Teachers as Innovators
Web 2.0 tools: interview 3
Doug Belshaw, Ridgewood School, Doncaster
How would you describe Web 2.0 tools?
They are about making connections between people and things. Will Richardson, blogging at www.weblogg-ed.com, gives one of the best definitions, describing it as the read/write web. He talks about making best use of the opportunity “to share, connect, and create with many, many others of like-minds and interests; the collaborative construction of knowledge [where] learning is a continuous conversation among many participants.”
Where did you find out about these tools and what led to you using them - in general terms?
I was getting frustrated; reading about all this new technology that I’m interested in and wondering has anyone actually used these in education. I did some searches and found out it was starting to happen all over the world. Four months later, I was blogging on the pedagogy behind it and using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. I wanted to promote collaborative learning. The students seemed to think that learning was about seeing how much stuff they could cram into their heads in order to pass exams. Web 2.0 helps them to develop the skills to be able to access knowledge and work together to turn it into a useful shape that makes sense to them.
Which ones are you using?
- Wiki: www.wikispaces.com
- Social networking & blogging: www.imbee.com
- Social networking & blogging: www.wordpress.org
Describe each in turn….
1. Wikis
Wikis are for building collaborative websites – so anything a website can do, you can build a wiki to do too. On the education side, there’s even more. Take a look at one of the best student/teacher-built sites by Tauntons College, Southampton: btecnationalsinsport.wikispaces.com. It’s got plenty of features to maximise teaching and learning opportunities online whilst minimising time and workload. They have a ‘staff room’ for tips and ideas to develop interactive learning materials, and, at the Learning Bank, students work together: making ‘withdrawals’ and ‘deposits’ of understanding, on guided learning tasks with built-in self-assessment. There’s also a facility for students to register online in the morning so teachers know when they are on-task.
Why did you introduce the tool?
I introduced it primarily as a place to collaboratively organise and house what we were learning: a repository of knowledge specific to our history topic. At the end of a course or module, instead of looking at messy handwriting and notes, my students now go to this ‘centralised database’ for their revision (rather than getting sidetracked into the weird and wonderful), but it has many other uses.
How did you begin to use the tool?
Stewart Mader’s ‘Using Wikis in Education’, found at www.ikiw.org/stewart, was a great help. He explains that if you are trying to get people to do or use something new you need to give them ideas, structure and examples, and delegate specific tasks. So I did, and it worked. I had to set up Hotmail accounts for the few pupils that didn’t have e-mail addresses, and a few needed additional support with the basics such as the use of a password.
How are students using the tool outside of class?
I don’t give them any written homework now other than “can you finish that class work on X topic”. Whenever work is added or edited it’s highlighted in the different colours and the date shows. I also get an e-mail notification. So, say James Smith and Sonia Jones have been working on something, I can see exactly what each has done and when, and I can revert back to any version on any date to make a comparison and review their changes.
Did you have to adapt the tool in any way?
Not really, though I do give specific guidance on which pages they will need and how to structure them as well as providing navigation links for their research.
How else would you like to use or develop the tool?
I would like, eventually – perhaps in Year 11 – to have prepared them enough to say “here is a wiki for this topic, go and use it how you think is best”. The idea is that, when it comes to the coursework, they can upload pictures of different sites, comment on them, add other information and write a complete resource together.
What were the key successes and benefits?
Motivation. When we’ve finished, I give them interim tests and we discuss how we learnt. A lot of pupils comment on how much more they enjoy using the wiki rather than the blogs. I think that the less able kids like the fact that wikis give them something to hang their ideas on. When it’s their own blog they feel like they are starting from zero.
How does the tool support teaching and learning?
I’m trying to put into practice what I explored in theory for my education thesis: what it means to be literate and educated in the 21st century. My argument is that the skills and attributes needed today must be a lot more flexible; we need to be able to connect with people and knowledge around the world.
I’ve been very interested in George Siemens’ work based on constructivism. His online book ‘Knowing Knowledge’, downloadable from www.knowingknowledge.com, talks of learners as one of many nodes on a learning network; other ‘nodes’ can be libraries, websites, organisations, books, journals, a database, in fact any source of information.
He explains that with a group of people in a learning situation, while we expect each person be able to explain something, the learning is not really connected – or therefore rich. Learning should be “the process of creating networks” with the ‘nodes’, the external entities used to form the network, connecting, and forming, the information and knowledge sources.
