Sunday, February 28, 2010
Skype Activity Thread
I have been having a lot of fun with Skype. I have been Skyping my friend, a fellow SLM student and a former academic librarian, to discuss all things SLM. In addition, she has been using my library as a base for the Library Administration course. Between the snow and our busy schedules, we have been forced to use Skype for our interviews and discussions. It actually made the assignments fun. Sarah and I also Skyped as she walked me through a problem I was having with my podcast. I didn't think I would like the seeing/hearing aspect (I do most of my school work in my pajamas, and I thought that would be a bit embarrassing), but it is fun to see the other person. In addition, I am working with one of our foreign language teachers to set up a Skype-pal network with Spanish speaking students--she is really excited to see if we can work this out. We are waiting for permission from our principal to move forward, but I think the kids will really enjoy conversing, or trying to converse, with other teenagers.
Analysis Thread--Module #3
ANALYSIS THREAD: This module had a steep learning curve for me—all new technologies, and they have all mushed together in my head into a social media stew.
#1: For this reason I particularly appreciated Sarah Robbins-Bell’s ability to articulate the value of social media in this podcast: “Social Media and Education: The Conflict Between Technology and Institutional Education, and the Future”
Sarah Robins-Bell, PhD explores the fear many educators feel in the face of technology and our students. “As educators when we feel a conflict with the new technologies that come out… what we really feel is a conflict with a shift in how we view knowledge and how we gain knowledge.” I She explores the shift in how we gain knowledge from an isolated top-down process to a more democratic, cooperative global one. Educators, she claims, are more important than ever in teaching students critical thinking skills, but most be willing to respect student knowledge, and allow students to be co-creators of information, expecting them to contribute a high quality response/product. According to Robbins-Bell, today’s educators are "the last cohort of educators who will remember life before technology." I plan to share this podcast with my faculty. We have a mix of older teachers who shy away from any technology (one Social Studies teacher still uses filmstrips) and younger teachers who are willing to explore technology, but are still following the teacher-centered model, and a few who use technology but are satisfied for students to grab facts and regurgitate them. However, even with our best teachers, I see a serious problem with student engagement—they do not see school as relevant to their lives. Robbins-Bell’s ideas about incorporating social media and giving students more power and responsibility may be the cure for this.
#2: 10 ways school librarians should be teaching social media on SocialLibrarian
This post provides excellent, practical advice for using social media to connect students to the library curriculum, conduct research, publish work and build a sense of community. Since social media already attracts young people, the writer suggests capitalizing on this by removing the irrelevant stuff and tailoring the media to meet the needs of our patrons. She suggests using social media to conduct reference interviews, establish a network of resources, and solicit feedback from the community. She encourages librarians to publish their research through interactive media, like blogs and wikis in order to improve one’s professional profile. Social media can also be used to give students a positive web profile by creating portfolios of good work. I like the emphasis on building critical thinking skills and ethical use of information. Particularly relevant for me were some of the author’s discussion of the misconceptions about social media like Twitter because these misconceptions belonged to me before I began this class. Since I should be at the forefront of new technology as a school librarian, it is important that I educate myself about the real applications of this technology. I will try to remember this lesson in the future when new technologies come out and my initial reaction is skepticism based on ignorance.
#3: Cotelco is a collaborative project of American and Syracuse Universities to encourage collaboration and technology enhanced learning communities with an additional focus on making technology available to diverse groups, globally, and those with disabilities. The article ” Diversity Matters, Even at a Distance: Evaluating the Impact of Computer-Mediated Communication on Civil Society Participation in the World Summit on the Information Society” discusses the difficulties of providing access to technologies for all people’s around the world.
However, there are serious challenges affecting the participation of civil society in global multi-stakeholder governance processes such as WSIS. For example, these organizations vary tremendously in size, strength, experience, organizational capacity, ICT policy issue area, and focus. Perhaps the biggest hurdle is that the members of these organizations are geographically distributed and can have a presence in both developed and developing countries. Finding ways to knit these geographically distributed and diverse organizational strands into a coherent and representative international civil society tapestry that functions as an effective transnational advocacy network drawing on the best epistemic communities from around the world and engaging effectively in the highly complex WSIS institutional processes is a significant challenge.
The article does not specifically address inclined technology in education, but the implication that if one is to have a voice in the future, that voice will rely on one’s access and ability to use technology. These are the skills that we need to be teaching our students (and teachers). While my high school students see themselves as computer literate, their skills are actually quite limited. They are unable to find information unless it pops up quickly in a Google search. They struggle to sift though information to find relevant ideas, and struggle even further to synthesize those ideas into a meaningful product. This does not bode well for their future as global citizens.
#4 “Critical Transformations” –a presentation by Don Tapscott, the author of Growing Up Digital
This brief presentation offers an interesting analysis of the current generation of students. He says that while the world has changed dramatically based on technology, school have changed very little. Tapscott defines this generation as one who spend time on the web rather than watching television:
“…so you have a generation that rather than being the passive recipients of someone else’s broadcast are the actors and initiators and collaborators and researchers and rememberers and so an and this is a huge and powerful force to change the schools because as these kids come into the school system the old model of learning is completely inappropriate for them…information technology is the new model for collaborative working”
This is a message that I have heard repeated throughout my research for this class, and yet it is a message that today’s educators are not hearing. Recently a 2nd grade teacher told me she thought the interest in technology in schools was a passing phase…by the time her students hit high school, they’ll be bored with it. This is an intelligent person and an experienced teacher with three teenage children (all wired) and yet she can not even imagine the revolution that is taking place right under her nose. I put myself, and most other adults, in the same group. Before my school library media studies, I saw technology as a way to enhance traditional classroom lessons, instead of as a way to transform the entire structure of education. If we don’t begin to give some power to our students to create their own learning, we will certainly lose them.
#5 Jay McTighe on Critical Transformation
I could relate to McTighe’s comments about the transformation he experienced as a teacher. He claims: “I began teaching with the assumption that my job was to tell students everything I knew about certain topics…and then I had this aha moment and it dawned on me that my job was to get them to make sense of the content, make meaning for themselves and to use what they were learning in new situations”
After this aha moment, McTighe’s teaching transformed; he began asking more questions and shifted from “show me what you know to show me what you can do” As a new teacher, I modeled my teaching on my teachers: knowledgeable, engaging, confident, and very much the center of the classroom. To give up this place in the center of the class would have meant that I failed as a teacher. However, I am coming to see that the only way I can succeed as a teacher-librarian is to give up this role as queen bee. An additional challenge is to encourage other teachers to transform their teaching style.
#1: For this reason I particularly appreciated Sarah Robbins-Bell’s ability to articulate the value of social media in this podcast: “Social Media and Education: The Conflict Between Technology and Institutional Education, and the Future”
Sarah Robins-Bell, PhD explores the fear many educators feel in the face of technology and our students. “As educators when we feel a conflict with the new technologies that come out… what we really feel is a conflict with a shift in how we view knowledge and how we gain knowledge.” I She explores the shift in how we gain knowledge from an isolated top-down process to a more democratic, cooperative global one. Educators, she claims, are more important than ever in teaching students critical thinking skills, but most be willing to respect student knowledge, and allow students to be co-creators of information, expecting them to contribute a high quality response/product. According to Robbins-Bell, today’s educators are "the last cohort of educators who will remember life before technology." I plan to share this podcast with my faculty. We have a mix of older teachers who shy away from any technology (one Social Studies teacher still uses filmstrips) and younger teachers who are willing to explore technology, but are still following the teacher-centered model, and a few who use technology but are satisfied for students to grab facts and regurgitate them. However, even with our best teachers, I see a serious problem with student engagement—they do not see school as relevant to their lives. Robbins-Bell’s ideas about incorporating social media and giving students more power and responsibility may be the cure for this.
