This week feels like a wrap up to me. I have completed such a large mass of work within the last two weeks that either I am a) completely ripped to shreds or b) one step closer to being prepared enough to say I deserve a Masters degree in LIS. Somehow, I feel like it is a bit of both. In this week's blog I wanted to correlate my real life experiences as of late to some of the readings we were asked to read and presentations that I watched from the online conference.
Last week I directed a storytelling activity for students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. They were excited to see me and a bit apprehensive to trust me with their attention. Along with telling them a story about a family's Thanksgiving traditions gone wrong, I guided them through making origami pilgrim boats and turkeys. It was very difficult, but I felt like they really enjoyed both the story and the paper folding activity. I have a personal view about student ownership in learning. When children are able to lend a hand in their learning process, be it an arts and crafts activity, discussion, blog, wiki board, or group presentation, the opportunity for the individual within each of them to come out is heightened. Rodd Lucier, one of the K-12 speakers told a story in one video take about guiding students through a learning experience by reminding them that they all have something to offer the world, almost like a super power. What a great way to address students; making them feel like they have a special addition for the world around them, something that will last. It is all about finding it, and that might be the hard part.
In simply folding origami squares these students were making mistakes, which I assured them might happen and that we would be able to persevere through them. One student crumbled his paper up and just as I was about to give him a new one, one of the other students next to him said, "Here, take mine, we can finish it together." I was amazed and surprised, but in a good way. They even managed to take the incorrectly folded paper and make it into a turkey. I wanted to point out to them that it was okay if the folds were not done correctly, because not all boats or animals are perfectly constructed and obtain perfect symmetry. It appeared that by the end of the activity that the students gained an understanding for this, and trudged through the instructions until they got the result they wanted. I believe they felt like they owned their project.
Another experience I had was on Tuesday of this week. I visited Cleveland Hill High School library to speak to their LMS about special needs accommodations. At first she was unclear if the school even had any, so she asked the schools technical specialist to come and talk with us. The specialist completely amazed me. Her extensive knowledge of technology and correlating it to UDL specifications, assistive devices, and learning styles was phenomenal. The school just acquired iPads, which have not yet been released for student use. The specialist described the many different options that students (both with and without disabilities) had while using the software. The article we were given to read this week about iPads applications fell in line with this. It is amazing to see just how many choices we have for our students. People automatically associate Apple products with entertainment. iPads are a clear example of just how much more these devices can do within the realm of technology and education.
So where does this leave us? Richardson spoke about the benefits of technology within his book all semester, but one quote this week struck me:
"If we fail to graduate students who are not able to create, sustain, and participate in these networks in safe, ethical, and effective ways, we've done them a disservice." (Richardson, 149)
His statement is a broad one about technology in education, yes, but it goes leagues beyond what it means at face value. We as information professionals have a duty to bring these advancements soundly into education. It will take so much hard work, and it will be scary to mold our educators into the proper models. Regardless of the downsides, it is possible and if done correctly will forever change the face of education forevermore.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Week 13...Thanksgiving in the Sandbox
So I was not entirely sure whether or not we were required to blog this week, so as a means of quelling my anxiety I have decided to do so. I was very interested in what Maiers had to say in her podcast/video/message. I found that it was a very intuitive approach to learning and teaching, especially in a simultaneous way.
What is so amazing is that her platform is so basic:
Sharing is caring – find success
Needless to say, I am very excited to see what the rest of the e-conference has to hold.
What is so amazing is that her platform is so basic:
Sharing is caring – find success
Being messy is okay – befriend it, get dirty, gain freedom, lose yourself
Imagination is a great and essential piece of the puzzle – dream big
Sand is for filling buckets, never for throwing – never throw sand at someone because it hurts them and wastes integral play time
Hugs help – simple acts of kindness and a loving relationship is the best
Take it to the community – prepare for problems to arise, and then turn to the community for help if necessary (such as friends and strangers)
ONE JOB, BE REMARKABLE, NOTHING LESS
You are the master of your fate, and the keeper of your soul
Play is the work – honor the tools, rules, and one another
YOU MATTER
I can just see Moses with the two tablets that hold the Ten Commandments. It seems so simple, almost to the point of making me ask, "Why didn't I think of this myself?"
