Module 10

I think as a teacher, I need to be open Web 2.0 technology it as has great implications for my own learning as well as my students. Although initially, a reluctant beginner, the enthusiasm of the students to this technology and the benefits that it brings to their education has encouraged me to continue down this exciting path.

During this module, I was captivated by Voice Thread, which I found throught the wiki link  50+ Web 2.0 Ways To Tell a Story 
I could have spent hours on this site and have added it to my Delicious account and encourage others to explore it further too.

I can see great potential in using voice thread, especially with ESL students. The images in voice thread can provide motivating stimuli for students to communicate for a variety of puposes, whether it be to comment, describe, tell a story, give an opinion...the list is endless. Students can record, edit and playback their responses which gives them immediate feedback. I do need to explore the privacy issues around this tool with students further.

The    mystery places http://voicethread.com/share/522404/   voice thread gave me some great ideas for introducing orientations for narratives. Definitely a fun and imaginative way to inspire students.

For teachers, being part of online communities can connect us with networks of educators far beyond our own schools. It gives us the opportunity to collaborate in ways that are continually expanding.

I was a member of the Successful Language Learners (SLL) NING in 2009 and 2010 and it provided the network of teachers involved in this project with a valuable online community. Through this network we were able to share resources and ideas, participate in forums, communicate about events and support each other. It was highly effective for the duration of the project, however as it is no longer a free facility and the project has been completed, we no longer continue with our NINGing! 

For students, I believe Wikis are also very effective as they provide endless opportunities for collaborative learning and give students an audience for communicating with. For students, who may be less confident in participating in large group discussions, Wikis can provide them with a non- threatening way of contributing. I’m looking forward to following up the ideas from this module further.