Richardson's still talking (I mean that a lot more positively than it sounds!), and pointing out what a poor use we're making of the web's ability to connect kids to learning communities, or even in helping them to create their own communities.
With that in mind, and thinking about my earlier post on"what happens after you publish," I started thinking about my film studies class next semester.
I'm planning on having them do an independent study on a film genre of their choice. During that process, they'll keep a blog and do online reading. I think I'll also have them find a couple of related blogs they'll read regularly, and comment on. Even inviting comments on their own blog? Certainly I'll encourage (require?) they respond to each other, but it would be very powerful for them if that community expanded into the real world.
Yale film school is up the road. I wonder if some of the film students would be willing to be e-mentors?
I do think it's difficult to convince teachers to move beyond the blog-as-journal. Whether it's safety issues or whatever, there is considerable resistance even to encouraging students to read widely online and link/synthesize in their blog, let alone enourage beyond-the-firewall comments.
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
How Do They Do It?
I'm growing increasingly impressed with working teachers and librarians who also manage to keep up on their blogging. By the time I arrive home in the evening, after spending a good part of the day on the computer, the last thing I want to do is blog during the two to three hours I have for the evening. And who has time at school--though I've now managed to unblock my blog from the filter, so at least I can access it!
I'm afraid to even look at my aggregator! I, of course, blame everything from having too much to do setting up a new library program to it would be nice to have a chat with my fiancee every now and then. I need to make/take the time, however. The reading and writing are integrat to my new job--I've had so much fun showing teachers how to set up wikis and blogs, making suggestions for way to use technology to enhance the learning process, not just as an add-on to impress the boss.
I guess I need to pare down my feeds to an essential few, and vow to blog at least twice a week as a way to process and consolidate.
I'm afraid to even look at my aggregator! I, of course, blame everything from having too much to do setting up a new library program to it would be nice to have a chat with my fiancee every now and then. I need to make/take the time, however. The reading and writing are integrat to my new job--I've had so much fun showing teachers how to set up wikis and blogs, making suggestions for way to use technology to enhance the learning process, not just as an add-on to impress the boss.
I guess I need to pare down my feeds to an essential few, and vow to blog at least twice a week as a way to process and consolidate.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Great Start....
I made the big move to Connecticut, and am blogging this from the hotel I have to stay in until we can move into the house next weekend.
Our first official day at school begins tomorrow, with the Grant Wiggins workshop, but I went in today to start acclimating myself to the library. It's about twice the size I remember, and suddenly I felt so overwhelmed at where to even begin, that I just started rearranging furniture!
So there I am, setting up a cozy reading corner, when this guy walks in and says,
"I saw you at the picnic yesterday. Sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you. Glad to see you're settling in." I smiled, said thanks, and ever up front about being bad remembering names asked, "Who are you again?" He kind of blinked, then said. "Bill. The Principal."
Apparently, that story is now making the rounds of the school....
Also had an eye opener when I tried to log onto my blog, and it was blocked! I wonder how open the school will be to loosening up on that, so students can start blogging in class? I suspect I should wait until I've been here longer than 2 days before I start making revolutionary noises!
I promise, promise, promise to finish up the documentary series soon.
Our first official day at school begins tomorrow, with the Grant Wiggins workshop, but I went in today to start acclimating myself to the library. It's about twice the size I remember, and suddenly I felt so overwhelmed at where to even begin, that I just started rearranging furniture!
So there I am, setting up a cozy reading corner, when this guy walks in and says,
"I saw you at the picnic yesterday. Sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you. Glad to see you're settling in." I smiled, said thanks, and ever up front about being bad remembering names asked, "Who are you again?" He kind of blinked, then said. "Bill. The Principal."
Apparently, that story is now making the rounds of the school....
Also had an eye opener when I tried to log onto my blog, and it was blocked! I wonder how open the school will be to loosening up on that, so students can start blogging in class? I suspect I should wait until I've been here longer than 2 days before I start making revolutionary noises!
