Uses of Second Life in Education

According to the Second Life (SL) website (2009), SL is a virtual world. This virtual world is built and added to by its members. Membership to this site is free, however people can upgrade their account by paying for a membership, which provides various benefits. SL is now being looked at and used for education. CNN’s Wong (2006) stated that, “ A growing number of educators are getting caught up in the wave. More than 60 schools and educational organizations have set up shop in the virtual world and are exploring ways it can be used to promote learning” (para. 4). So how can SL be used for education?

Mesko (2007), posted a blog stating a variety of ways in which SL can be used in education. People can collaborate with others in the same field or subject all over the world. SL can be used to hold discussions about various topics. It can also be used for support amongst educators. They can discuss issues they are having and figure out ways to solve these problems. This post also provides specific examples of how SL is being used in education.

Kay (n.d.) has developed a list of examples of how education is and can use SL as a learning tool. One main point that Kay makes about how students can use SL is that they can be active in their own learning. The way that SL works, also students to actually be engaged in their learning by being able to create and build their own learning activities.

Linden Lab research (2009), which is directly connected and works through SL, Briefly describes how a virtual environment can be used to develop new ways of learning. It demonstrates that SL is being used by a variety of universities to create virtual campuses for their students. This is “… where students can meet, attend classes, and create content together” (Linden Lab, 2009). It also has found that SL can be a good professional development tool for educators.

xxArete2xx (2007), has created a YouTube video that describes several of the ways that SL can be used for education. For literature, theater, and humanities, SL can be used for role-playing, and creating and performing plays. For art students, they can explore museums as well as create their own artwork. It can be a great platform for studying color and design for art. For a history class, a teacher can create a simulation of an ancient culture for the students to explore and experience. These are just a few specific examples of how education can be enhanced by SL that Arete describes in the YouTube video.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a, “… trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy, and leadership for innovation” (ISTE website, 2003, About Section, para. 1). This organization has developed a group within SL for continued support of education. They provide support and assistance to educators who are new to SL. The have a variety of resources, including landmarks of the various educational sites with in SL. They also have social gatherings that allow educators to meet and discuss various topics. They also provide a series of lectures on a variety of topics. Being part of the group allows you to be informed of all events and get any assistance needed.

It is apparent that virtual worlds and SL are potentially a new force in education. These sites and ISTE group within SL provide a variety of examples of how to use SL in education. The resources below also provide a variety of information and resources for SL in education.

References:

The International Society for Technology in Education. (2003). About us. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=About_ISTE

Kay, J. (n.d.). Educational uses for second life. Message posted to Second Life in Education: http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses

Linden Lab. (2009). Virtual environments enable new models of learning. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-virtual-world

Mesko, B. (2007, September 19). How and why to use second life for education. Message posted to Science Roll: http://scienceroll.com/2007/09/19/how-and-why-to-use-second-life-for-education/

Wong, G. (2006, November 14). Educators explore ‘second life’ online. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from CNN.com website: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/13/second.life.university/index.html

xxArete2xx. (2007, May 29). Education in second life: explore the possibilities. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMGR9q43dag

Resources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMGR9q43dag

http://scienceroll.com/2007/09/19/how-and-why-to-use-second-life-for-education/

http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses

http://www.ibritt.com/resources/dc_secondlife.htm

Educational Uses of Podcasting

Podcasting is a way of posting multimedia presentation that can be presented through the Internet. K12 Handhelds website (2005) states, “A podcast is generally a regularly-produced series of these posts, similar to a series of radio broadcasts, episodes in a television series, or entries in a personal journal” (para. 2). Here are some ways that educators can use podcasting in education or in the classroom along with some resources for using podcasting in the classroom.

K12 Handhelds website (2005) suggests the following as possible ways to use podcasting for education. Daily homework podcast to keep parents up to date with what was going on in the classroom. District technology team can create podcast tutorials for teachers to access on school technology. Students can create podcasts to demonstrate what they have learned about a topic. School boards can create a podcast of their meetings to allow more people to have access to those meetings. Teachers can record the class session as a podcast for students who are absent and students who may need to review the information for extra reinforcement.

The Office of Technology at the University of Minnesota (2006) provides some other uses for podcasting in education. Podcasts can be used to present news or updates on information. Guest lecturers for the class can create Podcasts. Students can create podcast presentations. Podcasts can be produced of interviews of people that deal with a specific topic. Podcasts can also be used to present feedback or evaluation of student work.

