Reading on Public Transport & Resisting Technology - Jacqueline Maley says "yes"

Source: Maley, J. 2025. "Here's a novel idea: Break the grip of the algorithm and read a book". The Sun Herald, May 4: 24. 

Jacqueline Maley wrote in The Sun Herald on Sunday about her observations of commuters engrossed in activity on smartphones. I look back at my school days. People had mobile phones, but they were primarily used for making phone calls, and they were not commonly used on trains.

Some would read a newspaper or a book, or otherwise simply look out the window.

Maley made an interesting point that book sales have declined post-pandemic, while book costs have risen. Although not mentioned, it is likely that some schools have had their book budgets reduced due to either reduced school funding or changes in broader school priorities.

She is right about one element of smartphones: We don't engage with the content as deeply as if we were, say, reading a book. Algorithms often dictate what we read in a digital world, whereas with printed books, we can engage more deeply but also show more curiosity. 

Digital technology can also stifle creative thought, whereas a printed book can stimulate that, as well as writing and reflection. Reading and writing can also take us to unexpected places. 

What does it mean for me? What does it mean for Teacher Librarians?

We can do something to encourage reading in the commute to school, but also shift students away from devices, even for a short period of time each day. The solutions are simple, and you may already be applying them in some form.

To begin with, consider the students who travel a long distance to school. My school does have a large number of students who reside out of the area (Inner West, Hills Shire and Sydney CBD). I have worked in schools where students were travelling much further, which I have seen and still see for myself as I commute on either the T4 (particularly), T9, or Sydney Metro lines. Encourage them to make use of the time to read. Emphasise the benefits, e.g. can calm and relax a person. It can slow a brain down, and I see this for myself and others; it calms one down. It amazes me in my School READ sessions how the noisiest and "loudest" students can be easily calmed by reading.

Quick reads, e.g. graphic novels and verse novels, should be encouraged. They could even be used as a "hook" to encourage students to read longer-form books.

If you have a wide reading program. Well done. That encourages one to read for a longer period of time, while also providing opportunities to be introduced to texts that they may not be familiar with.

Does this mean that she would be discouraging eBooks? Not at all, but it allows us to be more wise with our use of screens. For some, there are benefits, e.g. audiobooks or being able to read a book in a larger font. 

In the library, encourage books using the motto "Reading is Power" to resist algorithms. Books let you decide what you think while algorithms decide what you see. Book Reviews by students should be encouraged, whether they are posted on the shelves, through the library catalogue or a mixture of both. 

Apple Teacher Courses

I recently completed two courses that are provided by the Apple Teacher Learning Centre focusing on Foundational skills for Mac and iPad. 

I confess to being a big fan of Windows due to their availability and simplicity along with their famous office software which can easily be utilised on either Windows or Apple operating systems without the integrity, layout and formatting of files being comprised. Microsoft have removed those problems in recent years.

From doing both Mac and iPad courses, I was impressed by the options that software such as Pages, Numbers and Keynotes offer. I found that content can be more interactive than Microsoft office such as the easiness in embedding audio and media files and with Keynotes - animinations.

I found iMovie to be incredibly easy to use, even when editing some TV clips that I sourced for enjoyment and Garageband makes recording audio or creating music to be an easy process. 

You can view my learning logs by accessing the following links:

Mac

iPad

I have been advised that courses undertaken through the Apple Teaching Centre can count towards your Teacher identified PD hours as part of maintaining accreditation at Proficient Level in NSW.

For Catholic School Teachers in NSW, Catholic Learning Online also provides courses. You can either complete the ones provided online for 2021 or you can wait for 2022, when they intend to provide the courses again. 

But what does it mean for me? If a school has Macs as part of its device program, the opportunities open up. I can see myself sharing my knowledge with my colleagues, particularly in encouraging interactive presentation of information in the classroom. Students can record their own videos, take photographs or audio and embed them into their work. 

I can see that digital storytelling has the greatest scope, because Apple software allows creativity in the drafting and publication of books. They can be shared online too. It also makes me think of the school where Year 7 students as part of their English studies, are required to prepare a picture book. They should use Pages to prepare their book. 

Time to ditch printed magazines?

Last year, I shared insights on ePeriodical apps including Pressreader and Zinio. Recently, I was told by a colleague about the relevance of Periodical Collections in school libraries.

