922-Session 3 and 4-The Open Educational Resources Movement

Welcome to Session 3/4--"CK-12, Curriki, and the Open Educational Resources Movement"

This week we'll stray from the usual format and work completely from this blog entry as well as the readings on the syllabus.

1. There is some cross-over between the assignments on the syllabus and those below, but not all are in both places, so please go through this entry and the syllabus (which has been updated today).  Since the predominance of our course participants are school librarians there is a webinar to watch this week.  If you are in the classroom and aren't interested then please just let it play in the background. Either way you're bound to gain something from it.  There's lots of info. on eBooks and eReaders.
2. We'll start with getting our feet wet by reading an article I was asked to write on wikitextbooks. It was published in the May '08 edition of Multi-Media & the Internet@Schools magazine. You can find it here.
   
3. When you are done I'd like you to begin exploring the link below. It introduces you to "The Open Educational Resources Movement." Dozens, if not hundreds, of colleges and universities are now offering many of their courses for free. Through podcasts, videocasts, and free downloads of supplemental material a motivated person could acquire the equivalent of a degree, completely on their own and for FREE! Spend some time visiting the schools from this link and check out some of the free material available for your discipline. If you visit the MIT link you'll see that they have over 1800 courses freely accessible. It's mind-blowing and exciting, but be careful not to spend too much time there. Every time I visit this site, 2-3 hours disappear in the blink of an eye.
4. Then I would like you to watch this video taken at Google's Headquarters in '08. It focuses on a non-profit company called, CK-12.org I flew out to Silicon Valley in November '08 to meet with the  Founder about their work. I was so enthralled that I decided to add their resources to this course to help share their work, and also to help contribute to the movement myself.

It's rather long, but if you have the patience you'll begin to see the potential.

Imagine if our school districts began to use open education resources (OER) to 'collectively' write our own textbooks and curriculum material, and then began sharing them with each other. Sounds beyond reach doesn't it? But some systems and State Dept.'s of Education are trying just that. Read about Virginia for example. There's more about their plan here as well.

Now CK-12 just really began taking off around August of '08, so they don't have every discipline yet. They've really been focusing more upon the STEM subject areas first (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), for the Middle and High School levels, but they plan to broaden to other areas soon. Here's a brief demonstration to watch. And here is a demostration by the President, Murragan Pal.

Now if this all scares you a little or you feel a little intimidated---that's justified. I'm sure that you have a lot of questions. The biggest concern I hear is about the quality of the information. We'll go into more detail about that in the next few sessions, but for now think about how many teachers stray from the textbooks in their class and instead use quality, credible information that they have screened using their professional judgment.

Now think about how much information teachers have in their heads. If they took the time to write it out, and share it freely with the world, we would have a tremendously powerful tool.

Well, that's probably more than enough information for this week. I'd like you to spend the rest of your time trying to play with CK-12's Flexbooks. See if you can find one to use in your educational setting.

Good luck and as always please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Dave Fontaine

DaveFontaine1@gmail.com

922-Session 2-The Ultimate Tool for Collaboration

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 include your own insights to share with the entire class.

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.

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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 e-book penetration w/i school libraries to increase 14 fold by 2016.

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 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.  And next session we'll read an article called, "Are Textbooks Becoming Extinct?..."

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). While reading that article, also read, "Not Just the Lucky Ones."
• Visit: http://www.edweb.net/ebooks  and join the community
• Watch this webinar called, "Ebooks in Schools and Libraries..."

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--If no one has any objections, I'd like to change the day for my weekly postings to Wednesday starting next week. We have a number of participants taking both this course and the "Blogs and Wikis" course, so this change will take away the overwhelming feeling I'm hearing about. Please let me know if this is an issue for any of you.

Time for Introductions!!!

Welcome again to EDC922 - ONLINE TEXTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM

This is our class blog. It will serve as our discussion forum, connection to each other, and the main webpage you will be accessing. If this is your first visit, then please first read the entry below (titled, 'Practice Session') and follow the instructions there--- then return to this one.

