What is Voki Classroom?
Watch this short clip to find out!
What is unique about Middle Years Learners?
The changes that occur during the middle years result in this group of students facing significantly different challenges than younger children or older adolescents (Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment [Qld DETE] , 2003).
- Middle Years learners make the least academic progress (Qld DETE, 2003)
- They have a greater risk of disengagement from learning (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, 2008).
- During the middle years the gap between low and high achievers increases (Qld DETE, 2003).
- Inadequate learning in the middle years can lead to serious long term learning consequences (Cox & Kennedy, 2010).
Begin to think about how this Web 2.0 tool might be used to teach in your context.
Now, consider why it has been chosen to enrich the teaching and learning of a Year Nine English class.
Watch this self-created avatar give background information about engaging middle years learners.
This should give you some ideas about why Voki will enrich learning experiences.
So, why use Voki?
Let's go!
Now it's time for you to start using Voki Classroom.
1. Click here and select a username.
2. Write your real name beside your selected username. Don't forget your username and password. You will need these
to login to the Voki Classroom.
3. Please do not select a username for which someone else has already registered.
4. Click here.You will then be taken to a Google Doc that outlines a lesson that has been designed for a Year
Nine English class.
5. While you complete the task set out for the students, think about how effective this Web 2.0 tool would be at engaging
students and enriching their learning.
Now what?
Middle years students are at the forefront of technologial advances such as social media and gaming (Henderson & Honan, 2008).
Their extensive use of digital technology, along with their strong desire for connectedness (Lounsbury, 2000), means that young adolescence provides an optimal opportunity to enrich students' learning using ICTs.
What is a Middle Years English class like?
What is a traditional Middle Years English class like for students?
You can draw on your own experiences, your professional experience
or even your children's feedback.
Click here and add your key words to the Y chart.
Now it's time to respond to this Web 2.0 tool in the discussion forum below.
You can either:
- Complete feedback using a Plus/Minus/Interesting (PMI) framework, or
- Respond to one or more of the following questions:
1. How could this Web 2.0 tool be used in other contexts
(different grades and/or teaching areas)?
2. Do you believe Voki Classoom would be an effective tool
at enriching students' learning? Why/why not?
3. What would be the challenges or limitations of integrating
this Web 2.0 tool into a lesson?
Enriching Year 9 English :-
Web 2.0 Tool :- Voki Classroom
Before you go, please fill out this poll.
