Web 2.0 in the classroom

Woot! Google comes out with Android App Inventor!

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:13:00 +0000

The buzz on the internet this morning is about this little gem, Google App Inventor, which will give us all the power to create apps for our Android smartphones! Me, well, I'm very interested in using it in my Interactive Multimedia curriculum at the high school level. While I haven't gotten to play with it yet, per se (you have to register and then wait for acceptance/approval), I am surprised how much it looks like Scratch! And what I love is the open, block architecture (it's based on the Open Blocks Java Library) and how it is really a continuation of the work of Seymour Papert and the MIT Logo Group began way back in the '60s.

Take a look at this simple, yet enticing video that Google posted on YouTube. Anyone else excited about the possibility of weaving this into current curriculum??

Women in a Men's Tech World - An Educator's Summarized Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:15:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I can relate to much of what this article, Out of the Loop in Silicon Valley, is saying. Bravo - an excellent article, Claire Cain Miller!! I wanted so bad to leave a comment about the gender biases I've seen in the Wired magazine (a pretty ironic magazine title, if you think about it).
So often I perceive this magazine as catered to sex-starved male geeks. I'm referring to the the ads - the little side articles, etc. This type of content doesn't help to break any stereotypes that women are just toys, pastimes -- objects to be manipulated and used when bored with other things made and manipulated, now does it. But alas, no comments allowed at the end of Clair's excellent article (what gender made that editorial call??). The tech world, despite it's aura of innovation and forward-progress, seems to have its share of gender-biased neanderthal thinking, for sure. Let's hope great things for our granddaughters, because both you and I know, it is really that far off. Claire, ever thought about starting a gender equitable tech magazine called "Rewired"? I'd subscribe in a heartbeat!!

(oops - forgot my place there for a second...I am, after all, only a little 'ol tech usin' female teacher writing a silly little benign education blog...don't worry, my hand is going back to rocking the cradle. It is - it really is. ;)

If you ever feel like you're being used...you are

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:29:00 +0000

At what point is social media to our benefit, and at what point is it exploiting us? Oh, it's not anything new - a new spin on an old trick. Let the public freely advertise your product for a coveted item. I dreaded the day when business began salivating over Twitter. They'll ruin it all.

Teacher's Digital Briefcase | Diigo

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:18:00 +0000

Teacher's Digital Briefcase | Diigo

A very nice collection of digital teacher tools! Check 'em out!

You simply must read if you teach....well written and extremely perceptive

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:17:00 +0000

Okay, below you'll find one of the best articles I've read in some time. LOVED IT!! Well written, insightful and beautifully retold (you will love the two-handed strawberry eater). May Anthony Mullen continue to speak loud and clear for those of us in the trenches. The race to online education is really about money, meaning a race to NOT lose local/state/federal funding, and/or the thought that a turn to online ed will save tons of taxpayer money. It is not necessarily about pursuing sound or even better pedagogical practices for students which..excuse me..is the real goal, is it not? And that is the rub. (Diigo bookmark and my highlights listed below)

Teachers should be seen and not heard - Road Diaries: Teacher of the Year - Education Week Teacher
tags: education, future, future_technology
- "I think we need to consider the role of teachers in the classroom," she replies in a soft voice. "We are headed toward a teacherless classroom and must be guided by this fact." A teacherless classroom? I look around the table and hope one of the esteemed guests will ask her to clarify or possibly expand upon her statement. Instead, the guests just nod their heads in agreement.
  
  The strange little man interrupts. "I agree. Technology is making the traditional classroom teacher less relevant-possibly obsolete. Soon students will be learning at home from online classes on their laptops." I silently question who will be teaching the online classes.
- The Harvard professor tugs at his chin with his right thumb and index finger and compliments the senator. "In the future," he says, "students will be learning at home using their computers. School buildings and classrooms will not be the primary learning environment." Really? Could any sane person envision millions of school children staying home and learning a full curriculum online? I foresee a stay-at-home mom or dad spending most of the day trying to keep their children away from Facebook.
- Where do I begin? I spent the last thirty minutes listening to a group of arrogant and condescending non educators disrespect my colleagues and profession. I listened to a group of disingenuous people whose own self-interests guide their policies rather than the interests of children. I listened to a cabal of people who sit on national education committees that will have a profound impact on classroom teaching practices. And I heard nothing of value.
- "I'm thinking about the current health care debate, "I said. "And I am wondering if I will be asked to sit on a national committee charged with the task of creating a core curriculum of medical procedures to be used in hospital emergency rooms."
  
