Week Three Reflections

Moodle Learning

This weeks readings and engagement activities provided an overview of how to integrate ICTs into our learning designs.  I like this weeks readings because it finally answered some questions about how and what type of activities can be done using ICTs.  Unfortunately it didn't give me a broad range of examples as the learning materials only looked at wiki's, blogs and websites. I haven't looked on ahead in weeks so fingers crossed there are some other examples/activities with other ICTs. 

I read an interesting quote about technology that "the teacher is no longer regarded as the sole source of learning.  Learners are now able to be responsible for their own learning" (found it somewhere amongst the readings).   I agree and disagree with this.  I don't think you can state that a wiki, blog, website, etc can be regarded as automatic support for a learner.   We would like learners to be responsible for their own learning but this may only apply to less then half of the students in your classroom.  The article did go on to later say that a "teacher is the facilitator rather than the expert".  This comment however I do agree with. 

On a positive note however, I do like the idea of using a Wiki for collaboration in group assignments.  Wiki's help with planning.  I've even experienced this during one of our uni group assignments where we would communicate via email.  Email was not an effective communication nor coordination tool in that the important information was scattered through everyone's emails. (Source: Wikis in Plain English).
Below is a link that will take you to a Website that lists 50 ways to use Wiki within the classroom.

Smart Teaching - 50 Ways to Use Wikis for a More Collaborative and Interactive Classroom