Blogs, Wikis. Podcasts 3rd edition

While I was at Dymocks in the city I came across an awsome book: Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms. (3rd ed.). London: Sage.  This highly practical book has chapters on weblogs, wikis, RSS feeds, podcasting, twitter and flickr, Facebook, etc.  It has interesting background, hints, tips and step-by-step instructions for setting up wikis/wikipaedias and so on.  I haven't read the whole book but I am already thinking of ideas about how to get students to make a wikipedia entry on an original subject.  I definitely see now how I might use blogs effectively and what is and is not a blog.  Here's an interesting fact.  The word wiki is short for the Hawaiian word wiki-wiki, which simply means "quick".  I do agree that if more was known about how Wikipedias are made then more teachers might try to integrate them into their lessons. 

There is no chapter on using mobile phones but there are points here and there that are useful.  For example, students and teachers can make simple vodcasts from a device such as ipod touch.  I have tried making a voice memo and emailed it to myself.  I am just thinking that this would be good for doing listening tests.  Often times it is an absolate drag trying to find a CD player and record a text for listening on to a CD.  With the Ipod touch all you need is the ipod and speakers.

A very good book that will come in handy now and in the future.

ETL523 Toys to tools and others

I really like this book by Kolb, especially all the lesson plans.  I have a couple of chapters in the 523 folder.  The Fryer website has more stuff by Kolb including the article I think (cell phone skeptic to cell phone evangelist).  The website is good too.  The below is from the annotated bibliography for the second digital literacy assignment.

Kolb, L. (2008). Toys to tools: Connecting student cell phones to education.

Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.  Kolb strongly advocates the use of mobile phones in school classrooms and describes a number of teaching and learning strategies that can be used to make effective use of mobile phones in class, including: the teaching of mobile phone etiquette; and the creation of social contracts governing the use of mobile phones in the classroom.  Kolb (2008) is a reliable source because Kolb has taught both high and middle school social studies and spent four years as a high school technology coordinator in a school in the USA.  This source is helpful because it provides practical guidance for XXX High students, teachers, and school administrators on how to use and manage mobile technologies in the classroom.

Chatswood High school. (n.d.). Policy on the use of MP3 players, ipods and related devices.  Retrieved from: http://www.chatswood-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/about/school_ policies.htm  This school-based policy accepts that students will bring devices, such as MP3 players to school, and that they can be used in the classroom within acceptable limits, such as with teacher permission.  This is a very useful resource because it sets out guidelines for the use of mobile technologies in class.  Accordingly, a number of elements of this policy can be incorporated into the draft XXX High mobile technology policy.

Fryer, W. (2010). Teach digital: Curriculum by Wes Fryer. PBWorks.  Retrieved from:

http://teachdigital.pbworks.com/w/page/19791019/cellphones.  This website contains a variety of relevant resources, such as a Teachers TV documentary (2009) on the use of mobile phones in UK schools that covers a number of issues relating to the use of mobile phones in schools, such as how students relate to mobile phones and why schools should allow students to use these devices in class.  Many of the resources on this website are very useful in creating a school-based mobile technology policy because they provide both theoretical and practical advice from university researchers, principals and teachers on how to use mobile technologies in the classroom, and ways to ensure that they do not disrupt classroom learning and teaching.