Module 4

[ Image courtesy of Flickr ]

My friend Flickr...

I've been playing around in Flickr all day. I managed to create an account, create a buddy icon, set up a profile and levels of security, and I even managed to allow access to my photos using Creative Commons. I viewed the map feature. I have uploaded some photos, given them tags, titles and descriptions, seen how to crop and rotate them when necessary, and then organised them into sets. I have run these as a slideshow and shown them off to a friend. I am very chuffed.
Here's one of my efforts:

Educational application?

Flickr is easy to recommend for personal use. How could it be used in the school setting?

Upside:

1. Huge range of images for students to access anytime they are required e.g. in presentations, posters

2. Visual Arts students can upload their own work, label images with hot spots by using the add notes option, engage in critical analysis via the comment section, identify art vocabulary within images etc.etc.

3. Geography and Science students could make records of excursions and add notes, and incorporate the use of the map feature 

4. Provides an opportunity for a wider feedback to students about their work

5. Could be used to illustrate the concept of copyright and intellectual rights.

Downside:

1. Tags: Because these are generated by the community, they are subject to the mis­takes of the users who enter them. I understand that there are over 1,000 entries for Mexcio. So if you're looking for Mexico, you will miss quite a few!

2. Copyright: Flickr seems to run a self-regulatory/honesty system for copyright violations, and there are ample opportunities for invasions of privacy by anyone who wishes to do so.

3. Videos can be no longer than 90 seconds - perhaps there are better places to save them anyway.

4. As Flickr is hosted by a commercial enterprise [Yahoo], anything placed there will be subject to that company's continued viability. Nothing is forever.

Comments posted on other blogs:

Hi Jay,

As you know, copyright is a big issue in my line - librarianship. Whilst we'd all love to just go open slather, helping ourselves, it is important to be aware of the legalities of ownership. As member of Flickr, we too are placing our material, our intellectual property, at the mercy of the globe. We can perhaps discuss this with students when they upload their images and when they access other's work.

Cheers
Cath 

Module 3

Ah, the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley..... I had great visions of working my way stolidly through a few more modules in this Easter break. Technology has let me down - PC does not seem to show all the options when composing blog posts, I cannot find fellow bloggers list any more on the Myclasses course page to comment on their ideas, and when I switch to compose on my laptop, I lose access to the course entirely as I can't even log in!!!!    

Anyhow...Google docs was a revelation. It looks invaluable for quick and simple collaborative work. To work on documents in real time, having control over what you see, eliminating any confusion about updates and versions with all the documents having one 'home', a single place for editing and saving should prove a godsend. Email uploading and downloading issues will be a thing of the past, with the ease of access to one's documents from any internet connection. Added features of docs include presentations and spreadsheets I understand, but I've not trialled them yet. Another feature which may be use for some teachers is the capability to track visits, to check on who has accessed the documents. A tour of the templates feature left me somewhat dazed - there are thousands of them, in many languages, of limited use for students other than perhaps some business plans, resumes and questionnaires which could be adapted for educational use. I'm not sure that these cannot be accessed just as readily via Google main site.

I shared a document with a co-worker and was able to make and track alterations . I see this being especially useful for collaborative work between teachers in designing their programmes, and in the preparation of documents for publication. As one of several support editors to the indefatigable Editor of our College's annual publication,I can envisage Google docs and in particular its ability to compare text files, will prove a real boon. Students could make much use of docs in collaborative compositions and group presentations, whereas currently it is a physical difficulty all cramming around one computer. I find docs is more reliable than sending emails from home to work  - but with one major drawback. Whilst it was designed as a text utillity, Google docs has a low upload limit which may impact on some presentations. Perhaps this will be increased in later versions. 



Comments on other blogs:

Congratulations, Brett

You've mastered the docs spreadsheet feature. I hadn't considered the possible usefulness of docs for revision and notes sharing during school holidays - means more work for the teachers too if you include them in the loop. So what's new?

You're motoring ahead.
Cheers
Cath

Module 2

 

Well, as I hope you can see, I have been playing around in the

vast virtual void, searching for interesting print presentation styles and alluring images. Unfortunately, I have observed that this can become a high priority for some students, taking precedence over content and consuming much of their allocated time. 

Blogging has many applications in education: it can involve and engage young minds, inititate discussion and a sharing of ideas. It offers instant feedback and by maintaining an archive of comments, it provides a history of the conversation. It can become another mode of delivery for resources, providing a central source for a variety of mediums - a combination of videos, slideshows and text. I am sure that students will take a greater care and pride in their work when it is published as a blog.

Being especially interested in young adult fiction and encouraging reading, I think the use of blogs would enhance the reading experience for many students. Some are quite reticent/shy or too committed to other activities to attend regular meetings, whereas they would feel less anxious in contributing to a blog about their reading. It also offers an equal voice to each participant, something which may not always happen in "live" discussions where some tend to dominate. It also allows time for reflection, where meetings have scheduled time parameters.

Comments posted on other blogs:

Hi Anne,

Whilst I cannot agree about the addictiveness of blogging, I concur with your observation on the enthusiasm it engenders. This will surely be reflected in our students' approach and will hopefully mean that the pride they will take in seeing their work on such public display will mean more engaged learning.
Keep plugging away...
Cath

Module 1

Welcome to my first blog attempt,

About me:

I work in the information industry, specifically in a library/information resource centre, and despite appearances to the contrary, I can, in fact, spell. I interact daily with students who need assistance in managing their access to information in its many forms.

MODULE 1

I encountered some technical difficulty with accessing some of the videos, and was disappointed to find that they are all American [aren't we savvy enough here to create some of our own?]. It is just mind-boggling to see the huge number of sites which exist in this nether region called web 2.0!
It is exciting to think how I might make use of these new conduits. I can foresee great potential in blogs and wikis for online collaboration for reading groups, and for literature circles. It will be interesting to learn how others are already putting web 2.0 into practice in their classrooms.


Comments posted to other Module 1 blogs:

1.  Hello Peter,

I agree that as educators, we do need to be tuned into our students' fast-paced technological world. The challenge will always be how to make the best connection between the available technology, its myriad tools and the curriculum.
Keep up your good work,
Cath

2. cma said... 

 

Hi Kate,

Welcome aboard the web 2.0 express! Your comment about the importance of a student's ownership is a valid one. It may well have the effect of raising the standard of their work too as they realise how widely their efforts will be observed. Keep at it - nil desperandum! Cheers, Cath

April 7, 2010 11:01 PM