Take a few moments to reflect on your journey. You've covered a lot of material over the past ten weeks. What does it all mean? How has your thinking changed between Thing 1 and Thing 23? Has this program changed how you view the Internet or how view education in the digital world? What plans have you made for using these tools in and out of the classroom? How will you continue to learn about Web 2.0 tools? What are your big "take aways" from this experience?
This has been an incredible journey. It seems impossible to me that it all happened in just a few short weeks. I remember struggling just to set up my blog and now I’m creating wikis! Not only my thinking changed from Thing 1 to Thing 23, I have changed. I am much more comfortable using Web 2.0 tools and have gained so much confidence in my abilities.
I came into this journey having some knowledge and experience with Web 2.0 but I learned so much more than I thought I would. I love Flickr. I never would have investigated it had it not been for this class. I thought it was just another place to store photos like Photobucket. Flickr maps? Wow, I have to go check out that one! And I can’t wait to have some time to really play around with Flickr Speller.
By far the best lesson I take away is social bookmarking. I think I’ve become addicted to Delicious! Even though it is summer I am already collaborating with a colleague by sharing websites we find. Her user name is in my top 10 tags! Another lesson I see myself using is Google Docs. Although I was introduced to it earlier this year, I am now using it for ongoing curriculum work on the GLCEs through my ISD. Learning how to download and save video from YouTube will change how I teach. Now, I can grab my students’ interest from the start with short videos that pull them into the lesson.
Thank you for providing this valuable hands-on Web 2.0 learning experience!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Thing 22: Create a Wiki
In your blog post be sure to include the link to your wiki. Then discuss your feelings about using a wiki. How does a wiki differ from a blog? When is one more appropriate to use than the other?
Here is the link to my wiki:
http://mrsrichardsclass.wikispaces.com/
The wiki was very easy to create. I would like to use this wiki as a place where students could have discussions about their assignments by asking questions and providing feedback for each other. I am concerned that middle school students would succumb to temptation and not use it appropriately. I almost think a blog would be a better option for discussions. When using a wiki, participants can change or even delete someone else’s work. That would not happen in a blog.
In my building two teachers have used wikis with students. The first teacher uses it to post assignments and announcements. He is the only one who can edit it. The students can only view it. He uses it more like a webpage. It’s much easier to set up and maintain than a webpage so I understand why he uses it in this manner. I don’t believe it’s what wikis were designed for but if it works for his purpose then why not? The other teacher used it during class and students were supposed to have a discussion based on a recent science lab. The students misused it, harassed other participants, and changed their answers. Several detentions were issued. I am hesitant to use wikis that students are able to edit.
Here is the link to my wiki:
http://mrsrichardsclass.wikispaces.com/
The wiki was very easy to create. I would like to use this wiki as a place where students could have discussions about their assignments by asking questions and providing feedback for each other. I am concerned that middle school students would succumb to temptation and not use it appropriately. I almost think a blog would be a better option for discussions. When using a wiki, participants can change or even delete someone else’s work. That would not happen in a blog.
In my building two teachers have used wikis with students. The first teacher uses it to post assignments and announcements. He is the only one who can edit it. The students can only view it. He uses it more like a webpage. It’s much easier to set up and maintain than a webpage so I understand why he uses it in this manner. I don’t believe it’s what wikis were designed for but if it works for his purpose then why not? The other teacher used it during class and students were supposed to have a discussion based on a recent science lab. The students misused it, harassed other participants, and changed their answers. Several detentions were issued. I am hesitant to use wikis that students are able to edit.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Thing 21: Learn About Wikis
Describe a wiki you found that inspires you to create one of your own. What hurdles might stand in the way of your using a wiki? What would it take to remove the hurdles? Is it worth the fight?
I was very impressed with the wiki Comparing Hemispheres. It’s like 21st Century Classroom Penpals. I think it’s amazing that it grew out of the simple question most children ask concerning the direction a toilet swirls and is it different depending on where you live. The photos of the students and the work they produced to explain their answers create a real connection between these two very distant countries. Just noticing how the lexicon is different between the two places creates one of those teachable moments we all love to see happen. It really brings home the reality of living in a global society.
The biggest hurdle would be to figure out how to do all those cool things using a wiki. It has the same basic layout of a webpage (I guess because that’s what it is). I’ve made a couple attempts at creating webpages and I was not an easy task. I’m also concerned about the ability of anyone to add, change, or delete the contents.
To remove those hurdles, I would have to learn a lot more about wikis and how they are created. If the result was a good as the wiki Comparing Hemispheres, it certainly would be worth it.
I was very impressed with the wiki Comparing Hemispheres. It’s like 21st Century Classroom Penpals. I think it’s amazing that it grew out of the simple question most children ask concerning the direction a toilet swirls and is it different depending on where you live. The photos of the students and the work they produced to explain their answers create a real connection between these two very distant countries. Just noticing how the lexicon is different between the two places creates one of those teachable moments we all love to see happen. It really brings home the reality of living in a global society.
The biggest hurdle would be to figure out how to do all those cool things using a wiki. It has the same basic layout of a webpage (I guess because that’s what it is). I’ve made a couple attempts at creating webpages and I was not an easy task. I’m also concerned about the ability of anyone to add, change, or delete the contents.
To remove those hurdles, I would have to learn a lot more about wikis and how they are created. If the result was a good as the wiki Comparing Hemispheres, it certainly would be worth it.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Thing 20: Finding and Subscribing to Podcasts
Include in your post the name of at least one podcast to which you subscribed. Describe your experience using the various search tools. Which do you prefer and why?
