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Fostering an Online Learning Environment to Develop Literacy Skills. Julie Lindsay Head of Technology International School Dhaka, Bangladesh. Modern Learning Pedagogy. Use of the WWW for teaching and learning Fostering a sense of community between isolated learners
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Fostering an Online Learning Environment to Develop Literacy Skills Julie Lindsay Head of Technology International School Dhaka, Bangladesh
Modern Learning Pedagogy • Use of the WWW for teaching and learning • Fostering a sense of community between isolated learners • Use of asynchronous learning network • Anytime, anywhere learning • Complements traditional face-to-face teaching and learning • Encouraging responsible and independent participation in the learning process: constructivist approach
Online Tools for Promoting Information Literacy and Communication • Foster learner engagement and include techniques for learner-learner and learner-teacher interaction • Deliver content (information), provide a forum for publication and can stimulate opportunities for knowledge development Examples: • Weblogs and Blogging • Discussion Forums • Digital Portfolio development
Weblogs and Blogging Some Definitions • Weblog: An online journal • Blog: Slang form of Weblog • Blogger: Someone who maintains and/or contributes to a blog • Blogging: (To Blog) to write into the journal • Blogosphere: All blogs can be found here
Webopedia definition: http://webopedia.com/TERM/b/blog.html (n.) Short for Web log, a blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly-accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.
21st Century Definition of Literacy Literacy = Communication (reading + writing) Blogging = Communication (reading + writing) Blogging = Literacy From David Warlick, Classroom Blogging: A Teacher’s Guide to the Blogosphere
Characteristics of Weblogs Format • Designed to be updated with items chronologically, similar to a personal journal or diary • Articles and postings can be grouped by the date and time they are posted
Characteristics of Weblogs Software • Often implemented using special software • Common software includes Blogger, Manila, Greymatter, Movable Type • Free weblog registration available online
Characteristics of Weblogs Personality • Often the subject matter is of a personal nature • The journal can be about the author and/or their opinions of the world
Characteristics of Weblogs Community • Fostering an online community by comments posted in response to articles • Often encourages active participation in the discussion
Common Uses of Weblogs • Journal: Personal (with group input and discussion optional) • Journal: Group (to share materials and ideas formally or informally) • To present information online (news, organisation focus website) • Store and share knowledge (discussion and collaboration)
Weblog and Blogging Examples • Baghdad Burning – girl blog from Iraq http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/ • EduBlog Insights – teacher blog http://anne.teachesme.com/ • eLearning Blog – school community http://www.123elearning.blogspot.com
Weblog and Blogging Student Examples • Blogger.com process journal • Sakib • Prottoy • Shabab • Theory of Knowledge discussion forum • Saif • Literature class • Secret Life of Bees and a discussion example
Student Digital Portfolios • Students to digitize their work and present it via a web-page interface • Work through the process of planning, selecting and reflecting, creating and publishing
Student Digital Portfolios Advantages of using a Weblog for online publication • Instant publication • Always accessible at school and at home • Provides web page publishing flexibility • Can upload many file formats • Can be modified to suit individual personality • Has the potential for greater collaborative work via the discussion areas on class and individual weblogs
Student Digital Portfolios Why an online learning community? Students are involved in: • Maintaining an online journal and discussion work • Creating a collaborative learning community to help each other through the portfolio development process
Student Digital Portfolios Examples: Shaveena Shakila Nahar Afiq Rayan
How Do You Get Started? Free online services for weblogs and blogging • www.blogger.com • www.schoolblogs.com • www.bloglines.com
Presented by: Julie Lindsay Head of Technology International School Dhaka julie.lindsay@isdbd.org