Picture Credit : ” Neuron-network1″,extracted from MCRUSELLS (2013) on http://theonescience.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/neuron-network1.jpg
Goals
- Share experiences and thoughts from the first week of a MOOC
- Explore what gamification in education means
- Learn about one element of ‘Gamification’ in education – badges.
Discussions topics
- Safety online
- Futurelearn.com experience
- Motivation, grading, ‘gaming’
Practical activity
- Find out as much as you can about ‘badges’ in TEL
- Share with the class
Homework Task 1
You have a class of 3rd year high junior high school students studying English in your class. Think how you could introduce badges into your curriculum. What badges would you award for what work? Create an A4 explanation sheet for your class and be prepared to explain the choices you made next week.
Homework Task 2
Record your reactions to gamification and/or badges on your blog
Reading
Goals
- Explore what digital footprints are
- Learn how much can be discovered about people online
- Share conclusions from last week’s survey
Discussions topics
- Digital footprints & safety online
- Futurelearn.com course
- Survey – reaction posts and observations
Practical activity
- With some basic information about your teacher as a start, what can you learn about him or her on the internet?
Task (outside class)
- Get started with the FutureLearn course and explore all its functions, make connections, comment and keep up with the content
- Send the ‘dossier’ of what you have learnt about your teacher via to him or her

Goals
- Continue sharing ideas learnt from PLNs
- Explore what digital literacy means (see quotes below)
- Share and explain question choices for a survey on TEL amongst practitioners
- Reflect on the course so far
More definitions of digital literacy:
Digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.
digitalliteracy.cornell.edu/
Digital literacy is the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours used in a broad range of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs, all of which are seen as network rather than computing devices. Computer literacy preceded digital literacy, and refers to knowledge and skills in using traditional computers (such as desktop PCs and laptops) with a focus on practical skills in using software application packages. Digital skills is a more contemporary term but is limited to practical abilities in using digital devices (such as laptops and smartphones).
Wikipedia
“Digital literacy is the ability to interpret and design nuanced communication across fluid digital forms.” by Terry Heick
http://www.teachthought.com/technology/the-definition-of-digital-literacy/
Digital literacy: ‘those capabilities which fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society’ (JISC 2011),
http://www.digitalfutures.org/section/2-2-a-review-of-literature-on-digital-literacy-in-education/
The three stage model of digital literacy proposed by the DigEuLit project, funded by the EC eLearning Initiative (Martin and Grudziecki 2006) refers to the following three levels:
- digital competence is the skills, concepts approaches, attitudes, etc.
- digital usage refers to the application of digital competence within a specific context (such as school)
- digital transformation which involves creativity and innovation in the digital domain
http://www.digitalfutures.org/section/2-2-a-review-of-literature-on-digital-literacy-in-education/
Task 1
- Create a Google forms survey
- Do this synchronously online
Task 2 & 3 (outside class)
- Do some research into what schools/teachers are doing to help keep students ‘safe’ online. What do other professionals think is important. Be ready to summarise at least three sources opinions and give your own reactions (based on a reaction post on your blog
- Invite at least10 teachers to complete the forms – summarise the results and reflect on the answers in a blog post
Reading

Image from commons.wikipedia.org by Tungilik
Goals
- to reflect on the experience of editing Simple Wiki
- to share what has been learnt from exploring our PLNs
- to be aware of the issues surrounding MOOCs and OERs
- think about writing effective surveys
- get practical experience with an online survey tool
Task 1
- Discuss what makes a good survey
- Look at examples of good and ‘bad’ survey question types
- Look at how google forms can be used to get data/feedback
Task 2
- Plan a survey on experienced language teachers’ use of/beliefs about technology
- Prepare questions to discuss next class
Technology, education, learning