Social Networking and Personal Learning Environments

Communication is vital in a global learning environment and Social Networking Technology is becoming every popular and important Global Learning Construct. Social networking technology can be just about anything that allows users to interact and share ideas; some examples are Twitter, Facebook, Diigo, and Delicious. There are many great tools out there but, particular, Twiducate is a great resource for the education field. Twiducate is very similar to Twitter but has an educational twist to it. When a teacher signs up for the free account, they are able to create student groups and send important, relevant messages to their students and parents. According to their website, users can post reminders on deadlines, share links/videos/pictures, keep parents informed, and provide feedback on student work. Although Twiducate seems very similar to Twitter, because teachers create the groups and decide who sees the messages, the tool is safer and more secure; which is vital when working with students.

Personal Learning Environments are great tools to keep students organized and allows them to separate personal from educational. One of the most basic and also (more importantly) free tools for creating a Personal Learning Environment is iGoogle. To use iGoogle, a user simply needs to create a free Google account and activate the iGoogle tool. Once the user has activated iGoogle, they can set up multiple tabs and environments for all aspects of their life. The user can then embed widgets in their environment to see Calendars, Docs, Reader, Gmail from Google to stay up to date on their communication. There are also widgets for Delcious (to keep track of those educational websites), Twitter (to stay up to date on who they follow), as well as many others. The best part of iGoogle is that once the environment is set up, the user can set it as their homepage so every time they access the internet, the first thing they see is their important information without having to go to 10 different websites to make sure they didn’t miss anything.

Enhancing Learning by Integrating Technology Tools

As a global learning construct, building a community of practice (E) requires a forum that is accessible to students at any time and that allows them to interact and collaborate with their peers towards a particular outcome.  In a non-technological sense, a community of practice can be any situation when a group of people are collaborating to solve an issue or reach a collective goal.  Technology provides many opportunities to create communities of practice, especially with the development of Web 2.0 tools.  One of the most commonly used tool in the classroom is probably Moodle.  The Moodle site describes itself as “A free, open-source PHP web application for producing modular internet-based courses that support a modern social constructionist pedagogy.”  This emphasis on social constructionist pedagogy expressly demonstrates that Moodle is intended to create classroom forums for collaboration and practice.  However, since Moodle is a well known often referenced tool, I thought I’d include another example from a lesser known source.  While Moodle actually creates a virtual classroom environment, sites like Edublog allow teachers to customize a blog site both for students and parents to use.  The site works much like Google Sites, with a bit more emphasis on educational resources and tools.  Students can link their own blog pages to the class blog and submit writings and uploaded work via their blogs.   While the development of this environment appears a bit daunting, a few shining examples can be seen such as Huzzah and The Geeks from Down the Street.  Both of these teachers have successfully created communities of practice through Edublog, allowing students to comment on each others work, exchange ideas, communicate remotely, and further work with technologies such as podcasting, blogging, and media sharing. 

Developing instructional practices that align with technology pedagogy is a critical part of making technology valuable in the classroom.  Too many studies have found that simply having access to technology does nothing for student learning if the tools are not being used correctly.  This is why teachers must develop skills and instructional practices with technology tools.   While it is almost cliché at this point to mention it, Google has created some amazing application programs designed specifically for educational institutions.  Schools or districts can create domains through an application process, which then allows them to set up and customize the available applications to be used by the students and teachers.  These applications include a variety of tools such as web mail, personal online document storage, personal calendars, video uploading tools, and instant messaging.  Google’s application programs for education comprehensively allow schools to develop instructional practices that students can utilize in all of their classes.  This means that technology will not simply be an available tool, but a critical one.  While students will still have physical classrooms, they will also have a virtual classroom and school environment that connects them to their peers and to their teachers remotely. 

For Global Learning Construct A, collaborative instructions, I selected Wimba Collaboration Suite for k-12 Schools. This program allows teachers, students, parents, and administrators to work together and enhance the learning environment through better collaboration and interaction. This program can be used for enhancing online and traditional classes by adding communication and multimedia tools to the class. Using this program, students are able to download coursework, work in groups, discuss topics through chat rooms, and submit assignments. This program is great for teachers as well. It allows us to hold virtual office hours, which means students are more easily able to contact us and parent conferences can be done over the internet. It also allows us to address all of the different learning styles, and allows us to give special education students the extra support they need. For administrators, this program allows for virtual meetings, and will let them "sit in" on parent teacher conferences when neccessary. This would be a great tool for many classrooms. The only drawback is that an internet connection and computer are needed. Since most classrooms do not have a computer for every student, it might be difficult to implement. Here is the link to thier informational site: http://www.wimba.com/solutions/k-12/collaboration_suite_for_k_12/ For construct B, digital identities, I selected Google Blogger. This web 2.0 technology allows users to create an online personality using a screen name, avatar, and text. After creating a screen name and selecting an optional avatar, the user can then write about their ideas, opinions, and experiences for others to view. Each user can limit who sees their blog to certain individuals or make it public for everybody to see, its totally customizable. This can be a great educational tool as well. It can allow teachers and students in an online class to communicate and hold discussions. It can also be used to for group assignments in a traditional classroom allowing team members to collaborate, share ideas, hold discussions, or tell stories. The possibilites are nearly endless. One very important aspect of this application are the privacy options. Students, especially those in high school or younger, should not have their information available to the public. This application allows for the user to make all posts private and only allow approved individuals to see what is posted. This will help keep our children anonymus and safe.

