Week 1 cont'd...How Can Web 2.0 be used in the Classroom?

I noticed after writing up all my thoughts about our first ICT session last night that I forgot to reflect on at a key reason why we looked at Web 2.0 as an idea in the first place! That was: 

How can this new form of technology be applied, used and useful in the school/classroom?

I covered these areas in my 'Web 2.0' mind map in a previous blog entry below, but just in case the image wasn't very clear, I thought I'd quickly go over some of the ways it could be used:

• You Tube - children are able to see the world in action, things they can't necessarily see at home or in the confines of the classroom. Also uploading the children's own films to share with friends and family is a new way for them to learn to express themselves, and film making for this context is an exciting potential tool for aiding the children's learning.
• Online Teaching Resources - there are a wealth of online resource and support networks for teachers  where I can seek advice, ideas and useful resources from other teachers around the world
• Online Learning Resources - similarly for children, there are lots of websites set up to aid children's learning outside the classroom - some examples being The British Museum Website and BBC Bitesize - designed to enrich children's learning and help them find their own answers and understanding of the things they learn in the classroom.
• Blogging - as discussed earlier, blogging, if done in a secure context, can be a great way to help children feel connected to their world and a way for them to practice and improve their literacy and ICT skills.

To name a few. All these potential uses of Web 2.0 demonstrate how widely and varyingly it can be applied in the Primary School.

Looking back on the mind maps I created, I think they seem to express more succinctly my relfections on the session than my written blog, but in the blog was able to provide the detail. I feel I need to work on a balance between these two forms so that my blog is not too detailed, wordy and essay-like , after all, this is supposed to be a reflective log, not a record of the notes I have already taken. But I also don't want it to be too brief. I think I also need some more pictures and other resources! I hope it is enjoyable to read thus far though!

I'm still pretty new to this blogging business so I guess it'll take some time... I think I'll be more organised next week and have one, more self contained reflection...

Until Next Time :)!