Hanadis Uni Weblog

ED 2203- Exam Alan Coman Hanadi  

QUESTION 1:

 A) Address of wiki, including our project: http://thehed.pbwiki.com/ 

B) Five key issues we had to struggle with to get this project to work:

1.      Absent people- where members of the group were away it made our task more difficult as others in the group were left to work and edit our wiki without the help of the absentee. Originating with a group of four, the extra person did not fulfill to their roles and responsibility and so the group really ended up with three members. When working in groups, sharing the work load is the key to success.

2.      Logging on at one time to try and edit the work, the wiki only allowed for one person to sign up at a time, which made it extremely difficult to all put in our input and say on our work. People had to be allocated times to sit and work individually on a part of our wiki.

3.      Time setting, allocation and dedication- Everyone has other issues to deal with, however we had to constantly allocate times where everyone was available. In whole, this created numerous barriers to compete the task. This also dealt with the concept of dedication to the wiki and all its work it was to involve.

4.      Setting and format- difficultieswhen you went to save your changes, the pages format was altered. This caused time problems, as everything was changed numerous times

5.      Our work was not personal or private and so all could access our information and use our ideas that we spent so much time on. Also with our project we allocated parental involvement, this may be a problem form some parents to display real criticism of the children’s work for all the public to see.

 C) The collaborative nature of this project in light of the motivation that comes from within the person, all comes back to Dreikurs human driver, where he suggests that people are basically social in nature and have an innate drive to belong to a social group. Students are active to learn when they work together in groups as they share ideas and share the loads of their work with other students. Learning becomes much more easier as within group work and working as part of a web 2.0 team they are learn according to their own ability and during their own time. Access is available to them at all times and from any computer. The lecturer/ teacher convey information to them but only as a guide, which allows for these students to work more collaboratively in a group. The wiki project is a great example of such work and the motivation from the students learning Is emphasized within this.    

QUESTION 2:  A)    The way in which the teacher conveys information from a socialist learning approach, using social networking technologies and providing theoretical basis for online learning, has altered their roles from the head of sources and information to just guides on how to collaboratively and socialy work as a team to gain information and engage in deeper analysis and experience. Technology advancements have become ever so prominent and teachers need to allow for this new method of teaching within an ever so changing century. Through use of facebook, del.icio.us, flikr, webbloging, pod casting and wikis, the classroom will transform into an online social learning arena where a more visual and more hands on experience. The teacher conveys this new information by using these web 2.0 technologies. If we look at facebook as an example of prompting new ways of learning within a group we see that the use of Facebook is in fact a social utility which connects people with friends, and others whom you may work or study with, the site allows you to keep up with friends or network and exchange ideas or information within your networks or groups that you may form. The teacher and students can use Facebook as a way of learning interactively. Both the students and teacher can access the information at any time where internet is available. Facebook is exceptionally safe, so all information and students will feel secure in learning as only friends that you select can view your information. The teacher can use facebook’s many features such as funwall to post up all the information that needs to be shared, such as images posted on flikr, or videos from websites such as youtube that may be relevant. Groups and networks may be formed to share and collaborate thinking and to set group tasks. It becomes a class running in the virtual world of cyeberspace, in which access is capable by anyone and at anytime, developing high level skills in both education and ICT. The use of Web blogs have a similar role, where students are asked to form a blog online and post up all their thoughts, articles and even assignments online where then a teacher can access them and grade work at anytime they may please. I google is another new service by google and allows one to personalise their own google page with added features for research, entertainment and educational purposes. An example of this can be seen on :     (image)

So it is evident that Web 2.0 is essential nowadays at schools for a more prominent and collaborative learning and that the teachers involvement is necessary to convey all this new information, including constant guidence and reminder when it comes to safety precautions and cyberspace plagiarism and bullying.     