They advised me that it is no longer worth spending. The argument was that newspapers and magazines incurred unnecessary expenses because of the easy disposal, whereas a book has a longer shelf life.

I can see their point, particularly as apps such as Zinio will allow you to access back issues for a period of time and once "loaned", it is yours forever. You can download copies to your app, delete them and if you need it again in the future download it again.

The digital replica can in effect have the life that a printed book would otherwise have.

However, studies show the preference for printed resources. Is forcing one to go digital the right way or wrong way?

While the benefits might include access to a greater variety of periodicals, ease of convenience, access to back issues and less maintenance of the periodical collection, the downside is that school students lose an opportunity to locate content from printed periodicals or seek out a printed copy if they enjoy the web content.

What is interesting though is that more magazines e.g. Time Magazine actually provide free digital subscriptions to print subscribers. Even if you take out a digital only subscription, you will have to pay the same price. You might as well get the combined subscription and provide the online login (via your intranet or learning management system).

With access to Australian newspapers, the web services provided for digital replicas and websites to schools is still poor with unfriendly interfaces along with the high costs of providing the service. At this stage, it would be preferred that a printed editions be made available and a single login (via your intranet of learning management system) to the website and digital replica. The digital access would only work for access on a web browser.

As for magazines, abolishing the entire print collection won't work at this stage. Rather, concentrate on the popular titles and cull the less popular ones. If a school can afford a zinio or Pressreader subscription, it should be used to supplement the existing collection. Public Libraries have scaled their collections of printed magazines while providing others online.

And try and see if your subscription includes digital access as to get the best of both worlds, particularly where printed and digital subscription is equal to the price of a digital only subscription.

No More Teachers, No More Books - MacWorld Article

I came across a good article from the February 2016 edition of MacWorld Australia looking at the impact of technology on teaching. It also doubled up to as a chance to promote apple products for use in the classroom.

I recommend this article for one to read and I do have three points to comment on from my reading:

• British Educator Sir Ken Robinson mentions that education is at a tipping point as the way we educate kids has been unchanged since the start of the industrial revolution; that education is a production line. All kids do the same work and vice versa. I think we have passed it because it has been accepted for a number of years that we have to differentiate learning according to learning needs. Even as a school kid in the 1990's, I look at situations where lessons etc were modified for me or other students to reflect individual needs. 
• It is suggested that the role of the teacher is under threat. As a Teacher Librarian, I am reminded of those that say that we ourselves are under threat. Not at all. The role of the teacher is ever changing and evolving to reflect the society that we live in. We guide students in their learning and teach them how to use the wealth of information around them. 
• The article tries to suggest that printed books are on the way out thanks to iPad's and eBook readers. Yes, technology gives us greater scope for one to publish their works and to share it, and has opened up opportunities not previously available, but there is no mention of the continued interest in print resources. People still prefer their printed resources, and this can be for various reasons like reading, note-taking, interaction with text or simply the physical feel. Printed book sales have been rising Print is not dead. Technology just opens more options. 

What Is The New Role Of A School Library In The Digital Age?

Ron Leunissen wrote an article last year that tries to answer the role of a school library in a school.

Certainly it is easier to access information than ever before. You can access library services from your own home or your own device.

But school libraries will always have a big role in a school. One comment stood out for me:

"The role of a librarian will be more to teach students how search properly in the ocean of information and  to evaluate the value of the source of the information."

I've noticed this in my work to date. Some students don't know where to go to begin their research for a learning task. They need a librarian to sift through what is available and provide a recommendation or the skills that they need to undertake an effective search. I also encourage students to reflect on what they have used in their learning and determine their relevance to the task at hand.

Libraries support the technology driven curriculum. Some would say this reduces the need for one to visit the school library. This is where libraries also have a big role to play. Why? They can provide the resources that one needs to create information. It might be the mp3 recorder that they need to create a podcast or seminar rooms to create a presentation that they might present to a class. We can also guide one in how to present that information as well.

Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) II

As promised, I'd follow up on my earlier entry. I'm still typing this on my Ipad and by the time this has been posted, the internet should have been restored as I'm using Blogger in Offline Mode. 

I did say last week I'd discuss my thoughts a little further going by my experiences last term so here they are and yes the evaluation is right in front of me too to discuss a little further.

Last week I commented that they found it to be "positive" and they were "in control". I observed how relaxed they were when they read. Some achieved it by sitting on a lounge or lying on one of the oversized pillows. 

