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 subscribed to several NPR programs but one in particular I was very happy to find ... NPR's Fresh Air podcast. I used to listen to Fresh Air on my way home from work but schedule changes at our local Public Radio station makes it impossible for me to hear this program. So I was delighted to find it as a podcast!
I also subscribed to the podcast titled " Today's Middle Level Educator". Some of the individual podcast titles in this series that deal with technology include "Wikis in the Classroom" & "Bridge Building with Skype". The most current session is titled "Podcasts and the Science Classroom". This series is exciting because it presents real educators who are using technology but the series also deals with important issues in middle school such as advisory programs and new teacher tips. This is a really useful podcast for any middle school educator who can pick and choose those individual sessions that are most applicable to themselves.
I tried both The Education Podcast Network & Podcast Alley. I found both to be rather difficult to use and I ended up using iTunes instead. The Ed. Podcast Network had a lot of compelling listings, but four out of five of the individual podcasts I looked at were unavailable ... OR I just couldn't figure out how to access them. It was frustrating. Many of the others were also woefully out of date.
In comparison, iTunes was relatively easy to use to find podcasts on particular subjects. Plus, iTunes had some groupings like most popular podcasts of 2008 which was a good place to start browsing. All in all, iTunes just has the other search tools beat and the integrated interface allowing you to download and listen immediately AND save it as a listing in your iTunes is just incredibly convenient.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Thing 19
Which podcasts did you find interesting? Identify one or two podcasts and describe how you would use them in your teaching.
One podcast I found interesting was "Booktalks quick and simple" by Nancy Keane (http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/podcast_list.htm)
This podcast features short booktalks on elementary and middle school titles. The production is simple with a music selection (the same one for each podcast) at the beginning of the booktalk. Nancy Keane always gives the title, author, and year of publication for the title at the end of the podcast. There are additional resources at her website (http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/) dealing with the creation of booktalks as well as a number of written booktalks by librarians, teachers, and students. Overall this is a gold mine of a site and the booktalks are thoughtful, entertaining, and brief introductions to many, many books.
I am really excited about the possibility of having students create podcasts. As a library media specialist the obvious use that comes to mind is to do booktalks but there are many other applications that students could produce. Having podcast announcements that parents could subscribe to would be very useful. Numerous classes could record in-class presentations and events for later listening and/or viewing. The possibilities are really endless. I am hopeful that my district will see the value in allowing students (and teachers!) to use this technology that is so relatively inexpensive and easy to integrate.
One podcast I found interesting was "Booktalks quick and simple" by Nancy Keane (http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/podcast_list.htm)
This podcast features short booktalks on elementary and middle school titles. The production is simple with a music selection (the same one for each podcast) at the beginning of the booktalk. Nancy Keane always gives the title, author, and year of publication for the title at the end of the podcast. There are additional resources at her website (http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/) dealing with the creation of booktalks as well as a number of written booktalks by librarians, teachers, and students. Overall this is a gold mine of a site and the booktalks are thoughtful, entertaining, and brief introductions to many, many books.
I am really excited about the possibility of having students create podcasts. As a library media specialist the obvious use that comes to mind is to do booktalks but there are many other applications that students could produce. Having podcast announcements that parents could subscribe to would be very useful. Numerous classes could record in-class presentations and events for later listening and/or viewing. The possibilities are really endless. I am hopeful that my district will see the value in allowing students (and teachers!) to use this technology that is so relatively inexpensive and easy to integrate.
Thing 18
What did you like about the presentation you embedded? How might Slideshare be useful in the classroom? out of the classroom?
The slide show I embedded to my blog addressed the issue of holding technology hostage in schools. I have come to realize more and more during the last few weeks that schools, through their outdated policies and somewhat irrational fears, are in danger of totally losing relevance with students. If we cannot embrace technology - where it makes sense and improves the quality of education for students - our classrooms will continue to look no different than they did 50 years ago. We, as educators, need to embrace technology instead of asking students to check their technology at the door. Again, where it makes sense ... not just for glitz and to entertain ... but rather to really bring MORE to the classroom and thereby make the educational process more dynamic and realistic for the world our students will and do face.
