Using Web 2.0 and Social Media to Encourage Deeper Learning

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Task Navigation 

Week 1 - Project Task (Oct 3-9, 2011)

As a whole class we will record our learning in the form of a practical “Kit” that we will publish (on a WordPress blog) and share with teachers around the world under a CC-BY license.  Your participation it the group project will be evaluated according the following rubric: Click here.

 

The Kit will be a practical guide to using social media to promote deeper learning in the classroom. Proposed sections of the Kit include:

  • Core Academic Knowledge
  • Critical Thinking
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Effective Communication
  • Working in Collaboration
  • Learning how to Learn
  • Global Perspective
  • Other__________



What do you think of these sections? In the comments section below post any ideas you have about how we should construct this Kit. What would you add or subtract from the sections listed above? What kinds of information, text and/or resources should we include? Please post at least 1-2 ideas you have below.

Task Discussion


  • Hanna   Oct. 5, 2011, 3:44 p.m.

     

     

    I think these sections look good - would we want to add something related to 21st century skills? I think a Wiki would be good as we are working on the Kit, but something more formalized would be better for the final draft. Online resources are so numerous that will want to decide on which would be best to include. Information should include definitions, strategies, and applications of social media/Web 2.0 in each of these categories.

  • cinmil   Oct. 9, 2011, 1:19 p.m.
    In Reply To:   Hanna   Oct. 5, 2011, 3:44 p.m.

    I agree with Hanna on all of this.

  • Harry B   Oct. 3, 2011, 7:44 a.m.

    There are some great resources like Let's Meet, polleverywhere, edmondo, the TED site, so much more that people need to have as tools in their toolkit!

     

    :)

     

    HBrake

  • tbraught   Oct. 2, 2011, 12:17 a.m.
    1.  I think each one should be defined so everyone is on "the same page."
    2. I see a wiki working better than a blog platform.
  • Christopher Batchelder   Oct. 3, 2011, 4:36 a.m.
    In Reply To:   tbraught   Oct. 2, 2011, 12:17 a.m.

    Good ideas.  Perhaps we can all add our ideas about what each of these means.  Wiki would be good for project.  Especially for the design and collaboration phase - when we publish the final do you think it should be in open Wiki format?  Or more of a finalized version?  

    One other question.  Should we open up the "Task" text so that the class can edit the tasks?  Would that be helpful?  Like we all get to edit and mashup the text of the task?  

     

     

     

  • Harry B   Oct. 3, 2011, 7:32 a.m.
    In Reply To:   tbraught   Oct. 2, 2011, 12:17 a.m.

    It would be good to see when a wiki is best compared to a blog, etc....this would be very much helpful!

     

    Harry Brake

  • karen   Oct. 4, 2011, 1:55 p.m.
    In Reply To:   Harry B   Oct. 3, 2011, 7:32 a.m.

    Very common question -- what tool is best for what purpose? (I made up this chart awhile back to help with this.)

    In short, a blog is basically an online journal. It is generally authored by one person and commented on by others. It appears in reverse chronological order.

    A wiki is just a web site that anyone can edit. It can be authored by one or many. It can be organized in any way you want.

    Hope that helps. With creativity, you can use any tool for almost anything, but it is helpful to know at least the most common or intended use as a starting point. :)

  • Christopher Batchelder   Oct. 4, 2011, 2:39 p.m.
    In Reply To:   Harry B   Oct. 3, 2011, 7:32 a.m.

    I agree with Karen's points.  I would add that I think of Wiki's more for collaboration and group work and Blogs for publishing.  So a group of students could use a wiki to collaboratively draft a series of writings which they then publish to a blog.  

    For a group to collaborate on writing a single blog post is much more difficult than on a wiki.  On the other hand, to publish a series of writings in a nice, polished format is much easier on a blog than a wiki. 

  • Mireille   Sept. 29, 2011, 10:28 p.m.

    I think they are all key especially in the corporate world.  I would also include being self motivated and having leadership skills.  There are going to be time when you are going to have to be committed for everyone until people start seeing what the possibilities look like

    Mireille
    Torotno, Canada

  • kmease   Sept. 27, 2011, 3:40 p.m.