Technology has done favours to support the concept of DEAR. Some students prefer to read on an ereader or tablet or their smartphone. A student is enable to use the tools that they enjoy using in general to help them enjoy reading. A few opted for laptops. While this may not be the most comfortable tool to use because the size of laptops in general, still they were reading and felt happy to do so.

The overwhelming majority still went for printed books and that really says something about reading - Print is still in vogue. The demand is still there. Abolishing print collections like some schools are doing, are more than likely doing  a disservice to their students.

DEAR is not just about reading but also talking about literature. I promoted literature e.g. new releases to keep students informed on books that they could read. In fact if a student had already read the book, they were invited to share their thoughts and provide a recommendation to encourage students to share their reading. Some recommendations happened to become quite popular with a number of students forced to place a "hold" on the title of choice.

I even asked them to challenge themselves with their reading by doing litgym. litgym simply refers to setting challenges to improve how you read e.g. reading more challenging texts or alternative genres. At the end of the term, I asked my groups to look back at what challenges they had set, If they had met them, they gave their peers tips on how to meet it. Those who didn't meet their challenge got help from their peers as to how they could meet it.

With one group, we had an E-Book presentation and taught them how to access the Bolinda Collection which they found to be quite interesting. 

I also had a luminary (pastoral/roll call) group and the concept of DEAR had actually left the library. We had completed a pastoral care program focusing on girls, education and empowerment and had several sessions left for other activities. Many of them had asked for this time because they saw it as a simple activity to do in that time but also because it allowed for some quiet time admist the chaos of school life. This was chosen over a myriad of other activities that had been proposed e.g. public speaking, social justice issues, time management, meditation etc. I shared this with my house patron and she thought it was a good use of time. Even my co-luminary was backing it. When it came to evaluating the activities completed during Term 1, we actually proposed DEAR as a possible activity to do in that time across other groups (and perhaps) the school. 

App Evaluations - Postscript

Back in December, I had the chance to learn and apply Kathy Schrock's model for evaluating web apps for the purposes of education and teaching.

Recently I was asked at school to nominate relevant apps that were to be installed onto a set of Ipad's that were recently acquired by the school.

The Ipad arrived preloaded with the apps that had been selected by the school's IT department. Using the model, I was able to evaluate and recommend apps to my head of department. There were a number of apps that under the model that did not meet educational requirements. The model made my evaluation quite easy and quick.

What helped me too, was the completion of the IPad course that was provided by the CEO Sydney aided in my nomination of apps. There were some apps that were not featured, and I had some of them nominated and included.

In the end, it meant we were able to have the Ipads installed with relevant apps. Three of the Ipad's are now in our library which can be used by the students.

ACMA Cyber[smart;] PD Day - November 21

Last month I attended an ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) Professional Development Day at North Sydney focusing on Cybersafety.

It is a course that I will recommend to all teachers because you will be surprised at the insights that are provided into Cybersafety and how we should promote it in the classroom and wider school community. You are guided through possible strategies and approaches to deal with responsible digitial citizenship. 

The day also provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on how I and the schools I'm involved with promote Cybersafety. Now it is up to me to implement those ideas. 

It was great to also hear how those at other schools approach the issue of cybersafety (both strengths and negatives). This is not the place to disclose them. It is great food for thought in my teaching. 

Our presenter (Lesley Harrison) clearly identified some of the trends and issues facing our young ones in the use of digital technologies including sexting, cyberbullying, knowledge of technology, underage access to websites and social networking and accessing content. 

Being young, they lack the understanding of what they do online stays with them for life through their digital footprint. Being teachers, we have to help them understand what they do today online will remain with them for life. It can harm them later in life. Thats why effective Cybersafety programs are important. I will have to always remind students of this.  

We as teachers were also reminded of how we should approach technology in our professional relationships with the students and the possible risks associated with using them. Also as professionals we are reminded about protecting ourselves online. Students just need to Google your name and walla all the information about you can be there. Information that you may not want others to know may be in easy reach. So be careful and this will probably be a future blog entry in itself. 

Another aspect that was covered well as how one can incorporate cybersafety and responsible digital citizenship into the classroom in any key learning area and in a pastoral and welfare program. It is very easy to do, believe me. I didn't feel challenged when considering that for a library program. 

Also I was amazed to learn about some of the tools that our children and teens do use that I had not heard of and how popular that they have become. I'll need to explore them much further. 

