922-Sessions 4 and 5

Welcome to our fourth week. Our summer session forces us to condense so I'm posting both Sessions 4 and 5 this week (and a little earlier than usual). The reality is that you probably can't internally digest all of this info in 7 days, so give them a skim and take what you need. Then just make sure you download the sessions, so that you can go back to them some time in the future when you have the time or inclination.

By now many of you are beginning to realize how much information is out in the world that you still don't know. The evolution and metamorphosis of the Internet is moving at an exponential rate. I can't even keep up with all the changes (and I do this for a living)!

Knowing that there is so much information on the Internet convinces me that this would be a good time to discuss the quality of online information.

As you move through Session 4 please keep in mind that this is all meant to support your second deliverable.

Good luck!

PS--As always, if you have any trouble with this session you may find it backed up on Authorstream.com Just do a search for edc922 and look for the appropriate session.

PPS--I just checked out our Google 'Shared' Document and it finally looks like some of you have made some changes. (You can definitly tell what Nick's contribution is--once a die-hard fan; always a die-hard fan). Check it out again, but this time, go to the 'File' menu. From there choose, 'Revision History.' There you can revisit a copy of every change that each contributor made as well as revert back to a prior version, or compare different versions. Play around with resource some more.

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AND NOW HERE IS SESSION 5

(please remember that this can be a lot of material, so 'crisis manage' and focus on the most important items and deadlines.)

Welcome to the continuation of our session on "Critical Evaluation of Online Information!"

As you continue to research, write, and revise your second deliverable you'll soon begin to realize that the challenge isn't whether or not you can find enough information on the Internet that will help you----instead, the real challenge is how to cull through all of the websites and content to find quality information that will really help you.

Well, that's why we are spending this time on the evaluation of online information. We, in the Information World, call it "Information Literacy." Read the definition here. Children won't be able to survive in the 21st century world without it.

Good luck with this session and please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Dave

PS-D2 is a big project. Don't wait until the last minute.

PPS--A back-up of S5 can be found on Authorstream.com When there, just search for edc922.

922-Session 3

Welcome to Session 3--"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.

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
3. 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 President and 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 '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!

There is a tremendous font of knowledge among this group. Don't miss out on this valuable resource.

This session will find us broadening the scope of our view of wikis. We will begin 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.

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.

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 you are welcome to audit if you would like more information). 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 (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 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!

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.