Last week I introduced Flickr and this week I want to focus on what you can do with Flickr in your classroom. Here are some ideas:
Use Flickr . . .
1. anywhere visual images are required, such as a presentation
2. for single image analysis - a good way to encourage discussion in an art class
3. as a single image writing prompt - let someone post an image and then have a student start a story as a comment, with the story continuing by other students adding to it through comments
4. for multiple digital storytelling projects
5. for creating slideshows
6. for virtual field trips
7. for the creation of visual arguments
8. for illustrating poetry
9. for visual documentation of school events
10. for visual documentation of student artwork
Thanks to David Jakes, an educational technology coordinator in Illinois for these suggestions.
One of the most useful tools in Flickr is the annotation feature. You can add notes to parts of an image simply by dragging a box across an area and type test into a form. When you move your mouse across that area of the image, the boxes and annotations will pop up. Click here for an example of how this could be used. (This example of Jane Goodall's camp was created by a 3rd grader!)
Organizing photos in Flickr is easy because you can create separate albums for different sets of pictures. So, students can create their own personalized collections of photos and images, complete with annotations and comments. This way it can become a reflective online portfolio. What if a student took pictures of all his/her artwork throughout school, put them on Filckr, and then used that as a way to share the work with potential scholarship donors or university art departments.
Or, just look for a good random photo on Flickr, display it for your class and ask them to play "Flicktion". Let them write a fictional story about the photo. A simple photo can often bring out creativity in students!
Hopefully you will begin to see the possibilities of using Flickr in your classroom. Even if you don't add your own images to Flickr, you can utilize the thousands of images that are already there. Have fun exploring!
07 March 2011
02 March 2011
Another week and a new month has arrived!
It seems like time is going faster and faster! March is upon us and before you know it, the school year's end will be here!
Today's entry is taken from Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, and discusses creating, publishing, and using images online. If teachers and students are looking for a way to begin experimenting with creating and publishing content other than text, then digital photography is a great way to start! Digital cameras have come down in price over the years and most of us now have cameras on our cell phones. Software to edit and resize photos is available for free on the Internet, so it is easy for classrooms to include digital images to their sites, their blogs, etc.
Disclaimer - some photo editing Web sites are not available to schools due to image-blocking that has to take place because of CIPA, so consider this when utilizing them.
So, why would you want to post images in the first place? From a classroom view, it would be wonderful to share daily events or highlights with parents/guardians and the community at large. Pictures of field trips, guest speakers, art projects, concerts, sporting events - all are great ideas of what to share online.
One place to start is Flickr. Flickr is free as long as you meet their guidelines for publishing. It is simple to sign up for a Flickr account. Once you get an account, they suggest three steps - 1, personalize your profile; 2, upload your first photos; and 3, find your friends on Flickr. Once your profile is complete, you can begin uploading photos and videos. (Videos are limited to 90 seconds in length and 150 MB in file size.)
As you begin uploading, be aware the limit is 300 MB of photos and 2 videos for the free account. Also note that you can mark your photos/videos as Private or Public. Once you upload a photo, you can put a title on it, add a description, etc. The last part, finding friends, is just as easy as importing email contacts or using a Facebook account to add friends. If you have friends attached to your account, you can then mark your photos as Private and only allow your "friends" to see them.
Try Flickr and see how easy it is to use. Next week, I'll share some ideas of how you can use Flickr in the classroom.
Today's entry is taken from Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, and discusses creating, publishing, and using images online. If teachers and students are looking for a way to begin experimenting with creating and publishing content other than text, then digital photography is a great way to start! Digital cameras have come down in price over the years and most of us now have cameras on our cell phones. Software to edit and resize photos is available for free on the Internet, so it is easy for classrooms to include digital images to their sites, their blogs, etc.
Disclaimer - some photo editing Web sites are not available to schools due to image-blocking that has to take place because of CIPA, so consider this when utilizing them.
So, why would you want to post images in the first place? From a classroom view, it would be wonderful to share daily events or highlights with parents/guardians and the community at large. Pictures of field trips, guest speakers, art projects, concerts, sporting events - all are great ideas of what to share online.
One place to start is Flickr. Flickr is free as long as you meet their guidelines for publishing. It is simple to sign up for a Flickr account. Once you get an account, they suggest three steps - 1, personalize your profile; 2, upload your first photos; and 3, find your friends on Flickr. Once your profile is complete, you can begin uploading photos and videos. (Videos are limited to 90 seconds in length and 150 MB in file size.)
As you begin uploading, be aware the limit is 300 MB of photos and 2 videos for the free account. Also note that you can mark your photos/videos as Private or Public. Once you upload a photo, you can put a title on it, add a description, etc. The last part, finding friends, is just as easy as importing email contacts or using a Facebook account to add friends. If you have friends attached to your account, you can then mark your photos as Private and only allow your "friends" to see them.
Try Flickr and see how easy it is to use. Next week, I'll share some ideas of how you can use Flickr in the classroom.
21 February 2011
Not a typical Monday . . . then again, maybe it is!
This was supposed to be a holiday and a day off for most of us, but due to the snowy weather we've had this year, Presidents Day is being used as a make-up day in our district. I sincerely hope the winter blues were chased away by the primary school's "Hootie Hoo" (or Hoodie Hoo as it is in some circles) celebration on Friday and that the snowy period for our end of Kentucky is over for 2011. This morning several of my colleagues found that they could no longer print within Infinite Campus, but after some investigation, I found that updating to the latest Java version seems to be the solution. Hopefully those of you who were having that issue have been able to update your Java and correct the problem.
For several weeks now, I've been sharing information from a terrific book that I own, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson. Today's blog entry concerns "The Social Web", as Richardson puts it. I must admit that I was not one of the first to try many of the social Internet sites and resisted them for a long time. However, my daughter pointed out some of the positive aspects of Facebook and a co-worker got me into Twitter, following our state's tech help desk which puts out feeds about the status of the network. Sometimes I am able to learn about an e-mail outage, for example, quite early so when colleagues call me because their e-mail isn't working, then I know what information to share with them.
As far as social networks like Facebook, I must tell a short story about a good friend of mine. My husband is a veteran of the United States Army and for six years, we lived in Germany. While there I met a wonderful woman whose husband was also in the army. After we both returned stateside, we kept up with each other with phone calls now and then and written letters sent through the U.S. Postal Service. As most long-distance friendships go, our contact finally dwindled down to the annual Christmas card and the last few years we lost contact completely. Once I signed up for Facebook, I was so excited one day to be contacted by my friend! We were able to re-connect and that very month, she and her husband were coming through Kentucky as a part of their summer vacation. (They still have relatives here in Kentucky.) My husband and I were able to meet them for a delightful dinner and long conversation to catch up on our lives. None of this would have happened had it not been for Facebook! (And yes, we still keep up with each other.)
So what does Richardson have to say about "The Social Web"? He thinks the most sweeping change in our relationship with the Internet lies with the ability to share and connect and create with many, many others of like minds and interests. Richardson notes there are well over 1 billion people online and the ways in which we are connecting and creating together is exploding. The first social media he covers is Twitter.
Twitter is a "micro-blogging" tool that was introduced in 2006. Originally Twitter was supposed to be a way to send quick updates to anyone who "follows" the person posting the update. Twitter limits the user to 140 characters per tweet. According to Richardson, what's evolved is something much more interesting. People are asking questions and getting answers. Users are posting links to resources. Still others are posting information about natural disasters across the world and giving hints and tips about technical support issues. It has become a blend of personal and professional.
So what are some ways that Twitter can be used in education? One teacher is using it to share ideas and experiences with his classes. Another is using the cell phone feature of Twitter to get instant feedback to an assessment type question from the students. Still another used Twitter as a way to get students' opinions while they were on a field trip. Using cell phones, the students used Twitter to send "journal" updates to their accounts and their teacher followed their tweets. Also, students who did not make the trip could stay updated by following the tweets of their classmates.
There are all sorts of social sites out there and what you use or don't use is a personal decision, especially when it comes to using these sites with students. Many school districts block the use of these sites while using school computers, but that doesn't block the use of these sites at home. Our district has taken the stance that many have - be mindful when interacting with students using social Internet sites. Always remember that you are the professional and the adult!
I will be in and out of the office this week, mainly due to trainings for Thinkfinity and SchoolLoop. By the end of the week, the instructors at the Area Technology Center and the teachers at the primary school should be working on their own Web pages, so I'm excited about that! It's also the last week to be able to post a 470, which is a request for service through the e-rate program, so that will be taking up some of my time in the office. As always, I can be reached through e-mail no matter where I am. I hope all of you have a wonderful week!
For several weeks now, I've been sharing information from a terrific book that I own, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson. Today's blog entry concerns "The Social Web", as Richardson puts it. I must admit that I was not one of the first to try many of the social Internet sites and resisted them for a long time. However, my daughter pointed out some of the positive aspects of Facebook and a co-worker got me into Twitter, following our state's tech help desk which puts out feeds about the status of the network. Sometimes I am able to learn about an e-mail outage, for example, quite early so when colleagues call me because their e-mail isn't working, then I know what information to share with them.
