Loisath-My ICT Journey

Convert Your Web Page to Web 2.0 and Your Staff Along with It. #1

This is the first in a series of blogs describing our school’s journey to using Web 2.0 technology in our classrooms . It includes the background research, reflection on a trial run, and problems and possible solutions.

Why Change to Web 2.0?

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is not a new invention but a shift in the use and capabilities of the World Wide Web. Previously the Internet was used mostly to retrieve information but now, due to changes in the software, users can easily and without technical knowledge participate as contributors, collaborate online and have access to online software.

“These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies (the practice of catgorising content through tags).” (Stilton Studios, 2008)

Teachers and students who participate in Web 2.0 have powerful tools to construct knowledge, collaborate locally and globally and to be creative with many powerful and free online tools (think, communicate  and create).

Part 1: The People:

Since discovering web2.0 (blogging, online personal learning networks, wikis) I can’t help but feel all teachers should know and use these tools. I’m not sure if it is part of human nature that we have to share and bring others onboard to think the way we do because it is reaffirming or because we believe it is important and our duty to nurture our peers.  I feel there is an urgency to inform teachers about the educational online world. So much is going on in the “webasphere” especially in education, that if teachers are not connected then I fear they are being left behind and can only provide an outdated education program.

Part 2: Community  & Communication

The web site at our school is professionally designed and provides lots of information for parents and prospective families about the history of the school, the curriculum it offers, newsletters, contact details etc. However the communication is directed one way- out to the community. Even then only one or two people in the school have the technical knowledge required to upload information. Putting student work on the web page for viewing is limited by the time it takes one person to do it and without any avenue for feedback, one wonders if anyone even sees it.

Part 3: The Solution:

To solve both problems I believed we could convert the web page to weblogs and by giving the staff ownership of their own class blog they would begin to learn about web 2.0. This sounds simple, but of course there are many complications and responsibilities when you combine publishing material to the wider community, students work, and multiple teachers with a wide range of skills and knowledge.

•    Student safety and privacy,

•    school integrity, and

•    teacher’s professional image

…all have to be considered and protected. And this is a big change in the underlying philosophy of a school, which until now has had almost complete control of material that was published or written to the school community. The school now has to consider the “digital identity” that it is creating.

The Australian, Victorian Department of Education has links to documents, advise and help guides for schools and teachers who want to start their own web 2.0 pages. I have linked to some of the material below.

Documents School Must Have

Internet Acceptable Use Policy for Students

Student Images Agreement

Acceptable Use Policy for School (or Department’s) ICT Systems

Documentation Teachers Should Read

Copyright Information Sheet for Schools(National Copyright Unit, 2008)

Student safety and blogging(DEECD, 2008)

Global Teacher – Blog Directory and Web 3.0 Community(Global Teacher)

It is important to have the essential cyber safety rules and protocols in place before starting weblogs to protect student online identity. For example

• Student photos if the student can be easily recognized will not be used
• Only first name and grade, or initials, or an online name will be used
• All comments will be moderated by the teacher before appearing on the page

In our trial period we decided to follow the Department’s(DEECD, 2008) advice with becoming “proficient with your own teacher blog” (DEECD, 2008) before creating any student blogs. From my own experience the best way to understand how blogging can facilitate learning is to have your own blog and this is one time in teaching ICT that I think it is important for teachers to have prior learning before introducing it to their students.

References

DEECD. (2008, Oct 21). Teacher > Global > Blogs. (S. o. (DEECD), Producer) Retrieved Nov 12, 2008, from Department of Education and Early Childhood Development State Government of Victoria

Stilton Studios. (2008). Glossary. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from Stilton Studios: http://www.stiltonstudios.net/glossary.htm#w

When I first read the title Digital Footprints I thought the topic was about our use of technology and its impact on environment. Wrong of course because it is about how we can be identified by our digital presence in Web2.0. I wonder how or why “Footprints” was chosen rather than “Fingerprints” because we all know that forensic investigators dust for fingerprints to identify the suspects. Then again maybe its footprints because it is about the tracks we leave and how we can be followed on the Web. A combination of the two, being identified and followed is the important issue.

The important thing is that your identity on the web is a bit like an identikit picture. The way that people come to see you, is a construct of all the entries with your name. Your features and assets are decided by what can be “Googled” or searched for on the web. Your followers may never meet you but they develop an understanding of where you stand on issues, your philosophy, and sense of who you are by reading your blogs, bookmarks, and looking at photos and videos that you post. You can also be identified by what others put on the web about you. Photos can be tagged with your name, and there are the collections of documents that have been written by others about you.

So you can just let it develop accidentally or take charge and be proactive.!

Footprints photo by James Jordan licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

Alias Fatty by Vacacion licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0