Posts tagged ‘Web2.0’
A Free Learning Tool for Every Learning Problem?
Zaid Ali Alsagoff posted a great list of free learning tools. Zaid has suggestions for almost every learning issue and below are some of them:
- Microblogging tool? Twitter
- Directory of edubloggers from around the world? International Edubloggers Directory
- Wiki tool? PBwiki
- Encyclopedia, which I can add to or edit? Wikipedia
- Audio recording tool? Audacity
- Tool to host my audio recordings? Odeo
- Tool to transform media into collaborative spaces with video, voice and text commenting? VoiceThread
- Tool to tell a story? Here are 50!
- Screencasting (recording) tool? Wink
- Hosted screencasting tool? Jing
- Mindmapping tool? FreeMind
- Tool to make screenshots from different browsers with one click? Browsershots
- Easy-to-learn 3D authoring software tool? Google SketchUp
See the full article here.
Reaching Out With Your Conference
Dave Warlick provides advice for organising social networking for conferences:
“I would love to see more education technology conferences adopt this sort of out-reach. Conferences have never been an integral part of the job for most classroom teachers — and with budget cuts already starting to snip their way across the fabric of our education institutions, fewer educators will likely be packing up and driving or flying to the city convention hotel for three days of shared learning and energy-generating friction.
It’s all the more reason why education conferences need to shine more, to radiate ideas rather than rattle them in a box.”
Author: Dave Warlick, 2cent Worth Blog, 20th April 2008
Full article available here.
Pupil engagement in BSF – Flux looking for ideas
FutureLab’s blog, Flux, has recently posted an article asking for ideas from people in the learning technology field about tools for engaging students and encouraging different ways of thinking:
“We’re in the process of doing some background research on tools that are being, or could be, used to support pupil involvement in the BSF/PCP design processes. We’re interested in the levels of engagement that different tools and approaches can facilitate.
Do any of you out there have any examples of tools, resources or techniques you’d mind sharing with us? For example, there are the beginnings of people using second life to allow children to design their learning spaces; thinking of other learning spaces – theme-ing and brainstorming workshop activities; Futurelab’s Power League, new school league tool and so forth.”
Author: Tim Rudd, Flux Blog, 18th April 2008
BSF – Building Schools for the Future project
For more information on this see the full article here.
doof.com – integrating gaming with social networks
Gaming innovation – doof is an Interesting gaming concept, combining casual online gaming with social networking. Find out more below:
doof.com – Games, Friends & Fun!
doof is exactly what it says, the home of social gaming. A very impressive concept: a social network built around casual gamers all wrapped up in a slick interface.
It’s not the gaming you expect; doof is not centered around PC games, handhelds, or the three major consoles. doof is all about casual gaming and specifically revolves around its own online games and doof has plenty. From brain-caning puzzle games (Cascade, Roobix), to fast and frenzied action games (Columns, Titris) , to plain hilarious time-wasters (Golden Arrow, Tribe), doof.com is pretty much the only place you need to be for your daily fix of brain candy. Riveting and compelling, our online games exists simply to have fun with!
In addition to games, doof mixes up a variety of community features. Most notably each member gets their own profile page which tracks game achievements, play history, and can let you pull in your photos from Facebook. As you play games, you earn credits, which may be used in tournaments with other players, or to purchase “gifts” for your friends. The gifts are basically avatars of items such as frogs, jewelry, crowns and various other items for showing your “like” in a humorous manner.
But doof offers not just games and web pages. You cab also watch online videos, keep track of news, tournaments, and a rating system for players and content and much more. Its also offers Instant messenger and email features, letting you know when your favorite game partners are available and giving you the ability to contact them. Just click on the person’s username and you can chat while playing games.
A student not engaged is a student not learning
I believe technologies that engage and motivate students by offering opportunities for self-direction, inquiry, discovery, and creativity are the best way to meet the needs of all students. One of the most significant things I’ve heard said about 1:1 laptop programs is that when you walk into the classroom, you can’t tell who the Special Ed students are or who the GATE students are… because everyone is fully engaged and working at their own level.
