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Buist C., (2011). E-learning: Enriching learning in the classroom. Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No. 2. pp159- 166
St Clair School
e-Learning: Enriching learning in the
classroom
Claire Buist
Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp 159-.166
BuistC.2011
Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp 159- 166 160
Myinterestinthisareacamefrommyownactionresearchinwriting.IwashopingtofindawaytoimprovewritingoutcomesandmotivationinthechildrenthatIworkwith.
E-Learning: Enriching Learning in the Classroom
Claire Buist
St Clair School
Introduction
I began using Web 2.0 tools about four years ago. Truth is, I saw this “stuff”
happening and was hearing about innovative teaching making the most of these
tools. My interest in this area came from my own action research in writing. I
was hoping to find a way to improve writing outcomes and motivation in the
children that I work with. I wanted to explore the value that Web 2.0 tools might
have on pedagogy and practice. In this article I share some of my experiences of
using these tools.
Starting with WikiSpaces
I began by using Wikispaces with my class. The purpose of the Wikispace was
to share our learning with families from outside of Dunedin and to involve
working parents with what was happening in our classroom. In hindsight, this
was invaluable as it taught me quickly many skills including html coding,
uploading images and the Creative Commons. Understanding about the Creative
Commons has meant that I have been able to guide children about legal use and
downloading of internet content. A great explanation about the Creative
Commons can be viewed here: http://www.vimeo.com/25684782. At the time
though, this became a virtual display space and added to my duties as a
classroom teacher. Certainly, it was very motivating for the children to see their
writing published online and visitors reading it from around the world, and it
definitely became another display space for me. In other words, this was
teacher driven, not student driven, unless they were responding to my
feedback.
I am glad I began with Wikispaces because it developed my knowledge and
understanding of web tools and sites. I feel it helpedmy digital literacy to
develop, thus leading to increased confidence. I have continued to use
Wikispacesbutmyphilosophyabouttheirusehasevolvedandchanged.
Wikispaces are a form of social web tool that is intended for users who are 13
years and older. Our syndicate teachers have developed a Wikispace that we
access and update as administrators. It is a valid form of communication between
home and school and includes links to notices, homework, road patrol rosters,
photos, etc. This has proved itself to be invaluable for working parents,
grandparents based around the country and the world as well as helpful for
students. If children are away, have lost notices or homework sheets, or want to
practise spelling and basic facts specific to their current learning goals, they can
access these from home. If you are thinking about establishing an online class site,
Wikispaces is where I recommend you begin. It is easy and intuitive to use, mostly
free and gathering huge momentum with teachers around the world, who are keen
to collaborate, communicate and comment. It has created an authentic audience for
the children we are working with in so many ways.
Developing a classroom blog
Last year, we began blogging. Both the children and teachers became
administrators of the blog and the class took on an active role. The Super7Scooper
Blog http://super7scoopers.edublogs.org/ is a classroom blog that has been
developed firstly by myself and then evolved by the Year 5 and 6 children working
in Room 7, as they took on ownership of their space. The blog shares our daily
learning experiences, exemplars of our different levels working within our
classroom and also acts as a reflective journal that we have referred back to
regularly. Initially, it was started as a teacher-driven tool as a vehicle for modelling
during shared reading and writing sessions, and as a means for introducing the
children to digital citizenship and literacy. Over the year, the ownership has
shifted from the teacher to the students who now decide what is blogged,
which Web 2 tools they use to publish as well as the moderation of
comments.
The aim of blogging was two-fold. Firstly, the blog was intended as a
means for children to share their learning with their families and to further
develop the sense of community between home and school. The second aim
of this blog was to give the children a sense of audience. We were
targeting writing in all classrooms across our school and looking for
ways to improve student standard and motivation to write. This
Theblogwasintendedasameansforchildrentosharetheirlearningwiththeirfamiliesandtofurtherdevelopthesenseofcommunitybetweenhomeandschool.
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Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No .2, pp 159- 166 161
group comprises teachers and students from around the country/world that
evolved from professional discussions and sharing on Twitter and VLN (virtual
learning network) – an online community for New Zealand teachers.
The “Scooper” derivation came from “what’s the scoop?” in other words “what’s
the news?” Over the year, operation of the blog has evolved. Initially, it was set
up and managed by myself, the teacher. Over the first term, the blog presented
itself as a fantastic means of shared reading and writing supporting the modelling
of safe internet practice and modelling of the writing cycle from planning and
drafting, to conferencing, publishing and responding to feedback. As the year has
progressed, the children have stepped up and slowly taken over the running of the
blog. “Today’s Scoopers” were rostered and they would work through the writing
cycle to plan, draft, edit and conference their posts. Once posts were published
with the approval of the rest of the class and myself in the form of conferences, I
would then (secretly) tweet my PLN if feedback or audience would be beneficial
to those writers. Often feedback comes from families, friends and “followers”
without being solicited. The children read their feedback and respond or edit their
posts depending on the feedback they receive. There is a sense of pride in this
group of writers when they receive feedback and see readers from around the
world visiting their blog.
