Welcome to Session 2-Where we'll get an great overview of wikis and their connection to our course curriculum and get a small taste of Open Educational Resources.
Most of you are getting the hang of using this forum and are becoming more adept at posting and downloading. Remember to post your insights and comments in the 'comment' section and also remember to return regularly to read your peers comments.
In order to facilitate a truly collaborative setting (one in which we can begin to foster an environment where we can benefit from the 'Collective Knowledge' of all the participants here) I am asking that you make a special, concerted effort to try to respond or comment upon, at least, one other posting from w/i each session starting with Session 2. This may mean going back and revisiting the blog after you have posted, because you may be the first or second person to post your thoughts. This is not a requirement, but it is a request---one that will help benefit all of us and truly foster a collaborative network of learners and educators! The most efficient method for this is to make sure that you have signed up for a Blogger account. If you already have a Google account with any of G's other services like gmail or Google Docs, then you may use that. After you post your comment to our blog and before you hit the publish button, you'll see an option to have future comments emailed to you. Choose that. There is a tremendous font of knowledge among this group. Don't miss out on the insights and experiences of your peers.
=================================================
This session will find us broadening the scope of our view of wikis. This information is pertinent to our discussions on digital content because as the semester unfolds we'll see our definition of user-created content evolve. The merging and integration of e-books with additional multimedia (screencasts, interactive simulations, podcasts, videos,...) is changing so rapidly that no one can predict what our students will be using in just a few short years. Some surveys predict eBook penetration w/i school libraries to increase 14 fold by 2016.Most of you are getting the hang of using this forum and are becoming more adept at posting and downloading. Remember to post your insights and comments in the 'comment' section and also remember to return regularly to read your peers comments.
In order to facilitate a truly collaborative setting (one in which we can begin to foster an environment where we can benefit from the 'Collective Knowledge' of all the participants here) I am asking that you make a special, concerted effort to try to respond or comment upon, at least, one other posting from w/i each session starting with Session 2. This may mean going back and revisiting the blog after you have posted, because you may be the first or second person to post your thoughts. This is not a requirement, but it is a request---one that will help benefit all of us and truly foster a collaborative network of learners and educators! The most efficient method for this is to make sure that you have signed up for a Blogger account. If you already have a Google account with any of G's other services like gmail or Google Docs, then you may use that. After you post your comment to our blog and before you hit the publish button, you'll see an option to have future comments emailed to you. Choose that. There is a tremendous font of knowledge among this group. Don't miss out on the insights and experiences of your peers.
=================================================
We will begin this session by taking a look at the benefits of wikis, and other Web 2.0 tools, for students, teachers, and the entire educational community. We'll view some screencasts and videos that give us students' perspectives, as well as hear from teachers from across the K-12 spectrum. Each and every one will be focused upon how Web 2.0 tools have changed the way they teach and learn. And also demonstrate how teachers are becoming the authors of Digital Content shared with the world freely under an "Open" philosophy.
And lastly, we'll end by discussing the fluid definition of the word, "literacy" and try to pin it down in a 21st century classroom---a classroom where the walls have come down and the world is flat. There are lots of different interpretations out there. And as I stated above--prior definitions are changing quickly. Under the subject heading of Wikis there are an increasing number of sub-headings. Google Docs has evolved to be a very wiki-like tool.
Before you download this week's session:
- Please read this article from SLJ called, "Things are Changing Fast." It reminds us that those of us that run into technology-roadblocks are not alone (unfortunately). When you are finished reading that article, also read, "Not Just the Lucky Ones."
- Then visit: http://www.edweb.net/ebooks and join the community if you haven't already.
Lastly, you may access and read past participants' comments about the educational uses of wikis here and here.
Good luck and I look forward to reading your comments, insights, and reflections.
DF
PS--You may find a back-up copy of this week's presentation here. Just search for the term: "edc922" and then choose the appropriate session to view and listen to.
PPS--Here is an online copy of this week's session as well:
18 comments:
So far I have only read the 2 articles from the School Library Journal, and I have some comments:
I find it very promising that such a high percentage of librarians in the Northeast region plan to purchase eBooks in the near future. I'm sure that as a teacher it would be difficult to progress toward eBooks, unless the media/library specialists are on board with the movement. Unfortunately, I also see that so many districts have to shave dollars off the textbook budget as the years progress. I hope this won't hinder the movement toward eBooks.
It is interesting to see that 13% of K-12 students are allowed the use of mobile devices in school.