How do you see the tool developing in the 21st century?
I can see wikis being called ‘online learning environments’. In fact, there will be a lot more conversions happening in general: just as mobile phones can be cameras, so blogs will become part of learning platforms. Each pupil will have their own personalised learning environment: a series of tools to be used to connect with others.
What approaches or activities - before, during or after - contributed to successful implementation?
It mirrors my teaching approach. I don’t like being the ‘sage on the stage’, I’d rather be ‘the guide on the side’. My aim is to get students motivated about their own learning and enjoy discovering new things. I took over my current class in November. All the desks were in rows and the classroom was bland and clinical. The desks are now rearranged and the room bright and colourful. My students know my ‘door’s always open’ and they get hold of easily by e-mail whenever they need. That said, I do give out detentions if they haven’t done their homework!
What resistances/barriers to implementation were there and how they were they overcome?
I haven’t had any resistance from the school, perhaps because I tested and piloted it before ‘going public’ and then I spoke only to the head of year first. This allowed me to iron out any problems and know I could respond to any concerns before saying “hey, look what we’ve done with this”.
What tips or guidance would you give for teachers new to this tool?
Don’t be devious, but be sensible about how much you tell people before you are ready to roll out. One child sent me dodgy e-mail so I tracked them down and dealt with it immediately without it becoming a big problem. This won’t be happening again! The best place for help is www.wikispaces.com, or you can do a general search using www.technorati.com – just type in ‘wiki and education’.
What other web links would prove useful for future innovators?
ICT in education information/discussion website: www.edtechroundup.com
My exploration of ‘the wonderful world of technology’.
ICT in education forum:www.effectiveict.co.uk/forum
Great for discussion and guidance.
History teachers’ forum:www.schoolhistory.co.uk/forum
Specialists discuss the issues.
‘Expert’ blog on new trends in education:www.weblogg-ed.com
Will Richardson gives enlightening ideas on how to expand the boundaries of learning.
Social networking site for professionals:www.linkedin.com
Great way to develop professional relationships for learning, career and more – worldwide.
Range of useful sites: del.icio.us/dajbelshaw
My bookmarks.
Social networking site for educators:www.nextgenteachers.com
Educators connecting to explore the next generation of teaching and learning.
Social networking site for educators:nextgenteachers.wikispaces.com
Wikis for next generation educators.
Teachers and students history forum:www.historyshareforum.com
More than just a forum – resources get shared too!
Teacher support for wikis:www.wikipatterns.com
Practical guidance for building active, sustainable participation.
Online connectivism conference:ltc.umanitoba.ca/moodle/course/view.php?id=9
Access to debate and learning on the principles behind Web 2.0 tools.
Google’s online calendar:www.google.com/calendar
Great organisation tools for sharing and coordinating events/schedules with others which I’ve been using for lesson planning and evaluation, as explained at teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2007/02/17/how-to-use-google-calendar-as-a-tool-for-lesson-planning.
An online mobile phone service:twitter.com
It’s for people to answer the question “What are you doing?” by phone. Take a look at teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2007/02/15/using-twitter-with-your-students/ for my ideas on using it (safely) with my students for homework updates via mobile phones without needing their phone number.
Mobile phones - I'm not allowed to get students to use these in my school, but that doesn't mean I'm not planning to use them in future ( teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2006/09/21/20-ideas-getting-students-to-use-their-mobile-phones-as-learning-tools).
How have you used, or might you use, the following well-known tools?
Flickr: I have used Splashr in the classroom which uses the Flickr API. Here’s video of me using it on my blog: teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2006/12/07/using-splashr-in-the-classroom-2.
Slideshare: I haven't really used this yet as I haven't felt the need. If I need some slides on the internet I convert them to Flash using OpenOffice.org.
YouTube: I would love to use this, but unfortunately it is blocked on the school network. :-(
MySpace: I have deleted my account as I think this is an area, as educators, that we shouldn't be. Maybe we have to leave some areas alone just to be themselves!
Podcasts: I have used podcasts in the classroom (eg 'In Our Time' etc) but haven't got my students podcasting – yet!
2. Social networking and blogging for students
www.imbee.com
www.wordpress.org
Once you start using a blog, it all becomes clear. For those who have yet to take the plunge, Wikipedia describes it as a “user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order”. I would tend to call it a Web 2.0 tool for building social networking pages.
