Final Reflection

Coming to the end of the Web 2.0 course, I have realised it is just the beginning for me.  I have enjoyed the introduction to my online community and will strive to consolidate my skills to assist our students -  I know this will come about with the support of our dedicated and talented teaching staff at HCCY.

I am a member of the Learning Support Team - not a teacher.  I have spent many more hours with this course and learnt so much.  Many thanks to our Principal, Dr Peter Webster, who encourages us to seek and use technology to engage and challenge our students.
The idea of learning:

• Anything
• Anywhere
• Anytime

is exciting - the idea of classrooms without boundaries could be well supported in the learning support area, particularly for our students who have disabilities.   Being able to create an environment to allow a student to become engaged and challenged is rewarding for both teacher and student.

I managed to comment on Rob's Final Reflection (http://robcullen45.blogspot.com).

I have really enjoyed the modules on GoogleReader, YouTube, Flickr and Delicious.  Second Life and the virtual classroom is futuristic and exciting. I feel more upskilled about being able to assist in the classroom.  Bloom's Taxonomy is well supported by the iLe@rn model and Web 2.0 Tools opens so many possibilites of presentations to all learners.

Being responsible for your own learning - the 'i' has taken on a whole new meaning for me.  I now realise more about what is possible.

Module 10

Wikis have become very user friendly since I was first introduced to them a few years ago.  To be able to create a wiki, a single document for all to access is a great educational tool.


With a simple 'edit' / 'save'/ 'link' format for example -  and a story, directions, holiday comes together with collaborative thinking and just one simple document accessed by those involved.


I will certainly be using this Web 2.0 tool in many ways. To assist students with their educational journey and to provide a wiki or two for the online communities.  Why reinvent the wheel when it can be shared through a wiki. It is a time and information saving device, allowing students to enjoy and explore their educational experience with many other students.  

Unfortunately 'Nings' posted this message - 'page not found'.  I am unable to comment further.



Web 2.0 has given me a new world to experience and this course has provided a taste of what is out their already waiting to be accessed.  GoogleReader has been setup already in our home with daily updates available without time consuming browsing.

Module 9

SCOOTLE - a very resourceful tool for students and teachers alike.  This is the professional side of networking.  Scootle is well supported with great resources; is easy to navigate and allows for specific information revelant to selected year groups.  Prezi is an interesting classroom setup.  I found this world wide interactive classroom could play an important role in education, especially in distance education.

I have never followed Twitter or really taken the time to explore this social networ, however it was an eye opener to learn of its place in every day life.  It is not something that really interests me on a day to day basis  but I can see how people would be drawn into this network:

• short simple messages
• real life experiences
• personal contact

Facebook is a personal social network most widely used by students at our school. At times it is a source of contention, but rather than ignore the problems that arise from usage by students, I feel we have a responsibilty to direct students in the correct and legal usage of this massive network.

 I use Facebook myself to keep in contact with the family, who are spread over many cities.  Facebook .

Interactive virtual worlds, created in 'Second Life', certainly gave a new slant to the learning environment.  Within the learning support environment I could see this being used as an initiative towards future education.

All these resources connect us with each other, either educationally, personally or socially.  This is the way of the world - learn about it or?????

Module 8

RSS - these letters have intrigued me since the course began.
Rich Site Summary - how appropriate!

RSS Feeds via GoogleReader are a great way to save time and energy.  I hadn't used this before but have found it ideal - especially for home use as my husband spends many hours SEARCHING for sites of particular interest to him.  We have spent some quality time and subscribed, subscribed and subscribed.

List view makes access even more efficient.

How to use in the education field?  Hopefully it will keep me updated, to allow me to share the knowledge with the students I communicate with each day.

Module 7

In Module 6  I came across 'delicious' and really couldn't get my head around.

After opening Module 7 it has become apparent - following instructions is helpful.

This site offers a free account to social bookmarking, easily accessible from any computer.  How good is this.  I can research, share, discover and organise my sites and articles without having to track them as individual pages.

The advantage in the classroom would be the building of a resource that can be activated efficiently and has already been resourced by other teachers, students and friends.   Tagging makes access quick and easy.  Bookmarks make easy access for information.

I have posted a comment on a friend's blog.  This was not easy as most people haven't made their blogs public - luckily I am patient and had phoned a friend - two hours later!!!!

Module 6

The Atomic Learning Centre is yet another way to support the learning environment.  I have found this a little difficult to get my head around just at present, however I will persevere at a latter stage.  There is so much information out there on the www and may innovative ways to capture it. 

I have kept the information below as a reminder of this social bookmarking site.

delicious is a social bookmarking Web site. The primary use of delicious is to store your bookmarks online, which allows you to access the same bookmarks from any computer and add bookmarks from anywhere, too. You can keep links to your favourite articles, blogs, music, reviews, recipes, and more. You'll enjoy sharing your favourites with friends, family, and the delicious community!

I have created a Flickr account and found it to be one of the many ways available to upload photos. Students have their own preferences.  Many camera software packages offer amazing uploads and appear more user friendly. Picasa is a web program I use frequently for photo presentation.

Module 5

I had a fun time with this module....spent far too much time creating a personal glog!
Glogster.com could be a very useful tool in visual literacy within the classroom - creating an online poster or an editorial cartoon - embedding current events and public attitudes not found in text books.



Bubbl.us is a fun mind mapping exercise or a fabulous tool for organisation.  Another tool for tempting the learner in the classroom.

Module 4

I have been accessing podcasts for some time now, listening to them on my daily walks. 

Podcasts are a great way to enhance the learning environment of our students in the classroom- particularly during those sometimes long afternoon periods in class. Free downloads are a plus in many areas.

Vodcasts, as I understand,  are the video extension of podcasts.  Working in learning support these will be an asset, providing differentiation for students with varying disabilities.

iTunes is an extensive store, giving support to all areas of entertainment and learning.  Most students are already experts in this field and have shown me how to access most areas.

I have signed up for School Tube after viewing a few sights.  Great to enhance a lesson or provide a visual demonstration in the learning environment.  New Literacies for a New Age, while being very funny, provided an in depth reflection and timely reminder about changes in education today.

Module 3

How good is this! No more copies of documents in many hands - just one document.

No more clutter on my computer and access for all at anytime.

Mind you.....this is just the beginning and it is taking some time to get my head around it.

I am amazed at what is available for classroom activities and how clever our younger students are at creating google docs, guided by forward thinking staff. Tom Barrett's 62 Interesting Ways to use Google Forms in the Classroom is inspirational, especially to me at this stage of learning.

Module 2

Module 2 has opened my eyes.  I now have a new 'online community' to converse with. At the touch of my key pad I am supported by a community of educaters through blogging.  I am able to  access support through a whole range of blogs.

This has made the Web 2.0 a tool at the touch of my fingertips.

Module 1

Hi just testing out my blogging skills, looking forward to posting something serious soon.

Education in Fiji is a serious business - every young man is studying to be a doctor and every young lady, a teacher.  We can all dream!

The Learning Support Team at Hennessy Catholic College plays a very important role in supporting the teaching staff and the students in their care.  I am proud to play an important role in education at this fabulous college.

 I have found in this module a very exciting and interactive way of communicating ideas with people. I am looking forward to Module 2.