As far as social networks like Facebook, I must tell a short story about a good friend of mine. My husband is a veteran of the United States Army and for six years, we lived in Germany. While there I met a wonderful woman whose husband was also in the army. After we both returned stateside, we kept up with each other with phone calls now and then and written letters sent through the U.S. Postal Service. As most long-distance friendships go, our contact finally dwindled down to the annual Christmas card and the last few years we lost contact completely. Once I signed up for Facebook, I was so excited one day to be contacted by my friend! We were able to re-connect and that very month, she and her husband were coming through Kentucky as a part of their summer vacation. (They still have relatives here in Kentucky.) My husband and I were able to meet them for a delightful dinner and long conversation to catch up on our lives. None of this would have happened had it not been for Facebook! (And yes, we still keep up with each other.)
So what does Richardson have to say about "The Social Web"? He thinks the most sweeping change in our relationship with the Internet lies with the ability to share and connect and create with many, many others of like minds and interests. Richardson notes there are well over 1 billion people online and the ways in which we are connecting and creating together is exploding. The first social media he covers is Twitter.
Twitter is a "micro-blogging" tool that was introduced in 2006. Originally Twitter was supposed to be a way to send quick updates to anyone who "follows" the person posting the update. Twitter limits the user to 140 characters per tweet. According to Richardson, what's evolved is something much more interesting. People are asking questions and getting answers. Users are posting links to resources. Still others are posting information about natural disasters across the world and giving hints and tips about technical support issues. It has become a blend of personal and professional.
So what are some ways that Twitter can be used in education? One teacher is using it to share ideas and experiences with his classes. Another is using the cell phone feature of Twitter to get instant feedback to an assessment type question from the students. Still another used Twitter as a way to get students' opinions while they were on a field trip. Using cell phones, the students used Twitter to send "journal" updates to their accounts and their teacher followed their tweets. Also, students who did not make the trip could stay updated by following the tweets of their classmates.
There are all sorts of social sites out there and what you use or don't use is a personal decision, especially when it comes to using these sites with students. Many school districts block the use of these sites while using school computers, but that doesn't block the use of these sites at home. Our district has taken the stance that many have - be mindful when interacting with students using social Internet sites. Always remember that you are the professional and the adult!
I will be in and out of the office this week, mainly due to trainings for Thinkfinity and SchoolLoop. By the end of the week, the instructors at the Area Technology Center and the teachers at the primary school should be working on their own Web pages, so I'm excited about that! It's also the last week to be able to post a 470, which is a request for service through the e-rate program, so that will be taking up some of my time in the office. As always, I can be reached through e-mail no matter where I am. I hope all of you have a wonderful week!
15 February 2011
A Writing Contest Has Been Announced!
http://blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2011/02/11/contest-take-us-on-an-adventure/
David Somoza, an elementary school teacher, and Peter Lourie, adventure travel book writer, have teamed up to write a new book titled Writing to Explore: Discovering Adventure in the Research Paper, 3-8. In the book, the authors show teachers how to guide students to write interesting, adventurous, well-researched papers that are rooted in real places, supported by facts, and developed with detailed descriptions of images from real locations.
With that in mind, they are challenging students to send their best writing about a state or place they have lived in, visited, or daydreamed about and any form of storytelling is acceptable. The entries will be judged by the authors and the top five submissions will be featured on the Stenhouse Blog. One winner will receive a library of Stenhouse books (a $150 value) of your choice and other books by Peter Lourie (a $180 value) to start your own classroom adventure library.
The deadline for the contest is May 1st, 2011. Stores can be submitted by e-mail or on CD or USB drive by postal mail to Stenhouse Publishers. For the address and more information, click the link at the top of this entry. For more information about Stenhouse, click the link in the above paragraph.
David Somoza, an elementary school teacher, and Peter Lourie, adventure travel book writer, have teamed up to write a new book titled Writing to Explore: Discovering Adventure in the Research Paper, 3-8. In the book, the authors show teachers how to guide students to write interesting, adventurous, well-researched papers that are rooted in real places, supported by facts, and developed with detailed descriptions of images from real locations.
With that in mind, they are challenging students to send their best writing about a state or place they have lived in, visited, or daydreamed about and any form of storytelling is acceptable. The entries will be judged by the authors and the top five submissions will be featured on the Stenhouse Blog. One winner will receive a library of Stenhouse books (a $150 value) of your choice and other books by Peter Lourie (a $180 value) to start your own classroom adventure library.
The deadline for the contest is May 1st, 2011. Stores can be submitted by e-mail or on CD or USB drive by postal mail to Stenhouse Publishers. For the address and more information, click the link at the top of this entry. For more information about Stenhouse, click the link in the above paragraph.
14 February 2011
Welcome back to school!
After a very snowy week, the sun is shining and all the ice and snow is melting away. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
Will Richardson, in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, notes how difficult it is to keep up with all the Web sites that change, sometimes daily and sometimes hourly! For example, Richardson says if you're a political science teacher and you've found twenty or thirty sites that are consistently publishing interesting and relevant information for you and your students, finding time to click through all the sites to keep up with the new information is nearly impossible. So, what if you could go to one place and read all the new content? That's exactly what an RSS feed allows.
RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. In simple terms, Internet sites generate a behind-the-scenes code in a language similar to HTML called XML. This code, usually referred to as a "feed" makes it possible for readers to subscribe to the content that is being created without having to visit the site to get it. What you use is a piece of software called an "aggregator" or feed collector. The aggregator checks the feeds you subscribe to, usually every hour, and it collects the new content. When you're ready, you open up your aggregator to read the individual feeds, and decide whether to read the stories, file them to check later, or delete them. Basically, you are checking one site instead of twenty or thirty to keep up with all the content.
Richardson says there is a better reason to use RSS. Not only can students have the news and ideas of the day come directly to them, but they can also use RSS to let them know when someone has published something with certain keywords that they might be interested in. For example, using RSS, the student creates a feed for "global warming" that will bring new results as they are published right to their mailbox. Students can be immediately updated when new information about a particular research topic is published.
Richardson's advice to using RSS is to go slowly. To explore a list of aggregators you can choose from, go to http://newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators. Richardson, though, suggests the use of Google Reader because it's free and easy. If you already have a Google account, you can go to http://www.google.com/reader/ to access your reader account. If you click on Home, you can click on the link for the "getting started guide" to learn more about the use of Google Reader. If you know exactly what you are looking for, you can click on the "Add a subscription" link at the top left of the page and search for particular keywords. Once you get some subscriptions set up, all you have to do to keep up with the new content is to login to Google Reader and check your subscriptions on the left-hand side of the home page - if a name is bold with a number after it, that means there is new content available. To organize your feeds better, you can even create folders, i.e. "Education", "Technology", "World News", etc.
I hope you take a little time this week to look at Google Reader or one of the other available aggregators and set up an RSS feed. Enjoy exploring!
Will Richardson, in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, notes how difficult it is to keep up with all the Web sites that change, sometimes daily and sometimes hourly! For example, Richardson says if you're a political science teacher and you've found twenty or thirty sites that are consistently publishing interesting and relevant information for you and your students, finding time to click through all the sites to keep up with the new information is nearly impossible. So, what if you could go to one place and read all the new content? That's exactly what an RSS feed allows.
RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. In simple terms, Internet sites generate a behind-the-scenes code in a language similar to HTML called XML. This code, usually referred to as a "feed" makes it possible for readers to subscribe to the content that is being created without having to visit the site to get it. What you use is a piece of software called an "aggregator" or feed collector. The aggregator checks the feeds you subscribe to, usually every hour, and it collects the new content. When you're ready, you open up your aggregator to read the individual feeds, and decide whether to read the stories, file them to check later, or delete them. Basically, you are checking one site instead of twenty or thirty to keep up with all the content.
Richardson says there is a better reason to use RSS. Not only can students have the news and ideas of the day come directly to them, but they can also use RSS to let them know when someone has published something with certain keywords that they might be interested in. For example, using RSS, the student creates a feed for "global warming" that will bring new results as they are published right to their mailbox. Students can be immediately updated when new information about a particular research topic is published.
Richardson's advice to using RSS is to go slowly. To explore a list of aggregators you can choose from, go to http://newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators. Richardson, though, suggests the use of Google Reader because it's free and easy. If you already have a Google account, you can go to http://www.google.com/reader/ to access your reader account. If you click on Home, you can click on the link for the "getting started guide" to learn more about the use of Google Reader. If you know exactly what you are looking for, you can click on the "Add a subscription" link at the top left of the page and search for particular keywords. Once you get some subscriptions set up, all you have to do to keep up with the new content is to login to Google Reader and check your subscriptions on the left-hand side of the home page - if a name is bold with a number after it, that means there is new content available. To organize your feeds better, you can even create folders, i.e. "Education", "Technology", "World News", etc.
I hope you take a little time this week to look at Google Reader or one of the other available aggregators and set up an RSS feed. Enjoy exploring!
07 February 2011
Wiki Tools for Schools
Snow? Again? Looks like this week is going to be a snowy one again, but maybe it will stay off the roads enough that we can still get out and about - just keep a watch on the weather, know your surroundings and be careful!
