Monday, March 23, 2009

Why Web 2.0 is Good for Learning and for Research: Principles and Prototypes- Salon #2 with Brenda Dyck

Salon #2 March 8, 2009 Why Web 2.0 is Good for Learning and for Research: Principles and Prototypes

Web 2.0 tool criteria

➢ Interactive. The web 2.0 tool allows for the user to be an active participant. The user brings prior knowledge and is able to manipulate and construct the particular tool to learn or create something new and meaningful.
➢ Collaborative. The web 2.0 tool allows for the user to interact, contribute and share information with other users.
➢ Higher Order thinking. The web 2.0 tool requires the user to apply higher order thinking and reasoning which is demonstrated in Bloom’s Taxonomy
➢ Creativity. The web 2.0 tool provides learner generated activities that motivate the user to construct or manipulate material.


The integration of technology enables students to expand their understanding, contribute to others learning, share with others and achieve results. This fosters the constructivism model.

1.) Slide-This web 2.0 tools meets all four criteria. It requires the user to upload photos from computer files and create a slideshow. Students are required to write captions for each picture, put them in a sequential order, choose a design for the background, a border and special effects. The student then shares the slideshow with others and can embed it into other sites such as Wikis, Blogs or Social Networking sites. In the classroom, students can use this tool to create picture storybooks of places they have traveled to or field trips that the class has taken. The students can use digital cameras when they are on the field trip, upload them into the computer and then upload them on the site. The students could also go to another site Flickr and upload pictures and create slide shows with captions.

2.) Community walk-This web 2.0 tool meets all four criteria. It requires students to pinpoint areas on a map. Information using text, photographs or video can be added to the pinpoint areas on the map. Students can use this tool for an Environmental Science lesson. Students can track present toxic sites, sites to be cleaned up, sites that have been cleaned up and designated areas that are protected areas. Students could use this tool as a means to tract different specific topics, ie: different animals and their habitats, or different flowers that grow best in certain regions.

3.) Diigo-This web 2.0 tool meets all four criteria. This tool allows users to bookmark articles of interest by adding tags to the post and sharing the articles with others. This is a great tool for students to use when researching material. Instead of going to Google and using the first four entries, the student can search Diigo with a keyword and have many accessible articles compiled by many other users.

4.) VoiceThread-This web 2.0 tool meets all four criteria. This tool allows users to share pictures, dialogue, videos and documents. Students can use this tool to learn about any topic. They can share their thoughts by either speaking or writing text next to pictures and creating opportunities for deeper investigation and more meaningful learning. The students choose icons to represent themselves. This is a good way to practice Internet safety by protecting an individual’s identity.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Where's the Beef: Finding Literacy in Computer Literacy -Salon# 1 with Brenda Dyck (Dr.Pat Clifford)

Where’s the Beef: Finding Literacy in Computer Literacy
Pat Clifford, PhD
Galileo Educational Network



Where's the Beef: Finding Literacy in Computer Literacy -Salon #1

In keeping with the topic of Computer Literacy and mixing, remixing, reshaping, tweaking, enriching and recomposing, I created a wordle from www.wordle.net
After reading the designated article, discussing it in Marratech, taking notes and thinking about several points made, I scanned the discussion article and either copied and pasted or typed in the words to create this innovative, fun way to express Computer Literacy. Finding Literacy in Computer Literacy is an important issue to distinguish in order to enhance student learning. Education is not the memorization of words and phrases and tests. Education is applied knowledge and deeper and richer learning. It is the "Ah ha" experience that is expressed when a concept is understood. Educational Technology is a means for further deepening of a student's understanding of the world around him/her and the making of connections from prior knowledge and the expansion of awareness as a whole. Just as the example in the article stated, "Technology does not necessarily improve education. Take a simple innovation like the pencil: One can use it to write a superlative essay, to drum away the time, or to poke out someone's eye. " it is vital that we guide students in practical and educational application of computer literacy. It is important to educate students with safety/security issues, copyright laws, privacy issues and appropriate commentaries when blogging, e-mailing, aiming, or posting words or pictures on the internet. Hand in hand with the rules and regulations comes the educational aspect of creating, collaborating, and recreating, mixing, reshaping, tweaking, and recomposing in order to enrich one's experience.