The Redback Project

Week 1: Introduction to the Redback Project

1. Read the blog (I have sent the link to all staff) and become familiar with the Redback project  Step 1
2. View the videos on Lifelong learning and What is Web2.0, and begin discussion with others in your team about how we learn best, and why using Web 2.0 tools may help your teaching in the 21st Century.  Step 2
3. As a starting point staff should complete the ePotential survey, and explore the Showcase. Step 3
4. Create a Moodle account and log in to the Moodle Redback course, where records of progress will be maintained – use your school email. Step 4

Challenge – create your avatar for Moodle

Week 2: Blogs and Blogging

1. Read through this week’s Blog post on blogging
2. Create your own blog using Edublogs or Globalteacher (the reason is we can access these through school as opposed to some like Blogger which are blocked). Post your first blog discussing your own views on lifelong learning and what you hope to achieve from this program, Find a blog relevant to your teaching area or interest, and write a post discussing what you have read – Step 5
3. Log your blog site on Moodle (copy and paste the URL into the Feedback task) let me know if you want it added to the Redback site, or kept private (only I will read those ones) – Step 6

Challenge: Create blogs for your students and get them to write a reflective post about something relevant to your course work.

Week 3: Tags and Images

This week is all about playing, and becoming more familliar with your blog tools.

1. Read through this week’s blog post
2. Create a blog post on how you have used, or could use images in your class, making sure to use relevant tags to your post. Step 7
3. Create an account with Del.icio.us and begin to use tags to collect relevant “book marks” Step 8
4. Have some fun with images. Use some of the image generators to create something to add into your blog. It could be a banner, or an avatar, or just something whimsical. You may like to create an online space for your images, a Moblog, Flickr (you need a google account), Picasa (a Google account) or Photobucket. Record your holidays and put them online. You can choose the security of your images, and whether you wish to share them or not, just remember, when it’s online, it’s online, and odds are someone will see it. So if you don’t want to share it, or it’s not appropriate don’t put it online Step 9

Challenge – add some photos to the Flickr account I have created for the project. I will send the link out in an email. You can use either email or mobile phone.

Week 4: RSS, Readers, and Social Networking

1. Learn about RSS from the blog post, and the links, discuss about this on your blog – step 10
2. Create an iGoogle account using your school email, or edumail, or if you have a gmail account, you will already have an iGoogle space. Find out a little more about the power of linked accounts here. Find some interesting education sites, perhaps related to what you teach and add the RSS to your Google Reader.  Alternatively set up another RSS Reader such as Bloglines or Feed Burner – Step 11
3. Join the ICTatEMC Ning site. If you don’t have a Facebook or MySpace account, this may be your first venture into social networking, imagine creating your own social network for your class, would that get their attention? Step 12

Challenge – join another Ning site, there are many out there relevant for a range of areas, not just technology or teaching based ones.

Week 5: Wikis and ePortfolios

Read this week’s post about wikis and explore some of the innovative ways they are being used in the classroom, discuss them in your blog. Step 13
Visit the ICT at EMC wiki, and create a page, or add a comment. It’s our Sandpit (an area to play with and explore) Step 14
Explore how wikis can be used as ePortfolios – how would you use them in your class? What are the pros and cons of traditional paper based work folios and electrolic portfolios? You may want to find someone on staff who has used wikis as ePortfolios, and get their thoughts. Discuss in your blog. Step 15

Challenge – create a wiki for your class, or for yourself. Post the link on the Moodle Forum for wikis

Week 6 – Moodle

You have set up your account by now… why not set up a course – Step 16
Roll over is a great time to have a play with Moodle, start getting your classes organised for 2009 by having a little trial now. For non teaching staff set up a group course, perhaps for Integration, Library Resources, Book club, aerobics etc
Discuss some of the challenges for using 21st C tools in your area of work, whether teaching or support staff in your blog. Step 17