Module 9

Wow! this was most informative.  Firstly I've used Scootle in the past and loved it.  I have my own learning paths but I found I could spend hours and hours looking up the activity I would like to use in my classroom.  As a result I stopped using it as I often found other websites like Teach this or Teach it etc were quicker and easier to find activities to use in the classroom.  Its probably a couple of years now since I have used it.  However I had and am still having trouble, linking the activities into my learning path folders.  I will need more exploring on  Scootle. This is my challenge.  However I discovered the new learning Blog which is part of the Web 2 features. This is a great teacher resource as it is a  way that teachers can share their ideas about resources and sharing learning paths.  Once I overcome my challenges I think this would be a great way to collaborate with other teachers.  I could link my Twitter and Google account to it so that if I find a great resource or Professional research I could add it to my blog on Scootle.  I will definitely use this more.

I had trouble accessing a number of the videos.  some of them I could access through my own search in Google some I couldn't.  I completed a Master in Teacher Librarianship in 2007.  Many of the  articles in this I remember reading and doing in the course.  Access to these online sites depended on schools capabilities and beliefs in its usefulness.   Today schools are now seeing the importance.  Now it seems what I learnt back then is now being made available to teachers and students. And here I am relearning what I learnt back then.  But it is very refreshing to know those skills may now be built upon and able to be used. 

I don't think I would use Sound Life in ,my classroom with 1/2's as I think it is definitely too advanced for them.  But I can se the possibilities for secondary students.

The directory of Social Network Sites for Education was not available.

I could see Linked In would be a great way to go to establish a Professional collaboration with other Educators around the world to share ideas.  Perhaps having an account would be worthwhile.  I will explore this avenue as well.

With Twitter linked to Scootle, Linked In and Pintrest as well as Delicious and Diigo there would be so much collaborative learning that the ideas from these can then be used in the classroom to identify activities that enhance the children's learning. 

My only concern is with all these sites checking them regularly for updates and  research when do we as teachers have time to plan, assess, and other administrative task as well as have a personal life?
I would certainly need to spend more time exploring all these areas.  Maybe incorporating Google docs may save some administrative time.  But a discussion would need to made with other teachers in the school about what could and couldn't be edited.