 B)     The encouragement of collaboration among students is essential when it comes to web 2.0 and its learning methods. Students are to use many web 2.0 technologies and facilities to distribute their information and find their information whilst working collaboratively as a team. With the use of facebook, youtube, podcasting, wikis and photobucket and more, their learning and teaching abilities become much more deep, interesting and above all fun. Every individual has a certain talent and a particular way in learning. According to Howard Gardner, students carry multiple intelligences where learning takes place at different levels and during different styles such as visual, telestetcial, aural and with working individually or and in groups extrinsically. Learning with web 2.0 allows for the consideration of multiple intelligences as students can work with tools to suit these needs. It allows for a more efficient and a better production of work.Using the different web.20 technologies to complete there tasks, also motivates the students to work to their best ability as there is a huge difference in providing work for your teacher and providing work for the rest of your peers and the general public to view and access. Students then also enjoy reading and publishing work of their peers, and deadlines and completion of their work no longer remains a problem for the teacher but also a problem for the students group which then again motivates them to complete their work and not have to deal with their peer pressure, highly more effective in a collaborative learning environment.

(more images)

C)    Classroom management methods in regards to the socialist constructivist learning approach are to be taken into great consideration when working within a web 2.0 classroom and society. Teachers need to manage the way the classroom to result in less trouble and discipline. The teacher should act again, as a guide and not a lecturer and seen as the head of information, allowing for a more own paced method, where the students are to interact and discuss their work with their peers, accessing and experiencing first hand encounters of different websites. The teacher is also to make students aware of internet safety. If you view my blog http://hdagher.wordpress.com/, under the heading of ‘Children and the Internet’ you will see some precautions and hazards of the internet with children but also some concepts in which you can avoid these issues. It is important that the teacher is aware of these problems and can manage and control these issues in their classroom.The setting of the classroom is another very critical and vital aspect of classroom management and how it can be managed, with the computers set out in wave like appearance and not your basic everyday straight line, blocked arrangement. If the class is using desktop computers the room should be inviting and open so students can communicate, and the teacher should have easy access to the student’s computer screens to allow for monitoring but also to be able to collaborate easier. This is your traditional computer based lab, where the students are just in straight rows, whereas it’s proven to be better if the computer labs are set similarly to this.   (images) 

D)    Ensuring that learning occurs at Blooms higher level is another focus in collaborative learning. Blooms taxonomy is as follows:

                     (image)

The idea that thinking can be divided into higher and lower levels was elaborated by Benjamin Bloom’s 1956 Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, usually called Bloom’s taxonomy. Bloom identified six levels of cognition, with knowledge being lowest and analysis, synthesis, and evaluation being highest

      While working with students using web 2.0 tecnhonlogies, these skills can be used  while researching and providing tasks. If you access our online project you can see this method of web 2.0 online activity at blooms higher order thinking on: http://thehed.pbwiki.com/ in the index page under the heading of ‘major working project’. Where a variety of techniques and set tasks are assigned to students and parents using their higher order thinking in analysing, collecting and comprehending knowledge based on blooms higher order thinking. Students using this learning method are enusred to have a deeper understanding of the work and material used within the variety of tasks allocated to web 2.0.