Arendale (2007) provides presentations on podcasting. He suggests using podcasting for chapter overviews. Also to provide study strategies to students, as well as computer technology tips. They can also be created for exam preparation. Finally students can create and deliver podcasts on various topics.

Walsh (2009), provides other uses for podcasting in his blog. Podcasts can be used to create an archive of lectures for students to access at their leisure. He states that podcasts can be used to create, “… short language lessons or other lessons focused on developing listening and speaking skills …” (Potential uses section, para. 1). They can also be used for supplemental material as well.

There are a variety of ways that podcasts can be used in the classroom. There are also many sites that are available for teachers to find more information as well as premade podcasts that can be used in the classroom. Shelley (n.d.) has created a website that provides a lesson on how to integrate technology, specifically podcasting into the classroom. He provides information on how to set up the podcasting project as well as specifics for what the teacher will need to do and what the student will need to do. He also provides other resources on podcasting. Guidesandtutrials.com provides several tutorials on podcasting and several examples of how podcasts have been used in the classroom. Shambles.net also provides a variety of links to podcasting education resources.

It is becoming evident through the research of Web 2.0 technologies that there are a variety of things that can be used appropriately in the classroom. Podcasting has a variety of uses in the classroom. It can provide a different way for students to express their knowledge or what they have learned. It can also be a very useful tool for the teacher for presenting and review information with the students.

References:

Arendale, D. (2007). Podcasting in education. Retrieved July 25, 2009 from http://www.tc.umn.edu/~arend011/podcasting.htm

K12 Handhelds. (2005). Podcasting. Retrieved July 25, 2009 from http://www.k12handhelds.com/podcasting.php

Shelley, N. (n.d.). Podcasting in the classroom. Retrieved July 25, 2009 from http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~nshelley/

University of Minnesota. (2006). Podcasting in education. Retrieved July 25, 2009 from http://dmc.umn.edu/technologies/podcasting.pdf

Walsh, K. (2009). Checking out podcasting in education. Message posted on http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/03/checking-out-podcasting-in-education/

Resources:

http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/infolit/edupodcast/

http://www.guidesandtutorials.com/podcasting-in-education.html

http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~nshelley/

http://epnweb.org/

Uses of RSS Feeds in Education

DeWolf (2007) states; “RSS Feeds are the Really Simple Syndication of web content, meant to allow users to keep up with their favorite web sites in a time saving, automated manner” (para. 2). RSS feeds are a form of subscription to things that are published to the web. They are similar to having subscriptions to your favorite magazines or newspapers. They are links that allow a person to view a particular blog, podcast, or other form or information as soon as it is updated. It is a simple way to keep up to date on the information that you enjoy. Using sites such as Google reader will also help to manage the RSS feeds that you have subscribed to. Now the real question is, how can this web 2.0 technology be used in education and what resources are available to teachers?

According to Suite101.com (2008), RSS feeds can be used in education to follow a current event in class. RSS feeds can also be used to monitor collaborative projects. They can be created for class updates, homework assignments, question of the day, and due date reminders. They can also be used to help keep parents informed as well.

Housley (2009) recommends using RSS feeds for student research. The students can subscribe to feeds using specific key words that pertain to their research. The students can also create a search feed that will notify them when their particular topic in mentioned. The feeds can be used to keep school sports schedules up to date.

In Richardson’s (2005) article on RSS feeds, he recommends several ways to use RSS feeds in the classroom. One way that teachers can use RSS feeds is to review student blogs. If the students already have created and use weblogs, then the teacher can subscribe to these weblogs RSS feeds to collect the assignments easily, instead of having to access each weblog separately. Teachers and students can use RSS feeds to keep up to date with websites that discuss a particular topic. RSS feeds can also be used to locate news groups and other news outlets.

D’Souza (n.d.) shares a variety of information about RSS feeds in education. Depending on the blog service that is being used, teachers can track students’ comments to their peers a blogs to make sure that the students are learning how to comment appropriately. RSS feeds can be used to track discussion boards. Teachers can set up discussion boards for a particular topic and then monitor the discussion of the students through an RSS feed.

Along with knowing how RSS feeds can be used in education, teachers and students need to understand how RSS feeds work and can be created. Ormiston (2006) has created a website that provides a variety of tutorials and resources dealing with RSS feeds and using them in education.

These articles and the resources listed below provide information and feeds that are relevant to education. As with all things on the Internet, RSS feeds should be investigated by the teacher prior to using in the classroom. However these sites and articles, demonstrate the use of RSS feeds in the classroom and how they can be beneficial to education.

References:

DeWolf, E. (2007, November 13). Using RSS feeds to your advantage. Message posted to http://ericadewolf.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/using-rss-feeds-to-your-advantage/

D’Souza, Q. (n.d.). RSS ideas for educators. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from http://www.teachinghacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/RSS%20Ideas%20for% 20Educators111.pdf

Housley, S. (2009). RSS and education. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from http://www.rss-specifications.com/rss-and-education.htm

Ormiston, M. (2006). RSS feeds in education. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from http://www.techteachers.com/rss.htm

Richardson, W. (2005, March 29). RSS: a quick start guide for educators. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from http://weblogg-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/RSSFAQ4.pdf

Resources:

http://www.educational-feeds.com/

http://weblogg-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/RSSFAQ4.pdf

http://www.techteachers.com/rss.htmW

Educational Uses of Social Bookmarking

The social bookmarking, “… technique uses a Web-based service instead of your browser to save and organize bookmarks” (Jackson, 2009, para. 3). So how does this make social networking important? According to Teaching Hacks.com (2007), “The social bookmarking web site allows individuals to store their bookmarks on the Internet and makes them accessible anywhere” (para. 3). So how would this be helpful to educators and students in the classroom? “In essence, social bookmarking lets you maintain a personal collection of links online, similar to the bookmarks or favorites in your browser, but they are also accessible to others on your own personal archive page” (Hedreen, 2005, para. 1).

Social bookmarking not only allows you to organize your bookmarks or access them from any computer, it also allows you to share your bookmarks with others. This allows an educator to work with other educators to develop lists of educational resources that they can share. Here are several ways that Hedreen (2005) suggests the use of social bookmarking in education. She suggests using it to compile references or sites that provide information on a particular topic being studied or researched. Another way is to compile articles that a teacher my want to have their students read from the web. It can also be used to help with collaborative projects. According to CR2.0 Wiki (2009), social bookmarking can be used for educators around the world to share their interests. It also states that this can be created for each of the academic departments in the school so that the department can share sites and resources for that subject. Finally, the Department of Education and Training (2009) states that librarians can use these types of services to maintain sites that are related to the school curriculum. Social bookmarking has a variety of uses with in education.

References:

CR 2.0. (2009). Social bookmarking. Retrieved July 13, 2009 from http://wiki.classroom20.com/Social+Bookmarking

Department of Education and Training. (2009). Social bookmarking. Retrieved July 13, 2009 from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/ socialbookmarking/index.htm

Hedreen, R. (2005, February 3). Social bookmarking in education. Message posted to blogspot: http://frequanq.blogspot.com/2005/02/social-bookmarking-in-education.html

Jackson, L. (2008, June 5). Sites to see: social bookmarking. Retrieved July 13, 2009 from Education World Web site: http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/sites/sites080.shtml

Teaching Hacks.com. (2007, May 28). Social bookmarking tools. Retrieved July 13, 2009 from http://www.teachinghacks.com/wiki/index.php?title=Social_bookmarking_tools

Resources:

http://wiki.classroom20.com/Social+Bookmarking

http://www.squidoo.com/social-bookmarking-education

Educational Uses of Twittering

Twitter is a social networking system that allows people to create microblogs and provide updates about what they are currently doing. Grosseck and Holotescu (2008) state that, “microblogging enables real-time interaction between users using different devices, technologies and services” (What means section, para. 2). Educators have been determining how Twitter can be used to enhance and promote learning. Here are some ways current educators are using Twitter in the classroom.

Wheeler in his January 1, 2009 blog post states 10 different ways that Twitter can be used in education. Wheeler (2009) recommends using Twitter as a way to notify students of changes or other important information, a way for students to provide a brief summary of a topic, and share a hyperlink. Students can follow a famous person or particular event. Create a Twitter account for a character from history and tweet, as they would have tweeted. They can hold micro discussion and collaborate to develop micro stories. It can be used to learn other languages by sending out a tweet in a particular language that the students will translate. Create a common hash tag to share specific information with in a group. Finally Wheeler states that it can be used to create penpals. Wheeler also provides links and more references for uses of Twitter at the end of his blog.

Parry (2008) also presents several of the same types of activities as mentioned above by Wheeler. Some of the other ideas that Parry proposes in his blog are the use of Twitter to practice appropriate grammar and creating writing rules that allows the information to be written in a shorter form with out losing the meaning of what has been written.

Jones (2008) also points out several other ways that Twitter can be used in education. Jones states that instant feedback can be provided through Twitter. Since you do not need a computer to access Twitter, messages can be sent at anytime. Jones also references the idea that Twitter can be used to facilitate active learning.

