Sarsha's E-Learning Blog: Reflection Two: Digital Tools

Technical Aspects

This week in Managing E-Learning we focused on web based tools, specifically blogs, wiki’s and static websites. In today’s society the use of digital tools in the classroom and to promote learning is increasing in this 21^st century, technology driven world. The benefits for teachers and students when using web based tools are endless. The uses for these digital tools can be endless and are only stopped by your imagination.

Digital tools can be used as a platform for student interaction, collaboration and discussion. They can also be used to increase students’ engagement by teaching in an alternate way and a place where students can expand their knowledge. Digital tools are excellent as students, teachers and people in general can share videos, images, documents, activities, games, links, etc. with each other. So what exactly can you upload on blogs, wikis and static websites? On blogs you can upload images, videos, links and text. On wiki’s you can insert into the page even more with; Can insert links, tables, images and widgets (maps, video’s, slideshows, polls, posters, bookmarks, documents, spreadsheets, calendars). Lastly, with static websites you can upload; links to other websites or embed games, worksheets, videos, images, documents, either sourced from other websites or created by the creator of the website. With both wiki and static websites you can create multiple pages and with blogs you can publish multiple posts. Two-way communication happens through the use of comments on blogs, some websites and being able to add to pages on wiki, with anyone being able to edit. There are countless things you can do with digital tools.

Teachers can use digital tools as a way to share resources about a subject topic and students can access them online, which can be a great way for students to engage and to extend their knowledge, with teachers being able to have a space to share extra resources for early finishers and students who want to extend their learning, with static websites being the best at accommodating for this. Wikis and Blogs are a great way for students or students and teachers to communicate their ideas to one another, and respond to one another’s posts. Wiki’s are great to collaborate on projects as students can add resources such as links to research, write questions to one another, write a draft, assign tasks, etc. and anyone can edit the document. Teachers can also use this as a space to upload assessment documents for students to see and they can write questions on the same wiki. As you can see digital tools are an excellent classroom tool.

For each of the three digital tools I have made a PMI chart below which includes some the technical aspects that they contain as well as some suggestions of how I would use it in the classroom or how it could be used in the classroom, in the positive column of the PMI. There is also a SAMR model of how each could be used.

Blogs

Plus	Minus	Interesting
· Peers can view and comment on each other’s posts · People learn from other’s blog posts · Can upload images, videos, links · Can lead you to other blogs through the writers followers or blogs they are following · Publisher can receive feedback on their posts · Can be used as a space to post class tasks as a teacher · Can be used as a place to post class task responses · Can see examples of peers work when used for classroom activities · As a teacher you can post links to extra information and resources to extend your students learning · If students are studying a certain culture, country, current natural disaster, etc. they can access blogs from people in that place, to have real life, real time examples · If it is a set class activity they can see other examples if they do not understand the task · Students can find information for both personal interests or school learning and assessment · Teachers can set activities or post assessment information · Teachers can use it to see how other teachers are addressing certain subjects or how they are using technology in their classrooms · Can be used as a real life personal writing activity, instead of just in a school journal · Students can publish their assignments (informative, narratives, poems, projects, videos, etc.) and receive feedback from others, meaning they have more of a purpose for class tasks and assessments, and get excited when people show an interest in their work · Fairly easy to use · Can upload YouTube videos through a YouTube search, which is extremely easy for everyone · Students can set their background to something that they like, that interests them, that makes them happy when they see it · Improves teachers and students’ ICT capabilities · Students can post free writing, what they are feeling, what images they thought were cool · Real life ICT learning · Upper primary students can design their own blogs as a project to share their knowledge and resources about a subject · Teachers can pose questions on their blogs and students could answer by commenting (ways for shy students to participate) · Students could use it as a reflective tool about assessment · Teachers could use it to get comments from students on how they would like a lesson to be done out of two options · Students decide on their content · Promotes students helping each other to figure out how to do something on the digital tool, or show someone how to do it	· Cannot upload documents · Anyone can see it which means teachers need to monitor students blogs carefully to ensure they are using the internet safely · Could be used inappropriately · Some students may find it hard to use	· Students’ blogs can be accessed and commented on by people world wide · Students can access and comment on blogs published by people world wide · Students can use it to interact with peers, teachers, or a range of people worldwide

SAMR Model
Redefinition	Students can bring their creative writing piece to life by making a video of it and uploading it to their blog, sharing it worldwide and with their peers and receiving comments on the work they have done.
Modification	Students can edit their blog post (or create a new one) and add to it with images of how they imagined it being so viewers can get a visual of it, and ideas of how they would like to recreate it in a video (camera angles, lighting, setting, costumes, props, images of similar things, storyboard) asking for feedback on what the audience thinks.
Augmentation	Students upload their creative writing piece to their blog to receive feedback on it and they can then modify it where necessary.
Substitution	Students write their creative writing piece (narrative or script) on their computer or tablet.