At the moment, my district is in the process of introducing a new policy "BYOD - Bring Your Own Device". However, one issue we are meeting is that it means we have to change our policy regarding mobile devices being prohibited in our school!
Also, I find much in common with the article "Not Just The Lucky Ones". It mentions the divide that exists between the students who DO have access to technology and those who do not. Our district also has a high transient population,as well as many students who don't even have a computer at home, let alone access to the Internet. Also, I can empathize with the complaint in the article about the existing technology in schools be so out-dated. Yes, we have laptop carts available in our building, but so many of the laptops do not work! Also, in our media center, we have 4 computers available for use by the student population, and also by faculty/staff should the need arise....4 computers for 1000 students and about 100 faculty/staff members. In my opinion, problems such as these are what makes it all the more difficult to envision a smooth transition to all this new technology.
I completely agree with you, Koulbanis. I'm lucky enough to work in a school where most of our students have smart phones and this year we changed the policies, so they can bring them to class. They can only use their phones when their teacher requests so. I have to say that students have been really good about it (well, there is always one or two that try to use it to text!)
Our library has some iPads for faculty to borrow and the school has also a pilot program for teachers to report their findings about using iPads in the classroom. Our principal also forwarded us an article about OER, and he is very supportive of new technologies, but I do feel we are so far behind compared to what teachers are already doing in some schools and districts!
The two articles form the SLJ, and specially "Not Just the Lucky Ones", illustrate the challenges that have to be faced.
Aside of the budget issues in school districts and the fact that not all students have a computer at home, we cannot forget also that all of us taking this course, are interested and believe in the new technologies, but there are some of our colleagues who are afraid to step into this "new world". Our librarians tried to implement a Wiki to make reservations for the computer lab., but we all went back to the old fashion signing sheet =(.
There is a lot of hope in reading about all this librarians planning to purchase eBooks, my main concern is the funding in this financial crisis. I cannot help to read about "the lucky ones" with some sort of envy.
Well, this session has definitely peaked my interest in planning either a Blog or Wiki for my class. However, I do have some concerns. Firstly, like was mentioned, I do have worries about the question of reliability and avoiding vandalism and errors. I can foresee this being an issue with 7th graders....not the most mature age level!
Also, I assume that most blogs/wikis that are created by teachers are used as some means of assessment? What about the students who do not have access to any technology...how do we include this assessment piece for them?
I took a class through URI a few years ago that involved using a Wiki. It was my first exposure to that tool, and even though we met once a week, I really enjoyed the Wiki component of the class. Unfortunately, not everyone did...others complained of difficulties accessing the wiki, posting comments, etc.
My school district uses Google Docs for many different reasons. For example, if we need to start a discussion forum for the entire faculty about a new policy or change, it is a great tool. The SIT committee and its' varying sub-committees all keep Google Docs for the agenda and minutes from meetings. These are then made available to all the faculty.
My brain is definitely in a bit of a whirl right now...I have many ideas circulating...now I just need to not feel so overwhelmed, and take action!
PS: I attemped to post a link in the wikidave under the foreign language section. It is a Mardi Gras article that has a great slideshow, which I will be using in my classroom soon.
Mardi Gras
http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays/mardi-gras.htm
One of the things I love about Wikis is that they are open-ended and participatory. Through Wikis, students can communicate with other kids their age throughout the world about their learning. Peer editing using Wikis seems like a great idea. Children and adults alike, we are entrenched in a society where we all want instant gratification, so why not put our information out there and get immediate feedback? I love the peer study guide idea, too! We want to encourage kids to be curious and passionate about their learning, so why not let them do so? "Bring Your Own Device" is fantastic. Kudos to Koulbanis' district for enacting such a policy! One of the best things about students using their own devices is that we could give kids access to eBooks so they can continue using them at home. I also like the use of Wikis as a research tool. Kids do need to learn how to sift through vast amounts of information to decipher what is reliable and useful. In addition, I like how Wikis include hyperlinks so that students are not bogged down with too much information and can selectively click on what interests them. This is important for a struggling reader who can easily become overwhelmed by large amounts of text. Wikis allow all students to have access to information because they include visual and auditory components. The "Voices" video was encouraging because I could see the genuine excitement in the kids' faces when they talked about using some of these technological tools. I didn't know that the first Wiki was created in 1995, so I'm feeling kind of behind the times, but it's better late than never to be learning about Wikis. I noticed that the synonym portion of the reading skills section on WikiDave was blank, so I posted the Wikipedia definition for synonyms, which can be found here: http://wikidave.wikispaces.com/Synonyms. The thing I like about Wikipedia is that it is always current and includes "child speak" so that everyone can access it.
