SWOT analysis of using Podcasts

Podcast have potential use not only as a tool for learning but also as a tool to help students. If a podcast is made as a new concept is taught and this is then made available to students, they can review the new concept in their own time. This could be used in a number of ways:
 Students with disabilities may want to review what was said in class.

  Studentswho are ill and not able to come to class can review the lessons.

  Students in remote areas can follow a class as long as they have some form of communication.

  Sport students often need to be away from classrooms can keep up to date while they are away participating in their sport.

SWOT analysis of using Flickr

Flickr is not just an online storing site for your photos. Flickr also is an amazing resource for creative commons images from OTHERS that are at your fingertips and always ready to use in the classroom with, for and by the students. While some students don’t pretend that  use Flickr to its full potential ,they have created a little universe for their photos that allow them to quickly upload, access, sort, organize, AND (the most important part for me) use these images in MANY different venues and applications.

http://www.wikiswot.com/SWOT/4_/flickr.html

SWOT analysis of using Weebly

Strengths:


·    Not everyone can change
·    A large number of tools are available
·    The site is free
·    Students learn how to use the internet


Weaknesses :


·    Spend too much time
·    Too many tools to use
Opportunity:


·     Students have the opportunity to learn the internet and computers
·     Students have the opportunity to own the site
·     Students can gain an understanding how to use an array of tools
·     Students have the opportunity to share information ·


Threats:


·     Students could waste time playing games
·     Internet not working
·     Students spend much time in order to create a high quality weebly
·     Students could become reliant on letting others produce work, and will not think for themselves.

http://jadenebird.blogspot.com/2010/08/weebly-swot.html

SWOT analysis of using Blogs

Due to their ease of use, free availability and appeal to authors and readers alike, blogs are now one of the most common types of website found on the Internet. This accessibility and the reflective nature of blog authoring means that they are appropriate to many learning and teaching applications, particularly in higher education. As a result, the University of Leeds now hosts a system (Elgg) which can be used by staff and students to create personal and community blogs that can be shared with others.

SWOT analysis of using Wikis

Strengths :
• anyone can be  allowed to read
• Information can be shared
• Allows teachers to track  the participation of students
• Available to use both at school and home


Weaknesses:

• Only one person can be editing the page at one time
• Editing requires some practice because if you don’t save you can lose information
• Anyone can add and delete information
 
Opportunities :

• Offers the opportunity to collaborate with students from other schools
• Teachers are also able to learn from students postings
• Teachers are able to upload activities for students to complete online
• It’s a way for all students to be able to contribute information
• Great for teacher collaboration
Threats:
• Anyone is able to change or edit
• Information available to students on the web needs to be monitored

Collaborative creativity promises to be a key business skill in upcomingyears. Educational institutions can offer immense value to their students by familiarizing them with the simple technologies that make collaborative networks possible. Today’s students will not only manage business innovations of the future, but in many cases will drive them. Rather than being limited to today’s skills, students must learn the skills of the future. Educators need to teach what wikis and other social software may mean to business, not just as a phenomenon, but also as a skill (Evans, 2006). By incorporating wikis into the classroom, educators can better prepare students to make innovative uses of collaborative software tools.


http://whitneys11001.blogspot.com/2011/07/swot-analysis-for-use-of-wikis-in.html

DeBono's thinking hats

It is a simple, effective technique that helps teachers become more productive. Teachers and their students can learn how to separate from thinking into six distinct categories. Each category is identified with its own colored metaphorical "thinking hat." By mentally wearing and switching "hats,"studentscan easily focus or redirect thoughts, the conversation, or the meeting.

After students learn the skills behind the Six Thinking Hats® system they'll:

Hold critical meetings without emotions or egos making bad decisions
Avoid the easy but mediocre decisions by knowing how to dig deeper
Increase productivity and even more important -- be more effective
Make creative solutions the norm
Maximize and organize each person's thoughts and ideas
Get to the right solution quickly and with a shared vision

The Six Thinking Hats (or modes)

There are six metaphorical hats and the thinker can put on or take off one of these hats to indicate the type of thinking being used. This putting on and taking off is essential. The hats must never be used to categorize individuals, even though their behavior may seem to invite this. When done in group, everybody wear the same hat at the same time.
White Hat thinking
This covers facts, figures, information needs and gaps. "I think we need some white hat thinking at this point..." means Let's drop the arguments and proposals, and look at the data base."
Red Hat thinking
This covers intuition, feelings and emotions. The red hat allows the thinker to put forward an intuition without any ned to justify it. "Putting on my red hat, I think this is a terrible proposal." Ususally feelings and intuition can only be introduced into a discussion if they are supported by logic. Usually the feeling is genuine but the logic is spurious.The red hat gives full permission to a thinker to put forward his or her feelings on the subject at the moment.
Black Hat thinking
This is the hat of judgment and caution. It is a most valuable hat. It is not in any sense an inferior or negative hat. The rior or negative hat. The black hat is used to point out why a suggestion does not fit the facts, the available experience, the system in use, or the policy that is being followed. The black hat must always be logical.
Yellow Hat thinking
This is the logical positive. Why something will work and why it will offer benefits. It can be used in looking forward to the results of some proposed action, but can also be used to find something of value in what has already happened.
Green Hat thinking
This is the hat of creativity, alternatives, proposals, what is interesting, provocations and changes.
Blue Hat thinking
This is the overview or process control hat. It looks not at the subject itself but at the 'thinking' about the subject. "Putting on my blue hat, I feel we should do some more green hat thinking at this point." In technical terms, the blue hat is concerned with meta-cogniti
http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/tools/6hats.htm