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Great Article on Social Media in the Classroom

I’ve just finished reading this fantastic article on social media in the classroom. I found it on Ollie Bray’s blog. It’s an article he wrote for the TES which was published on 8th January.

I particularly like th examples of blog use by Law Primary School in East Lothian. Ollie states:

When the school was recently inspected, the report said:

“The development and use of the blog has helped to promote pupils’ language, ICT and independent learning skills. It has also proved to be a highly effective way of highlighting and celebrating pupils’ achievements.”

I also like the examples of the use of Twitcam. Twitcam is a free online tool that allows you to stream video from a webcam via a Twitter feed. Ollie says:

Musselburgh Grammar School in Scotland has used twitcam to broadcast a show to classrooms, associated primaries and parents at home.

There’s also a useful list at the end of the post that acts as a ‘social media toolbox’ – a list of useful tried and tested social media tools plus a guide on how to get started yourself.

My Top 5 Web Tools for Classroom Use

Here is a link to a presentation on Google that I did for 17th November Teach Meet. These are my top 5 web tools for classroom use. I chose these as they are simple to set up (no faffing about setting multiple web accounts for kids) and not blocked (as yet!) by school broadband.

My Top 5 Web Tools for the Classroom

Lit Trips – Using Mapping Tools in Literacy

I’ve just discovered another web 2.0 tool a little like Google Earth. It’s called ‘Wayfaring’ and you can use it to create maps and travelogues that can incorporate photos, notes and video. I’ve had a quick play with it and created a a ‘Lit Trip’ (basically points on a map with notes and photos relating to the novel) for ‘The Kite Runner’. You can view it here.

This would a useful activity for students to help them engage with the plot and characters in a novel – particularly those with a strong sense of place or travelogues.

On the plus side, compared to Google earth it’s a breeze as you don’t need to download and install a separate application – it runs in a browser window. I find it easier to use than Google earth too.

It does require a sign up with an email address and a screen name. I would follow normal e-safety procedures for this and provide only generic usernames for the class. To get around the email problem – you could use the old ‘gmail +1′ trick. Set up one gmail account for yourself then register each student as yourname+1@gmail.com yourname+2@gmail.com etc.

On a downside, I can’t find the help button! And it looks like they need to do some work on developing settings for privacy – so you can choose who sees your map.

However, overall , I’d give a bug thumbs up.

Glogster – Great multimedia learning tool

I’ve been exploring Glogster which was recommended by colleagues at Sheffield East City Learning Centre and Sheffield South City Learning Centre. It’s a free web based tool that can be used to create interactive ‘posters’ that can incorporate text, images, video, and audio. They could be prepared by a teacher for students as a teaching and learning resource or students could create their own – an interesting alternative to the usual dry powerpoint slideshow.

I’ve created one here while playing based on History at KS3 – Unit 21 – Scientific Discoveries.

You could also incorporate links to other sites – I’ve included a link where it says ‘Vote’ to Doodle – a free web based voting site.
Why not have a go yourself?

Web 2.0 Technologies for Learning at KS3 and KS4

Recent research commissioned by Becta investigates the use and impact of Web 2.0 technologies in and out of school.  Web 2.0 technologies include a variety of developments on the web such as blogs, wikis, social networking sites and on-line gaming.  These technologies use the internet as a platform for social interactions, communication, collaboration, and creating, remixing and sharing content.

The research is to inform policymakers, schools and local authorities of the potential benefits of Web 2.0 technologies for learning at KS3 and KS4 and how these technologies can be used effectively and safely.

Although it was found that the current use of Web 2.0 in schools is limited, there are schools and teachers who are innovating in this area and who are developing approaches to support learning.  The report states that “When used effectively Web 2.0 technologies had a positive effect on motivation and engagement through involving students in more participatory learning”.

There are 5 reports, including a Summary Report.  These have now been released and can be access from the link below.

http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&&catcode=_re_rp_02&rid=14543