Creating a wiki is easy. Wikispaces offers free wikis for educators. It's simple to create one by going to http://www.wikispaces.com and clicking on the "Wikis for Individuals and Groups" area. (If you want to find out a little more about Wikispaces before you start one yourself, just take a look at this initial screen.) The basic plan is free to educators and includes a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, 2GB of file storage, built-in discussion forums, support, etc. You can join by entering a username, a password and your e-mail address. But before doing that, you might want to click on the link to the right of the page that says "Learn more and create your own classroom wiki today." Wikispaces original goal was to give away 100,000 free wikis to educators and according to this site, 415,000 have already been established! That should tell you something about how wikis are being used with classes in K-12 education.
Once you sign up for a free wiki, you will notice 3 tabs across the top - Dashboard, Mail and Settings. The Dashboard contains several sections which are fairly self-explanatory. The Mail section works much like any e-mail system. The Settings portion is where you can upload a profile picture, a profile page, change your username and password, etc. If you decide in the future you do not want your Wikispace any longer, you can also delete your account on this page.
To create a wiki, go back to the Dashboard and click on the "+ Create a New Wiki" button at the top of the page. You need to give your wiki a name and select what permissions you want for the space. Be aware that the Private setting is only free for the first 30 days. The Public and Protected settings are free. The Wiki Type you select should be K-12 Education (Primary and Secondary) if you are going to use the space for your classroom. Once you have made your selections and given your wiki a name, simply click the Create button.
The next page you see will tell you all about "Your New Wiki". Simply look through the instructions on how to set up your wiki, invite members to your wiki, and even establish accounts for your students. Once your wiki is started you can always go to the My Wikis link at the top of the page to work on your wiki.
According to Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, here are some ways you can utilize your wiki with your classes:
1. Create a separate page for your students to collaborate on a class essay
2. Use the discussion portion of your wiki and start a thread about something you are doing in class and have students respond to it
3. Put a math problem on the wiki and have students post their answers
4. Include a daily social studies entry, such as "This Day in History" and have students respond in some way
5. Enter assignments so students and parents/guardians know what is expected each day/week; students can post questions they might have for you about the assignments
6. Include important links to appropriate Web sites for students to explore and then allow them to respond about what they learned
There are all sorts of ways to utilize your wiki with your students. I'm sure you can think of many more!
Creating a wiki is easy. Wikispaces offers free wikis for educators. It's simple to create one by going to http://www.wikispaces.com and clicking on the "Wikis for Individuals and Groups" area. (If you want to find out a little more about Wikispaces before you start one yourself, just take a look at this initial screen.) The basic plan is free to educators and includes a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, 2GB of file storage, built-in discussion forums, support, etc. You can join by entering a username, a password and your e-mail address. But before doing that, you might want to click on the link to the right of the page that says "Learn more and create your own classroom wiki today." Wikispaces original goal was to give away 100,000 free wikis to educators and according to this site, 415,000 have already been established! That should tell you something about how wikis are being used with classes in K-12 education.
Once you sign up for a free wiki, you will notice 3 tabs across the top - Dashboard, Mail and Settings. The Dashboard contains several sections which are fairly self-explanatory. The Mail section works much like any e-mail system. The Settings portion is where you can upload a profile picture, a profile page, change your username and password, etc. If you decide in the future you do not want your Wikispace any longer, you can also delete your account on this page.
To create a wiki, go back to the Dashboard and click on the "+ Create a New Wiki" button at the top of the page. You need to give your wiki a name and select what permissions you want for the space. Be aware that the Private setting is only free for the first 30 days. The Public and Protected settings are free. The Wiki Type you select should be K-12 Education (Primary and Secondary) if you are going to use the space for your classroom. Once you have made your selections and given your wiki a name, simply click the Create button.
The next page you see will tell you all about "Your New Wiki". Simply look through the instructions on how to set up your wiki, invite members to your wiki, and even establish accounts for your students. Once your wiki is started you can always go to the My Wikis link at the top of the page to work on your wiki.
According to Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, here are some ways you can utilize your wiki with your classes:
1. Create a separate page for your students to collaborate on a class essay
2. Use the discussion portion of your wiki and start a thread about something you are doing in class and have students respond to it
3. Put a math problem on the wiki and have students post their answers
4. Include a daily social studies entry, such as "This Day in History" and have students respond in some way
5. Enter assignments so students and parents/guardians know what is expected each day/week; students can post questions they might have for you about the assignments
6. Include important links to appropriate Web sites for students to explore and then allow them to respond about what they learned
There are all sorts of ways to utilize your wiki with your students. I'm sure you can think of many more!
More about George Washington
I received an e-mail promoting a lesson plan so that students can learn more about George Washington and other United States Presidents. The lesson is applicable to both elementary and secondary classrooms and everything you need to teach the lesson is included. Go to this site:
http://blog.teachtci.com/by-george-its-a-presidents-day-lesson
and scroll through the lesson to see if it's something you might use. I have downloaded the pdf file, so if you want it, please e-mail me at melissa.earnest@caldwell.kyschools.us and I will be glad to send it to you!
http://blog.teachtci.com/by-george-its-a-presidents-day-lesson
and scroll through the lesson to see if it's something you might use. I have downloaded the pdf file, so if you want it, please e-mail me at melissa.earnest@caldwell.kyschools.us and I will be glad to send it to you!
01 February 2011
More ideas on how Wikis can be used in classrooms . . .
For those of you who looked on Monday for my usual start of the week post, I apologize. I was out of the district at an Infinite Campus user group meeting/training in Paducah. It was very informative! There are some changes coming to the gradebook that I think teachers will really like. They have listened to suggestions and are making it more user-friendly. There will be more to come on this subject as the process moves forward. Changes are supposed to take affect as of June 30th.
Now . . . back to Wikis! I am still using the reference, "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms" by Will Richardson. First of all, Richardson lists some of the concerns one more have about using Wikis in education. Of course, it is mentioned that someone could anonymously go into the class Wiki and erase content or add something inappropriate. Richardson says as must as we'd like to trust students to do the right thing, "we all know that it would only take one parent to open the Wiki and find something inappropriate to derail the project". There is a solution because most Wiki sites feature a password-protect or login system to prevent things like this from happening. Also, some teachers may feel that the open collaboration feel of a Wiki can be hard to manage, but just keep in mind that a Wiki can be used as a collaborative tool between teachers and districts rather than with students, so that might be a good way to begin using one. However, here are some ideas of how you can utilize a Wiki with a class:
1. Create an online text for your curriculum
2. Have students create their own Wiki with entries for a particular class (for example, in physics, have students post and edit entries that deal with the structure of the atom or in language arts, have students post and edit entries about a particular piece of literature they have read)
3. Use the Wiki as a space to post links to relevant Web sites and then have students respond to those sites with entries of their own
4. Establish a math Wiki so that students can add tips and tricks for math problems and computation
5. Use a Wiki as a new way to write the usual "What I did this summer" essay - students can add their own paragraph to the "class essay"
6. Let a student each day enter the notes for the class on a Wiki - this is an excellent way to reinforce what was taught and serves as a reminder for those who need it, plus students who are absent can check it to see what went on that day
The possibilities are truly endless. I'm sure you are thinking of ways you can use a Wiki right now! In subsequent posts, I will guide you through establishing a Wikispace of your own. This week, take a few moments to google "Wiki" and a particular subject matter of your choosing and see what you find. There may be some Wikis out there in cyberspace that you can utilize in your classroom without having to establish one on your own at this point. Explore and see what you find!
Now . . . back to Wikis! I am still using the reference, "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms" by Will Richardson. First of all, Richardson lists some of the concerns one more have about using Wikis in education. Of course, it is mentioned that someone could anonymously go into the class Wiki and erase content or add something inappropriate. Richardson says as must as we'd like to trust students to do the right thing, "we all know that it would only take one parent to open the Wiki and find something inappropriate to derail the project". There is a solution because most Wiki sites feature a password-protect or login system to prevent things like this from happening. Also, some teachers may feel that the open collaboration feel of a Wiki can be hard to manage, but just keep in mind that a Wiki can be used as a collaborative tool between teachers and districts rather than with students, so that might be a good way to begin using one. However, here are some ideas of how you can utilize a Wiki with a class:
1. Create an online text for your curriculum
2. Have students create their own Wiki with entries for a particular class (for example, in physics, have students post and edit entries that deal with the structure of the atom or in language arts, have students post and edit entries about a particular piece of literature they have read)
3. Use the Wiki as a space to post links to relevant Web sites and then have students respond to those sites with entries of their own
4. Establish a math Wiki so that students can add tips and tricks for math problems and computation
5. Use a Wiki as a new way to write the usual "What I did this summer" essay - students can add their own paragraph to the "class essay"
6. Let a student each day enter the notes for the class on a Wiki - this is an excellent way to reinforce what was taught and serves as a reminder for those who need it, plus students who are absent can check it to see what went on that day
The possibilities are truly endless. I'm sure you are thinking of ways you can use a Wiki right now! In subsequent posts, I will guide you through establishing a Wikispace of your own. This week, take a few moments to google "Wiki" and a particular subject matter of your choosing and see what you find. There may be some Wikis out there in cyberspace that you can utilize in your classroom without having to establish one on your own at this point. Explore and see what you find!