#2: 10 ways school librarians should be teaching social media on SocialLibrarian
This post provides excellent, practical advice for using social media to connect students to the library curriculum, conduct research, publish work and build a sense of community. Since social media already attracts young people, the writer suggests capitalizing on this by removing the irrelevant stuff and tailoring the media to meet the needs of our patrons. She suggests using social media to conduct reference interviews, establish a network of resources, and solicit feedback from the community. She encourages librarians to publish their research through interactive media, like blogs and wikis in order to improve one’s professional profile. Social media can also be used to give students a positive web profile by creating portfolios of good work. I like the emphasis on building critical thinking skills and ethical use of information. Particularly relevant for me were some of the author’s discussion of the misconceptions about social media like Twitter because these misconceptions belonged to me before I began this class. Since I should be at the forefront of new technology as a school librarian, it is important that I educate myself about the real applications of this technology. I will try to remember this lesson in the future when new technologies come out and my initial reaction is skepticism based on ignorance.
#3: Cotelco is a collaborative project of American and Syracuse Universities to encourage collaboration and technology enhanced learning communities with an additional focus on making technology available to diverse groups, globally, and those with disabilities. The article ” Diversity Matters, Even at a Distance: Evaluating the Impact of Computer-Mediated Communication on Civil Society Participation in the World Summit on the Information Society” discusses the difficulties of providing access to technologies for all people’s around the world.
However, there are serious challenges affecting the participation of civil society in global multi-stakeholder governance processes such as WSIS. For example, these organizations vary tremendously in size, strength, experience, organizational capacity, ICT policy issue area, and focus. Perhaps the biggest hurdle is that the members of these organizations are geographically distributed and can have a presence in both developed and developing countries. Finding ways to knit these geographically distributed and diverse organizational strands into a coherent and representative international civil society tapestry that functions as an effective transnational advocacy network drawing on the best epistemic communities from around the world and engaging effectively in the highly complex WSIS institutional processes is a significant challenge.
The article does not specifically address inclined technology in education, but the implication that if one is to have a voice in the future, that voice will rely on one’s access and ability to use technology. These are the skills that we need to be teaching our students (and teachers). While my high school students see themselves as computer literate, their skills are actually quite limited. They are unable to find information unless it pops up quickly in a Google search. They struggle to sift though information to find relevant ideas, and struggle even further to synthesize those ideas into a meaningful product. This does not bode well for their future as global citizens.
#4 “Critical Transformations” –a presentation by Don Tapscott, the author of Growing Up Digital
This brief presentation offers an interesting analysis of the current generation of students. He says that while the world has changed dramatically based on technology, school have changed very little. Tapscott defines this generation as one who spend time on the web rather than watching television:
“…so you have a generation that rather than being the passive recipients of someone else’s broadcast are the actors and initiators and collaborators and researchers and rememberers and so an and this is a huge and powerful force to change the schools because as these kids come into the school system the old model of learning is completely inappropriate for them…information technology is the new model for collaborative working”
This is a message that I have heard repeated throughout my research for this class, and yet it is a message that today’s educators are not hearing. Recently a 2nd grade teacher told me she thought the interest in technology in schools was a passing phase…by the time her students hit high school, they’ll be bored with it. This is an intelligent person and an experienced teacher with three teenage children (all wired) and yet she can not even imagine the revolution that is taking place right under her nose. I put myself, and most other adults, in the same group. Before my school library media studies, I saw technology as a way to enhance traditional classroom lessons, instead of as a way to transform the entire structure of education. If we don’t begin to give some power to our students to create their own learning, we will certainly lose them.
#5 Jay McTighe on Critical Transformation
I could relate to McTighe’s comments about the transformation he experienced as a teacher. He claims: “I began teaching with the assumption that my job was to tell students everything I knew about certain topics…and then I had this aha moment and it dawned on me that my job was to get them to make sense of the content, make meaning for themselves and to use what they were learning in new situations”
After this aha moment, McTighe’s teaching transformed; he began asking more questions and shifted from “show me what you know to show me what you can do” As a new teacher, I modeled my teaching on my teachers: knowledgeable, engaging, confident, and very much the center of the classroom. To give up this place in the center of the class would have meant that I failed as a teacher. However, I am coming to see that the only way I can succeed as a teacher-librarian is to give up this role as queen bee. An additional challenge is to encourage other teachers to transform their teaching style.
Social and Collaborative Media:
Social and Collaborative Media:
Tools and Strategies for the School Library Media Specialist
As a school library media specialist striving to become a “21st Century literate educator”, teaching media literacy and the effective use of technology is a key goal. According to The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education:
Media literacy is the capacity to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate messages in a wide variety of forms. This expanded conceptualization of literacy responds to the demands of cultural participation in the twenty-first century.
Learning has shifted from the top-down authority driven model I knew to a collaborative one. To become effective collaborators, students transform from consumers of information to evaluators and creators: communication and ethical use of information is critical. We will explore the ways Social and Collaborative Media Tools engage students, encourage media literacy skills and perform academic functions.
A key media literacy task is for students to research on the Internet (access). Under the traditional model, students individually gather facts and compile them into a paper or project, engendering little thought and interaction. Social and collaborative media tools allow for more interaction during this process. The teacher-librarian may still lay the groundwork for the research by establishing guidelines, finding resources and organizing links, using social media to create a home base. Home-base could be a custom I-Google or Pageflakes page, containing customized tabs, a dictionary, assignments, guidelines for finding and evaluating appropriate resources, bookmarks and links to a class blog or wiki.. These pages are free, accessible, can be viewed by parents and easily updated by the teacher-librarian.
A more interactive home-base option is a social bookmarking site such as Ning, Delicious, or Diigo. These pages are more social, community property—the teacher is the overseer, but students are given the power to add their own resources and commentary. Ning offers practical features such “as personal profile pages, chat capabilities, and the ability to connect with other members.” In “Ning and Writing to Learn”, Nathalie Ettzevoglou and Jessica McBride comment on the educational benefits of Ning:
On Ning postings completed outside of class, students wrote in first person, expressed opinions, and critiqued each other rather than analyzing the work of literature or film we were discussing in class at the time. This style of writing calls for cohesive, convincing, succinct expression of ideas in a short paragraph.
This fosters writing and critical thinking skills and collaboration—information is not poured into a student, but created by the student in concert with others, befitting the goal of “cultural participation in the twenty-first century”. In addition, social bookmarking sites are transparent, allowing parents, administrators and colleagues to monitor the assignment.
In my short tenure in a high school media center, I have been horrified to see how many teachers plunk their students on the Internet, ask them to create a PowerPoint, and look the other way while they cut and paste from Wikipedia, finishing with pictures from Google Image. There is a better way. According to Joyce Valenza social and collaborative technologies such as Facebook engage students and increase learning:
Any technology that is able to captivate so many students for so much time not only carries implications for how those students view the world but also offers an opportunity for educators to understand the elements of social networking that students find so compelling and to incorporate those elements into teaching and learning.
