By Sue Austin
Oct 28, 2014
BySue
Austin
Create a Virtual Learning
Environment which will introduce
Web 2 tools Blogs – Wikis -Podcasting and
Elluminate to the 5/6 classroom
This VLE is intended for a Year 5/6 class who have minimal understanding and experiences with Web 2.0 tools.
Students are familiar with the internet and email but have not yet experienced blogs and wiki’s (other than using Wikipedia)
Year 5/6 has 1 hour per week allocated to computer/technology lessons.
Students will require structured learning activities to accomplish set tasks within the timeframe of 9 weeks.
The Virtual Learning environment will provide students with:
opportunities to develop an awareness and understanding of Web 2 tools.
opportunities to appreciate and value the potential of Web 2 tools and a VLE
learning activities that encourages collaboration, communication and connection with other students learning
learning activities that takes them from the traditional style of teaching/learning
learning activities that require skills of investigation, research, higher order thinking and problem solving
technology skills beyond those previously experienced
Students will make use of:
Teacher blog – for instruction, communication and collaboration
Student Blogs – for creation, commenting and communicating with others on the space topic
Wiki’s – for collaborative work on a glossary of space terms and space images.
Podcast – for the digitally recording of ‘astronomy’ interviews to ‘podcast’ to class
Elluminate – for participation in a real time web conference on issues relating to the space topic
Introduction View clip - What is Web 2.0
Brainstorm social software applications that are currently available – and those known by students
Display Web Diagram (using Visual Mind) which categorises the software (see next slide)
Make students aware of the Software bookmarking site Del.icio.us
Web 2 tools Link to Mind Map
Activity 1 Students view Blogging in Plain English
Teacher - Introduce and explain Edublogs
Students view Blog School Demo
Teacher - highlight important aspects and components of
the blog
Teacher - inform students of their blogs (already created) ready
for personalizing
Students -view the demonstration of personalizing your
Blog
Students work on setting up their blog for comments
Teacher - discuss how blogs encourage communication.
commenting.
Teacher - explain how comments are for collaborating and
promoting discussion.
Teacher – explains the ‘do’s and don’ts’ in commenting.
Students – read ‘10 Basic rules for commenting’ (next slide)
1. Invite Comments – I would like to hear from others
2. Ask Questions – What do you think about this
topic.?
3. Be Open Ended – leave something for others to say
or add
4. Interact – answer the comments left to start up a
discussion
5. Set Boundaries – don’t allow rude or silly
comments
6. Be humble – don’t act an expert – let others have a
voice
7. Be gracious – if someone picks up on a mistake in
your blog be gracious and not grumble
8. Be controversial? – sometimes it works to make a
bold or controversial statement to get those comments
rolling
9. ‘Reward’ Comments – thank others for
commenting – send a smiley face (emoticon)
10. Make it Easy to Comment – you don’t have to
write a book for a comment – keep it short and simple –
also make sure that the comments don’t require to
many hurdles like passwords.
Activity 2 Teacher explain- comments or posts are
usually found in the central part of the blog.
Comments or posts are viewed chronologically – meaning the last post is at the top of the page.
Comments or posts remain on the blog unless they are deleted.
Students - view demonstration on how to add a comment and how to make a comment on another persons blog.
Students - start comments (see topic list next slide)
Topic 1 – UFO’s and aliens – are they real? Topic 2 – What is your understanding of the
Universe? Topic 3 – Planets – Tell me more? Topic 4 – Is space exploration worth the money Topic 5- Would you go into space ? Why /why
not? Topic 6- What are the chances of a meteorite
hitting Earth? Topic 7 – Are there planets beyond Pluto? Topic 8 – Should we return to the moon?
Activity 3 Teacher – explain how Blog pages differ
from posts - they are seen as a title in the sidebar and provide links to documents, files and other sources of information.
Pages don’t take up as much room as a post and for that reason aren’t as noticeable.
Students - view the demonstration on making a page with a hyperlink.
Students – create a page with information on your chosen planet and a hyperlink to support that information.
Activity 4 Teacher – explain that adding a clip from
Youtube or Teacher Tube requires you to copy and paste the embedding code.
Teacher – inform students that Teacher tube is a better choice for clips as it can be accessed at schools – (Youtube is blocked)
Students - view demonstration on embedding code into a post
Activity 5
Students - view Wiki in Plain English
Teacher - introduce Wetpaint wiki’s
Students - view Rous School Wiki – read through
instructions and pages.
Teacher - explain purpose of Wiki - to collaborative
produce a glossary of space terms and space
images Students - view demonstration on editing the wiki Students - commence adding words/definitions to
the glossary.
Activity 6 Teacher explain - an important part of the
research work is to obtain space related images for viewing by others.
This photo page will enable students to seek out interesting or unusual space images and post them in one place.
Students – view demonstration how to locate and add an image to the photo page
Students - commence locating and adding images to page – captions compulsory
Activity 7Teacher – introduce Elluminate
Students - view an Elluminate
live demonstration
Teacher – explain Elluminate task requiring 2 groups of 2 students and teacher (administrator) taking part in a debate about a specific topic on Space (the 2 groups will different rooms from the main class)
Teacher - set up a powerpoint presentation and websites for viewing (done prior to session)
Students - view the Elluminate session via the digital projector (IWB)
Students - required to use: Text chat Speaking (microphone) Whiteboard
Students to: comment/debate/interact/draw/identify/survey/poll – on a number
of Space related topics
Activity 8 Teacher - define a podcast Students - listen to podcast Teacher - display digital recorder and
briefly explain how to upload. Teacher – start discussion on the
benefits of a podcast:People can listen to podcast whenever and
wherever they wantA podcast can be replayed or played at a
later dateMore people can access the podcast – no
need to attend a lecture or interview
Students will develop a series of questions based on aspects of Astronomy. These questions will be
asked in a interview which will be digitally recorded.
After the interview the recording will be uploaded (by teacher) into the class
blog.
Students will listen to the interview and check their
understandings to those of the experts.
Activity 9 Teacher - create a series of questions –
yes/no, multiple choice and short answer using the online survey software Zoomerang
Students will complete:A quiz on the space topicAn evaluation on the Virtual Learning
Environment Teacher – will collate and make available
the results to students via the class blog
This VLE was created for the purpose of the Flexible Learning assignment – however it is ‘ a work in progress’.
All activities on this slideshow and all links, video captures and software tools mentioned will be used and implemented.
The Elluminate session and the use of Zen Media software for uploading the podcast was made possible through connections with the School of Education and the School of Law at Southern Cross University.
Astronomy experts were located through a local group of Star Gazers. We thank them for their assistance.
All internet access and use for this assignment is within the guidelines set down by the NSW Department of Education.
Stage 3 Science and Technology outcomes for the unit ‘Out In Space’ were set for this assignment.
All activities were designed and implemented – except for the collaborative work in Elluminate were my personal ideas and initiatives.