I promise, promise, promise to finish up the documentary series soon.
Monday, August 13, 2007
How NOT to Blog
SNB posted a great link today to a free source of very funny blogable cartoons, which are all too true! Following that link lead me to this: The dullest blog in the world. It's hilarious, and would be a wonderful resource for teaching kids the difference between diaries/journaling and blogging. I bookmarked it!
Two favorites:
Two favorites:
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
SketchCasting: How Cool Is That?
Ewan McIntosh posted about sketchcasting today, and caught my interest. Basically, sketchcasting mashes blogging with podcasting, only instead of words, you draw out your concepts, as a teacher would on a whiteboard. The possibilities for online tutorials, visual learners, etc. seem really promising, especially in math/science, which (I assume!) rely heavily on diagrams, formula manipulation, etc. Here's the introductory video, but you can also view the "how to" on YouTube.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Transformational Blogging
The crucial part of education outside of 21st century literacies…is that students learn to teach themselves…Their task is to become an expert in [a topic meaningful to them] and to share their growing knowledge with others. They should research the topic, decode what they find, evaluate it to select the resources that are most valuable, analyze, manipulate and assemble what they learn in a way that makes personal sense, and then create an information product that expresses their knowledge of the area in a way that compels other people. David Warlick, Redefining Literacy for the 21st Century
Classroom blogs are a place to be complex together. David Weinberger, Everything is Miscellaneous
I blogged a couple days ago about the profound effect this independent study has had on me this summer, and how I want to re-create that experience for my students this fall. In between writing papers contrasting the Semantic Web with Folksonomies and creating video tours of Botswana (it’s a long story!), I’ve been thinking about how to go about constructing such an assignment. My main worries focused on walking that fine line between allowing the students the freedom to engage in the process and create their own meaning, while still providing enough structure to guide them, give motivation to the initially less-than-motivated, and satisfy institutional requirements for grading.
I'm also trying to decide if I want these to be individual projects or if they should link up with an overseas partner. I'm leaning towards the latter, but need to check with a couple friends still teaching overseas to see if they want to work with us on this.
I’m not sure I’ve hit that line. I need to work out details—whether the blogs are personal or a group space (depends on age, I think. I’m not sure what grade I’ll be teaching yet), intermediate deadlines along the way, peer evaluation, plan of study form, final project, assessment rubric. But here is a rough outline of the project.
I'd love any feedback or comments you may have!
The TASK:
This semester, you’re going to become an expert. (You didn’t know it was that easy, did you? ) Well, it is. Moreover, not only will you be an expert, you’ll share your expertise with the rest of the class (and the world), basking in the ooh’s and aah’s as everyone marvels at your brilliance. How cool is that???!
So just how will this happen? Slowly, but surely.
First, pick a meaningful topic you’re interested in. No Britney Spears. No Paris Hilton. And no dubious moral explorations (you KNOW what I mean!); otherwise, the world is your oyster! You wanna write about extreme skate-boarding? Go for it! Are anime or graphic novels more your style? Fantastic! The function of mitosis in the morphology of cancer cells? Brilliant! My only caveat is that you choose a topic you are REALLY interested in, because you’re going to be spending a LOT of time on it.
You will also be exploring the topic from all angles. Thus, if you choose to write about extreme skateboarding, you won’t just study different tricks. You’ll also look at the physics of it, compare/contrast board designs, and…other stuff. (Hey, you’re the expert! You tell me what your study should include.)
The PROJECT:
First, complete the Plan of Study form and turn it in to me for approval/comments. This will act as your guideline through the semester, but it’s not written in stone. As you research, you may find areas you need to add or areas that fizzle into nothing. That’s just part of the process!
In the Plan, you’ll need to include:
1) Research Plan
2) Possible information resources, including
3) Final Project—How will you share the information?