  The strange little man cocks his head and, suddenly, the fly on the wall has everyone's attention.
- "I realize that most people would think I am unqualified to sit on such a committee because I am not a doctor, I have never worked in an emergency room, and I have never treated a single patient. So what? Today I have listened to people who are not teachers, have never worked in a classroom, and have never taught a single student tell me how to teach."
  
  An uneasy silence cloaks the table. The governor from the South looks at his watch, the governor from the North bows his head, the governor from the Midwest stirs his coffee, the diminutive senator stares at me, and the strange little man grabs another strawberry. One by one the lunch guests leave the table.
  
  I return to being a fly on a wall at a table.
  
  I wonder how many other teachers have been treated in such a manner.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Challenging Ourselves

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Wonderful graphics, wonderful message by Stuart McMillen!

BaseKit: Helping Photoshop and Designers Be All They Can Be

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:11:00 +0000

I love Photoshop. I've come in contact with lots of software, webware and freeware over the years, and Photoshop still is my favorite. I've not yet mastered it after 10 years, but that's why it remains at the top of my list. I use it for so many things, but at work primarily to teach web design. So you can understand my excitement when I ran across a recent Twitter referencing BaseKit and its current beta signup. There seems to be a chasm-ed divide these days between those who design and those who code the designer's ideas into the end result. Perhaps BaseKit will bridge that divide at bit. Click on the image below to see what BaseKit has to offer. Very promising indeed -- an all from within the browser window.

We live in a day and age where we shouldn't have to be super-geeky to put our design ideas into play on the Internet. I'd like to say we've evolved past that...or have we? Check out the following Vimeo video. With a mantra of "Stop coding, start designing - create a website the BaseKit way", how could you not hope for its wild success? Where is it all heading? I think we'll soon have some hyper-combined version of SiteGrinder/Artisteer/BaseKit before we know it -- and it will be revolutionary. It might even make coders want to learn design. ;) Definitely a company to keep an eye on.

BaseKit from BaseKit Team on Vimeo.

Getting Inspired via Photoshop

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 04:45:00 +0000

Have been thinking a bit about the need to jumpstart my creativity. Had fun exploring this new photoshop technique. With the advent of the web, we can all become publishers of our ideas, our writing and our art -- or at least dabble at it and have a heck of a lot of fun. It's all about exploring new techniques, and new methods, not necessarily the end product. It's about creating while we play, and playing while we create. I know I don't do this enough and need an increased daily prescription. Would love to hear to what extent creativity, exploration and play are an integral part of your web 2.0 experience!

Before (photo I took this summer at the local botanic gardens)

After... (click to see larger version)

WordPress 2.9 - Carmen!

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:48:00 +0000

While I love you, too, Blogger, WordPress has stolen my heart because of its sheer power. And now, here is version 2.9, Carmen, more powerful and robust than ever. Check out the new built-in image editor - woot!! As I last posted, you can make full on websites with this publishing platform...Blogger, ya need this flexibility. But Blogger, I still love you because you're simple and fast. Each of you have a place in my heart. ;)

Moodle and WordPress to make full on websites

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Have been recently writing some curriculum for an IT master's program and mentioned,

With the advent of Web 2.0, creating websites has taken even yet another turn. Webware (online software, often free of charge such as Google Sites, Weebly , and Wix) and download-able freeware/Open Source software such as WordPress, Moodle, and Joomla, allow even quicker website creation and provide a gentler learning curve for the user than their pure WYSIWYG editor predecessors. Webware user interfaces now allow the average Internet user to click and choose, or use intuitive drag-n-drop components to create an entire site. Often pre-made templates can be used to create multiple pages fast and with professional results. Additionally, users can now publish their pages directly to the web – without use of a FTP program - with the mere click of a button. Web pages that once took days, if not weeks, to create can now be constructed within minutes. Because of advances in webware and our access to it, sharing of knowledge is now almost instantaneous.