Needless to say, I am very excited to see what the rest of the e-conference has to hold.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Week 12 (more like me being weak during the 12th week of the semester)
Alright so this week I wanted to try something a bit different. After reading about podcasts and their relevance into the education world (especially in regards to Library 2.0) I decided to make my own. In testing the waters I found myself actually a bit excited. The podcast is a little over 3 minutes long and only touches upon what the rest of the blog post has to offer.
After reading both the Jowitt and the Gardner articles I believe that they some how go hand in hand with each other. Essentially, both deal with the positives and negatives of podcasts, and how they are so simple to make and to listen to. As I mentioned in my podcast, some people (educators, students, parents, etc.) might shy away from either listening or recording them. Take me for example. The first Ipod that I bought (over five years ago) was the first time I ever even saw the word podcast. What did I do with my Ipod menu? Deleted the 'Podcasts' heading from the selections. I did not have any use for that kind of stuff; all I wanted was an MP3 player that had a screen that I could see while I was mowing lawns at the Cheektowaga Sewer Department Pump Plant #5. Now, three Ipods later I still do not utilize podcasts...well up until now.
Jenny was a great example of a typical student (well, the typical student that tries to actually complete her work and put in a solid effort). I think we all know too well what undergraduates are really doing on the weekends, making them have to catch up as fast as humanly possible as soon as Monday comes around. I digress from this little quip.
'Jenny' demonstrates the practicality of podcasts in the education sphere. The advantages are numerous and hit on numerous points that I will go into further.
(Jowitt, A. L. “Creating Communities With Podcasting”. Computers in Libraries v. 28 no. 4 (April 2008) p. 56)
Like your favorite Bee Gees song or Cyndi Lauper track, these podcasts are available to be listened upon syncing them up to your mp3 player. You can listen to them whenever you want, how many times you want, you can rewind and fast forward the track, take them anywhere with you (like to that dinner at your weird Aunt and Uncle's house during Thanksgiving break), and perform other activities while you're listening (such as walking or driving).
People love to talk, and some people like to listen. However, others might have a difficulty going forward with this approach to learning. There is not a problem with that, though. Everyone learns differently and that is what makes every person an individual.
On to another topic.
Richardson talked about Facebook and Ning in the chapter we read this week. I have been a Facebook user since forever. 2005 I believe, August when I first enrolled at Buffalo State College. That is when Facebook necessitated that it's users have a valid school email address in order to sign up. Oh those were the days. I do agree with Richardson, at least a heaping majority of his points. On page 134 he stated:
"Whatever the challenges that prevent us from making social networking a part of our curriculum, they should not stop us from being able to talk about Facebook or to share or model our own experiences there in appropriate ways so kids at an early age have some context for what the expectations and roles are that await them there."
I like the way Facebook is spoken about like it is the other.
It's almost like that movie Fight Club except its this:
The other should probably be thought of as more than that. People of all ages, demographics, and generations connect on this thing. Therefore, is it really not worth looking at to see if their are educational benefits from it. That would be a terrible assessment of the social networking tool. Although some might equate it to 'Separation of Church and State' but in this case separating a student's social life and his or her education. Mixing the two could be a vile mess. However, putting them together could concoct a solid rock of educational value.
As my sign off I post this link, which I will also be posting to Diigo.
http://mashable.com/2011/04/26/facebook-for-schools/
After reading both the Jowitt and the Gardner articles I believe that they some how go hand in hand with each other. Essentially, both deal with the positives and negatives of podcasts, and how they are so simple to make and to listen to. As I mentioned in my podcast, some people (educators, students, parents, etc.) might shy away from either listening or recording them. Take me for example. The first Ipod that I bought (over five years ago) was the first time I ever even saw the word podcast. What did I do with my Ipod menu? Deleted the 'Podcasts' heading from the selections. I did not have any use for that kind of stuff; all I wanted was an MP3 player that had a screen that I could see while I was mowing lawns at the Cheektowaga Sewer Department Pump Plant #5. Now, three Ipods later I still do not utilize podcasts...well up until now.
Jenny was a great example of a typical student (well, the typical student that tries to actually complete her work and put in a solid effort). I think we all know too well what undergraduates are really doing on the weekends, making them have to catch up as fast as humanly possible as soon as Monday comes around. I digress from this little quip.
'Jenny' demonstrates the practicality of podcasts in the education sphere. The advantages are numerous and hit on numerous points that I will go into further.
(Jowitt, A. L. “Creating Communities With Podcasting”. Computers in Libraries v. 28 no. 4 (April 2008) p. 56)
Like your favorite Bee Gees song or Cyndi Lauper track, these podcasts are available to be listened upon syncing them up to your mp3 player. You can listen to them whenever you want, how many times you want, you can rewind and fast forward the track, take them anywhere with you (like to that dinner at your weird Aunt and Uncle's house during Thanksgiving break), and perform other activities while you're listening (such as walking or driving).
People love to talk, and some people like to listen. However, others might have a difficulty going forward with this approach to learning. There is not a problem with that, though. Everyone learns differently and that is what makes every person an individual.
On to another topic.
Richardson talked about Facebook and Ning in the chapter we read this week. I have been a Facebook user since forever. 2005 I believe, August when I first enrolled at Buffalo State College. That is when Facebook necessitated that it's users have a valid school email address in order to sign up. Oh those were the days. I do agree with Richardson, at least a heaping majority of his points. On page 134 he stated:
"Whatever the challenges that prevent us from making social networking a part of our curriculum, they should not stop us from being able to talk about Facebook or to share or model our own experiences there in appropriate ways so kids at an early age have some context for what the expectations and roles are that await them there."
I like the way Facebook is spoken about like it is the other.
It's almost like that movie Fight Club except its this:
The other should probably be thought of as more than that. People of all ages, demographics, and generations connect on this thing. Therefore, is it really not worth looking at to see if their are educational benefits from it. That would be a terrible assessment of the social networking tool. Although some might equate it to 'Separation of Church and State' but in this case separating a student's social life and his or her education. Mixing the two could be a vile mess. However, putting them together could concoct a solid rock of educational value.
As my sign off I post this link, which I will also be posting to Diigo.
http://mashable.com/2011/04/26/facebook-for-schools/
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Week 11? Already...talking about Google in the Classroom
This week the majority of our readings had to do with Google Applications and their application to education and the classroom. I have to say first and foremost that Google is absolutely wonderful for providing the services and simplification that it has for internet users. The world wide community has forevermore been altered because of it.
In our time line of WWW advancements (at least to my recollection) this is what revolutionized my online experience:
AOL Instant messenger -
Welcome to my eighth grade year in middle school up until well into my undergrad. This simple little application helped aid in communication efforts between my band mates, friends, girl friends, colleagues, and the like. Even when I lived in the same house as my brother we would exchange 'IMs' when we were both home or used it as a file exchange program. How convenient! People still use it, but personally for me its fallen out of favor. I suppose that we can say AIM was helpful for its contributions to communication.
Myspace, and Then Facebook -
Well Myspace was great for a second. I cannot say that anything beneficial came for me on the website. I ranted and raved on my own personal blog and then also used my flashy HTML skills to create a great page. Naturally, my band had posted up our songs (http://www.myspace.com/andmanymoreska). I met quite a few people in person after becoming 'friends' with them on Myspace. I cannot say the same for its counterpart, the Facebook.
We are all addicted, well, most people are. I haven't met anyone on Facebook that I became friends with, but that's because it is different. It had an aim to reconnect long lost friends, provide interaction and communication for real life friends, colleagues, and such. It has successfully done so, combining several features that include file sharing, groups (which are similar to wikis), notes (which are similar to blogs), statuses (which are similar to twitter), photos (which is similar to Flickr, Photobucket, etc.) and videos (Youtube?)
And now, enter Google.
The three online sites/applications/public venues that I have addressed pale in comparison to Google. When I first used Google I employed it as a lyric searching website. I was told that it was more reliable than Askjeeves.com or Yahoo. This was in the year 2000. Over a decade later Google has universally changed the foundation of our information systems on the internet. It has combined communication, video, travel, web searching, and most importantly INFORMATION!
While reading the articles this week I was put in a strange place though. I have used Google Earth before but have never really jumped on the bandwagon. According to Segerstrom, "Google Earth brings information alive for students of all ages and actively excites them about learning" (Google Earth and Beyond: Explore, Discover, and Create, p. 2). That really is something great. If we think about it, information can be hard to access and even more difficult to locate. Google puts all of this grand mass of information together for the public in a way that provide educational tools for students. This goes beyond Google Docs, Google Scholar, and Google Reader.
