Week 3 Initial Reading Thoughts

Response: Topic 1 – Three vignettes

I found this to be a good read, as having examples of different ways to incorporate technology effectively and then see what is a waste of technology clarifies how to incorporate the ideas of digital pedagogy. In the third vignette, it is clear that the teacher guided the students in order to ensure that the information they use is correct and suitable, and also allows the teacher to monitor plagiarism. However in doing this, the teacher has removed any benefit and trust to the students. This teachers approach was designed to be the most helpful and suitable for students yet shows an ignorance of the benefits of allowing students to problem-solve and find information themselves.

Response: Topic 2 – Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a very simplistic name considering the drastic effect that this development has had on society. People of all ages and abilities have the chance to become creators, there are more entrepreneurs now than ever, and information is becoming more accessible to all. However with this comes the responsibility of sifting through information to find what may be trustworthy, the risks involved have become common enough that we, as users, must be educated within school on the dangers of the internet (See previous blog post on Ethics and Safety). Teachers who keep these risks in mind, however, can use a range of tools to improve educational experiences for their students. Three of these very adaptable tools are Blogs, Wikis and Websites.

Response: Topic 3 - summary of activities and thoughts.

Blogs:

I had not used blogs until this course, and I honestly find it is very similar to Facebook. I can upload images, thoughts, documents, embed website content and videos, and receive feedback on those posts. I can follow other blogs and see what others are doing, and have found the options nearly endless. Blogs could potentially encourage debates on topics through the teacher posting controversial information and having students comment and debate (Monitored closely). Teachers could have polls for students to complete, and have students use blogs to create their own debates! The options are endless.

Wikis:

Wikis are another tool I had not used until this topic, and I am finding that they are handy for group work in many forms! They are flexible and allow a range of people to edit the same document. This could be very effective for brainstorming and collaborative learning in classrooms. They can be structured to guide learning and can be very handy for sharing ideas and completing scaffolded activities (See Thinking Hats from Week 2 postings).

Websites:

Websites are useful for adding and providing information, however they are not as interactive as the other two types of tools presented this week. They are useful as they allow for complete control, any restrictions or benefits are completely within the control of the creator of the website.

I actually find this very restricting as you cannot collaborate in the creation of a website, however they can be very useful there is a particular requirement, and can be a creative way for students to express themselves.

SAMR Evaluations: