Google Research and the Big6

Recently, my peers and I have been discussing the usefulness of Google as a learning tool in the classroom. Google is an online search system that allows users to search for websites and online documents by using words and phrases. In my opinion, Google is a fantastic resource for research; I can't imagine where I would be without it. Whenever I am starting a new assignment I start my research with a simple Google search to gain some background knowledge about the topic. The useful and easy to use nature of Google makes it a valuable resource for learners in all year levels.

Although many children would have some experience using Google, the teacher would be required to scaffold student's use of this tool to ensure it is being used effectively for educational purposes. For example, effective searches require the user to identify key words and phrases in order for them to locate information that is relevant to the topic they are researching. In addition to this, learners need to be able to assess the validity of sources, on the internet, to ensure the information is legitimate and reliable. Educators must teach evaluative strategies such as cross checking, which involves comparing information from a source with other sources such as other websites and information texts. Additionally, the teacher could involve the whole class in creating a 'resource bank' of credible websites. 
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The pacific northwest tree octopus website has been used by educators to create a meaningful context for teaching about the importance of evaluating the validity of internet websites. The website proposes that the 'pacific northwest tree octopus' is endangered and due to its professional presentation it appears to be legitimate. After introducing this website to students, the teacher could initiate a project in which learners will conduct their own research about octopi. By engaging in scaffolded research, the students would be involved in actively constructing the realisation that the website's information is false, thus promoting valuable information literacy skills.  

 

  

The Big6 e-learning framework would be useful in scaffolding student's research skills using Google. This framework clearly identifies the process involved in effectively locating and using information for a meaningful purpose. I would print this framework onto A3 posters and put them on display in the classroom for students to refer back to during their research for class projects.

In addition to using the Big6 with Google I would encourage students to use it for research with all sources of information such as books, atlases and maps. Although Google is a fantastic research tool, I think it is important that we do not neglect the importance of using books as a means of locating valuable information. There are skills involved in using books such as using the contents and index pages to locate key ideas. Therefore, It is essential that educators embed a range of sources of information across the curriculum.

Link: http://www.big6.com/ 

Wordle

Wordle (www.wordle.net) is a great tool that anyone can use. Creating your own wordle is as simple as typing words into the program and clicking 'create'. The most useful feature of this tool is the way in which more frequent words appear larger. Wordle also provides learners with a fun, aesthetically intersting way of displaying their ideas.

Example: At the start of a SOSE unit about local heroes the teacher could ask students to describe what they think a hero is and type their responses into wordle. This would then be printed out for future reference during the unit. Students could create another wordle at the end of the unit and reflect on how their definition of a hero has changed. This would be an effective teaching strategy because visual representations of information assist students in acquiring new knowledge (Marzano & Pickering, 1997).

Google Earth

Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/intl/en/) is an incredible tool for teaching students about geography. The pivotal feature of this tool is the way you can select any location on Earth and zoom in for a clear image of that location. You can view cities, roads, mountains, oceans and famous landmarks such as the Great Barrier Reef. Additionally, you can click on particular locations/landmarks to view images and read information related to that location.

There are so many potential learning opportunities with this tool and I am still getting used to them all. I have found the following features to be simple to use and they would also provide a meaningful context for learning about Mathematical concepts such as distance and co-ordinates:

The ‘ruler’ option allows you to select two locations and then identifies the distance between them.

The ‘placemark’ feature allows you to place a marker on a location and then identifies that location’s exact coordinates.

I would use Google Earth as a whole class and group teaching tool in all year levels, particularly in the upper primary classroom. For example, students could use the ‘ruler’ feature to find the distance between Gladstone and Rockhampton and calculate how long it would take to drive to Rockhampton if they were travelling at 90k/h.

The State of Queensland (Department of Education) (2002) suggests that this tool can effectively promote higher order thinking and a problem based curriculum by providing learners with the resources they need to independently solve problems and locate information of a geographical nature. Google Earth has too many useful features for me to discuss in one blog post so I strongly encourage everyone to try this program for themselves. I am looking forward to exploring this tool in more depth and can’t wait to hear about everyone else’s ideas.

Website Vs Wiki

I have created my own website using www.weebly.com and a wiki using www.wikispaces.com. After setting up a page using both of these tools I have decided that a website would be more useful, in the classroom, than a wiki. This is mainly due to the fact that a wiki's content can be edited by anyone, which poses privacy challenges for working with children.  

My website is http://e-learningtoolkit.weebly.com/

Designing and modifying the layout of the website was quite simple, thanks to the 'click and drag' features. I believe that learners in any year level would be able to add content to the website, although, younger students may require more scaffolding.

I would use a website to provide learners with useful online resources such as images, videos and links that relate to current projects/units. In collaboration with students, I would continue to add new resources (links, a glossary page etc.) to the website as they are discovered. Being able to set up multiple pages, within the website, gives this tool a clear navigational advantage over a blog. For example, on my website I have set up a 'home page' and an 'image gallery'. This useful feature allows the resources on the website to be easily organised and accessed through the links at the top of the page.

This tool would be used alongside a class blog to document the learning that is taking place. In addition to this, a link to the class website would also be provided on the blog.

Blogging and networking

This online blog is proving to be a valuable networking tool in regards to my own professional learning. By engaging in online discussions with my colleagues I have already learnt a great deal about ICTs in the classroom.

Voki

This is the voki I created using http://www.voki.com/. I would definitely use this tool in my own classroom because it provides learners with a fun and creative way to design their own character. In addition to this, Technoclue (http://elearninginthe21stcentury.blogspot.com/) has noted that children can post their own voki to the class blog and remain anonymous.

According to McInerney and McInerney (2006) some learners understand information more effectively if they are presented with the information in an audible format. Therefore, teachers can use a voki to supplement text, on a class website or blog, which will cater for auditory learners.

Following my first attempt to make my voki speak I was unable to understand what it was saying. A recommended solution to this is spelling words phonetically to ensure they can be understood clearly. This may be difficult for some learners who are still developing an understanding of phonics. Alternatively, children can speak into a microphone and upload their own voice by using the software already installed on the website. This would require permission from the children’s parents.

Example: During an English unit about narratives students will use www.voki.com to create their own character, with a focus on physical characteristics, and write a description of their character on the class website.

Concept Maps

Concept maps are an effective strategy for helping students understand new concepts by providing a visual representation of the connections between them (Brady, 2006). Additionally, McInerney and McInerney (2006) suggest that concept maps are an effective learning strategy because they allow learners to make the links between new and prior knowledge. I used http://bubbl.us/ to create the following concept map, which displays some of the key concepts regarding e-learning and connectivism.

Benefits of using http://bubbl.us

I thought this tool was fairly simple to use, however, an educator would need to scaffold this process for their learners by explicitly modeling how to use the controls.

The colour coded feature of these concept maps makes it easier to read and identify the different concepts.

Learner's concept maps could be saved and uploaded to a class blog or printed out and kept in their workbook for future reference.

Being able to write the text directly into the boxes and having access to all of the buttons in each box made http://bubbl.us/ much easier to use than http://www.text2mindmap.com/.

Challenges associated with using http://bubbl.us

During learning experiences, in the past, my learners have worked with a partner to co-construct a concept map on butcher's paper. According to Education Queensland (2002), this is an effective pedagogical practice because it promotes intellectual quality in the area of substantive conversation and metalanguage. Although the layout and colour coding of the concept maps, produced through http://bubbl.us/, are effective, the website does not provide a meaningful context for collaboration among peers.