The 21st Century research alternative means the teacher librarian will be involved in the information gathering process: collecting information in a social bookmarking site or a social networking site (a blog, wiki, Twitter or Facebook account), commenting, evaluating, prodding students to look harder, think more: modeling these skills for the class. Social bookmarking and networking tools allow students to post links to research, including a summary and evaluation, inviting classmates to also evaluate those sources and commentary. This gives the class (with guidance from the teacher-librarian) an active role in deciding what information is appropriate, reliable and relevant. It also forces students to move away from cutting and pasting toward reading and thinking.
However, according to “How did a couple of veteran classroom teachers end up in a space like this?”, the danger is that many teachers use social networking tools to complete traditional teacher-centered assignments:
Ignoring the transformative capabilities of connectivity, some teachers using blogs merely reproduce offline practices online. Limiting classroom blogging to one-way transactions of information and directives from teachers to learners may add convenience and efficiency to the classroom, but does nothing for learning itself.
For learners to benefit from social networking, they need a more interactive role in creating knowledge. Another plus is that Blogs and other social networking tools can be kept private to protect students, and the super-conservative CCPS actually allows blogging so I can begin implementing blogging now.
Another excellent social media research tool is Skype. This online creation of a face-to-face meeting allows students anywhere to connect with authors, scientists, experts in a field or foreign language speakers. The technology requirements are minimal: an inexpensive microphone and web cam. As Sarah Chauncey points out in “Skype an Author Interview”, Skyping allows for no-cost or low-cost meetings with experts in a given field . Rather than passively watching a video clip, student and presenter interact. Because the online meeting is pre-arranged, students prepare research and questions in advance. According to Chauncey, skyping is “so close to having the author here in the room with us, and in some ways it’s a little more exciting because it is a little more mysterious to children…engaging… allow[ing] students to move outside the walls of the school.” We forget that some of our students have limited contact with the world beyond their school or home; a Skype visit can bring that world into the classroom, bringing valuable information in an engaging format .
After students use social networking to gather information, then we ask them to synthesize what they have learned and share it. This phase can also be transformed by 21st century technologies. Students can post their ideas, questions, drafts and final product to a class blog using Blogger, WordPress or a Wiki. The final product might be a traditional report; however, students can also create audio/video podcasts. Digital storytelling works even with limited technology. For sound, students need a microphone and access to a product like audacity, Voice Thread , etc. Students write a script, requiring strong writing skills (skills over-looked in the typical PowerPoint). Students may feel more invested in and take more pride in the production of a script which will be shared with the class than in a traditional research paper. Visuals and photographs can be organized, editied and uploaded simply through Picasa, Photostory, or Flickr. With a Webcam, students can create a news show, debate, or panel discussion. These podcasts can be uploaded to a Blog, Wiki or teacher tube and shared with the class, parents, administrators and colleagues, fostering pride, ownership and community. Teachers/librarians can create a portfolio of current and past work.
The challenges to implementing social and collaborative media tools in my rural high school mirror many schools. We have a large percentage of low income students with limited access to technology— no home computer or one so slow that advanced Internet operations are impossible. With budget cuts we struggle to have enough computers and up-to-date equipment. Another problem is the resistance to technology by teachers, administrators and parents. Many see it as unsafe and ineffective. Online safety is a concern, but one that can be prevented by a sound Internet safety policy. Students also need to be aware of the public nature of the Internet: “ Facebook presents students with choices about how to use technology in creative and useful ways while avoiding the pitfalls. Even as a purely social activity, Facebook has the potential to teach students about appropriate citizenship in the online world. (http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7025.pdf)
Academically, the challenge is the mind-set of teachers and students. The one-stop shopping mentality ( a search in a popular database) points to the lack of critical thinking skills in traditional research. However, “[l]ike many emerging Internet applications, Facebook [and other social media] also emphasizes the importance of creating content over simply consuming it” (http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7025.pdf)..
The transparency of social and collaborative technology means that teachers/librarians can monitor the research process, alerting students to potential plagiarism and/or copyright issues, building an ethical community of researchers. Most importantly, incorporating social media into education hits students where they live—engaging them in education and effectively preparing them for the world they live in.
Tools and Strategies for the School Library Media Specialist
As a school library media specialist striving to become a “21st Century literate educator”, teaching media literacy and the effective use of technology is a key goal. According to The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education:
Media literacy is the capacity to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate messages in a wide variety of forms. This expanded conceptualization of literacy responds to the demands of cultural participation in the twenty-first century.
Learning has shifted from the top-down authority driven model I knew to a collaborative one. To become effective collaborators, students transform from consumers of information to evaluators and creators: communication and ethical use of information is critical. We will explore the ways Social and Collaborative Media Tools engage students, encourage media literacy skills and perform academic functions.
A key media literacy task is for students to research on the Internet (access). Under the traditional model, students individually gather facts and compile them into a paper or project, engendering little thought and interaction. Social and collaborative media tools allow for more interaction during this process. The teacher-librarian may still lay the groundwork for the research by establishing guidelines, finding resources and organizing links, using social media to create a home base. Home-base could be a custom I-Google or Pageflakes page, containing customized tabs, a dictionary, assignments, guidelines for finding and evaluating appropriate resources, bookmarks and links to a class blog or wiki.. These pages are free, accessible, can be viewed by parents and easily updated by the teacher-librarian.
A more interactive home-base option is a social bookmarking site such as Ning, Delicious, or Diigo. These pages are more social, community property—the teacher is the overseer, but students are given the power to add their own resources and commentary. Ning offers practical features such “as personal profile pages, chat capabilities, and the ability to connect with other members.” In “Ning and Writing to Learn”, Nathalie Ettzevoglou and Jessica McBride comment on the educational benefits of Ning:
On Ning postings completed outside of class, students wrote in first person, expressed opinions, and critiqued each other rather than analyzing the work of literature or film we were discussing in class at the time. This style of writing calls for cohesive, convincing, succinct expression of ideas in a short paragraph.
This fosters writing and critical thinking skills and collaboration—information is not poured into a student, but created by the student in concert with others, befitting the goal of “cultural participation in the twenty-first century”. In addition, social bookmarking sites are transparent, allowing parents, administrators and colleagues to monitor the assignment.
In my short tenure in a high school media center, I have been horrified to see how many teachers plunk their students on the Internet, ask them to create a PowerPoint, and look the other way while they cut and paste from Wikipedia, finishing with pictures from Google Image. There is a better way. According to Joyce Valenza social and collaborative technologies such as Facebook engage students and increase learning:
Any technology that is able to captivate so many students for so much time not only carries implications for how those students view the world but also offers an opportunity for educators to understand the elements of social networking that students find so compelling and to incorporate those elements into teaching and learning.
The 21st Century research alternative means the teacher librarian will be involved in the information gathering process: collecting information in a social bookmarking site or a social networking site (a blog, wiki, Twitter or Facebook account), commenting, evaluating, prodding students to look harder, think more: modeling these skills for the class. Social bookmarking and networking tools allow students to post links to research, including a summary and evaluation, inviting classmates to also evaluate those sources and commentary. This gives the class (with guidance from the teacher-librarian) an active role in deciding what information is appropriate, reliable and relevant. It also forces students to move away from cutting and pasting toward reading and thinking.