    I definitely need more help w/blogger and wordpress.... that's one of my main motivations for doing this online activity! Hoping everyone out there can help me out.

  • Harry B   Oct. 3, 2011, 7:31 a.m.
    In Reply To:   kmease   Sept. 27, 2011, 3:40 p.m.

    I can help with wordpress, but I need some help in blogger, it was haunting to me so I worked with wordpress!  :) 

     

    Harry

  • Christopher Batchelder   Oct. 3, 2011, 8 a.m.
    In Reply To:   kmease   Sept. 27, 2011, 3:40 p.m.

    I know we have the expertise in this class to help you with blogging from a technical side.  Also, from a teaching and learning perspective hopefully we can all co-brainstorm different ways you can use it.

    Do you have any initial thoughts about what you want to do with blogging in your classroom? 

  • Mireille   Oct. 27, 2011, 9:14 a.m.
    In Reply To:   kmease   Sept. 27, 2011, 3:40 p.m.

    I'm answering this so late.  So my apologies. 

    I'm learning wordpress myself.  If you want to connect with me after this course, we can use Skype to learn from each other and perhaps through that learning share the resources and our examples through a wiki. 

    I personally love wikis because it helps me centralize all the resources for my PLN. 

    Mireille Massue
     

  • Alex   Sept. 27, 2011, 8:39 a.m.

    I think that the above areas look good to create the kit. I think there are a range of different applications which can assist with the dipper thinking of students and teachers alike. I really like using google sites for creating wiki/site for collaboration, todays meet for communicating, bubbl.us for mind mapping. I think that there should be information on how to sucessfuly use the different resources in the classroom as well as how different resources can and are used to support the different sections.

     

  • Christopher Batchelder   Oct. 3, 2011, 7:56 a.m.
    In Reply To:   Alex   Sept. 27, 2011, 8:39 a.m.

    Alex,  Absolutely,  what I hear you speaking to is the need to keep the kit practical and useful.  For those of us who are more theoretically focused I hope you can help us keep a practical focus!  - Chris

  • Harry B   Sept. 27, 2011, 5:32 a.m.

     

    • Core Academic Knowledge
    • Critical Thinking
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Effective Communication
    • Working in Collaboration
    • Learning how to Learn
    • Global Perspective
    • Other__________

    I believe that various programs can easily represent the above.  For example, using the idea of backchanelling will present the actual argument for divergent thinking and if students are able to truly multitask.  (Using programs such as polleverywhere.com, todaysmeet.com, jing, skype, ovoo, etc.)

    Also, the above allow for collaboration, as well as various projects to be used such as prezi, good ol powerpoint, imovie, iphoto, moviemaker, (various platforms conformed to what users have available).  

    Critical thinking comes in a way that presentations are made to meet the needs of various artiists.

    I believe learning blogger and wordpress are important as users can see both, I am familiar with wordpress and totally out of it in uderstanding blogger, lol.  I also think using platforms like edmondo and twitter are very important, as I do not use twitter for anything and think it can be used for effective things that I do not use, the video I need to explore and see these options  :)

  • Christopher Batchelder   Oct. 3, 2011, 7:53 a.m.
    In Reply To:   Harry B   Sept. 27, 2011, 5:32 a.m.

    Harry,

    Divergent thinking is new vocabulary for me and I like it... 

    I think "Divergent Thinking" has a lot of potential as a category.  I suppose it is probably a subset of Critical Thinking, but it speaks to the nature of the world that students are growing up in today.  

    Merriam Webster says divergent =  "relating to or being an infinite sequence that does not have a limit or an infinite series whose partial sums do not have a limit".

    I believe that the ability to hold, comprehend and understand multiple and sometimes competing perspectives is hugely important.  To operate successfully in the world students needs to be able to navigate contradicting ideas and notions to find a "way through".  

    Also the idea that there are unlimited possibilities - not just one answer or solution is descriptive of an important skill - searching for as many solutions as possible in order to find something that will work.