So, I've done a bit of tinkering, now I just wanted to take some time to look back on my first ICT session, and some of the things I've started to think about.
In 'The Cloud'
We began the session by looking at how ICT can be useful to us as trainee/future teachers. One of the most important things in today's fast paced wireless world is for us to be able to access information remotely. We looked at how this can be achieved in a number of ways through the use of the internet:
- Recording bookmarked websites and resources on an online bookmarking site such as delicious.co.uk - allowing you access teaching materials anywhere there is a computer and an internet connection.
- Uploading great images and pictorial resources onto Photo sharing/hosting sites like flickr.com
- Storing useful and important documents and worksheets on online storage sites like dropbox.com and google documents.
- Keeping record of all your appointments, lessons and meetings on an online calendar like google calendar.
- Being able to create documents on the go through use of free word processing/office software like that found on zoho.com
- Keeping track of great video and music resources through the use of online video sharing sites like youtube.com and spotify.com
I was aware of some of these resources, but can say I use only a few of them. After discovering how useful they can be, I think I will look into using all these resources in some shape or form.
Web 2.0
We then looked at the notion of Web 2.0; What is it and what implications has it had on our lives?
What is Web 2.0?
It is new way of using and understanding the web:
- we are no longer just static consumers of the internet, taking information from it in a one way fashion. We now create the internet; we contribute to it's growth and content in a continual cyclical process of interaction.
- it is fascilitated by the creation of new kinds of applications and technology which allow us to share and connect with those across the internet.
Examples of Web 2.0?
- Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace)
- Storage and sharing facilities based in the Cloud (Dropbox, Flickr, iCloud)
- Wikipedia
- Video and Music sharing (You Tube, Vevo)
- Instant Messaging and Video Conferencing (MSN messenger, Skype)
- Blogging
- Online auction sites/retailers (Amazon, Ebay)
All these applications allow users to share information and interact with people through the use of the internet.
What are the implications of Web 2.0?
Here are some of the points discussed in the session that I wanted to reflect on:
Pros:
- the ablility to share, connect and interact with a vast range of people all over the world means that we can learn more about our world and those who live in it than ever before.
- being able to access pictures and documents from anywhere allows for optimum portability, security (to a certain extent) and convenience.
Cons:
- How accurate and reliable is the information we discover on the web, when it is contructed from a variety of authors from differing backgrounds of expertise and experience, unlike textbooks which have been thoroughly edited and moderated before publishing? (Wikipedia as an example of this)
- How safe is our personal privacy with our data in The Cloud?
I think I can relate to both sides of these arguments in relation to Web 2.0.
I think it is incredible that I am able to get advice from people on the other side of the world about a new baking recipe I'm having trouble with, or research consumers opinions on a product I'm thinking of buying, and being able to share the joy of my new baby cousin being born through uploading photos of her on Facebook.
But I also have concerns about how much information these kinds of applications and services require and acquire. How safe are documents I upload onto dropbox? How much do the administrators of facebook actually know about me and what are they doing with this information?
The issues connected with Web 2.0 are particularly important when thinking about it's use by children both in and out of school. How, as a teacher, can I encourage the use of these resources for their positive traits, but still make sure the children are kept safe, that they are not compromising their personal safety and privacy by giving away information they don't need to? I think these are issues I will have to constantly think about when working with children and ICT in the school and classroom.
Blogs and Blogging
My reflections on the implications of Web 2.0 bring me on nicely to the next aspect of the session we explored; Blogging and it's use in Primary Schools. We watched a short film about the issues around using and encouraging blogging in school; the benefits, it's connections to the Curriculum subjects, as well is the concerns related to safety it raises and how these concerns can be met. Here is a summary of these issues and ideas:
What is a Blog?
A Blog is an online journal; a place where we, the author, can publish our thoughts, observations, pictures.
Why use Blogging in the Primary School?
- it gives children a voice - in knowing people are reading their blogs, they feel they have a presence in the world in which they live.
- this sensation in turn encourages the children to want to work on their writing, to master how they articulate themselves - this effects their progress in other areas of learning such as literacy and all the other written work across the foundation subjects.
- it is a way for children to share their knowledge; with their peers, with family and friends, in a way they wouldn't have been able to previously. This can help with learning, as sharing and exchanging knowledge and experience with those around you can enrich that knowledge and nourish it's growth.
- it can help the linguistic development of EAL children - due to an increased exposure to the english language on a practical and everyday level, especially when it's content relates to a personal passion they wish to express and share
- it improves the children's understanding of the technology they are using; they become more familiar with the tools and knowledge they need to use computers and the internet generally.
e-Safety: How does the school deal with security issues?
This aspect of blogging was briefly covered in the film. The school outlined several ways in which they ensured the children could blog and be safe:
- Education: the children, before creating their blogs, were made aware of what information they could and couldn't include in their blogs and the reasons for this.
- Filtering and Moderators: The school put in place a filter which allowed only friends and family to see and comment on the blogs through certain security measures. They also made sure that no email contact was made directly with the children and that comments were moderated by teachers and responsible adults.
In Reflection...
It is clear that the technological advances brought on by the Web 2.0 ethos have many great strengths and uses. I think it's important that I remember that this way of using the web is an everyday thing for the children I will be teaching, and that although they may have a better understanding than I do, it is important that I make sure they are conscious of the ways in which they use this technology and the effects this has on their safety, security and well being; that sometimes a bit of mystery and moderation in the views, opinions and information we put out there on ether can mean the difference between between being able to enjoy the excitement of connecting with the world and sharing things with friends and being vulnerable to those out there who wish to use our desire to share and interact with the outside world against us.