However, according to “How did a couple of veteran classroom teachers end up in a space like this?”, the danger is that many teachers use social networking tools to complete traditional teacher-centered assignments:
Ignoring the transformative capabilities of connectivity, some teachers using blogs merely reproduce offline practices online. Limiting classroom blogging to one-way transactions of information and directives from teachers to learners may add convenience and efficiency to the classroom, but does nothing for learning itself.
For learners to benefit from social networking, they need a more interactive role in creating knowledge. Another plus is that Blogs and other social networking tools can be kept private to protect students, and the super-conservative CCPS actually allows blogging so I can begin implementing blogging now.
Another excellent social media research tool is Skype. This online creation of a face-to-face meeting allows students anywhere to connect with authors, scientists, experts in a field or foreign language speakers. The technology requirements are minimal: an inexpensive microphone and web cam. As Sarah Chauncey points out in “Skype an Author Interview”, Skyping allows for no-cost or low-cost meetings with experts in a given field . Rather than passively watching a video clip, student and presenter interact. Because the online meeting is pre-arranged, students prepare research and questions in advance. According to Chauncey, skyping is “so close to having the author here in the room with us, and in some ways it’s a little more exciting because it is a little more mysterious to children…engaging… allow[ing] students to move outside the walls of the school.” We forget that some of our students have limited contact with the world beyond their school or home; a Skype visit can bring that world into the classroom, bringing valuable information in an engaging format .
After students use social networking to gather information, then we ask them to synthesize what they have learned and share it. This phase can also be transformed by 21st century technologies. Students can post their ideas, questions, drafts and final product to a class blog using Blogger, WordPress or a Wiki. The final product might be a traditional report; however, students can also create audio/video podcasts. Digital storytelling works even with limited technology. For sound, students need a microphone and access to a product like audacity, Voice Thread , etc. Students write a script, requiring strong writing skills (skills over-looked in the typical PowerPoint). Students may feel more invested in and take more pride in the production of a script which will be shared with the class than in a traditional research paper. Visuals and photographs can be organized, editied and uploaded simply through Picasa, Photostory, or Flickr. With a Webcam, students can create a news show, debate, or panel discussion. These podcasts can be uploaded to a Blog, Wiki or teacher tube and shared with the class, parents, administrators and colleagues, fostering pride, ownership and community. Teachers/librarians can create a portfolio of current and past work.
The challenges to implementing social and collaborative media tools in my rural high school mirror many schools. We have a large percentage of low income students with limited access to technology— no home computer or one so slow that advanced Internet operations are impossible. With budget cuts we struggle to have enough computers and up-to-date equipment. Another problem is the resistance to technology by teachers, administrators and parents. Many see it as unsafe and ineffective. Online safety is a concern, but one that can be prevented by a sound Internet safety policy. Students also need to be aware of the public nature of the Internet: “ Facebook presents students with choices about how to use technology in creative and useful ways while avoiding the pitfalls. Even as a purely social activity, Facebook has the potential to teach students about appropriate citizenship in the online world. (http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7025.pdf)
Academically, the challenge is the mind-set of teachers and students. The one-stop shopping mentality ( a search in a popular database) points to the lack of critical thinking skills in traditional research. However, “[l]ike many emerging Internet applications, Facebook [and other social media] also emphasizes the importance of creating content over simply consuming it” (http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7025.pdf)..
The transparency of social and collaborative technology means that teachers/librarians can monitor the research process, alerting students to potential plagiarism and/or copyright issues, building an ethical community of researchers. Most importantly, incorporating social media into education hits students where they live—engaging them in education and effectively preparing them for the world they live in.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Diigo Application Thread
Diigo has been one of my best and worst tools. To start with the downside: my computer really disliked Diigo. For multiple times every session, I would receive an error message abut add-ons and away would go the Internet (along with the 12 screens I was in the middle of for my Blog article research). I changed my add-on settings to allow the Diigo toolbar, but the Internet still freezes and shuts down occasionally. On the positive, I love this tool. With the Diigo toolbar, you can push a button and add your notes which appear in the sidebar. What a great research tool—I have gathered my sources, can access them easily, add sticky notes to remind myself of where I want to put this information in my paper, include brief analysis in the description and use the tags to categorize the content. I called our Tech Service department to find out how I can add Diigo to our school computers (it was blocked when I tried).
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Twitter Activity Thread
My Twitter Name: mlynnert (yes I know it’s bad, but all the combinations I tried were blocked).
After studying the Visual Guide to Twitter, I do see potential for developing my professional life as a librarian. I searched the lists for “young adult literature”, “librarians”, “library” and “reading”. While I found that I had to sift through some fluff, I was able to access some excellent resources. For example, the information below came from a post entitled “How Your Library May Not be Using Twitter but Should” by David Allen Kelley, a Palm Beach County Library system web developer.
Libraries have always been about books, but what is it about books that you’re there for? Essentially information and/or entertainment. The library does this while functioning as something of a community center. Twitter enables the library to reach people on all those levels and do so much easier, cheaper and more regularly than ever before.
I think it is important to remember the “community center” role and rather than fighting against teenager’s interest in technology, capitalize on that interest to make information more accessible, fun and immediate.
There were also posts concerning what people hate about libraries: from being given a map to find a book, censorship, limiting the use of library meeting space to ‘approved’ groups, and generally grumpy, unhelpful library staff. It is helpful to see how library patrons interpret librarian behavior and library atmosphere so that I can avoid those mistakes in my library.
I also found this excellent site: Storytelling with Children: http://storytellingwithchildren.ning.com/video
Twitter Etiquette: Most of the Twitter etiquette is common sense rules that protect the user: no impersonation, the respect of privacy and confidential information, no threats, no copyright infringement, no unlawful use of the site and no unverified accounts. In addition there are limits to how many accounts one can set up as a precaution against spam, squatters, and abuse. Avoidance of spam seems to be a serious concern, mainly users who deliberately gunk up the works with lots of junk posts, links or seem to be harassing other tweeters by repeated replies or inappropriate replies.
After studying the Visual Guide to Twitter, I do see potential for developing my professional life as a librarian. I searched the lists for “young adult literature”, “librarians”, “library” and “reading”. While I found that I had to sift through some fluff, I was able to access some excellent resources. For example, the information below came from a post entitled “How Your Library May Not be Using Twitter but Should” by David Allen Kelley, a Palm Beach County Library system web developer.
Libraries have always been about books, but what is it about books that you’re there for? Essentially information and/or entertainment. The library does this while functioning as something of a community center. Twitter enables the library to reach people on all those levels and do so much easier, cheaper and more regularly than ever before.
I think it is important to remember the “community center” role and rather than fighting against teenager’s interest in technology, capitalize on that interest to make information more accessible, fun and immediate.
There were also posts concerning what people hate about libraries: from being given a map to find a book, censorship, limiting the use of library meeting space to ‘approved’ groups, and generally grumpy, unhelpful library staff. It is helpful to see how library patrons interpret librarian behavior and library atmosphere so that I can avoid those mistakes in my library.
