Anica's+experience

Anica Petkoska shared an interesting experience with us. How does it work, when you start sharing and building knowledge using Web 2.0 tools.

I first started using Internet for sharing knowledge (blogging) with two classes of K-9 students in April, 2005. http://nasiotklas.blogspot.com At that time my goals for teaching were the ordinary EFL classroom goals, when I only wanted to provide my students a new electronic learning environment that would be more motivating and engaging. I remember my students' enthusiasm for their first task and the 45% percent increse of motivation. Their assignment was to search Internet for the Global Earth Day images on Google images, upload two on their blogs, describe, compare and contrast them and post comments to at least three other classmate blogs.........Later I encouraged them to suggest topics, gather lists of websites that were relevant to them. I invited them to post different kinds of written work and make electronic portfolios. While doing so, I wanted them to think of the audience they were writing for and reflect on their learning.

However, my goals for my students and myself as a professional have changed, especially after Jeroen Clemens and I started our Internet discussions on possible collaboration for a MACNED project on a wikispace. In the beggining, I felt I needed to go through the experience myself and read more on other educators' experiences. As a result, Jeroen has shared his http://www.bloglines.com reading list with me, and pointed out Internet links to other teachers' experiences for sharing on Internet and collaboration. While learning, reading and trying out these myself, I uploaded the links and my reactions on the blog OUR CLASS http://web-2generation-2.blogspot.com/, made my own reading list on google reader, and published those online. There you can see the HOW TO work done on the latest Internet tools for collaboration, called WEB 2.0 tools such as: podcasts, wikis, blogs, voicethreads, RSS and widgets. The IRA web site has included podcasts for K-12 teachers.

Currently, Jeroen and I are finishing the preparations for the MACNED secondary schools' project, which is to start on January 31st. Four teachers and two classes of students from the Netherlands and Macedonia so far. You are also welcome to come back here on this www.idecideacleadership.wikispaces.com, use the discussion link on the top right side of this window and post your reactions to our reflections, experiences and research results, or useful links to the work done with the Macedonian and the Netherland's project, or even better become a member too. Jeroen may want to use some of these information for the IRA and IDEC leadership conference on the 23rd of January in Cluj, Napoca in Romania. Help us with your thoughts, suggestions, questions, ideas and expertise to make this as relevant as possible for all the participants. We hope to have many more posts here, because we aim to succeed.

This collaboration on Internet has been highly benefical for me as an educator. I expect the same for the members of this wikispace and the Netherland's teachers and students too. No high tech skills needed and there is this free www.wikispaces.com space for educators on this www.wikispace.com to publish, share and collaborate online for whatever you are working on. To me, in fact, using Internet for sharing means social networking. I did try some of these with students. http://www.google.com is also amazing. All internet web 2.0 tools for free online collaboration at one place. All I needed was this wikispace and my www.google.com account. Believe it or not, I have recently got an invitation from an overses history teacher to collaborate on a students project.

I'm looking forward to the beggining of the MACNED collaborative project, and even more looking forward to collaborating with you on this wikispace. Anica Petkoska