Web2.0 is essentially an increasing range of software that supports a variety of technologies for open and collaborative communication, learning and creativity. Discuss.  Web 2.0 is certainly an essential much more advanced range of software in which a variety of technologies are open for collaborative communication, a diverse series of learning and a tool to extend ones creativity. Web 2.0 has developed and is on a large scaled mass media pipeline, enriching ones mind with a variety of tools and websites to increase their deeper thinking, technology and learning skills. The new advances in Web 2.0 can now be thoroughly seen through the education systems and business industries for a much more collaborative way to maintaining their skills. Features that are included within these Web 2.0 technologies include; wikis, social softwares, podcasts, social bookmarking and web blogs. Which have left a very high impact on the 21^st century generation today.  Today some may argue that the internet is a dangerous tool, in which people can get caught up with bad websites and internet fraud, although while looking at the positiveness and creation of web 2.0, the internet can be defended by suggesting the all new ways in which the new advanced tools can help in promote new ways of learning within our school systems and even businesses. Web 2.0 has moved away from the web 1.0 concepts of basic internet and branched out. Consisting of a main platform most commonly this is internet explorer on most computers, a social network, and web tools. It is a form of harnessing collective intelligence.   Schools and other education institutions are slowly beginning to develop in regards to their technology. Technology such as over head projectors and computers used just to type out assignments are not classified as efficient technology in the classroom of 2007. Every educational institution consists of usually enough internet installed computers to facilitate to a class of students. Ninety percent of these students according to Brian Alexander also have a computer at home and almost all students being able to access a computer at school or a library.(2006)The new development of web 2.0 has introduced to students and teachers a more rich, collaborative, interesting and above all creative way to present their work and commence in research in however way they please. Through use of facebook, del.icio.us, flikr, webbloging, pod casting and wikis, the classroom will transform into an online social learning arena where a more visual and more hands on experience is endured. Every individual has a certain talent and a particular way in learning. According to Howard Gardner, students carry multiple intelligences where learning takes place at different levels and during different styles such as visual, telestetcial, aural and with working individually or and in groups extrinsically. Learning with web 2.0 allows for the consideration of multiple intelligences as students can work with tools to suit these needs. It allows for a more efficient and a better production of work. In the classroom for example the use of Facebook can be suggested as a tool of learning by teachers and students interactively. Facebook is a social utility which connects people with friends, and others whom you may work or study with, the site allows you to keep up with friends or network and exchange ideas or information within your networks or groups that you may form. The teacher and students can use Facebook as a way of learning interactively. Both the students and teacher can access the information at any time where internet is available. Facebook is exceptionally safe, so all information and students will feel secure in learning as only friends that you select can view your information and unlike other sites such as myspace where you may choose to have it public for all to see. The teacher can use facebook’s many features such as funwall to post up all the information that needs to be shared, such as images posted on flikr, or videos from websites such as youtube that may be relevant. Groups and networks may be formed to share and collaborate thinking and to set group tasks. It becomes a class running in the virtual world of cyeberspace, in which access is capable by anyone and at anytime, developing high level skills in both education and ICT. The use of Web blogs have a similar role, where students are asked to form a blog online and post up all their thoughts, articles and even assignments online where then a teacher can access them and grade work at anytime they may please.  So it is evident that Web 2.0 is essential nowadays at schools for a more prominent and collaborative learning.del.icio.us  is another great web 2.0 site, pronounced as ‘delicious’ it is a social bookmarking web service for storing, sharing and discovering web bookmarks for any website whether it be blogs, historical sites music and more. The site was founded by Joshua Schachter in 2003 and is now a part of Yahoo and based for everybody to use. Teachers and students can form to use del.icio.us  as a form of learning collaboratively by using its ability to share useful websites, tagging them for a an easy and well managed approach to use particular websites that a teacher may arrange to for the students to gain a more educational range of sites. It provides for networking once again to take place Melissa Rethlefsen,(2006) in her recent Library Journal article, del.icio.us “is also fabulous for keeping up-to-date on topics of interest, trend-spotting, and connecting and sharing with others so this also does not only mean that students will use the site for educational purposes but may decide to also use it for social and personal purposes. While in the process of producing a collaborative ICT enriched learning classroom it may be useful to also form small group activities for a more diverse range in learning. With everybody having different talents, thoughts and ideas, these tasks for the groups may be presented on another web 2.0 tool called a wiki. Wikis are another fairly new invention where colloabortive learning takes place as each group presents their work online, by a general private or public based website.Google the traditionally web 1.0 website in the past has developed for a more web 2.0 based generation. Google has become the owner and producer of many web 2.0 tools and websites such as youtube, one of the most proclaimed visited website including videos and of very relevant educational means of production which may be included in lessons. I google is another new service by google and allows one to personalise their own google page with added features for research, entertainment and educational purposes.  At the moment however Web 2.0 although growing remarkably, it is not as of yet flourishing. The amount of work required to develop the resources for a web 2.0 based course is extraordinarily large because web 1.0 technologies are used for this purpose. It is not until we start to use web 2.0 technologies to develop these courses that the work load will decrease for an individual. This is because web 2.0 technologies are collaborative in nature and so the work load is shared among a number of people decreasing the amount of labor required from a particular individual. Another struggle, for the growth of web 2.0, is the idea of internet safety. Many people in general may think of the Internet as somewhat dangerous. Not trusting the predators out there who may intend to harm ones confidentiality on the internet. As we know the new web 2.0 tools consists of very personal attributes to ones work and some will argue that they may not necessarily feel comfortable with the idea of collaborative learning by their children on the internet. Facing this problem the teacher is then required to share these concerns and educate the students about internet safety such as sharing personal details, but also at home by parents by keeping a close eye on the work of their children by the location of their computer.By using web 2.0 technology a high level order of thinking and learning clearly takes place while working collaboratively as a class running in the virtual world developing high level skills in both education and ICT skills. With use of facebook, del.icio.us, flikr, webblogs and wikis we see this range of diverse new learning.                                                   Bibliography