27 January 2011
February is Black History Month
Thinkfinity has all sorts of resources and lesson plans available for Black History Month. If you click on the link and go to the Black History Month page, you will find a link for the NAACP Interactive Timeline, some Martin Luther King teaching resources, and information on the Brown v. Board of Education court case. For those of you who are music teachers, there is a link to "Blues Journey" that takes you to the ArtsEdge audio series on the development of the blues. Another interesting link is one that takes you to a spotlight on African American scientists. Enjoy going to each of these links and find something you can use in your classroom with your students!
24 January 2011
This is so neat!
I don't know how many of you have ever heard of NBC Learn, but I had not. That is, until the latest edition of Technology & Learning was issued. I took a quick look around the site and I encourage you to do so, too, especially if you teach in the middle school or high school.
One thing I found particularly interesting, especially since it's still considered football season by most of us (yes, I know my Auburn Tigers have won the collegiate championship, but the Super Bowl has yet to be played). If you go to the site and click on the "Original Video" tab, you will see four areas - "Chemistry Now", "Finishing the Dream", "Science of the NFL", and "Science of the Winter Olympic Games". I selected "Science of the NFL" and once I clicked "Watch VIdeos", it brought me to a screen that had several videos from which to choose. I clicked on the very first one, "Newton's First Law of Motion". It was a quick cue card style video of less than 4 minutes but I learned a lot! I also found that you can click "Transcript" on the side of the video to actually see the words on the screen which makes it great for the hearing-impaired student. I also noticed that if you click the arrow at the top of the video screen, the "back" of the cue card will show. You can open and see the general information about the video, the description of the video, the keywords mentioned in the video, some extra links of interest, and even how to cite the source correctly if you use it in research. (And this includes MLA, APA and the Chicago Manual of Style citations.) In this case, the first video lesson that I chose to view had a Lesson Plan associated with it from Lessonopoly. How terrific this would be to use with a classroom of middle schoolers who might have an interest in football and teach them something about Newton's First Law of Motion at the same time!
Be sure to take a few moments this week and check this out! You won't be disappointed!
One thing I found particularly interesting, especially since it's still considered football season by most of us (yes, I know my Auburn Tigers have won the collegiate championship, but the Super Bowl has yet to be played). If you go to the site and click on the "Original Video" tab, you will see four areas - "Chemistry Now", "Finishing the Dream", "Science of the NFL", and "Science of the Winter Olympic Games". I selected "Science of the NFL" and once I clicked "Watch VIdeos", it brought me to a screen that had several videos from which to choose. I clicked on the very first one, "Newton's First Law of Motion". It was a quick cue card style video of less than 4 minutes but I learned a lot! I also found that you can click "Transcript" on the side of the video to actually see the words on the screen which makes it great for the hearing-impaired student. I also noticed that if you click the arrow at the top of the video screen, the "back" of the cue card will show. You can open and see the general information about the video, the description of the video, the keywords mentioned in the video, some extra links of interest, and even how to cite the source correctly if you use it in research. (And this includes MLA, APA and the Chicago Manual of Style citations.) In this case, the first video lesson that I chose to view had a Lesson Plan associated with it from Lessonopoly. How terrific this would be to use with a classroom of middle schoolers who might have an interest in football and teach them something about Newton's First Law of Motion at the same time!
Be sure to take a few moments this week and check this out! You won't be disappointed!
Back to a normal schedule? Almost!
The weather just hasn't been cooperating with us and today we were on a one-hour delay, but that means I can still conduct the SchoolLoop training for our middle school teachers after school today (Monday, January 24th). I'm excited about getting everyone on board and fixing, at the very least, an initial Web page. I think the teachers will be pleasantly surprised to find out how user-friendly SchoolLoop is!
My schedule the rest of this week is fairly full as well since I have more SchoolLoop trainings - one at the high school on Wednesday afternoon and one at the elementary school on Thursday afternoon. I will be out of the office on Tuesday due to some dental work being performed (No, I'm not looking forward to that, but it has to be done!) and on Friday due to the monthly regional TIS meeting in Christian County. Hopefully the week will go off without a hitch - no more illnesses and no more winter weather, please!
This week I want to return to the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson. In some of my past blogs, I discussed what a blog is and how to set up one. Now I want to give you some information on what Richardson says a Wiki is.
Richardson begins by mentioning Wikipedia, which most of us are familiar with as a place to go online to find information. Everyday new entries are being added and others are being updated and most people understand that the "pedia" part of the name refers to the term "encyclopedia". What Richardson says is that most people do not know what the "wiki" part means. The word wiki is a short form of the Hawaiian term wiki-wiki which means "quick". The first wiki was created in 1995 by Ward Cunningham. He "was looking to design an easy authoring tool that might spur people to publish." It is important to note that "a wiki is a Website where anyone can edit anything anytime they want."
With that in mind, you should be aware that makes all of us editors of a sort. A question that is often asked is about the trustworthiness of such a site. If anyone can edit the information at anytime, then how can we trust what is on there? Richardson says that the idea is "There are vastly more editors that want to make it right than those who want to make it wrong." So, how can something like Wikipedia be used in a school setting?
According to Richardson, "whether or not we like the concept of Wikipedia," . . . "we need to teach Wikipedia to our students". His reasoning is that whether we like it or not, students are turning to Wikipedia as a resource, most often first when they are researching something. Richardson notes that wikis are being used by corporations and by project teams as a way to share information and collaborate. Colleges and universities are beginning to use wikis with their students to manage documents, share resources and experiences, etc. Today, there are tens of thousands of wikis out there for just about everything imaginable. Even though Wikipedia may not be an acceptable source of information due to its origins, it does give students a place to start their research and may get them thinking about ideas they would have otherwise missed.
Richardson then asks "So, how exactly do wikis work?" He notes that every page in a wiki has some type of link to "edit". When you click on the link, you see either the code behind the page or the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor for the page. All you have to do is make changes and save. Also, the pages should have a page history section where you can see when changes were made, by whom, and what was changed. The first thing Richardson suggests for teachers to do is to spend some time checking Wikipedia's accuracy for any subject that their students might be researching. Also, make sure you teach students that Wikipedia is, in fact, "a collaboratively written research report". Another thing to consider is whether or not your students should contribute to a Wikipedia entry. As Richardson comments, "If your student produces a great research paper on global warming, why shouldn't she add what she found to the global warming entry at Wikipedia?" Richardson notes that it might be considered another opportunity for our students to contribute what they learn to a larger audience.
Check back later for more information on this blog about wikis and other ways they can be used in schools and classrooms.
My schedule the rest of this week is fairly full as well since I have more SchoolLoop trainings - one at the high school on Wednesday afternoon and one at the elementary school on Thursday afternoon. I will be out of the office on Tuesday due to some dental work being performed (No, I'm not looking forward to that, but it has to be done!) and on Friday due to the monthly regional TIS meeting in Christian County. Hopefully the week will go off without a hitch - no more illnesses and no more winter weather, please!
This week I want to return to the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson. In some of my past blogs, I discussed what a blog is and how to set up one. Now I want to give you some information on what Richardson says a Wiki is.
Richardson begins by mentioning Wikipedia, which most of us are familiar with as a place to go online to find information. Everyday new entries are being added and others are being updated and most people understand that the "pedia" part of the name refers to the term "encyclopedia". What Richardson says is that most people do not know what the "wiki" part means. The word wiki is a short form of the Hawaiian term wiki-wiki which means "quick". The first wiki was created in 1995 by Ward Cunningham. He "was looking to design an easy authoring tool that might spur people to publish." It is important to note that "a wiki is a Website where anyone can edit anything anytime they want."
With that in mind, you should be aware that makes all of us editors of a sort. A question that is often asked is about the trustworthiness of such a site. If anyone can edit the information at anytime, then how can we trust what is on there? Richardson says that the idea is "There are vastly more editors that want to make it right than those who want to make it wrong." So, how can something like Wikipedia be used in a school setting?
According to Richardson, "whether or not we like the concept of Wikipedia," . . . "we need to teach Wikipedia to our students". His reasoning is that whether we like it or not, students are turning to Wikipedia as a resource, most often first when they are researching something. Richardson notes that wikis are being used by corporations and by project teams as a way to share information and collaborate. Colleges and universities are beginning to use wikis with their students to manage documents, share resources and experiences, etc. Today, there are tens of thousands of wikis out there for just about everything imaginable. Even though Wikipedia may not be an acceptable source of information due to its origins, it does give students a place to start their research and may get them thinking about ideas they would have otherwise missed.
Richardson then asks "So, how exactly do wikis work?" He notes that every page in a wiki has some type of link to "edit". When you click on the link, you see either the code behind the page or the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor for the page. All you have to do is make changes and save. Also, the pages should have a page history section where you can see when changes were made, by whom, and what was changed. The first thing Richardson suggests for teachers to do is to spend some time checking Wikipedia's accuracy for any subject that their students might be researching. Also, make sure you teach students that Wikipedia is, in fact, "a collaboratively written research report". Another thing to consider is whether or not your students should contribute to a Wikipedia entry. As Richardson comments, "If your student produces a great research paper on global warming, why shouldn't she add what she found to the global warming entry at Wikipedia?" Richardson notes that it might be considered another opportunity for our students to contribute what they learn to a larger audience.