The BLOG:
As you research, you will also keep a blog about your findings. THIS IS NOT A JOURNAL!! We’ll talk about it more, later, but basically this is a reflective analysis of your process and findings. In it you can:
My requirement is that you :
We will do a midterm assessment to:
We’ll also set up Furl accounts for you to store/share your bookmarks.
Classroom blogs are a place to be complex together. David Weinberger, Everything is Miscellaneous
I blogged a couple days ago about the profound effect this independent study has had on me this summer, and how I want to re-create that experience for my students this fall. In between writing papers contrasting the Semantic Web with Folksonomies and creating video tours of Botswana (it’s a long story!), I’ve been thinking about how to go about constructing such an assignment. My main worries focused on walking that fine line between allowing the students the freedom to engage in the process and create their own meaning, while still providing enough structure to guide them, give motivation to the initially less-than-motivated, and satisfy institutional requirements for grading.
I'm also trying to decide if I want these to be individual projects or if they should link up with an overseas partner. I'm leaning towards the latter, but need to check with a couple friends still teaching overseas to see if they want to work with us on this.
I’m not sure I’ve hit that line. I need to work out details—whether the blogs are personal or a group space (depends on age, I think. I’m not sure what grade I’ll be teaching yet), intermediate deadlines along the way, peer evaluation, plan of study form, final project, assessment rubric. But here is a rough outline of the project.
I'd love any feedback or comments you may have!
The TASK:
This semester, you’re going to become an expert. (You didn’t know it was that easy, did you? ) Well, it is. Moreover, not only will you be an expert, you’ll share your expertise with the rest of the class (and the world), basking in the ooh’s and aah’s as everyone marvels at your brilliance. How cool is that???!
So just how will this happen? Slowly, but surely.
First, pick a meaningful topic you’re interested in. No Britney Spears. No Paris Hilton. And no dubious moral explorations (you KNOW what I mean!); otherwise, the world is your oyster! You wanna write about extreme skate-boarding? Go for it! Are anime or graphic novels more your style? Fantastic! The function of mitosis in the morphology of cancer cells? Brilliant! My only caveat is that you choose a topic you are REALLY interested in, because you’re going to be spending a LOT of time on it.
You will also be exploring the topic from all angles. Thus, if you choose to write about extreme skateboarding, you won’t just study different tricks. You’ll also look at the physics of it, compare/contrast board designs, and…other stuff. (Hey, you’re the expert! You tell me what your study should include.)
The PROJECT:
First, complete the Plan of Study form and turn it in to me for approval/comments. This will act as your guideline through the semester, but it’s not written in stone. As you research, you may find areas you need to add or areas that fizzle into nothing. That’s just part of the process!
In the Plan, you’ll need to include:
1) Research Plan
- What do you already know?
- What do you need to find out?
- Possible sub-topics, specialized vocabulary, etc.
2) Possible information resources, including
a) three books/articles
b) two blogs by experts
c) news feeds
d) websites
(I’ll teach you how to set up an RSS feed so you can monitor all of these quickly and easily.)
3) Final Project—How will you share the information?
- Blog (required, see below)
- Other possibilities include
- video tutorial
- wiki
- podcast
- Whatever best suits your topic/information
The BLOG:
As you research, you will also keep a blog about your findings. THIS IS NOT A JOURNAL!! We’ll talk about it more, later, but basically this is a reflective analysis of your process and findings. In it you can:
1) Discuss your findings
2) Raise questions about topic, resources, findings
3) Link to important material and discuss it
4) Think about your process—is it working? Does it need to change?
5) Vent your frustrations
6) Celebrate your successes
7) Respond to feedback
My requirement is that you :
1) Post a MINIMUM of twice a week (on your blog)
2) Comment twice a week on your classmates’ blogs.