CEO Sydney ILe@rn with Mobile Devices - Ipad 2 - Module 3

This entry is being done on the Ipad which is already jumping a step ahead with the next module. I'll reflect on that a little later.

For my evaluation of an app, I have decided to evaluate Popplet. I have included a copy of the evaluation for your viewing. 

My scan will includes my evaluation and suitability for the app. The limitations of Ipads do let the app down at the moment. I do see potential once such updates to software to support the app are done. Because of these limitations, it has hard to access relevant support pages which cannot be viewed on an Ipad at this stage.

Learning wise, it does have potential for classroom learning and as a Teacher Librarian would recommend it across any Key Learning Area. 

Within the context of the ILe@rn framework, I chose the app because it supports the development of Information Literacy Skills (ILS) relating to the communication of information. Within the framework it addresses communication and collaboration skills through communicating ideas (brainstorming notes). This includes mind mapping, which requires the student to complete notes in their own words to communicate their understanding of the ideas and/or concepts. It can be done either individually or in collaboration with their peers. It also supports critical thinking as mind mapping requires the student to identify linkages and relationships with the content that has been learned. As a teacher it allows me to assess student understanding of content as through use of the app they are communicating their own ideas.

Sleep Deprivation, learning and children

One common observation I see in the classroom is the tiredness that one may express because they stayed up late the night before. It is quite common

When I read this article, it reflects what I see, even what I have experienced as a student. There is so much technology around us. There is always the temptation to stay up late to watch that TV Show e.g. Revenge or The Voice, the Monday night football match, engage in social networking or ring friends. Even nighttime activities such as sporting competitions etc are keeping people up late.

From time to time, there is the need to burn the midnight oil as assignments and projects need to be completed because they were held off until the last minute.

I do agree with the need to tune out from technology (including TV) before going to bed and I would personally recommend it. I do have a pre bedtime routine myself where I engage in activities that are relaxing and encourage me to fall asleep and minimizes the use of technology. Even simple measures such as keeping the room dark in the evening can help indirectly.

Reading I find is excellent in sending one to sleep. For a student that needs to read their English text, that is a great way to get their reading done but also help them rest. Even if they don't like the book it helps them towards attaining the goal - sleep. If there is a book that they are eager to read, fantastic. Read it then too.

Make sure that the bed is used for sleeping. Keep technology away from the bed and make sure it is switched off. That is what I do. I switch my phone off and turn it on the morning.

Another tip that has worked for me is going to bed at the same time each night.

Time Management is also crucial as well particularly where the sleep deprivation is caused by study. This might mean teaching effective time management skills to my students to ensure that such situations are avoided particularly where an assignment is involved. I have proposed blogging as a form of keeping a record of learning during the learning process. Study schedules work as well as routines can be easily established that allow for maximum use of the time available to us.

Technology & Classroom behavior: Do they cause kids to misbehave? (Part II)

I have taken some time to sit and reflect on how we as teachers should deal with those in the classroom that engage in inappropriate use of technology.

During the past few days, I had the chance to look over at two technology policies of two schools that I am employed at casually at the moment along with their consequences.

I have also been challenged by the limited number of articles on the topic as well. I hope at some point soon that there is some research out there to guide me.

At this stage, I feel that punishment within the “pastoral” or “welfare” policy is fair provided that the behavior is covered by policy. For example, acts of cyber bullying can be dealt with under the policy because bullying involving the use of technology is the same if the bullying was to occur physically or emotionally. Cyber bullying does cause the same effects.

Obviously if a student fails to comply with instructions with their use in the classroom e.g. no music again it should be dealt with because the student has not complied with instructions.

The only time a student should be denied access to technology is if there is serious misuse of it e.g. accessing sites of pornographic and/or offensive nature. If we look at workplace expectations, serious disciplinary action can be taken if one misuses technology. In many instances it has led to loss of employment. 

If school is about preparing our youth for the workplace then we need to foster appropriate workplace practices and develop an understanding of possible consequences. It may mean that a student may loss access to technology for their learning but sometimes students need to learn the “hard way” of separating right from wrong. Access to technology is a privilege, not a right.  

Since discipline is about helping students correct their behavior – I feel that students should also be required to receive support from support staff such as counselors who can guide the student in addressing their issue. Sometimes it does go deeper and that may help the student long term as it may fix other problems affecting them at their stage of life. 

It is still an area that needs to be looked it further. As this blog entry and the previous one showsmI am glad that I have curiosity about it, which is great.