Check back later for more information on this blog about wikis and other ways they can be used in schools and classrooms.
20 January 2011
Once again weather alters plans . . .
This morning we were supposed to receive several inches of snow and even though that hasn't happened (yet), it has necessitated the re-scheduling of several things, including the Thinkfinity makeup/refresher session I had scheduled for the primary school. So, I wil be re-scheduling that session as soon as we get back to our normal school routine.
In the meantime, I had a little time this morning to return to some of my notes from the Tennessee Educational Technology Conference. One Web site that I want to share is "We Are Teachers". This is a wonderful resource site, especially if you are looking for answers to a particular question you might have about your students or your classroom. There is so much information contained within this site, but if I was you, I would start by clicking on the Ideas link. You can enter a keyword and then search for ideas that are shared by real teachers. Or, right below the search area, you can go to the new ideas section and look at all the entries for various categories like Math & Science or Specialized Instruction. Another good place to look for inspiration is the Community link. Today when I checked that page, there were 9 replies to a question about art projects for kindergarteners. Some of the replies gave ideas you could immediately use, while others gave links to Web sites where you can find all sorts of activities and projects.
So . . . when you need an answer to a question or ideas or just want to be inspired, take a look at "We Are Teachers".
In the meantime, I had a little time this morning to return to some of my notes from the Tennessee Educational Technology Conference. One Web site that I want to share is "We Are Teachers". This is a wonderful resource site, especially if you are looking for answers to a particular question you might have about your students or your classroom. There is so much information contained within this site, but if I was you, I would start by clicking on the Ideas link. You can enter a keyword and then search for ideas that are shared by real teachers. Or, right below the search area, you can go to the new ideas section and look at all the entries for various categories like Math & Science or Specialized Instruction. Another good place to look for inspiration is the Community link. Today when I checked that page, there were 9 replies to a question about art projects for kindergarteners. Some of the replies gave ideas you could immediately use, while others gave links to Web sites where you can find all sorts of activities and projects.
So . . . when you need an answer to a question or ideas or just want to be inspired, take a look at "We Are Teachers".
18 January 2011
What a start to this week!
It's been an interesting morning here at the central office. After being gone for a couple of days at the end of last week due to illness (I'm glad that's over) and being gone on Monday due to the holiday, I came into work this morning with the issue of Infinite Campus not working due to a state server problem. I am happy to say that has been resolved.
In looking at the remaining days of January, I am going to be a busy little bee! Here's my tentative schedule for the next few weeks:
• 18th - TRT Meeting @ CCPS @ 1530
• 20th - Thinkfinity Training (makeup/refresher session) @ CCPS @ 1500
• 21st - SchoolLoop Training @ CCPS all day
• 24th - SchoolLoop Training @ CCMS @ 1500
• 26th - SchoolLoop Training @ CCHS @ 1500
• 27th - SchoolLoop Training @ CCES @ 1500
• 28th - Regional TIS Meeting in Christian County @ 0900-1400
• 31st - Infinite Campus User Group Meeting in Paducah @ 0900-1500
I have also gone ahead and posted the two entries about blogging that I meant to post last Thursday and last Friday. Hopefully you won't be too overwhelmed reading all of these entries today! Have a great week . . .
In looking at the remaining days of January, I am going to be a busy little bee! Here's my tentative schedule for the next few weeks:
• 18th - TRT Meeting @ CCPS @ 1530
• 20th - Thinkfinity Training (makeup/refresher session) @ CCPS @ 1500
• 21st - SchoolLoop Training @ CCPS all day
• 24th - SchoolLoop Training @ CCMS @ 1500
• 26th - SchoolLoop Training @ CCHS @ 1500
• 27th - SchoolLoop Training @ CCES @ 1500
• 28th - Regional TIS Meeting in Christian County @ 0900-1400
• 31st - Infinite Campus User Group Meeting in Paducah @ 0900-1500
I have also gone ahead and posted the two entries about blogging that I meant to post last Thursday and last Friday. Hopefully you won't be too overwhelmed reading all of these entries today! Have a great week . . .
Time to get started!
All last week I posted information about blogging and now it's time to get started on your own blog. Here are some basic steps to go through to establish your blog:
• Go to Blogger (http://www.blogger.com)
• If you already have a Google account, you can go ahead and sign in; if you don't have a Google account, click the link that says "Get Started" (you will have to enter an e-mail address, choose a password and a display name, enter your birthday [for security and identification reasons], enter a word verification [to make sure you are human and not a computer] and agree to the terms of service; once all that is done, the second step will have you name your blog and the third step will have you select your template)
• Once you are signed in, your Blogger Dashboard will appear
• To begin, click the Create a Blog link
• Enter a title for your Blog
• Enter an address for your Blog (be prepared to come up with more than one option since blog addresses are unique and you have to find one that no one else has already chosen)
• Enter the word verification and click Continue
• Next, choose a starter template (this is just to get you started - you can always change it later)
• That's it! You can click the link that says "start posting now" or the button that says "START BLOGGING" and start blogging! (You can also click "customize how your blog looks" to start making changes to your Blog's appearance)
It is very simple to enter your first blog entry . . .
• Enter a title for the entry
• In the large white box, type your thoughts (blog)
• The options across the top are pretty self-explanatory -
• The two arrows are the undo and redo buttons
• The fancy "F" button is where you can select from limited fonts
• The two Ts button is where you select the size of your font
• The B, I, and U are the normal bold, italicize and underline options
• The ABC with the line through it is the strikethrough option
• The "A" is where you can select your font colors
• The highlighter icon is where you can select to highlight a particular word or words
• The underlined "Link" is where you can insert a hyperlink (or an URL or a Web address - whatever you'd like to call it) so that your readers can access another Web page quickly from your Blog
• The picture icon is where you click to enter an image
• The movie box icon is where you click to enter a video
• The broken page icon is where you can insert a jump break in your blog
• The alignment icon is where you can select either left alignment, center alignment, right alignment or fully justified
• The numbers and "dots" are both available to make numbered or bulleted lists
• From what I can tell, the quote is used like a "tab" key
• The underlined T with the x on it is in case you decide you don't like anything you've done and want to remove the formatting altogether
• The ABC checkmark, of course, is the spelling checker feature
Of course, the default method of entering a blog entry is the "Compose" feature which is basically a WYSIWYG editor (pronounced "wizzy wig" - What You See Is What You Get). If you are into HTML coding, you can always click on the "Edit HTML" tab and complete entries that way, but most of us are comfortable with the other method. (It is kind of neat, though, to look at the HTML coding of a blog entry if you are interested to see what the actual coding is.)
Once you are done, you can click the Preview button to see a sample of how your blog will appear. (It opens in another window or on another tab, so just close it when you are done.) You will notice a Save Now/Saved button at the bottom of the screen, too. Here is where you can periodically save your work as you need (by clicking the Save Now) or see that the draft has been saved (which is done periodically anyway).
When you think you are ready to publish the blog entry, just click Publish Post. You can then share the Web address (URL) of your blog with others.
There's many more options and features and don't be afraid to check out the different tabs at the top of the posting screen (the initial blog entry screen). There are options for Comments, Settings, Design, Monetize, and Stats. Explore and see what you find that enables you to fine-tune your blog. There's also a Post Options link below each blog entry screen, so don't forget to click there and see what you can utilize.
Have fun blogging! And don't forget to e-mail me the address of your blog once you get it up and running - I'm very interested in seeing what you can do and how you are using it!
• Go to Blogger (http://www.blogger.com)
• If you already have a Google account, you can go ahead and sign in; if you don't have a Google account, click the link that says "Get Started" (you will have to enter an e-mail address, choose a password and a display name, enter your birthday [for security and identification reasons], enter a word verification [to make sure you are human and not a computer] and agree to the terms of service; once all that is done, the second step will have you name your blog and the third step will have you select your template)
• Once you are signed in, your Blogger Dashboard will appear
• To begin, click the Create a Blog link
• Enter a title for your Blog
• Enter an address for your Blog (be prepared to come up with more than one option since blog addresses are unique and you have to find one that no one else has already chosen)
• Enter the word verification and click Continue
• Next, choose a starter template (this is just to get you started - you can always change it later)
• That's it! You can click the link that says "start posting now" or the button that says "START BLOGGING" and start blogging! (You can also click "customize how your blog looks" to start making changes to your Blog's appearance)
It is very simple to enter your first blog entry . . .
