Mind boggling mind maps

According to Eric Frangenheim (2007), brainstorming is one the most commonly used thinking strategies that learning managers utilise in their classrooms because it has the potential to promote risk-taking, creativity, divergent and critical thinking. Mind mapping or concept mapping is one way in which learners can brainstorm, organise and present information.

I have only created one mind map using the bubble.us program and whilst I can see the enormous benefits of this program, I must admit I find these types of graphic organisers frustrating. I have a had a more in depth conversation with Pauline White about mind maps and this can be viewed here, however after much reflecting and discussion with university lecturers, I now realise that this is one tool I should try to become more acquainted with. I found a great article on BBC online about some of the benefits of concept mapping for students with dyslexia amd it is well worth the read.

Today I set up my own voki. I realise this is not one of the mandatory tools to blog about but I was engrossedi n the avtivity of creating my voki and this got me thinking about how I could use this in the classroom to enhance learning. Voki is a free tool that allows users to create a character from a range of looks and designs. Most importantly, users can express themselves by giving their voki a voice - either the users own voice or a selected one.

I have analysed this tool further using a SWOT analysis:
Strengths:
Easy to set up and embed
Allows students to express creativity
Is only for non-commercial use
Provides the human element to online learning
Allows students to practice speaking and pronunciation skills
Can increase oral participation

Weaknesses
Students and learning manager alike can get caught up in the tool and forget content
To my knowlegde the recording time is relatively short ( please let me know if you know a way to increase the time limits)
Students need an email address to create and keep their voki

Opportunities
Can be used as a learning tool for ESL learners so they can practice speaking and hear themselves afterward
Can give shy or reluctant students a chance to share their voice and express their opinion
Learning Managers can use a voki to give important messages or to present a key question

Threats
As with any online tool, learners and learning managers need to be aware of internet safety and take necessary precautions.
There are no limits on the type of content or content filters

I would love to hear your comments and ideas about ways to use voki in the classroom. Watch this space for my updated voki!

PowerPoint

Thankfully due to my previous work experience which involved creating many presentations and briefs, PowerPoint is one digital tool that I feel I can use with the confidence of a 'digital native'. While I have experienced using many of the tools and applications PowerPoint has to offer, my primary use for it was to present knowledge to an audience. After a little divergent thinking and reflecting on my prior experiences I feel that PowerPoint should not be limited to just this use in the classroom. It can also be a way of organising, consolidating and refining knowledge. For instance, PowerPoint could be a uselful and relevant way to plan lessons as they can be easily and readily adpated, added to or changed. It would also be an ideal tool to use for individual electronic student portfolios as Learning Managers could attach digital photos of student work and even digital footage of student observations along with written comments and notes, making it a practical working document.

In terms of what the students can use this tool for, my favourite ideas include creating an interactive book report, creating storyboards or using digital images to create an autobiography or timeline. In Line with Kearsley & Scheiderman's Engagement theory (2001), Learning Managers could use this as a collaborative tool where groups of students work together on a community or school problem or issue (for example 'How can our school reduce its carbon footprint'). Students could not only use PowerPoint to organise their knowledge and research which could then be emailed to the teacher as a form of formative assessment but the end result can be presented in a variety of ways.

PowerPoint can also be used as a non-verbal, visual way of explicit teaching where key information from the PowerPoint can be projected in large font to the entire class. Visual diagrams, images and transitions can be used as a way to engage students, however it essential that content does not take a back seat to presentation and would be wise not to assume students are engaged simply because the page fades into the next.

I would love to hear your thoughts on PowerPoint and more innovative ways to use in the classroom.

TED.com Sugata Mitra shows how kids teach themselves

I realise we have so much to blog about, however being a fan of TED.com I discovered this amazing clip that I feel is particularly relevant to this subject. Despite not needing to blog about this, I thought I would share this with you. Please watch it, it is incredible how children learn and especially when technology is involved! Just click here to view it.

The difference between a blog and a wiki

We are constantly told as university students to avoid wiki when writing assignments or researching information and for good reason. Just like a blog, anyone has the power to create one, although with wiki, anyone has the power to edit and change it as they see fit. While a wiki may not be the most valid source of information for researching for a university assignment, in my opinion it is most certainly a valid tool to incorporate into the classroom.

Firstly, for a digitial immigrant I found wiki very easy to set up and use. While I haven't yet added anything to my wiki, I do have a wiki page that will be used for assessment task 3 at a later date. You can view my wiki page here as I begin to add information.

The website listing 50 ways to use wiki in the classroom really opened my eyes to the myriad of ways wiki can be used to enhance learning and how applicable it can be to all key learning areas.

Some of my favourite uses for wiki that I feel would enhance learning and connect students are:

• Building a glossary or vocabulary list that the class can add to, comment on or edit
• Tracking projects or assignments and peer assessing or reviewing
• Creating stories where students can take turns to add sentences or paragraphs.
• Reviewing the class book or author study. Students could even create a wiki bookclub
• A wiki class newspaper or FAQ
• Sharing information with a community or international sister school
• Teacher collaboration and organisation with other teachers either at the same school or in the wider community.

Clay Burrell sums up the use of blogs and wiki in his youtube clip '21st Century Learning' by pointing out that blogs are real world and real speak for children growing up in teh 21st Century while wiki is a tool that has the potential to bring the world into the classroom and provides opportunities for students to be authors, editors and publishers.

The beginning of my blogging journey

I'm the first to admit that blogging is not second nature for me. I only bought my first computer at the beginning of last year and have had the same mobile phone for years. It's not that I am afraid of technology, it's just that for something that is supposed to make things faster I tend to waste a lot of time using them.

I was a little apprehensive about starting my blog, but already I can see the addiction and as this is a professional blog, the ideas about its functionality and place in the 21st-century classroom are already becoming clear.

Now that I have mastered how to actually set up a blog, my initial thoughts on blogging in the classroom is that it could be a great way of facilitating communication between students, parents, others schools and international sister schools. I know with my own prac class this year, blogging would serve as an ideal way to increase the sense of 'community' and relationship building within the class. The possibilities are endless, although as with all technology and online communication blogging is not without risks and as future educators we should be fully aware of these.

I am really looking forward to my blogging journey and discovering the variety of e-tools and technologies available. It's time to start investigating!