Now I have firmly stated that I am a proponent of Google in the classroom; however, I am not entirely convinced that it is all that practical when it comes to being used as educational lessons. My example is the following. In the Crane article many different exercises are described that can integrate Google Earth with every school subject you can think of. Of course it would be awesome to track Magellan's exploratory voyages, or perhaps even talk about the settings in a fictional novel and then "fly" from place to place, but we have to take into consideration many different factors. Teacher's in New York state public schools have Regents requirements to fill. Many of these activities sound GREAT in theory and would possibly be just as great in practice, yet in fulfilling the necessary requirements it may be far fetched to assume that classroom teachers would be able to integrate Google Earth into their plans so readily. There are incessant pressures being felt all over, so there is no room for this kind of education practice.
In the same Crane article she describes technology goals for students to follow as per introduced by the International Society of Technology Educators (ISTE). They included creativity in thinking, developing and constructing knowledge while using technology, supporting individual learning and contributing to the learning of others, providing access to information, and my personal favorite employing critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research. (Google in the Classroom - More than Just Research, p. 16). I am beginning to wonder whether or not these goals conflict with the problems of reality?
Now I am not implying that I think Google Earth or any other Google application is useless or extraneous. I wholeheartedly believe that there is a place for everything in something specific. In this case, Google Earth might be able to create diverse educational lessons that are engaging, but turning to them for filling our student's educational requirements might be a little far off, at least for now.
In our time line of WWW advancements (at least to my recollection) this is what revolutionized my online experience:
AOL Instant messenger -
Welcome to my eighth grade year in middle school up until well into my undergrad. This simple little application helped aid in communication efforts between my band mates, friends, girl friends, colleagues, and the like. Even when I lived in the same house as my brother we would exchange 'IMs' when we were both home or used it as a file exchange program. How convenient! People still use it, but personally for me its fallen out of favor. I suppose that we can say AIM was helpful for its contributions to communication.Myspace, and Then Facebook -
Well Myspace was great for a second. I cannot say that anything beneficial came for me on the website. I ranted and raved on my own personal blog and then also used my flashy HTML skills to create a great page. Naturally, my band had posted up our songs (http://www.myspace.com/andmanymoreska). I met quite a few people in person after becoming 'friends' with them on Myspace. I cannot say the same for its counterpart, the Facebook.
We are all addicted, well, most people are. I haven't met anyone on Facebook that I became friends with, but that's because it is different. It had an aim to reconnect long lost friends, provide interaction and communication for real life friends, colleagues, and such. It has successfully done so, combining several features that include file sharing, groups (which are similar to wikis), notes (which are similar to blogs), statuses (which are similar to twitter), photos (which is similar to Flickr, Photobucket, etc.) and videos (Youtube?)
And now, enter Google.
The three online sites/applications/public venues that I have addressed pale in comparison to Google. When I first used Google I employed it as a lyric searching website. I was told that it was more reliable than Askjeeves.com or Yahoo. This was in the year 2000. Over a decade later Google has universally changed the foundation of our information systems on the internet. It has combined communication, video, travel, web searching, and most importantly INFORMATION!
While reading the articles this week I was put in a strange place though. I have used Google Earth before but have never really jumped on the bandwagon. According to Segerstrom, "Google Earth brings information alive for students of all ages and actively excites them about learning" (Google Earth and Beyond: Explore, Discover, and Create, p. 2). That really is something great. If we think about it, information can be hard to access and even more difficult to locate. Google puts all of this grand mass of information together for the public in a way that provide educational tools for students. This goes beyond Google Docs, Google Scholar, and Google Reader.
Now I have firmly stated that I am a proponent of Google in the classroom; however, I am not entirely convinced that it is all that practical when it comes to being used as educational lessons. My example is the following. In the Crane article many different exercises are described that can integrate Google Earth with every school subject you can think of. Of course it would be awesome to track Magellan's exploratory voyages, or perhaps even talk about the settings in a fictional novel and then "fly" from place to place, but we have to take into consideration many different factors. Teacher's in New York state public schools have Regents requirements to fill. Many of these activities sound GREAT in theory and would possibly be just as great in practice, yet in fulfilling the necessary requirements it may be far fetched to assume that classroom teachers would be able to integrate Google Earth into their plans so readily. There are incessant pressures being felt all over, so there is no room for this kind of education practice.
