Wiki Wonderland

http://105.wikispaces.com/US+Gov+s2+2011

This is an example of a teacher-directed wiki. Its purpose is mainly to serve as a repository for class information and assignments. Each student does have a page, but some are not very developed. I have a similar wiki in that I use it as a repository for information about literacy. It actually was my first wiki. It’s an easy way for me to compile and store important resources that may help other staff or students. But it’s not very collaborative or interactive as I am the only one “manipulating” the information. I am not really using the wiki to its full potential.

http://greetingsfromtheworld.wikispaces.com/

This wiki won the top 2010 Educational Wiki award. Wow! What an inspiring site! This site collects glogs and images from teachers and students from all around the world. As stated on the site, “We live on 5 different continents. We come from 14 different countries. We go to 21 different schools. We have created 290 wonderful glogs. Who are we? We’re 420 students who want to get to know each other better.” Greetings from Around the World truly does embody the ability of technology to expose us to different cultures, peoples and places. It’s very exciting to read about and see the variety of participants. Educational opportunities are endless, from collecting information and comparing to interviewing and building relationships.

http://goingwest.wikispaces.com/

This is a wiki set up by a teacher whose class is going to study westward expansion. It’s a visually pleasing set-up that seems clearly organized. I do wish there was a little more information on the home page about the students and class. I like how her discussions are questions for students to answer. She obviously expects her students to participate and share information. She also includes a variety of interactive activities, from posting on a “wall” to incorporating mindmaps and skype. When I incorporate wikis into my classes, I would like to incorporate some of her ideas to make the wiki more than just a repository of information and resources.

 

http://technology4kids.pbworks.com/w/page/24645238/Wikis

This is a wiki with a lot of resources. I am posting it here because I want to remember it.

http://cybraryman.com/wikis.html

This isn’t really a wiki, but it’s all about wikis. Cybrary man compiled many resources and examples that can help educators explore different technology tools, including wikis. I like sites like these because they include so many good ideas. His home page is http://cybraryman.com/index.html.

My Own Anticipation Guide

(Before/During/After)

I took the main goals and objectives of this unit and turned them into a modified anticipation guide. This allowed me to reflect on what I thought I knew before beginning each section and then revise my understanding as I worked through the content.

I. My SIP and technology

BEFORE the UNIT: Humm, our SIPs are done by department and there seems to be very little cohesiveness that ties our SIPs together to create a school-wide focus. I have no idea, or at least I don’t remember, much of what other departments are doing. There doesn’t seem to be much interdepartmental collaboration. As for technology, I know the English department doesn’t mention it at all. Maybe some of the other departments do? I have never even thought about it because our school doesn’t seem to view the SIPs as active documents we use continually throughout the year to guide us . . . at least my department doesn’t.

DURING/AFTER: It’s very obvious that our SIPs not only fail to incorporate technology in an explicit way, but we are quite far from meeting the expectations outlined in Transforming American Education: Learning from Technology. There are so many ways our school could increase collaboration and really build a school-wide learning community that focuses on increasing student achievement. We are always complaining about time and money, but there are so many great free instructional resources and experts out there. Technology could be the tool that helps unit us. That’s why I decided to use a wiki and other technologies to build a collaborative learning environment for our teachers. It’s such a weak area in our school and SIPs.

 

II. Bloom’s and technology

BEFORE: Yes, I know Bloom. But I know Bloom from many years ago. The classic hierarchy of thinking levels from the basic knowledge recall to synthesizing and evaluating. Has it changed?

DURING/AFTER: Wow. Bloom’s has expanded to not only include clearer actions (verbs like remembering and understanding) but also creating and more technology-oriented thinking skills. I again thought I knew something, but failed to realize the impact technology has had on our roles as educators and our students as thinkers. Preparing students to be 21^st Century learners must also include new thinking guides. I like how the same framework is maintained, however, making it easier for some of us to scaffold our own learning to incorporate these “new” expectations. Andrew Church’s piece, “Bloom’s Taxonomy Blooms Digitally” clearly maps out how specific technology falls into Bloom’s hierarchy. In fact, Church’s documents can be found on his pretty cool Educational Origami wiki, which is dedicated to breaking down Bloom even further. LEARN NC also shows how technology can be used to support Bloom’s. I like how all of these documents help us justify the use of technology as valuable learning tools. It’s not just fluff and fun time. When used correctly, technology has such powerful potential to stretch our students’ thinking. These documents also help us really align our learning objectives with proper technology designed to enhance and support our goals. They should become part of our curriculum guides.

 

III. UDL (Universal Design for Learning)

BEFORE: I was at my lit specialist meeting recently and UDL came up when we were discussing the common core standards. I think Universal Design for Learning has to do with backwards mapping and creating common understandings. I don’t think I really know what it is.

