Blogs and wikis Tools for teaching and learning Teacher Librarian Network 22 September 2009 Ruth Mason, Senior Learning Design Officer

Presentation name v.1002 Life in the 21 st century

Presentation name v.1003 Website links Most of the important web links in this presentation are available at: Note Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking website, which means it is designed to allow you to store and share bookmarks on the web, instead of inside your browser

Presentation name v.1004 Key themes ■Quick update ■Differences between wikis and blogs ■Considerations ■How to create your own ■How teachers use them

Presentation name v.1005 DET update ■The DET Blog should be available this year ■The DET Wiki trial is still going ahead this year with release 2010

Presentation name v.1006 What is a blog? ■the word is a contraction of “web log” ■is a website, similar to a diary or journal ■the owner and invited participants write their thoughts ■can include text, images, voice, videos ■10 ways to use blogs ■Edublogs handout Example A blog from a librarian in USA containing discussions on blogs and other Web 2.0 tools

Presentation name v.1007 What is wiki? ■a web site that lets any visitor become a participant (once permission has been given) ■a means of collecting team knowledge, planning events, or working on group projects ■a website where participants can create, modify and update the contents without any special technical knowledge or tools.

When setting up a blog or wiki ….. Consider:  your purpose  your audience  a voice  which tool will best suit your purpose Presentation name v.1008

9 Differences between blogs and wikis Blogs: ■A way for participants to express individual ideas and opinions by posting them on the blog ■Others can comment on these ideas and opinions but cannot change what has been written Wikis: ■A more open structure ■Participants can make changes to what others have written

Presentation name v Differences between blogs and wikis - analogies Blogs: A chat show with call in guests who can comment but it’s ultimately one person’s show Wikis: A chat show with a panel where everyone contributes to the discussion OR

Presentation name v Sample blog

Presentation name v Sample wiki Handout

Presentation name v Create your own blog

Presentation name v Create your own wiki

Presentation name v Why would teachers use blogs? Blogs can: ■provide a space for sharing opinions, allowing everyone to be heard ■provide an opportunity for collective and collaborative learning ■provide the opportunity to teach responsible public writing ■be a means to create enthusiasm for writing and communication ■facilitate reflection and evaluation Reason’s for blogging handout Example A blog from a librarian in USA containing discussions on blogs and other Web 2.0 tools

Presentation name v Blogs – the learning Slide from Rachel Boyd and Tania O’Meagher Eating The Elephant (that is ICT) and eating it one a time!

Presentation name v How would teachers use blogs?

Presentation name v How could secondary teachers use blogs?

Presentation name v How would teachers use blogs? The possibilities are endless……. Edublogs handout

20 Example

Presentation name v A blog for teacher librarians mentioned in available at Example

Presentation name v Why would teachers use Wikis? A wiki allows users to easily create, edit and link web pages (Wikipedia). ■often used for collaborative projects where different people need to contribute ■also great for creative writing tasks ■the wiki keeps track of each person's contribution as well as versions ■contributors can add their own “pages” ■can be public or private ■ “7 Things” and Wiki FAQs Handouts

Presentation name v Wikis – engaging and motivating We are only a Year 3, and it is only the kids' own words and thoughts……... We love it, but it's only a very modest little wiki. The big thing for me was that it involved the family in the child's learning and that it was motivating - they were much keener to research and write for the wiki than for their exercise books. It's that whole thing of purpose and audience. (DET teacher, 1 August 2008)

Presentation name v How could primary teachers use wikis? Class3ewikispaces.com

Presentation name v Science and technology camp wiki

Presentation name v How have secondary teachers use wikis?

Presentation name v How have secondary teachers use wikis? /

Presentation name v iwbteachers.wikispaces.com

Presentation name v Why use wikis and blogs in your teaching? ■tools for students and teachers to collaborate and communicate ■tools to collect evidence of participation ■encourages higher order skills eg group work, problem solving ■this technology is used by many of our students away from school A tool has to go beyond "hey, cool" and contribute something useful. (George Siemens)

Presentation name v Copyright ■ libraries/assets/pdf/hbkcopy.pdfhttp:// libraries/assets/pdf/hbkcopy.pdf ■ recent amendments to the Act allow teachers to “use podcasts of programs that have been previously broadcast on free-to-air radio or television and made available on the broadcaster's website (eg, an episode of Behind the News or a Radio National program made available as a podcast on the ABC's website)”. Smartcopying

Presentation name v Now it’s over to you….. How could you use wikis and blogs to enhance student learning?

Presentation name v ….it’s your turn to get down and dirty!  Explore blog and wiki links mentioned during this presentation OR  Go to the following website and join wikispaces OR  Go to the wiki space I have set up and have a play

Presentation name v Some Key References - wikis ■Wikispaces ■Teachers first, wiki walk-through ■“7 Things You Should Know About” series ■Wikis in Plain English ■Copyright

Presentation name v Some Key References - blogs ■“7 Things You Should Know About” series ■EduBlog Insights educational-blogging/ ■Blogs in Plain English title=Blogs_in_Plain_English title=Blogs_in_Plain_English ■Directory of Australian Edubloggers ■Copyright