In the same Crane article she describes technology goals for students to follow as per introduced by the International Society of Technology Educators (ISTE). They included creativity in thinking, developing and constructing knowledge while using technology, supporting individual learning and contributing to the learning of others, providing access to information, and my personal favorite employing critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research. (Google in the Classroom - More than Just Research, p. 16). I am beginning to wonder whether or not these goals conflict with the problems of reality?
Now I am not implying that I think Google Earth or any other Google application is useless or extraneous. I wholeheartedly believe that there is a place for everything in something specific. In this case, Google Earth might be able to create diverse educational lessons that are engaging, but turning to them for filling our student's educational requirements might be a little far off, at least for now.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Week 10: Professional Development and Blogs
(http://janetbarclay.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/925147_linked_hands.jpg)This week we our readings dove further into social connections through the internet. The main focus of the Richardson chapters were on the Social Web & Flickr, two large and important pieces of the puzzle that make up students, educators, and everyday internet user's lives when it comes to networking.
As already stated probably 1,000 times so far this semester, the term 'social web' seems to invoke one main point; collaboration. We have talked about collaborative efforts of parents, teachers, and students when we have discussed C3 education, among other things. As far as collaboration goes I think that it is integral that we understand the positive parts of the internet and networking that we may overlook on a daily basis.
Richardson states in Chapter 6, "The social Web says that we have many friends out there just waiting to be found and connected to, and those friends have other friends (friends of a friend or "FOAF") who can just as easily connect with us and point us to new and interesting information or learning." (Richardson, 85) This FOAF thing might be seem a little shady or creepy at first but if we take a step back and think about it, is not this the way we network in our physical and social lives? I will discuss a personal example of this. I was hired at the Olive Garden a little over five years ago. At the time I was interested in forming a new musical project with one of my best friends that I had already been in a band with for some 5 years. We were looking for a bassist and a guitarist, perhaps even a keyboard player. The first position we decided to look into was the keyboard player, as a FOAF that I had known had talked about jamming around one day together. I found his contact information and he was in. Next, I recalled that some high school kid was pestering me via Myspace about playing bass in our original project. I found his contact information and we met up; he was also in. At this point we had four people ready to jam around. Quickly, we realized that this "kid who was pestering me" was a guitar genius, something that would have been overlooked if we never would have met. Lastly, a guy about my age had just been hired at the Olive Garden a little after me and looked like a musically inclined guy. Turns out he played guitar too. Within a month we were jamming around with each other. Four years later, the guitarists are two of my best friends, I haven't seen the keyboard player in close to two years, and my original best friend and I see each other every so often.
(http://www.loti.com/band2t.gif)
So back to the social web being a collaborative effort. An abundance of people my age, as well as our parents, have found a home on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and more. Some only play game applications such as 'Farmville' or 'Words With Friends' but some exchange information. We cannot slight people for just playing games or entertaining themselves via the social web. All of the parties involved are essentially collaborating for the greater good. Some may use wiki tools on Facebook without even realizing it to set up a Book Club or coordinate an event without even physically picking up the telephone or meeting in person. As far as schools are concerned we employ the use of a wiki for our class discussions and overall information hub for LIS 568 (and thank God, because UBlearns is a downer). I know that personally I have discovered just how much a person can learn from an experience like the one that we all share in using our wiki in particular. At this point, Richardson seems like the guru of all these utilities. One quote will resound over and Over and OVER in my head:
"Learning is a continuous conversation among many participants." (Richardson, 86)
The amazing part is that people seem to forget about that little tidbit of information; THEY ARE LEARNING.
Ruth Reynard spoke of common mistakes that educators make while utilizing blogs with students (and how to avoid them) within another one of our readings this week. Under her heading that stated Unclear Learning Outcomes she referred to the beneficial parts of blogs such as being able to invoke analytical behavior among students, foster a synthesis of ideas, and of course apply these pieces to a greater assignment that several people will be able to see. Who doesn't want there good work on display every so often? Blogs make this happen. As long as the class and assignment expectations are clearly stated everyone has the opportunity to stay ahead of the 8-ball and be in a prime position to collaborate effectively.
I am posting a link to a website that describes over one hundred different positive aspects of using social media in business.
http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/branding/how-to-use-social-media-in-business
In sum, what we should embrace, as our predecessors like Richardson have done and urge us to do, is to collaborative learn, as the experience might be something that we do not expect. The grandeur of it all is overshadowed by what we do not know already. The social web is here to stay and will inevitably change the way that we go about our lives, including how we teach, learn, communicate, and most certainly coexist.