• Enter a title for the entry
• In the large white box, type your thoughts (blog)
• The options across the top are pretty self-explanatory -
• The two arrows are the undo and redo buttons
• The fancy "F" button is where you can select from limited fonts
• The two Ts button is where you select the size of your font
• The B, I, and U are the normal bold, italicize and underline options
• The ABC with the line through it is the strikethrough option
• The "A" is where you can select your font colors
• The highlighter icon is where you can select to highlight a particular word or words
• The underlined "Link" is where you can insert a hyperlink (or an URL or a Web address - whatever you'd like to call it) so that your readers can access another Web page quickly from your Blog
• The picture icon is where you click to enter an image
• The movie box icon is where you click to enter a video
• The broken page icon is where you can insert a jump break in your blog
• The alignment icon is where you can select either left alignment, center alignment, right alignment or fully justified
• The numbers and "dots" are both available to make numbered or bulleted lists
• From what I can tell, the quote is used like a "tab" key
• The underlined T with the x on it is in case you decide you don't like anything you've done and want to remove the formatting altogether
• The ABC checkmark, of course, is the spelling checker feature
Of course, the default method of entering a blog entry is the "Compose" feature which is basically a WYSIWYG editor (pronounced "wizzy wig" - What You See Is What You Get). If you are into HTML coding, you can always click on the "Edit HTML" tab and complete entries that way, but most of us are comfortable with the other method. (It is kind of neat, though, to look at the HTML coding of a blog entry if you are interested to see what the actual coding is.)
Once you are done, you can click the Preview button to see a sample of how your blog will appear. (It opens in another window or on another tab, so just close it when you are done.) You will notice a Save Now/Saved button at the bottom of the screen, too. Here is where you can periodically save your work as you need (by clicking the Save Now) or see that the draft has been saved (which is done periodically anyway).
When you think you are ready to publish the blog entry, just click Publish Post. You can then share the Web address (URL) of your blog with others.
There's many more options and features and don't be afraid to check out the different tabs at the top of the posting screen (the initial blog entry screen). There are options for Comments, Settings, Design, Monetize, and Stats. Explore and see what you find that enables you to fine-tune your blog. There's also a Post Options link below each blog entry screen, so don't forget to click there and see what you can utilize.
Have fun blogging! And don't forget to e-mail me the address of your blog once you get it up and running - I'm very interested in seeing what you can do and how you are using it!
I've read enough and looked at blog examples . . . I'm ready to do my own!
I'm hoping that the title for this entry is what you are saying now! If you have read my previous postings and looked at some of the sample blogs, you are definitely ready to start blogging yourself.
According to Richardson, "The true potential of blogs in schools comes when students and teachers use them as publishing tools." "Middlebury College professor Barbara Ganley, who uses Weblogs extensively in her courses, asks, 'How can a teacher erxpect her students to blog (or to use any other tool, strategy, or technique) if she doesn't use it herself, exploring the impact it has on her thinking, writing, research and creativity?" Richardson states that teachers should blog to show students that it is something of value and to model appropriate ways of doing it. Here's one more place that is suggested as a way to find award-winning blogs - http://edublogawards.com/. Look for the 2010 award winners in various categories. Some of them are quite good!
So, whenever you are ready to start your own blog, the suggestion is to start small. Create a link to something interesting on the Internet and say a little something about it. Create an entry that tells a little bit about yourself, your background in education, and what you hope to accomplish with the blog. Think about posting an assignment on your blog and then sharing that screen using your classroom computer/projector since some of your students may not have access to the Internet at home. Don't worry about collaborations or conversations at the beginning. Get used to how the blog works and what you will post and how often. Then get your students to read your entries and use your blog in the classroom. Then you can spread out to the home by letting parents/guardians know where to find your blog online.
Regardless of how you start using blogs with students, make sure that everyone is clear about your reasons for using it and the expectations you have for it. This includes making sure your administration knows what you are doing. Teach students from the very beginning how to be responsible online. Celebrate good use of blogs by your students.
The final entry this week will help you take steps to start your own blog using Blogger, although there are many other free sites that allow a blog (like Weebly). Richardson recommends Blogger because it is easy to use, is owned by Google,and you can have as many blogs through one account as you wish. Hopefuly you will take advantage of this free blogging service!
According to Richardson, "The true potential of blogs in schools comes when students and teachers use them as publishing tools." "Middlebury College professor Barbara Ganley, who uses Weblogs extensively in her courses, asks, 'How can a teacher erxpect her students to blog (or to use any other tool, strategy, or technique) if she doesn't use it herself, exploring the impact it has on her thinking, writing, research and creativity?" Richardson states that teachers should blog to show students that it is something of value and to model appropriate ways of doing it. Here's one more place that is suggested as a way to find award-winning blogs - http://edublogawards.com/. Look for the 2010 award winners in various categories. Some of them are quite good!
So, whenever you are ready to start your own blog, the suggestion is to start small. Create a link to something interesting on the Internet and say a little something about it. Create an entry that tells a little bit about yourself, your background in education, and what you hope to accomplish with the blog. Think about posting an assignment on your blog and then sharing that screen using your classroom computer/projector since some of your students may not have access to the Internet at home. Don't worry about collaborations or conversations at the beginning. Get used to how the blog works and what you will post and how often. Then get your students to read your entries and use your blog in the classroom. Then you can spread out to the home by letting parents/guardians know where to find your blog online.
Regardless of how you start using blogs with students, make sure that everyone is clear about your reasons for using it and the expectations you have for it. This includes making sure your administration knows what you are doing. Teach students from the very beginning how to be responsible online. Celebrate good use of blogs by your students.
The final entry this week will help you take steps to start your own blog using Blogger, although there are many other free sites that allow a blog (like Weebly). Richardson recommends Blogger because it is easy to use, is owned by Google,and you can have as many blogs through one account as you wish. Hopefuly you will take advantage of this free blogging service!
12 January 2011
Wonderful Science Site!
I guess I'm going to see if I can have two postings on one date. I found this terrific site through an e-mail from Thinkfinity about different winter ideas you can do with your students. I stumbled upon a link for the Exploratorium and I am so glad I checked it out! The Exploratorium is actually a museum in California, but the Web site has so much to offer.
Across the top of their home page is a menu bar. Go to "Who Are You?" and select Educators to find suggestions and links for teachers of all grade levels. If you go to "Explore" and select one of the items, you will see all sorts of things to make and to do. For example, clicking on "Human Body" brings up 23 hands-on activities, online exhibits, articles, videos, etc., all about the human body.
The other part of the site that I found most interesting was the Shop. Simply click on the "Shop" selection from the menu and all sorts of items for purchase are shown, many for ages 5 and up, so even the youngest students can find something interesting and on their age level. For example, I found a 'Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit' and a ' Make Your Own Gummies Kit', each for $12.90. I found a 'Thread Art' kit for $6.90 and a 'Silk Screen Factory' for $29.95. I also saw some Giant Microbes (cute stuffed figures) for $8.95 like the Common Cold and the Red Blood Cell. There was also a Binary Clock offered for $26.95, a Pi Ice Cube Tray for $11.95 and a Periodic Table Shower Curtain for $32.95. There are all sorts of DVDs, posters, puzzles and toys, and even magazines. Some of these are specifically made for preschool students.
This site is worth a few minutes of your time to review, even if you aren't a science teacher. If you can't find something to use with your students, you might find something to use with your own child/children. Enjoy!
Across the top of their home page is a menu bar. Go to "Who Are You?" and select Educators to find suggestions and links for teachers of all grade levels. If you go to "Explore" and select one of the items, you will see all sorts of things to make and to do. For example, clicking on "Human Body" brings up 23 hands-on activities, online exhibits, articles, videos, etc., all about the human body.
The other part of the site that I found most interesting was the Shop. Simply click on the "Shop" selection from the menu and all sorts of items for purchase are shown, many for ages 5 and up, so even the youngest students can find something interesting and on their age level. For example, I found a 'Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit' and a ' Make Your Own Gummies Kit', each for $12.90. I found a 'Thread Art' kit for $6.90 and a 'Silk Screen Factory' for $29.95. I also saw some Giant Microbes (cute stuffed figures) for $8.95 like the Common Cold and the Red Blood Cell. There was also a Binary Clock offered for $26.95, a Pi Ice Cube Tray for $11.95 and a Periodic Table Shower Curtain for $32.95. There are all sorts of DVDs, posters, puzzles and toys, and even magazines. Some of these are specifically made for preschool students.
This site is worth a few minutes of your time to review, even if you aren't a science teacher. If you can't find something to use with your students, you might find something to use with your own child/children. Enjoy!
How can I use blogs in my classroom?
Continuing the discussion on the use of blogs, today I want to focus on some ideas of how you can use a blog in your own classroom or in your school. I realize that after posting some information on blogs and what they shouldn't be (like a general listing of something), I'm going to break my own "rule" and just list some basic ideas from the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson.