Cooper-Taylor’s (2008) blog provides 50 different ways that Twitter can be used in the classroom. She provides a great list of do’s and don’ts when Twittering. A few of the things that she suggests using Twitter for are asking questions, providing advice, talking about others as well as yourself, and show your human side will Twittering.

These suggestions are all demonstrations of how Twitter can be used with in the classroom and to promote learning.

References

Cooper-Taylor, C. (2008, August 22). 50 ideas on using Twitter for education. Message posted to Blog by Carol: http://cooper-taylor.com/blog/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/

Grosseck, G. & Holotescu, C. (2008). Can we use Twitter for educational activities. In Scribd. Retrieved July 13, 2009, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/2286799/Can-we-use-Twitter-for-educational-activities

Jones, R. (2008). Using Twitter as an educational tool. In SearchEngineWatch.com. Retrieved July 13, 2009 from http://searchenginewatch.com/3630980

Parry, D. (2008, January 23). Twitter for academia. Message posted to academHacK: http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/

Wheeler, S. (2008, January 2). Teaching with Twitter. Message posted to blogspot: http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2009/01/teaching-with-twitter.html

Resources:

http://eduspaces.net/csessums/weblog/179742.html

http://cooper-taylor.com/blog/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/

Educational Uses of Blogging

Blogging has become an integral part of communication with in the use of the Internet. Duffy and Bruns (2006) state, “… social networking adaptive technologies like blogs, wikis and the RSS process involve students in situations that require them to employ a growing assortment of cognitive skills in order to perform and solve problems in these digital environments” (p. 31). This is how Ray (2006) describes blogging, “A blog can be thought of as an electronic bulletin board that is as easy to create and use as an e-mail board that is as easy to create and use as an e-mail account” (p. 176) Here are several ways in which blogging can be utilized by educators in the classroom. They can be used to communicate, as instructional resources, collaborative tools, and to showcase student projects. According to Bartlett-Bragg, there are a variety of ways to use blogging in education (2003). Group blogs are used to allow multiple students to contribute to a discussion or topic. Blogs can be used to publish student writing. They can be used to create field notes or journals of practical experiences or summary of what they had learned during an activity. Blogs can also be used to present a personal opinion about a subject. Kadjer and Bull (2003) provide an article that describes ways to use blogs to help students who struggle with reading and writing to be more successful. They suggest using blogs for literary activities such as character journals, grammar and revision activities, as well as reinvented activities, such as photoblogs and storyblogs. Glogoff’s article on “Instructional Blogging: Promoting Interactivity, Student-Centered Learning, and Peer Input” (2005) describes how the author has used blogging in his class and provides suggestions on how others can use blogging and technology in their courses. He states that there are three ways in which blogging can be used as an instructional tool. First it can be used as a receptive learning tool for “ … class assignments, reflections and journal entries to extend discussion and foster collaboration” (Glogoff 2005, Receptive Learning section, para. 2). It can be used as a directive learning tool to provide equal access to information and to provide students with information and links of where to find more information on a topic. Finally blogs can be used to guide student discovery on a particular topic. In general all of these articles provide insight into the use of blogging with in education. As demonstrated above, blogging can have a variety of uses with in education and in all content areas.

References

Bartlett-Bragg, A. Blogging to learn. Retrieved July 11, 2009 from the Knowledge Tree website: http://knowledgetree.flexiblelearning.net.au/edition04/pdf/Blogging_to_Learn.pdf

Duffy, P. & Bruns, A. (2006). The use of blogs, wikis and RSS in education: a conversation of possibilities In Proceedings Online Learning and Teachin Conference 2006, pages pp. 31- 38, Brisbane. Retrieved July 11, 2009 from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/5398/1/5398.pdf

Glogoff, S. 2005. Instructional blogging: Promoting interactivity, student-centered learning, and peer input. Innovate 1(5). Retrieved July 11, 2009 from http://studentcenteredlearning.pbworks.com/ f/Instructional+Blogging.pdf

Kajder, S. & Bull, G. (2003). Scaffolding for struggling students: reading and writing with blogs. Learning and Leading with Technology, 31(2), 32-35. Retrieved July 11, 2009 from http://heartlandaeatoc.pbworks.com/f/Scaffolding+for+Struggling+Students+Using+Blogs+and+Wikis.pdf

Ray, J. (Summer 2006). Blogosphere: the educational use of blogs (aka edublogs). Retrieved July 11, 2009 from Kappa Phi Delta Record website: http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2 sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/28/f8/de.pdf