Monday, January 31, 2011
Web Apps. Assignment: VoiceThread Introduction
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Book Reflection: Chapter 3: Weblogs: Get Started!
Richardson's third chapter is really extension of chapter two. First Richardson talks about the possibilities, benefits and what a Weblog is, then he talks about how teachers can get started, first with a Weblog of their own then branching out to include one for their class and/or each student. Throughout the chapter continued importance is placed on having a serious goal in mind with respect to what you want the blog to do for you and your students and to model good behavior and blogging etiquette. Check out my colleague's blog with a review of Richardson's chapters on Weblogs for more on this.
It may seem obvious or even redundant given that a Weblog is a medium for communication, but it is important for teachers to be clear communicators about the blog. Students need to be clear on the teachers expectations for interacting with the class blog. Parents and administrators need to have clear communication on the purpose of the blog and how it will be monitored. Regardless of the tool that you are integrating into your classroom, be it YouTube, VoiceThread, Animoto or Weblogs like Blogger and WordPress, the key to success is making sure that everyone is on the same page with regards to purpose, process, management and assessment.
Diigo: Book link list
It may seem obvious or even redundant given that a Weblog is a medium for communication, but it is important for teachers to be clear communicators about the blog. Students need to be clear on the teachers expectations for interacting with the class blog. Parents and administrators need to have clear communication on the purpose of the blog and how it will be monitored. Regardless of the tool that you are integrating into your classroom, be it YouTube, VoiceThread, Animoto or Weblogs like Blogger and WordPress, the key to success is making sure that everyone is on the same page with regards to purpose, process, management and assessment.
Diigo: Book link list
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Book Reflection: Chapter 2: Weblogs: Pedagogy and Practice
In chapter 2, Will Richardson takes a look at Weblogs (a.k.a. blogs) in greater detail and their power for enveloping students in digital learning. Two key points that Richardson starts off with are 1) the ease with which Weblogs can be created and maintained, and 2) their demand for interaction. With today's generation requiring more interaction and an ever shrinking attention span, resources that demand students to sit up and pay attention to them can be valuable tools in the classroom.
As the book discusses different ways that Weblogs can be employed in schools, one aspect that really stood out for me was that Weblogs are searchable. Using this tool for students to file or document their work (can you say e-portfolios?) means that conducting searches for specific artifacts or items later on is so much easier and efficient. However, the success of this feature requires some knowledge of using tags and keywords to label posts and attachments.
In managing over 400 devices as part of the MLTI 1-to-1 laptop program, I process many repair dispatches and replacement part requests each year. When bills come due and the secretary needs confirmation or additional information in order to issue payment, it is so unbelievably easy to find the correct documentation because it is digitally searchable. This is also why, in my 6th grade computer literacy class, I stress with students to use logical names when saving their documents and projects. "Saving your Pages document as 'Untitled' or your GarageBand project as 'My Song 2' are NOT good choices."
Richardson also talks about the new genre that Weblogs has created: connective writing. Publishing blog posts is not just about sharing your writing, but is also about asking others to comment on your writing to help facilitate personal reflection and gain insight from peers that reside beyond the classroom. In fact, some are saying that the line between reading and writing online has become blurred and that the two are constantly swirling about users in a never-ending vortex of information, opinions and reflections.
Finally, with the number of blogs increasing exponentially Richardson looks at how we can use blogs as resources for today's research. The challenge to verify the trustworthiness of a digital source has increased with the introduction of Weblogs, "…there are no longer many free passes when it comes to assessing the reliability of a source." (Richardson, 2010) This connects nicely with the lesson that our school librarian and I co-teach on Internet Credibility. In this activity, students try to determine if the information on a site is trustworthy or a bunch of "hooey" by going through a checklist to look for such things as the author's name, date(s) when information was last updated, whether or not images appear real or "photoshop'd" and more. In the end, students need to know how to label the content they find online and where to use it in their learning journey.
