b)      Five issues we struggled with to make this project work include:

a.       Motivation was required to ensure the work on-line was not overlooked. In order to ensure that all students would collaborate on-line through the process we added the requirement of a group blog as well as individual blogs, which became part of their log-booking requirements.

b.      To make sure everyone has access to the internet, allocated time is given after school hours in the library where students could use the computers to blog and remain on task.

c.       Those who don’t have the skills to use Web 2.0 were taken into consideration. Therefore only basic use of Web Blogs is required to complete this assessment. This way, those who are more experienced can create whatever their imagination will allow and those with less experience are still able to participate in the process.

d.      The information used for this assignment needed to be 100% accurate and reliable. Therefore, a direct link to the New South Wales Board of Studies was used to ensure a detailed and precise Assessment Outline. This way there would be no errors in communication.

e.       It was hard to make the addition of Web 2.0 technologies relevant and valuable to the students learning. By using blogs, students are able to communicate and work collaboratively even when they are not even at school, let alone in class. This allows more class time for active involvement in physical play-building. 

Question 2:

 a) The key issues involved for the teacher in the way in which they convey new information are constantly being addressed by the ever-emerging Web 2.0 software. Web blogs and wiki pages have quickly taken the place of the old Web 1.0 emailing systems. They provide innovative, interesting and creative ways for teachers to communicate with their students in the technological language they understand.

Web 2.0 is an ever growing and expanding range of software, accessible anywhere, anytime on the internet. This software provides the opportunity for open and collaborative learning within the classroom and beyond. It also provides engaging and creative resources which enable students to gain access to an endless supply of information and technology which will encourage them and enhance their learning possibilities.

The concept of Web 2.0 was originally conceived in the eve of the basic information processing that was Web 1.0. Researchers O’Reilly and MediaLive International originally prescribed Web 2.0 to be a turning point for users in regards to the World Wide Web (O’Reilly, 2005). Some of the major points brainstormed included advancements in the technology at the time and the future possibilities moving into the limelight:

Web 1.0		Web 2.0
DoubleClick	–>	Google AdSense
Ofoto	–>	Flickr
Akamai	–>	BitTorrent
mp3.com	–>	Napster
Britannica Online	–>	Wikipedia
personal websites	–>	blogging
evite	–>	upcoming.org and EVDB
domain name speculation	–>	search engine optimization
page views	–>	cost per click
screen scraping	–>	web services
publishing	–>	participation
content management systems	–>	wikis
directories (taxonomy)	–>	tagging (“folksonomy”)
stickiness	–>	syndication

Figure 1: (O’Reilly, 2005) 

Steve O’Hear’s article entitled “Web’s second phase puts users in control” explores the world of Web2.0 and its practical application within the classroom, the opportunities for collaborative e-learning and the future for all of us on-line. Web1.0 provided users with a “predominantly “read only” medium” (O’Hear, 2006) but advancements in technology have transformed this medium into an interactive experience which allows greater access to information, superior opportunities for on-line interaction, collaboration and communication and an all-round more creative experience. Often students aren’t comfortable expressing their ideas or opinions in the public domain, but the on-line world of forums, blogging and collaboration (ie. Wiki pages) allow everyone including the teacher, students and parents to gain access to a real collaborative experience (Rattivarakorn, B, 2007). This need for the school, the students and the parents to be involved in the process is made possible through the ever growing expanse of on-line tools.  The tools which have allowed for this shift in user control includes web-blogging, social networking tools, such as Facebook and Myspace, and advanced organisation and presentation tools including Wiki pages, SlideShows, Animoto and iGoogle.

There are several web based office tools emerging which are imperative in creating the environment needed for collaboration and communication. On-line presentation tools, word processing programs, and spreadsheet, mind-map and diagram programs are all continuing to grow and increase in usability and effectiveness (Benzinger, 2006). An example of effective presentation tools that are highly effective for use in the classroom are the SlideShare program and Animoto.

As seen below, SlideShare is a program which allows users to create slideshows on-line that are able to be embedded into other on-line software, such as WordPress, Facebook, Blogger etc. SlideShare is effective in allowing its users to receive comments and feedback regarding their presentation and in allowing others to access the information for further learning.

Animoto is a another online presentation tool that will allow students to experiment with creating meaning through images and song and revolutionise the way students engage within the classroom. Animoto allows students to create their own personalised film clips using relevant up-loaded images and music. The site creates an individual clip every time and is a creative and accessible tool for students. It gives them the opportunity to explore and utilise the world of Web2.0, while growing in skills and knowledge of their key learning areas. Animoto also allows for a more creative and useful experience, rather than the traditional approach with Power Point. The presentations can be easily posted on-line for reference from other users, unlike the hard-ware based Power Point (Lalor, 2007). Students are again able to publish or embed their clips on their web sites as with SlideShare.

Another useful on-line tool in the new Wet Paint Wiki (O’Connell, 2007). This wiki will take classroom collaboration to a whole new level. A class can set up a wiki page and each member of the class can access its information and add and input into the entire make-up of the page. Each member of the class has the access needed to creatively add new information while gaining a deeper learning experience of the subject matter.

Students now also have better access to their subject matter and course requirements through the use of these tools, rather than the Web 1.0 form of simple two-way emails. Web 2.0 has opened the door for interaction between entire class bodies, rather than the basic student-teacher or student-student possibilities. Questions can be asked on open Wiki or Blog pages, whose answers can be accessed by everyone, at any time. This allows for clarity of instructions and task requirements while ensuring that every member of the class has been granted the opportunity to access the information needed. The old “I was away that day” will no longer stand to reason as all students are able to gain the information required any where, any time (Voithofer, R, 2007).