Ikoulbanis,
Did your school deploy Google Apps for Education, or is the consumer version being used by faculty and staff?
I have gone over most of the session 2 presentation, but I still have a couple of sites to visit and two videos to watch.
I did post a link in wikidave: http://wikidave.wikispaces.com/Middle-WORLD+LANGUAGE
Last night I checked the different ways to use wikis with students and I am thrilled. I have so many ideas right now, from study guides for midterms and finals, to collective projects such as a cookbook that shows diffent cutures and cousines. I find amazing the fact that my students can prepare their own study guide collectively, taking advantage of what each of them has learned and can teach the rest. We all know they often learn better from their peers than from us. As a world language teacher, wikis seem an endless source of enrichment activities for my class. They can even elaborate a dictionary of new terms for each course.
This is all so interesting and exciting. I feel I am really behind the times, though. But as Sara said, better late than never.
Hi
Well I have spent all afternoon, learning about wikis, literacy, clicking on links, chasing interesting ideas, and somehow I ended up on YouTube, via RSS info - readit ( from the literacy video) watching tho great music video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MejbOFk7H6c&feature=share
Holy Cow... I have never really thought about how complicated literacy is getting. It has really hit me that we need to teach kids strategies to access, evaluate, respond and create all this stuff that is their digital world. It just sucks you in (like me ending up watching this music video as I did 'school work' It takes nerves of steel and laser focus to keep yourself 'on-track'.
Does this make any sense? A book seems so 'calm' and sedate, compared with the web, and all the options to offers: hyperlinks, embedded video, comments, images, text...
@Janie-Yes, traditional books do seem more sedate. And to be honest I have some concerns about how easily it will be for students to get off task when clicking through links that lead to links that lead to more links. My only response to that is that eBooks are a constantly evolving resource, so the product we see today won't be the same product tomorrow. All we can do is hope to keep up, but later this semester we'll be talking about Apple's new iBook project. They've done a decent job of containing the wandering mind. We'll get to that soon.
Art - to be honest, I'm not sure of the answer to your question. We use Google for email, documents, calendar, etc. When I log on it says "Google Apps for West Warwick Public Schools"
Sorry, I don't know any more!
Ide,
That answers my question. You're using the apps for education version.
Thanks.
Art
The Davis Wiki is an eye opener. Why wouldn’t every single community want their own Wiki? As I perused the site, it was easy to see that the site had been modified hundreds of time over the weekend. You are simply not going to get that kind of freshness with a closed, single curator system.
The same philosophy could change outdated, static ‘staff binders’ with all kinds of relevant content. Policies, forms, procedures, workarounds and more could, and should be part of a school wiki. Every faculty and staff member should participate. I’m not sure why this simple concept has not exploded across education. Every school should have its own ‘Davis Wiki’.
I want the students in my advanced applications class to start a wiki by, of, and for my school’s students. It is scary to think that Victoria Davis’ presentation is already six years old. I wonder if Facebook could be used as and classified as a type of Wiki, one that would be more readily accepted and used by students.
I wonder, what happened to Sharon Peters’ Wiki? The latest changes are five years old. Is the Wiki done, defunct? Has she moved to another platform? Facebook?
The *physical* process of writing is so much easier today. I can have students collaborating on a Google Doc in a matter of minutes. The lack of training for a physically laborious routine - carving in slate, writing with messy inks - is gone. The hassle of accessing technology, Internet safety, online ethics and other prerequisites to modern day writing are comparatively trivial inconveniences.
Could a Facebook group work as a Wiki? What would I do if students in my class established a Facebook group to complete a project? Would I break the social norms expected of stodgy faculty like me and join the group to leverage its potential as a learning tool? What are the legal and ethical ramifications of collaborating with students via social networking, be it a Wiki or something Wiki-like?
The section of WikiDave I updated is located here: http://wikidave.wikispaces.com/Meteorology.
The contrast between vocal Wikipedia detractors and this session's emphasis on students as literate authors, contributors, and participants in their collective learning process is stark.
I'm still reading session two links. I just finished the National Council of Teachers of English: Writing in the Twenty-first Century. GREAT! I am mostly interested in kids researching, writing and publishing ebooks. What I loved about this one is the 'reframing' of what writing instruction ought to be about now. There needs to be a new model of writing instruction which focuses on 'composing' with text and visual considerations for a world-wide audience. Very good historical context on writing instruction too.