(I also suggest this link to a 2009 article about the future of the social web. It may be directed towards businesses but the following seemed fairly interesting and relevant. The article and image are both copyrighted, as they are not my own work obviously.)
http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/27/future-of-the-social-web/
The Five Eras of the Social Web:
1) Era of Social Relationships: People connect to others and share
2) Era of Social Functionality: Social networks become like operating system
3) Era of Social Colonization: Every experience can now be social
4) Era of Social Context: Personalized and accurate content
5) Era of Social Commerce: Communities define future products and services
Update: CRM Magazine has more about the five eras, focus in on the graphic.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Week 9: Fun with Wikis and Technology in the Classroom OR the Evils of Powerpoint
This week we read about the many educational benefits of internet technologies such as wikis and (once again) blogs in the class room. I wanted to begin this post talking about how important I believe that being well versed in computers is, especially for younger students. Growing up I went through the different stages of advances and development in school, such as moving from old Apple computers to Microsoft Windows 95 OS PCs. We were taught in our library class how to do all of the basics with a computer; turn it on, turn it off, type, print, etc. That was pretty much the extent of it. Eventually in middle school 'Computer Skills' became part of our exploratory studies in the curriculum. I wish that I could recite anything that we did, but as far as I can remember my class sat at computers learning how to type correctly (DON'T YOU DARE FORGET THE HOME ROW). Around this time Microsoft Powerpoint revolutionized our class lectures and lesson plans. I believe that the class also dabbled into Microsoft Office Suite products. It was not until Sophomore year of high school that the curriculum stressed a need for computer literacy skills, well more or less a proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PPT, and such. If you wanted to know any more about anything then you would have to venture into that world yourself (kind of like how I did). I did not take any other course regarding computers and technology until my Senior year, using the school's highly coveted, chaste Mac desktops to learn Adobe Photoshop. Needless to say, all the while I felt that I knew how to use a computer more proficiently than all of the staff (including the SLMS).
Should this have happened, perhaps? Answer, maybe 'YES' back then, because there was less stress on computers for educational guidance and groundwork. But now, should this be the case? Answer, an almost positive yet shaky 'NO.'
If we listen to all that Richardson has to say, and he really love love LOVES technology in the classroom, we can learn a thing or two hidden amongst his ultimate profession. This week in reading chapter 5 about RSS feeds and readers, he challenges reading literacy and quality, and of course, how it is beefed up if one were to employ RSS skills. He states, "Reading literacy can no longer be how well students can decipher text on a page or screen. We have to begin to prepare them for this much more complex world." (Richardson, 77) This is only one aspect of information literacy, if we dare to call it that. If RSS feeds are in the mix than I suggest we can.
So on one end we have this educator who loves tech in the classroom and then we have Mr. Marc Isseks who abhors Microsoft Powerpoint. I wonder if he also hates bike riding, writing in cursive, and personal hygiene? I mean, all of the above seemed to be important to me growing up, and to students nowadays PPT is utilized on so many levels. There are countless derivatives of the software as well. Knowing one's way around PPT seemed like a logical strength. Isseks offered the following opinion (regarding the general concept of teachers and educators utilizing PPT in class presentations):
Instead of offering some visual or image this week instead I will provide a link to an interesting blog about school libraries and implementing technology. Perhaps we can add this to our RSS feeds?
http://schoolof.info/infomancy/?p=129
Should this have happened, perhaps? Answer, maybe 'YES' back then, because there was less stress on computers for educational guidance and groundwork. But now, should this be the case? Answer, an almost positive yet shaky 'NO.'
If we listen to all that Richardson has to say, and he really love love LOVES technology in the classroom, we can learn a thing or two hidden amongst his ultimate profession. This week in reading chapter 5 about RSS feeds and readers, he challenges reading literacy and quality, and of course, how it is beefed up if one were to employ RSS skills. He states, "Reading literacy can no longer be how well students can decipher text on a page or screen. We have to begin to prepare them for this much more complex world." (Richardson, 77) This is only one aspect of information literacy, if we dare to call it that. If RSS feeds are in the mix than I suggest we can.