DURING/AFTER: I found Igancio Estrada’s quote “If children are not learning the way we teach, we need to teach the way they learn” very thought provoking. I may include it in my professional development wiki because I wonder how some would respond to that quote. Would they believe it? Would they want to follow this advice? Once I found out UDL was really about, I became very excited. I like how the principles are presented in the form of providing multiple ways for students to engage, access and demonstrate mastery the curriculum. To me, this form of differentiation is more clearer and manageable than some of the vagueness that can be associated with traditional forms of differentiation. I also like that UDL focuses on obstacles. To me, this is concrete: Let’s identify the obstacles. Let’s identify the tools we need to use to overcome the obstacles. I am going to make sure I reference this area of the UDL website, which contains examples and suggestions. The three categories are also very relevant to what our teachers in our school are wrestling with, especially student engagement and motivation. We need to examine multiple ways of presenting information and find multiple ways for our students to show what they have learned. One key component of this that conflicts with our current standard of practice, however, is the piece about students being able to express what they know in different ways. It seems our national leadership has been solely focused on standardized testing. I hope this changes.

From Casinos to Colleges

Learning Reflection for Module 3

While I am blown away by many of the tools we examined in this module, I am humbled by the responsibility we have as educators to not use this tools to engage students, but to “empower” students by showing them how to use these tools to increase learning. Yes, many of our students may be familiar with blogging, Twitter, Skype, Google, etc., but only in a limited context. We must expand their vision of what these tools can do beyond just being entertaining and novel. By creating authentic purposes that are driven by curriculum and supported by Web 2.0, students may be more engaged because they can experience the integration of education with what’s relevant. As Tim Discipio pointed out in “Adapting Social Networking to Address 21^st-Century Skills,” we must “take students from what they already know to the next level of critical thinking.” I also enjoyed Steve Hargadon’s metaphor of how some may perceive social networking as a “casino.” I think that the bells and whistles that are first noticed on the surface layer can indeed make social networking seem self-indulgent and without much educational merit. But when placed in a different context, and combined with solid educational methods and objectives, these same tools (or “building blocks”) can greatly enhance the learning experiences of our students.

 

One area of theory that I would like to explore more is that of Connectivism, which was coined by George Seimens, I believe. According to Stephen Downes, “Connectivism is the thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks. Knowledge, therefore, is not acquired, as though it were a thing. It is not transmitted, as though it were some type of communication.” Connectivism involves learners collecting and aggregating information from multiple sources, remixing and repurposing it and the sharing it. Here is a link that connects to a free course on Connectivism that contains more resources. I plan to check it out, when I have more time! Which will probably be when I am 101 at this rate.

 

Tool Reflections

Google Docs: I have played around with Google docs but mostly on the word processing/sharing documents and editing level. As writing becomes more a part of the curriculum with the advent of the Common Core, the collaborative nature of Google docs will benefit teacher and student alike as they work through the writing and thinking process. I have begun to see the power of using forms and spreadsheets as a way to collect, consolidate and share information. I look forward to using this when collecting assessment information, responses, opinions, etc. The ability for students also to see how others respond and then analyze these results will be interesting as well. They will become far more invested in their own learning than if I were to share this information. I think the whole Google package has a lot to offer, from calendars that send reminders to your phone to homepages where you can collect all your feeds to setting up your own Google groups.

 

Twitter: I was a Twitter “hater.” Now I LOVE Twitter. Why? Because I can sneak a peek at it on my phone when I find myself bored in some meeting or in the grocery store line or whenever! As I has said before, the quick snippets of what’s going on, resources, news, ideas, etc. is so appealing to me. I also find it awesome that I can subscribe and find out about “famous people” in my professional field! And, according to much of the information we have read, the fast pace, constantly changing, multi-tasking nature of Twitter would fit in with the 21^st Century Learner’s style and need to communicate and update. Hey, if the ticker style of sharing information works for Wall Street and the stock market, how about for us?

 

PLNs: I definitely believe there is a need to not only join, but develop our own learning networks. I never knew there were formal social networks out there for educators, nor did I consider creating my own informal network. I think this goes back to thinking beyond the social network stigma and considering its value in an educational or professional setting. Again, as educators, we should be modeling our own use of tools to gain knowledge and information, while sharing ideas and creating new ones.

 

Voicethread: I already mentioned that in a previous post.

GoodReads: I already mentioned that in a previous post.

Skype: I can see and understand the potential benefits of using Skype in an educational setting, but until I can get it to work consistently and reliably, I keep playing with it on a personal basis. I totally can understand how valuable this tool is in maintaining relationships and keeping in touch with friends and family.