Because all are web-based, greater ease in on-line collaboration is available, especially for students who are working on projects together or are seeking to learn collaboratively.

Another reason Web 2.0 is a highly effective classroom resource is because recent studies have shown that 96% of teenagers now use at least one form of on-line social networking (eSchool News Online, 2007). This report has shown that on-line networking within the classroom is a vastly untapped resource and will compare to nothing in engaging students in collaboration within their learning experience. Due to the nature of this on-line phenomenon amongst school age students, teachers are already a step ahead in the process as students are already familiar with the technology. 

As with any new resource available for integration within the school community, Web 2.0 does have a few potential flaws that should be considered before use. Privacy and child protection protocols must be observed and actioned before students are given access to this endless world of information. Also, with the ever-increasing rise in teens involved in on-line social-networking, guidelines and mutual trust must be engaged in between the teachers and their students to ensure that students remain always on task within the allocated e-learning timeframe. Students will potentially become extremely side-tracked with their own Web 2.0 agendas and must be monitored and allocated specific tasks in order to ensure appropriate use of the internet during classroom hours.

            Web 2.0 is a resource that cannot be overlooked when planning to create the optimum learning environment. The software available on-line is constantly emerging and progressing thus creating a rapidly changing world, requiring constant attention to detail. With the willingness to make it work, teachers can now involve their students in a learning experience like never before.

WEB REFERENCES

O’Hear, S, (2006). Web’s second phase puts users in control,

http://education.guardian.co.uk/elearning/story/0,,1801086,00.html

Benzinger, B, (2006). Back to School With Web 2.0: Part 2,

http://www.solutionwatch.com/515/back-to-school-with-the-class-of-web-20-part-2/

Lalor, R, (2007). The Future: E-learning with Web 2.0

http://thewikispot.pbwiki.com/The+Future%3A+E-learning+with+Web+2-0

O’Connell, J, (2007). HeyJude: Wet Paint wiki – will change the way you teach!

http://heyjude.wordpress.com/

eSchool News Online, (2007). 96 percent of teens use social-networking tools

http://www.eschoolnews.com//news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=7304

Rattivarakorn, B, (2007). Rareplay: School Learning Goes Web 2.0

http://www.rareplay.com/index.phpmact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=147&cntnt01returnid=32&news_category_id=1 

O’Reilly, T, (2005). What Is Web 2.0

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html 

Voithofer, R, (2007). Web 2.0: What is it and how can it apply to teaching and teacher preparation?

http://education.osu.edu/rvoithofer/papers/web2paper.pdf

Creating your own clip is as easy as logging onto animoto.com, uploading your photos and either choosing a music clip from their extensive music library or uploading your own. The Animoto program then creates an amazing clip that will present your photos as never before….

Unfortunately, wordpress.com wont allow a post from Animoto, however, if you click here, you’ll see an amazing example of this Web2.0 tool.

Here’s how you add one of your clips to your web page (where ever it may be):

1. Create your video
2. Play video
3. On the play video page, you will see a “Post Online” option. Choose this
4. Select “Embed Code”
5. Select “Autostart on your site”
6. Hit “Next”
7. Enter your email address
8. “Next”
9. Copy the code provided and post it onto your site. Some sites require you to add it the same way you add a youtube clip. You may need toplay around with it depending on your site. 

• Steve O’Hear Article
• TheWikiSpot
• Robsession’s Blog
• Flickr: Photos from I’d prefer myspace 

You all now have reason to be so very proud of me! You can now find me online blogging away and Web2.O ing my way through cyber-space:

Myspace - www.myspace.com/lil_rob_85

Flickr - user name Id prefer myspace

WordPress (here) - http://robsession.wordpress.com

Facebook - user name Robyn Lalor (yes I used my last name but I just wont accept strangers on my account )

Del.icio.us - user name Rob_85 

I just want to say that right now I am a little over having to come up with new user names evertime! And I know I should use the same one everytime but I didnt realise until about the third sign up that every site requires something different…some need you to log in using your user name, some your email address….its all a little confusing! 

“Webs second phase puts users in control” by Steve O’Hear.

URL Link: http://education.guardian.co.uk/elearning/story/0,,1801086,00.html

The article is awesome reading for anyone (especially Education students enrolled in ED2203 at Notre Dame Sydney) who wants to know more about the uses and benifits of diving into the world of Web 2.0 and its uses for what is know called E-Learning. To be honest,  I have been so sceptical about this whole thing but this article has definaetly made me think twice about the potential Web 2.0 can bring to the classroom and the idea of collaborative learning!

Usha V. Reddi and Sanjaya Mishra, Editors

“… knowledge of the software alone is not enough to prepare a good educational multimedia. In order to be useful to the learner, a multimedia programme design needs to have a sound pedagogical base. This handbook intends to help teachers in understanding the basic concepts and various issues involved in the development of educational multimedia.”

MY THOUGHTS:

The above expert is from a handbook called “Educational Multimedia: A handbook for Teacher-Developers” put out by  The Commonwealth of Learning: Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia. The above site has the links to the individual chapters available for reading. This is interesting reading! Although it refers primarily to multimedia software, the same principles about the understanding needed to make the use of multimedia within the curriculum work can be applied to online tools (such as Facebook, Flickr, Delicious, WordPress etc) as well! Its an important aspect to consider when delving into the world of Education on-line! Follow the link to find out more.