I also found this excellent site: Storytelling with Children: http://storytellingwithchildren.ning.com/video
Twitter Etiquette: Most of the Twitter etiquette is common sense rules that protect the user: no impersonation, the respect of privacy and confidential information, no threats, no copyright infringement, no unlawful use of the site and no unverified accounts. In addition there are limits to how many accounts one can set up as a precaution against spam, squatters, and abuse. Avoidance of spam seems to be a serious concern, mainly users who deliberately gunk up the works with lots of junk posts, links or seem to be harassing other tweeters by repeated replies or inappropriate replies.
NING Reflection Thread
The first Ning community I joined is the one Sarah recommended: ISTE Community http://www.iste-community.org/?xg_source=ningcom
I found the following page: ISTE in Second Life http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Membership/Member_Networking/ISTE_Second_Life.htm
Since my own failure to use Second Life (computer froze/freaked out every visit), I found it interesting (and disappointing) to see the extensive presence ISTE has in Second Life. One can visit the Second Life Headquarters and volunteer to be a docent, presenter or panelist in a presentation. There is an archive of ISTE Eduverse Talks: I was excited to see topics such as podcasting, copyright issues, “high-yield technology practices” and clouds. The Rochester Institute of Technology even offers online classes through Second Life. However, all of these great talks took place in Second Life and my computer froze again. I had better luck with SIGMS (a special interest group for media specialists)
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Membership/SIGs/SIGMS_Media_Specialists_/SIGMS_Media_Specialists_.htm . This link: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Templates_and_Starter_Kits&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=34&ContentID=2863 to templates and starter kits for advocating for technology within your school and community. These resources would work well for grant applications, faculty development, and BOE presentations.
I also joined the English Companion Ning
http://englishcompanion.ning.com/?xg_source=ningcom , winner of a 2009 Edublog award. This group was a little less high tech so I was able to access most of the information. The posts include a wide range of topics from AP classes, testing,
classroom management advice, Young Adult Book Club, and Free Tools for English Teachers. The posts include: when students say “that’s so gay”, using blogs and wikis in the classroom and using Ning for the purpose of having students role-play characters &/or historical figures. There are posts that include lesson plans, including technology, on a range of subjects from Shakespeare and Animal Farm to slam poetry
I found the following page: ISTE in Second Life http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Membership/Member_Networking/ISTE_Second_Life.htm
Since my own failure to use Second Life (computer froze/freaked out every visit), I found it interesting (and disappointing) to see the extensive presence ISTE has in Second Life. One can visit the Second Life Headquarters and volunteer to be a docent, presenter or panelist in a presentation. There is an archive of ISTE Eduverse Talks: I was excited to see topics such as podcasting, copyright issues, “high-yield technology practices” and clouds. The Rochester Institute of Technology even offers online classes through Second Life. However, all of these great talks took place in Second Life and my computer froze again. I had better luck with SIGMS (a special interest group for media specialists)
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Membership/SIGs/SIGMS_Media_Specialists_/SIGMS_Media_Specialists_.htm . This link: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Templates_and_Starter_Kits&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=34&ContentID=2863 to templates and starter kits for advocating for technology within your school and community. These resources would work well for grant applications, faculty development, and BOE presentations.
I also joined the English Companion Ning
http://englishcompanion.ning.com/?xg_source=ningcom , winner of a 2009 Edublog award. This group was a little less high tech so I was able to access most of the information. The posts include a wide range of topics from AP classes, testing,
classroom management advice, Young Adult Book Club, and Free Tools for English Teachers. The posts include: when students say “that’s so gay”, using blogs and wikis in the classroom and using Ning for the purpose of having students role-play characters &/or historical figures. There are posts that include lesson plans, including technology, on a range of subjects from Shakespeare and Animal Farm to slam poetry
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Twitter Discussion Board Post
My Twitter Name: mlynnert (yes I know it’s bad, but all the combinations I tried were blocked).
After studying the Visual Guide to Twitter, I do see potential for developing my professional life as a librarian. I searched the lists for “young adult literature”, “librarians”, “library” and “reading”. While I found that I had to sift through some fluff, I was able to access some excellent resources. For example, the information below came from a post entitled “How Your Library May Not be Using Twitter but Should” by David Allen Kelley, a Palm Beach County Library system web developer.
Libraries have always been about books, but what is it about books that you’re there for? Essentially information and/or entertainment. The library does this while functioning as something of a community center. Twitter enables the library to reach people on all those levels and do so much easier, cheaper and more regularly than ever before.
I think it is important to remember the “community center” role and rather than fighting against teenager’s interest in technology, capitalize on that interest to make information more accessible, fun and immediate.
There were also posts concerning what people hate about libraries: from being given a map to find a book, censorship, limiting the use of library meeting space to ‘approved’ groups, and generally grumpy, unhelpful library staff. It is helpful to see how library patrons interpret librarian behavior and library atmosphere so that I can avoid those mistakes in my library.
I also found this excellent site: Storytelling with Children: http://storytellingwithchildren.ning.com/video
Twitter Etiquette: Most of the Twitter etiquette is common sense rules that protect the user: no impersonation, the respect of privacy and confidential information, no threats, no copyright infringement, no unlawful use of the site and no unverified accounts. In addition there are limits to how many accounts one can set up as a precaution against spam, squatters, and abuse. Avoidance of spam seems to be a serious concern, mainly users who deliberately gunk up the works with lots of junk posts, links or seem to be harassing other tweeters by repeated replies or inappropriate replies.
After studying the Visual Guide to Twitter, I do see potential for developing my professional life as a librarian. I searched the lists for “young adult literature”, “librarians”, “library” and “reading”. While I found that I had to sift through some fluff, I was able to access some excellent resources. For example, the information below came from a post entitled “How Your Library May Not be Using Twitter but Should” by David Allen Kelley, a Palm Beach County Library system web developer.
Libraries have always been about books, but what is it about books that you’re there for? Essentially information and/or entertainment. The library does this while functioning as something of a community center. Twitter enables the library to reach people on all those levels and do so much easier, cheaper and more regularly than ever before.
I think it is important to remember the “community center” role and rather than fighting against teenager’s interest in technology, capitalize on that interest to make information more accessible, fun and immediate.
There were also posts concerning what people hate about libraries: from being given a map to find a book, censorship, limiting the use of library meeting space to ‘approved’ groups, and generally grumpy, unhelpful library staff. It is helpful to see how library patrons interpret librarian behavior and library atmosphere so that I can avoid those mistakes in my library.
I also found this excellent site: Storytelling with Children: http://storytellingwithchildren.ning.com/video
Twitter Etiquette: Most of the Twitter etiquette is common sense rules that protect the user: no impersonation, the respect of privacy and confidential information, no threats, no copyright infringement, no unlawful use of the site and no unverified accounts. In addition there are limits to how many accounts one can set up as a precaution against spam, squatters, and abuse. Avoidance of spam seems to be a serious concern, mainly users who deliberately gunk up the works with lots of junk posts, links or seem to be harassing other tweeters by repeated replies or inappropriate replies.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Digital Storytelling Video
Here is the script for my video on digital storytelling tools, but I am having trouble saving and uploading it...as soon as I figure out the problem, I'll post it.
