So Much to Learn...So Little Time

Two More Resources and Online Safety

This film looks at 2 other web learning resources, Palabea and iTalki.
As learning resources for pupils I am not convinced as to their relevance they are more geared to using language learning as social network. Not that I'm against that per se, just they do not appear to be 100% set up to learn a language.
The majority of this film gives advice about using these sites and the amount of information required to be able to use them.


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A brief look at 2 more language learning resources and also a word about your safety when using these resources .

Internet Safety Tips from Sean The Bass Player

A great post from Sean The Bass Player.

He starts with having a wee go at the Panorama programme last week (which I didn't see so can't comment on, but most of the post is a series of 7 valid, well thought out tips about how to stay safe online.
This is not some aloof educator from the blogosphere or some random teacher (like myself) sounding off but a student who has decided to pass on his advice to others from his own experience of using the web.
I particularly like his advice on why it can be a good idea to use voice and video chat:

...if someone is cool with you seeing what they look like on webcam, or
are cool with having a chat on skype with them when they have the
required gear then they are most likely going to be who they say they
are.

I would like to recommend to any teacher reading this that they pass on Sean's blog address to their students and allow them to read the advice for themselves. I will be cross posting this to my other blogs and passing it on to colleagues.

Technorati Tags: seanthebassplayer, adamsutcliffe, internetsafety, panorama

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A 2oh student's plea.

Sean The Bass Player has come up with some interesting thoughts in his latest Students 2.0 blog post. In short he would like not only to be taught to pass exams but to ensure that students are kept up to speed with technology. His thoughts were piqued by the Queen going all 2.0 by posting her latest Message to the Commonwealth on YouTube, along with a variety of historical films.

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He asks that if an institution as old as the monarchy can move with the times, why can't education?

I think this question is very valid. Why indeed does the education establishment not move and evolve more quickly. Well we all know the stock answer boils down to funding, or lack thereof; but unfortunately there also tends to be quite a lot of inertia in classrooms. If a certain way of doing things has got kids past their exams for the last10 years ago then it will jolly well do so now...if it ain't broke don't fix it.

The inertia thing is quite a difficult problem to deal with as it involves trying to persuade folk to do things they have no desire to do, and I don't wish to go in depth about that here.
But what about the other issue that crops up...funding. Many schools operate on networks that are long past their sell by dates. (My place has only just replaced the Windows '98 machines we were operating.) Now obviously updating these costs a heap of cash, but many of the very usable applications available on the net are free, especially to educators. I'm thinking of applications such as YouTube (or any video hosting site), Flickr, Animoto, Voicethread, Skype etc., etc. All these and more are free and are outstanding resources for educators and their students, BUT how many of us can actually access these sites in schools? Many are banned in the name of child protection, for (a very real) fear that kids will access inappropriate content.

This is where we the educators and students such as Sean ( and his 2.0 colleagues) need to step in by dealing with digital literacy on a daily basis; by educating and encouraging thoughtful, sensible use of the resources on the web. Then maybe, those who hold the keys to the filters may unlock them when they see that these tools are being used wisely and how useful they are to education. And then Sean et al  will feel that they are getting an education that goes some way to preparing them for a future that we cannot yet know.

Photo credit:  Dia 48 - School's Out, originally uploaded on April 18, 2007
by MëL

X-Factored Out..

One of the current crop of X-Factor contestants has withdrawn because of happy slapping footage. (Don' t worry it only links to a newspaper article.)

If kids won't believe adults about the need to be cautious about what they post on the internet maybe they will take heed from their peers. 15 year old Emily Nakanda's dream of winning X-factor has now crumbled around her because of teenage silliness (bullying?) posted on the web for all to see.

Please please please let this be a lesson that what ever you place for public view, can and will come back to haunt you.

Let me applaud the reaction of Emily's family who far from trying to defend the indefensible (as often happens in these cases) have publicly stated how disappointed they are in their daughter's behaviour and that it was their decision to withdraw their daughter.

Byron Review

Here's something we should all get involved in.





Thanks to BBC for picture.

On breakfast this morning there was an interview with Dr Tanya Byron , who has been commissioned to write a review on how children are affected by video games and the internet use (Byron Review: Children and Technology). Sensibly she is asking children to take a direct part in this review by responding to a series of questions or posting to her blogs.

Not only is it important that we take part in this review but, as teachers, we should encourage our students to respond to the questions asked. You never know this could form the basis of important policy changes which could have a direct impact on our practice. Its like the vote, if you don't take part you don't really have cause to complain if you don't like the outcomes.

MySpace page
Bebo page

Have_Your_Say Document

School Tube

SchoolTube now online.

Thanks to Jane Knight bringing to my (and everone who reads her) attention the existence of SchoolTube. It puports to be a safe environment for students and educators to upload videos. On initial inspection there are more appropriate categories for your videos than on TeacherTube. I am quite looking forward to using it.

Internet Safety

Whilst mulching around on teacher tube I came across this great little video, made by students, on the subject of internet safety. I particularly like the cartoon about you tube. See what you think.