Module 8

Module 8 was not one of my favourites. I couldn't use Scootle, the PDF was no longer available to download and I couldn't log in. After emailing the relevant contact, I got no response. So although I was able to look around and get an idea of the resource, I couldn't get into it to get a real good picture. I've used the social networking sites and don't really feel they are for the classroom. Students are not disciplined enough to use them ONLY for the given purpose and will be distracted by their own socialising on the site. This is already a distraction in the classroom, students accessing sites such as facebook when they should be researching or focusing on other tasks. I do see some benefits at home, my daughter will often use facebook to discus homework and assessments with classmates. She does still need to be monitored, or the homework gets forgotten and the social chatting takes over. Second life, I'm not so sure about. While I understand the idea of a virtual classroom, connecting with students in other schools, sharing resources and team teaching, however, still a major distraction for students to sway from the right track. While these are great tools, I still feel they are more for social life than school, apart from scootle. I would certainly not rule out second life, but would need to really explore this in more detail and get a good understanding of what control I can have over what my students do when they login. In saying that, from a visual arts and media perspective, I do se some potential for further exploration and teaching-learning potential.