In reguards to Art's observation, I witness lag time between the vision of 'cutting edge' technology thinkers and teachers in the trenches all the time. It's always been that way, I guess. At some point we reach the 'tipping point' and teachers are in a panic to 'learn e-mail' or use PowerPoint or have a web page or download pictures or SmartBoards, etc... Frequently the 'new ideas' are critisized, or their educational value is underestimated. I guess it is the same with reconsidering what literacy means and what it encompasses. These are big ideas that really change the old model of teaching literacy when you see 'students as literate authors, contributors, and participants in their collective learning process.'
I was surprised and wide-eyed after reading the short SLJ article - Things Are Changing. Fast. As a school librarian it is my responsibility to stay abreast of new reading trends and I'm afraid I've fallen behind where ebooks are concerned. Sure, I've read books on the nook and downloaded a few children's books but haven't jumped on the bandwagon in exploring it as a valuable educational tool. While we do have 4 Nooks for staff members to check out as needed for their students, they really haven't been utilized by staff except for one special needs child. To think that, based on the article's statistics, that ebooks will become a large component of school library holdings by 2016 pushes me to seriously explore the seemingly limitless possibilities of downloadable and interactive ebooks.
In response to the wiki introduction, I thought the assignment of editing an entry was a great hands-on activity to show how easy it is to do. My edited entry can be found at: wikidave.wikispaces.com/Pre+Columbian+Era. I added info on the Pacific Northwest tribes.
The Teachers First Website on creating wikis was also helpful in that it had excellent step by step directions in creating one, along with practical applications across the curriculum. I loved the idea described by a first grade teacher of writing a class collaborative story. I am going to use this idea during our Family Literacy Night. I was already put in charge of creating genre writing stations for students and their families to contribute to a story and I was going to use paper form until I read this teacher's idea. Now, if my 5, already-ordered ipads come in on time I can easily do this! The students could even create illustrations to go along with the story. These creations could be saved into digital ebooks!
Dave, glad to hear we'll be discussing and exploring Apple's iBooks program. With 5 iPads just ordered last week I want to become familiar with and explore this app for digital literary creation.
I found the ideas in this session's readings very thought-provoking, and I feel like I'm still processing a lot of what I read. I've never tried to create my own Wiki or Blog, and now I can see a lot of ways I could try to use them in my library, from book discussions to library news. I agree with ikoulbanis's concerns about immature students . . . though I think the only way to see what students will do is to try, which may mean some new ideas for my library this fall. I think it will take me most of the summer to figure out what to try first and how!
My school is also using Google Docs for a lot of student writing, starting with the fourth graders. We have a pilot program where our sixth graders were given iPads for the school year, and it's been interesting to see what works well on the iPads and what doesn't.
When I was in college, I had a professor who we thought was very innovative - she typed her own textbook for teaching music cultures of the world, so we only had to pay about $10 for the text for her course. It's a little mind-boggling to think how old-fashioned that sounds, and I graduated in 1999, which really isn't that long ago. When I watch my kids play and read on my iPad, I can really see how they're growing up in a completely diffrent world than I did.
I also spend too much time surfing, however, as an adult education teacher, this k -12 dialogue represents a different kind of classroom from from where we are. If you have students with parents who are recent immigrants, you will understand the disparity between the "haves" and "have-nots." We can still benefit from wiki's as we do have computer labs in some of our programs, but not enough. We can have successful, collaborative learning experiences using one computer, but we all wish that students had personal devices, a lab with working computers, and computers at home. I love that wikis create a community. I liked the example of Davis, Ca. Everyone knows where to go for information, and everyone has a voice if they choose to use it. It is a motivating force; every community should have one. Unfortunately, I couldn't download Vicki Davis' video. I was told to install more software. I still need technical advice from time to time. But, I was able to view the winning wiki from the International Learning Projects which was great! So motivating. I enjoyed the "Evolution of Literacy." I use the word, "literacy" often as I describe a learner as one with a "low or high literacy level." I appreciated Fisher's in depth investigation of the evolution of the term. Also, his clear guide for teaching students a new skill set for our rapidly changing society. I agree with his message to give students "skills they need to communicate their message, and give them time to learn to figure out opportunities, to showcase ideas and understandings. It is a pleasure to spend time learning about our new world of education. I'm looking forward to the next few months.
February 8, 2012 12:28 AM
Post a Comment