Technology & Classroom behavior: Do they cause kids to misbehave?

Being a casual teacher, this is an interesting question that I want to take some time to reflect on. Obviously the use of laptops allow for greater teaching and learning opportunities in the classroom on so many fronts whether it may be in the presentation of information or making the use of the world wide web to research for information.

As a casual teacher, I try and encourage the students to use the laptops for their learning. With many youngsters wired up to technology, it is fair that if they enjoy the technology, that should be utilized to allow them to learn. As teachers, we do need to focus on student interests if they are to learn effectively. Obviously there are some who want to opt for more traditional means of learning and I try and accommodate that too.

However I find that using the laptops in the classroom can cause students to disengage from learning and end up off task. This is a common issue that has been raised with colleagues that I work at in the various schools that I am employed at. This becomes more challenging if you are a casual teacher.

For instance, some will end up surfing the web, visiting websites not related to learning. They will listen to music from youtube and/or have music stored on their laptops, some of which contain offensive content.

Gaming has emerged as another challenge. Some have downloaded games or simply can access a website that contains games.

I have found that the only way to control the class is to effectively stand at the back of the room where the screens can be seen and moving around regularly. At the front of the room, you cannot see them so there is little point in remaining down the front at all and ensuring that they remain on task.

Then some will want to test my expectations relating to appropriate use of laptops and that of the school’s e.g. play music aloud or simply not comply with instructions even though those expectations were firmly provided.

Taking away the computers from the students may be a short term solution but then the student cannot learn. A few years ago when training as a teacher and even in my first year of casual teaching, I did that and at the end of the day the situation is not really resolved. If the task requires internet research, to sit there and doing nothing will not work. They do not learn at all and miss out on learning the information and communication skills that they will need as part of curriculum requirements.

Will conventional punishments such as a “work” detention (where the student stays back to finish the work) work? Maybe that is the effective way. If a student wastes their learning time doing recreational activities on the computer, maybe sacrificing some of that time after school might do the job. In the workplace, if we waste our time, don’t we have to make up for the time lost at some point, either directly (staying back at our desk) or doing it in our own leisure time.

I plan to answer this further in my next blog post.

ICT & Maths

I was talking to a friend last month. They are a qualified maths teacher and we discussed some challenges of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in maths.

I can understand their viewpoint that traditional methods of teaching and learning such as writing on the board and students presenting their work in an exercise book is much more effective. At the end of the day students won't be tested on a computer and hence need practice in presenting their work by hand. The teacher does use a wide variety of resources such as learning kits etc to help in students develop their practical understanding.

After some personal reflection, I realise that there is more scope than ever for using ICT to help students learn.

Many students despise maths and ICT can make maths more interesting for students.

The rise of Ipads in the classroom has given opportunities for teachers to use to satisfy ICT requirements.

Last year, I was asked to identify suitable apps to support teaching and learning. This site contained a list of apps that are available for Maths. Calculators, quizzes, instructional videos are some of the apps that are available. As time progresses they will surely be refined.

And just browsing around today is helping me to identify possible resources that can help teachers. A wiki that I located has a list of resources that a maths teacher can use in a lesson. I like the fact they provide teaching resources to allow students to develop their mathematical understanding by using online sites such as Google Earth. I can even see a cross curricular link right there with Geography.

Graduation Time & Year in Review

I want to congratulate those who are graduating with me this week from my Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) Degree.

I decided to graduate in absentia so I will not attend the graduation ceremony in Wagga Wagga tomorrow.

Looking back at 2012, I'm thrilled that I finished my masters especially when you hear of the stories of those who have struggled to complete the course; the fact that some pull out because of time committments and not complete the course. Some have to scale back their studies to the one unit per semester and the talk of people failing units.

Just finishing a course is a big achievement in itself.

I got there because I was focused and committed. I wouldn't let any challenges outside of my studies intrude on it. In fact I let the challenges encourage me to work harder because the rewards that await will be far greater than anything.

If I look back, I am glad I undertook certain actions like volunteering at All Saints Grammar. It boosted my self esteem and it helped me develop as a professional in a more relaxed setting where I did not have to be as scrutinised as in the classroom. I was amazed by the professional relationships that I actually created there. I hope to continue that committment next year.

I was also glad that I did my professional experience there too. Small schools have helped me thrive as a teacher and the fact that everyone knows and helps each other makes the work alot easier.