 

GoodReads: One less list to remember!

 

GoodReads helps me sort my books into different categories. It also can allow me to communicate with students and staff and share resources. For example, our English department chair and our media specialist are going to be asking for recommended materials to buy. I will set up a GoodReads shelf dedicated to materials that I plan to recommend. By keeping them all together and organized, it will be easy for me to provide a list quickly when they ask. I also plan to set up shelves dedicated to different themes and topics. American Studies and English classes explore the Great Depression and the Dust bowl era. World War II is also a popular topic. It would be wonderful to develop independent reading expectations in our science and math courses, and by creating shelves dedicated to certain biographies, nonfiction, debatable issues, etc., students and teachers may find it easier to embrace such an idea.

I think parents and staff would also be interested in book suggestions based on grade expectations, especially for summer reading programs or if a parents wanted to encourage more reading. Commenting and collaborating on the benefits of certain texts, and the reactions and opinions may help engage more teens and adults, especially those who are tight on time and can’t attend regular book meetings.

The shelf I have included is Fighting Back. I work with a lot of reluctant readers who have difficulty finding the right match. I have found that one of the biggest issues with reluctant readers is that we don’t help them find the “best” book. This shelf contains books with adolescent main characters who are struggling with serious real-life issues. Most of these books hook the reader right away, and I find it easy to get sucked into the story quickly. Because it’s hard for me to remember titles on the fly when students and teachers ask me, it’s great to have this resource handy. Also, teachers and students can access it on their own time without having to track me down. Saves everyone time! Plus, for follow-up, students can add their own opinion and give me future recommendations.

I did download the GoodReads app for my phone and will be testing out the barcode scanner on my next visit to a bookstore. I also am interested in comparing GoodReads to Shelfari and other cataloging sites. There are some features I wish GoodReads had. Maybe the other sites do.

Social and Collaborative Media

I have really enjoyed playing around with Voicethread. It’s very easy to upload images, move them around and then add video, voice or text comments. Each comment is packaged with an image so there is no tricky narration track to line up. It’s also pretty painless for others to add their comments to each image.

There are many examples that prove how powerful this simple little tool can be in the educational setting. Some have used it for interactive storytelling in which each “user” plays a different character. Some have used to it explore different interpretations and points of view about a photo, issue or object. For example, one Voicethread examines Chernobyl accident and asks who would remain? Some have used it to build resources around a topic, such as images of the Great Despression. Even math teachers have found ways to incorporate it into instructing students in solving equations.  Students and others can easily add voice, text and video comments, thus creating a community of responses, suggestions and tips.

My Social/Collaborative Media voicethread examines my top three web 2.0 tools (Google docs, blogging and Twitter) for educators and students. It’s not close to being perfect. I still don’t like doing “voice-overs” from a script. I need a lot more practice. I feel like the whole presentation is very stiff, and that I focus more on the tools than the evidence and reasoning. I didn’t use too much powerpoint but images instead, but maybe that’s what makes it too choppy?  I also would like to include more examples of Twitter because it seems that is one tool many people hesitate to embrace . . . I know I was one of them!

iGoogle replaces my newspaper

A while ago, I was looking for a way to easily keep track of important sites and information feeds. I read about a teacher using igoogle to easily monitor his feeds and submissions his students made to blogs, etc. Inspired, set up a homepage. I love it. It really saves me time and keeps me up to date on various happenings. It’s like my own personal professional newspaper/journal that I created.

My igoogle page

Once again, Web 2.0 has allowed me to select what I feel is important and reorganize it into a useful format for me. I can image students doing the same while completing many different assignments. They could create an igoogle page for their courses with the most important online resources for easy access or they could create an igoogle page that revolves around a particular theme or character or current event (such as the Egypt uprising). I used to do a collaborative Holocaust research newspaper project with students. If I teach that again, I would “modernize” or “digitalize” it by preparing students to create an igoogle-type of page.

These types of pages could also be a great way to communicate with students (and parents) because once they learn how to set up their page, they can subscribe to feeds from their teachers. Of course I feel setting up a RSS feed page would be very beneficial for other educators as well. It’s an efficient and effective way to receive information quickly and remain aware of the latest trends and events in the educational field.

Even My Mother SKYPES!

Learning Log 1 for Module 3

I used to think that email and our wiki would be a great way to communicate with our National Honor Society members. The more I talked to members, the more they told me that they didn’t check email too often unless they were expecting something. Many said texting and Twitter. I haven’t explored Twitter yet so this module should help me better communicate with our students. I also have been intrigued with Twitter because of the text limitations. It reminds of headline writing or when you try to summarize something in the fewest words possible. Summarizing is an important skill for students (for us all!) and the Twitter concept cam help reinforce this.