We will do a midterm assessment to:
- evaluate your progress
- make any necessary changes
- start planning final project
We’ll also set up Furl accounts for you to store/share your bookmarks.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Planning Progress
As my year of grad school starts its mad rush to the end (only three more weeks! And so much to do!) I realized today I better start planning now for keeping abreast of all the latest ed tech info once I start working again this fall. I've been granted the incredible luxury of being able to spend as many as 6-8 hours a day just browsing and reading and hunting down great information and websites. Obviously, I can't keep that up once I'm actually in a library. Not if I want to keep the job, anyway! If I want to keep up this level of learning--and it's been a real path-changer for me--it's not going to happen by accident. Thus, here is my plan to both learn and share on a regular basis.
My Circle of the Wise. Vicki Davis (CoolCatTeacher) posted a while back about creating a web of wisdom around yourself--immersing yourself through reading and online networking in people who truly inspire you to create the world you envision. It's important to keep the momentum and inspiration going and not become lost in the daily routine. I've created a multi-faceted program that I think will be both useful and workable.
Blogs:
Podcasts:
Fortunately, I have about a 30 minute drive to and from work every day. Bummer on the gas, but a great time to get those podcasts in that I would never have a chance to listen to, otherwise. My regulars:
Social Networks:
These will be the hardest to fit in, I think, but offer fantastic opportunities to collaborate, share, seek advice from and work with like-minded (and very experienced) professionals. I've joined several groups on the Ning site, and vow to check in for at least an hour each week. (Total, not each!) Groups I think will be a valuable resource:
Finally, I vow to keep up my own blog. Not just because I hope it will be a resource for my classmates as we part physical ways, as well as my my new co-workers in Connecticut. But more because, as with all writing, it's such a learning tool for me--an opportunity to think, reflect and make connections. As E.M Forster said, "How do I know what I think until I see what I write?" Wise man.
My Circle of the Wise. Vicki Davis (CoolCatTeacher) posted a while back about creating a web of wisdom around yourself--immersing yourself through reading and online networking in people who truly inspire you to create the world you envision. It's important to keep the momentum and inspiration going and not become lost in the daily routine. I've created a multi-faceted program that I think will be both useful and workable.
Blogs:
- I have a manageable collection of blog gurus to read: Joyce Valenza, Will Richardson, Doug Johnson, etc. (see my blogroll for the links). I actually have more in my feed than I do on my blog roll.
- I've also created a nice mix of technical feeds (TechCrunch, Mashable) and theoretical/philosophical reads. (The above mentioned names, though they provide lots of practical info, too!)
- I'm building a routine of reading my feeds right after my email in the morning. I'm getting pretty good and skimming and scanning. Anything that takes more time, I can star to read later.
Podcasts:
Fortunately, I have about a 30 minute drive to and from work every day. Bummer on the gas, but a great time to get those podcasts in that I would never have a chance to listen to, otherwise. My regulars:
- Ed Tech Talk
- Women of the Web 2.0 (grin--I aspire to be part of this group one day!)
- Tech Teachers
Social Networks:
These will be the hardest to fit in, I think, but offer fantastic opportunities to collaborate, share, seek advice from and work with like-minded (and very experienced) professionals. I've joined several groups on the Ning site, and vow to check in for at least an hour each week. (Total, not each!) Groups I think will be a valuable resource:
Finally, I vow to keep up my own blog. Not just because I hope it will be a resource for my classmates as we part physical ways, as well as my my new co-workers in Connecticut. But more because, as with all writing, it's such a learning tool for me--an opportunity to think, reflect and make connections. As E.M Forster said, "How do I know what I think until I see what I write?" Wise man.
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Blogosphere is Flat
I belong to three or four different Nings, which are social networking forums for adults, based around mutual interests. For example, I belong to Joyce Valenza's Teacher/Librarian Ning, the Classroom 2.0 Ning, and a couple others.