I give detailed lessons on edublogs and their use in the classroom in my EDC921 course (which some of you are in this semester, so the first week or two some of the content may be redundant). The format and interface are similar to our class blog, but chances are you won't have too much time to spend there. The content here should keep you pretty busy--for now you only need to know a few things.

This blog can be viewed by anyone, but will only allow the participants of EDC922 to interact with it. When you would like to respond to someone or comment upon a session, just click on the 'comment' link below each of my postings (you should sign up for a Blogger account ASAP and choose a 'User Name' that is easily identifiable) until then choose the 'anonymous' button under 'choose an identity'; I sure some of you have already begun to practice a little.

In the left-hand margin you will see links to individual lessons (accessible every Wednesday).



If you need to contact me then please email me at DaveFontaine1@gmail.com.

This blog, in addition to its use as an interactive communication tool, will also be where you can access and download your weekly sessions. The presentation links to the left will be accessible on a week-to-week basis (Tues. or Wed. afternoons). I've said it before, but it bears repeating---When attempting to download always choose 'save' rather than 'open.'
The syllabus is also linked to the left. Google has a free service that allows you to just upload any Word document and with one additional click it gets published online with its own URL. The course syllabus is an example of how easy it is to use, and we'll practice with this tool before next week.

One more aspect that will be unique about this course is that I support a completely collaborative teaching philosophy. Following that mindset, I will keep your assignments, comments, and reflections viewable and accessible to future participants of this course. The 'goal' of that is:

1. For future participants to gain from the collective knowledge of your experiences;
2. Use what you have done; and
3. Incorporate new ideas into their classroom.

The bonus for you, of course, is that this information will also always be accessible for you. This way, in the future (many semesters from now) you may revisit this site and benefit from the ideas of all participants. In this way---YOU will gain from all the 'learning speedbumps' of those that have come after you--even though they are not currently enrolled in this course.
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Some of the content for our sessions is also covered in 921. Where that is the case I'll also give you a link to the 'comments' of past participants about that topic.

Before we go any further I would like each of you to practice using this forum and introduce yourself. We will be spending the semester together, so it is important to learn as much about each other as possible. Click on the 'comment' link below this posting, then you may click the 'anonymous' button and write a few paragraphs about yourself. (If you are feeling bold you may sign up for a Blogger account now and use the 'user name' that you create when you 'comment' rather than choosing 'anonymous.')

Please include:
-your name
-email address (so that you may contact each other directly if needed),
-your educational background,
-teaching history,
-current teaching position with location, and lastly
-what you hope to come away with when this semester is over, along with any additional information about you that you wish to share, like your motivation for choosing this course...

After you have finished posting this profile, come back to this page and read the '922-Session 1' posting (below this one), then find the 'Session 1' link (along the left-hand margin), download it, and view it. When you are finished with the session please click on the 'comment' link again and add any comments, insights, or reflections you have for Session 1, under the Session 1 posting.

Sometimes it takes a little while to get the hang of using this forum. I have taken this into consideration by reducing the workload of the first session. (Of course, if you get distracted easily, then you could spend hours exploring.)
Its primary goal is to make sure everyone is on the same page and skill level before we sink our teeth into the meat of this course. However, if you run into any 'techno-speedbumps' then please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Everything here is protected by Creative Commons. This means that you have complete authority to download, save, share, and use all of the lessons in your classroom, but are prohibited from any commercial uses.

You will notice that each slide of the PowerPoint presentation has the narration transcribed in the 'notes section' of each slide. This is because each semester we have teachers from around the world taking this course. We've had teachers from Canada, China, Alaska, California, Phillipines, Sudan...taking my courses (And they may need help understanding my "Ro-diland" accent) but more importantly, the transcribed narration allows you to take these slides and use them in your own classroom. (or, if you find my voice putting you to sleep, you can just read the slides instead)

Good luck this semester! I look forward to working and collaborating with you.

Dave Fontaine
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STOP--DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER UNTIL YOU HAVE FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE.

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922-Session 1 "The World of Wikis!!!"

Welcome to Session 1

"The World of Wikis!"

This semester will take us onto a new path!

A path that leads to more collaboration--

more cooperative learning---

and more opportunities to create differentiated instruction and visual learning---all with the goal of helping foster literacy, and learning, for our students.

