Thing #23

How has my thinking changed over the summer? I'm always interested in technology, but I'm not always comfortable making time to just play around with it. Other matters seem to be more pressing, especially since I'm not currently teaching. But there are so many useful resources available via Web 2.0, both for personal and professional use, and I'm thankful I've had the opportunity to learn more about a number of them. And I'll continue to use a number of the sites, as well! It's a whole new world! I've realized I shouldn't really divide different technology resources into "teaching tools" and "personal tools", they are "life tools".

In some ways though, a course like this is frustrating. To see what education should be and could be, but isn't, is heartbreaking. Especially as a parent about to send her oldest to school this year, I pray that his teachers will be open to what technology has to offer. I also yearn for reform for our educational system at the bureaucratic levels. A teacher can be passionate about technology and change, but she still has standardized tests looming in the background and administrators to answer to.

Someday, when and if I do return to the classroom, I will have the confidence to implement more technology in my lessons and assignments simply because I have the knowledge to do so. I'll keep checking back with the ISD and other courses offered both online and in the area to stay up-to-date with Web 2.0.

This last video I watched for Thing #23 had a number of statements included with which I agreed whole-heartedly. I've always believed that education needs to be more about teaching HOW to find information that simply being able to regurgitate it. We need to teach students about the process of learning. Web 2.0 assists in this. I loved the one statement made toward the end...something to the effect of this is the death of education, but the dawn of learning. YES!

Thing #22

I was glad to learn about TeacherTube and SchoolTube as alternatives to YouTube. All three have potential as teaching tools if one has the time to sort through to find a valuable clip. It's good for students to see "real world" examples of whatever the lesson might be about as well as use a technology familiar to them. In my case, I taught speech communications classes, so using some clips on overcoming public speaking fears or showing positive speaking examples would have been a nice complement to our class discussions. Again, I'm currently not teaching, but my husband is a teacher and is allowed to use YouTube clips in his classroom to complement his curriculum. He mentioned, though, that he always views the entire clip before showing it to students to make sure ALL the content is appropriate and applicable. We've actually used YouTube at home with my son who loves watching the Magic School Bus episodes. The downside is that each episode is divided into three sections, but he's just excited to watch it!

Thing #21

I've heard a lot about Twitter in the last few months but had never explored it for myself. I tend to be a very private person, and even on Facebook, I don't often update my status. I realize, however, that people are living their lives more and more publicly today, so Twitter is a great spot for people to share their life with others. As far as using the services Twitter offers, it's a succinct way to keep in touch with family and friends all at once; it's a great platform for students to ask each other and the teacher questions about content, books, and projects; and it's a great way to keep your co-workers or classmates up-to-date on your part of the group project. I don't have the phone capabilities, although I'm sure people who wait and/or travel during the day enjoy the connection. As far as connecting with a Personal Learning Network, don't sites like Ning have a similar feature? Wouldn't it be easier to go to one site for brief updates as well as other resources rather than click back and forth between Twitter and your PLN? Maybe I'm missing something, but I like to keep things a simple as possible, which in this case would mean to keep it all in one location.

Thing #20

My username for del.icio.us is daviesvj.

Del.icio.us social bookmarking is great for personal use, but I realize there's great potential for its use in education. I have to admit that I feel my creative juices are running low when it comes to classroom use for technology since I'm not currently in a classroom. I can see a site like this being used by teachers to share online resources with one another. When I was teaching, we were often writing down or e-mailing our fellow teachers sites that were good finds. How much easier to simply bookmark it!?! I also believe teachers could use this with assignments...an easy way for students to find a site or sites to do web-based assignments, research, practice specific skills, or interact with peers. I think it could enhance productivity tremendously, but I'd need to spend more time playing with the site and talking with others to begin to think of more creative uses for social bookmarking, as I'm sure they exist!