Children will actively seek reasons to write, either collaboratively or on their own,
and will independently respond to feedback in order to revisit and edit their
writing. It was noted at our most recent three-way conferences that writing was
voluntarily shared as a favourite area of learning and (surprisingly) not one boy
failed to mention that writing was one of his favourite subjects. By using digital
tools ranging from the class camera to web-based tools for publishing, this class
has been inspired because they’re reaching an audience and their published pieces
look “real”. Above all, they are getting feedback.
Blogging as a class has led to connecting with a range of audiences and
developing projects with classes worldwide. However, the development of using
blogs in this classroom really came from a school-wide initiative to develop our
writing programmes in order for improved achievement at all levels. Obviously
aspects of development included pedagogy and practice. Blogs and Web 2.0
tools have been only a part of this project but it is fair to say that they have
accentuated motivation to write, a purpose to publish our writing, and
Theblogpresenteditselfasafantasticmeansof
sharedreadingandwritingsupportingthemodellingofsafeinternetpracticeandmodellingofthewriting
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Childrenareactivelyinvolvedinreadingandrespondingtoblogposts,sharingtheirnewsorallyintheirfortnightly“Scoop”videosandsharingphotosthatsupportblog
posts.
engagement in the whole writing cycle. The ease of web-based tools has
impacted on other areas of literacy including visual and oral language
programmes. Children are actively involved in reading and responding to blog
posts, sharing their news orally in their fortnightly “Scoop” videos and sharing
photos that support blog posts.
The blog has become an archive of learning experiences and outcomes. It has
proved to be an easy way to store artifacts that have been created using software
and web-based tools. These tools have had a huge impact on learning including
the following examples.
• A massive impact on student writing due to the authentic, global
audience that the children are writing for and receiving feedback from.
Figure 1: An example of stduent posts to the blog.
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Skyping Year 7 and 8 students in Hamilton to learn about presenting their mihi
made the learning authentic. The older students modeled their own mihi and then
mentored their friends from Dunedin.
http://super7scoopers.edublogs.org/2010/02/17/room-2-explains-a-mihi/
Sending and receiving mascots has helped the class to learn about the world that
they live in, its places and people. This class from Canada received Trev the
Kiwi and hosted him by recording his journey on Trev’s blog.
http://trevjunior.edublogs.org/
Thebloghasbecomeanarchiveoflearningexperiencesandoutcomes.IthasprovedtobeaneasywaytostoreartifactsthathavebeencreatedusingWeb2.0tools.Thesetoolshavehadahugeimpactonlearning.
Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No .2, pp 159- 166 164
Figure 2: Skyping students in Hamilton to learn about a mihi
Figure 3: Canadian class that hosted Trev the kiwi and recorded his travels on Trev’s Blog
• Skyping with classes from Sointula, Canada and the Shetland Islands to
create a collaborative dance was a fantastic learning experience focusing on
the Arts. The class found it interesting to read about themselves on other
class blogs.
http://mrswatson123.edublogs.org/2010/11/16/dance-lessons/
http://super7scoopers.edublogs.org/2010/12/16/blog-it-collaborative-dance/
• Learning to “Vlog” has led to the class developing a range of digital skills
including filming and green screening, but has especially enriched the
writing programme and oral language programmes.
Learningto“Vlog”hasledtotheclassdevelopingarangeof
digitalskillsincludingfilmingandgreen
screening,andhasespeciallyenrichedthewritingandorallanguageprogrammes.
Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No .2, pp 159- 166 165
Figure 4: Skyping students in Canada and the Shetland Island to create a collaborative dance.
Figure 5: Students ‘Vlogging.’ Creating digital video for their blog.
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• There is a range of photo sharing tools online that can easily be embedded into the blog so that family of the children can see what they have been learning and participate with children in their learning by talking about it at home.
Photosharingtoolsonlinethatcaneasilybeembeddedintotheblogsothatfamilyofthechildrencanseewhattheyhavebeenlearningandparticipatewithchildrenintheir
learningbytalkingaboutitathome.
Computers in New Zealand Schools, Vol. 23, No .2, pp 159- 166 166
Figure 6: Combining photo sharing tools and images of children's activities on the blog.
This work is licenced under the Creative CommonsAttribution‐Non‐Commercial‐No Derivative Works 3.0NewZealandLicense.Toviewacopyofthislicence,visithttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc‐nd/3.0/nz/orsendalettertoCreativeCommons,171SecondStreet,Suite300,SanFrancisco,California94105,USA.
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