Monday, February 23, 2009
Thing # 8 Stretch
Wow! What an unending maze of paths to follow! I went to Wikkipedia and clicked on the highlighted Best Picture link appearing at the top of the page. I followed to information about a favorite movie, Giant, and then to the talented actor James Dean. The article contained much information, but what I thought was very interesting was the discussion that ensued over certain sections of the entry. Participants debated on the reliability of sources- what constituted valid information and what was just gossip. The discussion became quite heated as participants speculated about Dean's life. The content does seem complete and well-written although I'd have to withhold judgment on its validity after reading all the discussion. Probably we'll never know the whole truth. I also explored the History section and found most of the changes have been cosmetic...correcting spelling, grammar or rewording. It's a little frightening to me , this whole business of rewriting what appears. While I can see advantages for sure, I also see the possibility for revising historical accuracy. Like the stories in the news right now about denying the reality of the Holocaust...
Thing # 8
I very much enjoyed the Common Craft video clip explaining the possibilities of wikis. Then I explored several of the ones on the list and was a little disappointed. Like the 23Thingster, I felt like I was looking at Open House projects, just digitally formatted. The Go West wiki was organized by topics of interest about the journey on the Oregon Trail. But it seemed like each student or group worked on discreet pieces of content and then they put it all together. That may not have been the case, but it appears so when I view the wiki. The Salute to Seuss was a wiki devoted to celebrations of Dr. Seuss' birthday and appeared to have had contributors from different locations around the country, but once again, it seemed an "after the fact" vehicle. The Common Craft video made it so robust and active.I did check out the wiki on Schools of the Past. That one to me seemed more interactive than any of the others I've seen. It looks like people just go in and add their childhood memories about schools, playgrounds, etc. I'm sure it provided some interesting discussion for that class.
In Wiki Wiki Teaching, I did see some possibilities as the teacher described the excitement generated as kids did the assessment piece, and they pieced together reviews for other subjects' tests and quizzes. Most of the wikis I visited seemed to have had teacher identified organization. I saw many different tools being used. I am totally unaware of these and need to do some more checking into them. I was embarrassed by the 3rd graders who know how to do a Power Point and insert it into a wiki along with maps and photographs. One disappointing thing about the wikis I visited was that while the technology outcomes seem to have been successfully met, sometimes I wondered about the content outcomes. The material represented seemed very surface level to me. I think this is one area we'll have to be careful of as we integrate technology. It doesn't need to become technology for technology's sake, but rather used as a tool to deepen knowledge about the topics we are studying.
In Wiki Wiki Teaching, I did see some possibilities as the teacher described the excitement generated as kids did the assessment piece, and they pieced together reviews for other subjects' tests and quizzes. Most of the wikis I visited seemed to have had teacher identified organization. I saw many different tools being used. I am totally unaware of these and need to do some more checking into them. I was embarrassed by the 3rd graders who know how to do a Power Point and insert it into a wiki along with maps and photographs. One disappointing thing about the wikis I visited was that while the technology outcomes seem to have been successfully met, sometimes I wondered about the content outcomes. The material represented seemed very surface level to me. I think this is one area we'll have to be careful of as we integrate technology. It doesn't need to become technology for technology's sake, but rather used as a tool to deepen knowledge about the topics we are studying.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thing #7
Oh my gosh! How scary is that...to leave a comment on a real somebody's blog! It is quite comfortable leaving comments on the blogs of people in our class. It's safe and I know they won't think terribly of me. But to see your blog and address listed on something that's really out there scares me...knowing I can now be judged by everybody in the world. It really makes me think carefully about any comment I venture to leave.
Thing #6
Feeding the reader was a little frustrating for me...I tried to add some of the fun feeds listed. One made my computer freeze and some others were dreadfully slow. That being said, however, I now have several interesting and engaging readers to challenge and intrigue me every day.
I read a very interesting post by a teacher who has his students read and then create a written response using blogs. He was trying to figure out "the teacher's" role as students work more and more using technology. He noticed that many of the comments on the students' blogs included asking fellow students for input, feedback and criticism, yet no one asked for his feedback. Upon reflection, it seemed that the students only saw him as the evaluator who graded the work not anyone who helped during the process. I have found this to be true in digital or non digital classrooms. Too often teachers wait until the work is completed before giving any feedback...something to think about as we consider the real value of assessment...maybe as a teaching tool?