Teacher blogging ideas -
• reflect on your own teaching experiences (be careful not to list student names or other personally identifying information)
• describe a specific teaching unit and ask for ideas on how to teach it
• provide teaching tips for others
• write about something another teacher taught you or shared with you
• share an idea about an activity or game that another teacher could use in their classroom to teach a particular concept
• provide a "how-to" on an area of expertise, such as how to use a certain technology with students or how to conduct a science experiment
• explore current issues and trends in education
• share what you are learning in your master's degree classes or Rank 1 classes (in Kentucky) or doctoral classes
Classroom blogging ideas -
• post class-related information like calendars, events, or assignments
• post assignments on literature readings (create a literature circle) and have students respond
• post writing prompts for students to complete on their own blogs
• provide examples of student work (be careful not to use personally identifying information)
• post photos of class activities (again, be careful about captions and including too much personal information)
• post an online reading piece for students to read and react to
• give students some Web sites to begin researching, including the link and some analysis as to why the site is appropriate for study
• create on online book club
• post tasks for project-based learning
• ask students to create their own individual blogs where they can post their own ideas, reactions and written work
• build a class newsletter using the blog
• allow students to keep an online journal blog instead of a paper and pen/pencil style journal
• use the blog to post the results of surveys taken in class
• let students create entries on current events or daily news items or issues of interest
• write a short entry using the vocabulary terms/words for the week/month
• use the blog as a way to give students whose first language is not English extra practice in reading English online; help them with their English writing skills by having them respond to what they've read
• use the blog as a feedback area for your teaching - discuss activities or assignments you did in class and ask students to comment on them, good or bad (you can learn a lot about your teaching this way)
As many of you are aware, national standards in Language Arts are being put in place and if you read through them, many are connected to student reading and writing; understanding print and nonprint texts; reading literatures from many genres; applying strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate and appreciate texts; communicating effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes; applying knowledge of language structure and media techniques; researching issues and interests; using a variety of technological and information resources; participating in literacy communities; and using spoken, writtten, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes. Of course, blogs can address many of these standards!
Here are some examples of blogs from Richardon's book that you might want to review . . .
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/
http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/
http://www.thethinkingstick.com/
http://www.21stcenturycollaborative.com/
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/
My next posting will get you started on your own blog!
Teacher blogging ideas -
• reflect on your own teaching experiences (be careful not to list student names or other personally identifying information)
• describe a specific teaching unit and ask for ideas on how to teach it
• provide teaching tips for others
• write about something another teacher taught you or shared with you
• share an idea about an activity or game that another teacher could use in their classroom to teach a particular concept
• provide a "how-to" on an area of expertise, such as how to use a certain technology with students or how to conduct a science experiment
• explore current issues and trends in education
• share what you are learning in your master's degree classes or Rank 1 classes (in Kentucky) or doctoral classes
Classroom blogging ideas -
• post class-related information like calendars, events, or assignments
• post assignments on literature readings (create a literature circle) and have students respond
• post writing prompts for students to complete on their own blogs
• provide examples of student work (be careful not to use personally identifying information)
• post photos of class activities (again, be careful about captions and including too much personal information)
• post an online reading piece for students to read and react to
• give students some Web sites to begin researching, including the link and some analysis as to why the site is appropriate for study
• create on online book club
• post tasks for project-based learning
• ask students to create their own individual blogs where they can post their own ideas, reactions and written work
• build a class newsletter using the blog
• allow students to keep an online journal blog instead of a paper and pen/pencil style journal
• use the blog to post the results of surveys taken in class
• let students create entries on current events or daily news items or issues of interest
• write a short entry using the vocabulary terms/words for the week/month
• use the blog as a way to give students whose first language is not English extra practice in reading English online; help them with their English writing skills by having them respond to what they've read
• use the blog as a feedback area for your teaching - discuss activities or assignments you did in class and ask students to comment on them, good or bad (you can learn a lot about your teaching this way)
As many of you are aware, national standards in Language Arts are being put in place and if you read through them, many are connected to student reading and writing; understanding print and nonprint texts; reading literatures from many genres; applying strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate and appreciate texts; communicating effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes; applying knowledge of language structure and media techniques; researching issues and interests; using a variety of technological and information resources; participating in literacy communities; and using spoken, writtten, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes. Of course, blogs can address many of these standards!
Here are some examples of blogs from Richardon's book that you might want to review . . .
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/
http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/
http://www.thethinkingstick.com/
http://www.21stcenturycollaborative.com/
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/
My next posting will get you started on your own blog!
11 January 2011
Continuing the discussion on Weblogs (Blogs)...
I have found such wonderful information and encouragement about the use of Weblogs, or blogs, from Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Today I want to focus on using blogs as a way of communicating internally for a school, some do's and don't's of blogging, and give you some ideas on how you can use blogs in a classroom.
Schools can utilize blogs as a way to share minutes of open meetings, have a dialogue about an issue, and share links to information. Teachers can share best practices, lesson plans, and other ideas about their classes. Principals can share information about what is happening within their school. One principal at an elementary school in Oregon has been using a blog to increase communication with parents and staff. Teachers post weekly Classroom Notes that serve as a diary of what students are doing and achieving at the school.
So how can blogs improve student learning? Why should we even consider using them in a classroom? Richardson gives us several reasons . . .
First - because the content is on the World Wide Web, it becomes a part of the wider body of knowledge; it is searchable; the potential audience is world-wide
Second - the walls of the classroom are expanded; students can connect and collaborate with others outside the classroom
Third - blogs provide for reflection and an archive of all conversations and work
Fourth - blogs support different learning styles; a blog can give a "voice" to a student who otherwise would not speak up in class; everyone can have a voice in a blog
Fifth - blogs can enhance the development of expertise in a particular subject; students can connect with experts in various fields
Sixth - blogs can teach students new technology literacies they will need for the future; it can provide a way for students to analyze and manage content, learn how to research, organize and synthesize
So what about some do's and don't's? Here's what a blog should not be:
1. Just a posting of assignments.
2. Just a personal journal - i.e. "Here's what I did today".
3. Just a list of links.
4. Just a list of links with short descriptions.
Here's what a blog should be:
1. A list of links with analysis that gets into the meaning of the content being linked.
2. A reflective writing piece - complex writing, not just simple comments.
3. Information about gaining a deeper understanding or relationship to the content being "discussed".
4. Consideration of the potential audience.
5. Extended analysis and synthesis over a long period of time that builds on previous posts, links, and/or comments.
Now . . . how should we introduce blogs to our students? We cannot expect elementary students to create entries of careful analysis and deep understanding, but we can provide them a way to find interesting and relevant pieces of information to share with each other. Richardson says we can ask them to do some basic deconstruction of Web sites and then post about what they learned and what they would like to see. Even at this early age, teachers might introduce some "experts" to interact with the students - perhaps even introducing primary sources to them. Authors, scientists, politicians, and others may be interested in communicating with the students at this stage in their education. Middle school students can become "experts" themselves at topics they care about. They can begin making constructive entries on each other's blogs and learn appropriate reader response. They can also utilize the blog to discuss whether or not Web sites are legitimate, trustworthy, and helpful. High school students can use blogs for extended study and for reflection on topics. They can use blogs as a way to share writing, such as portfolio entries, and then receive feedback from others. They could post reflections on readings in a literature class, or questions about an concept in science or math. Using blogs as a way to introduce effective and valuable writing skills is a great tool for teachers to use with their students.
Here are some examples of blog-style sites that have been used in actual classrooms:
http://apcalc07.blogspot.com/ - this is a blog from an AP Calculus class in 2007-08
http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/ - this is a blog from a biology class in the northeastern United States
http://itc.blogs.com/househighlights/ - this is an example of how a school used a blog to celebrate student success, school success, and information on events
To end today's entry, I want to share some information that Richardson gives on how to "rate" and evaluate a blog. Blogs have become sources of information, but they are just like any other source - you have to be careful of the content.
1. Try to find out as much as you can about the author of the blog. (Look for an "About" link or a "Profile" link)
2. What is the author's profession? What is their title? Where does their authority on the topic come from? Do they have college degrees or have they established themselves as an expert in another way? (Consider doing a name search in Google to see what comes up on the author)
3. Find out what kind of reputation the blogger has among peers.
4. Take a look at the "blogroll" or list of blogs that the blogger links to on their site. Are these valid and reliable as well?
5. Take the time to read through some of the older posts on the site and click the links they provide. Does the author's writing seem credible? Is there a bias? Is something being sold?
6. Look to see if anyone else has commented on the blog and what they are saying.
Students, especially younger ones, tend to stop at the first resource they find that supports their ideas, whether or not they are credible, legal, valid, or reliable. For the most part, students should be able to find out who the author is, what they do for a living, what their level of expertise is on the subject matter, and what others have said (if applicable). Going through some sample blogs with students in the early stages of teaching them about Weblogs is probably a good idea, especially before they embark on writing their own.
Want to find more blog examples to review? Technorati has a blog directory - http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/ - which not only has a "Search for a blog" section, but divides blogs into various categories.
My next post will give you some ideas of how you can utilize blogs in your classroom.
Schools can utilize blogs as a way to share minutes of open meetings, have a dialogue about an issue, and share links to information. Teachers can share best practices, lesson plans, and other ideas about their classes. Principals can share information about what is happening within their school. One principal at an elementary school in Oregon has been using a blog to increase communication with parents and staff. Teachers post weekly Classroom Notes that serve as a diary of what students are doing and achieving at the school.
So how can blogs improve student learning? Why should we even consider using them in a classroom? Richardson gives us several reasons . . .
