Synopsis

Blogging is a great online tool to use within a classroom. It creates a collaborative learning style that students can use in their own home and use at school as well. If a blog where to be created for a class it would have some limitations. However these could be easily overcome. A blog could be used in two different ways. For starters the teacher could be the only person to have access to the main publishing of the blog. This is where all the main information and details would be posted. The student’s job is to then visit the blog and comment on the post that the teacher has published. The students would communicate their ideas through a comment and would have access to view the other student’s ideas as well. The second way a blog could be used is where all students have access to the main publishing and they can also comment on other people idea however if this was the approach to be taken a wiki would be a better tool to use. A blog is quite a safe program to use within a class due to the fact that no one without a password can access it and publish blogs however anyone can go on and comment on the blogs and read what the students have written unless privacy setting are implemented. Teachers still need to make sure students know how to be safe online and understand that the blog is strictly for school and not for social communicating or to put any personal details on. A blog can give students access to anything their teacher decides to put on the blog such as worksheets, tables, graphs, pictures videos etc. This can be used as a homework device so that teacher can keep an eye on the students work and how they feel about the work they are doing. Students could also use a blog as a form of diary where they can speak about the work they are doing at and ask their peers for help or advice. Follow this link to my reflection on blogging Blog Reflection   

A wiki space is another form of collaborative learning and one of my favourites when implemented into a classroom environment. A wiki space can be used in so many different ways but personally I think the most effective way is for a teacher to use it is to put a worksheet, graph, table, picture etc on the wiki space and get the students to communicate with each other on the wiki. Students have the opportunity to right what their opinions and ideas are as well as talk directly to each other and see what their ideas are. If a teacher were to put a table up for students to fill out, the teacher can simply look at the wiki space and see where all of the student’s minds are at regarding the subject. It is a simple and effective way for teachers to monitor students thinking. Another tool that can be used within a wiki space is the discussion posts where students can communicate away from the main page. The format of a wiki can also be changed into a PDF and printed so that students can also work on a hard copy and hand it into the teacher, this is a more private way of students to do their work if they feel uncomfortable having it online for the class to see. Students can however turn this great and exciting learning space into a negative place. Teachers need to monitor the students wiki space at all times as it is possible for cyber bullying to occur. Cyber bullying can occur in many ways, including students judging what other students put on the wiki, students saying nasty things id another student’s opinion is not correct and also students being able to completely get rid of another students work on the wiki. A teacher needs to be able to make the decision whether or not a wiki space is appropriate for teaching and learning with their class. If a teacher was to implement a wiki space in a class the students would have to be aware of privacy regarding what they put online and the person information they give. Students would all need details to log onto the wiki space and would need an understanding of how to use it although it is quite easy to use. A problem that arises with having a wiki space is that some students may not have access to the internet or a computer that allows a wiki space to be used whilst at home. Teachers need to have an idea of the students in the class that fall under these circumstances if there are any and have a plan B for these students. Follow this link to my blog on Wikispaces Wikispace blog

PowerPoint is a great tool to be used within a classroom it is fun to use and can be used for almost anything. Teachers can use PowerPoint in their everyday classroom activities to show instructions or the class plan. PowerPoint is a great program for teachers as they can create one the night before their lesson and then not have to right instructions etc on the board when they arrive in the classroom. Teachers can also use a PowerPoint while they are teaching the students, they can have a PowerPoint in the background with examples, pictures, videos or music clips. The best thing about PowerPoint’s for teacher however is that anything they need to use for the days lesson can be uploaded into a PowerPoint and can then be accessed at anytime during the day without the teacher having to leave the PowerPoint or go searching around the computer for a certain document. PowerPoint is a great way for teacher to implement organisation within their classroom and at the same time engage and interact with students through technology. Students can also do a lot of things on a PowerPoint. Students can use PowerPoint’s to do their homework or assignments on. Through PowerPoint students have access to creating tables, graphs, charts etc students can also put words to pictures and music or voice recording to their work. PowerPoint’s can also used for presentations and speeches. Interactive PowerPoint’s are also very fun and engaging for students. Not only playing games through the PowerPoint but it is also a lot of fun for students to create interactive PowerPoint’s. There are no need for privacy setting on PowerPoint as it is not an online program, however if PowerPoint is being used in a classroom teacher need to monitor students and be aware that they could be searching for pictures or videos on the internet and may be at risk of finding inappropriate content or searching inappropriate content. Follow this link to my blog reflection on PowerPoint PowerPoint  

A voki avatar is a great learning activity to do online using technology. A voki can be used in many different ways and give many different outcomes. Teachers can use vokis to almost any information to students. A teacher could create a voki for every day of the week that introduces students into the lesson plan for the day. This is an interactive way of getting the students attention and getting them interested in the following lesson. The teacher could get the voki to tell the class what he or she would normally say to the class. Vokis can be uploaded to blogs, websites and profiles. This becomes a very effective way to draw students attention on a blog and give them instruction for what they have to do on the blog that day of the week, just like previously stated regarding a classroom environment, however on a blog or website it would be challenging for the teacher to draw the students attention if the instruction are just typed like all the rest of the posts. Teacher could also use a voki for giving tips, the avatar could look the same each time therefore it would be a familiar place for students to go to if they needed a tip while doing their work online. Students can also use voki effective in learning. A voki is a fun way to introduce technology to students, they can use them in many ways. For started students could find them to be helpful memory joggers, for example if they were having difficulty with say the five times tables they could write them out and then learn from the voki. Another way students could use them is by righting a story and getting the voki to tell the story. For a student that does not enjoy righting or is having difficulty with is a voki is a good way of motivating them to right the story and at the same time have fun. Spelling words are another way students can use a voki. Creating a voki is really quite safe; there is a classroom version of voki that is safe for students and classrooms. It has privacy setting and no advertisements that could lead students to inappropriate websites or give the computer they are working on a virus. Students do not have to register so they are not giving out any information and it is easy to get on and create another voki without having to remember passwords. A voki is a great motivation tool and a lot of fun for students to create. Please follow this link to my blog reflection of a voki Voki reflection