The slide show I embedded to my blog addressed the issue of holding technology hostage in schools. I have come to realize more and more during the last few weeks that schools, through their outdated policies and somewhat irrational fears, are in danger of totally losing relevance with students. If we cannot embrace technology - where it makes sense and improves the quality of education for students - our classrooms will continue to look no different than they did 50 years ago. We, as educators, need to embrace technology instead of asking students to check their technology at the door. Again, where it makes sense ... not just for glitz and to entertain ... but rather to really bring MORE to the classroom and thereby make the educational process more dynamic and realistic for the world our students will and do face.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thing 17
Give a review of the tool you explored - what worked, what didn't work, how might it be used either in or out of the classroom?
I looked at several of the online applications and played around with them. I found that most would be useful in varied situations in school or out. 30 Boxes was particularly easy to use. I set up an account and was entering information into a calendar within just a few minutes. I have some prior experience with a couple of calendar programs so that might have played some role in how easy it was for me.
Library Thing is similar to Shelfari where I already have an account so I didn't spend a lot of time with that app. TrailFire looked very interesting although I thought it duplicated other means I use to present a group of web sites for colleagues or students. I thought as an exploration exercise it would be valuable.
There seems to be a lot of applications out there that all do useful things. I'm sure there are more than those presented in this 23 Things course. My problem now is simply keeping up with all of the applications I'd like to use!
I looked at several of the online applications and played around with them. I found that most would be useful in varied situations in school or out. 30 Boxes was particularly easy to use. I set up an account and was entering information into a calendar within just a few minutes. I have some prior experience with a couple of calendar programs so that might have played some role in how easy it was for me.
Library Thing is similar to Shelfari where I already have an account so I didn't spend a lot of time with that app. TrailFire looked very interesting although I thought it duplicated other means I use to present a group of web sites for colleagues or students. I thought as an exploration exercise it would be valuable.
There seems to be a lot of applications out there that all do useful things. I'm sure there are more than those presented in this 23 Things course. My problem now is simply keeping up with all of the applications I'd like to use!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Thing 16
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)?
Google Docs does take a little getting used to but once figured out, it would make many things a lot easier. I see it as being useful more for interaction with fellow teachers than students until the email issue for students is resolved. There are so many times when we work on committees to design curriculum or a presentation where having a central location like Google Docs would help facilitate that work. I plan to use it more in the future.
Google Docs does take a little getting used to but once figured out, it would make many things a lot easier. I see it as being useful more for interaction with fellow teachers than students until the email issue for students is resolved. There are so many times when we work on committees to design curriculum or a presentation where having a central location like Google Docs would help facilitate that work. I plan to use it more in the future.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thing 15
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?
RSS is easier now ... but I find it difficult to check and read and otherwise keep up with all of the various feeds I've chosen. In some measure all of these Web 2.0 tools contribute to an overload of information. I have not yet figured out how to limit that information flow ... or even if I should.
What I do know is that RSS alone could take up a considerable portion of my day. Never mind other blogs and web sites and Flickr photo groups, and the many listservs I belong to, etc. And we haven't even started to talk about Facebook!
I'm sure that I'm not the first person to question what all of this connectedness does for us? Am I better off with so many points of connection to a diverse array of information? Or is there so much that I can't really internalize or act on any of it? Does it at some point become just a burden? How does one self-filter all of the information to a manageable amount? Some of these Web 2.o tools can help sort it all out ... but they certainly add to the dilemma too!
RSS is easier now ... but I find it difficult to check and read and otherwise keep up with all of the various feeds I've chosen. In some measure all of these Web 2.0 tools contribute to an overload of information. I have not yet figured out how to limit that information flow ... or even if I should.
What I do know is that RSS alone could take up a considerable portion of my day. Never mind other blogs and web sites and Flickr photo groups, and the many listservs I belong to, etc. And we haven't even started to talk about Facebook!