I have subscribed to Speaking of History. It is a podcast produced by 8th Grade History teacher Eric Langhorst. The episode that caught my eye is Podcast #184 – Creating “Common Craft” Type Videos about Historical Terms for Class. It is a “supercast” with audio, photos, and video! Lee LeFever even left a comment praising the students and Mr. Langhorst on their product.
http://speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/2009/03/podcast-184-creating-common-craft-type.html
The process I used to find this podcast was by going to EPN, Subject Specific: Social Studies, Speaking of History, and then scrolling through several episodes until I found one I thought would be useful to me and clicking on it. At first I was a little freaked out because there were probably over 20 with just today’s date. Talk about information overload. I didn’t want to subscribe to something that sent out 20 podcasts a day! Once I subscribed, I could see the actual date of posting. Whew! I think this is a great search tool and plan to use it again in the future.
I did not use iTunes to locate and subscribe to this feed, although I have used iTunes for this purpose in the past. In fact, I think that’s how I found Grammar Girl. I also downloaded from iTunes onto my iPod and burned CDs for my students a podcast called Japanese Survival Phrases before our exchange trip last summer. I was surprised at the number of educational podcasts iTunes carries.
I really like and use NetVibes. I have a tab just for podcasts on my NetVibes page and I want to keep them all there in one “file cabinet” so to speak. So I simply clicked on the orange RSS icon in the podcast I chose, copied the URL (this one is an xml, which from past experience I know works), opened my NetVibes page, clicked on my podcasts tab, and added the feed. Now I can go through all the episodes at my convenience. Can’t wait to get started!!!
http://www.netvibes.com
I have subscribed to Speaking of History. It is a podcast produced by 8th Grade History teacher Eric Langhorst. The episode that caught my eye is Podcast #184 – Creating “Common Craft” Type Videos about Historical Terms for Class. It is a “supercast” with audio, photos, and video! Lee LeFever even left a comment praising the students and Mr. Langhorst on their product.
http://speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/2009/03/podcast-184-creating-common-craft-type.html
The process I used to find this podcast was by going to EPN, Subject Specific: Social Studies, Speaking of History, and then scrolling through several episodes until I found one I thought would be useful to me and clicking on it. At first I was a little freaked out because there were probably over 20 with just today’s date. Talk about information overload. I didn’t want to subscribe to something that sent out 20 podcasts a day! Once I subscribed, I could see the actual date of posting. Whew! I think this is a great search tool and plan to use it again in the future.
I did not use iTunes to locate and subscribe to this feed, although I have used iTunes for this purpose in the past. In fact, I think that’s how I found Grammar Girl. I also downloaded from iTunes onto my iPod and burned CDs for my students a podcast called Japanese Survival Phrases before our exchange trip last summer. I was surprised at the number of educational podcasts iTunes carries.
I really like and use NetVibes. I have a tab just for podcasts on my NetVibes page and I want to keep them all there in one “file cabinet” so to speak. So I simply clicked on the orange RSS icon in the podcast I chose, copied the URL (this one is an xml, which from past experience I know works), opened my NetVibes page, clicked on my podcasts tab, and added the feed. Now I can go through all the episodes at my convenience. Can’t wait to get started!!!
http://www.netvibes.com
Thing 19: Learn About Podcasting
Which podcasts did you find interesting? Identify one or two podcasts and describe how you would use them in your work. (Be sure to include links in your blog entry to the podcasts mentioned.)
When I taught ELA I found Grammar Girl to be some of the best professional development for ELA teachers on the Web. It increased my level of understanding but would have been way over the heads of my middle school students. Grammar Girl is not only educational but fun to listen to. She’s like listening to a friend not a lecture.
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx
I am so excited to have found Mr. Langhorst’s Website! I will teach 8th grade American History for the first time this year and need all the ideas and resources I can get. I really like his idea of providing “studycasts” for the students. I hope to use some of his and attempt to create some of my own. I also like how he explains everything on his website. Need to know what a blog, podcast, or studycast is? Are you interested in knowing how he records his podcasts? He gives you all that info right on his homepage. He also includes music he finds online and cites his sources. What a great model he provides when he does this. Mr. Langhorst must be an amazing teacher!
http://www.liberty.k12.mo.us/~elanghorst/blog
I think student created podcasts are a terrific idea. As a teacher though, I need to become more proficient with creating Podcasts myself before I make it an assignment for my students. I certainly want to explore this in for the future. Those 1st graders were amazing!
http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/shows/Willowcast24.html
I have a lot to learn.
When I taught ELA I found Grammar Girl to be some of the best professional development for ELA teachers on the Web. It increased my level of understanding but would have been way over the heads of my middle school students. Grammar Girl is not only educational but fun to listen to. She’s like listening to a friend not a lecture.
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx
I am so excited to have found Mr. Langhorst’s Website! I will teach 8th grade American History for the first time this year and need all the ideas and resources I can get. I really like his idea of providing “studycasts” for the students. I hope to use some of his and attempt to create some of my own. I also like how he explains everything on his website. Need to know what a blog, podcast, or studycast is? Are you interested in knowing how he records his podcasts? He gives you all that info right on his homepage. He also includes music he finds online and cites his sources. What a great model he provides when he does this. Mr. Langhorst must be an amazing teacher!
http://www.liberty.k12.mo.us/~elanghorst/blog
I think student created podcasts are a terrific idea. As a teacher though, I need to become more proficient with creating Podcasts myself before I make it an assignment for my students. I certainly want to explore this in for the future. Those 1st graders were amazing!
http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/shows/Willowcast24.html
I have a lot to learn.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Thing 18: Slideshare
What did you like about the presentation you embedded? How might Slideshare be useful in the classroom? Out of the classroom?