Thing #19

LOVE IT!!! I can't wait to get started with social bookmarking, even if primarily for selfish reasons. So often I've been away from my home computer wanting to get to one of my bookmarked sites, but I have no idea how to find it on someone else's computer. So being able to relocating and still access the same bookmarked sites is a huge plus for social bookmarking! Is it a great way to organize resources? You bet! So many times on site fits multiple uses and categories, but you can only bookmark it one way. Later, you may not recall the way you first categorized it, so you spend wasted time searching for something you've already saved. Grr. I also appreciate the advantage that your find can be shared with friends and colleagues. It may also simplify creating bibliographies for students.

The downside to this fabulous tool is that we don't all think alike so we won't tag alike. As in my previous statement, sometime we ourselves don't remember in which category we first bookmarked a site. Fortunately, social bookmarking allows for multiple tags. Yea!

Thing #18

Ning might take a while to get used to for someone like me. There's so much going on that it's hard to know where to start, but I suppose as you learn more about what you're needs and goals are, the easier it becomes to navigate the sites.

Opportunities for a PLN like Ning:

• -Book discussions: As a language arts teacher I LOVE the idea of kids interacting over a book online! All students have an equal opportunity to share, whether they like to dominate a conversation or need time to think and process before responding.
  
• -School connections: A great way for teachers within a team or building to connect, problem-solve, and interact. Of course face-to-face meetings are preferred, but in today's chaotic school day this might be an answer!
• -Cultivating ideas: If you have an idea for your classroom using technology but aren't sure how to go about implementing it, toss the idea out on the PLN and get feedback from those who may have done something similar...find out what works and what doesn't!
• -Having questions answered: Again, if you're running stuck or aren't sure what to do with a project, etc. throw out a question on a forum or blog and wait for the wisdom to come forth!
• -Students could post their work: I found one entry a student had written, excited about this method of interaction for her class.

Problems with a PLN like Ning:

• -Losing/avoiding face-to-fact interaction: In particular with colleagues you may see on a daily basis.
• -Non-use, limited use, or negative use by colleagues: If a building decides to use a PLN to stay in touch, etc. there will likely be teachers who refuse to participate or turn the platform into a complaining session.
• -Reuse?: One forum I read had a question posted by a teacher wishing to reuse the PLN he set up last year for students, but wanted to eliminate them and add new students to the list. He wasn't sure if there was a way to do this and no one had answered his question yet.
• -Difficult to monitor: Immature students could take advantage the freedom of a PLN.
• -Student spelling: We all know students "write" differently on technology tools, and the slang shows up in formal writing as well. I read postings by students who thought this was a gr8 way 2 share r work. That scares me.
  

Thing #17

I peeked at a number of sites (too much fun not to), but settled on ancestry.com. I've been intrigued by genealogy since my junior year in high school when we had to create our family tree. I went hundreds of years beyond what the assignment required simply because someone in the family had been keeping track, and I simply enjoyed it! I've always wanted to create a more permanent place to keep that information rather than the computer paper I used to write it all down. The site works fairly well. It's easy to get lost within the family tree, but you just have to keep coming back to the home person. It's also frustrating because while the service of compiling all your family history in one spot is nice, anything beyond that does cost money. There are numerous tips connected to my family tree that the website highlighted for me, but I'd need to pay money to look at any of them...a bit disappointing.

Like I mentioned earlier, my first introduction to creating a family tree was a class assignment. This website would be an obvious aid to students with like assignments. There are tabs you can use to add family stories connected with each person, you could download pictures, and so on. Fun for someone who is interested in family history.

Thing #16

This clips are inspiring and scary all at the same time! What's the message? The world has changed and education has not. Education has begun to limit students and their creativity instead of open up a world of possibilities to them. Why? Because many teachers are teaching as they were taught without taking the unknown future into consideration. I understand there's a struggle...the state is handing down requirements and tests are given to ensure students are "learning" the "right" information, but as teachers in the classroom, it's obvious that there are so many intelligent students who may not be book-smart and who will never perform to the state's standards.

It's easy to blame teachers, and while change must start within the classrooms, schools, as well as the state, must rethink the definition of intelligence and begin to encourage creativity rather than conformity!