I'm sure that I'm not the first person to question what all of this connectedness does for us? Am I better off with so many points of connection to a diverse array of information? Or is there so much that I can't really internalize or act on any of it? Does it at some point become just a burden? How does one self-filter all of the information to a manageable amount? Some of these Web 2.o tools can help sort it all out ... but they certainly add to the dilemma too!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thing 14
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 user name is ljhardin (unoriginal but easy for me to remember with all of these accounts for new Web 2.0 stuff!!)
I have used a social bookmarking site in the past called Backflip. It works somewhat differently than Delicious ... but essentially allows a person to save their bookmarks and organize them. I created lists of sites for units taught in 6th grade dealing with Canada
It allowed for the creation of pages with a number of links. I haven't used it in a while but found it useful if a bit awkward. Still, I was able to essentially create a web page that students and other teachers could access from the web to use the links. That is a feature I like and I haven't see the equivalent in Delicious.
For my personal organization, I think that social bookmarking can be very useful. Within a defined group, sharing bookmarks this way can work but I think to be successful requires a bit of coordination.
My Delicious user name is ljhardin (unoriginal but easy for me to remember with all of these accounts for new Web 2.0 stuff!!)
I have used a social bookmarking site in the past called Backflip. It works somewhat differently than Delicious ... but essentially allows a person to save their bookmarks and organize them. I created lists of sites for units taught in 6th grade dealing with Canada
It allowed for the creation of pages with a number of links. I haven't used it in a while but found it useful if a bit awkward. Still, I was able to essentially create a web page that students and other teachers could access from the web to use the links. That is a feature I like and I haven't see the equivalent in Delicious.
For my personal organization, I think that social bookmarking can be very useful. Within a defined group, sharing bookmarks this way can work but I think to be successful requires a bit of coordination.
Thing 13
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 do think that tagging is - or at least can be - a very effective way to organize digital resources for myself. It also could be useful for a group as is outlined in the materials read for this Thing. However, the problem comes in with the dynamics of tagging.
As a Library Media Specialist I understand the importance of assigning appropriate 'subject headings' to a resource since I routinely do that when cataloging books. If a book is given the wrong subject heading or not enough subject headings to describe its content, the book may never be found and utilized effectively. The thing is, librarians don't make those subject headings up. We have an established lexicon that is used by ALL libraries ... well, at least for the most part. The bottom line is that a user can find information under the same subject heading in my library, the public library, a university library, etc. That sort of formal lexicon just doesn't exist for tagging in social bookmarking which can make it difficult for groups of people to locate pertinent information in someone else's Delicious bookmarks.
AND, after reading the "Thirteen Tips for Effective Tagging" there are some rather significant tagging punctuation and formatting issues to consider. The manner in which I format a tag - space or no space, dash, underscore, no caps?, phrase as one word, etc. - can dramatically impact whether anyone else can make sense of my bookmarked sites. To alleviate some of these potential problems, this suggestion from the 'Thirteen Tips .." article makes a lot of sense to me for more formal groups of people who want to share information:
Co-ordinate your efforts. If you're part of a professional community or community of practice, consider establishing a common set of standards for how to tag resources you want to share among yourselves. A wiki can help do the job.
While such coordination can still be, and should be, a very dynamic thing, I think that level of organization is needed to use social bookmarking effectively for a defined group. Otherwise, in my mind, social bookmarking is more an application for the individual. As such it certainly has tremendous potential to be effective and useful for me to keep my content organized.
I do think that tagging is - or at least can be - a very effective way to organize digital resources for myself. It also could be useful for a group as is outlined in the materials read for this Thing. However, the problem comes in with the dynamics of tagging.
As a Library Media Specialist I understand the importance of assigning appropriate 'subject headings' to a resource since I routinely do that when cataloging books. If a book is given the wrong subject heading or not enough subject headings to describe its content, the book may never be found and utilized effectively. The thing is, librarians don't make those subject headings up. We have an established lexicon that is used by ALL libraries ... well, at least for the most part. The bottom line is that a user can find information under the same subject heading in my library, the public library, a university library, etc. That sort of formal lexicon just doesn't exist for tagging in social bookmarking which can make it difficult for groups of people to locate pertinent information in someone else's Delicious bookmarks.