My big shifts this year have involved taking some risks related to the above. Though they may not be tectonically earth moving, I'm glad I've ventured away from what I know/what I've used and tried something different. This past year has been particularly demoralizing in terms of making educational technology advances where I work (yes, that's why I'm not posting so regularly), so strapping on some gritty doggedness and continuing to expand my professional repertoire despite all of it is definitely movement in the right direction.

My first experiment this year was trying on Moodle to run my class website (skillsworthlearning.com). Before I'd been a fast fan of DreamWeaver and creating my own templates with CSS and all. But I kept reading all of these other educators saying how neat this "Moodle" CMS was. Well, I have to tell you, at first I really had my doubts. It is nothing like DreamWeaver nor any other website creation tool I'd used. There was a bit of a learning curve, but not as much as learning HTML, CSS, GoLive, Photoshop and DreamWeaver. In short, Moodle can make a very powerful e-learning website for an educator -- pretty darn quickly. I've been able to make some great learning activities, quizzes, and lessons for my students because of this open source software. You've got to have some server space to install it and get it up and running, but other than that, you're ready to soar. You've got a great base of support via Moodle.org, as well as a slew of free, fantastic modules/plugins that make it even more powerful. What feature do I like the most? The fact that it scores review, quizzes, test, etc. instantaneously and can give students valuable, timely feedback on their learning. The integrated gradebook is very nice, as well. Oh, did I mention, it's free? Put that near the top of the list, too. Forgot to mention, too, that Moodle also offers some great site passwording, allowing me to create a safe, yet not totally-hemmed-in, learning environment for students. They can easily post their assignments for other peers to see, but not necessarily the world.

My other adventure was to take the last one third of my Web Design class and take a stab at using WordPress as a CMS. Two thirds of the class is spent learning Photoshop and DreamWeaver, which is worthwhile but really not representative of what I shared in my blockquote above. We're moving into a day and age where web publishing needs to be for the everyday Internet user. Continuing to teach DreamWeaver is noble, but it's not really where it's all headed. Now, sure -- if a student is to become a web designer, yes, DreamWeaver is an industry standard piece of software he or she needs to really know. But the vast majority of my students are not going to become web designers; what they do need to know is how to build a quick web presence to promote themselves or a future business or career. They don't need a rollercoaster ride in DreamWeaver to do this.

Everyday I spend a few minutes perusing Delicious. About six months ago I began seeing that WordPress was capable of making more than a blog: it can make an entire site with static pages and all (and sure, if you want, you can still have one of those pages be a blog page). I've discovered that you can do this using WordPress.com, but even more powerfully, if you have WordPress as a free publishing platform installed on a host server. My students are in their last three days of creating their sites with WordPress (full installations) and I took a moment the other day to see what they thought of this method vs. using DreamWeaver to create a site. Without missing a beat, they said WordPress made so much more sense, and was so much quicker to use to make an entire site. And they really liked the idea that they could quickly create a professional looking site for a client then quickly teach the new site owner how to manage it him/herself!

Will I branch out and have students try Wix or Weebly or Google Sites as well next semester? I just might! It is, after all, about the common everyday user having Gutenberg-like power.

Simply Jaw-dropping! YES!!

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:43:00 +0000

You simply must watch then go try it yourself. Wow -- the understatement of the year...

PhotoSketch: Internet Image Montage from tao chen on Vimeo.

Expanding a Bit

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Image by wytze via Flickr

Because of some changes within our department course offerings, this semester I only get about three weeks to deliver a Web 2.0 unit to my students in our Computer Apps class. So, while I'm not too sure how much I'll be focusing on new webware and apps hitting the scene, I can say I'm trying something new this year. I'm moodling.