Prezi Presentation on Inspiration

Considering the groups explorations of different Web 2.0 tools, we generally seemed to find Inspiration a very versatile tool for different subject areas.  The variety of different maps and flow charts, along with the many visual aids Inspiration provides makes it a great option for the classroom.  Unfortunately, the big drawback with Inspiration is the included cost.  While the software has a free trial option, it is much more useful to purchase the entire program.  The trial is limited in its capabilities, but there is certainly some value in it if teachers chose to use the software only once in the year.  Other than that, we all found it to be a valuable tool if made available on school computers.

Here is our Prezi presentation on Inspiration 9.  Enjoy!

Mindtools for Learning

OpenOffice is a free productivity software suite that is comparable to Microsoft Office and can be found at http://www.openoffice.org/. It is in an open source format which means that the community gets to contribute to the development. OpenOffice.org comes with a word processor, spreadsheet, database, drawing program, and a very useful equation editor. In addition to being free, OpenOffice is compatible with all Microsoft Office file formats and files can also be saved in “open” format which allows for access across multiple platforms that may not use Microsoft file extensions. Another nice feature of OpenOffice is the ability to convert a file directly to a .pdf without special plugins. This has been available through OpenOffice for years but has just recently been added as a tool in the Office productivity suites (2007 and newer). This is a great resource for individuals and corporations that are operating on a tight budget but still need the compatibility with Microsoft Office.

XMind is a free concept mapping tool that can be found at http://www.xmind.net/. There are multiple templates available to choose from, including concept map, brainstorm chart, and flow chart. XMind is a tool that is designed to be used for students and adults as there are many tools that meet the organizational needs of business. Once a template is open, the user simply double clicks to add content and can arrange the information on the page in almost any way they see fit. For students, this would be an easy to use tool to organize content for projects and papers.

Inspiration and Kidspiration are both concept mapping tools that are similar to XMind and can be found at http://www.inspiration.com/. The tools each have similar features but Kidspiration is geared more towards the K-6 learner while Inspiration was developed to be used by 6-12 graders (or higher). The downside to these tools is that they are not free. Each product can be purchased in a digital-download form for $69 which is not too pricey for what you get. They come with basic templates and users can create concept maps, diagrams, and outlines or download a large array of content specific templates. As is true with most pay software, there are a few more option available with Inspiration/Kidspiration than XMind, but most users will not have a need for a lot of these features and can get by with the free alternatives. XMind is a great alternative to Inspiration/Kidspiration along with another free concept mapping tool CmapTools (http://cmap.ihmc.us/) which is not quite as polished as XMind.

Web 2.0 and Google docs

Don't know why this post didn't stick the first time so I will re post it now. Michael, do you have any idea what happened to my first post? Web 2.0, which is named from a term used in the O'Reilly Media Conference several years ago, has evolved to mean any web tool or application that allows users to communicate, collaborate, or otherwise interact across the Internet. Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are the most famous but there are numerous others that exist to make communication among students, friends, and work colleagues easier. Blogs, like this one using blogger.com, allow users to share ideas and opinions with virtually anybody that wants to read what they have written. Video sharing sites like YouTube.com allow users to post videos and comment on them. This site has made many people recognizable because of something they have done in a YouTube video. It has also led to the term "viral video" which didn't exist until recently and occurs when a video is literally viewed by millions of people worldwide. Educators can use tools like these in the classroom as well. I use YouTube for showing short video clips to my health classes. Blogs can be utilized for group or team assignments. Teachers of any subject should be able to use some sort of web 2.0 tool in their classroom. All they have to do is find the right tool for the class and assignment. Google has created several tools that fall into the web 2.0 category. These tools include Sites, Reader, Blogger, and Docs. Sites allows users to build their own web pages, all you need is a google account to get started, it is completely free. Reader allows users to have every online newspaper, magazine, or blog within easy access so you don't have to go running all over the Internet to read them everyday. Blogger is for creating, maintaining, and reading blogs. Docs basically acts like Microsoft Office. It allows users to create documents, presentations, or spreadsheets. Docs would be most easily introduced into classrooms as it involves items students and teachers are generally familiar with. But tools like Blogger and Sites could be used by teachers that want to try something new or push the envelope with their students.