As a parent, I cringed many times as I watched these 3 videos. How do I protect my kids' creativity as I send them off to school? How do I encourage them to learn from their mistakes rather than be embarrassed by them? I will keep Sir Ken Robinson's definition of intelligence at hand: Intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct.

Thing #15

I enjoyed seeing and hearing how teachers and students are using podcasts for learning. It's always made sense to me to "speak" the language students speak...through technology, culture, and music, etc. Podcasting fits that belief perfectly.

I'm in a little different position than most of the other 23-thingers in that I'm not currently teaching, rather, I'm keeping my certification current while I stay home with my kids. So I hadn't ever thought about using podcasts in the classroom before now, although they certainly have merit. If I were still teaching in the school I was in for six years, I'm positive the administration would have been supportive of using and creating podcasts. Integrating technology was a high priority when I was there and I'd be shocked if that has changed at all.

My husband, however, is currently teaching, and I will definitely pass along these podcast directories to him as I'm sure he'd find them useful!

Thing #14

Podcasts have great potential in education! I loved that students can create their own (what better way to learn than to teach?) , and I thought the teacher who created study guide podcasts was really on to something!

As a language arts teacher, I really appreciated the Grammar Girl podcast. (http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx) I didn't decide to become a language arts teacher because grammar came so easily to me...it's still tough! What a fun, quick way to help students understand grammar. I would also use The Princeton Review - Vocabulary Minute (http://feeds.feedburner.com/princetonreview). I always liked to have a Word of the Day, etc. in my class and usually used cartoon vocabulary books to help. Songs, though, really stick with kids, so I liked the presentation of the Vocabulary Minute.

Thing #13

A definite learning experience for me. Not too difficult, though, but I chose to use Zoho because I was able to watch a very helpful guide before even signing up. I like to know what I'm getting into. :)

Tools like these are invaluable in education, as long as teachers are able to guide and direct the students, yet give them the freedom of creativity...a tough balance to obtain. Gone are the days of poster board! The possibilities for research reports, creative storytelling, visual aids for speeches, and group presentations are numerous, although I would love ideas and guidance as a teacher offering this tool to her students.

A side note...my husband (also a teacher) walked in while I was working on this slideshow and was excited to learn that he could upload already-created power point presentations onto a website!

I was able to use this for personal reasons in this example as I chose to give some information about my business. Families and friends could use tools like Zoho to create scrapbook-like projects, sharing pictures and ideas.

Thing #12

I've spent some time investigating these tools, taking any of the "free tours" that were offered to see some of the different possibilities. I chose two to look at more closely: 30 Boxes and LibraryThing.

I could definitely incorporate 30 Boxes into my personal life. My paper calendar is a mess with appointments, meetings, birthdays, and everyday reminders. I've toyed with using a Word document or something of the like to regroup and get a better plan, but I like that I would be able to access this in places other than my home. Just maybe, the dozens of lists I jot down on scrap papers throughout the day (some to replace ones I can't find) could be transferred to this Web 2.0 tool to keep my life and my home more organized.

In a classroom, 30 Boxes would be helpful to display timelines for projects, papers, and homework due dates in addition to classroom and school events. Simple, but efficient.

I also spent some time with LibraryThing. I could spend HOURS with this tool, organizing my library, have-read list, wish-to-read list...it's really a reader's dream site. It was great that after entering a few reading selections, LibraryThing suggested other libraries I should check out, created by people with similar reading interests. Now my personal booklist that currently has over 100 titles could grow exponentially...I may never be heard from again if I could just catch up on all my reading desires!

This would be a nice tool as a language arts teacher. What a simple way for students to keep track of what they've read throughout their school career as opposed to year-by-year. I always encouraged students to recommend titles to each other, but unless a student took a second to write down the suggestion, it went one ear and out the other. I'm not sure how some parents would respond to this idea as access to LibraryThing allows access to a number of chats about books and book-related topics. Parents can be, understandably, worried about allowing their student to interact with strangers online. Of course this wouldn't be a requirement, but students would have access to that feature.

