Final Course Reflection

As we bring to a close this course I can honestly say that my energy for technology in education has nothing but increased. 

The course was easy to follow and the content provided enough information. Some of the tools I had already used, but it was a good chance to have a refresher. It also invigorated my sense of professional development. I look forward in earnest to sharing my knowledge with my teachers at my schools. My hope is that they too see the educational value in using technology in the classroom and not be afraid by it. I will be able to use most of the videos from the course to teach my staff some of the tools that will be useful and efficient in the classroom. I also look forward to being able to share the ideas that I have and that I have found. I am hoping to continue to blog on a more regular basis. 

Thank you to the facilitators, without you I would not have had the opportunity to learn more about a topic I am passionate about. 

Module 10 - Learning Communities

In the field of education, one thing I have found in my short career is that it is one big community. I have been fortunate to be able to use learning communities to aid my own teaching. I regular check in with the diocesan learning communities within my diocese. There is one set up for Literacy: Mindful Teaching and Learning and a Ning for Numeracy: Numeracy Now. One thing I hadn't thought of was creating my own Ning for my students. I have had a class blog before and have developed a class website through Google for homework.

One thing that I found interesting is the idea of a wiki in this age of sharing ideas in a group. We constantly warn students on using wikipedia to gain information as it could have come from anywhere. I had always had the impression of a wiki being a place to get information, not a place created to share information within a group. With Google Apps for education these days there are so many ways to collaboratively create pieces of work. A couple of years back I used the website Edmodo. The kids really engaged in the work on this website and it was set up a little like a social network for education. One thing that is important with Wikis, Nings and the like is for the students to know and understand the purpose of the site. In my experience, the kids took advantage of the ability to chat to other students. If I had taught them the purpose of a site like that this would not have happened.

I have had the opportunity to be involved in the implementation of Google Apps at a school level. This being the case I was able to easily create and share websites with my students. Some of which directed the learning for a whole unit of work: Antartica Website. I was lucky enough to find a similar website through an online learning community. That is one of the best things about education and technology. The willingness of those involved to share their ideas with others for the betterment of all students.

Module 9 - Networks on the Web

When I think of social networking my mind immediately skipped to facebook, twitter and in an education sense Edmodo. Through exploring in this module I am pleasantly surprised at the scope of networking available for teachers.

I began using twitter midway through 2013 after attending a workshop run by George Couros (@gcouros) a twitter and education expert from Canada. I was amazed at how useful it actually is. I regularly read articles posted by other teaching professionals and connect with educators from around the world. My twitter handle is @patjmackey.

Scootle is an excellent tool, yet it is extremely under used as a resource centre. I have used it limitedly. Its use is becoming more prevalent with the emergence of the BOS syllabus builder linking directly to it. It is also linked to the CeNET work so when we sign in to use technology we are able to access the thousands of resources available on there. While I have been using it, I never contemplated it as being another professional network tool. That is until after reading through this module.

I tend to shy away from using Facebook in a professional sense. The way twitter is used in the primary classroom in my experience is for reflection on the learning that has occurred in the lesson. I believe it has more use in high school where apps such as HootSuite can be used in the classroom to facilitate discussions. The rules and regulations around age limits on twitter don't allow that. Below is an image of one way primary school students can still feel a part of the ever growing technologically connected world.

I am a relative newcomer when it comes to Linkedin. I am yet to discover its full potential although I have heard great things.

I believe as educators we hold a great responsibility to teach our students effective use of social networks for both professional and social means. Explicit teaching of privacy settings should occur and more should be done to ensure this happens. A question may be, should this become more embedded into the curriculum?

Module 8 - Managing your flow of information

The first thing you think of when you read about RSS feeds is home delivered news directly to you as it happens. There is no quicker way to catch wind of a breaking story, or a brand new blog post. If you take the time to set up your RSS feeds correctly to the news/blog websites that interest you both professionally and personally.

Once again, this module exposes us to yet another tool that is integrated with Google. In a way it is all connected. As we know, Google is the first place we turn to when we need information so it makes sense to to be able to use the power of Google in so many different ways. Feedly makes it easy to track your favourite websites.