The volunteer work also helped in the classroom as well as a casual teacher as well. I noticed that I was alot more relaxed and confident and prepared to face up to the challenges of teaching even better than ever. I was eager to help kids in the classroom as well as much as I could even outside my subject areas. It might be helping students to locate information and seek clarification about something that they do not understand. Some might need help writing and presenting information. I found myself in that situation many times of helping and guiding students in their learning. I could go home with my head up knowing that I did something other than "babysitting".  I am not a casual teacher that likes to sit at the front of the room and reads a book like other casuals. I like to interact and support the learning process as much as possible.

I did not predict at the start of 2012 that I would do a paid casual block as a teacher librarian either and that gave me a full immersion into what I will face as a full time teacher librarian. I was lucky too I managed to learn alot more about my professional role, which sadly was overlooked in my actual studies. There was alot that had to be learnt but it was done and done well. I'm grateful that Waverley College gave me such an opportunity and the students liked my presence there.

I still felt that my knowledge of Information and Communication Technologies was lacking and I decided to take advantage of the offer by the Catholic Education Office Sydney to do a Web 2.0 course for teachers. Immersing myself in some new web tools has stimulated my interest in using them for teaching but even for leisure too. Students don't even know that some of the tools even exist. I cannot wait to teach them how to use them and they will surely love using them in their learning. I'll admit to having a lot of fun myself playing around with the tools. 

It was encouraging that so many teachers in the schools that I have been involved with have been supportive in my studies and endeavours this year. I've also enjoyed sharing my experiences and knowledge with them as well. I hope to continue this next year


I can hold my head up high at the end of the year with these achievements. I may not have a full time job for 2013 but if I can keep the good work up, the full time job will come. I'm ready to face up to the challenges of being a teacher librarian. Even if I have to work in a classroom, I will be able to undertake that role even better than when I completed my post graduate studies. I am better informed about pedagogy and practice. I want to apply it and help the kids aspire to their full potential.

Cyberbullying is "overrated"

I have viewed some interesting emails relating to this article.

I feel I have to throw my two cents into this matter.

To me cyber bullying is a problem not matter how often it occurs in comparison to bullying that occurs offline.

If we look at NSW, the vast majority of school students in Year 9-12 now have a laptop due to the Federal Government's laptop rollout program.

Virtually every school student that I have come into contact with as a teacher owns a mobile phone or smartphone. Simply technology is around us.

We are proliferated with it. With this rise in technology, this provides the perfect setting for cyberbullying to occur.

The internet is a public place like the town square. Views can be said or heard by the entire world. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying, like physical or verbal bullying.

Unlike the physical world, it can be done anonymously and the offender can get away with it without penalty unless their identity is published. in the physical world, the perpetrator is often known to the victim and is more likely to get caught.

In the classroom as teachers, we have a challenging job controlling a group of up to thirty students in a room. I find that I have to move around the room quite frequently if students are using computers to ensure that they are on task that they are not using communication tools (facebook, phones etc). Even then Its extremely easy for a student to put their phone in their lap or under the desk and text or message away. I have caught students doing this. Its akin to passing notes in the old days from student to student, except it is now done electronically.

But for the article to say that cyberbullying is not as prevalent as it seems because 16 % have reported being bullied electronically as opposed to 39 % who might be bullied offline bemuses me.

16 % of students being cyberbullied is still a very high number.

There is no way that cyberbullying is overrated at all.

The article does not mention what percentage of students have been bullied either physically or verbally. There is also silent bullying (excluded from peer groups, not invited to social outings, being delibrately ignored by peers etc). And I will also add that a small percentage of students are bullied by their teachers. I was actually subject to bullying by a teacher when I was in Year 10. As one of my peers said it was done because in that teachers view that I "needed to be a man". If you were to break the offline bullying into the categories that I have mentioned, I think you will be amazed at how common cyberbullying is compared to other forms of bullying.

Module 9 (Web 2.0) - Networks on the web – professional and social

Like many others in Generation Y, online social networking has become a significant part of our lives. I think the challenge for me as a professional is to move beyond the social use of social networking and take advantage of the educational and professional opportunities that it has to offer.

I'll comment on each of the tools explored in Module 9 individually in terms of their educational use and how they can be used to enhance learning inside and outside of the classroom.


Scootle

I think it is a fantastic tool for teachers because it allows resources to be easily shared amongst teachers but also with students through the one site.

