Teachers as Innovators
Web 2.0 tools: interview 2
David Noble, Hillside School, Aberdour, Fife
How would you describe Web 2.0 tools?
They are new media tools for two-way (plus) communication and include everything from using Skype to pods, blogs and video-conferencing. Some folks call them Web 2.0, others describe them generically as the read/write web.
Where did you find out about these tools and what led to you using them - in general terms?
Studying to become a Chartered Teacher transformed my ideas and therefore the way I did things. I realised I could not simply teach the way I see things, nor in the way that I was taught. My pupils have social and emotional difficulties so you have to try different things to engage them; to enhance their learning and help them find their ‘voice’. The boys like working with ICT and I found myself getting involved in new media because it has meaning for them; they use it in real life.
I found a handful of teachers who were blogging regularly about innovative approaches. Eventually I hooked into the Scottish scene. It’s very established in comparison to the UK so there is a lot of support on hand. Ewan Macintosh’s blog (edu.blogs.com) stood out from the rest so I got talking to him. Originally a foreign language teacher, he understood that Web 2.0 was going to become really important and was blogging daily. He now talks to all the major corporations and is very approachable.
I initially invited him to the school to go out with pupils and produce a podcast. He worked with the pupils for five hours solid, apart from the half-hour lunch break when students continued to fire questions at him. I realised there was something so valuable in this and, for the next month, spent many sleepless nights on the web finding out about all these tools. I had had no concept of them before.
Which ones are you using?
- blogs: www.blogger.com and www.wordpress.com
- video-conferencing: www.global-leap.com
- Google Earth: earth.google.com
- search engine for blogs: technorati.com
- wiki: www.netvibes.com
- bookmarking: del.icio.us/dafc1885/edublogger
- Hot Potato: hotpot.uvic.ca
Describe each in turn…
Blogs
Blogs are basically interactive websites created by individuals or groups to exchange ideas and information with others. It’s very interactive; a lot of educators converse through their blogs; commenting on issues, providing feedback about new technologies. Wikipedia gives a detailed definition: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogs. I don’t use them in class as such - young people are not into blogging. It’s done by adults – in this case teachers - who are looking to be inspired and be inspiring, especially with regards to technology and teaching/learning.
Why did you introduce the tool?
I initially used blogs to find out what educational tools are out there and what other educators think of them. I got more than I bargained for! They are a great source of support - educational and technical – and I now blog regularly myself at booruch.libsyn.com.
How did you begin to use the tool?
I always explore them on my own to begin with. Once I have a clear grasp of its application – or potential - for teaching and learning (or I have got ideas from others), I introduce it to the class. We’ve used most of them at least once. I’d like to add it is not experimental; I always have to justify a tools’ use to myself; understand why and how I can use it.
My blog contact list is full of educators who I can call on as part of the ‘community’. For example, if my pupils have been learning some phrases in German, we might call up a foreign language teacher-friend on Skype to see if they are pronouncing correctly. For most work – in or out of the class - I give options for the students to choose how they would like to work; giving them six or seven ways to learn about the topic, eg teacher talk, through a podcast, creating a wiki, taking a trip out, using online videos, etc. They can chose up to two or three approaches per topic.
How does the tool support teaching and learning?
I support Carl Rogers’ person-centred approach: that we should be working to give pupils control and input into how they are learning. You can get some background on him at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Rogers.
How do you see the tool developing in the 21st century?
The sky’s the limit - get blogging and you’ll see! At the moment I’m starting to look into the use of gaming technology; not so much the console itself (it’s not very educational) but the motion sensor technology behind it. The handheld control is wireless, so the message – ie the movement – is sent without the physical constraints of cables. I feel there’s a huge potential for combining this with interactive whiteboards; being able to manipulate something displayed on a screen.
What resistances/barriers to implementation were there and how they were they overcome?
We’re actually an independent school and I have only five pupils in my class (albeit with complex difficulties) so we have more freedom, but there is no reason why state schools can’t use them just as effectively. Just take a look at elgg.net, a free social networking site for education to hook up with people using the tools with larger classes in state schools.
What tips or guidance would you give for teachers new to this tool?
Get blogging!
What other web links would prove useful for future innovators?
Bookmarked sites:del.icio.us/dafc1885/edublogger
My del.icio.us pages that link to hundreds of education websites (tools, blogs, etc) – all categorised (see ‘tags’) with a short description.
Search engine for blogs:technorati.com
A very good search engine for blogs; you go in and type in a topic to see if anyone is blogging about it. One of the pupils was investigating the rise of the gangs in America for a history project. I suggested he use technorati and he got hooked; tapping into a wealth of information and discussions.
