It’s a blogger’s life

- A year in the life of a Web 2.0 beginner

First, important things to know...

1) I AM NOT AN ICT EXPERT!!!

I am a Spanish teacher, who was taught how to use PowerPoint 4 years ago.

I do not know how the Internet works, I just push buttons, especially the back button when things go wrong.

First, important things to know...

2) The ideas that I pass on in this session are not...

a)Completely comprehensive

b)They will not destroy your life

“If school is to be a truly rewarding experience for today’s students, it must be relevant to

them.”

Connected magazine, Learning and teaching Scotland

Is this the future? “Young people’s familiarity with ICT offers a great

opportunity to language teachers. It seems to us that a determined commitment to use this world, which is so familiar to young people, is a key to increasing the engagement of young people of all ages with languages. New technologies can facilitate real contacts with schools and young people in other countries. They can also provide stimulus for creative and interactive work.”

(Lord Dearing - Languages Review March 2007)

During this session, we will be looking at the following aspects;

• blogging

• podcasting

• using mobile phones to enhance learning

• some further ideas to look into

Blogging

What is a blog?!?!?!

• Blog= web log – Traditionally used as an online diary

– A typical blog combines a variety of media forms

– Key element is huge increase in interactivity- INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY.

Blogging

• In educational terms, usually divide into 2 types of blog

Class blogs

www.edgehillcollege.typepad.com

http://thegordonschools.typepad.co.uk/ratemymates/

Reflective teacher blogs

www.joedale.typepad.com (Joe Dale)

www.lisibo.blogspot.com (Lisa Stevens)

Blogging

• What can we actually use a blog for?!?!

– Showing pupils’ work

– Sharing files

– Showing pupils’ videos etc

– Increasing Assessment for Learning

– Increasing pupil independence and self-evaluation

Blogging

Why use blogs?• Motivation- make the world your classroom wall

– Learning no longer confined to exercise books

– Who is the audience for work which goes into an exercise book?

– Truly global perspective

• Can be demonstrated by visitors maps on blogs

Blogging

The last 100 visitors to the Spanish blog

Blogging

International dimension for languages?!

- Also ideal for projects e.g. eTwinning / Comenius / www.edgehilleuro08.typepad.com

Why use blogs?

• Writing

– Increased motivation- will be viewed by more than just the teacher

– Very obvious to all when their peers’ work is missing from the blog

Blogging

Why use blogs?

• Reading

– Principal skill gain- pupils constantly reading each other’s work

– Allows free choice of which sections to read

– Aids pupil independence

Blogging

Why use blogs?• Speaking

– Oral vocab lists to aid pronunciation

– Pupil and teacher generated podcasts

– Speaking tests / exercises

=learning opportunity rather than just an assessment opportunity

– Provides a platform for pupil-made videos

Blogging

Why use blogs?

• Listening

– To podcasts

– To videos (pupil created, music, adverts, football commentaries etc)

– To peers’ work

Blogging

Why use blogs?• Assessment for Learning

– Comment function allows peer assessment using “Two Stars and a Wish formula”

= 2 positive elements

+ 1 element to work at next time

– Self-assessment as pupils comment on their own work and thus self target set.

Blogging

Blogging

That’s the theory- how have I actually

used the school blog?

Blogging

Listening

BloggingOn the blog this is a listening exercise, but...

•Pupils had to write scripts

•Pupils read and peer-assessed each other’s scripts

•Pupils read the script out

Blogging

Music video

- great cultural input

- an interesting homework to find body parts/ weather types / places in town

- Year 8 pupils were mostly humming the song round school for next few days

Blogging

Reading

Blogging

•Year 8 wrote Guess Who style self-descriptions

•For next homework, pupils read the descriptions and left a comment saying who they were

Who provides the blog facility?