I chose the slide show Something about Antarctica because we now need to teach this region in 7th grade Social Studies but have not been provided materials or resources. Everyone is in a quandary over “what to teach” about Antarctica and why we should even do so. After all, “nothing happens there.” After viewing the slideshows on this continent I am convinced we need to teach about this important area of the world. Many groups have conflicting interests in how Antarctica should be used and students need to be aware of the controversies. It could become their generation’s “destruction of the rain forest” issue.
I like that this presentation isn’t text heavy with lots of bullets. Presented without bias, using beautiful photographs (several in a row) and giving important factual data and information, the message becomes clear. I think this would keep the students’ interest and help them become invested in the future of Antarctica. After presenting this slideshow, I would have students research whether Antarctica should be developed and if so by whom? We would have a discussion forum for them to present and test their ideas. Then they would write a short essay or letter to support their opinion.
I did find it a challenge to locate a slideshow appropriate for classroom use and one I could align with state standards. I’m not sure if there’s a better way to search. I clicked on education and then entered key words in the search bar. I ended up with lots of ads for hotels. However, I guess that is one way it could be used outside of school. Lots of travel info including virtual tours of cabins, rooms, etc.
Something about Antarctica.
View more presentations from Roelof Van den berg.
I chose the slide show Something about Antarctica because we now need to teach this region in 7th grade Social Studies but have not been provided materials or resources. Everyone is in a quandary over “what to teach” about Antarctica and why we should even do so. After all, “nothing happens there.” After viewing the slideshows on this continent I am convinced we need to teach about this important area of the world. Many groups have conflicting interests in how Antarctica should be used and students need to be aware of the controversies. It could become their generation’s “destruction of the rain forest” issue.
I like that this presentation isn’t text heavy with lots of bullets. Presented without bias, using beautiful photographs (several in a row) and giving important factual data and information, the message becomes clear. I think this would keep the students’ interest and help them become invested in the future of Antarctica. After presenting this slideshow, I would have students research whether Antarctica should be developed and if so by whom? We would have a discussion forum for them to present and test their ideas. Then they would write a short essay or letter to support their opinion.
I did find it a challenge to locate a slideshow appropriate for classroom use and one I could align with state standards. I’m not sure if there’s a better way to search. I clicked on education and then entered key words in the search bar. I ended up with lots of ads for hotels. However, I guess that is one way it could be used outside of school. Lots of travel info including virtual tours of cabins, rooms, etc.
Thing 17: Online Productivity
Give a review of the tool you explored - what worked, what didn't work, how might it be used in your personal or professional life?
Two of these online tools really caught my eye, Remember the Milk and 30 Boxes. I live by both lists and calendars. Currently I spend a lot of time creating lists and calendars on my PC to print out and take with me. I think I could really benefit from an on-line version. I’ve been looking for an on-line calendar my family could all access and add activities to help us stay organized and keep us informed. I have tried Cozi but it didn’t have all the features I wanted. I need to play around a little more with 30 Boxes to see if it will work for us.
What I really want to share with you is GoodReads. I like it better than LibraryThing or Shelfari. You can do so many things. You have different shelves for books you’ve read, are currently reading, and want to read. There are lots of reviews. You can invite others as friends. The plus is that several authors belong to GoodReads and accept friends. It even includes cookbooks! Here are some of the books on my Books I've Read Shelf.
You can sign up at http://www.goodreads.com/. I hope find it as rewarding to use as I do.
Two of these online tools really caught my eye, Remember the Milk and 30 Boxes. I live by both lists and calendars. Currently I spend a lot of time creating lists and calendars on my PC to print out and take with me. I think I could really benefit from an on-line version. I’ve been looking for an on-line calendar my family could all access and add activities to help us stay organized and keep us informed. I have tried Cozi but it didn’t have all the features I wanted. I need to play around a little more with 30 Boxes to see if it will work for us.
What I really want to share with you is GoodReads. I like it better than LibraryThing or Shelfari. You can do so many things. You have different shelves for books you’ve read, are currently reading, and want to read. There are lots of reviews. You can invite others as friends. The plus is that several authors belong to GoodReads and accept friends. It even includes cookbooks! Here are some of the books on my Books I've Read Shelf.
You can sign up at http://www.goodreads.com/. I hope find it as rewarding to use as I do.
Thing 16: Google Docs
How might you use this tool in your personal and professional life? What issues come to mind about using this tool with students (ie, they need email addresses to log-in)?
Teachers in my building use Google Docs to collaborate on team newsletters sent home to parents. Each team member adds their part to the newsletter and the role of editor rotates throughout the team during the year. This is much better than the old process of using Publisher and emailing it as an attachment back and forth. I also like the fact that everyone gets to participate. It’s not just one person sitting in front of the computer on a collaborative assignment.
When logging into Google Docs, I just realized that a plethora of resources were loaded onto my account from the work I’ve done this past year with a Teaching American History grant. Awesome! I forgot it was loaded there! I’m so excited to find this!
I was able to share a word document (using a template). This summer I was part of a team working on prioritizing GLCE’s and adding evidence and activities. Our work is not complete but we will not be meeting again this summer as a group. I offered to upload our creation to Google Docs knowing it was one of our assignments. I just successfully uploaded the document and invited the participants. Success is sweet!
The main issue is that students need access to email which is against our district technology policy. Another issue is that all invitees can change any part, not just their own creation. I think ground rules would have to be established from the beginning and agreed upon by all collaborators. How much of another person’s work should you change? Are you going to require permission from the author to make changes? Or will you handle that with suggestions instead of changes? Does that somewhat defeat the purpose of on-line collaboration of documents?
One other thing to keep in mind is that Google Docs has pros and cons. The advantage is that Google Docs looks like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The disadvantage is that Google Docs looks like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It does not always behave the same.