Thing #11

I've had a little experience with Google Docs as our church uses this to coordinate worship planning and Praise Team leadership schedules. I'm amazed, though, at what all is available. Not only could I just make a simple document or spreadsheet to access from anywhere, I could use templates galore to organize my life. There are even lesson plan templates, grade books, school year calendars, syllabis, just about anything a teacher could want. Amazing. Really, one could organize most of her life through Google...e-mail, calendars, documents for personal and professional needs, Google Reader, create another website, the possibilities are endless.

But could Google Docs replace MS Office? It may be possible in the future, but I don't see it happening quite yet. I suppose it'll become a learned action to work at a site like Google Docs, but for now, most people sit at their computer, open their own document, and save it to their personal computer.

Throughout each "thing," I've been wondering about those students who don't have a computer at home. They are out there, after all. With all the amazing things we can do online, what does it mean for those without online access outside of school? It seems to be a lot to demand that they figure it out on their own, as these tend to be the kids from a lower income home and/or less parental support/involvement. Google Docs could be part of the solution as it would allow students to open their documents from a variety of places, but I still wonder where are these places (just at school?) and how will these kids access a computer if they don't have transportation? These may be unfounded worries, but I do wonder.

Thing #10

It's super simple to create a wiki! It takes no time at all to set up, although I imagine it could take all the time in the world to do all the fun things with it and to get it set up just so. I decided to use WetPaint, just because it sounded fun. After setting my wiki up I did go back and check out the other suggested sites, but WetPaint still sounds more fun. :) I also liked the Educator Ambassador for the site who seemed eager to help ensure success. I even checked out one of his articles for an easy way for students to join the class wiki.

As far as professional uses, WetPaint actually had suggestions listed for how to use wikis in the classroom which I appreciated, especially just getting started with an endeavor like this. I would use wikis for peer reviews, brainstorming, source sharing, creating definitions, cultivating word lists, and for extra-curricular writing and editing like the school newspaper.

Thing #9

Wikis are a bit daunting for me. I've been overwhelmed looking at the examples given, although I certainly see amazing potential!

To be honest, I think I've visited Wikipedia only once in the past, so I started by looking at that a little more in depth. It was easy to use, both in locating a specific topic and in browsing their lists. I didn't feel like I was getting lost within the site, which I did feel in a few other examples. I would, though, be hesitant to use this as a reliable source for research as anyone can add to it, so it would be important to back up any info I used from Wikipedia with a collaborating source.

I also glanced at RocWiki, a tourist's guide to Rochester, NY. Next time I travel to another city, I'll be certain to check for a Wiki for the area! What a great way to plan a trip with recommendations and comments from locals and prior visitors. I'd rather get a valid suggestion of where to eat than randomly pick a name of a restaurant out of a brochure!

The highlight of my search through Wiki-world was visiting Vicki Davis' blog and following it to her students' wiki. Ingenious. This is what true learning looks like...students becoming the teachers. It seemed to be easy to use and created an opportunity for students to work together (although I have a question...would the teacher be able to see who had accessed or contributed to the definitions to ensure all had a role in the project?).

Personally, I would have to take a class, read more, or have a coach in how to run an effective wiki. If it isn't well organized, it could be a nightmare for both students and the teacher.

In what ways could wikis be used in the classroom? I think it'd be a good way for absent students to check the notes of their classmates, a great way to do a collaborative research projects or book reviews, and possibly be used as a place for students to offer feedback on each other's writing (although a blog may be better for that since no one could actually change the document that way).

Thing #8

I've now added a few more feeds to my Google Reader page, everything from parenting to fashion to leadership. I've found that it's easiest for me to use the Google search or Technorati. I liked the idea of categories found on RSS Mountain, but I didn't really find anything I was looking for. I found Syndic8.com to be overwhelming, and while I'm sure some appreciate the Top 5 lists, they didn't appeal to my interests. As a whole, many sites didn't let me view the blog before I subscribed (or maybe I just didn't figure out how to view them), so I would subscribe, decide not to keep it, and have to unsubscribe.

Thing #7

Before this class I hadn't heard of RSS (that's just one reason why I knew I needed to update my technology toolbox!). But after playing with it I can see the extreme potential for personal and professional lives! Sending all the information that interests you to one site is brilliant!

