(* hand over mouth *) OK you lot .. toss in your 2 cents worth.<br><br>Regards Roland<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2009/6/23 Dr Paul Chandler <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:paul.chandler@une.edu.au">paul.chandler@une.edu.au</a>></span><br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Roland and others,<br>
<br>
I hope you haven't put the moz on other responses to my question, Roland :-)<br>
<br>
I'm presently engaged in observing classes using Kahootz, for which there<br>
is no existing (student-accessible) forum or similar system.<br>
<br>
What we are observing is that students are thriving on the immediacy of<br>
getting help. For instance "how do I make it seem that this character is<br>
morphing to another ... oh, I can show you how to do that" There is help<br>
being spread across schools ("how can I show rain"), but it is<br>
teacher-mediated and word of mouth (but very efficient when it works).<br>
<br>
I think help forms are terrific. The rapidity in which I've received<br>
assistance for products like vlc and PGV is astounding, but these are very<br>
large and very active communities, where the principal developers devote<br>
huge numbers of hours to answer questions. This is not likely to be the<br>
case with Kahootz.<br>
<br>
You're not going to get extended responses in a medium like twitter. But<br>
interactions such as "Can u mk rain?" "yeah - check <a href="http://somerain" target="_blank">http://somerain</a>" are<br>
possible, and probably very helpful.<br>
<br>
So, notwithstanding Roland's informed comments about forums and Yahoo<br>
answers, I think my question still remains: I'm wondering if anyone as<br>
<div class="im">thought of - or implemented - the use of Twitter (or some twitter-like<br>
technology) as a "help system" for students?<br>
<br>
</div>Regards,<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
> Twitter is a bit different from a forum to ask for help .. it is an odd<br>
> mix<br>
> of micro-blogging and chat. I have a small, friendly gathering of<br>
> educators<br>
> on my Twitter rgesethuizen identity but not as many as I can tap into via<br>
> these forums. No students although I expect they have moved beyond<br>
> micro-blogging to communicating in fewer syllables with words like hmm,<br>
> shh,<br>
> ahh, grr, hah, ugg, huh, yeh etc.<br>
><br>
> Perhaps if students were looking to share questions they would use Yahoo<br>
> Answers. Last year I was surprised to spot my VCE students skim this for<br>
> answers until I found out that one was handing out IT advice and trying to<br>
> gain more 'points' than somebody else! She was doing a swell job of<br>
> answering basic questions by doing some snap research and typing up short<br>
> answers. Apparently they got the most points if the questioner voted her<br>
> answer as the best. Worth studying although I should warn that I now<br>
> recognise that like other similar engines, some of the questions discussed<br>
> cover adult concepts.<br>
><br>
> Regards Roland<br>
><br>
> 2009/6/22 Dr Paul Chandler <<a href="mailto:paul.chandler@une.edu.au">paul.chandler@une.edu.au</a>><br>
><br>
>> Hi folks,<br>
>><br>
>> I'm wondering if anyone as thought of - or implemented - the use of<br>
>> Twitter (or some twitter-like technology) as a "help system" for<br>
>> students?<br>
>><br>
>> We all know that kids talk with one another and 'get help' on various<br>
>> aspects of computing when they are working in the classroom ... is this<br>
>> the logical extension?<br>
>><br>
>> Thoughts?<br>
>><br>
>> --<br>
>> Dr Paul Chandler<br>
>> Research Fellow<br>
>> 'Multimedia grammatical design and authoring pedagogy' (Kahootz)<br>
>> project,<br>
>> School of Education, University of New England<br>
>><br>
>> located at Australian Children's Television Foundation<br>
>> 145 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 3065<br>
>> e-mail: <a href="mailto:paul.chandler@une.edu.au">paul.chandler@une.edu.au</a><br>
>> Ph: 0400 198 187<br>
>> Fax: (03) 9419 0660<br>
>> Skype: paul.d.chandler<br>
>><br>
>> _______________________________________________<br>
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>><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br>
> <a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br>
><br>
> "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can<br>
> change<br>
> the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead<br>
><br>
<br>
<br>
</div></div>--<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5">Dr Paul Chandler<br>
Research Fellow<br>
'Multimedia grammatical design and authoring pedagogy' (Kahootz) project,<br>
School of Education, University of New England<br>
<br>
located at Australian Children's Television Foundation<br>
145 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 3065<br>
e-mail: <a href="mailto:paul.chandler@une.edu.au">paul.chandler@une.edu.au</a><br>
Ph: 0400 198 187<br>
Fax: (03) 9419 0660<br>
Skype: paul.d.chandler<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
<a href="http://www.edulists.com.au" target="_blank">http://www.edulists.com.au</a> - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe<br>
Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by<br>
<a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au</a> - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and<br>
<a href="http://www.vitta.org.au" target="_blank">http://www.vitta.org.au</a> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead<br>