I never thought I would say this but . . . my own mother knows how to use a techno tool that I have never used . . . SKYPE! I have never used it, and I don’t have too much knowledge about how such a tool can enhance teaching beyond adding a visual, personal component. I look forward to learning more about how SKYPE can be used and what makes it a better tool than some others.

MORE SOON

Diigo vs Delicious

Final learning log for Module 2

Where to start? The digital story and screencasting. I don’t like voice-overs. I don’t like reading into a mic. I never was a theater person or a performer. But I certainly understand the value of having to script out and perform an instructional piece. It forces you to learn it more thoroughly. Of course it also caused me more headaches than I am used to! Talk about employing multiple learning styles!  I think for both projects I went too big. I needed to whittle both down into more “starter” pieces. It is a lot more work when you focus on the information, the script, the collecting of appropriate materials, the organization, the narration, the music, the license and citations! Even though I may not be the “performing” type of person, I have lots of students how are. By going through this activity, I can now better prepare lessons/projects/activities/rubrics that help them engage in the rigorous learning I experienced!

I really found the Screencasting fascinating and plan to create one for our on-line HSA testing. I also think there are a lot more practical applications for what I teach, such as showing how to annotate and edit texts, or read for the main ideas by highlighting. I don’t think my heart was really into my Slideroll screencast. Perhaps because the whole tool review assignment was overwhelming. I wonder if we made it more complicated that it needed to be, or if the whole assignment was more complicated than it needed to be? We should have just looked through the tools, then gotten together to see who liked what. There were too many tools that didn’t work or weren’t applicable.

I am still struggling with quickly locating images and materials that I can use in projects without violating copyright and without having to attribute and cite. Time is really not on my side lately. I also want to focus more on applying these tools to my current situation and/or future position as a librarian. Reading posts and discussions by teachers who are currently media specialists have helped me consider the implications in the library setting.

On a final note, I have really enjoyed the “passionate” responses that Marc Prensky’s article has generated! It’s funny how often I am reading and hearing the words “digital natives” now! It seemed that right after I read his article and some of our classmates’ posts that the Ed Leadership magazine out dedicated to technology in education. Quite a controversial issue.

Flickr Sideshows

Two Sets

I created two sets connected to English curriculum goals. One uses images to reinforce setting, character and conflict. Each photo in the set represents a place (these are different places I have been, and the really cluttered living room shot is NOT in my house!). By examining the details of the place (the location/time period), students develop ideas about the mood and what type of person lives in this setting. They also explore possible conflicts this character may face. This can be extended further by having students shift their thinking and combine their characters to create narratives. Throughout the high school English curriculum, students are asked to apply information about different literary terms to draw conclusions about the texts they read.

A second set includes very different photos of objects, places and people. This set could be used in many different ways, from identifying nouns to my original intention: students are given a single sentence or word, such as DEATH or CHANGE. The students examine the photos to determine how they connect to the statement or word, and create a fictional ministory.

Creating the previous photographic gallery and the sets enable me to meet several of the NETS. Standard 2 for teachers, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments clearly connects to the creation of digital galleries students can use to extend their learning. I am also modeling the use of digital tools to help me improve my instruction while also being cognizant of the legal issues related to using digital photos. When I conducted my search, which I can demonstrate to my students (or event create a screencast!), I set certain criteria, including the use of images with appropriate creative commons use.

Digital Story or Digital Nightmare?

My digital story is an introduction to terms used when producing or discussing plays, theater, movies and other multimedia pieces. In the 10th grade curriculum and the English High School Assessment, students are expected to understand these these different techniques and how directors use things such as props, blocking, lighting, etc. to develop mood, create characterization and enhance the story.  Because these terms are related to multimedia structures, a digital story format could be used to intoduce them.

I have attached a youtube link to my digital lesson. I have also attached a pdf of my script and citations.

I had tremendous difficulty with two components of this project: timing and getting two audio tracks to play at the same time. Using moviemaker, I could not easily add a narrative track if I already laid down an audio track. Apparently, this is a common problem in Movie Maker, yet using the work-arounds didn’t work so well for me. And the more I looked at everyone else’s wonderful masterpieces, the more I felt inadequate. With time ticking and head pounding, I redid it in photostory. But I even managed to have problems with that! I thought my mic wasn’t working at certain points, but then I realized I was clicking the wrong buttons at the wrong time.  Along with my other assignments and my committments at school, I struggled greatly during this module. I was continually reminded why teachers don’t always use unfamiliar technology to create new lessons during the schoolyear.