Bloggs become what the blogger and users want them to be. You can provide your thoughts and comments, news or views on any subject, add links to other sites or download files in most media, but you could equally use it just as an online diary. The best bit is the interactivity: the opportunity for several-way conversations through text and images. My students are thrilled when someone responds to their ideas or answers a question they have thrown out into the virtual blue yonder.
Why did you introduce the tool?
I use it as an area in which students can do their homework digitally. I don't think it was necessary, per se, just motivating! I want to move away from me kind of forcing learning down their throats, to it being more of a by-product of their interest. I try to encourage them not just to post things that I tell them to, but it’s still early days. Have a look at learning.mrbelshaw.co.uk/blogs. Nevertheless, it is a big boon for the boys, especially as their writing tends to be poor - they write more and it is more legible on their blogs! I'm using Wordpress MU (multi-user), which does take some setting up, but in the scale of things it's not very difficult.
How did you begin to use the tool?
I took them to the ICT suite for a couple of lessons and they signed up and started using them. I started them off on www.think.com, and although they could connect with other people, it was too geared to having fun so I tried www.imbee.com which I now use with Year 7. It’s a similar type of idea, but a bit more grown up – and they have a proper blog to work with. I use www.wordpress.com for Year 10. It is more complex but has more features. As I blog with Wordpress it was easy for me to show them all the functions to get them started. Most were already fairly digitally literate so it wasn't too difficult. By the end of the second lesson they'd all posted something.
How are students using the tool outside of class?
They use it exclusively outside of class now for their homework. They post something and I get notified via my RSS reader (I've subscribed to both the RSS feeds of their posts and their comments). I then comment on what they've written, usually the same day.
Did you have to adapt the tool in any way?
I made sure I didn't make it too complicated. So, for example, I don't use very many 'plug-ins' on their site, whereas I've installed over 30 on my blog. I like to keep it straightforward - at least for the time being. I’ve also installed many different themes so they can make their area their own.
How else would you like to use or develop the tool?
I'd like to make it so that they use it without prompting. Hopefully that will come in Year 11, but if they get ‘spoon-fed’ in other subjects it's unlikely to happen, unfortunately.
What were the key successes and benefits?
One of the first things I got them to blog about was the Plains Indians, as we were studying the American West. A descendant of a Plains Indian, called Sleeping Crow actually commented on one of the students’ blogs and corrected a couple of things. You can't buy feedback like that! Take a look at learning.mrbelshaw.co.uk/blogs/benwoo/2006/12/12/the-plains-indians-who-were-they/#comments.
How does the tool support teaching and learning?
It reflects my belief that everyone needs the opportunity to express themselves in a variety of ways, and be able to collaborate with others. I don’t like the approach whereby only the student’s teacher sees their work. In my book, students should be knowledge producers, not just knowledge consumers.
How do you see the tool developing in the 21st century?
I should imagine that students will have their own 'Personal Learning Spaces' before too long. Hopefully, these will be accessible to the world, but some schools will inevitably lock them down. Blogs will be just part of a whole host of ways students can do their work digitally.
What approaches or activities - before, during or after - contributed to successful implementation?
I got them used to editing their work before being let loose on their blog. They need to know that even after they've pressed 'publish' they can go back and edit it. I often encourage them to do just that when I comment on their work. I had a couple of instances of students putting inappropriate things on their blogs. I immediately deleted their blogs (it was near the beginning of their usage), put them in detention and explained the severity of their actions, and got their parents involved. Their blogs have now been reinstated without any more problems from them!
What resistances/barriers to implementation were there and how they were they overcome?
In terms of my school, I've had little resistance because most staff don't really know what I'm doing. My head of department is positive about the project however.
What tips or guidance would you give for teachers new to this tool?
You really don’t need a lot of knowledge to use or set up a blog. It's all fairly intuitive and there's plenty of guidance out there. But you do need an interest and a conviction that it’s the right thing to do. When things seem to be going a bit awry, it would be all too easy to give up and go back to pen and paper and bog-standard teaching. Start with www.edublogs.org - a free, hosted service for educators which runs Wordpress. Then set up your own blog and get students interacting. Finally, get a Wordpress MU installation set up using wither www.elgg.net or www.learnerblogs.org.