In the past I haven't spent much time looking at blogs and newsfeeds. My time on the computer is usually rather limited with 2 kids vying for my attention, usually a quick check of e-mail and maybe facebook. The few other sites I do check occasionally don't have RSS connections which disappointed me. Of course, with the plethora of websites and blogs out there, I was able to find a few that interest me. I chose blogs that would continue to pertain to me at this point in my life even after our 23 Things class is over.

Educators should take advantage of RSS. What a fabulous way to connect with teachers nationally, or even internationally, to access lesson plans and learn from each other. They can all connect via RSS with other teachers on staff to keep up with professional blogs as to what is going on in the classrooms nearby. Both parents and students could subscribe to a teacher's blog which could contain class info, assignments, pose discussion questions, enrichment activities, reading suggestions, etc. The possibilities are tremendous!

Thing #6

Most of what I have believed to be true about copyright restrictions is WRONG! Don't use a movie in class, you can't post that excerpt, we need to get permission to use that song. It's refreshing to know that educators and students have the right to use copyrighted materials to learn about and become aware of the world today. Just as page four of The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education stated, I struggled with wanting to use copyrighted material that would enhance learning but feeling like I shouldn't and couldn't do so. Just like anything else, students need to be taught about media literacy, and how well can that be done without access to media resources?

I found it very interesting that those who own copyrights don't own them absolutely. Eduction is one of those situations where using a media source can be extremely beneficial, overshadowing the owner's right. Educators are hired as professionals and should be trusted to know what will best illustrate a point in a lesson or unit.

Now that I know the realities, I could reinstate my lesson on types of conflict. Of course this can be taught many ways, but I loved pulling clips from movies to succinctly illustrate the different types of conflict in a story. I had done this one year and another teacher asked me if it was legal to use all those movie clips. Since I wasn't 100% sure, I figured it would be too much work to get permission for all of them and that I would simply find another way to teach that point.

Thing #5

Super Men!
Originally uploaded by daviesvj

What fun! I could lose a lot of time playing around with fun things like this! There are so many options and fun things to play with! My boys each have Superman pajamas that they love to run around in, so this was a natural fit.

As far as using it in a professional setting, the first idea that popped into my head was to encourage students to create a movie poster based on a story they've written or a book they've read. Pretty basic, but it gets kids thinking about their story differently as far as trying to determine taglines, etc.

The one reservation I might have is that classes have time limits. Just like I could easily get sucked into playing with tools like this, students could as well. I'd need to be careful about the time given for a project like this and the overall end purpose.

Thing #4

Egypt & Greece 123
Originally uploaded by daviesvj

Isn't it wonderful how pictures help retain memories? My husband and I traveled to Egypt, Greece, and Italy the summer of 2004. He teaches ancient history courses so this was a dream trip for him, and I just love to travel and learn so it was fabulous for me, too! This is sunset on the Nile River...stunning.

I decided to create a flickr account since a few of my friends and family already use flicker. It took me quite a while to work through all the in's and out's of it, and I'm sure I've hardly begun to see all it can do! I tried to upload this picture from my blog page and wasn't able to do it, but when I created my blog connection on flickr I could upload it and blog from there.

This would be a great tool for classes as students plan and create projects together, and a wonderful way for teachers to post photos from the day/week/month of events in the class. As much as I love learning new things, though, it would have been much more time efficient just to upload the same picture from my computer directly to my blog.

Now, I hope this works...

Thing #3

So many of the 7 & 1/2 habits are connected, but I think the easiest habit for me is habit number four: Confidence in myself as a confident and effective life-long learner. I love to learn, read, question, and wonder! I enjoy researching topics of either personal or professional interest. Even if I don't entirely enjoy the content, I know that by studying, playing, and utilizing the information will make it a part of who I am.