I've had a class website for my students for the last 15 years or so. Making sites is nothing new to me as I also teach web design. I was a little reluctant to give up my handmade CSS site to try Moodle, but I have to admit I'm liking it. It's pretty darn powerful and it's surprised me more than once in the last five weeks. Now, I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's one nice piece of open source software!

Moodle is a learning management system (LMS) - a fairly sophisticated piece of e-learning software that allows educators to make some great interactive websites for students. Your Moodle (which means an "enjoyable tinkering") can be a repository of text/audio/video lessons and resources, but it's also capable of monitoring student activity and use of those lessons/resources. But what I'm really grooving on the most right now is how Moodle allows me to informally assess learning as we go so that I can determine if I need to reteach a concept if students aren't getting it. In upcoming posts, I'll share more about what I'm discovering and what seems to be working well. Moodle, as I've also discovered, has a really supportive online user community as well as lot of great free "plugins" that rock! Stay tuned.

Just-in-time Learning Resources for creating 21st Century Classrooms

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:51:00 +0000

Presented an hour tech training today at my school with the above title. It was billed as..

This hour long session will focus on accessing and using free, online resources available to teachers wishing to create a more engaging 21st century classroom. We will explore how to use various interactive sites to collaborate with teachers/classrooms around the globe, as well as how to access live and archived webinars for free, just-in-time professional development on various Web 2.0 topics (wikis, blogs, VoiceThread, digital storytelling, social bookmarking, and much more).

*Session is geared towards meeting ISTE Teacher Standard
5. Teachers Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.
a.Educators participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning

At the start of the session, shared this chart and key features of 21st Century learning .

Also shared the new trend towards “Open Professional Development” and the idea that districts are having/will continue to have a hard time keeping pace with the exponential explosion of information and new teaching tools. Professional teacher development in the area of Web 2.0 will occur, but will, more than likely, "trickle" down all too slowly to the classroom teacher. Thus, knowing about great, free resources can help us start the process ourselves, and help us dive into the topics that are the most applicable for our teaching situation.

Then shared these Open Professional Development sites/resources...

Beginner/General Information on Web 2.0 Tools and Rationale for increasing Instructional Technology in the Classroom

· http://commoncraft.com/videos

· http://ow.ly/jKgl

· http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/1480

Podcasts to learn more about Web 2.0

· http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=989

Professional Networking Sites to learn more about Web 2.0

· http://www.classroom20.com/

· http://home.learningtimes.net/learningtimes

Online Webinars to learn more about Web 2.0

Online Lesson Modules to learn more about Web 2.0

http://ebistro.org/menu/index.php

And last, shared...

"Create connections with other classrooms from around the world. By joining these networks, you can search for global partners to connect and share lessons and experiences with. Create valuable international learning experiences for your students." From http://ow.ly/jKgl

· ePals

· Taking It Global

· PBS Teachers

· Classroom 2.0

· TWICE

· IECC- Intercultural email

· Global School Net

Other ideas and additions? (sorry about the sloppy formatting above - copied/pasted from Word and let's say that it doesn't necessarily play "nice" with Blogger)

Twitter as Phatic Monologue/Dialogue

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:50:00 +0000

Image via CrunchBase

Just recently I was at a learning conference where Twitter came up at our table; we were attempting to generate forms of expressive language activities and microblogging made the list. Not really knowing much about it, the others turned to me and asked what I thought of Twitter. As you know, I'm still a bit undecided on the real usefulness of this web app and have really tried to analyze how this all might be related to personality type.

What I then shared with the group was a comment (see below) I'd found a few days earlier at a post regarding Twitter in the classroom. Of most interest was the term "phatic", meaning "an expression whose only function is to perform a social task, as opposed to conveying information". Additionally, think of phatic expressions as "words used to convey any kind of social relationship e.g polite mood, rather than meaning; for example, "How are you?"

Twitter makes me paranoid. I've always thought of it as a form of phatic monologue/dialogue - most posts are speech acts which contain little informative substance, and simply prolong the act of communication. Instead of having a specific, utility-based purpose, they reaffirm that the "channel" (in this case, the Internet) works as a medium. Naturally, there's a level of addictiveness that arises as the user continually seeks confirmation that his/her Twittering is "heard" ... comment left by Jess

It is a very interesting thought. I can attest that Twitter can be very "phatic" at times and I thought the resulting addictiveness cycle worthy of some thought. Had never heard anyone put it quite this way.