So on one end we have this educator who loves tech in the classroom and then we have Mr. Marc Isseks who abhors Microsoft Powerpoint. I wonder if he also hates bike riding, writing in cursive, and personal hygiene? I mean, all of the above seemed to be important to me growing up, and to students nowadays PPT is utilized on so many levels. There are countless derivatives of the software as well. Knowing one's way around PPT seemed like a logical strength. Isseks offered the following opinion (regarding the general concept of teachers and educators utilizing PPT in class presentations):
“Faced with that visual cue, only the bravest or brightest students will challenge the rigidity of the presentation. Thus, facts travel from the teacher, to the PowerPoint slide, to the students’ notes with little or no opportunity for discussion, analysis, or evaluation.” (Isseks, 2)
Now, being objective we cannot dismiss his opinions. Of course there are a plethora of teachers, college professors, and the like that use Powerpoint as a crutch, uploading a superb bulk of information to 50+ slides, ciphering through them like a madman in a time crunch. (I.e. American History 1 in my undergrad) But then there are educators that do invoke questioning, such as Dr. Nesset's PPT presentations, offering discussion cliffhangers every 5 slides or so. And the notes are so much more important than the slides. They serve as a framework to work within, almost to stay on track to ensure that the lesson falls within these visible lines. I suppose it really just depends on the person teaching, right?
http://www.durandus.com/phaedrus/2006/09/why-powerpoint-is-evil/
^ The above website (which I also uploaded to Diigo this week) contains an article that details the positive and negatives of utilizing Powerpoint in the class room. It is fairly interesting to see just how similar the arguments are between the Isseks article and this one; contrasting though is that the latter article provides five rules if one were to actually utilize PPT for a presentation. Here they are in an abridged form.
First Rule: No more than five ideas in the talk. Arrange them from least to most important.
Second Rule: No more than five lines per slide. No more than seven words per line...You want the slide to be a visual placeholder — a kind of visible re-inforcement/organizer for your message. If it becomes your message, then you don’t need to be there.
Third Rule: Avoid background images. Putting graphics behind text makes the text hard to read by changing the contrast values for words displayed across the variated color scheme.
Fourth Rule: Only use graphics that contribute to the message.
Fifth Rule: Short. Make your points then spend the rest of the time talking with the audience about it.
___________________________________________________________________
Going in a completely separate direction now, the argument for utilizing wikis in school spaces is now forever burned in my brain. Prior to this class I did not really understand the benefits of wikis, regardless of the fact that I use Wikipedia on what seems like a daily basis. In fact, just saying it makes me feel like an idiot. Common Craft's Wikis in Plain English was a fabulous explanation of how wikis work and why they are so important. I was almost kicking myself for never realizing that me, myself, and I could have put together a similar presentation if I would have been less ignorant.
The edutopia article was also very interesting to me. I actually referenced edutopia in a Diigo submission last week. In the article the author suggests the following:
- Start small, and then build. Expand your use of the wiki a little bit at a time. Doing so helps teachers relinquish the kind of control they have in a more traditional classroom. Students may feel more comfortable with a gradual change, too.
- Play. Explore other educational wikis. (Vicki Davis's CoolCatTeacher wiki is a favorite of Maine's.) Decide which ideas and practices you like, and use them. Maine, who says she's no computer geek, has found her way over technical hurdles through experimentation, trial and error, and her students' expertise.
- Encourage collaboration. Do group projects that take thinking and learning to a new level. Rather than give assignments in which each group member is responsible for a different task, assign real-life, multiple-solution problems in which "all of the group members working together adds up to something much bigger than what any individual could have done alone." That's the whole point of the wiki. Expect to do more planning, but less grading.
- Set ground rules. Be clear about goals and expectations. Maine had parents sign a "wiki warranty" early in the year. Her students know she can see any changes they make on the wiki pages -- be they constructive or devious. Last year, only one student was barred from the wiki due to repeated misbehavior.
- Support students. This may be new territory for them, too. They need help with group-work skills, and they need reminders to look at the wiki after hours to find information and participate in discussions.
Instead of offering some visual or image this week instead I will provide a link to an interesting blog about school libraries and implementing technology. Perhaps we can add this to our RSS feeds?
http://schoolof.info/infomancy/?p=129
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Week 8 : TPACK (not Tupac)
Okay, so the first thing the typical person might think of when they see the acronym 'TPACK' is deceased, popular rapper "Tupac." But just because they might sound or look similar does not mean that they have anything in common.