Teachers in my building use Google Docs to collaborate on team newsletters sent home to parents. Each team member adds their part to the newsletter and the role of editor rotates throughout the team during the year. This is much better than the old process of using Publisher and emailing it as an attachment back and forth. I also like the fact that everyone gets to participate. It’s not just one person sitting in front of the computer on a collaborative assignment.
When logging into Google Docs, I just realized that a plethora of resources were loaded onto my account from the work I’ve done this past year with a Teaching American History grant. Awesome! I forgot it was loaded there! I’m so excited to find this!
I was able to share a word document (using a template). This summer I was part of a team working on prioritizing GLCE’s and adding evidence and activities. Our work is not complete but we will not be meeting again this summer as a group. I offered to upload our creation to Google Docs knowing it was one of our assignments. I just successfully uploaded the document and invited the participants. Success is sweet!
The main issue is that students need access to email which is against our district technology policy. Another issue is that all invitees can change any part, not just their own creation. I think ground rules would have to be established from the beginning and agreed upon by all collaborators. How much of another person’s work should you change? Are you going to require permission from the author to make changes? Or will you handle that with suggestions instead of changes? Does that somewhat defeat the purpose of on-line collaboration of documents?
One other thing to keep in mind is that Google Docs has pros and cons. The advantage is that Google Docs looks like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The disadvantage is that Google Docs looks like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It does not always behave the same.
Thing 15: RSS Revisited
Is RSS becoming easier to understand? Do you recognize new benefits of using this tool? Do you remember to check your feeds regularly? Has it become a habit (or obsession!) yet?
When I first started using RSS feeds it was for a different technology class and I didn’t see the benefits. I felt that it was too time consuming to check it often enough to make it worthwhile. I thought that I would do the research when and if I needed the information. That was until I found some great feeds, a few of which I shared in Thing 5. Then, I almost became obsessed with checking them regularly. Now, I have found a happy medium. I check in and scan regularly enough (usually weekly) to not miss out on any of the good stuff that might come my way and when I have spare time I look more thoroughly through the feeds.
I didn’t know you could subscribe to tabs from Delicious. I really like this feature! I have added a couple for the content I teach and plan to check them regularly. Now, when I find a site from one of those feeds that I want to use for a future lesson, I will simply add it to my Delicious account. I am so glad I took this class it will really help me locate and organize my resources!
When I first started using RSS feeds it was for a different technology class and I didn’t see the benefits. I felt that it was too time consuming to check it often enough to make it worthwhile. I thought that I would do the research when and if I needed the information. That was until I found some great feeds, a few of which I shared in Thing 5. Then, I almost became obsessed with checking them regularly. Now, I have found a happy medium. I check in and scan regularly enough (usually weekly) to not miss out on any of the good stuff that might come my way and when I have spare time I look more thoroughly through the feeds.
I didn’t know you could subscribe to tabs from Delicious. I really like this feature! I have added a couple for the content I teach and plan to check them regularly. Now, when I find a site from one of those feeds that I want to use for a future lesson, I will simply add it to my Delicious account. I am so glad I took this class it will really help me locate and organize my resources!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Thing 14: Bookmarking with Delicious
Include your Delicious username in this blog post so that others can view the bookmarks that you have chosen to share. Then reflect on how you think social bookmarking can be used in your teaching. Does Delicious seem to be a tool that can enhance your productivity?
My Delicious name is msrichkats.
I have been anxiously anticipating setting up my Delicious account because two teachers I work with already have them loaded with an abundance of tagged sites. We are terrific at sharing the resources we find and this is going to make it much quicker and easier! Now when I plan for a new unit all my colleagues need to do is share their Delicious name or tags. It will certainly enhance our productivity by saving time (and chance of those nasty url errors) while making collaborating with resources fun and easy!
Thank you resa23 for showing us this amazing tool!
My Delicious name is msrichkats.
I have been anxiously anticipating setting up my Delicious account because two teachers I work with already have them loaded with an abundance of tagged sites. We are terrific at sharing the resources we find and this is going to make it much quicker and easier! Now when I plan for a new unit all my colleagues need to do is share their Delicious name or tags. It will certainly enhance our productivity by saving time (and chance of those nasty url errors) while making collaborating with resources fun and easy!
Thank you resa23 for showing us this amazing tool!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thing 13: Social Bookmarking and Tagging
Share your thoughts about tagging. Is tagging a useful way to organize your digital resources and why? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages? What is important to think about before assigning tags to bookmarks or other Internet content?
I believe tagging would be a much more useful way to organize resources than the current method of bookmarking. Immediately I can think of two important advantages. One is that because it is web-based, it is available to you anywhere you can access the Internet and the second is that you can share your tags with others without having to email them a link.
Another advantage is how the tags will help me retrieve bookmarked sites at the time I need them. So often I bookmark wonderful sites and think I’ll remember to get back to them months down the road when I’m ready to teach that unit. Guess what? It rarely happens. It’s not until the unit is over and I land on the site again by chance that I remember I wanted to use it. Not a very efficient way to use bookmarks!
I like the idea of creating a social network for bookmarks. Teachers are often isolated in their rooms while teaching during the day and do most of their research alone at night or on week-ends. Social bookmarking sites allow a certain degree of collaboration among teachers at their own time and place. I also like that you can see how others tagged the site. This could give you additional ideas for using the resource.
Tagging has the same disadvantages as Wikipedia. Anyone can add anything they wish. It would be necessary to evaluate each site to determine how well it meets your purposes.
I would be very careful recommending sites to students. It appears that Social Bookmarking sites have an even bigger disadvantage than Wikipedia in that no one attempts to monitor them. Hate groups often use key words to tag their sites to lure in unsuspecting researchers. These sites look and sound official until you read further into them. I believe that if I were going to use this technology with students I would create a separate account just for that purpose and only invite my students to participate. Is that possible? Also, it is possible to report inappropriate sites and who would determine what makes a site inappropriate? I see you can edit but can you delete tags and remove sites from your tags? Maybe I’ll find my answers in Thing 14.
