This is a huge conference where over 13 000 people come to learn about the latest trends in technology.

People meet other people and talk a lot but mostly teachers spend time going to lessons and learning.

We’ve learned about;

• how powerful Google is as a web based engine for searching the Internet and that it helps focus and then organise your searching
• iphones and ipod touches and what great learning tools they can be in the classroom
• all sorts of amazing Apps from web 2.0
• literacy and how it’s so much more than reading and writing and how it is nearly impossible to test using old test formats
• making the classroom a happy and fun place to be
• what students think about the way they are being taught and how they would like to be taught using technology
• the importance of the web as a place for publication
• the new web, web 3.0

Young people’s abuse of the web has hit the headlines on more than one occasion this week.

Unfortunately the technology and the ready access to it has come under fire.

The NSW Department of Education and Training has several very good sites, one and two which give parents advice about how they can support their children in the responsible and ethical use of the Internet and web 2.0 tools.

The Australian Federal Government also offers sound advice on how to use the internet as the positive and powerful tool it is. There is a great Internet Safety site for primary students called Cyberquoll.

There are also some fine international sites, especially from the UK, such as Thinkuknow.

Click on the links above to find out about how as parents you can support your child in the development of a responsible attitude towards the internet, web 2.0 tools and technology.

The conference featured Will Richardson an American educator who leads the world in thinking and providing practical advice on how to use the Web 2.0.

(If you aren’t sure about what Web 2.0 is click on the blue link and view a video which explains it.)

Mrs Pericles and Mrs Dyer had the pleasure of presenting work done by our students at the Network Literacy Conference organised by Syba.

Their presentation was designed to show the teachers present that while it was hard work using web 2.0 and technology with students the experience and the results are worth it.