Bull, Glen & Ferster, Bill. (2007). Ubiquitous Computing in a Web2.0 World, Learning and leading with technology, v33 n4 p9-11 Dec 2005-Jan 2006.   

The internet isn’t as dangerous as people think it is, with parents help it can be a pleasure to use for all.Students using web 2.0 tools are at a great advantage as it teaches them to work together collaboratively within the classroom with their fellow peers and teacher. Parents are unaware of this technological shift and sometimes its their children that update them about these new advances.Educators within schools should take it upon themselves to venture out into the world and find what is on the internet, it will truly amaze you. Effectively engaging students with school work that can be done using these web2.0 tools will shed a whole different light on the way the students see their school work.Parents on the other hand are often nagging students asking them if they have completed their homework and to get off the computer and start doing some writing, when in fact they are on the computer working on their blog for homework or working on a wiki to be able to work collaboratively with other students within their class. We do have teachers in our schools who are exploring right alongside me, and others who can see the power of Web 2.0 for blending learning experiences with global education and business contacts. But you are right – it is a big shift for educators to jump into social networking. The tools are definitely no longer fads – they ARE our kids, and they are their future…..here and now!JUDY O’CONNELL

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games. Any child who is old enough to punch in a few letters on the keyboard can literally access the world.

But that access can also pose hazards to your children. For example, your 8-year-old might log on to a search engine and type in the word “Lego.” But with just one missed keystroke, he or she might enter the word “Legs” instead, and be directed to thousands of websites with a focus on legs – some of which may contain pornographic material.

That’s why it’s important to be aware of what your children see and hear on the Internet, who they meet, and what they share about themselves online.

Just like any safety issue, it’s a good idea to talk with your kids about your concerns, take advantage of resources to protect them from potential dangers, and keep a close eye on their activities.

Internet Safety Laws

A federal law has been created to help protect your kids while they are using the Internet. It is designed to keep anyone from obtaining your kids’ personal information without you knowing about it and agreeing to it first.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires websites to explain their privacy policies on the site and get parents’ consent before collecting or using a child’s personal information, such as a name, address, phone number, or social security number. The law also prohibits a site from requiring a child to provide more personal information than necessary to play a game or contest.

But even with this law, your child’s best online protection is you. By talking to your child about potential online dangers and monitoring his or her computer use, you’ll be helping your child to surf the Internet safely.

Online Tools to Protect Your Child

There are online tools that you can use to control your child’s access to adult material and help protect your child from Internet predators. No option is going to guarantee that your child will be kept away from 100% of the risks on the Internet. So it’s important that you be aware of your child’s computer activity and educate your child about the online risks.

Many Internet service providers (ISPs) provide parent-control options to block certain material from coming in to your child’s computer. There is also software that can help block your child’s access to certain sites based on a “bad site” list that your ISP creates. Filtering programs can block sites from coming in and restrict your child’s personal information from being sent online. You can also find programs to monitor and track your child’s online activity. Also, it’s a good idea to create a screen name for your child to protect his or her real identity.

Getting Involved in Your Child’s Online Activities

Aside from these tools, it’s a good idea to take an active role in protecting your child from Internet predators and sexually explicit materials that are online. Here are some steps that can help you do that:

• Become computer literate and learn how to block objectionable material.
• Keep the computer in a common area, not in individual bedrooms, where you can watch and monitor your child.
• Share an email account with your child so you can monitor messages.
• Bookmark your child’s favorite sites for easy access.
• Spend time online together to teach your child appropriate online behavior.
• Forbid your child from entering private chat rooms; block them with safety features provided by your Internet service provider or with special filtering software. Be aware that posting messages to chat rooms reveals your child’s email address to others.
• Monitor your credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar account charges.
• Find out what, if any, online protection is offered by your child’s school, after-school center, friends’ homes, or any place where he or she could use a computer without your supervision.
• Take your child seriously if he or she reports an uncomfortable online exchange.
• Forward copies of obscene or threatening messages you or your child receives to your Internet service provider.
• Call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) 843-5678 if you are aware of the transmission, use, or viewing of child pornography online. Contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI if your child has received child pornography via the Internet.