I believe tagging would be a much more useful way to organize resources than the current method of bookmarking. Immediately I can think of two important advantages. One is that because it is web-based, it is available to you anywhere you can access the Internet and the second is that you can share your tags with others without having to email them a link.
Another advantage is how the tags will help me retrieve bookmarked sites at the time I need them. So often I bookmark wonderful sites and think I’ll remember to get back to them months down the road when I’m ready to teach that unit. Guess what? It rarely happens. It’s not until the unit is over and I land on the site again by chance that I remember I wanted to use it. Not a very efficient way to use bookmarks!
I like the idea of creating a social network for bookmarks. Teachers are often isolated in their rooms while teaching during the day and do most of their research alone at night or on week-ends. Social bookmarking sites allow a certain degree of collaboration among teachers at their own time and place. I also like that you can see how others tagged the site. This could give you additional ideas for using the resource.
Tagging has the same disadvantages as Wikipedia. Anyone can add anything they wish. It would be necessary to evaluate each site to determine how well it meets your purposes.
I would be very careful recommending sites to students. It appears that Social Bookmarking sites have an even bigger disadvantage than Wikipedia in that no one attempts to monitor them. Hate groups often use key words to tag their sites to lure in unsuspecting researchers. These sites look and sound official until you read further into them. I believe that if I were going to use this technology with students I would create a separate account just for that purpose and only invite my students to participate. Is that possible? Also, it is possible to report inappropriate sites and who would determine what makes a site inappropriate? I see you can edit but can you delete tags and remove sites from your tags? Maybe I’ll find my answers in Thing 14.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Thing 12: Blog Widgets
Review the widget you selected. Are you getting comfortable with embedding code? Do you belong to other online communities? Are relationships formed online as meaningful as face-to-face relationships? Why do you think MySpace and other social networking sites are so popular with kids today?
Okay, I give up. It has taken me 3 hours now to embed a widget in blogger with no success. I know this works because I have the same widgets on other sites and it only took 1-2 minutes. I followed all the directions several times and it will not embed. I even tried several different widgets. I am not spending any more time on this because the problem has to be inconsistencies within blogger. I find that what does not work one day will work the next so maybe I'll return to this at some future time. BTW - the big white space at the beginning of this post actually contains the html code in compose and edit html screens but won't show up in preview. In the meantime I have posted widgets on my blog page. The widget I wanted to add you can find at:
http://www.gmodules.com/ig/creator?synd=open&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwidgets.clearspring.com%2Fcscallback%2Fgallery%2F484b55292f9fbe88%2Fgooglegallery.xml&lang=en
I chose this widget because I think it is beautiful and calming to watch fish in an aquarium. It also fits visually with the color and theme of my blog page. It is not interactive although I do use other interactive widgets where visitors can play with a cat, feed fish, or play a game on another site.
I am quite comfortable with embedding code. I have belonged to other online communities for over three years and often embed code from pictures, videos, and widgets I find online. It’s a lot of fun to share what you find and it’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Relationships formed online are certainly different than face-to-face relationships but I don’t think one is necessarily always more meaningful than another. I do think they fulfill different needs. For example, on Facebook I have contact only with people I have previously met face-to-face (family, co-workers, friends). However, on Eons I am “acquaintances” with people I’ve never met and have no intention of ever meeting face-to-face. We call ourselves “friends” online because we have an interest in common, such as cooking or wine.
Kids are naturally very social, especially middle-high school students. When we were that age it was relatively easy to interact face-to-face with kick ball in the street every night after dinner and hanging out at the local drive-in. We walked or rode our bikes everywhere. Urban sprawl and safety concerns have limited the amount of face-to-face contact among kids today. Also kids are “digital natives”. They have never known a world without it. It is only natural they would use social networking sites to interact with their friends.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Thing 11: Community 2.0
What do you like / dislike about leaving comments? How did you feel when you received your first comment? Why do you think commenting is so important in online communities? What might this mean for students who share their writing online?
What I like about reading and commenting on blogs is getting new ideas from other participants and being able to offer ideas, information, links, etc. What I don’t like about commenting on blogs is that sometimes what you mean to say is not exactly what comes across. It is so easy to be misunderstood when the reader can’t see your facial expressions, body language, and intonation. Sometimes I worry that I might unintentionally offend someone.
It was exciting to receive the first comments on my blog because it validated my thoughts and ideas. It also gave me a sense of pride in my blog that someone else felt it worthy of their time to read and leave comments. It’s like getting a surprise in the mail!
Without comments, on-line “communities” could not exist. Blogs would become soliloquies. Communities need a way for members to interact and on-line communities do that through posts and replies to posts.
When teachers ask their students to write, one very important consideration is who the audience will be. When students know their work will be shared with an authentic audience, they are more likely to take it seriously and perform at their best. I also believe that blogging can be a wonderful tool for revising student work. Students could post their drafts and other students could offer comments through peer editing. It would be a good vehicle to establish a learning community where students have the opportunity to share their knowledge and abilities and learn from one another.
What I like about reading and commenting on blogs is getting new ideas from other participants and being able to offer ideas, information, links, etc. What I don’t like about commenting on blogs is that sometimes what you mean to say is not exactly what comes across. It is so easy to be misunderstood when the reader can’t see your facial expressions, body language, and intonation. Sometimes I worry that I might unintentionally offend someone.
It was exciting to receive the first comments on my blog because it validated my thoughts and ideas. It also gave me a sense of pride in my blog that someone else felt it worthy of their time to read and leave comments. It’s like getting a surprise in the mail!
