Module 10

This last module offered some very interesting information with regard to Bloom's Taxonomy. I have used the lower and higher order thinking skills for reading group activities in the past and have found them to be an invaluable tool for differentiating. I think that the changes that have been made from nouns such as, knowledge to verbs such as, remembering are necessary. It coincides with the language we use as educators that indicate whether or not a student can fulfill a particular learning outcome. When they are worded in this way they become tangible and consequently easier to assess. If a student has successfully completed an activity where they have applied their knowledge and transferred it to another situation this indicates that they are using higher order thinking. The digital verbs that have been added provide teachers with scope for the types of learning experiences our learners should be engaged in depending on their individual needs and ability.

Web 2.0 can assisit the learning outcomes of all students because it gives students access to
another learning environment which is virtual. It provides students with the opportunity to blog, access recources such as ebooks, trailers and videos. It also encourages communication and collaboration between people which fosters ongoing review. The possibilities are endless and most importantly the students are engaged in their learning.

Module 9

This module covered many different aspects. Scootle is something I am quite familiar with as is is used a lot at my school. Learning objects are linked to the students myclasses page on the school intranet and the students can access these from their computers at home. This avoids them having to login individually and having to remember passwords etc.The learning objects are linked to topics covered in class and cover key concepts. We were given the opportunity to do this at a staff development day. It can sometimes take a while to find learning objects that are suitable for your particular topic or age group that is why it is important to collaborate with other teachers and educators. I found the latter half of this module fascinating. I have heard a lot about twitter on shows such as Rove and I know that is very popular with celebrities such as Demi Moore and her husband Ashton. The Prime Minister is also a fan of twittering. I love the fact that it is used to provide short updates using less than 140 characters. It would be particularly popular with teenagers who like to communicate every little thing that they do. On the other hand, it offers very little for people like me. I'm not at all interested in what people might be eating or wearing etc at a particular time of day I have more important things to worry about like looking after my children, going to work and managing a household!!!! I think that social networking sites like Facebook are a wonderful resource. My daughter recently had her First Holy Communion and rather than having to develop the photos and send them overseas or worse still wait for someone to travel overseas and send a batch of photos with them. We were able to upload the photos instantaneously and communicate with our relatives overseas. The event had only taken place hours earlier. Having said that it brings up yet another issue that i can't help but moan about and that is other people posting photos without first seeking your permission or consent! It is something I still get riled up about.

Module 8

It was a relief to find that this particular module was quite brief in comparison to some of the other modules. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, as I only have two more modules to go! I like the idea of new content coming to you. It saves valuable time and effort. I have not been in the habit of using blogs so I don't know how useful it would be for me personally. However, having said that I can definitely appreciate anything that makes it easier to find, access and retrieve information.

Module 7

I really found this useful!I am continually frustrated when looking for interactive activities at school for classroom use and wasting valuable time. The only downside is that I added the delicious tools to my husband's computer while completing the module at home. When I get back to school I will have to add it the classroom laptop. As teachers I think we sometimes don't get enough time or the right opportunities to share what we are doing or what really works. Delicious priovides us with a unique tool that makes this collaboration possible. The opportunity to read and access others people's reflections was very insightful. It was beneficial to read about how some teachers and colleagues have already integrated these e learning tools into their classroom environment.

Module 6

I really enjoyed this particular module. It was quite easy to develop a mindamap using bubbl.us and set up an account. This particular tool would be useful as a means of assessing students knowledge before a unit of work and after the unit has been completed to ascertain the growth that has occurred. It also provides valuable insight about the student's understanding of a particular topic.The arrows that connect sibling and child bubbles also reveal whether or not a student can connect the main ideas of a particular topic. I think glogster is aimed at students in the latter stages of primary school. Even at this stage it would probably be aimed at higher ability students as it explores public attitudes on complex issues. I feel this learning tool would be more appropriate for high school. The combination of text, pictues, video and audio provide an entertaining and informative presentation of an editorial cartoon.

module 5

Digital storytelling enables students to interact with new literacies. It has many classroom applications. However, I think that it is useful when students are given the opportunity to create original material and add music, narrative, voice and text to their own works or innovate their favourite, existing texts. The most exciting part about this process is the publicising aspect where students determine their audience and who will ultimately view their work. The whole process is very student centred and ultimately engages the learner.

Module 4

I found the information presented about creative commons intriguing. The ability to freely share work increases creativity and inspires you to build upon the work of others . This encourages collaboration. By skipping the intermediaries it also allows for creative license without the restrictions of copyright laws. Richer and more vibrant ideas result from this sharing of ideas as the old adage goes 'two heads are better than one' . Now that photos are taken digitally fickr enables you to create sets according to theme which means you can create your own digital library of images. The possibilities are endless!