MSc Edtech 2010

Ass. 2 == Vishal Jhotty It's not a secret to any of our friends that wiki was very stressful. In terms of usability many links and information were given on an interface. It's was too easy to be lost and it caused much stress. May be it was so as we are new to it. But it was an enriching experience since we learnt new things and got connected to so many people worlwide. We as educators can benefit much frpm wiki. Now since we know how wiki works, life will be easy while using it next time.

'Wajiihah Emambokus: ==

'Well,Wiki has been so enriching and stressful sometimes, especially when i could not get access to the learning contract and i still cannot do it!! Furthermore, at several times, i encountered the problem of inaccessibility to certain pages and that was very frustrating. But gradually, i managed to appreciate it further due its enormous help. We got to learn so many things, know more people from around the world and be more independent. Doing online activities allow us to be more active and wiki has helped us through so many steps, which maybe i would not have ever known because Wiki was unknown to me. I encourage other students to register as well as it would definitely benefit them in so many fields of their life.

Nivedita Gopaul

First of all I would like to say that this wiki work was quite stressful because it was the first time that I am actually doing such an online activity. But as the days passed on, the tasks too became easy, however I just got the problem with Google registration, which has not yet been successful, though I am a user of Google, and secondly, the Learning Contract which was not accessible! But on the overall it was an interesting activity, and knowing so many people from other corners of the world, and so many interesting educational tools and projects increase our knowledge. I also learnt many things on wiki, which I didnot know before. Wikieducator is indeed an amazing social network sites, and I would appreciate to continue be its user to learn and share more information!( Nivedita Gopaul, 30 Nov 2010, 14:15 UTC)

Zaynah Toofany

Well, previously I was not aware of WikiEducator. Thanks to this module, I have gained to know WikiEducator and I am very thankful for it. I find WikiEducator a very interesting and educational site. It is a place where social networking has once more been put into a very educational and experience-enriching use. I have gone through Wikipedia various times, but creating a wiki ourselves is marvelous. This workshop has enhanced to a greater extent my awareness about the technicalities and technologies behind wikis. The only confusion which I had was about which License to specify when uploading images found in the OpenClipart site since only Public Domain was mentioned. So I posted my query on the WikiEducator Google Group Site, and the replies obtained have been very helpful. Indeed, WikiEducator will prove to be very helpful and supportive for both the educators and students in Mauritius as well. Since the school hours are limited, the teaching and learning process can still continue via WikiEducator. I am sure this will enhance the learning process. --Zaynah 14:35, 30 November 2010 (UTC)

Fardeen Khan

This workshop has been an enriching experience. It has allowed people from different countries, cultures and academic skills to collaborate and share their knowledge. There was so much to learn from this workshop and it was really entertaining. At first, I did not really understand how the workshop really functions, had problem with the signing up, I contacted the facilitator Randy Fisher who was delighted to help. It was quite easy and challenging to follow the tutorials as everything has been defined in a detailed way using a step by step approach. I believe, even a person, without any knowledge of website creation, will be fully conversant with the wiki workshop as well as creating a user page.

By creating a user page, I think it is a very professional approach to share our details, our professional and educational background, and allowing us to make contacts all over the world with people involve in the education sector. I have been developing good professional relationship with the workshop facilitators, who have been assisting me all the time. It was so fun editing my user page and without forgetting the certification aspect, which was really encouraging (was really delighted to be among the first participants to be certified wiki apprentice level 2 far ahead of the certification schedule). It keeps stimulating me to update my page, using new syntax and editing tips. For one moment, I forgot it was an assignment given in our Social Networking module, as it was so much fun to work on it, unfortunately we were a bit stress for the forthcoming exams. In the Mauritian context, I think that each school could create a user page, where all teachers l could input and upload their subject content with coursework’s / homework and discussions. Therefore, the teachers would act as a facilitator and director to update these pages often by uploading assignments. In case of torrential rains or any other natural calamities (H1N1 flu), where students cannot attend the class, they may access these platform to obtain their coursework.

I would like to thank you Sandhya for having given us the opportunity for introducing us to such an enriching workshop. I believe you are an active member of wiki educator (did not recognize at first glance your picture in the wiki educator banner on the home page) Thanks again… Fardeen khan. --Fardeen khan

 

Reena Rajkomar

The wikieducator experience has been very enriching, dynamic and innovative for me. Not only has the workshop equipped me with useful skills and expand my knowledge to the wiki way but it has also been a platform where we have been able to interact with people around the world; share some of our personal life with them (through pictures) and talk about our professional activities and aspirations.

The workshop was quite confusing at the beginning; as it was not very clear how to go about working through the different steps, especially with the signing in. I had to contact Randy who was very helpful in guiding me on the first day of the workshop. The first three days were quite hectic in having to go through the different instructions and actually work them out. It took me at least two hours per day to work on wikieducator when Im very conscious that others were taking 15-30 minutes. But by then, I was determined to work and enhance on my user page and thanks to Fardeen (his user page rather!!) i found adding colours to my user page would definitely make it more interesting and attractive.

This is very much linked to what we have been learning so far about 'Social Networking'  where our understanding and knowledge is constructed socially through interaction with others so that the focus is not merely what we are learning but also how we are acquiring knowledge. Social learning can create more powerful and enduring learning experiences through the use of online communities and networks , where learners are encouraged to co-create, collaborate and share knowledge and fully participate in their learning to learn more, to improve educational performance or progress in career.

From then on, it was a kind of pleasant and enriching addiction to update my userpage daily. Well to summarise everything in one sentence: wikieducator is simply a panoply of opportunities to learn new skills and knowledge; and it is very addictive too! One just have to take a look at my 'history' to have an idea how many times per day I log in WE!! I do admit that I still go astray but I also do manage to get on track and and it is with added passion and determination that I try again until Im satisfied.

Wikieducator has helped me to break free of any psychological barriers that I might had with the use of a platform like wikieducator or even technology at large by by providing me with the necessary skills to construct my own learning process within a social network.

Thanks Sandhya for initiating us to such an experience and for encouraging us to further explore both the social networking world and our own capacity and capabilities to form an active part of that world. Reena Rajkomar--Reen.redrose 10:08, 16 December 2010 (UTC)

Jeetendra Prakash Murdan

This experience with wikieducator is going to be for me a lasting souvenir of world wide collaboration, active participation, devotion to self learning and a pursuit for excellence. It is not for everyday to get such an opportunity to mingle with people who are actively and benevolently working for a higher cause - education! Education has to be free and accessible, so should educational resources be. Here we find people who do the job and not the talk. Wikieducator is going to be within the next decade the greatest conglomeration of educators from all quarters of the globe. To be part of such a movement brings a feeling of accomplishment, of initiative and of being useful to the world. We are shaping the future of the world. Lessons notes will soon be shared between teachers in different corners of the world. The world will shrink as a result of common education irrespective of formal structures. We educators are used to giving same assessment questions year in year out. We can imagine the fun of assigning same questions in different parts of the world then sharing the results.

Charity begins at home. We educators should take a firm resolution to bring the lesson learnt to our respective classrooms. We should give students as assignment the task of contributing wiki pages. The joy would be greatest at seeing one's work published world wide at the click of the mouse. But we have to be the example we want to see. It is up to us, educators, to start contributing our share to wiki pages. Then we can spread the word also.

The first step is already half the work done. The first sessions of the workshop were stressful but as we listened to our facilitator the tension subsided. As the days passed it became a thrilling experience with newer things being learnt everyday. Time went on too fast with that kind of experience. The least we could do in return would be to spread the word and let others benefit as well.