I read a very interesting post by a teacher who has his students read and then create a written response using blogs. He was trying to figure out "the teacher's" role as students work more and more using technology. He noticed that many of the comments on the students' blogs included asking fellow students for input, feedback and criticism, yet no one asked for his feedback. Upon reflection, it seemed that the students only saw him as the evaluator who graded the work not anyone who helped during the process. I have found this to be true in digital or non digital classrooms. Too often teachers wait until the work is completed before giving any feedback...something to think about as we consider the real value of assessment...maybe as a teaching tool?
Thing #5... at last
Man, I have struggled with getting this one done. It probably has to do with the fact that I keep chasing threads and getting hooked on all the different stories I can read about. This RSS stuff is positively addicitng! I now understand how my son and other members of his generation can spend so much time on their computers. I have listened to podcasts on the NPR site about a new movie following the progress of the first Projesct Runway winner. I have read about 2o things to learn from President Obama's first 30 days in office and how they can apply to school organizations. The dizzying pace really can eat up my time so I'm going to have to put myself on some kind of reading allowance...at least as far as the RSS. I don't seem to have that problem putting a book down., but then a book doesn't lure me in all directions!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thing #4
Wow! Until this lesson, the word blog had just been an ethereal kind of fuzzy term for me. I had heard it, knew it had something to do with posting online, but beyond that, I had very little information. My greatest discovery was that blogs are so interactive. Another poster has commented that a blog is a conversation; otherwise it would be a diary!I had no idea of the capabilities of communicating with other people or of the wandering paths that are often created. As I read some of the blogs suggested, I felt myself meandering through an online wonderland, deciding whether I wanted to follow this link, pursue another link or just stay on the same path..the original blog. Mindblowing! I'm a little afraid sometimes of not being able to find my way back. Thank goodness for the bread crumb trail provided by my trusty back button!
On to the assignment...I do agree with some others who have said that the blog style of writing is less formal and more personal. It reminds me of the stream of consciousness writing I tried to follow in high school when I read Joyce or Proust. It definitely has voice and is more disclosing of personal feelings than most kinds of writing. Perhaps we ought to use blog writing to help our students develop voice in their writing. But, I digress. The genre itself is interesting. You have to be able to read the original post and then navigate through the comments and questions along with answers that may be sprinkled through out. It is often difficult to remember the exact question since it is separated by time and space. I often found myself scrolling back up to reread the question once I had found the answer. So it is definitely not as linear as regular written text. That is one of the things that I think must be included if we think about what defines "blogging literacy." Also I read in a comment left on a class blog , that skimming and scanning are skills that are very important to reading in the 21st century. I can see how that is so true because we and our students are glutted with information to plow through.
I noticed in reading Imagine Turning on the Faucet and Nothing Coming Out that blogging can really facilitate learning. In this student blog, the kids are discussing a water shortage in Georgia. The teacher is able through tracking the blog to find some hastily offered opinions on the subject that were not really grounded in reality and were a bit short-sighted. Typical teenaged responses. She is able to point out to them some additional things to think about about as they ponder this difficult problem. The possibilities seem really endless. Even in my position, I can see so many opportunites for sharing with teachers. I am excited!
On to the assignment...I do agree with some others who have said that the blog style of writing is less formal and more personal. It reminds me of the stream of consciousness writing I tried to follow in high school when I read Joyce or Proust. It definitely has voice and is more disclosing of personal feelings than most kinds of writing. Perhaps we ought to use blog writing to help our students develop voice in their writing. But, I digress. The genre itself is interesting. You have to be able to read the original post and then navigate through the comments and questions along with answers that may be sprinkled through out. It is often difficult to remember the exact question since it is separated by time and space. I often found myself scrolling back up to reread the question once I had found the answer. So it is definitely not as linear as regular written text. That is one of the things that I think must be included if we think about what defines "blogging literacy." Also I read in a comment left on a class blog , that skimming and scanning are skills that are very important to reading in the 21st century. I can see how that is so true because we and our students are glutted with information to plow through.
I noticed in reading Imagine Turning on the Faucet and Nothing Coming Out that blogging can really facilitate learning. In this student blog, the kids are discussing a water shortage in Georgia. The teacher is able through tracking the blog to find some hastily offered opinions on the subject that were not really grounded in reality and were a bit short-sighted. Typical teenaged responses. She is able to point out to them some additional things to think about about as they ponder this difficult problem. The possibilities seem really endless. Even in my position, I can see so many opportunites for sharing with teachers. I am excited!
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