Many sites use “cookies,” devices that track specific information about the user, such as name, email address, and shopping preferences. Cookies can be disabled. Ask your Internet service provider for more information.

It’s also a good idea to set up some simple rules for your kids to follow while they’re using the Internet. These rules may include:

• Follow the rules you set, as well as those set by your Internet service provider.
• Never trade personal photographs in the mail or scanned photographs over the Internet.
• Never reveal personal information, such as address, phone number, or school name or location. Use only a screen name. Never agree to meet anyone from a chat room in person.
• Never respond to a threatening email or message.
• Always tell a parent about any communication or conversation that was scary.
• If your child has a new “friend,” insist on being “introduced” online to that friend.

Chat Room Caution

A chat room is a virtual online room where a chat session takes place. Chat rooms are set up according to interest or subject, such as skiing or a favorite TV show. Because people can communicate to each other alone or in a group, chat rooms are among the most popular destinations on the Web – especially for kids and teens.

But there are hazards to chat rooms for kids. There have been incidents where kids met “friends” who were interested in exploiting them through chat rooms. No one knows how common chat-room predators are, but pedophiles (adults who are sexually interested in children) are known to frequent chat rooms.

These predators sometimes prod their online acquaintances to exchange personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers, thus putting the kids they are chatting with – and their families – at risk.

Many pedophiles pose as teenagers in chat rooms. Because many kids have been told by parents not to give out their home phone numbers, pedophiles may encourage kids to call them; with caller id, the offenders instantly have the kids’ phone numbers.

Warning Signs That Your Child May Be a Victim

There are warning signs that your child is being targeted by an online predator. Your child may be spending long hours online, especially at night. If there are phone calls from people you don’t know or unsolicited gifts arriving in the mail, it’s a good idea to ask your child about any Internet contacts. If your child suddenly turns off the computer when you walk into the room, ask why and monitor computer time more closely. Withdrawal from family life and reluctance to discuss online activities are other signs that you need to look more closely at what your child is doing online.

Contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI if your child has received child pornography via the Internet or if your child has been the victim of a computer sex offender.

By taking an active role in your child’s Internet activities, you’ll be ensuring that he or she can benefit from the wealth of valuable information the Internet has to offer, without being exposed to any potential dangers.

RIHANNA’S NEW SONG HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST SONG OF ALL TIME!

Not only is she verry attractive, but she has a great deal of talent, winner of many awards and loved by people of all races, and ages!

September 12th, 2007  

 http://search.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=5028426&site=ehost-liveThis paper serves as the introduction to a collection of 8 projects and a commentary seeking to understand and promote complex learning using technology. Selective evidence on the current state of technology for learning in schools is summarized along with numerous recommendations. Key issues associated with the uses of technology to promote complex and active learning are highlighted. It is argued that accessibility and interactivity with the material and other learners are important features which influence the underlying motivational and cognitive processes which affect complex learning using technology. The nature of cooperative learning is briefly summarized emphasizing positive interdependence and individual accountability as means to promote peer interaction. Fourteen learner-centered psychological principles are listed under several headings: cognitive and met cognitive, motivational and affective, developmental and social, and individual difference factors influencing learners and learning. Finally, key issues in the technology integration process are discussed: creating the school vision, taking stock, partnerships, professional development, implementation, and review.ReflectionsThe article shows how technology supports collaborative learning within the classroom and how it supports the individual in learning and most importantly learning effectively. This in turn will enable students to be self learners which is important. In describing the importance of psychology on technology and learning the author also suggested lifelong learners, whether inside or outside the classroom, self-regulate their own learning. Such is an interesting point as it shows that learners will engage with the learning task cognitively, metacognitvely and motivationally. Overall it makes a clear point of how technology plays an important role in the process by enhancing students interactively with the material to be learnt.  