As to how this could be used in the classroom, well it could be useful if the class is following a blog or news website. A website like ABC Splash could be set up, so that every time we switch the class Mac Mini on, we are able to have Feedly inform us of the latest updates to the website. Another way it could be used is if our class was connected to a class on the other side of the world. It saves time during lessons as we won't have to check each day to see if there is a new post.

Module 7 - Creating Online Communities

Online communities are not a new thing. Sharing of bookmarks however, is. I never imagined how popular this tool would be. It adds another dimension and links quite well into the content in Module 8.

I signed up for Delicio.us by linking my Twitter account. It automatically found other people I was following on Twitter and ensured I was following their links as well. It also added any links I have tweeted in the past. I began uploading all of my bookmarks and I can now clear my bookmark bar and just have the one. I found that the majority of the bookmarks that I have are technology or education websites.

Probably the best feature of this technology is that it can be accessed from anywhere simply by logging in. This would solve my problem of forgetting a website I love to use when talking to other teachers. I could also use different computers when planning and teaching. I look forward to adding to this concept and following some other peoples links.

Module 6 - Exploring photos and videos on the web

Since beginning to use the Google Apps for Education suite, I am constantly amazed at the capabilities of integration between the apps available. Without even knowing it, I was already using the online version of Picasa.

Since downloading the official App, I am surprised at how capable it actually is. Not too dis similar to iphoto, if anything, it is more user friendly. The best thing about it is the automatic download and finding of media in my computer and storing it in the one place. It will save me a lot of time, if I was to search for a particular photo. One thing I am not sure how to do is rename a photo that is uploaded to Picasa. I managed to do it in the Chrome browser, but I thought there may be a way of doing it in the app.

Being able to share it was a breeze and I believe it is kid friendly too. In the classroom I believe this app serves a very good purpose. It teaches children the important skill of being a critical thinker. They learn a lot about digital privacy and choosing which images are allowed to be uploaded, and those that are not. When searching for images as well, it is a lot easier to select Creative Commons through the Picasa website. Being a user upload site, there is less chance of copyright issues, however it is still important for the children to check that box when searching. The good thing about it is that the teacher is able to track exactly where the image is from, if the work submitted is online.

Below is an image I uploaded and shared by using the Picasa App and my Google Login:

Edinburgh Castle transformed into Gotham City during the 2012 Edinburgh Military Tattoo 

Creating and Communicating Online - Module 5

One thing that has come up a few times throughout this course is the ease of use some Web 2.0 tools possess. Students are able to easily create presentations that are informative, engaging and interactive. There is no reason why these tools shouldn't be utilised in the classroom. Each class has a budget, why not invest in some of these web 2.0 tools.

I have not come across Bubbl.us before this module. It appears to be a handy way of recording your thoughts on the run and have them stored securely and accessed anywhere. This is how it differs from brainstorm apps as students can access them and work on them in groups if need be at home.

I signed my class up to use Glogster last year for an Antarctica unit of work. The students found the different tools available to use really simple. They even taught me a thing or two. Despite some embedding hiccoughs, it is a very valuable way to present information. Regardless of the topic, there is a way to creatively present information like never before, besides this Glogs can actually look really funky.

I feel Prezi is an untapped resource in my learning space. I have been to conferences where it has been used as an alternative to Powerpoint or Google Presentation. The fact that it is all there in the one website means you can access anywhere. I feel it would be an excellent alternative to the whiteboard when teaching a tricky concept to students.  I have had a reluctant student cling to using Prezi last year. Her sister had been using it so she used her account. It is a motivational tool that is easy to use and also easy to create and edit your own Prezi's. I will definitely look for more opportunities to use this tool in the classroom.

Module 4 - Digital Storytelling

With the renewed emphasis on multi literacies in the new English Syllabus, it is vital that teachers arm themselves with a certain level of expertise in the area. There are many ways in which students can be immersed in multi literacies. Within my classroom, my students interact with an online novel "Inanimate Alice". There are comprehension benefits, as it gives the students a different take on reading. This novel uses images, music and colour schemes to create a theme related to the experiences of the main character, 10 year old Alice.