AND, after reading the "Thirteen Tips for Effective Tagging" there are some rather significant tagging punctuation and formatting issues to consider. The manner in which I format a tag - space or no space, dash, underscore, no caps?, phrase as one word, etc. - can dramatically impact whether anyone else can make sense of my bookmarked sites. To alleviate some of these potential problems, this suggestion from the 'Thirteen Tips .." article makes a lot of sense to me for more formal groups of people who want to share information:
Co-ordinate your efforts. If you're part of a professional community or community of practice, consider establishing a common set of standards for how to tag resources you want to share among yourselves. A wiki can help do the job.
While such coordination can still be, and should be, a very dynamic thing, I think that level of organization is needed to use social bookmarking effectively for a defined group. Otherwise, in my mind, social bookmarking is more an application for the individual. As such it certainly has tremendous potential to be effective and useful for me to keep my content organized.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Thing 12
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?
I am fairly comfortable with adding widgets and code and all sorts of interesting fun stuff! I particularly like the Shelfari widget (saw it on another person's blog) since it conveys information about what I'm reading which could spark discussion with others about books. I also added a Voki image which was a bit complicated but fun. I could see that it might offer a somewhat more "personal" note to those visiting a blog or web site.
I do belong to other online communities ... and yes, I think that relationships formed there whether working or personal can be very meaningful, productive, and enriching. I have friends who I ONLY "see" through online communities so I'm glad that the option is available.
MySpace and other networking sites allow students to constantly be in touch and experience their "community" everywhere. I don't know if it's a new phenomenon .... or maybe just the newest rendition of the youth sub-culture that has always existed. Previously kids used phones to talk and network for as long as they may now be in social networks. There were also maybe more in person gatherings in the past - community, school, church, or family events where young people could congregate. Many times social networking simply expands or builds from the groups that kids already belong to such as school, church, team, or other organizations. That's not to say that all of the interaction is "innocent" ... but then, realistically, we all know that interaction between young adults is, and always has been, infused with irreverent, defiant, experimental, and sometimes risky behavior. The new element is that adults everywhere can so easily see that interaction ... because it's all posted online!
I am fairly comfortable with adding widgets and code and all sorts of interesting fun stuff! I particularly like the Shelfari widget (saw it on another person's blog) since it conveys information about what I'm reading which could spark discussion with others about books. I also added a Voki image which was a bit complicated but fun. I could see that it might offer a somewhat more "personal" note to those visiting a blog or web site.
I do belong to other online communities ... and yes, I think that relationships formed there whether working or personal can be very meaningful, productive, and enriching. I have friends who I ONLY "see" through online communities so I'm glad that the option is available.
MySpace and other networking sites allow students to constantly be in touch and experience their "community" everywhere. I don't know if it's a new phenomenon .... or maybe just the newest rendition of the youth sub-culture that has always existed. Previously kids used phones to talk and network for as long as they may now be in social networks. There were also maybe more in person gatherings in the past - community, school, church, or family events where young people could congregate. Many times social networking simply expands or builds from the groups that kids already belong to such as school, church, team, or other organizations. That's not to say that all of the interaction is "innocent" ... but then, realistically, we all know that interaction between young adults is, and always has been, infused with irreverent, defiant, experimental, and sometimes risky behavior. The new element is that adults everywhere can so easily see that interaction ... because it's all posted online!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Thing 11
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?
Leaving comments - just like posting to a blog in general - is a little bit scary. A lot of things ran through my mind as I wrote: What if my comments are really trivial? What if someone takes my post the wrong way? Do I have anything worthwhile to contribute? It seems harder to comment when the blogger is a person unknown to you. People do get to know one another communicating through blogs so maybe "conversations" will be easier once a dialog is established.
I am slowly coming to the realization however, that posting to a smaller, defined community rather than the world at large also makes a difference. If I talk to people through a blog who have a common interest and experience, it's much less daunting. I may never be comfortable posting to a YouTube site that is viewed by thousands of people ... but I could easily post to a blog with comments for teachers and media specialists who share some of the same issues as myself. That's probably an obvious thing but it really helps me feel less intimidated.