Prezi Presentation

Prezi is a web 2.0 tool that is free to use, if you sign up for a public account, and can replace Microsoft Powerpoint. It does not use slides. Instead, it uses a "whiteboard" that the user can type on, insert photos, and customize just like a poster or bulletin board. During the presentation, instead of changing screens, Prezi just zooms to the next item the creater selected. This tool definitely makes presentations different, if not more interesting. I did have some bumps in the road while creating my first Prezi however. Like with anything new, I made a few "newbie" mistakes that I was easily able to rectify. But I had some major issues as well. First, I had a problem pasting the image from the wordle site (the web tool I did the presentation about) onto the presentation board. I eventually had to go to the FAQ to get that problem solved. I then had an issue with the autosave feature. The first 4 or 5 times I created the viewing order, it did not save correctly. I had 11 items in my presentation and only 5 or 6 of them were appearing on the presentation. I still don't know how I got it to finally work, but it did. This is the link to the Prezi that I built. Hope you enjoy it. http://prezi.com/bfyr3zjl8rbv/etc-567-web-20-tool/

Mindtools for learning

OpenOffice is a multifunctional tool that is a free alternative to Microsoft Office. This one program contains a word processor, presentation software, spreadsheet software, a drawing template, and allows for databases. It contains many of the same toolbars and can do many of the same things that Microsoft can do, and the best part, it is free for anybody with an internet conection to download! Hey school budget and technology people, stop spending tons of money for the rights to use Microsoft products when this one is absolutely free.

Kidspiration 3 is obviously designed for younger elementary school kids. It uses visuals to teach kids about everything from math, to science, even writing. One of the science projects has the kids classify animals into groups; insects, birds, mammals, and reptiles, then write about why each animal goes in their specific group. This is a great way to meld technology and education.

Inspiration 9 is designed for much older students. This program basically provides templates that allow students to construct things like diagrams, concept maps, and outlines. It is meant to be used by all of the major school subjects and even comes with some pre-loaded maps that students can fill in. I looked at one that differenciates between plant and animal cells. This program will allow for some creativity on the students part and also would force them to think and learn on their own.

XMind is a tool build to be used on team based projects. This program allows users to brainstorm together and map out what they will be doing. The best part is that users can connect over the internet, which means they never actually have to meet face to face to get work done. This program could be great for online courses, but would be difficult to do in a public school because not every student has internet at home.

Mindtools for Learning

Mindtools are programs that allow students to visually demonstrate relationships, processes, or ideas through webs, charts, and so on.  Mindtools essentially provide a means for students to demonstrate their thinking in a visual way, or in other words, model their thought processes.  This is invaluable in the educational process, both for teachers and for other students, because it gives an opportunity not only for students to show what they observed or noticed in their learning, but to see and learn from the thought processes of others.  Students can comment and discuss their ideas through the mindtools and demonstrate how they arrived at certain conclusions and relationships.  These tools are also very interactive and help to build numerous other research and publication skills that could prove useful in their future education or in the workplace.
There are a number of different Mindtool programs available to use for educational purposes, such as Cmaps (a basic concept mapping software) and Inspiration (a versatile mapping/chart software designed for grades 6-12). I was drawn to the Inspiration software since I can see the appeal for students in the colorful mapping capabilities and in how user friendly is appears.  I also liked that the program allowed you to make various other charts and concept maps.  The media libraries also provide an additional visual dynamic that often appeals to students when creating charts or maps like these.
I can certainly see how Inspiration could be used to show character relationships in my English class, or even how plots evolve, or themes are reinforced by actions, events, or dialogue.  I did a search online to fine out how Inspiration is being used in other classes and stumbled across this assignment for a high school science class.  I also found a list of uses for Inspiration in an English class.  Unfortunately, it appears that most of the assignment links are broken, but the list itself gives a pretty good view of Inspiration's versatility.  I don't think there is a subject area where Mindtool programs could not find some value, especially when it comes to creating models of concepts and relationships.

Google Tools

Google tools are ever expanding and continue to make life easier for those that are always online. Google has created many tools that make creating, collaborating, sharing and reading information easier than ever before. Some of the more popular tools are Google Docs, Sites, Reader, Forms, and Blogger. Each of these tools can be used for personal needs or for the needs of your profession.

Google Docs is exactly what it sounds like. It is a one stop way to create text documents, presentations, and spreadsheets all through “cloud” computing. This means that these documents can be taken anywhere and can be accessed at any point as long as you have access to a computer and internet (there is no requirement to purchase expensive software like Microsoft Office). Like any product there are advantages and disadvantages. One advantage has already been mentioned; your docs can be accessed anywhere you can find internet access and with many of the newer smartphones you can even view, create and edit docs without a computer. Another huge advantage is the collaboration aspect. After creating a doc, you can share it with multiple users who can all edit and resave in real time without having to email back and forth. This means that colleagues in different parts of an office or different parts of the world can work together on a project and instantly have the newest version of the document. One of the problems, as you may expect, is that if there is no internet access, there is no document to edit or print. Google Docs is quickly becoming a great resource for group projects because students can work on their own time and put the information together when they are available.

