Reflection of Website Creation

The use of websites in an educational setting can have pedagogical benefits and the ability to enhance learning outcomes. However teachers have a duty of care not to expose students to harm. Therefore to take advantage of the pedagogical or learning outcome benefits and to reduce, isolate or remove the risk to students identified in the PMI chart below, it would possibly be a good idea to give students a project to constuct a classroom website whereby website access is teacher controlled and monitored.

Plus (all the positives)

Creates empowerment, motivation and collaboration
Allows access and opportunity to master use of content elements such as text, pictures, video, photo gallery, slideshows, contact forms, google maps, photo editor, file uploader, audio player, embedded documents, feed reader, online polls, button text and links to social media
Is static meaning changes can only be made by the authors eliminating chances of malicious editing and accidental erasures.
Password protected

Minus (all the negatives)

Time consuming
Access to equipment
Access to technical skills
Cost of equipment

Interesting

Gives students a global voice
Increases print lieracy, oral literacy and hypermedia literacy skills
Ability to create school/classroom pride among students when given responsibilty to build classroom or school websites
Allows students to keep up to date with the latest digital technology to increase their future ability to be global citizens
Possible exposure to social media through website link function
Use in group situations may cause disharmony between students over what content should appear on the website
Risk of exposing students to harm if giving them sole control of their own personal website as policing their use would be logistically difficult

Teaching Purpose

The KLA of ICT identifies grade 2 expectations for using websites to gather information for inquiry about particular curricular topics (Department of Education, Training and Employment, 2012).

To finish this weeks blog it is perhaps relevant to look at why information and communication technology should be used in educational settings

Also here is a link to my personal website

REFERENCES

International Reading Association.

http://www.readingonline.org/articles/eagleton/text.html

Legal information:teachers liability in negligence to students - Queensland Government schools.

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.qtu.asn.au%2Findex.php%2Fdownload_file%2Fview%2F558%2F506%2F&ei=x45oUfSzGMeFiQfU1oHQAw&usg=AFQjCNHLPoRXEmyywZjssF1LJPx16mXipQ&sig2=4lP05L77YV1LPH3hJKLb1Q&bvm=bv.45175338,d.aGc&cad=rjt

). Inquiry with ICT

http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/enabling-learners/ict-expectations/prep-year2/inquiring.html