September 12th, 2007

Hyperlink: http://search.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=23647698&site=ehost-live 

Abstract

The article is about the effects of computer and Internet technology on higher education. While technology has extremely promising benefits for education in the United States, it has mainly been used to facilitate the delivery of content rather than change the ways people are educated. Edward Moleny believes the problem is that most course-management systems were developed at a time when the Internet was seen primarily as a mechanism for information delivery. To improve this, teachers should look toward the evolution of “Web 2.0,” which focuses on new means of creating and presenting data.

 Most educators including teachers are noticing a way on how to change the way they teach and the way students learn. It is extremely important for us to look at technology and the advancements which come along with technology and how it can be used as a means of teaching students and for them to be able to use technology to learn in a more collaborative environment.

Within classrooms most educators are allowing students to use technologies but these don’t allow students to think. Management systems such as PowerPoint help but don’t allow students to think. The problem is that most course-management systems were developed at a time when the Internet was seen primarily as a mechanism for information delivery. We need to turn to the web 2.0 where people can now put ‘themselves’ into the internet. People can have a say and students can now be granted to opportunity to ‘collaborative’ learn

 Link to article:http://web.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=22&hid=102&sid=4a0902af-bc2e-42ef-aa98-1748d68d6cce%40sessionmgr103  Abstract: There are a lot of changes which started to take place during the 1990’s according to Bob Pearlman. These included globalization and an increased role in technology in work and life. Learning in the 21^st century includes information and communication skills, thinking and problem-solving skills, interpersonal and self-directional skills, and the skills to use twenty-first century tools such as information and communication technologies.This article goes through how the government is planning to spend over 80 billion dollars in re building schools within America which are over 15years old and create a 21^st century environment  which is able to inspire learning for decades to come. But to do this we need to know what the students want to learn and the skills they need for the 21^st century. I think this is really important due to the fact that this is the future, technology is our future and if the future generations don’t know how to function within society and to keep up with the recent technological advancements then we wont be going anywhere and we will be trapped in the past.When thinking about preparing students for the 21^st century we need to address a few important questions and Bob Pearlman asks these: • What learning curricula, activities, and experiences foster twenty-first century learning? • What assessments for learning, school based and national, foster student learning, engagement, and self-direction? • What physical learning environments (classroom, school, and real world) foster twenty-first century student learning? • How can technology support a twenty-first century collaborative learning environment and support a learning community?Walk into a classroom at New Technology High School (NTHS)in Napa, California, and you will see students at work: writing journals online, doing research on the Internet, meeting in groups to plan and make their Web sites and their digital media presentations, and evaluating their peers for collaboration and presentation skills. Another teacher’s students may also be there in a team-taught interdisciplinary course. These activities have a name and a purpose.This is called project-based learning, and it is designed to engage students in learning deeply. A simple strategy was planned out to tackle complex problems and will require critical thinking: • To learn collaboration, work in teams.• To learn critical thinking, take on complex problems.• To learn oral communication, present.• To learn written communication, write.• To learn technology, use technology.• To develop citizenship, take on civic and global issues.• To learn about careers, do internships.• To learn content, research and do all of the above.   This strategy can be enforced if students can work on projects that are designed to extract collaboration, critical thinking, written communication, oral communication, work ethic, and other critical skills while simultaneously meeting state or national content standards.  Bob Pearlman also goes through what a traditional classroom is like: ·         They mainly work alone on non – complex tasks·         They emphasize short term content memorization·         Write for the teacher alone ·         And rarely work on group presentations  Project- and problem-based learning takes a different
approach:
1. Put students into teams of three or more students, who work
on an in-depth project for three to eight weeks.
2. Start the project by introducing a complex entry question, and
scaffold the project with activities and new information that
deepens the work.
3. Develop a time line for the project through plans, drafts, timely
benchmarks, and presentations by the team to an outside panel
of experts drawn from parents and the community.
4. Provide timely assessments to students on their projects for
content, oral communication, written communication, teamwork,
critical thinking, and other critical skills.