e-safety issues involved in using Google Docs with students to work collaboratively

·         Students under 13 years can not legally create a Gmail account needed for using Google Docs. To overcome this problem, the school needs to register with Google Apps for Education so that I can monitor the online activities of students.

·         Before the lesson, I took parents’ consent for creating Gmail accounts of learners. Since my school is not yet registered with Google Apps, I sent a note to parents that they can share the password of their child’s Gmail account and supervise them at home.

·         Parents of 3 learners did not give consent for creating Gmail accounts. Therefore, I gave learners the opportunity to contribute on Google Docs using my Gmail ID during the learning session after taking parents’ consent. Later, I sent a web link of students' work to these parents.

·         To ensure safe use of Gmail and Google Docs by the learners, I prepared and shared a handout outlining the e-safety rules for emailing and using Google Docs.

Science Lesson on Keeping Warm Class IV - Creating a KWL Mind map

My students began the science unit “Keeping Warm” with a range of understanding and experience. It was important to find out what they already know (and more significantly, what they presume they know) before I planned any lessons related to this unit.

To create a KWL mind map, students could use a word processor, a mind mapping software or on an online mind mapping tool such as MindMeister available at www.mindmeister.com. I chose the online mind mapping tool Mind Meister for this learning session. After individually writing what they know and want to know about heat, students contributed to a whole class KWL mind map using Mind Meister (Appendix-2b). MindMeister gave students the opportunity to create, edit and revise their KWL mind map collaboratively. If this mind map was created using MS Word or Inspiration, then students would not be able to contribute to it at the same moment and thus valuable class time would have been wasted. MindMeister promoted visual thinking among the students. Using it, students could get the opportunity to share their experiences as well as post questions which were answered by the class as they progressed through the unit. This also helped me to stay informed about their learning difficulties and plan my lessons accordingly. MindMeister is an easy to use and free web application that facilitates students to brainstorm collaboratively. Its simplicity helps in retaining students’ focus on the task. In case of internet connection problems, students can continue to work on Mind Meister using the Google Gears offline library. The changes are automatically updated once the students are back online. Students were able to access this mind map from home and continually update it. This ease of access and collaboration would not be possible if students do individual KWL in their notebooks or on charts. Most importantly, it allowed instant collaboration which is not possible without using ICT. This consolidated KWL continually gave me a very clear picture of the learning process for the whole class.

ETAC: Essential Training for All Coaches

I never imagined how much work this course entailed. I thought I would learn about the different programs on the computer, do some worksheets and maybe take some tests. Wow, was I wrong! This course has been both a headache and a blessing to me. Knowing a bit about computers, I thought the ETAC would be good to take as my first course in BSS, hoping any newly acquired skills would help me in future classes. Little by little my skills and technology integrated lesson plans improved. It was starting to come together.

Each technology integrated lesson helps to build upon the previous one, and then adds new skills. I learned that integrating technology into the classroom is no easy task; I found some lessons to be more of a challenge than others. I learned that teachers can work as a team by brainstorming ideas. I sought out help from the colleague teachers and found them to be very cooperative and helpful. I am very proud of my lesson plans and the skills I have acquired. I look forward to making more lesson plans and using them in my classroom.

Podcast on Mirages

ETAC: A Complete 180 degree turn

The ETAC Course has been a miraculous experience for me. Before I had joined this programme I hardly ever thought about my ICT skills and their use in my classroom. During the programme when I learned the use of blogging, pod casting, digital microscope, discussion forums and much more, I realized that what I knew earlier was not at all sufficient. There was a whole world of technology out there waiting for me.

I learned the use of peripherals i.e., digital microscope, printer and scanner on my own.

There is a marked change in the way students think and communicate with me. Now I hear my students saying:

• I have enjoyed the term more because of the variety of ICT integrated lessons.
• You are the only teacher who has given us website addresses for games and revision practice.
• Can I e-mail you if I have any questions to ask?
• Wow teacher, you play the same games we do. (When learning about oxides of nitrogen as a pollutant, we discussed about NOS used in car racing and in the computer game called Need for Speed Underground)

At the end of this term, I asked students if they recall some lessons in which they learned and enjoyed a lot. There came a good list of experiences which was much longer than the list I got in the first term.

In short, this programme has taught me how to learn on my own and help my students learn how to learn on their own. I have really changed...

Have you?

Podcast experiment

Blogging technology and Student Learning

Blogging technology as a learning tool provides models that promote interactivity, student-centered learning and peer input. Blogs are able to promote student learning with the immediate publishing advantage of the web thus they serve to maximize a student's learning outcomes. Students being conscious that their work will be published make efforts to do their best and produce a good product. They learn through the feedback they get from their peers thus their learning outcomes are far more qualitative. Students who are shy public speakers can communicate wonderfully through blogging as they can organize their thoughts and write confidently.

Individual students can create their own blog to organize their information and reflect on their inquiry. Based on the teacher’s assessment criteria of student learning, which is made available to the students in the form of a rubric, students remain focused on the objective. They also assume responsibility and take charge of their own learning.

Blog is where the teacher may post videos, resource links, review of the class topics, assignments and additional information for students.

Using the blog as a tool for communication, analysis and reflective learning is not just possible, it is a reality.