Module 9 - Scoot into 'Scootle'

I had come across Scootle before this module and I am very impressed with the collection of resources available. As n English teacher there is an enormous amount of resources out there (if you know where to look of course) and Scootle provides a great database for these. It is clearly divided up into topic areas and incredibly easy to find what you are looking for. The fact also that other teachers can comment and rate the resources is also valuable and cuts down on wasting time with poor resources. In terms of social networking sites there is a huge potential for its application in the classroom, however it needs to be highly structured. It is becoming evident that students spend way too much time on Facebook and MSN chat than any other more 'studious' activity. Facebook within the classroom is a highly debatable topic and one I do not wish to discuss here. I have found Scootle an effective Literacy tool in the English classroom which has the potential to tie in beautifully with the current courses being offered here at Marist College Pagewood. I have found it very beneficial to set up 'learning paths' prior to lessons and then offering students PIN numbers which takes them directly to the relevant pages and allows them to work through the modules at their own pace. I do like the idea of social networking and I have recently been introduced to Nings which is similar to the setup of Facebook but without all the personal information. I am going to trial this with my Year 9 English class and if successful look to expand (although you have to pay for it).