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.