Look at the program they made here:

Source: The article

The experiment was not without its flaws, though. Apparently there were not enough computers for the students to be able to use the program in the first place (And if they did get access to it, they were limited to 30-40 minutes), which is why I would find this program more suitable for use at home.  Obviously if I were at school already, I would rather physically talk to my team mate.  Nothing beats face-to-face communication.

At home, the concept would be amazing, though.  Imagine a child being sick and not attending school, but still being able to help with the group project as they group chat with their partners!

It really interested me because I always thought it was strictly for university, but I can totally imagine it as being massively useful.  From what I remember back when I used to attend primary school, news was spread through word of mouth or fliers, but now if a child missed any schedule changes or activities that will happen during the week, they can just pop open their e-mail and check!  How convenient!

It’s kind of funny how even with such a nifty gizmo, it will never escape the horrors of spam.  I found some of my students giggling over e-mails they were receiving with endless gibberish, and the teachers had to instruct them over how to clear and what was considered spam.

Hope they don’t get any Viagra e-mails!  That would be hilariously difficult to explain.

This article is really fascinating as it talks about a social networking site (Elgg) that holds an academic purpose as opposed to how many friends you can add in an hour, or how loud your obnoxious music video on your front page.  

Source: Flickr

The issue with Myspace, though, is that it’s nothing more than an entertainment site.  I fully approve of social networking and sharing information through the internet, but with sites like Myspace, I feel in schools it will be nothing more than a distraction.  Unless schools magically find a way to use Myspace academically, I really won’t feel its purpose in the curriculum.  It was built for entertainment, Elgg isn’t.  So Elgg should most definitely be promoted if the school wants that sort of electronic interaction and such, rather than make Myspace into something it’s not.

I think the advantage Facebook holds over Myspace is that even though Facebook can be a distraction, it’s actually meant to be a “Myspace for college students.”  I usually get on Facebook to find colleages and talk to them, or keep in contact with old friends.  I really don’t see Myspace as that, rather a bloated, loud, distraction-ridden page.  I just feel there’s a clear difference and some pages are just meant to kill time!  There’s a time for everything.

Source: Flickr

It also mentions how finding information on Google is convenient, but can be misleading (with the possibility of misinformation), which I absolutely agree with.  I feel schools are doing a wonderful job encouraging students not to search on Wikipedia for their term paper, though, at least the schools I’ve gone to.  Wikipedia and google used to be regarded as the plague back when I was writing essays, and I avoided it accordingly.  I feel the internet can be a powerful tool for finding information, but it can be clear (If taught properly) what information is trustworthy.

The article expands to many more points, but I personally feel that we have advanced massively in terms of educating students already.  Students sitting and writing notes, though, cannot be extinguished entirely, and we shouldn’t expect that!  It shouldn’t be used often in primary education, but it isn’t a horrible way to teach.  It’s a valid method of teaching, but like all methods in primary education, it should change.  

Besides, if sitting and writing notes is wrong and “prehistoric”, then are all universities teaching us incorrectly?

The funny thing is that at the time when I was picking my educational website, I merely popped into google to check out the first “fun-looking” page, but funbrain leapt out at me with dozens of memories I almost forgot…Back when I used to study in Rutgers University in the US, I used to participate in the “Big Buddy” program that assigned you to a child in any number of schools. You would visit the child for a minimum of certain hours every week, and during that time you’d help them, follow them around, and just be as the program says, a “big buddy.” I was assigned to an energetic and outspoken Year 3 boy and one day, I followed him to “computers,” as they called it.

That day, the students were introduced to funbrain.com and were told to create little accounts and play JUST the maths games. I was fascinated by their eagerness to practice their maths skills. As explained in my vodcast (What a horrible term), the children went through a digital chess board and played little minigames, each win granting them a step further in their cyber-victory. I still remember laughing as my “little buddy” gloated about how he beat the games in a “higher stage,” since stages link to your year in school. They were told to play stage 3, but the children found it fun challenging themselves, and I think that kind of motivation is wonderful.

Not only can it be competitive, it can just be fun! Maneuvering a bee around little flowers has never been more.. educational. Check it out:

One problem that I noticed with funbrain, though, is that this site is only good for reviewing what one has learned. The page shouldn’t be used to teach new concepts, as it seems to “expect” the student to be at a certain level and only poses revision questions. So, while I don’t think it’s an appropriate tool for introducing a subject, I would totally suggest funbrain as a little exercise for children if they’ve completed an assignment early and they have time to put their new knowledge to the test.

I’m also shocked that funbrain.com has a funblog! It wasn’t there when I saw that page for the first time! My, how times change.