Another nice Google tool is Sites. Sites allows individuals to create free websites that can actually be customized quite a bit to make them their own. The user begins with a template and builds the site with all the information they need to share. Students can work collaboratively on sites and share them with friends, teachers or the entire world when finished. Like Google Docs, Sites allows users to specify who can edit the website and allows multiple students to work together to create a final piece of work.

Google Reader is a nice feature that allows users to compile all of their favorite news feeds and blogs into one spot so they can always have the most up to date information. Fitting into this category is Google Blogger which actually allows users to create their own blog. For school, this could be used as a weekly or daily blog about what they are learning, or could be used as an online journal for personal use. Users can invite others to post on the blog site and can also follow other blogs through Reader.

The final tool that Google has developed that can be quite useful in the education world is Forms. Forms is part of Docs but allows users to create forms which can be used for surveys. Google will automatically compile the results from the form and create a report that shows the responses.

With the ever increasing want and need for collaboration and integration of technology, Google has developed some very nice tools that make it extremely easy to work together without having to be together. The best part of all of these services is that they are a free included feature of having a Google account.

Web 2.0 ang Google Tools

Web 2.0 essentially has come to mean any media source online that includes an interaction or collaboration to achieve a certain goal or to further communications and understanding.  Social networking sites, blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, and podcasting are all examples of Web 2.0 tools that allow end users to interact and communicate in a virtual forum.  This communication ultimately leads to further understanding and knowledge through the process of responding to and cooperating with others.  Since these types of tools promote responding and adding to (or even editing) the ideas of others.  This means that internet use can be more responsive, active, and engaging as opposed to passive. 
The benefits of Web 2.0 technologies are rooted in a number of different learning theories including constructivism and social learning theory.  Since much of the web is information based, Web 2.0 tools give the end user an opportunity to take part in the process of discussing and drawing conclusions.  Both constructivism and social learning theory have an emphasis on the people with and environment in which we learn, and Web 2.0 technologies support these theories of learning.  In constructivism, learners build knowledge as they interact with others and resolve misconceptions or “disequilibrium” about the world.  In social learning theory, a person’s interactions and efforts will lead to greater achievement.  In both cases, there is an emphasis on interface and participation for the sake of knowledge acquisition (collective agency).  Blogging and social networks are both ways in which users not only get information from others, but are encouraged to participate in the conversation.  Wikis allow users to change or elaborate on information right where they find it, which takes the information from being accepted to being scrutinized. 
The implications of Web 2.0 in the classroom are quite broad when considering the access students have beyond the classroom.  Having team blogs for projects or novels allow students to discuss the text in threads and even provide evidence and links to back up their points.  Students can also create class wikis on certain topics and add/modify information as they learn.  Web 2.0 essentially takes the classroom to a virtual level, allowing students and the instructor to correspond at different places and times.  Some Web 2.0 tools also provide opportunities to discuss and debate over current issues or specific subjects (news outlets).  While there are always obstacles to technology use, these web tools, at the least, provide valuable resources for students to correspond individually about assignments.  Web 2.0 tools ultimately allow students to learn and interact cooperatively with each other, whether remotely or within the same classroom setting.  Considering the increasing competition and expectations of society in regards to job performance, utilizing Web 2.0 tools in school would prove quite valuable if our students are to develop the cooperative and critical thinking skills to remain competitive to other nations.
A number of Google tools are included in the blanket term of Web 2.0, but there are also other Google tools that allow shared access to resources (documents, etc.) or information, such as Google Reader, which lets you customize and gather numerous writing sources all onto one page.
Blogging seems like one of the best ways for students to communicate and collaborate using web 2.0 tools.  There are numerous sites dedicated to blogging, including edublogs.org, a site dedicated to educational blogging. This site provides teachers with the access and tools to monitor student blogs and provide resources for students to perform various tasks and collaborate with each other on various assignments.  More information on edublogs can be found here and here.  What makes ultimately makes blogs so valuable is the opportunity for written student feedback in an environment that promotes accountability and academic integrity.  It provides a forum beyond the classroom for students to correspond and interact, thus demonstrating how the learning process extends beyond classroom settings.
Since my other ETC 547 included a project sample for a recent assignment, I went ahead and created an edublog. While mine is pretty basic, there is a much better example called Huzzah, created by a teacher in Canada for an elementary school class.  This edublog really shows the versatility of blogging, both in subjects and in grade levels.