I'd best not send out a Tweet of this new post. ;)

Fotopedia - Mashing up Flickr, Wikipedia and Google Maps

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:08:00 +0000

Turtle on Fotopedia

It's new and hot, and the sneak peak is promising. Introducing Fotopedia! Think of mixing Flickr, Wikipedia and Google Maps and you've got the basic idea of this new Web 2.0 app. While it's not fully functional yet, in just days you'll be able to do the following:

TAKE ANY PHOTO ALBUM AT THE SITE AND TURN IT INTO A WEB PAGE WITH TAGS, ASSOCIATED WIKI INFO, AND IF AVAILABLE, A GOOGLE MAP!

Plus you can comment and vote on the relevance of the picture in regards to the wiki article it is paired with. Once a submitted image receives five positive votes, it becomes a part of the Fotopedia encyclopedia. If it's inappropriate, you can flag it. Sporting high quality images and a clean and simple layout, user-friendliness is evidently a high priority. Those teachers wanting to have students appropriately use web images will be glad to see creative commons licensing pictorially represented on each image (attribution, share-alike, etc.). Additionally, as seen in the above slideshow on turtles, any album can be widgetized and used in blogs, websites or wikis. The widget's sleek interface is, indeed, refreshing. Community features also accompany the site.

Once the door opens to Fotopedia in a few days, users will contribute the bulk of the content; you'll be able to directly upload and then organize images via Picasa, Flickr, and more. Obviously, schools/districts who currently block Flickr will not benefit much from this new app. How will it make money? Fotopedia's mission statement mentions that it aims to allow "photographers to promote and monetize their premium content". Guess this is all yet to fully be revealed.

Web 2.0, Education, and Keeping Up With It All (weekly)

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 10 May 2009 00:48:00 +0000

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Online Conferences - Awesome, Convenient Professional Development for Educators

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Time and money often prevent educators from attending as many conferences as they want, but Web 2.0 is really changing this. Many conferences today have some aspect of online participation either in real-time or via archived sessions. One really great directory to check out is the 2009 T.H.E. Conference Calendar. Set up your search according to month and geographical location. Clicking on a particular conference will give you details such as when and where, a conference description, who should attend, website location/reference and contact information. While not all of these will have a virtual participation component, it certainly is the trend.

First time trying some of these out? Here's one to try on: just recently I attended the FETC virtual conference. You'll find some great archived sessions here . Free registration is required-a.k.a some minor hoop jumping - but once in, go to the Auditorium and select from choices. Topics you'll find include the following:

Keynote: 21st Century Learning: A Necessity for our Students
Crossing the Threshold to the Future of Learning
Emerging Interactive Media: What to Use, When, and How?
Wireless N: WiFi Finally Delivers
Getting the Most Bang For Your Buck: Key Considerations For a Successful Technology Rollout and ROI
Impact of the Federal Stimulus Package on Districts and Schools
The 21st Century Web: Beyond the 2.0 Tools
The Future is Here: STEM, CTE & Academic Mergers
Students "Speak Up" about 21st Century Learning and Education Games
Digital Survival Kit: Empowering the 21st Century Educational Leader

Also, don't forget the awesome learning opportunities via all the archived sessions for the Live Classroom 2.0 webcasts.

Happy professional development!

Pick Me! Pick Me!

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:16:00 +0000

Microsoft is offering up NECC '09 scholarships, I've recently read. But you must do the following, so here I go.

How can Microsoft help you teach better? Please respond with a URL to a blog post or online video.

Microsoft - you can help me teach better by continuing your awesome free webcasts for educators! Send me to NECC '09 so that I can bring the most current and effective technological pedagogy back to implement in my classroom. If selected, I promise to do 2 things; blog about all that I learn PLUS I promise to take two other educators from my district to NECC '10! Do I want to go? Heck yes!!! :)

Leadership and Web 2.0: There is no "Arriving", just the Journey

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:26:00 +0000

Writing can be intimidating. Writing a blog that the whole world can read, even more. And that's why I applaud all those administrators and teachers who engage in this activity, or any Web 2.0 activity that promotes the sharing of ideas and growth.