Don't worry if you have barely heard of the word, 'Wiki'. Here is a taste of the excitement that awaits you when you download our first session.

Good luck and take plenty of notes because I don't want to miss any of your ideas, excitement, and insights when you post your comments!

Here is a copy of Session 1 if you want to view it online w/o the download



922-1

More PowerPoint presentations from DaveFontaine

If you're eager to get started, but still have some apprehension then maybe some of the tutorials on the left might help.

You may also read past participants' comments here and here. Some people find reading them before the session helps with their perspective.

Have fun!

Dave

PS-If you have any trouble downloading any of these sessions from the link on the left, then I've got backups on Authorstream.com. Just visit the link and type in edc922 in the search box, then view the most recent session, or click here to go to Session 1 directly.

Practice Session

Welcome to EDC922---"Online Texts in the 21st Century Classroom."


Throughout these 10 weeks we will be covering a vast amount of information.


New sessions will be posted once a week (by the end of business on Wednesday, but this week only,  the first session won't go up until Thursday night to allow everyone to try this practice session). 

Please keep in mind that there are new developments and trends in online information every day, therefore we may have to be flexible when interpreting the syllabus. This may mean some modifications, changes and condensing of information.


To ensure that we are covering the most current skills, I will be assimilating and collating information right up until the moment I post a session. This means that each session's link (over in the left-hand margin) will not be accessible until its respective Wednesday. Even so, there may be times when a cited link is dead. If that is the case, I will try to keep saved copies of all the information. Just email me (davefontaine1@gmail.com) and I will forward the data to you.


During the first few sessions we will be covering foundational skills. This is to ensure that we all have the basic essentials ‘down pat’. Once this is covered, we will pick up the pace and begin to delve into the mechanics, nuances, and meat of our course.


To ensure continuous accessibility to the information within these presentations I suggest you immediately download, and save the sessions, to your computer. I cannot emphasize this enough. Along the left-hand margin, there will be a link for each session. When you click on this link you may be prompted to 'save' or 'open' the session.


Always ‘save’ it to your desktop. Previous participants have found it easiest to organize if they create a folder and store all the sessions in one place. Another option would be to right-click on the link and choose, 'save target as.'


‘Saving’ the sessions will decrease problems relating to your bandwidth. Also, although it may take a while for a presentation to download (up to 10 min. or more depending upon the speed of your connection) it will be much easier to toggle between a PowerPoint and the Internet if you have it saved to your hard drive. Weekly sessions will also become portable if you save them to a thumb drive.


Additionally, you will need to have access to a computer that has PowerPoint version ’97 or above to view the presentations. (As a last resort I will also upload a copy each week to an online service where you can stream it live. You will find that link at the bottom of each weekly posting.) If you cannot hear the sound on them it is possible that the “wave” element of your volume is either on ‘mute’ or not turned up enough.


Please remember that we are all educators, and that this is a collaborative course. So, as you post your reflections and comments we will all be responding to you. Therefore, timely responses are imperative. After you have posted your weekly assignment, make an effort to return again later to read and comment about other participants’ assignments.


Once again remember that we are all perpetual learners; constantly growing. I hope to learn as much from you---as you will from me.


Now I would like you to try a practice download. Thursday evening I will update this page with information about our first session. Along the left-hand margin you will see the words "PRACTICE SESSION." Please try to download this session to your computer, strictlyfollowing the directions above.


Once you have been successful with this process, please also download the syllabus. There is only one required, purchasable text.   Don't worry if it takes a week to arrive.


You may order it from most online book sellers. Until then you may want to read it online (not ideal and you usually can't access the entire text), but here is the link: Wikis, Blogs, and Podcasts

You could also check your local library here.

If you run into problems, please review the directions again. It is not uncommon for participants to 'stumble' a little getting used to this forum.


If you run into any trouble after that, then please feel free to email me or call.


You'll hear from me again on Wednesday.

Thank you,

Dave Fontaine
Internet Librarian and Information Specialist, NBCT
DaveFontaine1@gmail.com
401-835-3782