I've only gotten one comment other than the 23 Things moderators. It was nice to think that someone read my blog but it makes me even more aware that I need to be coherent and try to say something worth reading. That's an important concept for students also who struggle to develop writing skills in any venue. Knowing that there is an audience besides the teacher might just be the thing to help them focus more on the quality of their writing.
Leaving comments - just like posting to a blog in general - is a little bit scary. A lot of things ran through my mind as I wrote: What if my comments are really trivial? What if someone takes my post the wrong way? Do I have anything worthwhile to contribute? It seems harder to comment when the blogger is a person unknown to you. People do get to know one another communicating through blogs so maybe "conversations" will be easier once a dialog is established.
I am slowly coming to the realization however, that posting to a smaller, defined community rather than the world at large also makes a difference. If I talk to people through a blog who have a common interest and experience, it's much less daunting. I may never be comfortable posting to a YouTube site that is viewed by thousands of people ... but I could easily post to a blog with comments for teachers and media specialists who share some of the same issues as myself. That's probably an obvious thing but it really helps me feel less intimidated.
I've only gotten one comment other than the 23 Things moderators. It was nice to think that someone read my blog but it makes me even more aware that I need to be coherent and try to say something worth reading. That's an important concept for students also who struggle to develop writing skills in any venue. Knowing that there is an audience besides the teacher might just be the thing to help them focus more on the quality of their writing.
Thing 10
Below is a great video using 1920's style animation. This video was a student project made at Cornell University in Lynn Tomlinson's Film 325 summer course.
Add comments to the video you embedded. Why did you select it? Were you also able to download a video?
I selected this video because it showed an incredible creativity in faithfully recreating the style of animation shown in early Disney and Mickey Mouse cartoons. It's interesting to see just how much can be conveyed in simple (??!!??) drawing and carefully chosen sounds. This is one of the few videos I found on YouTube that exhibited a high level of planning and execution and quality in the final product.
I was able to download a video to my computer. Zamzar opens up a lot of options for me and for my video production course. I'm going to do some additional exploring and will be thinking about YouTube in a somewhat different light.
Add comments to the video you embedded. Why did you select it? Were you also able to download a video?
I selected this video because it showed an incredible creativity in faithfully recreating the style of animation shown in early Disney and Mickey Mouse cartoons. It's interesting to see just how much can be conveyed in simple (??!!??) drawing and carefully chosen sounds. This is one of the few videos I found on YouTube that exhibited a high level of planning and execution and quality in the final product.
I was able to download a video to my computer. Zamzar opens up a lot of options for me and for my video production course. I'm going to do some additional exploring and will be thinking about YouTube in a somewhat different light.
Thing 9
What do you like or dislike about YouTube? Did you find videos that would be useful for teaching and learning? Is YouTube banned in your building?
Many of the videos in YouTube are humorous ... but I found the quality of most to be lacking. I looked for videos dealing with Information Literacy (something I teach) and more specifically, Boolean searching. I was disappointed to find nothing really usable for either my middle school students or adults. While conceptually a couple of the videos were interesting, the production quality was poor.
I'm sure if I spent more time I might find videos that would be useful for teaching and learning but going to a paid streaming video source is probably a better bet for educational purposes. It's like the Internet at large ... the best stuff ... the 'hidden web' can't be found with a general purpose search engine. Better quality and content usually costs money and/or requires a different search strategy in order to find it.
And yes, YouTube is most definitely banned in my building and throughout the district.
Many of the videos in YouTube are humorous ... but I found the quality of most to be lacking. I looked for videos dealing with Information Literacy (something I teach) and more specifically, Boolean searching. I was disappointed to find nothing really usable for either my middle school students or adults. While conceptually a couple of the videos were interesting, the production quality was poor.
I'm sure if I spent more time I might find videos that would be useful for teaching and learning but going to a paid streaming video source is probably a better bet for educational purposes. It's like the Internet at large ... the best stuff ... the 'hidden web' can't be found with a general purpose search engine. Better quality and content usually costs money and/or requires a different search strategy in order to find it.