Without comments, on-line “communities” could not exist. Blogs would become soliloquies. Communities need a way for members to interact and on-line communities do that through posts and replies to posts.
When teachers ask their students to write, one very important consideration is who the audience will be. When students know their work will be shared with an authentic audience, they are more likely to take it seriously and perform at their best. I also believe that blogging can be a wonderful tool for revising student work. Students could post their drafts and other students could offer comments through peer editing. It would be a good vehicle to establish a learning community where students have the opportunity to share their knowledge and abilities and learn from one another.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thing 10: Embed and download video
Add comments to the video you embedded. Why did you select it? Were you also able to download a video?
I selected this short video on The Louisiana Purchase to share because it gives some important historical information in a nutshell. It is not flashy (I found the flashy ones to be historically inaccurate or biased) but the visuals, especially the map, will give students a focus at the beginning of my unit on Westward Expansion. The facts are accurate and will help to dispel some common misconceptions students have about this important land deal and what it meant to the United States.
I actually had difficulties embedding the video but it had nothing to do with YouTube. I didn’t realize that the Thunderstorm knocked out my wireless. Now, my keyboard shortcuts aren’t working to copy and paste. It took me some time to figure out both of those problems. I am going to post this blog then attempt a download. I’ll post my results in a reply.
I selected this short video on The Louisiana Purchase to share because it gives some important historical information in a nutshell. It is not flashy (I found the flashy ones to be historically inaccurate or biased) but the visuals, especially the map, will give students a focus at the beginning of my unit on Westward Expansion. The facts are accurate and will help to dispel some common misconceptions students have about this important land deal and what it meant to the United States.
I actually had difficulties embedding the video but it had nothing to do with YouTube. I didn’t realize that the Thunderstorm knocked out my wireless. Now, my keyboard shortcuts aren’t working to copy and paste. It took me some time to figure out both of those problems. I am going to post this blog then attempt a download. I’ll post my results in a reply.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thing 9: Online Video
What do you like or dislike about YouTube? Did you find videos that would be useful for teaching and learning? Is YouTube restricted in your building?
What I like the most about YouTube is that I can actually see what is happening around the world without being there to witness it firsthand. Such as the Sound of Music performance in the Antwerp Train Station. I also like that it gives a vehicle and an audience for artists.
There really isn’t anything I personally dislike about YouTube except maybe that I can spend too much time there. With anyone being able to post almost anything, sometimes I see things I would prefer to not see but that’s what the little red x is for.
The problem I see with YouTube is how students are using it. Students from my school recorded a fight in the cafeteria and it was uploaded to YouTube as soon as school ended that day. I have heard of students from another local school district who start fights just to post them to YouTube and have them rated. My understanding is that the more blood, the higher the rating. The latest issue of NEA Today (p. 18) has an article about this concern. “When it comes to schoolyard fights, the big question isn’t how many hits you got: It’s how many hits you’ll get.” “Basically, it’s like you’re abused twice – first when you’re beat up and then again when it’s posted,” says Nancy Willard.
On a more positive side, as a Social Studies teacher I find several videos that are useful to my teaching. The entire MLK I Have a Dream Speech is available as are several clips from the TV series John Adams. It can be a very useful tool when teaching American history.
YouTube is restricted in my district. I doubt that the reason is a bandwidth issue. All social networking sites are blocked due to the nature of some content and the risk to students.
What I like the most about YouTube is that I can actually see what is happening around the world without being there to witness it firsthand. Such as the Sound of Music performance in the Antwerp Train Station. I also like that it gives a vehicle and an audience for artists.
There really isn’t anything I personally dislike about YouTube except maybe that I can spend too much time there. With anyone being able to post almost anything, sometimes I see things I would prefer to not see but that’s what the little red x is for.
The problem I see with YouTube is how students are using it. Students from my school recorded a fight in the cafeteria and it was uploaded to YouTube as soon as school ended that day. I have heard of students from another local school district who start fights just to post them to YouTube and have them rated. My understanding is that the more blood, the higher the rating. The latest issue of NEA Today (p. 18) has an article about this concern. “When it comes to schoolyard fights, the big question isn’t how many hits you got: It’s how many hits you’ll get.” “Basically, it’s like you’re abused twice – first when you’re beat up and then again when it’s posted,” says Nancy Willard.
On a more positive side, as a Social Studies teacher I find several videos that are useful to my teaching. The entire MLK I Have a Dream Speech is available as are several clips from the TV series John Adams. It can be a very useful tool when teaching American history.
YouTube is restricted in my district. I doubt that the reason is a bandwidth issue. All social networking sites are blocked due to the nature of some content and the risk to students.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thing 8: Fun with Images
In the same post in which you placed your creation, briefly describe your experience completing Thing 8. Which of these tools intrigues you and why? Was it easy, frustrating, time-consuming, fun? Share some of your ideas for using the images you can create.
Whoa, I spent way too much time playing around with this “thing”! It was so much fun and I had no idea all this existed on the web for free! Thanks for the great recommendations.
I enjoyed creating different visualizations of my name in Spelling with Flickr. It was easy to create but inconsistent when posting. I found I could easily post it to another blog I manage but it took a number of attempts to have it work in Bloglines. Then I noticed that sometimes it shows up and at other times all I get is the html code. If I could get it to work consistently, it would make an eye-catching and creative banner for a teacher’s or classroom’s homepage.
Another tool I had fun using was the Motivation Poster. When my college age daughter comes home on break I pay her to clean the house for a little spending money. One day I walked into the house after a particularly challenging day in the classroom and she had cleaned the family room then made a family of elephants out of towels. We laughed so hard and it was just what I needed to return the next day with a positive attitude. It might be interesting to see ELA students use this tool to create posters for metaphors and similes. Another idea would be to create posters that give advice to main characters about solving the story’s problem.
