Module 9

Quite a lot to take in in this module!  I've used Scootle a little bit before but hadn't explored the sharing options.  The user guide is quite useful and there are some overview teacher videos on Youtube that are also good.  I don't think many teachers at my school know that we could be all sharing learning paths, so this might be something to look into.  Although it takes a bit of effort to both access Scootle and find relevant material, once you've collected some good resources into a learning path things are easier.  I've shared paths with students via a link that includes the PIN, so they only need one click to get there.

I'm still not convinced about using social networking sites in the classroom.  Second Life is an interesting idea and it's intriguing that tertiary institutions are setting up virtual campuses there.  We have a no Facebook policy at school, with no staff-student contact less than 2 years after students leave.  Twitter is perhaps the most promising to me.  It seems like it could be a way of gathering information on current events as they occur - eg. who is being affected by the storm; are there any rainbows; what street art is around; are there any celebrities around the area; what's happening today in science week; where can I find examples of corrosion, birds, butterflies, frogs, spring flowers... Paper.li might also be a good way of combining student tweets or those on a particular topic into an online newspaper.  I have a LinkedIn account but haven't really explored how connections could come together (I seem to get a lot of messages from Richard Branson!).

We have started using Edmodo over the last year or so and I'm a big fan.  I like the fact that it is a secure online environment, that it's easy to share content and have class conversations, that I can collect and mark work online and that I can connect with other teachers and share ideas.  The customer support is exceptional.  And it's free.

Module 4

Animoto was great fun - I've pointed my students at this, it really lifts a slide show!

I really like the idea of podcasts.  My philosophy is to have them no more than 2-3 minutes long so they fit on a playlist like a song.  I've made them myself as summaries of work covered for revision.  I've also allocated 2 paragraph sections of a chapter to my class and had each of them make a 30 sec audio clip which we've spliced together and shared.  I really like the idea that they can be listening whilst on the bus, or anywhere just like music.

It's amazing how often I hear "if you want to learn anything, just look on Youtube".  As a resource collection for teachers it's unsurpassed.  I've been using Youtube for a little while and I just think there's so much you can do with video - screencasts to cover theory and tease apart tricky concepts, "celebrity" videos to showcase student achievements, and videos to see the world with the eyes of the scientist.  Youtube is so great for making sharing easy - no need to worry about file formats and compatability, just send or embed a link and it just plays wherever you want.  Because they're so accessible, Youtube videos can have a life beyond just your classroom and extend your reach as an educator.