Exploring the History section of the site allowed me to access many resources that would otherwise not be accessible either online or in hard copy formats.

I like the fact that I can create Learning Paths containing resources from the database that are most relevant to student learning and make that accessible to students.  I also provide learning activities through Scootle.

I was also impressed that students can upload and host their own content provided it is their own work of course.
Facebook

In my Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) Degree, I did an elective on ICT use in the classroom. As part of our studies, we were required to engage in discussion via a Facebook group created specifically for the subject.

Our lecturer Lyn Hay made a very good point about its educational use which I did not pick up. I was interacting with other Facebook users yet I was not their friend.

You don't need to be a persons friend to interact with them on Facebook.

There was alot of discussion going on in the group on our learning experiences as well. I thought it was nice that were learning and using a social networking site as a means to learn.

Lyn was also the administrator for the group and only let those study the subject access the group and contribute to discussions.

So lets shift towards the classroom.

I think Facebook does have educational use in the classroom given my experience of using the site provided that the teacher can control the activity that goes on within the group. Obviously I would have not "friend" any of them for professional reasons. I didn't "friend" my lecturer in my studies nor did she with me.

My concern is that restricting access to sites such as Facebook can actually do little in terms of encouraging responsible use of the internet and develop appropriate digital citizenship within our students. If a site is blocked they are more likely to use the alternate sites to break the firewalls of the servers especially with Facebook. I think it also prevents students from exploring alternative uses for Social Networking, which can help them in their tertiary studies or careers.

I think within the next few years, restrictions on Facebook etc will have to be lifted. Social Networking has become a crucial part of life in our society and it is inevitable that this will have to happen.

In the meantime, I have to accept restrictions placed by educational authorities and explore alternative sites that cater to school students.

LinkedIn

I signed up with LinkedIn earlier this year and in a professional sense I think its a great way to promote myself as a professional. If you are to look at my account, I've been able to virtually make my CV available in electronic form. If professionals want to know about my work history etc, they can access it. There is also scope to engage in professional discussions by joining various groups that exist online.

I have noticed too that people have actually viewed my profile that are curious to find more about who I am professionally. These people are usually listed on my page. Its good overall.

Twitter

I find that Twitter is quite limited in how one can express themselves. 140 characters is quite limited to express yourself. The curriculum requires students to engage in critical thinking and Twitter sadly does not allow this. I would not use it in this format.

However I do like Twitter as a form of communication to remind students of upcoming assessment tasks, posting useful links etc. It can also be used for lesson reviews e.g "List one thing that you learn't today". For learning it can be good for keeping records of events happening at a moment in time e.g. "What is the temperature at home?" or to report on findings.

In professional contexts as a teacher, I am trying to explore it as a tool of communication with members of the profession whether it may be sharing items with other professionals or contributing to professional discussions. This was after being encouraged by this article published in The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday (click below to read):

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/teachers-unlock-tweet-smell-of-success-20121109-292zz.html

I would love to get in touch with other teachers not just in my area of expertise, but also other areas.

You can follow me on Twitter at @FabianAmuso1.

Second Life

I've always been curious about Second Life and what it offers. I have never considered its educational use at all. I like the fact that you can provide a virtual experience of the world and how it works whether it may be viewing artworks, experiencing life in Ancient Rome or visiting a village marketplace to understand how business transactions may take place.

The question I have to ask is - How can I use Second Life in the classroom?

Here are several methods in which I could apply Second Life. 

• Role Playing exercises. Kids love to role play in the physical world, but the big challenge is that they have to do it with no props. You can do that in the virtual world with props. In fact you enter a virtual society and you can immerse yourself, whether it is the world of the 21st century or ancient Rome. 
• You can experience the world as another person sees it through custom built environments and gain insights into how they experience life or even enter an object and explore its functions.
• Its impossible to take people back in time. Second Life can allow the students to explore the world at a certain point in time.
• Scavenger Hunts - locating information relating to a concept or topic. This might be locating definitions, key people or creating a timeline. In a subject like Ancient History, Second Life allows students to locate objects from the historical period that they are engaged in study at that point in time e.g. Ancient Rome. 
• Creating 3D objects relating to their unit of work.

The big challenge in applying Second Life is that this is the time needed to engage in such a experience. As teachers we already have to spend alot of time to cater for set up and pack up. Periods can be short as 40 minutes at some schools - not really much time to get much done.