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Guidance to Educational Establishments on Safeguarding Children in a Digital World
How can Bebo be used positively to enhance learning???
Bebo
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About Us
- Bebo Advocates
- Auckland, New Zealand
- I am a third year Uni student, studying a Bachelor of Education in New Zealand. I have an interest in how children are affected by Elearning, components such as Bebo.
Bebo=Learning
4 comments:
Using bebo as a community of learning to enhance mathematics programmes: An example of classroom use/learning
The typical BEBO user is a digital native, comfortable and happy in exchanging all kinds of social information across the Internet. Given the recent controversy about mathematics in the Leaving Certificate, UL have recruited 3 Leaving Certificate students and a PhD student to explore extending the social learning dimension of BEBO into productive learning particularly in the field of mathematics. The project is in its infancy but we intend to use topic maps and a specialist software Smartdraw with whom we are in discussion to amend their product to make it amenable to the BEBO environment.
Our attitude is rather than banning the use of BEBO we want to experiment as to how this phenomenon can be integrated into the teaching and learning environment.
WHY?
Research supports the contention that we need to get inside the head of our learners and try and understand how they learn and what motivates them to learn. By setting up peer support communities it allows the students to communicate with one another about difficulties they are experiencing and in turn receive information and guidance towards finding a solution to their problem. The majority of teenagers are digital native, are avid users of the Internet and of Bebo and it forms a huge part of their daily social network. By taking the concept of Bebo a step further it will allow students to use it as a means of learning and for developing and collaborating their understanding of mathematical topics.
WHAT?
We are setting up online peer support learning community for mathematics, through the medium of Bebo. We choose Bebo as it currently has a social network of over 11,000 members, the majority of whom are below the age of twenty. By setting up this community it will allow students to discuss any problems they may be experiencing with mathematics and to receive feedback and support from other members in the community. If a student has experienced a similar problem they can share this experience and suggest possible solutions. Also we are trying to collaborate the students’ knowledge of mathematics and develop their understanding. Due to the nature of the points system many students are relying on rote learning and procedural knowledge for examinations and lack a deeper understanding of mathematics and its applications. Students can collaborate their understanding through the development of topic maps. These topic maps allow students to make connections within maths topics and between these topics. Students will be encouraged to develop their own topic maps and to share these with the other members of the communities.
HOW?
We are working with a software company who have developed a package containing templates for the topic maps. Students will have free access to this software. The topic maps can then be imported into Bebo for others in the community to access and discuss. Through Bebo students can create a blog for discussing mathematical problems and receive instant feedback from other members in the community. Also a glossary of mathematical terms and symbols has been set up and will be expanded as topics are discussed. Prizes will be given for innovative ideas and solutions to problems discussed.
-http://www.ul.ie/erc/bebo/index.html
Bebo is a social system that children work well with as they understand how to communicate to others effectively. By creating this mathematics link to learning through bebo it will give children the opportunity to express themselves, ask questions and clarify their own understanding through a system that they feel comfortable with and able to operate at their own will.
I think this idea is a real attribute to the learning of children and also to bebo as it is a step up and a new feature of bebo with a great purpose. This is an example of the way bebo can influence teaching and learning in the classroom. Because bebo is so relative to children and their lives it will work well as a learning tool through other subjects also. It creates a social network and community of learning that is generally positive. Alternatively, this type of community of learning can be seen as not so useful for children to use as they may not disucss the subject as such but move off topic.
I personally believe it is certainly a positive aspect as stated above. I strongly believe that I.C.T. through the use of such social networking as bebo can strengthen children's learning. It can be used as a community of learning by bringing in subject school content rather than for just personal use.
Blogs...
Blogs are used worldwide to create communication of a common interest. It is becoming more and more popular, especially in young people as they develop the skills to communicate in this way. It is very relevant to young age groups and this is partly because of sites such as bebo that are set up to create a community of learners and friendships where children are able to comment on blogs. Through education however, it is only just starting to take on this blogging aspect and we are beginning to see this tool being used in the classroom.
Blogging is now being used for children to post work on the web for classmates, teachers, the wider school, and the world to access. This makes the process of learning and work easier to access, and saves on resources. Many schools are also taking advantage of blogging to keep a link open between the home and school. Often students will not inform their parents about what is happening in the school so therefore this blogging allows for parents to access the site at any time.
An example I found on the internet is a set up classroom blogging system where children can leave a comment if they wish. For example in Mrs. Kreul's Class Blog, (http://marykreul.teacherhosting.com/blog/) they have a communication system about such things as recommended books to read that students ahve come across. This way they can recommend books to other students in their own time and children can choose to read them or not. I believe it is a great way to share ideas.
On bebo, you are able to set up blogs about whatever you wish such as..memories where your friends and family are able to write down their memories about you and these comments are open to any other users accessible to your bebo site.
Because children are mostly aware and have developed the skills to use a blogging system it is something that can be very successul in the classroom if used well. The teacher must also have the skills to be aware of what's going on and update and check as an ongoing communication system.
Is blogging always positive in the classroom??
Blogging is developing a world of communication in and out of school environments. Because you are able to access blogging systems whether you are at home or at school it has the potential to be an incredibly useful communication tool. Already this is what we are seeing through bebo. Blogging is beginning to develop in schools, where teachers have known for a long time that students develop better communication skills when they are authentically communicating. A number of educators are helping their students developing their writing skills by having them publish their work as blogs, and then invite comments from people in the outside. In a setting where expression, collaboration, peer support, successful class dynamics, risk taking, sharing and all these recognised characteristics of effective learning are fostered, then personal publishing allows for a revolutionary form of expression and exploration between learners in the same class and the rest of the world. (Smith, 2004).
By using blogging as a means of communication in the classroom it can also be used as an assessment where children are writing for a purpose rather than a passion. However, by its very nature, assigned blogging in schools cannot be blogging. It’s contrived. No matter how much we want to spout off about the wonders of audience and readership, students who are asked to blog are blogging for an audience of one, the teacher. Wrede’s (2004), also comments on his perception of blogging as a means of assessment. "I try my best to pretend it’s not so, and maybe on the elementary level where kids are less focused on playing the grade game this may not be as true. But my students drop blogging like wet cement when the class is over. And it’s because I can’t let them blog in the first place. I can let them write about their passions, but I can’t let them do it passionately due to the inherent censorship that a high school served Weblog carries with it. I can tell them the process will strengthen their writing and their intellect, but I can’t tell them I won’t assess it or else they won’t do it." From my own personal experience this is certainly true. If something is not being assessed, it carries with it a means to not try and not put effort in if it's worthless anyway, even if you know it helps to develop important skills. This can be a negative influence of blogging in the classroom, whether using a system such as bebo or not. Children will not put effort in unless they know it is being assessed, this is more so with older children.
I also found this neat positive quote about blogging by Smith (2004). When I read this I felt it had impact as it states precisely the link between writing and blogging. Something to think about anyway:
"Writing stops, blogging continues. Writing is inside, blogging is outside. Writing is monologue, blogging is conversation. Writing is thesis, blogging is synthesis…"
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