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You need the tools to learn and teach efficiently through bebo..
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This web page is a link to Bebo Advocates. It establishes how Bebo can be used to create a community of learners.
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About Me
- Bebo Advocates
- I am a third year Uni student, studying a Bachelor of Education in New Zealand. I have an interest in how children are affected by Elearning, components such as Bebo.
Develop the Tools to Teach!
You need the tools to learn and teach efficiently through bebo..
The typical BEBO user is a digital native, comfortable and happy in exchanging all kinds of social information across the Internet. Given the recent controversy about mathematics in the Leaving Certificate, UL have recruited 3 Leaving Certificate students and a PhD student to explore extending the social learning dimension of BEBO into productive learning particularly in the field of mathematics. The project is in its infancy but we intend to use topic maps and a specialist software Smartdraw with whom we are in discussion to amend their product to make it amenable to the BEBO environment.
Our attitude is rather than banning the use of BEBO we want to experiment as to how this phenomenon can be integrated into the teaching and learning environment.
WHY?
Research supports the contention that we need to get inside the head of our learners and try and understand how they learn and what motivates them to learn. By setting up peer support communities it allows the students to communicate with one another about difficulties they are experiencing and in turn receive information and guidance towards finding a solution to their problem. The majority of teenagers are digital native, are avid users of the Internet and of Bebo and it forms a huge part of their daily social network. By taking the concept of Bebo a step further it will allow students to use it as a means of learning and for developing and collaborating their understanding of mathematical topics.
WHAT?
We are setting up online peer support learning community for mathematics, through the medium of Bebo. We choose Bebo as it currently has a social network of over 11,000 members, the majority of whom are below the age of twenty. By setting up this community it will allow students to discuss any problems they may be experiencing with mathematics and to receive feedback and support from other members in the community. If a student has experienced a similar problem they can share this experience and suggest possible solutions. Also we are trying to collaborate the students’ knowledge of mathematics and develop their understanding. Due to the nature of the points system many students are relying on rote learning and procedural knowledge for examinations and lack a deeper understanding of mathematics and its applications. Students can collaborate their understanding through the development of topic maps. These topic maps allow students to make connections within maths topics and between these topics. Students will be encouraged to develop their own topic maps and to share these with the other members of the communities.
HOW?
We are working with a software company who have developed a package containing templates for the topic maps. Students will have free access to this software. The topic maps can then be imported into Bebo for others in the community to access and discuss. Through Bebo students can create a blog for discussing mathematical problems and receive instant feedback from other members in the community. Also a glossary of mathematical terms and symbols has been set up and will be expanded as topics are discussed. Prizes will be given for innovative ideas and solutions to problems discussed.
-http://www.ul.ie/erc/bebo/index.html
Bebo is a social system that children work well with as they understand how to communicate to others effectively. By creating this mathematics link to learning through bebo it will give children the opportunity to express themselves, ask questions and clarify their own understanding through a system that they feel comfortable with and able to operate at their own will.
I think this idea is a real attribute to the learning of children and also to bebo as it is a step up and a new feature of bebo with a great purpose. This is an example of the way bebo can influence teaching and learning in the classroom. Because bebo is so relative to children and their lives it will work well as a learning tool through other subjects also. It creates a social network and community of learning that is generally positive. Alternatively, this type of community of learning can be seen as not so useful for children to use as they may not disucss the subject as such but move off topic.
I personally believe it is certainly a positive aspect as stated above. I strongly believe that I.C.T. through the use of such social networking as bebo can strengthen children's learning. It can be used as a community of learning by bringing in subject school content rather than for just personal use.