The most difficult habit for me is habit number 3: View problems as challenges. Whether it be a technology problem, life problem, or any problem in between, I take it personally, and I want to give up, or at least put it off until later if I run into trouble. Changing this habit is as simple, or as difficult, as changing my mind-set. Instead of getting discouraged about problems, I need to remember that every obstacle is a positive step...a learning opportunity. We can only truly learn from failure, and only improve as a result. I don't think I'm alone in wanting to improve without the obstacles, but that is simply unrealistic. Since life is full of problems of one sort or another, I should have plenty of practice changing my mind-set.

Thing #2

For what it's worth, I haven't had much experience with blogs. A few friends keep them about their family life, one friend uses it with her business -- a website with local activities for kids, and every once in a while I'll read a story from the Yahoo news feed that will have comments and replies at the end. In looking at other blogs for this assignment, I was surprised at how few blogs had comments connected with them.

So what makes a good blog? One that is...

• easy to read
• focused in topic
  
• interesting and/or informative
  
• updated

One of the points of, "Blogs in Plain English,"suggested successful blogs work together as bloggers read each others contributions, quote each other, and support links to one another's blogs. This could be particularly helpful in the context of education as teachers work with one another and as classes create projects together. Blogs can enhance existing web sites due to the option of interaction, asking questions, and offering responses. I'm excited about the potential for blogs in today's classroom: posting resources for students, offering a place for discussion outside the classroom walls, connecting students with multi-media resources, saving paper with no more need for newsletters, etc. Blogs are not only an easier way to self-publish, they are the smarter way to self-publish in a time when everyone seems to have something to contribute.

Thing #1

In the 21st century, education is becoming more and more a communal event. Having a Read/Write web available for student use to enhance his/her education is incredibly exciting as it opens up the possibilities for assignments and engagement similar to what students will encounter in their personal and professional lives.

Web 2.0 MUST change the education process! I'm an English teacher by trade, so I truly believe that books have their place and papers must be written. Being literate, however, has a whole new meaning. What an incredible learning opportunity for students to post their writing in a place where their classmates can comment, question, and engage in learning. It seems that the article is correct that using Web 2.0 capabilities would force students to think more in depth, to see each other's work, and to become literate on a technological level -- essentially, teach their peers. Without having documented proof, I would wager that the quality of a student's work would increase with the involvement of the Read/Write web in a class simply because someone besides "just the teacher" will be viewing their thoughts and ideas, and students value what their peers think about them.

I've always believed that education needs to be more about the process of learning...knowing how and where to look for solutions to questions and problems. Rote memorization is necessary for many facets of education, but it cannot stop there! Like the videos pointed out, many of the students today will have jobs that are not yet created! How do we prepare students for the unknown? We need to teach them how to be resourceful, how to learn from and interact with peers, and we need to make their education experience applicable to their future.

One of my greatest frustrations as a student in education courses was to hear professors emphasize the importance of identifying learning styles, to use cooperative learning, etc. yet never utilize these same strategies in their own teaching. To tell our students that the web is the way of the future and not give them a chance to use it in a variety of ways is a disservice to them and to our future.

I do worry about my own kids' future in a classroom. So often I hear stories from other parents about what is going on in their child's classroom, and I cringe at what isn't happening. As our world advances exponentially, our classroom conduct and content seem to struggle to keep up. There is no more room for excuses.

Teachers and parents no longer have excuses for poor communication or planning. I would have loved the opportunity to create lesson plans across the curriculum (sadly, not encouraged in my district), and by keeping up with other teachers' blogs I would have had a chance to help my students make more connections in their learning. As I stated earlier, education is becoming more communal, and that should include parents. Allowing parents to observe their child's contributions to and involvement in class discussions and projects is an invaluable school-home connection. Without that, parents have very few resources to help them see their child's progress. This feature of Web 2.0 alone will change what education looks like.

23 Things - The First Thing

I'm sure I have quite a bit to learn about what the web can offer since it's been four years since I've been in the classroom. I'm currently at home with my two boys who are growing up way too quickly!!! My oldest is four and already has a growing interest in the computer. In addition to wanting to keep my certificate up-to-date, I'm hoping to learn a thing or two about Web 2.0 to use with the kids or even pass along to my husband who teaches high school history. Besides, I do enjoy learning.