The folks at EduBloggerCon, who apparently had a whale of a time, since their enthusiasm has been overwhelming the Ed Tech blogosphere the past week or two, wanted to continue (and share) the experience. Hence, EduBloggerWorld--a great community of high-tech gurus from around the world anxious and willing to share both their experience and knowledge. A great way to network and keep abreast of what's going on in the ed tech world.
The folks at EduBloggerCon, who apparently had a whale of a time, since their enthusiasm has been overwhelming the Ed Tech blogosphere the past week or two, wanted to continue (and share) the experience. Hence, EduBloggerWorld--a great community of high-tech gurus from around the world anxious and willing to share both their experience and knowledge. A great way to network and keep abreast of what's going on in the ed tech world.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
A Whole New You!
After reading Joyce Valenza's blog about Avatars, I started playing around with the idea. I'm working on creating a blogging handout that, while it's linked to a workshop, will also be self-sufficient (I hope!). Thanks to Joyce, I added a section on Avatars, as I think they'd be a great way to allow students an extra bit of web safety while adding the personal/individual touch they sooo love.
If you don't know (as I didn't) an Avatar is a small image linked to a social networking site (or your blog) that stands in for an actual picture of you. There are sites allowing you to choose already created avatars, or ones that allow you to generate your own. I had a fun time working on this librarian avatar on Yahoo. I only wish I were that thin and hot-looking!
So here are some links to help you find/create avatars.
Pre-made avatars:
Avatarity
AllAvatars
Avatar Makers:
Digibody
MessDudes: (This one's really fun and good for the younger set.)
Abi-Station: Very detailed with lots of options, but takes time to load/browse through everything.
YahooAvatars: Lots of options, easy to use, includes ALA options.
All of these allow you to download the images you create in a variety of formats and/or generate code to post them into blogs, etc.
Have fun!!
If you don't know (as I didn't) an Avatar is a small image linked to a social networking site (or your blog) that stands in for an actual picture of you. There are sites allowing you to choose already created avatars, or ones that allow you to generate your own. I had a fun time working on this librarian avatar on Yahoo. I only wish I were that thin and hot-looking!
So here are some links to help you find/create avatars.
Pre-made avatars:
Avatarity
AllAvatars
Avatar Makers:
Digibody
MessDudes: (This one's really fun and good for the younger set.)
Abi-Station: Very detailed with lots of options, but takes time to load/browse through everything.
YahooAvatars: Lots of options, easy to use, includes ALA options.
All of these allow you to download the images you create in a variety of formats and/or generate code to post them into blogs, etc.
Have fun!!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
What you Learn When You Start Reading Blogs
I haven't posted in a few days because I've spent so much time chasing down cool apps in the plethora of blogs I now read every morning, thanks to Will Richardson's RSS guide, which taught me the power of aggregators. He makes the point in his book that it's the one tool every teacher ought to use. At the time I thought that was probably over-speak, but I can't believe what I've learned/discovered in the past week, just from reading blogs! Here are a few of my favorites.
Edu.blogs yesterday highlighted some of Ewan McIntosh's de.licio.us bookmarks. Zentation has real potential both in the classroom and as part of Library 2.0. Wouldn't this be great for online tutorials? You could video presentations you give to classes, then post the lecture/power point for other students to access.
This hilarious Periodic Table of the Internet is going be a feature of my library this fall.
I don't remember which blog pointed me to Stu.dicio.us, but I plan to show it to students next year. It allows students to take/share notes, upload files, create to-dos, and link with Facebook.
Edu.blogs yesterday highlighted some of Ewan McIntosh's de.licio.us bookmarks. Zentation has real potential both in the classroom and as part of Library 2.0. Wouldn't this be great for online tutorials? You could video presentations you give to classes, then post the lecture/power point for other students to access.
This hilarious Periodic Table of the Internet is going be a feature of my library this fall.
I don't remember which blog pointed me to Stu.dicio.us, but I plan to show it to students next year. It allows students to take/share notes, upload files, create to-dos, and link with Facebook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)