Collaboration Celebration!

So, our final project to help me complete my first 3 points towards my masters was to plan a global collaboration project using some online tool.
I was fortunate enough to work in a team of 6, with a fabulous representative from preschool right through to Grade 2 in the group. We decided upon starting our own blog with ideas and thoughts about what to include in a blog if we were to start using one in our classroom, where other teachers around the world could help contribute ideas and advice as to how better it and further improve it. Go here to see the site
Our overall aim is to then introduce it to our ES and have all teachers using a blog to keep parents and students informed with the happenings of school life. As well schools around the world whom students could begin to interact with on regular occasions.

I found this project thoroughly useful and have gained some great new blogs of other teachers around the world, which of course brings new and inspiring ideas for me as a classroom teacher. As a result I hope to start interacting with these teachers on a more regular basis. Swapping ideas, perhaps doing some integrated project together etc. A site which impressed me was Mrs Kovals blog so many wonderful widgets are used on her site and ones that I now hope to use on my classroom blog once it is up and running!

It was a really great project for me to undertake as I feel fully aware of what I need to consider when doing my own blog (ie security issues) and what best tools to use on the blog. I am so happy that I now know how to do something like this. Honestly 2 months ago I would have been clueless, “blog-what’s a blog?!” now I am ready for the challenge ahead to get this up and running. My job will not be complete until I have inspired the other 40 teachers or so in ES to do the same! Uh oh, good luck to our fabulous group in accomplishing this task!

PODTASTIC!

Ok so the podcasting part of our module is done and dusted and I have to say I am a little bit upset! I loved doing this. The talking and recording was lots of fun and I have to say I am now thinking radio is my next port of call! Felt quite natural after 10mins or so!! Evidently talking nonsense is for me!! The infuriating part was transferring the recording from one computer to another, we seemed to lose much of our sounds and for some reason the waves all transferred on to one line which made anymore editing very difficult. Weird!  I always find there are constraints with technology but this has not deterred me away from this tool.  I will be reusing this over and over again with my kids. I know ECLC at our school have this set up and in place already and the kids love doing it and hearing themselves be ‘famous’ to the rest of the world! I know preschool will feel the same. Roll on August 2009.

For those of you not convinced by podcasting or at a loss as to how to incorporate into your lessons check out the following educational podcast site and get inspired. Be as excited as me!!

BOO to bloggin for mums

Just call me miss negativity if you like because everything I seem to be writing is all against technology at the moment. ‘Boo’ to twitter and ‘boo’ to Blogging. I can obviously see the pros for both of these things…couldn’t for twitter if I am being honest (but a few people are making me understand why others might like to use it) blogging I totally get why it is used… for those people out there that have fascinating facts or interesting ideas and thoughts. However i am not one of these people and believe me being a mum of 2 small children all that my poor little brain can honestly think about is my kids!!! Blogging is just not something I can personally get in to and I am struggling to meet the requests of writing these posts because quite frankly my children won’t allow me to!

What do i do? Well my answer is this. I sneak round to my friends house while my kids aren’t looking to use her computer. My god it’s amazing, the laptop lid is not being slammed down and I am not being asked to come dance or sing songs. Wow! My fingers are enjoying typing away. I could get into this. Let’s face it though who wants to read this crap. I would be much better off writing in my journal here. No one wants to read this! I have nothing to say. So help me out here someone inspire me and tell me what to write about?! I am struggling. Thank you

Twit-tastic or twit-tacky?

Why oh why would you want to use this?! I honestly don’t get it? Why would you want to communicate with people across the world about what you are doing today?!  Who cares whether I am cooking a yorkshire pudding or have a poo in the loo! Seriously what is this all about? Surely if you miss talking to people or want a chat you go on to facebook and talk to people that you know there (or in some cases half know?!) I just read over on Nadines blog a couple of interesting articles but there is no changing this stubborn mind. This to me is twit tacky! Really, this is something I am never going to use (I hope I don’t eat my hat on this one!) if however you think you can change my mind on this one please let me know and I will eat my hat in front of you!

Skyping with Clay

We are all sat in a class waiting to skype Clay Burel-a guy who is very clued up with blogging and has his own very interesting and helpful site. I’m kinda excited yet I’m a 30year old woman! Sad? Yes.

First thoughts on this is how much fun is this, I’m sure my 3 year olds would love this! Would be great to skype other schools around the world to ask questions on certain units etc

What is web 2.0 find out here….

Well here I am trying to write about something that I have actually never heard of before! Surprised?! Well, not really I have been a hermit crab for the last 2 years with my 2 small girls and as far as computer/technology stuff goes… what the hell is that? Believe me I never get a chance to sit down at a computer to navigate around it without a ‘mummy come play with me’ or a screaming child wanting milk.

My goals-what I really want from this…

Ok so now that my little brain (and I blame the birth of my 2 little cherubs for that!) is finally beginning to understand what blogs and wikis are…with still a lot more to learn… I am starting to really appreciate what I hope to get out of this course. 

A little lost in learning

I am looking forward to learning a lot during this course. Having started today I know very little and feel like my ECLC students-LOST! Still unsure as to the difference of this and the one under technology for learning. When do I write on this and when do I write on the other one?!