And yes, YouTube is most definitely banned in my building and throughout the district.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Thing 8
I created this image using the Warholizer option at Big Huge Labs. This is a photo of the Great Salt Lake in Utah from Antelope Island looking towards mountains to the north.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.
The tools available to manipulate images are cool! AND a bit overwhelming too. There are so many options ... so many ways to be creative without needing an art degree. I was particularly interested in all of the possibilities available in Big Huge Labs. I had no idea that some of those features existed. However, now that I DO know, I'm pretty sure I need to create a movie poster or generate a palate for colors that are harmonious for additions to my web page or create a custom CD cover! The possibilities for using these capabilities (free!!) for student projects and assignments is pretty exciting too.
A person could spend a lot of time at these sites of course which gets to the overwhelming part. If I introduce students to any of these, I also need to format an assignment or activity that will give them room to try things out but also keep them focused. Like with any other multi-media tool, students (and adults!) can spend all of their time playing with the bells and whistles and then there is little time for producing good content and completing the assignment. I've seen a lot of PowerPoint presentations and iMovie videos that were full of special effects and music and sounds and so on ... and short on anything substantive. As educators we have to be careful to avoid substituting the 'cool' factor for mastery of information, skills, or content.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thing 7
Think of ways you may be able to use Flickr in your classroom and share your ideas. What issues might you face?
I can see that in my video production class students could share still images and video clips and upload their finished projects. Students in all classes could gather and share images for research projects and create multi-media presentations with better quality pictures. Documenting school events such as field trips or class activities especially if coupled with a blog would be a great utilization.
There are a lot of ways that Flickr might be used in my classroom ... but I wonder if it's blocked by our district's filter? I'm pretty sure it is. So many great resources fall under that blocked category and I'm finding it frustrating. At this rate it will be another 5 to 10 years before we are anywhere close to utilizing Web 2.0 resources.
I can see that in my video production class students could share still images and video clips and upload their finished projects. Students in all classes could gather and share images for research projects and create multi-media presentations with better quality pictures. Documenting school events such as field trips or class activities especially if coupled with a blog would be a great utilization.
There are a lot of ways that Flickr might be used in my classroom ... but I wonder if it's blocked by our district's filter? I'm pretty sure it is. So many great resources fall under that blocked category and I'm finding it frustrating. At this rate it will be another 5 to 10 years before we are anywhere close to utilizing Web 2.0 resources.
Thing 6
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? Be sure to include the image in your post.
I found the really interesting image above which is a collage made up of the covers of 99 of 100 most banned books for the years 1990 - 2000. The image in flickr makes use of the Notes feature so that scrolling over the picture shows each of the titles.
This image - and the books that make it up - speaks to my abiding interest in preserving the freedom to read for everyone (including students) and my opposition to censorship. Using the covers to create an American flag represents freedom and the rights we all have ... including the right to read what we'd like and the privacy to do so. That being said, I also believe that as adults and educators, we have a responsibility to offer students quality literature that is appropriate for their developmental stage. As a corollary to that, I recognize a parent's right to monitor and direct their own child's reading.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Thing 5
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?
I think I "get" RSS ... but I had trouble locating blogs dealing with specific topics. I think as a media specialist that I am so focused on gathering INFORMATION - facts, data, unbiased presentation, etc. - , that the conversational tone of blogging - opinions, personal reflections, commentary on current events, etc. - leaves me feeling that I'm missing something. I'm coming slowly to the realization that blogging IS a form of conversation. Not necessarily an information source. I'm struggling to figure out exactly how this format will accomplish something for me in my teaching or in my role as media specialist beyond my personal interest in the discussions and thoughts of others.
