MFL SAT Oldham 13th November 2010

Using web 2 tools to enhance learning

Kath Holton, Head of MFL, Argoed High School

Wiki - A wiki is software that allows users to create, edit, and link web pages easily. Wikis are
often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites. These wiki
websites are often also referred to as wikis;
Pbwiki - PBwiki ( now called pbworks.com) lets you quickly set up your own free, hosted,
password-protected wiki to edit and share information. It's as easy as a peanut butter
sandwich.
I use pbworks as I find it user-friendly and can add pupils as users without needing their
email addresses; it then generates usernames and passwords for me. Site =
www.mflargoed.pbworks.com
This site enables pupils to interact with their learning and for the teachers in the Dept to use the
same lesson starters, share work and view other classes’ uploads for AfL, IOLP, proof of
Working with others, peer assessment etc

Lesson Starters and Objectives- have started to use www.spicynodes.org to make

presentations of lesson objectives- prefer it to using a PowerPoint and more user-
friendly than prezi.
Use digital voice recorders a lot in class and have uploaded examples of pupils’ work
– in fact, they asked for their recordings to be uploaded after they get lots of
praise in class and constructive criticism.
DVR – digital voice recorder (Sanyo ICR)
- used originally for GCSE oral exam practice, then in KS3 for AfL peer
assessment, then uploaded onto wiki www.mflargoed.pbworks.com For last 3
years have used them to record GCSE oral exams (past examples then used for
AfL, IOLP, group work)

Next development was using vokis-

Voki - Voki enables users to express themselves on the web in their own voice using a talking character. You can
customize your Voki to look like you or take on the identity of lots of other types of characters… animals, monsters,
anime etc. Your Voki can speak with your own voice which is added via microphone, upload, or phone.
"vox", which is Latin for voice, and "Loki", which, is a prankster character in Norse Mythology

Various ways of using vokis – I have registered as a user on voki.com and use a digital voice
recording by a pupil, decide on an avatar, upload the mp3 file and publish. I can then embed
it in my wiki via an embed code. This avoids age restrictions on voki.com.

Once the voki is embedded in my wiki, I can use it for AfL in class and direct pupils to
interact with it via the comment button. This tool has motivated pupils to use MFL in their
own time and parents have reported on how much enjoyment they are getting from their
learning by using it.

Vocab tools- I have started using 2 sites, www.quizlet.com and www.studystack.com , to

type in vocab I wish pupils to learn/revise. The sites generate games for pupils, so that
instead of just looking at words, they are having fun and learning by interacting with the
vocabulary. The pbwiki allows me to add a hyperlink to a page and we then direct pupils to
practise vocab for a class test. Pupils have started to add loads of positive comments and
are really enjoying this way of learning. A parent has said that they can’t get them off their
home computer because they are busy playing French/German games. Also yr 8 parent said
their son was miffed as he wasn’t the 1st to do his French homework!!!! Nov 2010- added
games from www.zondle.com as another aid to learning, especially loved by boys n.b.
School focus for improvement =better boys’ results. I use an Activ slate in the lesson so that
pupils can have a go in class (it’s a very popular activity)

I have been involved in a CILT-Cymru project for the last 3 years. I am extending the use of
Flip video cameras and puppet shows. Pupils love using the puppets to do conversation work
and filming them allows AfL without embarrassment. Examples are posted on the wiki.

Another tool for paperless marking, peer assessment, IOLP etc is www.wallwisher.com I
have made this a homework in year 9 and embedded the site into the wiki.

Video recorders - Flip Video Mino Camcorder

KS4- I have created a VLE using edmodo.com. www.edmodo.com . It enables us to have contact
with pupils out of school hours e.g. in holidays, study leave, cases of absence, snow days.
Calendar for important events such as oral exams, mocks, homework , coursework deadlines,
teachers and pupils can send a message to 1 person or the group so a v quiet shy girl asks me
questions about homework as she worries and is intimidated by the loud boys, some boys have
sent me qs about homework as they prob don’t want their mates to know they are doing it, some
send me their homework on it so I can indicate errors in a different colour and send it back.
Much easier to manage then Moodle!!!! , I use a VLE instead of a wiki, as it has different
features such as a calendar, facility in turning in assignments, giving comments to
individuals or to groups and allowing contact with year 11 pupils out of school time. This has
been really successful in all sorts of ways and I receive questions about homework/ checking
deadlines/ can I upload an audio file for practice etc.

n.b for year 11 NVQ German, not many resources available so made a dialogue with
www.xtranormal.com a site for text-to=speech animation

.I created a ning to enable joint work with our partner school in France; this enabled me to make
a successful bid for £5000 from the Lefèvre Trust to take GCSE French pupils to France

October 2010 N.b. Ning now charges per month so have switched to using grou.ps

I do use the school VLE, Moodle, and found creating individual wikis a good way to keep
evidence of work and progress (too many pupils seem to lose their paper resources)

Twitter.com – really useful for keeping up to date with new developments and sharing
ideas

Delicious.com – keeping and sharing internet sites in one place, not connected to your
email address

K Holton Nov 2010