Making video productions in a fantastic tool to use in today’s classrooms and helps students capture skills that can be carried across curriculums and general interests. In our current digital age, it is essential knowledge to know the trade of designing and streaming videos. In fact, videos are quickly replacing other media as the go-to source for quick knowledge and for posting personal ideas. The students can capture and share their learning using I-movies, Camtasia Studio, and other video editing software, and should be formatted according to rubric-formatted guidelines. This strategy offers multiple social learning aspects including cooperation, collaboration, and behavior modeling.
Cooperative websites are another great social tool that utilize collaboration and teamwork. Free website applications are now common among stable hosts such as Google or iWeb. In the creation of these sites, students are gaining valuable exposure to another essential 21st century skill of designing and showcasing via the Web. For example, I just had my students begin the design of a Wikispaces page that serves as a host for their notes on the procedures used in algebra 2. So in formal groups they have been assigned to create a step-by-step process list for each newly acquired skill, and organize them collectively in a social environment. This practical strategy calls for attention to detail and peer-revisions of notes.
Lastly, online learning communities offer a social network that is similar to Facebook. These secure neighborhoods provide tremendous opportunities for students to share thoughts in discussion boards or blogs, share resource links, and submit work (Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Some of the more common providers of these online services are Moodle, Blackboard, and MyBigCampus. This tool is centered around social interactions and if carefully administered, can model anything from professional online etiquette to audience accountability.
References
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
I agree that these are all great ways to incorporate the social learning theory along with technology into the classroom. I think that online learning communities are especially great for students. So many students are into using social networking websites like facebook, even some as young as my first graders which really surprised me. I used blackboard as an undergrad student, and the controlled environment of an application like that would be good for students to communicate with each other adn share ideas while still having limitations that sites like facebook do not provide.
ReplyDeleteHow much direction did you give them into the actual use of Wikispaces? Did you just turn them loose and expect them to figure out how to manipulate things in the site? Or did you direct teach some items before giving them the assignment?
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI've looked into a social host called MyBigCampus, and it's very similar to Facebook. However, I've pushed it to the side because I have had so many other tools and strategies that I'm trying to incorporate. I do feel that they need to be started at the beginning of the course (or year) if teachers want to get the full effect out of them.
Mike
Matthew,
ReplyDeleteYeah I have a Promethean Board in that classroom, so I modeled how to setup an account and showed them how to insert and edit. Then i just played a tutorial video from Youtube that I had already previewed. Most students took to it quickly.
Mike
I think that some of the tools that you mentioned that are comparable to Facebook could have a very strong force in the classroom. If the students had a place where they could easily contact other students they could get many questions answered outside of the classroom. They could have discussions on topics outside the classroom, this could be helpful for students who are shy and not willing to fully express themselves in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI also just showed the students how to use a Wiki page for a very short time. I teach 3rd grade and I spent about 30 minutes showing my students how to use a Wiki page on the Smartboard and they were then able to use the page to create very successful wiki pages about a country that they have studied. Here is the link to their wiki page creation, http://heritageproject2011.wikispaces.com/
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI have a Moodle page for my classes and I fell into the same boat as you. I would like to do so much more with it, but with time constraints and all of the other strategies and tools presented I have found myself going away from it altogether. I was really good about updating the Moodle at the beginning of the year and for about the first quarter and a half, but as more things came along I felt like I was trying too much. I felt like the old saying "Jack of all trades, master of none." Part of the problem for me too was that I only have my teacher computer in the classroom so if I want to get any other time on the computers I have to fight for lab time, which can be a tough thing to come across in my building. And I definitely agree that I need to start these things at the beginning of the year when the kids don't know anything but what I am presenting them and they just assume it's normal. That is yet another part of the battle that I am fighting with my 8th graders this year, as this is now the second year I've had this same group. Good luck!