Using Web 2.0 Technologies to Enhance Student Learning

Stanley Avenue is a co-educational , decile 5 full primary school catering for approximately 240-260 year 0-8 students. Students attending our school come from within the Te Aroha township and neighbouring rural communities. Our school is staffed with 11 full-time teachers, support staff, an office administrator, caretaker, 2 cleaners and principal. Ten classrooms operate within the syndicate structure with 5 classes in the junior school led by an assistant principal and 5 classes in the middle/senior school led by the deputy principal. The Board of Trustees values and is very supportive of it’s staff.

Outline...

1. Benefits of using Web 2.0 Technologies

2. Examples of what we are currently usingWikispaces WixWordleMoodle – LMSInteractive Websites

3. Creating a class wikispace

4. Questions

Benefits of using Web 2.0 Technologies...

Student engagement

Allows for teaching of other groups

Relevant to their generation

Work output increased

Enjoyment

Has more meaning to them

Incidental learning

Sharing of Work

With each other e.g looking at classmates wikispaces

With their parents e.g at home and at PACT conferences

With others in the school e.g management, other classes, school assemblies

Wider school community e.g website address in school newsletter

What do the students think?

“I think that ICT has affected our learning because now that we have wireless we are able to sit at our desks and do computer and educational work. Its better than going to the computer suite and sitting at a computer, when you could be sitting at a desk like now. WIX, Moodle and Wikispaces are also good websites because you can go on WIX and make displays for Wikispaces and display your work effectively. Moodle is cool too because you can have class discussions over the internet with comments.”

“The ICT has effected our learning because we learn things on the computer and we can have our own Wikispaces and other people can see our work and we play educational games to learn things about maths and reading. ”

“It makes us more competitive, it is easier for teachers because more people can do it at once it also makes it way easier for the teachers because they don't have to photocopy as much. It makes us more competitive to do our work and helps us fly through work. It also really  helps when you are explaining things. To me, they are the best things we have ever had!”

“The mini laptops have been really cool because we can go on our wiki spaces and set goals and do our homework on it. Wix has also been a good site for us to play around and make cover pages for our Wikispaces. Moodle has also been a good web site because we can get our homework off moodle. “

“I have really enjoyed the laptops because we can go on our Wikispaces and show people what we have done and we can show people our goals we are going to achieved this year and we can show all the our things that we have put on our Wikispaces we have learnt. It also has been really great because we can use the laptops in the classroom which helps a lot because we don't have to keep going to the computer suite when we need to use the computer and we can learn lots of things in the classroom with the laptops. “

“Its a lot of fun going on all the different websites using the mini laptops. Its a privilege that we get to use the internet in the classroom to go on our Wikispaces, Moodles, Ultranet and other websites that also involve learning. The websites are good for sharing what we have been doing and what we have been learning in class.”

Wikispaces

We chose Wikispaces over other options because...

It was clear and easy to navigate

Its free and advert free for educators

It has a web page look about it rather than a linear layout like blogs

Web page look allows for creation of different pages

Easy to upload into

Opportunities for discussion

Class Wikispaces - http://room2stanleyave.wikispaces.com/

Why are we using it?We have a class wikispaces as a central portal for students, parents and teachers to access all resources.

How are we using it? Links to individual class wikispaces Links to Educational Games Share some whole class / syndicate work Links to Homework and Spelling A place to put class instructions Good place to demonstrate what you can do Plug-ins – tracking visitors

Individual Wikispaces http://annabel-stanleyave.wikispaces.com/

http://thomas-stanleyave.wikispaces.com/

Why are we using them? Their own place to share their own work Lets students show individuality Easy for parents to get to their child's work Students can show pride in their own work Easy for the teacher to identify strengths and weaknesses Easy to track work output and achievement

• Not doing anything, just doing enough, going above and beyond!

How are we using them? Sharing work – writing, art, reading, topic through word documents, powerpoint, photostory etc Teacher Student Feedback and Feedforward Sharing with parents Presenting Homework Goal Setting and Reflection Wix Wordle

Wix www.wix.com

Why are we using it? Easy to use Looks effective Create professional looking pages with little effort Engages students as they are drawn to the impressiveness Easy to update – don’t have to keep uploading Free! Can create multiple pages Easy to upload onto Easy to adapt to meet your needs e.g size of page for wikispaces Allows linking to external sites

How are we using it? Homepage for inidvidual wikispaces Homepage on class wikispace Link pages e.g Educational Games on class wikispace

Wordle www.wordle.net

Why are we using it? Impressive representation of ideas Presents information in a very effective was with the touch of a button Brainstorming devices / graphic organizer Free! Allows students to share their thoughts and ideas Identify key ideas

How are we using it? Wordles about themselves Wordles about their environment Whole school contributed to a wordle where they had to write one

word about S.A.S Staff contributed to a wordle where they had to write one word

about learning

Moodle www.stanleyave.ninehub.comhttp://tryout8.ultranet.school.nz/Home/

Why are we using it? It has the potential to replace wikispaces (however we are still exploring the full potential for the students) More functions than wikispaces but at this stage would need to be

very teacher directed It is discussion based without being threatening for students Gives students the opportunity to think about their ideas and

thoughts first All students participate in class discussion and provide feedback to

each other It’s Free! More potential to be school wide Secure

How are we using it? Topic related discussion forums Access to homework activities

Useful Educational Websites

Why are we using them? Engages students in their learning Engaged students don’t disrupt group teaching Meaningful independent follow up New Zealand Curriculum related Great for use as a teaching tool on Interactive Whiteboards Range of activities across a range of curriculum areas Variety in follow up activities

How are we using them? Meaningful independent follow up for groups in Maths and Reading Practicing grammar, punctuation, spelling etc Basic Facts Follow up for maths that is targeted to learning objectives Teaching models

Digital Learning Objects http://www.tki.org.nz/r/digistore/index_e.php

NZMaths DLO’s http://nzmaths.co.nz/digital-learning-objects

Funbrain – Reading / Maths http://www.funbrain.com/

Tutpup http://www.tutpup.com/

I Know That http://www.iknowthat.com/com

Crickweb http://www.crickweb.co.uk/

Math Playground http://www.mathplayground.com/

Wicked http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/

Miniclip http://www.miniclip.com/games/en/

Internet for Classroomshttp://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills-8th-langbuilders.htm

Interactive Exercises http://www.smic.be/smic5022/Onlineexercises.htm

Into the book http://reading.ecb.org/student/index.html