Diigo: Book link list
As the book discusses different ways that Weblogs can be employed in schools, one aspect that really stood out for me was that Weblogs are searchable. Using this tool for students to file or document their work (can you say e-portfolios?) means that conducting searches for specific artifacts or items later on is so much easier and efficient. However, the success of this feature requires some knowledge of using tags and keywords to label posts and attachments.
In managing over 400 devices as part of the MLTI 1-to-1 laptop program, I process many repair dispatches and replacement part requests each year. When bills come due and the secretary needs confirmation or additional information in order to issue payment, it is so unbelievably easy to find the correct documentation because it is digitally searchable. This is also why, in my 6th grade computer literacy class, I stress with students to use logical names when saving their documents and projects. "Saving your Pages document as 'Untitled' or your GarageBand project as 'My Song 2' are NOT good choices."
Richardson also talks about the new genre that Weblogs has created: connective writing. Publishing blog posts is not just about sharing your writing, but is also about asking others to comment on your writing to help facilitate personal reflection and gain insight from peers that reside beyond the classroom. In fact, some are saying that the line between reading and writing online has become blurred and that the two are constantly swirling about users in a never-ending vortex of information, opinions and reflections.
Finally, with the number of blogs increasing exponentially Richardson looks at how we can use blogs as resources for today's research. The challenge to verify the trustworthiness of a digital source has increased with the introduction of Weblogs, "…there are no longer many free passes when it comes to assessing the reliability of a source." (Richardson, 2010) This connects nicely with the lesson that our school librarian and I co-teach on Internet Credibility. In this activity, students try to determine if the information on a site is trustworthy or a bunch of "hooey" by going through a checklist to look for such things as the author's name, date(s) when information was last updated, whether or not images appear real or "photoshop'd" and more. In the end, students need to know how to label the content they find online and where to use it in their learning journey.
Diigo: Book link list
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Kid Politics: TAL
I just finished listening to a great episode of This American Life from NPR (National Public Radio). Entitled "Kid Politics," this episode investigates what happens when we turn over responsibility for governing and making the big decisions to kids. When a group of 5th graders take over the White House to re-enact the U.S.-led invasion of Grenada in 1983, will they make the same decisions that the Reagan Administration did? Or, will chaos ensue when students are given the power to call meetings and vote in or out all policies and rules at a school in Brooklyn, New York? An episode worth listening to and a spring board for starting a variety of conversations and debates with students.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Book Reflection: Chapter 1: The Read/Write Web
The title of the first chapter is an apt one because it describes what the web has truly become: a place for not just the consumption of information bu also for the contribution of information. The World Wide Web is actually a great example of how one person's dream, that of Tim Berners-Lee to have a place where anyone from anywhere could meet and collaborate, can literally change the world.
Already I'm liking Will's writing and specifically how he cites current examples to support his points. He talks about how Barack Obama wisely took advantage of the Read/Write Web to create digital meeting places for the average Joe and Jill to gather and communicate. Some say that this help Obama bush ahead of McCain in the polls; well it certainly didn't hurt him.
I remember how cool it was when I heard that, despite the best efforts of the Iranian government, the people were able to share their stories about what was going on with the world thanks to tools such as cell phones, twitter and blogs. The Read/Write Web is a locomotive that has built up so much steam that it can't be stopped no matter how hard a government or political party may want it to.
Will closes the first chapter by addressing an issue that we both believe is so very important: that of keeping students safe online. There's no denying that with all the positive and "cool" things that the Read/Write Web provides there are also negative things and dangerous individuals out there too. So, as teachers it our job to model for students how to be digital, ethical citizens when using technology so that the digital footprint they leave behind will be a positive one.
Diigo: Book link list
Already I'm liking Will's writing and specifically how he cites current examples to support his points. He talks about how Barack Obama wisely took advantage of the Read/Write Web to create digital meeting places for the average Joe and Jill to gather and communicate. Some say that this help Obama bush ahead of McCain in the polls; well it certainly didn't hurt him.