TPACK:
vs. Tupac
TPACK, or TPAK is defined as "technological pedagogical content knowledge," which refers to "the intersection of teachers' knowledge of curriculum content, general pedagogies, and technologies." (Harris and Hofer, 1) To the naked eye it might seem extremely technical, but in layman's terms it refers to the integration of technology into curriculum activities. Harris and Hofer, who wrote practically everything we were assigned to read this week, are huge proponents of the TPACK approach to teaching. Within the article snippets we read it was apparent that both authors are practically gurus when it comes to initiating activities that would incorporate certain pieces of technology, furthering a heightened understanding of the curriculum as well as an aspect of information literacy.
The aspect of their approach that really struck me was that they kept harping on a few common points throughout each article. They stated,
"We suggest matching technology-integration strategies to existing lesson planning methods, rather than asking teachers to plan instruction that exploits the opportunities offered by particular education technologies." (Grounded Integration: Languages; Harris & Hofer, p 26)
Where Richardson consistently harps about implementing Wikis and Blogs into the teaching stratosphere these two authors take a step back and essentially say match up the proper technology with the right and corresponding lesson plan. This would avoid the "square peg in a round hole" analogy. In the LIS field I have come to an understanding that there is no one-size-fits-all model with anything. This is most certainly prominent when it comes to patrons, students, and education styles.
Another point that the author's bring up is that technology is sometimes an afterthought, an "add-on or enhancement to a lesson rather than something that is truly integrated into teaching and learning." (Tech Integration in Social Studies' Harris & Hofer, p 26) In this regard it seems that people may take technology for granted. It is always there to save us, for example, Microsoft Word Office products like Excel can help us make a spreadsheet for creating graphs for a math class or we can utilize Powerpoint to make a presentation about Owl Pellets for a science course. Whatever the case may be technology seems to have become second nature for us, and perhaps implementing certain technologically based techniques into education may not necessarily be a new thing, rather something that is constantly being developed right under our noses and has been for quite some time.
So what will TPACK rely on for successful development in education? Answer, collaboration of teachers and parents, feedback from students, and open mindedness all around.
TPACK:
vs. Tupac
TPACK, or TPAK is defined as "technological pedagogical content knowledge," which refers to "the intersection of teachers' knowledge of curriculum content, general pedagogies, and technologies." (Harris and Hofer, 1) To the naked eye it might seem extremely technical, but in layman's terms it refers to the integration of technology into curriculum activities. Harris and Hofer, who wrote practically everything we were assigned to read this week, are huge proponents of the TPACK approach to teaching. Within the article snippets we read it was apparent that both authors are practically gurus when it comes to initiating activities that would incorporate certain pieces of technology, furthering a heightened understanding of the curriculum as well as an aspect of information literacy.
The aspect of their approach that really struck me was that they kept harping on a few common points throughout each article. They stated,
"We suggest matching technology-integration strategies to existing lesson planning methods, rather than asking teachers to plan instruction that exploits the opportunities offered by particular education technologies." (Grounded Integration: Languages; Harris & Hofer, p 26)
Where Richardson consistently harps about implementing Wikis and Blogs into the teaching stratosphere these two authors take a step back and essentially say match up the proper technology with the right and corresponding lesson plan. This would avoid the "square peg in a round hole" analogy. In the LIS field I have come to an understanding that there is no one-size-fits-all model with anything. This is most certainly prominent when it comes to patrons, students, and education styles.
Another point that the author's bring up is that technology is sometimes an afterthought, an "add-on or enhancement to a lesson rather than something that is truly integrated into teaching and learning." (Tech Integration in Social Studies' Harris & Hofer, p 26) In this regard it seems that people may take technology for granted. It is always there to save us, for example, Microsoft Word Office products like Excel can help us make a spreadsheet for creating graphs for a math class or we can utilize Powerpoint to make a presentation about Owl Pellets for a science course. Whatever the case may be technology seems to have become second nature for us, and perhaps implementing certain technologically based techniques into education may not necessarily be a new thing, rather something that is constantly being developed right under our noses and has been for quite some time.
So what will TPACK rely on for successful development in education? Answer, collaboration of teachers and parents, feedback from students, and open mindedness all around.
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