I think I "get" RSS ... but I had trouble locating blogs dealing with specific topics. I think as a media specialist that I am so focused on gathering INFORMATION - facts, data, unbiased presentation, etc. - , that the conversational tone of blogging - opinions, personal reflections, commentary on current events, etc. - leaves me feeling that I'm missing something. I'm coming slowly to the realization that blogging IS a form of conversation. Not necessarily an information source. I'm struggling to figure out exactly how this format will accomplish something for me in my teaching or in my role as media specialist beyond my personal interest in the discussions and thoughts of others.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thing 4
I definitely feel that RSS can help me become more organized in locating and reading new information is my selected areas of interest. I have a lot of trouble with information overload now as I belong to many listservs and have web sites that I want to visit but often forget about. Of course I will still want to check BlogLines .... but at least that will be somewhat condensed and already sorted. I'm anxious to try it out!
Thing 3
How might you use a blog with students? How might they respond to a blog assignment? What concerns about blogging with students do you have? How might you use a blog for other educational purposes (other than with students)?
While there are many ways that a teacher might use a blog with students, I am concerned that, at least for middle school students, that a blog presents some logistical and age appropriate issues.
First, there may be some parents who really do not want their child to have an active presence on the Internet. Posting to a blog seems to require that an individual have an email address and I have personally encountered parents who did not want their child to have an email account. If the blog communication is all one way - from teacher to student - how is that any different than a printed handout?
Second, when will students post to a blog? At school? At home? Not all families have a computer which means students need to use school computers. I'm afraid that some school filters will not allow access or there may not be enough computers at the times needed for students to complete an assignment.
Third - staff time is an issue too. If blogging - either to communicate to students or for students to communicate back to a teacher - is to be really functional, I would think it needs to happen more than once. That may be very difficult - if not impossible - for teachers in my building to pull off due to the access reasons mentioned above, plus all of the other things teachers are required to do to deal with their curriculum.
I do think that blogging could be very useful for working with other teachers. The work of professional learning communities for instance could be facilitated through blog posts as teachers explore a topic of shared interest.
Blogs could also be effectively used to convey information to parents and the community about what is going on in a classroom or school. If used in this way however, I think the settings for others to be able to post comments should definitely be set for review before going 'live'.
Should there be concern about administrators viewing the blogs of teachers? What if they disagree with something a teacher posts? This may not be - or should not be - an issue ... but what if it is?
While there are many ways that a teacher might use a blog with students, I am concerned that, at least for middle school students, that a blog presents some logistical and age appropriate issues.
First, there may be some parents who really do not want their child to have an active presence on the Internet. Posting to a blog seems to require that an individual have an email address and I have personally encountered parents who did not want their child to have an email account. If the blog communication is all one way - from teacher to student - how is that any different than a printed handout?
Second, when will students post to a blog? At school? At home? Not all families have a computer which means students need to use school computers. I'm afraid that some school filters will not allow access or there may not be enough computers at the times needed for students to complete an assignment.
Third - staff time is an issue too. If blogging - either to communicate to students or for students to communicate back to a teacher - is to be really functional, I would think it needs to happen more than once. That may be very difficult - if not impossible - for teachers in my building to pull off due to the access reasons mentioned above, plus all of the other things teachers are required to do to deal with their curriculum.
I do think that blogging could be very useful for working with other teachers. The work of professional learning communities for instance could be facilitated through blog posts as teachers explore a topic of shared interest.
Blogs could also be effectively used to convey information to parents and the community about what is going on in a classroom or school. If used in this way however, I think the settings for others to be able to post comments should definitely be set for review before going 'live'.
Should there be concern about administrators viewing the blogs of teachers? What if they disagree with something a teacher posts? This may not be - or should not be - an issue ... but what if it is?
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Thing 1 & 2 continued: Writing for the world! And thoughts on blogs in general
How does writing on the Internet, knowing anyone could read it, change how you write or feel about writing?
It's scary! At the same time, it helps me to moderate my writing and think about all of the various people who MIGHT read what is written here. It makes it even more important to review what I've written before posting it and also make an attempt to write as clearly as possible.
At the same time, it is possible that NO ONE will read anything written on this blog! Will anyone want to read something I've written? Or worse, what happens if people post harsh or critical comments to things I've said in this very public forum? While this blog - and most blogs - will never reach the level of nation recognition, expressing thoughts, ideas, and views does expose an individual to new scrutiny that may be uncomfortable.
