followers, or directly to specific users, by using the @ symbol. My only criticism of twitter, is that it feels a little voyeuristic. I understand that users allow people to follow them and can choose to make their posts public or private but I still don't feel completely comfortable with the idea that potentially anyone in the world has access to my posts and I also have access to theirs. Still, I think that twitter has a huge part to play in connecting people around the world and to promote the wide-spread sharing of information and discussion of ideas, in a way that wasn't possible before.

Collective Intelligences... The Magnificence of Wikipedia!

Personally, I am fan of Wikipedia. If I am ever in need of information, I will nearly always go to wikipedia first and utilise it as a starting point. I was surprised to learn that wikipedia is actually more accurate than I originally thought. I was always told that wikipedia is unreliable and should not be used in a university setting. My views have changed a little bit now. I would use wikipedia for ideas and to locate further references and resources but I would never utilise it as my primary resource.


Advantages of Wikipedia:

1. Relatively reliable source of information
2. Promotes collaborative learning - multiple authors
3. Authors are required to reference information - adds to reliability factor

Disadvantages of Wikipedia:

1. Can be edited by anyone - no matter of credentials
2. May be bias (or possibly multiple biases)

The concept of bias was interesting to consider and can exist in any text. A persons background will influence the way that they view the world and how they assess and present information. For example, two historical texts which were produced in different countries can conflict with other. Each side will create a representation of the world that fits in to their own cultural and social context. The same exists with any source of information. The fact that wikipedia has so many authors, will most likely promote various viewpoints and therefore biases. I think that this can be an advantage over relying solely on text books or other online resources, which may only have one view point, carrying its own set of author intentions.

Collective Intelligence is a form of group intelligence which is created by users collaborating as a community and sharing knowledge. 

Collective Intelligences function in two ways: 

1. To promote collective group opinions, through the use of resources such as google, tag clouds and word diagrams.
2. To promote collaborate group work, through the use of resources such as wikipedia

Another interesting topic that we studied this week was the place of collective intelligence in the classroom. In an article that we were asked to consider, school students were given the opportunity to utilise any technologies that they wish in an exam to answer test questions. The purpose of this study was to allow students to be involved in the collaborative construction of knowledge. This is so different to the traditional tests that I undertook while in school, where such collaborative constructivism would be considered cheating. I am in two minds about this study. I think that students should have the autonomy to collaborate with other students while in the classroom, but I am in conflict that students be allowed access to phones and technological resources while they are sitting an exam.

I found this amazing resource to create word clouds based on the insertion of text. I decided to place my own blog into this website and this is what I discovered... So, it turns out that I am currently unable to turn my word cloud code into an actual word cloud. If anybody reads this and knows how to do it, please let me know and we can work collaboratively to conquer this technology!

SUCCESS!

Web 2.0: A Social Constructivist Approach

(image: Cool Town Studios. http://www.cooltownstudios.com/images/web2.0.jpg)

Social constructivism is the ‘it’ teaching strategy at the moment as it focuses on the learner as the central figure in the mediation of information. The focus is on children learning through doing, which involves active participation in activities and discussions and essentially students being the constructors of their own knowledge. Students enter the classroom with their own set of values and beliefs, which varies from student to student. No two students are the same, therefore various teaching strategies need to be employed.

Web 2.0 is focused on:

1. Active web authoring -anyone can create webpages and articles. 
2. Continuous interaction between users all over the world - blogs and discussion boards and also collaborative learning sites, such as wikipedia.

Web 2.0 coincides with the social constructivist approach, in that students are always engaging in what they are doing and are creating information at the same time as receiving information. Internet users are autonomous and can choose to maintain anonymity while actively engaging with a variety of websites and resources.

Blogs can be useful in a schools setting, as a way in which students can communicate with users in the classroom and around the world. An exciting element with blogs is the fact that they can be edited and that no information is permanent. This is a very different concept to the traditional pen and paper technology, which is very much a permanent action. Students can create information and then after considering other ideas, can edit their blogs to maintain relevant and up to date information. In a school setting, a relatively safe idea would be to set up a blogging community that operates between schools in a particular area, this will ensure that teachers know who the students are communicating with and can monitor student activity online.

I found this youtube video useful as it reinforced some of the integral social constructivist concepts. I thought it would be interesting to consider the various comments that the youtube users posted regarding this video. An intriguing viewpoint was the idea that constructivism is too idealistic and that the focus of teaching children how to think, instead of directly instructing them is not beneficial to the students. Personally, I do not agree with this comment. I think that teaching students how to think and how to process information is far more beneficial than directly instructing students. I remember a lot of my school learning was based upon memorisation and studying to a test, which honestly was ineffective as I studies in order to achieve a particular grade and not for the desire to learn. I can understand how people will reach negative conclusions regarding constructivism, as they are based upon their own schooling experiences and how they were instructed in the classroom. I do believe that the promotion of videos such as this one, will begin to bridge the gap in the generational understanding of constructivist theories.