2M's Blogspot

2M little gems blogspot

This is a great blogspot created by a year two class. Students can log onto this blogspot and read, watch and listen to 2M learning journey and place a comment. Students can compare what they are learning with that of 2m and publish a comment about it.

This blogspot features pictures, article, stories and projects that 2M have undergone offering great visuals. It also features a map which highlights countries involved with 2M's blogspot.


http://www.2mgems.blogspot.com

Recommended educational blogspot

Young Adult (& kids) Blogspot.

This is a great blogspot which allows students of all ages to comment on or review new books or books of interest. Students can also post conmments on reviews by other students. Students are able to share a comment with other students of similar interests.

The content of this blogsite is current (ie; newest books reviewed) and the visuals are great as they feature the book covers and some illustrations featured in the books. it also links to the Yound adult website which allows students to purchase books online.

http://yabookscentral.blogspot.com/

Week 4 - Copyright

COPYRIGHT

Can I copy material from the internet for research?

Yes, you can copy material from the internet for research as long as you have checked the website for any statements about copyright in regards to the material you wish to use.

What constitutes research and fair use?

Research is describes as and inquiry or investigation you conduct for yourself on a particular subject in order to discover or learn something.

The fair use act deems that it is fair to copy a certain numbers of words or chapters in both hard copy and electronically for your own use without penalty.

Can students use music in videos that they make?

Yes as long as it's for personal use and not re-produced or shown outside the classroom.

Week 4 Readings

"Happy blogging @ Belmore South"

An interesting article which follows the blogging activities of one class.

Key Ideas

1. Blogging is a powerful tool that teachers can employ in their classrooms today. Not only does it connect the students to the world outside the classroom but can also be used to open channels of communication between the author and their audience.

2. Blogging can lead to student directed learning which would allow them to identify areas of weakness. Students would then be able to work at these areas in a an engaging and motivating way allowing for authentic feedback.

3. The school day would not end at 3.00pm as students could continue their schooling experience at home as blogging makes the link easy.

(Pericles, K. 2008. Happily blogging @ Belmore South. Scan Vol 27).  

Literacy Instruction with digital and media technology.

This article focuses on the use of lap tops in schools.

Key concepts

1. Connecting to the internet or use of lap tops in school provide scaffolding for many subjects thus creating background knowledge for the student.

2. During recess and school breaks throughout the day the researchers of this article found that students spent this time inside on their lap tops. Does this inspire anti social behavior and less time on physical activity for the student? Teachers need to reach a happy balance to ensure students are still participating face to face with their peers.

3. It is hard to access or measure student knowledge gained from using digital and media literacies, however research suggests that students did not regress on outcome assessments because of the inclusion of new literacies.

(Barone, D, & Write, T.E. (2008) Literacy instruction with digital and media technology. The Reading Teacher, 62. 292-302)

Review of Flikr.com

This is a great website that features photo's from across the world. It also allows you to upload and organise your own photos and share them with the global community. It's also very user friendly and great for beginners.

Review of video on Digital and critical Literacy

The video provided some insite into how students can obtain relevant and interesting  information on a topic using Web 2 technology. The students can use new literacies to further obtain information and to share what they learnt. It was also interesting to hear and see how other countries have adopted new literacies and a teaching tool in the classroom.

Definition of New Literacies

New literacies are tools used to communicate in the era of Web 2 technology. New literacies encompass many things that enable the user to 'share' information with other participants across the globe. Sharing information on the web allows for the building of knowledge with blogs, virtual worlds and social networking sites creating virtual communities.