Modules 9 and 10

Scootle's tagline is "Learn, teach and collaborate using digital curriculum resources". I read this and thought it may just be a website I could make good use of, and then I realised I had to subscribe.  I may look into this in the future, but for now just browsed as far as I could. There appears to be a lot of great resources available to teachers on this site and I like the icons at the top of the home page that let you access various areas of the site. These are learning objects, images, audio, video, collection, teacher resource and assessment resource.  I also liked that once you select your icon, you can then refine your search by looking specifically at different grades and KLA's. This would make searching for your resources so much easier.

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace...... social networking has taken over! I am an avid user of facebook and I enjoy communicating with my friends through the social networking site, however I don't see it as a positive tool for students, particularly primary students. I have heard of  teens that get themselves into trouble because they don't use the social networking site appropriately and this is a problem. I think the privacy settings on various social networking sites need to be upgraded if children are to use them. I also think parents need to be involved and present with their children if and when they access them. Twitter is something  I have perused but do not have an interest in getting involved with. It may be a site that could work in schools, if used correctly. Teachers could use it for any brief notes, although we already do this on our desktop.

Second Life is an interesting tool that I have not come across before. I think children would really enjoy using this site, as it is almost like playing a video game in a 3D virtual world. Children could take on characters to explore various themes and topics as they are immersed in a virtual world of learning. Some of the educational tasks they can be apart of in Second Life include: roleplaying, going on a scavenger hunt, guided tours, learning by doing activities, co-creation activities, simulation activities, quizzes and tutorials tutorials.

Other social networks which can be used for educational purposes are wikis and nings. Sounds like a completely new language! I was surprised to learn that wikipedia is actually a wiki! I have used wikipedia so many times but I now know that it is an actual wiki as it is an online encylopedia which is collaborated by many. Nings are very similar to wikis and are also online social networks used to communicate with others about certain issues. A school based wiki or ning could definitely be useful and a worthwhile tool for teachers and students to use.