Weebly

I missed the lesson containing information on Weebly as I was sick, but I visited the site and had a play.Weebly at first appeared to be simply another blogging site that just made blogging easier and simpler. My initital reaction was that it would be great for both younger and mature age learners who have not had the experience with computers that high school and late primary students have.

It is also handy that you can create either a website or a blog using their templates, which again makes it easier for students who have not experienced this type of interface. It is not limited to the easiest possible way and advanced users can create layouts and tweak their site or blog however they wish.

Although it is simply another blogging server, it is a simpler interface then that of blogger or wordpress and when teaching can be explained in simpler terms for the learners who have not used it before, and those who have can begin blogging straight away.

Wikis

Wikis are a great tool for allowing students to work in a group even if they are not in the same room. For classwork a Wiki can be used to upload the covered in a lesson so students who were away are able to keep up with what is happening in the classroom and be able to return to class without missing the key learnings that the teacher needed the students to have. The students are able to show the teacher that they have followed along by posting their work on the Wiki for the teacher to give feedback on. It is also handy for other students who access the Wiki to see how their peers have interpretted the learnings. It is also a space for students to discuss or even form a group discussion about a topic with the added benefit of having the teacher able to input also.

A homework Wiki means students have access to links and the homework requirements without needing sheets or to remember to bring their homework. They can simply upload their homework to the Wiki for the teacher to mark.

Here is my wiki containing deBonos 6 Hats

Power Points

Last week we focused on PowerPoint and how they can be used in the classroom. Having used the program since I was in high school I already had a fair understanding of the workings of PowerPoint and what it can be used for. However, there were still tools I had not figured out how to use in the past that proved to make a big difference how effective a teaching tool PowerPoint can be.

PowerPoint can be used as presentations, as slides containing information, can be interactive for the students and videos can even be made using this program. What struck me as being a great about PowerPoint is it can cater to all learning styles through simple variations in the way the slides are created. Visual learners will benefit from the links between slides and the images and data chosen, soundbites can be recorded and included in the presentation, which is great for when a student is unable to attend school and misses the lesson's information, even when they have the PowerPoint they can hear the teacher narrating and explaining the information further (great for auditory learners).

A use for PowerPoint I had not even considered before was using it as an interactive activity for learners. Hyperlinking sections can create an interactive quiz that has the potential to be engaging for all learning styles. You can also link the slides to websites containing further information which encourages independent learning and research.

I recently used PowerPoint to teach a Year 10 class the basic functions of Audacity, an audio recording program. With it I was able to include videos, a sound recording of my voice, images of the program in action and links to tutorials for advanced users. I was planning to use another PowerPoint, but did remember that the use of this tool depends on the context of the lesson and it is not something to be overused. Like all e-Learning tools; it is to be used appropriately and not simply because it is there.

E-Learning Map

Blog

Blogs are a simple way to communicate information and express ideas. A positive factor to a blog is that readers can comment on what you have said and express their own feelings directly towards you, others can build on previous comments and an entire discussion can occur based not only on what you have blogged but also how others have commented on it, whether it be positive or negative feedback.

For a person in charge of a course or learning experiences, blogs allow them to keep track of the progress of the students and not only what they have learned, but also how frequently they blog and the tools they use to improve their entries.

First Entry