• TypePad - www.typepad.com

– Easiest for inserting fun stuff (provider that I use)

• Blogger - www.blogger.com

• Edublogs - www.edublogs.org

• Wordpress - www.wordpress.org

• Many, many more…

Blogging

To learn about further tools to complement blogs

• www.slideshare.net

• www.slide.com

• www.flickr.com

• www.zamzar.com/url

• www.blip.tv

Blogging

Podcasting

Podcasting

What is a podcast?

- effectively an audio file which is then put onto the Internet

Podcasting

Why use podcasts?

extending learning beyond the classroom walls

- grammar series

- role-play raps

- pupil grammar explanations

- putting pupils’ work online

Podcasting

Why use podcasts?

- making speaking exercises usable long-term

- taking the fear out of speaking

Voicethread.com

PodcastingFurther fun tools

Voki.com

PodcastingFurther fun tools

-Allows pupils to “build”a character

-Highly motivational

Podcasting

Grammar seriescreated to help reinforce grammar learning OUTSIDE of the classroom

- responding to a request by a pupil- FANTASTIC for audio learners

Podcasting

Adding the podcast to iTunes

-Motivation

-Can put onto MP3 players / computers and listen to work again, rather than just forgetting it

Podcasting

Pupil recordings

- selected recordings again put onto iTunes

(EdgehillCast / year 10 work)

- huge motivator- notable impact on quality

- great revision tool

- pupils listen to their recordings repeatedly whilst editing

Podcasting

Pupil grammar explanations

- benefit of explaining to others

- need for script

- peer assessment on podcasts

- minimal teacher input, maximum output

- pupils then have an immediate revision tool

Podcasting

How to record a podcast...

1) Recording material

Podcasting

How to record a podcast...

1) Recording material

Podcasting

How to record a podcast...

1) Recording material

Podcasting

How to record a podcast...

1) Recording material

Podcasting

How to record a podcast...

1) Recording material

2) Audacity for PCs- www.download.com

+ LAME FE

(allows you to export as MP3)

OR Garageband for Macs

Using mobile phones

Using mobile phones

Issues:

1)Banned in many schools

2)Risks of inappropriate behaviour

3)Fear of pupil intercompetition

4)Concern of pupils not having a phone

Using mobile phones

However, there are huge benefits...

1)Enjoyment and motivation- MFL becomes cool again

2)Speaking the pupils’ language whilst teaching them ours

3)Increasing range of services available via WAP

- e.g. YouTube, www.mobilephrasebooks.com

- Allows learning to be extended well beyond classroom and lesson time

Using mobile phones

Useful tools available on most mobile phones...

1)Voice recorder

2)Camera

3)Video camera

4)Stop-watch

5)Bluetooth

6)Ability to play-back videos and music

How much would it cost a department to have enough of these to share between 2?

Using mobile phones

Ideas for video projects using mobiles...

1)Describing school as go round it

2)Describing local area

3)Guide to saving the environment

4)Following and giving directions

5)Describing friends

6)Recording grammar explanations during the lesson

Issue: how to get the recordings back to the teacher

Options- 1) bluetooth them to a computer

2) bluetooth them to teacher’s phone

3) other options?

Using mobile phonesFor example, directions:

- in pairs, pupils decide which room they will give directions to

- write script

- walk around the building and record the directions

- swap phones / bluetooth to each other and follow the instructions

- find out whether they followed instructions appropriately

FOR EXAMPLE

House and home

- pupils build up to estate-agent style description of their house

- free choice of recording manners

- mobile phone

- voice recording

- video on camera

Using mobile phones

Using mobile phonesMoblogging

- the ability to update a blog from distance

e.g. During a trip

- no need to wait a week to get back to the classroom

www.shozu.com – allows you to send materials to the blog from mobiles

www.gabcast.com – an answerphone with a national number, avoiding expensive phone calls.

Plenary- Frequently Asked Questions

• Won’t it all take ages?

• Will anyone actually look at the blog?

• What effect will it have on my department?

• What about Child Protection?

If in doubt, ask...

• Use the Kontactr form on the right of the blog

• www.chrisfuller.typepad.com