Now, I better go bookmark those sites!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thing 7: Share Your Photos Online
Think of ways you may be able to use Flickr in the classroom or in your work and share your ideas. What issues might you face?
I don’t believe that my district allows access to Flickr so using it in my classroom would be problematic. One way I might be able to use Flickr is to take (or have students submit) photos of projects and other work they have created. I could then create a classroom gallery on Flickr and throughout the year add exhibits of student work.
For example, my ELA students construct Harry Potter projects that are incredibly creative. I could post an entire Harry Potter Project Exhibit that students, parents, grandparents, family, and friends would be able to see. Currently the only visitors to see these projects are the parents who attend fall conference and visit the school library where they are on display. This would open up a whole new “authentic” audience for my students to consider when creating their projects and encourage them to do their best work!
I could circumvent the problem of my district not allowing access to Flickr by posting the pictures from home. However, another consideration would be how to handle students who use a performance for their project when my district does not allow pictures or videos of students to be posted on-line?
I don’t believe that my district allows access to Flickr so using it in my classroom would be problematic. One way I might be able to use Flickr is to take (or have students submit) photos of projects and other work they have created. I could then create a classroom gallery on Flickr and throughout the year add exhibits of student work.
For example, my ELA students construct Harry Potter projects that are incredibly creative. I could post an entire Harry Potter Project Exhibit that students, parents, grandparents, family, and friends would be able to see. Currently the only visitors to see these projects are the parents who attend fall conference and visit the school library where they are on display. This would open up a whole new “authentic” audience for my students to consider when creating their projects and encourage them to do their best work!
I could circumvent the problem of my district not allowing access to Flickr by posting the pictures from home. However, another consideration would be how to handle students who use a performance for their project when my district does not allow pictures or videos of students to be posted on-line?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Thing 6: Photo Sharing with Flickr
Create a post on your blog about one of the photos you downloaded. Why did you choose a particular photo? What is it about the photo that you found interesting?
A few years ago I had never heard of Plumeria. Then, on a special anniversary my husband bought a Plumeria scented candle to use when we visited a romantic bed and breakfast. Silly me, I thought it was some made up scent from Bath & Body. Just this past Spring, I was looking for pictures of flowers to download for a profile on a social network site and found these incredibly beautiful flowers. I found out that the Plumeria is the Hawaiian flower used to make leis. They are absolutely beautiful and now my favorite flower. I found it very interesting that they come in so many colors and varieties. It wasn’t until I saw all the pictures on Flicker that I realized that!
Thing 5: Subscribing to RSS Feeds
RSS can be a difficult concept for some to grasp right away - what questions do you have? What didn't work or doesn't make sense? How might you use RSS in your personal or professional life? Find anything in your searching that you'd recommend to others?
For me the concept wasn’t difficult to grasp because I capture updates through RRS feeds on a different site. I did have difficulty using Bloglines though. Several of the directions did not work for either the websites I visited or the system I am using. IE wanted to add it to its own site and not Bloglines. It took a long time and trial and error to determine that my Bookmarklets do not have an icon but instead a little tab above the task bar that’s labeled links and I still cannot get that to function correctly. I found that good old copy and paste for the feed url worked best.
Using RSS, whether for personal or professional reasons, streamlines the entire “check in” process because all you have to do is go to one site and start clicking! I have used it to increase my personal knowledge of content areas and to get ideas for teaching strategies.
I have some great sites to recommend. For ELA teachers, Grammar Girl does a terrific job explaining the complexities of the English Language and she’s just plain fun! For History/Social Studies teachers, History Tech offers lots of strategy ideas for the classroom. Everyone should be able to find something interesting and valuable to teaching on both How Stuff Works, National Geographic News and Edutopia. I hope you find this helpful – happy hunting!
For me the concept wasn’t difficult to grasp because I capture updates through RRS feeds on a different site. I did have difficulty using Bloglines though. Several of the directions did not work for either the websites I visited or the system I am using. IE wanted to add it to its own site and not Bloglines. It took a long time and trial and error to determine that my Bookmarklets do not have an icon but instead a little tab above the task bar that’s labeled links and I still cannot get that to function correctly. I found that good old copy and paste for the feed url worked best.
Using RSS, whether for personal or professional reasons, streamlines the entire “check in” process because all you have to do is go to one site and start clicking! I have used it to increase my personal knowledge of content areas and to get ideas for teaching strategies.
I have some great sites to recommend. For ELA teachers, Grammar Girl does a terrific job explaining the complexities of the English Language and she’s just plain fun! For History/Social Studies teachers, History Tech offers lots of strategy ideas for the classroom. Everyone should be able to find something interesting and valuable to teaching on both How Stuff Works, National Geographic News and Edutopia. I hope you find this helpful – happy hunting!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thing 4: What is RSS?
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of blogs out there - how do you handle information overload and how do you think RSS might help with that?
Actually I have been using Netvibes to handle RSS feeds for close to a year now. I like how I have control over when I choose to visit my site and check on the latest additions. Having ezine subscriptions doesn’t allow that and soon I find my email inbox has become unmanageable. I get overwhelmed and just delete the whole mess but then before I know it, my inbox is overflowing again! RSS feeds to a homesite definitely help in that respect.
Like the video said, it can become addicting so a word of caution. On my page I already have 4 tabs (same thing as folder in Bloglines?) and each tab has several feeds. It’s a lot of fun to check them and I can spend hours there when I’m not mindful of the time. I have learned that I don’t need to check it every day. I check in when time permits or if I am searching for something specific. Hmmm, that reminds me. I haven’t visited in a while. Maybe I better go check it now . . .