Lynn Myers
Script: Review of Digital Storytelling Tools:
Imbedded Link
Efficient Use of Resources and Technology to meet diverse user needs:
I keep returning to the notion that our students live in a digital world (and I come from the era of the typewriter and the phone attached to the wall.) Hence, I had many frustrations with creating my own podcast—most of them self-created, but this makes me more sympathetic toward students who struggle with school assignments.
Digital Storytelling has great potential in the classroom because it gives students a chanced to share what they’ve learned, but they’re still forced to think about what information is most important to present and the best way to present it.
In creating my podcast, I explored many tools: Flickr, Photostory, PowerPoint, Voicethread, Audacity and Jing, and they all had their advantages and disadvantages. These tools were free and already on my computer or easily downloaded.
With Flickr, I could upload my pictures and turn them into a set or a photostream (video), but then had little control over the final product and the special effects are limited. With Photostory and PowerPoint, one can add more special effects, alter the timing, and fine tune the final show.
For sound, Jing is very simple: simply capture the screen (the final PP or Photostory), press the Capture Video button and begin speaking when prompted. There is a pause button, but one must make the recording in one fell swope. With Audacity, there is more freedom and flexibility: sound effects and music can be added, tracks can be easily edited, and there is more potential for a richer final product. However, it did have a steeper learning curve. I think students enjoy adding the fun extra touches, so this potential is important when selecting digital storytelling tools.
For my final product, I used PowerPoint and Jing—capturing the PowerPoint and creating a video, then turning it into a Screencast. I created an alternate version using PP and Audacity, but I didn’t like the final product as well, so I ditched it.
I found Jing easy to use to create the video, but we have Audacity in our media center and every school is supposed to be supplied with microphones (although our seems to be missing so I will need to replace it).
Based on how much time I spent figuring everything out, I would simplify the process. To use this with students and teachers, I would settle on a clear template/outline with specific technologies selected in advance for each section. For example:
· Select topic—class discussion, preliminary research using encyclopedias, etc
· Read/research—select appropriate databases, print resources, etc.
· Develop script—identify specific features required; with instructor approval
· Gather visuals—sources, nature of visuals
· Create podcast—length, specific tools
· Edit—peer review, instructor approval, etc.
· Share—post, class presentation,etc.
With each step, I would work with the classroom teacher to identify specific tools and outcomes, providing tutorials (like Sarah did with our class). It would be fun to have students share their process—so as they master various pieces of the process, they can teach the class how they did it. This gives students a sense of community and a sense of ownership that improves engagement and self-esteem.
Incorporating Digital storytelling in the curriculum:
Digital storytelling would enhance any project that required reading/research, and then the analysis, synthesis, and sharing of the learning, working equally well for individual or group projects.
Obviously digital storytelling works well for book talks and book reports in the English classroom.
Students could also present reviews of art or music in a similar format—inserting video or audio clips of the work being reviewed, inserting analysis and research.
Research of controversial issues is a common science or social studies assignment and this would work well for digital storytelling. There are also many opportunities to use Primary Source documents: historic photographs, newspaper articles, research reports and lab reports. Students could work in pairs or teams to present opposing viewpoints on a topic in a mock talk show or panel discussion. They would conduct research, synthesize their ideas and create a coherent final product, but making the product similar to what they see on TV or u-tube would make it more engaging to them. They could feel like they were creating a product with real-world applications.
My high school is the oldest in the county and has the most antiquated computer/internet service, so one always has to have a Plan B for days when computers don’t work or the Internet is super-slow.
In addition, because we are a rural school, we have some students with very limited computer skills so I would have tutorials available (like Sarah’s) in print and online for the use of all technologies. I would also encourage students to help each other. Rather than the traditional model where students work silently and independently, I would encourage students to present mini-demonstrations of technologies they have mastered and stages of the project they have successfully and creatively completed. These could be saved to the website, a blog or a Wiki for future classes.
In the early attempts of teaching digital storytelling, I would probably have students begin with visual formats they are already familiar with: PowerPoint, Photostory, etc. In that way, they can focus on learning the new audio technology (and on the content to be shared)
Based on my frustration of trying to tape with the phone ringing, the dog barking, and teenagers stomping through the room, I would provide a small studio space where students could record without distractions.
The biggest obstacle I see is time. This would have to be a collaborative project with teachers who would have to be willing to invest a lot time and be flexible with scheduling because of computer glitches and those unforeseen things that crop up whenever one tries something new.
I’m sure I could target a few of the younger teachers who would be willing to try Digital Storytelling and work with them to develop a unit.
Lynn Myers
Script: Review of Digital Storytelling Tools:
Imbedded Link
Efficient Use of Resources and Technology to meet diverse user needs:
I keep returning to the notion that our students live in a digital world (and I come from the era of the typewriter and the phone attached to the wall.) Hence, I had many frustrations with creating my own podcast—most of them self-created, but this makes me more sympathetic toward students who struggle with school assignments.
Digital Storytelling has great potential in the classroom because it gives students a chanced to share what they’ve learned, but they’re still forced to think about what information is most important to present and the best way to present it.
In creating my podcast, I explored many tools: Flickr, Photostory, PowerPoint, Voicethread, Audacity and Jing, and they all had their advantages and disadvantages. These tools were free and already on my computer or easily downloaded.
With Flickr, I could upload my pictures and turn them into a set or a photostream (video), but then had little control over the final product and the special effects are limited. With Photostory and PowerPoint, one can add more special effects, alter the timing, and fine tune the final show.
For sound, Jing is very simple: simply capture the screen (the final PP or Photostory), press the Capture Video button and begin speaking when prompted. There is a pause button, but one must make the recording in one fell swope. With Audacity, there is more freedom and flexibility: sound effects and music can be added, tracks can be easily edited, and there is more potential for a richer final product. However, it did have a steeper learning curve. I think students enjoy adding the fun extra touches, so this potential is important when selecting digital storytelling tools.
For my final product, I used PowerPoint and Jing—capturing the PowerPoint and creating a video, then turning it into a Screencast. I created an alternate version using PP and Audacity, but I didn’t like the final product as well, so I ditched it.
I found Jing easy to use to create the video, but we have Audacity in our media center and every school is supposed to be supplied with microphones (although our seems to be missing so I will need to replace it).
Based on how much time I spent figuring everything out, I would simplify the process. To use this with students and teachers, I would settle on a clear template/outline with specific technologies selected in advance for each section. For example:
· Select topic—class discussion, preliminary research using encyclopedias, etc
· Read/research—select appropriate databases, print resources, etc.
· Develop script—identify specific features required; with instructor approval
· Gather visuals—sources, nature of visuals
· Create podcast—length, specific tools
· Edit—peer review, instructor approval, etc.
· Share—post, class presentation,etc.
With each step, I would work with the classroom teacher to identify specific tools and outcomes, providing tutorials (like Sarah did with our class). It would be fun to have students share their process—so as they master various pieces of the process, they can teach the class how they did it. This gives students a sense of community and a sense of ownership that improves engagement and self-esteem.
Incorporating Digital storytelling in the curriculum:
Digital storytelling would enhance any project that required reading/research, and then the analysis, synthesis, and sharing of the learning, working equally well for individual or group projects.
Obviously digital storytelling works well for book talks and book reports in the English classroom.
