Its A Bloggers Life

It’s a blogger’s life - A year in the life of a Web 2.0 beginner

First, important things to know...
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...
Completely comprehensive
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

International dimension for languages?! - Also ideal for projects e.g. eTwinning / Comenius / www.edgehilleuro08.typepad.com Blogging

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

That’s the theory- how have I actually used the school blog? Blogging

Listening Blogging

On 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
Blogging

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

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
Podcasting

Voicethread.com
Podcasting Further fun tools

Voki.com
Podcasting Further fun tools
-Allows pupils to “build”a character
Highly motivational

Podcasting Grammar series created 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...
Recording material

Podcasting
How to record a podcast...
Recording material
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:
Banned in many schools
Risks of inappropriate behaviour
Fear of pupil intercompetition
Concern of pupils not having a phone

Using mobile phones
However, there are huge benefits...
Enjoyment and motivation- MFL becomes cool again
Speaking the pupils’ language whilst teaching them ours
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...
Voice recorder
Camera
Video camera
Stop-watch
Bluetooth
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...
Describing school as go round it
Describing local area
Guide to saving the environment
Following and giving directions
Describing friends
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?

For 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 Using mobile phones

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 phones Moblogging - 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

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Its A Bloggers Life

by Chris Fuller

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