Actually I have been using Netvibes to handle RSS feeds for close to a year now. I like how I have control over when I choose to visit my site and check on the latest additions. Having ezine subscriptions doesn’t allow that and soon I find my email inbox has become unmanageable. I get overwhelmed and just delete the whole mess but then before I know it, my inbox is overflowing again! RSS feeds to a homesite definitely help in that respect.
Like the video said, it can become addicting so a word of caution. On my page I already have 4 tabs (same thing as folder in Bloglines?) and each tab has several feeds. It’s a lot of fun to check them and I can spend hours there when I’m not mindful of the time. I have learned that I don’t need to check it every day. I check in when time permits or if I am searching for something specific. Hmmm, that reminds me. I haven’t visited in a while. Maybe I better go check it now . . .
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thing 3: Blogs in Education
How might a blog support the work you do?
I can see how useful a blog would be to middle school teachers who teach the same content area. We could use a blog to have conversations about the curriculum we teach. Which lessons or strategies worked or didn’t work. Also to brainstorm new ideas. Trying to arrange a common meeting time is almost impossible. Blogs would allow us to participate when our schedules permitted and would not lock us into a specified meeting time.
How might you use a blog with students?
Teaching Social Studies I have the students write a journal entry every day as an opening activity. They respond to a prompt that helps them tap into their background knowledge and begin to think about they will learn that day. If I post this prompt in a blog they reply to, it would enable them to interact with their classmates and create a community learning experience. Another possibility for a similar use would be an exit ticket where students write about the most meaningful part of the day’s lesson/activity before they leave the classroom. Students would be reflecting on their own experience and sharing it others. By testing out their thoughts and ideas with others they would begin to develop deeper critical thinking skills. How powerful!
How might they respond to a blog assignment? What concerns do you have about educational blogging?
A middle school student is social if nothing else. Communicating via technology is the way their world works. I can only imagine they would love it if their teacher not only allowed but encouraged them to use both in the classroom! The concern I have is that students must keep it appropriate. Like we saw in the teachers’ blogs, the line between professional and personal was blurry. When working with adolescents, it is extremely important to set limits and that they understand these limits and the consequences of their online behaviors.
I can see how useful a blog would be to middle school teachers who teach the same content area. We could use a blog to have conversations about the curriculum we teach. Which lessons or strategies worked or didn’t work. Also to brainstorm new ideas. Trying to arrange a common meeting time is almost impossible. Blogs would allow us to participate when our schedules permitted and would not lock us into a specified meeting time.
How might you use a blog with students?
Teaching Social Studies I have the students write a journal entry every day as an opening activity. They respond to a prompt that helps them tap into their background knowledge and begin to think about they will learn that day. If I post this prompt in a blog they reply to, it would enable them to interact with their classmates and create a community learning experience. Another possibility for a similar use would be an exit ticket where students write about the most meaningful part of the day’s lesson/activity before they leave the classroom. Students would be reflecting on their own experience and sharing it others. By testing out their thoughts and ideas with others they would begin to develop deeper critical thinking skills. How powerful!
How might they respond to a blog assignment? What concerns do you have about educational blogging?
A middle school student is social if nothing else. Communicating via technology is the way their world works. I can only imagine they would love it if their teacher not only allowed but encouraged them to use both in the classroom! The concern I have is that students must keep it appropriate. Like we saw in the teachers’ blogs, the line between professional and personal was blurry. When working with adolescents, it is extremely important to set limits and that they understand these limits and the consequences of their online behaviors.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thing 1 & 2: Intro Web 2.0, Become a Blogger
I am participating in 23 Things because I want to find new ways to engage my students in meaningful learning experiences. I have noticed that within the past 3-4 years there has been a significant change in the way students learn. What was considered “good practice” just 5-10 years ago no longer works in a middle school classroom. I need to find a way to reach this new style of learner and I think technology might be the key. Not only do I hope to learn how to engage my students through the use of technology, I also hope that as a group we can address technology misuse/abuse by students and ways to discourage it.
Although the article was the perfect world version of technology (I really liked the new term “techedutopia” created by anonymous), what I found interesting is that it brought to light all the possibilities of using technology not only to enhance student learning but also increase collaboration and productivity among educators. I was thinking it be awesome to plan my lessons in my car on the way to school like the teacher in the article! The video was a powerful motivator to keep up with the now or get left in the dust, and I couldn’t help thinking that this is how our students learn. The driving music, flashing images, fast pace, and powerful words certainly kept my attention. This is what our students are regularly exposed to out of school. This is their norm; this is their world!
One last thing. Writing on the Internet. Cyberspace is a public domain. Anything put out there can be accessed by anyone else. Yes, even if one thinks it’s private and secure. This has made me cautious about displaying personal information. I am concerned that our students as children don’t understand the problems that can cause. Again, I hope we can also address technology misuse and abuse or at least some cautionary words from those who have experience using technology with students.
Although the article was the perfect world version of technology (I really liked the new term “techedutopia” created by anonymous), what I found interesting is that it brought to light all the possibilities of using technology not only to enhance student learning but also increase collaboration and productivity among educators. I was thinking it be awesome to plan my lessons in my car on the way to school like the teacher in the article! The video was a powerful motivator to keep up with the now or get left in the dust, and I couldn’t help thinking that this is how our students learn. The driving music, flashing images, fast pace, and powerful words certainly kept my attention. This is what our students are regularly exposed to out of school. This is their norm; this is their world!
One last thing. Writing on the Internet. Cyberspace is a public domain. Anything put out there can be accessed by anyone else. Yes, even if one thinks it’s private and secure. This has made me cautious about displaying personal information. I am concerned that our students as children don’t understand the problems that can cause. Again, I hope we can also address technology misuse and abuse or at least some cautionary words from those who have experience using technology with students.
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