New Things

Whoa... I just realized that it has been almost a half-year since I last put something here. It's not like the time crept up on me and I realized that I forgot, or something. I have been kinda thinking about it recently and I wondered if I should even continue with it.

Now, I know I have no readers (yet), but I suppose one of the ways to gain readers is to post something valuable and useful. Lately I have been spending more time exploring Web 2.0 tools that have potential to be valuable to education. I haven't really done this much since finishing up my Master's coursework, and it is a bit more work now since there is no one (instructors, classmates, etc.) sharing their explorative finds. 

Recently, I came across a web application/service called Tikatok while browsing an ed-tech wiki I am a member of, Classroom 2.0. This website fosters the collaborative creation of children's-style books. I thought it was the coolest thing! There's a neat, simple demo video on their homepage that explains the process (which is very intuitive - even for a 2nd-grader). I sent an email link to our elementary teachers and was hoping that they would explore a bit on their own. I haven't received any positive replies yet, but no negative ones, either.

Now, just this evening, I found another simple collaborative tool called Writeboard. And instead of emailing it, I'm blogging it - people can decide for themselves what to view, right? Anyhow...

Sometimes a teacher is suggested to use a wiki when they would like to have a collaborative writing session between 2 or more authors. But wikis require user accounts, membership, and learning a bit about web site design. Wikis are best when collaboration is asynchronous (everyone is working at a different time) because work can be lost in synchronous revision of wikis and it is confusing and cumbersome to see changes and revert if necessary. Sometimes we are constrained by time and want this done quickly and efficiently, and have a product that can be turned in as a Word document or something like that (or perhaps put into a web page of some sort). 

Writeboard fosters that environment very simply. No user accounts, just an email address and an ability for your collaborators to access your url and that's about it. No changes are lost with writeboard so there's no need to worry about two or more people typing at the same time. And when you are finished, you can export it as a .txt (plain text) or .html to be placed on a web hosting server. 

The only downside is the inability to edit rich text. There's no bold/italics/underline, no making font bigger or smaller, no bullets/numbering, etc. Finished work is raw text. And though there are positive sides to that, I feel it to be a drawback. If that is something you are in need of, take a peek at YourDraft. The principle is the same, but it does offer a WYSIWYG editor (in Firefox or Explorer), but no export options. 

Check it out. I can see many possible uses for this in secondary and elementary classrooms. Let me know what you think - drop me a line either via email or comment below.

Big News on Social Networking - Not as bad as we think?

The University of Minnesota released results from a recent study that looked at what students learn from frequent use of social networking platforms. A featured article by 21st Century Connections titled, "What Kids Learn from Social Networking," highlights the study and its findings. Check out the article at their website. I have also embedded the video from the University of Minnesota lead researcher interviewed regarding the results of the study.

A few big points that I found noteworthy, maybe to allow you to avoid reading the entire article, was that the number one item learned that students listed are technology skills, followed by creativity, open-mindedness, and communication skills. So we must ask ourselves, are Facebook and MySpace really harming our students, or are they preparing them for 21 century society in a way that we as educators are not providing (or cannot provide). 

Understanding the restraints and limitations we face when striving to increase amount of technological self-efficacy of the students in our classrooms, we still cannot ignore the benefits that these heathenish web apps offer. The question regarding them may change. Rather than ask "How can we keep our students from accessing MySpace at school?" (because we all know how creative they are at navigating around firewalls and filters), we can now ask, "How do we employ these powerful web tools within the confines of maintaining a safe digital environment?" An analogy was made by the lead researcher, Christine Greenhow, relating educating teens on safe social networking and teaching them to drive. If driving is dangerous, why don't we push to keep kids from getting behind the wheel the same way we try to keep students from engaging in something that is proven to make a difference?

It is a tough question with no concrete answer. However, this research shows that educators must not hastily invalidate progress by ignoring the existence of such remarkable learning tools by only focusing on their negative aspects. Let's collectively resolve to find better solutions than an ultimate block of things that really do teach students good skills.

For more, visit: U of Minn News Service

Intro to Wikis

Many of us you have heard of a wiki - maybe someone you know said they know someone who saw one... The truth is that they are an amazing way to create and publish web pages quickly and easily. Even more amazing is that anyone is capable of creating a wiki space (it's not that difficult). Even more amazing still is that they are 100 percent collaborative!

Wait, what are we talking about? How can I use one? And what do you mean collaborative? Take a look at the video below from CommonCraft, "Wikis in Plain English."

I feel that this video does what it says, it puts it in plain English. I feel that wikis, in a way, are perfectly designed for educational use. Wikis can be used in the classroom as a place teachers can post links, files, pictures, and other elements for students and/or parents to view and access. Teachers can also use wikis to display student work. If you're really clever and tech savvy, try having students create pages as an assignment. Incorporating student-created wiki pages and allowing them to work together hits several of the Michigan Educational Technology Standards (METS). 

If you are a teacher and are interested in learning more about using wikis in the classroom view the following links to guide your research:

• Teacher's First Wiki Guide
• Educational Wikis Home (note the List of Educational Wikis)
• For Teachers New to Wikis

There are four large-scale wiki providers that offer educational solutions for wiki spaces:

1. Wikispaces
2. PBWiki
3. Wetpaint
4. Google Sites (new!)
   

Seek these solutions out and determine which may be best for you. I'll check the comments for questions.

Well, Irene, I'm Finished...

Sorry about the title, it seemed odd to me also. However, as I have just officially completed the last requirement of my master's degree, I really don't care.

Yes it is true, but now the fun begins. Now I can begin posting all that I have experienced and share it with you. That, is, if you subscribe to the blog and read it as you feel compelled to, I suppose. 

Recently I was directed to iCue (I cannot recall by source...). This is a result of the release of thousands of archived video resources by NBC. The took many of these and are currently building "classes" in which to lead students to incorporate authentic reading and writing skills based on current events. They have a great help feature for those that "just don't get it". I was the same way. Please consider how this may be used in your classrooms. Again, that is http://www.icue.com.