Some technologies that might be readily available to most teachers and which might help provide this sort of individualized engagement include commercial off the shelf videogames with educational value (such as the Sims series, the Tycoon series, or the “Age of…” series of games), read/write web tools (such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts), and multimedia creation programs (for editing images, audio, and video). These things are nearly free and ubiquitous and ought to be used creatively in support of the base program.
Author: Mark Wagner, Educational Technology and Life Blog, 7th April 2008
Full article available here.
Wikis Make Learning Wicked Fun
The notion of techies huddled in isolation in front of monitors has given way to the concept of sharing data and/or ideas across the office or across the ocean. Students, professionals, or like-minded hobbyists can now be linked on line by more than mere discussion boards or chat rooms. Wikis now give a venue for virtually anyone to collaborate on line.
How can I utilize them for students?
The idea of a collaborative creation space for students has limitless possibilities. Students can create a biology on-line textbook. In Literature Circles (Harvey Daniels) students can culminate the process with a set of “Cliff Notes” on the book studied. Students can collaborate with a school across town or across the country to create any kind of a project. For ideas, visit Wikispaces’ “Examples of Educational Wikis”, which is itself a Wiki and as such can be amended by users.
Author: Jon Orech, TechLearning, 1st April 2008
Full article available here.
7 Ways Teachers Can Use Online Tools to Keep Students Interested
A 22 year old gives advice to teachers and parents on teens and young adults. Interesting post on how teachers can use onlines resources effectively to engage this generation with learning:
“Can schools keep up with their net-generation, text-savvy students? A lecture and a white board pale in comparison to online videos, cell phone games, interactive virtual worlds and 3-d animation. Already, schools have been incorporating more high-tech technology such as smart boards and projectors in the classroom. My old high school uses ipods to test and record listening comprehension. This is great–and really expensive.
I plan on writing a few blog posts on this topic, but I first wanted to review a few free resources teachers (and parents) can use in the classroom or for homework to keep kids interested in learning. Most of all, by employing new technology you will be speaking in this generation’s language, appeal to what already interests them and therefore make school really relevant to their lives.”
Author: Vanessa Ven Petten, vanessavanpetten.com, 16th March 2008
Full article available here.
Also great interview with Vanessa available from OpenEducation.net here.
Recent Workshop Wikis: Sketchasting and More…
I’m in the middle of two weeks of relatively intense workshop activity and realized I haven’t been sharing my workshop wikis here lately. So, here are the agendas (with links to everything I mention and materials if applicable) for each of the recent workshops that I have permission to share:
Sketchcasting – This workshop was based on the latest tool I found to share with teachers using Tablet PCs. In essence, sketchast.com is a web-based sketching program that is actually responsive enough to work well with a Tablet PC pen and which allows users to save and share their sketches online, complete with narration. It’s like being able to save what happens on the whiteboard – erase the board and keep going as many times as you like during your narration.
Author: Mark Wagner, Educational Technology and Life Blog, 4th April 2008
Full article available here.
Twitter – the basics explained in plain English
Want to know more about Twitter? Produced as a TeacherTube test, Mark Oehlert has posted this little video on his e-Clippings Blog. It’s short and sweet with great paper-based tactile animation.
See the video here.
Response to MMORPGs in Schools: The Shift Ahead
Last night, Mark Wagner posted part of his dissertation in his blog, Educational Technology and Life. He’s asked for comments from readers and here are excerpts of my responses to MMORPGs in Schools: The Shift Ahead. Wagner writes:
I think it’s a good point that the learning theories that align and will likely rise out of video game experiences run counter in an era of standardized testing. However, I think it also runs counter to currently accepted pedagogies, which are based in part on behaviorism (Skinner’s pecking pigeons) and information-scarce landscapes. In learning environments based on biology (brain-research) and information-abundant information landscapes, video games may likely prevail and become a dominant mode of formal learning.
Author: David Warlick, 2cent Worth Blog, 31st March 2008
Full article available here.
Gaming & Learning 