Wiki:www.netvibes.com
Free service (open source) for you or your students to create personal pages and customise them. You can use an aggregator to notify you of additions/changes to you links too (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_aggregator for a detailed definition). One of my students is into Parkour – urban cross-country running (check out www.urbanfreeflow.com/fundamentals/fundamentals.htm!) - he’s added the RSS button and so keeps up to date with what people are adding to the blogs he’s made links to.
Online 3D world:secondlife.com
The chance to create your own character and live his or her life in a complex, virtual world – not unlike our own (hence it is controversial!). It does need to be used in a very targeted way, but potentially has unlimited uses – at this stage for over 18s only. Many educational establishments and universities have mirrored their activities online because of its many ‘life-like’ features. Once you have set up an account you can interact with the environment and other people; talk to them and send messages in real time.
One of the most obvious uses is for young enterprise projects. Second Life is based around a ‘real’ economy with its own currency so you can actually produce, market and sell goods or services. There is even an exchange rate, so if the business is successful you can take your Linden Dollars and turn them into pennies which can be placed into a REAL bank account!
There is Second Life for under-18s where no adults are allowed. Educators can get an ‘island’ for their class - is it is very, very strict, very moderated and all policed. I use it as a way of inspiring students to write more creatively just by ‘wandering’ through some of the wonderful environments others have created; asking them to describe the sounds of the waterfalls or the birds in the trees and uses their senses to imagine the smell of the log-fire.
Not-for-profit video-conferencing provider:www.global-leap.com
Video-conferencing is not about being ‘lectured’; it’s a highly interactive, live discussion. My class got to talk to the world’s leading expert on the Moon (not literally there!). To say my boys were gobsmacked would be an understatement – me included. Another one we had recently was with the National Army Museum. The call came through and the boys were presented by a female officer in WWI uniform, in a bunker!
Using Global Leap is well worth the couple of hundred pounds a year: you’ll get access to an open-ended amount of advice and technical support including test set-ups as well as access to an online diary from such organisations as the National Maritime Museum. The VCs are booked on a ‘first-come first-served’ basis so it’s only fair you do your best to avoid any technical issues beforehand – if you miss the slot, the slot is missed for everyone.
Google Earth:earth.google.com (free download version available)
Google Educators:www.google.com/educators/p_earth.html
As Google explains, it’s; “a 3D model of the entire planet that lets you grab, spin and zoom down into any place on Earth”. Some parts are mapped out in such detail that you can see my top of the sandpit in my garden (and the London Eye) so it has great motivation value. There is also a lot of research of how it can be used in the classroom: it has so many geographical and mathematical applications.
It’s not strictly Web 2.0 but you can make it interactive by uploading photos onto Google Earth for others to see and add descriptions. There is also some commercial software such as Google Sketch-up, which enables you to get the pupils to create 3D buildings within the map and get others to comment on their design. For future architects and environmentally-friendly town planners?
Hot Potato:hotpot.uvic.ca
A simple wee tool, free to educators, for building your own crosswords, matching exercises, short answer multiple-choice, jumbled sentences and cloze passages. It’s nothing fancy - it does what it says on the tin - so you just download, type and go; making homework prep a breeze.
Book: ‘The World is Flat’ by Thomas L Friedman:www.thomaslfriedman.com
Politics aside, this book by Friedman got me wired to the idea of building communities of knowledge, sharing experiences, reviewing latest products. It made me see that you can go out so much further than your subject area – there is no limit.
How have you used, or might you use, the following well-known tools?
Flickr: Let’s say your students are studying the ‘anonymous’ graffiti artist Banksy, or doing an art project on his work, you can subscribe to his blog and find out what he has been up to. Then go to www.flickr.com (student must have supervision!) and search for photos, upload the photos through your account and ask the students to categorise them. You could do the same with other photos: upload and tag them. The process of assigning categories leads to great discussions on different perspectives. Take a picture of a dog for example: how might different people search for it? What do we identify with it? Pet? Domesticated animal? Friend? Should it also go under animal rights and welfare? It all depends on your point of view - to be justified and discussed!
Podcasts: Audio recordings are a great learning tool, especially for students who may be uncomfortable working with the written word all day - and for those who are easily distracted! With the headphones on (priced around £10), the information goes directly into the head, so to speak. You can also interact with the podcaster. I encourage my students to leave comments or questions. They’re bowled over when they get a response – words like ‘rubbish’ and ‘boring’ have all but gone from their vocabulary.
Your options are to search for podcasts by topic at www.podcastdirectory.org.uk; listen to some of mine at booruch.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=107009 or download a little piece of software called Audacity from audacity.sourceforge.net and make your own. It’s not difficult – my students created one from the interviews they did with staff about the smoking ban issue. I often add questions with information and add music to sooth or enthuse from freesound.iua.upf.edu.