First - because the content is on the World Wide Web, it becomes a part of the wider body of knowledge; it is searchable; the potential audience is world-wide
Second - the walls of the classroom are expanded; students can connect and collaborate with others outside the classroom
Third - blogs provide for reflection and an archive of all conversations and work
Fourth - blogs support different learning styles; a blog can give a "voice" to a student who otherwise would not speak up in class; everyone can have a voice in a blog
Fifth - blogs can enhance the development of expertise in a particular subject; students can connect with experts in various fields
Sixth - blogs can teach students new technology literacies they will need for the future; it can provide a way for students to analyze and manage content, learn how to research, organize and synthesize
So what about some do's and don't's? Here's what a blog should not be:
1. Just a posting of assignments.
2. Just a personal journal - i.e. "Here's what I did today".
3. Just a list of links.
4. Just a list of links with short descriptions.
Here's what a blog should be:
1. A list of links with analysis that gets into the meaning of the content being linked.
2. A reflective writing piece - complex writing, not just simple comments.
3. Information about gaining a deeper understanding or relationship to the content being "discussed".
4. Consideration of the potential audience.
5. Extended analysis and synthesis over a long period of time that builds on previous posts, links, and/or comments.
Now . . . how should we introduce blogs to our students? We cannot expect elementary students to create entries of careful analysis and deep understanding, but we can provide them a way to find interesting and relevant pieces of information to share with each other. Richardson says we can ask them to do some basic deconstruction of Web sites and then post about what they learned and what they would like to see. Even at this early age, teachers might introduce some "experts" to interact with the students - perhaps even introducing primary sources to them. Authors, scientists, politicians, and others may be interested in communicating with the students at this stage in their education. Middle school students can become "experts" themselves at topics they care about. They can begin making constructive entries on each other's blogs and learn appropriate reader response. They can also utilize the blog to discuss whether or not Web sites are legitimate, trustworthy, and helpful. High school students can use blogs for extended study and for reflection on topics. They can use blogs as a way to share writing, such as portfolio entries, and then receive feedback from others. They could post reflections on readings in a literature class, or questions about an concept in science or math. Using blogs as a way to introduce effective and valuable writing skills is a great tool for teachers to use with their students.
Here are some examples of blog-style sites that have been used in actual classrooms:
http://apcalc07.blogspot.com/ - this is a blog from an AP Calculus class in 2007-08
http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/ - this is a blog from a biology class in the northeastern United States
http://itc.blogs.com/househighlights/ - this is an example of how a school used a blog to celebrate student success, school success, and information on events
To end today's entry, I want to share some information that Richardson gives on how to "rate" and evaluate a blog. Blogs have become sources of information, but they are just like any other source - you have to be careful of the content.
1. Try to find out as much as you can about the author of the blog. (Look for an "About" link or a "Profile" link)
2. What is the author's profession? What is their title? Where does their authority on the topic come from? Do they have college degrees or have they established themselves as an expert in another way? (Consider doing a name search in Google to see what comes up on the author)
3. Find out what kind of reputation the blogger has among peers.
4. Take a look at the "blogroll" or list of blogs that the blogger links to on their site. Are these valid and reliable as well?
5. Take the time to read through some of the older posts on the site and click the links they provide. Does the author's writing seem credible? Is there a bias? Is something being sold?
6. Look to see if anyone else has commented on the blog and what they are saying.
Students, especially younger ones, tend to stop at the first resource they find that supports their ideas, whether or not they are credible, legal, valid, or reliable. For the most part, students should be able to find out who the author is, what they do for a living, what their level of expertise is on the subject matter, and what others have said (if applicable). Going through some sample blogs with students in the early stages of teaching them about Weblogs is probably a good idea, especially before they embark on writing their own.
Want to find more blog examples to review? Technorati has a blog directory - http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/ - which not only has a "Search for a blog" section, but divides blogs into various categories.
My next post will give you some ideas of how you can utilize blogs in your classroom.
10 January 2011
Weblogs
Going back to the book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson, I want to share information from the 2nd Chapter entitled "Weblogs: Pedagogy and Practice". The author notes that back in 2001, there was only a handful of community blogs available for use by the average person. Even though most of them were undistinguished looking, Richardson states that he will never forget the first time he posted his opinion and someone responded. "There was something really powerful about easily being able to share resources and ideas with a Web audience that was willing to share back what they thought about those ideas." Richardson continues just that ability to collaborate and communicate is what he finds so powerful about Weblogs today.
So, what is a Weblog? A Weblog is an easily created, easily updateable Website that allows an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet. The earliest blogs were literally "Web logs" or lists of sites that the author had visited and wanted to share. Most blogs at that time required the user to know HTML coding and particular file servers. Today, blogging doesn't require any knowledge of coding nor do you have to have a separate file server. It takes about as much skills as sending an e-mail.
One of the examples given in Chapter 2 is David Jakes' "The Strength of Weak Ties" blog (http://tinyurl.com/2blpvl). The two entries that I read this morning were on portable whiteboards and a rubric for assessing the use of Twitter. Jakes is an Instructional Technology Coordinator for a district and many of his blog entries are on new technologies and current trends, so check it out!
I believe the focus of the chapter is to encourage schools and teachers to utilize blog as a method of communication with students. Richardson states "One trend that shows no sign of stopping is the movement of curriculum to a digital, online environment." He goes on to give an example of establishing a blog for his journalism class. There he included his course curriculum, syllabus, class rules, homework assignments, rubrics, handouts and presentations. He said he was amazed at how frequently the students checked the blog and at how much time he saved not having to find copies of things that he had already given to the students. He also said it was a way for parents/guardians to keep up with their student's assignments and class information. He goes on to say that students who utilize a blog for all their work, including reflections, can eventually become a comprehensive history of their work and learning that is searchable and shareable.
One idea that Richardson used with his junior and senior students was the reading of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. His school had adopted the book into the curriculum just nine months after its release and so he used a blog and had his students create an online reader's guide to teh book. In the process, he contacted the author and she agreed to follow the blog and respond to questions the students had about the book. Since that time, their district students have collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, elementary school students in other states, high school students in other countries, etc., etc., etc.
In the interest of making my own blog entries short and to the point, I am going to stop here and plan to post other entries from this chapter at another time. Next, I will cover using Weblogs as a school-wide effort, some do's and don't's about blogging, and give you some ideas of how you can use blogs in your classes and with your students.
So, what is a Weblog? A Weblog is an easily created, easily updateable Website that allows an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet. The earliest blogs were literally "Web logs" or lists of sites that the author had visited and wanted to share. Most blogs at that time required the user to know HTML coding and particular file servers. Today, blogging doesn't require any knowledge of coding nor do you have to have a separate file server. It takes about as much skills as sending an e-mail.
One of the examples given in Chapter 2 is David Jakes' "The Strength of Weak Ties" blog (http://tinyurl.com/2blpvl). The two entries that I read this morning were on portable whiteboards and a rubric for assessing the use of Twitter. Jakes is an Instructional Technology Coordinator for a district and many of his blog entries are on new technologies and current trends, so check it out!
I believe the focus of the chapter is to encourage schools and teachers to utilize blog as a method of communication with students. Richardson states "One trend that shows no sign of stopping is the movement of curriculum to a digital, online environment." He goes on to give an example of establishing a blog for his journalism class. There he included his course curriculum, syllabus, class rules, homework assignments, rubrics, handouts and presentations. He said he was amazed at how frequently the students checked the blog and at how much time he saved not having to find copies of things that he had already given to the students. He also said it was a way for parents/guardians to keep up with their student's assignments and class information. He goes on to say that students who utilize a blog for all their work, including reflections, can eventually become a comprehensive history of their work and learning that is searchable and shareable.
One idea that Richardson used with his junior and senior students was the reading of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. His school had adopted the book into the curriculum just nine months after its release and so he used a blog and had his students create an online reader's guide to teh book. In the process, he contacted the author and she agreed to follow the blog and respond to questions the students had about the book. Since that time, their district students have collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, elementary school students in other states, high school students in other countries, etc., etc., etc.
In the interest of making my own blog entries short and to the point, I am going to stop here and plan to post other entries from this chapter at another time. Next, I will cover using Weblogs as a school-wide effort, some do's and don't's about blogging, and give you some ideas of how you can use blogs in your classes and with your students.
06 January 2011
Another one to try!
Apparently I'm going to find enough to share this week so that I need to create a daily post! Today's entry is about Board800. This site is a very quick application that allows you to draw, include text, work with an image, etc. on a small whiteboard screen. You can then save the work to use later as a .png file (or a .jpg file). It's quick and easy, so try it out!
• Go to Board800
• Click Start Drawing
• Click Create new session
• Use the tools on the left to create your text, etc. on the right (on the white screen)
• When you are done, click Save Image
• Change the name to something you'll remember (if you want a .jpg file, make sure you put .jpg at the end of the name, i.e. tigers.jpg)
• Save it wherever you need to you can access and use it later
That's all there is to it!
Here is a sample of a quick image I made with a few seconds of effort:
• Go to Board800
• Click Start Drawing
• Click Create new session
• Use the tools on the left to create your text, etc. on the right (on the white screen)
• When you are done, click Save Image
• Change the name to something you'll remember (if you want a .jpg file, make sure you put .jpg at the end of the name, i.e. tigers.jpg)
• Save it wherever you need to you can access and use it later
That's all there is to it!
Here is a sample of a quick image I made with a few seconds of effort:
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