Students could also present reviews of art or music in a similar format—inserting video or audio clips of the work being reviewed, inserting analysis and research.
Research of controversial issues is a common science or social studies assignment and this would work well for digital storytelling. There are also many opportunities to use Primary Source documents: historic photographs, newspaper articles, research reports and lab reports. Students could work in pairs or teams to present opposing viewpoints on a topic in a mock talk show or panel discussion. They would conduct research, synthesize their ideas and create a coherent final product, but making the product similar to what they see on TV or u-tube would make it more engaging to them. They could feel like they were creating a product with real-world applications.
My high school is the oldest in the county and has the most antiquated computer/internet service, so one always has to have a Plan B for days when computers don’t work or the Internet is super-slow.
In addition, because we are a rural school, we have some students with very limited computer skills so I would have tutorials available (like Sarah’s) in print and online for the use of all technologies. I would also encourage students to help each other. Rather than the traditional model where students work silently and independently, I would encourage students to present mini-demonstrations of technologies they have mastered and stages of the project they have successfully and creatively completed. These could be saved to the website, a blog or a Wiki for future classes.
In the early attempts of teaching digital storytelling, I would probably have students begin with visual formats they are already familiar with: PowerPoint, Photostory, etc. In that way, they can focus on learning the new audio technology (and on the content to be shared)
Based on my frustration of trying to tape with the phone ringing, the dog barking, and teenagers stomping through the room, I would provide a small studio space where students could record without distractions.
The biggest obstacle I see is time. This would have to be a collaborative project with teachers who would have to be willing to invest a lot time and be flexible with scheduling because of computer glitches and those unforeseen things that crop up whenever one tries something new.
I’m sure I could target a few of the younger teachers who would be willing to try Digital Storytelling and work with them to develop a unit.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Podcasting Thread
Here is a link to my book talk:
If you're over the age of 13 and not too prim and proper, I highly recommend this book. However, expect to see it on the banned books list in upcoming years...
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Flickr Pic with Notes
This photograph, from the Library of Congress American Memory Collection, provides historical background for the young adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The protagonist, Arnold leaves the Spokane Indian Reservation School for the local white high school, believing that he could not possibly receive a good education on the reservation. Students could gain an historical perspective on the novel by contrasting these old photographs with newer photographs of Indian reservations. Arnold does not seem to fit in the white world or the reservation world, a conflict that my students might not fully understand without examining the reservation system as it has evolved.
Tell a Story in 5 Frames with Flickr: Winter Walk
Here is a link to my photo story: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47277159@N05/sets/72157623247558845/
The plot of the story will make more sense when I add the narration, but this is the view of Big Pipe Creek from my house. This area is slated to become part of the new Carroll County Reservoir which will dramatically change the landscape here. This activity could be used to support literacy in that I had to think in terms of a story before I took the pictures. So I had to think: beginning, middle, end, and I thought about my audience; how can I make the story interesting to them? While some of the photo stories make sense without any text, mine requires explanation...that will follow when I add the narration. Just as a side note, the snow was really deep and the walk back up the hill was quite something...I can feel it in my legs as I sit here typing.
The plot of the story will make more sense when I add the narration, but this is the view of Big Pipe Creek from my house. This area is slated to become part of the new Carroll County Reservoir which will dramatically change the landscape here. This activity could be used to support literacy in that I had to think in terms of a story before I took the pictures. So I had to think: beginning, middle, end, and I thought about my audience; how can I make the story interesting to them? While some of the photo stories make sense without any text, mine requires explanation...that will follow when I add the narration. Just as a side note, the snow was really deep and the walk back up the hill was quite something...I can feel it in my legs as I sit here typing.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
#2
Ed Tech Talk: Digital Storytelling
http://edtechtalk.com/taxonomy/term/618
This webcast reviews the use of hypertext storytelling software that makes it possible to read and write stories for the Internet in order to enhance student writing. There is a discussion between Marc Bernstein, the project manager for Storyspace, and Jeremy Ashkenas, the creator of Hypertextopia. The discussion is long, over an hour, and explores the highly technical, academic and abstract possibilities of hypertext. I got a little lost.
According to Bernstein, hypertext, begins with annotated text, and he describes hypertext as “…an important new kind of punctuation…” that “changes the way we write. Jeremy has studied the potential for writing on the web, and describes the link as a “fundamental difference that the web has ”. In developing Hypertextopia, his goal was to create his “ideal writing tool”.
As the discussion continues, Bernstein and Ashkenas discuss the way that Hypertextopia “inhabits the web,” and is “Imitative of books” in the way that it adds things to it like footnotes/annotations as pieces that arent’ essential. However, narrative coherence is preserved. They discuss examples of hypertext storytelling, such as “hickory garden”, “I have said nothing”, and “Patchwork Girl” , the girl sews herself together from scraps and bits…(like the form). They describe hypertext as an “atmospheric creation, less interested in plot, more interested in feeling, more poetic. He describes classical hypertext as more narrative, suitable for essays, conveying thoughts, etc.
When the discussion shifted to teaching writing, I could follow the discussion better since I taught writing for 20 years. According to Bernstein, teaching writing is first of all getting people to write; getting students to write blogs has been positive. He says that Blogs depend on links and high school students are already familiar with links. They begin discussing the “rhetoric of links…lyrical use of linking” and that the average high school students can not use this potential effectively. They discuss the link as punctuation, the link as rhetorical tool. Someone in the chat room commented that ” links are connections, not punctuation”…And this is where they really lost me. I couldn’t grasp the link as rhetorical tool business. A very technical discussion; I need more practical tips, sort of a hypertext storytelling for dummies.
The moderator shares his concerns about the use of digital storytelling in schools—“I worry that too much of digital storytelling ends up looking like info-mercials…the medium doesn’t grab me”…
They answer his concerns by stating that Digital stories should be authentic, true, personal, and biographical, however; “craft is viewed with skepticism” and becomes secondary, editing is limited. The notion that craft and editing are unimportant disturbs me because I think writing skills are important to life and job success. However, one caller, a 3rd grade teacher, “sees possibilities beyond pencil and paper storytelling.” The authors respond that hypertext storytelling could help writers learn about the revision process. This technology could help younger/developmental writers see they can pick things up and move them around—and that is a difficult skill to teach using traditional methods.
Overall, I was intrigued by the possibilities of using hypertext storytelling with students, but I’m still a little confused about the products discussed and how they work.
Ed Tech Talk: Digital Storytelling
http://edtechtalk.com/taxonomy/term/618
This webcast reviews the use of hypertext storytelling software that makes it possible to read and write stories for the Internet in order to enhance student writing. There is a discussion between Marc Bernstein, the project manager for Storyspace, and Jeremy Ashkenas, the creator of Hypertextopia. The discussion is long, over an hour, and explores the highly technical, academic and abstract possibilities of hypertext. I got a little lost.
According to Bernstein, hypertext, begins with annotated text, and he describes hypertext as “…an important new kind of punctuation…” that “changes the way we write. Jeremy has studied the potential for writing on the web, and describes the link as a “fundamental difference that the web has ”. In developing Hypertextopia, his goal was to create his “ideal writing tool”.