Wiki’s

Plus	Minus	Interesting
· Can be edited by anyone so there are a larger range of views and expertise levels · Can have passwords to make selective and more secure · Can insert links, tables, images and widgets (maps, video’s, slideshows, polls, posters, bookmarks, documents, spreadsheets, calendars) · Used as a collaborative tool · Can build upon each other’s ideas · Can gain knowledge from others · If it is a set class activity they can see other examples if they do not understand the task · Can create several pages on the one wiki · Can create projects for students · Can track engagement (reading, writing and page saved) of members – beneficial for teachers to check what/ if they are doing anything · Allows an alternate form of classroom discussions for students who do not like to participate verbally in class · Can be used as a space to work on class tasks · Students can find information for both personal interests or school learning and assessment · Teachers can use websites as a place where students can access; assessment task and criteria sheets, activities to complete, videos, images, diagrams, readings and links to complete or possibly complete relating to class works, class notices and permission forms · Teachers can set tasks · Can be used as a sharing tool for group assignments (a place to discuss things with each other, ask questions, post links to information or documents that they have found, have what has to be done, a draft of work so far, jobs for people to do, etc.) · Used as a place to share resources that students have found helpful for assignments in a class assessment wiki · Used as a place for resources- links, activities, etc., that students found helpful for the unit of work · Used a place for teachers to set homework tasks, or extra homework tasks · Fairly easy to use · Improves teachers and students’ ICT capabilities · Promotes students helping each other to figure out how to do something on the digital tool, or show someone how to do it	· Can be edited by anyone meaning it could be untrue or not relevant · Other people can purposely or deliberately delete things · Cannot be edited by two people at once · Could be used inappropriately · Some students may find it hard to use	· Can be accessed and written on by people worldwide meaning that you have such a diverse and large range of knowledge and views at your fingertips

SAMR Model
Redefinition	Students can have a finished copy of their task with resources and links included. All their peers can access it and create comments on it on a separate page that was created and access all the links and the resources. Students could have filmed a presentation and uploaded it here as well as their written assessment. Peers can have access to another page which could include links to research used or links that they found were excellent sources but did not use so that they can choose to expand their knowledge.
Modification	Students use the wiki as a place to share resources among group members with links to research that they have found but didn’t get to look at or that fit someone else’s task better, or they thought someone else could draw even more from it. It could include links to websites which have more links to research. They can share resources that they thought could be included in their assessment. Students can create multiple pages one for the above point, one for asking of questions and communication between team members, and one as a draft page. Students can write their drafts in the wiki and the other students can add to it with research they found and edit it so that there are no mistakes and it makes sense.
Augmentation	Students can use the wiki as a place to ask each other questions about the task and share drafts of what they have written so far.
Substitution	Students can use a wiki page as a basic planning page of a group assessment task –this is what the task is this is what everyone's roles are. Substitution of that being verbally discussed or written on a piece of paper.

Static Websites

Plus	Minus	Interesting
· For some websites you can set it so that users have to log in to view the site, meaning it is restrictive and more secure. · On some sites you can make both teacher and student pages meaning that you can have both teacher materials and lesson plans and student activities without having to create a separate document or website. · Can have links to other websites or embedded games, worksheets, videos, images, documents, either sourced from other websites or created by the creator of the website. · Can be engaging to students more than an in class worksheet, activity or video · Students can gain new information · Can lead you to other websites with information and activities relating to what students are learning · Students can find information for both personal interests or school learning and assessment · Access to activities, written information, videos, etc, to extend knowledge on a subject · Students can access almost anything they could want · Schools can block certain websites · Teachers can use websites as a place where students can access; assessment task and criteria sheets, activities to complete, videos, images, diagrams, readings and links to complete or possibly complete relating to class works, class notices and permission forms · Great for independent activities and in rotations if your students have access to computers, iPads or tablets · Can be used to extend early finishers and high students by having extension activities and links · Upper primary students can design their own websites as a project to share their knowledge and resources about a subject, which makes other students want to access each other’s as they want to see what everyone did (engages them in learning and is something different than the usual projects) (Weebly is quite a good simple one) · Used a place for teachers to set homework tasks, or extra homework tasks · Fairly easy to use · Improves teachers and students’ ICT capabilities · Promotes students helping each other to figure out how to do something on the digital tool, or show someone how to do it	· No student input (comments, discussions, two-way communicationc[not all apply to all]) · May not be a trustworthy or accurate website · When creating a Weebly the same page cannot be edited by more than one person · Students can access almost anything they could want · Some students may find it hard to use	· Can imbed games from other websites · Can restrict access on all or some pages, making some public and some restrictive

SAMR Model
Redefinition	Students create their own website as an assessment piece to help guide the learning of the topic they chose, much like the teacher did, but more specific to one topic instead of a range of unit topics like the teacher, including games, links, readings, videos, activities, etc.
Modification	Teachers create a website for students to navigate as both a general learning tool and an extension. Students access games, links, readings, activities, worksheets, videos. They are all specifically chosen or designed for the current topic and are leveled pages as well as general, with extension pages for early finishers.
Augmentation	Teachers get students to access a video on a website to learn about the topic as it is more engaging.
Substitution	Teachers send students to links on a computer to do reading instead of on a print out.