I remember how cool it was when I heard that, despite the best efforts of the Iranian government, the people were able to share their stories about what was going on with the world thanks to tools such as cell phones, twitter and blogs. The Read/Write Web is a locomotive that has built up so much steam that it can't be stopped no matter how hard a government or political party may want it to.
Will closes the first chapter by addressing an issue that we both believe is so very important: that of keeping students safe online. There's no denying that with all the positive and "cool" things that the Read/Write Web provides there are also negative things and dangerous individuals out there too. So, as teachers it our job to model for students how to be digital, ethical citizens when using technology so that the digital footprint they leave behind will be a positive one.
Diigo: Book link list
Book Choice
Title: Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for ClassroomsBy: Will Richardson
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders
Diigo: Book link list
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Integrate Flickr with your Blog
Technology is always on the fast track, always traveling in the passing lane if you will. Students today seem to find it so easy to take a new technological development or innovation and begin integrating it into their digital lives. As an educator, I think it is my duty to make an effort to keep pace with my students about these new and emerging technologies. This way I can engage in constructive conversations with students as well as educate that on the ethical use of the technology.Image: Teachers at the University of London, working on an Apple computer from 1986.
Source: Flickr.com (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lselibrary/4416711547)
Granite - A Book Review
Granite by Susan Butcher and David Monson
Summary:
Susan Butcher liked in the winter wonderland known as Alaska. While on the outside it may have appeared that she lived alone, but Susan was surrounded by her sled dogs. Susan would train with her dogs to race in the infamous Iditarod race, a trip of over 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Granite is the story about one particular sled dog in Susan’s family: Granite. The book really focuses on Granite’s start as a puppy and his rise to the lead dog of the race. The book discusses his challenges in encountering a moose, overcoming a major illness and leading Susan and the team of dogs through a massive blizzard while Susan’s health was failing. Granite sensed Susan’s failing health and persevered through the blinding storm. Granite didn’t stop until he safely reached a check point. The whole time everyone doubted his ability to finish the race. He would not accept this and rose to the challenge of leading his team. Beating the odds and the doubts of everyone the team continued on. In the end, Susan’s team was the only one to finish the race. As a result, they won the race and set a record for a new finish time. In 1988 Granite became the only lead dog to win the Iditarod three times in a row. This honor allowed him to meet the President of The United States. Granite died at the age of 17 in Susan’s arms.
Additional Information and Media:
Susan Butcher death - Obituary
Susan Butcher Family Center - In Memory of Susan & Granite
Iditarod - The Race
Iditarod Trail - The Race Map
Alaska - Official State Site
Susan Butcher Documentary Video: Part 1 | Part 2
Saturday, January 8, 2011
What do I want to learn in this course?
As a result of taking this course, I'm looking to broaden my resume with respect to the list of web-based tools available via the Internet. As the instructor for the computer literacy course at my school I feel I need to, at the very least, be aware of the tools that are out there and being used by my students already. If I know about the tools and what they can do, then I can advise my students on how to use tools like blogs, wikis, etc. effectively, productively and ethically.
As the technology coordinator at my school, I feel it is part of my job description to be aware of the tools that are out there in case one may be a great addition to a teacher's lesson/activity. In this case, I see myself not just as a coordinator but as an integrator as well. And, whether I suggest the use of a web-based tool or a teacher comes to me with an idea of their own, I need to be ready to support both the teacher and the students in its implementation and use so that the experience is a positive one for all.
As the technology coordinator at my school, I feel it is part of my job description to be aware of the tools that are out there in case one may be a great addition to a teacher's lesson/activity. In this case, I see myself not just as a coordinator but as an integrator as well. And, whether I suggest the use of a web-based tool or a teacher comes to me with an idea of their own, I need to be ready to support both the teacher and the students in its implementation and use so that the experience is a positive one for all.
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