As the discussion continues, Bernstein and Ashkenas discuss the way that Hypertextopia “inhabits the web,” and is “Imitative of books” in the way that it adds things to it like footnotes/annotations as pieces that arent’ essential. However, narrative coherence is preserved. They discuss examples of hypertext storytelling, such as “hickory garden”, “I have said nothing”, and “Patchwork Girl” , the girl sews herself together from scraps and bits…(like the form). They describe hypertext as an “atmospheric creation, less interested in plot, more interested in feeling, more poetic. He describes classical hypertext as more narrative, suitable for essays, conveying thoughts, etc.
When the discussion shifted to teaching writing, I could follow the discussion better since I taught writing for 20 years. According to Bernstein, teaching writing is first of all getting people to write; getting students to write blogs has been positive. He says that Blogs depend on links and high school students are already familiar with links. They begin discussing the “rhetoric of links…lyrical use of linking” and that the average high school students can not use this potential effectively. They discuss the link as punctuation, the link as rhetorical tool. Someone in the chat room commented that ” links are connections, not punctuation”…And this is where they really lost me. I couldn’t grasp the link as rhetorical tool business. A very technical discussion; I need more practical tips, sort of a hypertext storytelling for dummies.
The moderator shares his concerns about the use of digital storytelling in schools—“I worry that too much of digital storytelling ends up looking like info-mercials…the medium doesn’t grab me”…
They answer his concerns by stating that Digital stories should be authentic, true, personal, and biographical, however; “craft is viewed with skepticism” and becomes secondary, editing is limited. The notion that craft and editing are unimportant disturbs me because I think writing skills are important to life and job success. However, one caller, a 3rd grade teacher, “sees possibilities beyond pencil and paper storytelling.” The authors respond that hypertext storytelling could help writers learn about the revision process. This technology could help younger/developmental writers see they can pick things up and move them around—and that is a difficult skill to teach using traditional methods.
Overall, I was intrigued by the possibilities of using hypertext storytelling with students, but I’m still a little confused about the products discussed and how they work.
* B O O K W I N K * Video Booktalks for Kids, Teachers and Librarians
#1
10 Technology Enhanced Alternatives to Book Reports
http://theapple.monster.com/benefits/articles/8529-10-technology-enhanced-alternatives-to-book-reports
I have made it my mission as a media specialist to encourage teachers to eliminate boring assignments that require no critical thinking skills. The author, Kelly Tenkely, a technology teacher, provides 10 practical alternatives to traditional book reports. Her conclusion captures the essence of the article and her philosophy:
"Technology brings interest back into reading and helps students continue to find reading that they enjoy while providing the teacher with feedback about student reading comprehension. These are great alternatives to book reports that will keep your students from ‘readicide’. Most of the above tools have the added benefit of being able to be embedded into a classroom blog, website, or wiki. All student projects can be collected, organized, and viewed in one place. It doesn’t get better than this!"
I like that Tenkey embraces technology to engage students rather than fighting against it. Her 10 alternatives include having students create online posters, comics, book shelves, podcasts, and interactive sites where students can respond to each others book reviews. I enjoyed the BookWinks site with examples of video booktalks. I plan to work on a similar project with one of our English teachers. In addition, Tenkey’s example of podcasting book reviews reminds me of a project I observed with another media specialist. Students researched controversial issues and then created audio podcasts of radio interviews where pairs of students debated the pros and cons of their issue. The students did solid research and presented persuasive arguments—and they were excited about doing it. That they got to add music and sound clips was an extra bonus to them. The assignments had real life value to the students because they selected topics meaningful to them and presented the information in a format they found valid, and fun
* B O O K W I N K * Video Booktalks for Kids, Teachers and Librarians
10 Technology Enhanced Alternatives to Book Reports
http://theapple.monster.com/benefits/articles/8529-10-technology-enhanced-alternatives-to-book-reports
I have made it my mission as a media specialist to encourage teachers to eliminate boring assignments that require no critical thinking skills. The author, Kelly Tenkely, a technology teacher, provides 10 practical alternatives to traditional book reports. Her conclusion captures the essence of the article and her philosophy:
"Technology brings interest back into reading and helps students continue to find reading that they enjoy while providing the teacher with feedback about student reading comprehension. These are great alternatives to book reports that will keep your students from ‘readicide’. Most of the above tools have the added benefit of being able to be embedded into a classroom blog, website, or wiki. All student projects can be collected, organized, and viewed in one place. It doesn’t get better than this!"
I like that Tenkey embraces technology to engage students rather than fighting against it. Her 10 alternatives include having students create online posters, comics, book shelves, podcasts, and interactive sites where students can respond to each others book reviews. I enjoyed the BookWinks site with examples of video booktalks. I plan to work on a similar project with one of our English teachers. In addition, Tenkey’s example of podcasting book reviews reminds me of a project I observed with another media specialist. Students researched controversial issues and then created audio podcasts of radio interviews where pairs of students debated the pros and cons of their issue. The students did solid research and presented persuasive arguments—and they were excited about doing it. That they got to add music and sound clips was an extra bonus to them. The assignments had real life value to the students because they selected topics meaningful to them and presented the information in a format they found valid, and fun
* B O O K W I N K * Video Booktalks for Kids, Teachers and Librarians
Power Point 20th Anniversary Cinderella
#3 Story Ideas
http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryIdeas
Rowan Manahan’s retelling of Cinderella layered with modern analysis is quite funny in a dry way. The slides are mainly text with a few graphs and charts; for example on page 6 is this chart showing that as Cinderella’s attractiveness increases, her quality of life decreases, and the author attributes this phenomenon to vanity and envy on the part of her wicked stepmother and sisters. Students could use this slideshow as a model to create their own slideshows analyzing a narrative (fiction or non-fiction). It could even be used as a rough draft for a paper on the topic. The slide show could be created as a group project, with small groups or pairs of students creating a slide or two as part of a larger class show.
The article also included practical tips for creating slideshows: story idea prompts, a question, a visual, and using the imagination. The page includes 50 examples of slideshows, from dog stories, to music videos, and more. The author includes a chart showing the specific tools he used to make the same story (about his dog Dominoe) in 50 versions, incorporating different technologies in each story. I appreciated the practical nature of this site, particularly since much of the technology is blocked in our school. The alternatives presented showed me ways that I could use this technology in the school setting.
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryIdeas
Rowan Manahan’s retelling of Cinderella layered with modern analysis is quite funny in a dry way. The slides are mainly text with a few graphs and charts; for example on page 6 is this chart showing that as Cinderella’s attractiveness increases, her quality of life decreases, and the author attributes this phenomenon to vanity and envy on the part of her wicked stepmother and sisters. Students could use this slideshow as a model to create their own slideshows analyzing a narrative (fiction or non-fiction). It could even be used as a rough draft for a paper on the topic. The slide show could be created as a group project, with small groups or pairs of students creating a slide or two as part of a larger class show.
The article also included practical tips for creating slideshows: story idea prompts, a question, a visual, and using the imagination. The page includes 50 examples of slideshows, from dog stories, to music videos, and more. The author includes a chart showing the specific tools he used to make the same story (about his dog Dominoe) in 50 versions, incorporating different technologies in each story. I appreciated the practical nature of this site, particularly since much of the technology is blocked in our school. The alternatives presented showed me ways that I could use this technology in the school setting.
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Power Point 20th Anniversary Cinderella
View more presentations from Rowan Manahan.
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