Book trailers are another engaging way to incorporate multi literacies into the classroom. The students take a collection of images and moving pictures and align them within a trailer template in iMovie. It is a great way to assess the students understanding of what they have read with an awareness of purpose and audience.

As with all 2.0 tools, teachers need to take the time to model how to use the tools available. Taking the time to do this will allay any delays when the students are working independently. Digitally telling a story is a great way to accommodate for students who find it difficult to put their thoughts into words on a page. Apps such as Explain Everything are fantastic for recording the thought processes of different students.

Module 3 - Google Docs

I was first introduced to Google Docs in 2013. I was a part of the implementation team for Google Apps at the school I was teaching at. It had an instant impact among staff. They were amazed at the collaborative capabilities it presents. As a staff we have used Google docs in many ways. At the school I am currently at, the leadership team work on a weekly staff memo at the same time.

Google Docs has also been implemented in the classroom. It is great for team work tasks. It is especially beneficial when a group is collecting information for a task. They begin by creating a doc and sharing it with all students in the group. Any information collected is added to the document. Another way I have used Google docs is for homework. I would create a document with the homework on it, add it to the homework website and then share it with the students in my class. To complete their homework they create a Google doc themselves and share it with me. This allowed me to give them real time feedback for their homework. This is yet another way to motivate students to do their work.

Although Google Docs is a great tool it also still relies on availability of technology for students. Ideally, a 1 to 1 technology ratio would make this technology even more usable in the classroom. Schools are forced to be flexible with how they use their resources.  Bring your own technology (BYOT) is a new idea that is slowly moving into schools.

Module 2 - Blogging

Blogging, when stripped bare is a really simple form of communicating one's thoughts on a particular topic. I guess the one thing that a lot of people wonder is if anyone is actually reading what they are writing. If I am not writing for an audience why am I blogging? Blogging does take time. I know for me it will take time to perfect the craft of blogging. What I am finding is that the more I blog the easier it becomes. I am looking forward to finding a seam proof way of integrating blogging into my classroom practice.

Blogging in the classroom
Blogging within the classroom really gives students a great wide view of the world. It would pose as a real motivator for reluctant writers as it would give them their own personal space to share their thoughts with the world. It could become a place to celebrate fantastic work.  I personally have given blogging in the classroom one go. Last year we set up a blog for our class and shared it with three other classes. Each class took turns writing a blog post. On the weeks it was not my classes posting week, we had to comment. This was a school based form of Quad Blogging.  Our plan was that if we found this to be successful at a school level than more time would be invested in it on a global scale. There are some great student/classroom blogs out there that give great ideas of how to use blogging in the classroom.

WE ARE WEB 2.0 - Module 1

Hi, my name is Patrick Mackey. I am a Stage 3 teacher at St John's Primary School in Riverstone. Currently I am classroom teacher, LTST and Literacy Coordinator. Technology has always been very important to me and I have witnessed first hand the impact technology can have on students learning. I am hoping this course will give me a better idea of how to use technology more effectively in the classroom. I am also hoping it will provide me with a springboard into getting my fellow staff members enthusiastic about technology in education. 

I have been using Google Apps for Education with my kids for the past couple of years. I don't believe I have untapped its full potential as yet. I have begun using twitter as a form of professional networking (@patjmackey). This is my first real blog attempt. The background picture is one I took in Oxford, 2012. It is the Bodleian Library and it is one example of a tool that was once used regularly. It was once the only method of retrieving information at Oxford university. How times have changed. In May 2013, I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop run by renowned technology education expert George Couros. He enlightened those that attended that Web 2.0 tools are pretty much essential in today's classrooms. 

The one thing that stood out to me watching the videos was how much power we all have as users of the internet. There are also so many tools available that sometimes we can get lost in selecting tools that will have a positive impact on teaching and learning. One of the challenges for us, as educators, is to disseminate reliable websites and information. I believe that the skill of being a responsible user of the information available. Critical thinking skills that will assist students in finding more reliable resources. If they are armed with these skills they then will be able to be valuable contributors to the Web 2.0 world. After all we all are Web 2.0.