I have looked at random blogs from all sorts of people and disciplines from time to time and honestly have wondered why the form was such a big deal? Is it really possible that private meanderings in a public Internet space fill any real function? It reminds me of the early days with web sites when everyone was setting one up and telling the world about their life, likes and dislikes, favorite music, images, etc. etc. etc. Many blogs I've looked at are basically a reincarnation of those personal web pages.
For that reason I feel it is critical that any blog established for educational purposes have a clearly defined goal and audience in mind in order to avoid just taking up bandwidth and accomplishing little in the way of instruction or improvement in learning. (Maybe that's a good approach for any blog?) That may be obvious to everyone but it seems worth stating anyway - perhaps to remind myself more than others. Using a blog or any other tech innovation just for the sake of using it isn't enough. As educators I think we need to make the experience relevant for students and ourselves and tie it back to curriculum and learning objectives.
It's scary! At the same time, it helps me to moderate my writing and think about all of the various people who MIGHT read what is written here. It makes it even more important to review what I've written before posting it and also make an attempt to write as clearly as possible.
At the same time, it is possible that NO ONE will read anything written on this blog! Will anyone want to read something I've written? Or worse, what happens if people post harsh or critical comments to things I've said in this very public forum? While this blog - and most blogs - will never reach the level of nation recognition, expressing thoughts, ideas, and views does expose an individual to new scrutiny that may be uncomfortable.
I have looked at random blogs from all sorts of people and disciplines from time to time and honestly have wondered why the form was such a big deal? Is it really possible that private meanderings in a public Internet space fill any real function? It reminds me of the early days with web sites when everyone was setting one up and telling the world about their life, likes and dislikes, favorite music, images, etc. etc. etc. Many blogs I've looked at are basically a reincarnation of those personal web pages.
For that reason I feel it is critical that any blog established for educational purposes have a clearly defined goal and audience in mind in order to avoid just taking up bandwidth and accomplishing little in the way of instruction or improvement in learning. (Maybe that's a good approach for any blog?) That may be obvious to everyone but it seems worth stating anyway - perhaps to remind myself more than others. Using a blog or any other tech innovation just for the sake of using it isn't enough. As educators I think we need to make the experience relevant for students and ourselves and tie it back to curriculum and learning objectives.
Thing 1 & 2
I am participating in 23 Things to be more knowledgeable and current with emerging - and actually now, common - technology. I have always been an avid and regular user of technology and do incorporate many different tech tools into my teaching. Still, I find that I am unfamiliar with how some things like podcasts, blogs, and RSS feeds work or they can be effectively used with students. My level of tech ability needs an update!
The article, "A Day in the Life of Web 2.0" presented some exciting scenarios for the use of various technologies ... but I also found it a bit discouraging. In many school districts it is literally impossible to do most of the things highlighted in the article either due to lack of equipment, time, or training for staff. Even more sobering is the lack of understanding among many administrators and other school officials of the need to embrace newer technologies. In fact, due to restrictive filters, poor funding, and out-dated attitudes, many schools and districts have never achieved even a basic integration of OLD technology .... never mind adding in new stuff.
It is my hope that through learning more about how other schools are using technology, that I will be able to both incorporate new strategies and tools into my own teaching as well as help bring that knowledge to others in my district. We have some significant decisions to make with regard to technology infrastructure and instruction so this information may be of real help in the coming months.
The article, "A Day in the Life of Web 2.0" presented some exciting scenarios for the use of various technologies ... but I also found it a bit discouraging. In many school districts it is literally impossible to do most of the things highlighted in the article either due to lack of equipment, time, or training for staff. Even more sobering is the lack of understanding among many administrators and other school officials of the need to embrace newer technologies. In fact, due to restrictive filters, poor funding, and out-dated attitudes, many schools and districts have never achieved even a basic integration of OLD technology .... never mind adding in new stuff.
It is my hope that through learning more about how other schools are using technology, that I will be able to both incorporate new strategies and tools into my own teaching as well as help bring that knowledge to others in my district. We have some significant decisions to make with regard to technology infrastructure and instruction so this information may be of real help in the coming months.
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