It’s a blogger’s life - A year in the life of a Web 2.0 beginner

1. It’s a blogger’s life - A year in the life of a Web 2.0 beginner

2. First, important things to know... • I AM NOT AN ICT EXPERT!!! • I am a Spanish teacher, who was taught how to use PowerPoint 3 years ago. • I do not know how the Internet works, I just push buttons, especially the back button when things go wrong. • The ideas that I pass on in this session are not... • Completely comprehensive • They will not destroy your life • 3) No notes needed- will be on www.chrisfuller.typepad.com

3. “If school is to be a truly rewarding experience for today’s students, it must be relevant to them.” Connected magazine, Learning and teaching Scotland

4. During this session, we will be looking at the following aspects; • blogging • podcasting • using mobile phones to enhance learning • using wikis • digital video • some further ideas to look into

5. Blogging

6. Blogging What is a blog?!?!?! • Blog= weblog • Traditionally used as an online diary • A typical blog combines a variety of media forms • Key element is huge increase in interactivity- INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY.

7. Blogging • In educational terms, usually divide into 2 types of blog Class blogs www.edgehillcollege.typepad.com http://thegordonschools.typepad.co.uk/ratemymates/ Reflective teacher blogs http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/ (Ewan McIntosh) www.joedale.typepad.com (Joe Dale) www.chrisfuller.typepad.com (Me)

8. Blogging • What can we actually use a blog for?!?! • Showing pupils’ work • Sharing files • Showing pupils videos etc • Increasing Assessment for Learning • Increasing pupil independence and self-evaluation

9. Blogging Why use blogs? • Motivation- make the world your classroom wall • Learning no longer confined to exercise books • Who is the audience for work which goes into an exercise book? • Truly global perspective • Can be demonstrated by visitors maps on blogs

10. The last 100 visitors to the Spanish blog

11. Blogging Why use blogs? • Writing • Increased motivation- will be viewed by more than just the teacher • Very obvious to all when their peers’ work is missing from the blog

12. Blogging Why use blogs? • Reading • Principal skill gain- pupils constantly reading each other’s work • Allows free choice of which sections to read • Aids pupil independence

13. Blogging Why use blogs? • Speaking • Oral vocab lists to aid pronunciation • Pupil and teacher generated podcasts • Speaking tests / exercises =learning opportunity rather than just an assessment opportunity • Provides a platform for pupil-made videos

14. Blogging Why use blogs? • Listening • To podcasts • To videos (pupil created, music, adverts, football commentaries etc) • To peers’ work

15. Blogging Why use blogs? • Assessment for Learning • Comment function allows peer assessment using “Two Stars and a Wish formula” = 2 positive elements + 1 element to work at next time • Self-assessment as pupils comment on their own work and thus self target set.

16. Blogging That’s the theory- how have I actually used the school blog?

17. Blogging Listening

18. Blogging • On the blog this is a listening exercise, but... • Pupils had to write scripts • Pupils read and peer-assessed each other’s scripts • Pupils read the script out

19. Blogging Music video - great cultural input - an interesting homework to end topic of body parts - Year 8 pupils were mostly humming the song round school for next few days

20. Blogging Speaking

21. Blogging • www.gizmoz.com • www.voki.com • - Pupils write scripts • Peer assess • Practise • Record • High level of enjoyment

22. Blogging • Year 2 and 3- same rules apply • Wrote scripts • Peer-assessed and improved by adding conjunctions • Practised together • Recorded • Listened to each other’s and gave a mark out of 5 for accent and detail

23. Blogging Reading

24. Blogging • Year 8 wrote Guess Who style self-descriptions • For next homework, pupils read the descriptions and left a comment saying who they were

25. Blogging • Desires for this year • Higher Level pupils to leave comments in TL • Potential for pupils to use gabcast.com to leave voicemail messages for on the blog • Put online video conferences for viewing after the event, either using Skype / Pretty May or Flashmeeting

26. Blogging Who provides the blog facility? • TypePad - www.typepad.com • Easiest for inserting fun stuff (provider that I use) • Blogger - www.blogger.com • Edublogs - www.edublogs.org • Wordpress - www.wordpress.org • Many, many more…

27. Blogging To learn about further tools to complement blogs • www.slideshare.net • www.slide.com • www.flickr.com • www.zamzar.com/url • www.blip.tv

28. Podcasting

29. Podcasting What is a podcast? - effectively an audio file which is then put onto the Internet

30. Podcasting How have I used them? - Grammar series - pupil recordings - pupil grammar explanations

31. Podcasting Grammar series created to help reinforce grammar learning OUTSIDE of the classroom - responding to a request by a pupil - FANTASTIC for audio learners

33. Adding the podcast to iTunes • Motivation • Can put onto MP3 players / computers and listen to work again, rather than just forgetting it Podcasting

34. Podcasting • Sounds hard, but isn’t! • Use a podcast host, eg www.jellycast.com • www.podomatic.com • 2) Copy the feed address which you will be given • Eg http://edgehill.jellycast.com/podcast/feed/56

35. In iTunes (free!!), go to the podcast section

36. Scroll down, and you will see this box • You want to Submit a Podcast

37. Podcasting Pupil recordings - selected recordings again put onto iTunes (EdgehillCast) - huge motivator- notable impact on quality - great revision tool - pupils listen to their recordings repeatedly whilst editing

38. Podcasting Pupil grammar explanations - benefit of explaining to others - need for script - peer assessment on podcasts - minimal teacher input, maximum output - pupils then have an immediate revision tool

39. Podcasting How to record a podcast... 1) Recording material

40. Podcasting • How to record a podcast... • Recording material

41. Podcasting • How to record a podcast... • Recording material

42. Podcasting • How to record a podcast... • Recording material

43. Podcasting • How to record a podcast... • Recording material • Audacity for PCs- www.download.com • + LAME FE • (allows you to export as MP3) • OR Garageband for Macs

44. Using mobile phones

45. Using mobile phones • Issues: • Banned in many schools • Risks of inappropriate behaviour • Fear of pupil intercompetition • Concern of pupils not having a phone

46. Using mobile phones • However, there are huge benefits... • Enjoyment and motivation- MFL becomes cool again • Speaking the pupils’ language whilst teaching them ours • Increasing range of services available via WAP • e.g. YouTube, www.mobilephrasebooks.com • Allows learning to be extended well beyond classroom and lesson time

47. Using mobile phones • Useful tools available on most mobile phones... • Voice recorder • Camera • Video camera • Stop-watch • Bluetooth • Ability to play-back videos and music How much would it cost a department to have enough of these to share between 2?

48. Ideas for video projects using mobiles... • Describing school as go round it • Describing local area • Guide to saving the environment • Following and giving directions • Describing friends • Recording grammar explanations during the lesson • Issue: how to get the recordings back to the teacher • Options- 1) bluetooth them to a computer • 2) bluetooth them to teacher’s phone • 3) other options? Using mobile phones

49. Using mobile phones For example, directions: - in pairs, pupils decide which room they will give directions to - write script - walk around the building and record the directions - swap phones / bluetooth to each other and follow the instructions - find out whether they followed instructions appropriately FOR EXAMPLE

50. Using mobile phones House and home - pupils build up to estate-agent style description of their house - free choice of recording manners - mobile phone - voice recording - video on camera