In my own attempt to share and grow, I posted the following discussion question on Classroom 2.0, Steve Hargadon's Web 2.0 Ning, back on March 27th.

What types of support/working conditions are a must if progressive, technology-embracing educators are to be productive, creative, innovative and committed to their profession for the long haul? Yes, it's a big question, but I find myself thinking more and more about it. What would our working conditions look like, feel like, sound like? To what degree would teachers themselves be responsible and to what degree administators?

Within moments a quite insightful reply by high school educator Matt T. came back.

Great question! I've been thinking about this a bit, too. A few thoughts that come to mind:

...some sort of sustained professional development/learning - no more "this year's initiative is..." This might be accomplished via professional learning communities, individual personal learning networks, and/or a "knowledge base" of previous PD articles, slides, etc.

...administrators who join in and "do it," too. I went a conference break out a few months ago where the presenters mentioned that their administrators vowed to learn along side everyone else as they rolled out Moodle at the building and eventually district level. The faculty were using it with their students and the administrators used it to get feedback after each PD day as well as to get input from other stakeholders in the district in what would have otherwise been done killing a few trees.

...an emphasis on assessment reform. I personally believe assessment has the potential to spur future change. Once we re-think the "way" and the "why" we "assess" then it's much easier to view how other things such as classroom management might improve, too. It may also help better define technology's role in the big picture.

Looking forward to this discussion. Thanks for starting it up!

What a fantastic response! While all of these points are certainly true, the second one resonated strongly with me. Only a few days later, Will Richardson wrote on this very same issue in his April 6th post Transparency=Leadership.

What two things (and only two) would you tell educational leaders are the most important steps they can take to lead change today? I got that one from a professor at Oakland University last week, and after pausing for what seemed like an excruciatingly long time, I answered “build a learning network online, and make your learning as transparent as possible for those around you.” And while I really think the first part of that answer would make sense to most leaders out there, I think the second would have them running for the hills.

The obvious commonalities? Both Matt T., an in-the-trenches teacher, and Will Richardson, a well-respected educational blogger and consultant, are saying that the two most important endeavors educational leaders (this includes both teachers and admin) can embark upon are as follows:

1. building a DIGITAL ONLINE personal learning network (PLN)

2. learning along side of one another all the while making that learning TRANSPARENT so we can see we're all on this non-stop journey together

Whether administrating or teaching in the classroom, we're to be Learners and Teachers.....and it's a cycle that is non-ending and re-energizes itself. It's contagious and stimulating. Creativity and innovation are the end results because transparent growth is the ultimate admission that we "haven't arrived", heck that "there is no arriving" in this profession, only the journey.

If you want to be motivated, carve out some time and listen to the following Seedlings Bit by Bit podcast if you want to hear an example of a administrator and teacher doing both #1 and #2 above. Susan Phillips is the principal of Chets Creek Elementary in Jacksonville, FL and she is walkin' the talk thanks to the encouragement of Melanie Holtsman, a Chet's Creek teacher who's sharing her knowledge. Both of these ladies are the type of teacher/learner Will Richardson refers to when he says,

A big part of my decision making process in terms of who to believe and who to trust stems from how willing a person is to share her ideas, what level of participation she engages in, how ethical or supportive those interactions are, and how relevant she is to my own learning needs.

Web 2.0, Education, and Keeping Up With It All (weekly)

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:32:00 +0000

A WEB-EMPOWERED REVOLUTION IN TEACHING - TEDChris: The untweetable
tags: education, teaching, exposure
Building the 21st-Century Mind: Scientific American - Annotated
Excerpt - "Gardner is probably best known in educational circles for his theory of multiple intelligences, which is a critique of the notion that there exists but a single human intelligence that can be assessed by standard psychometric instruments. His most recent book, Five Minds for the Future, offers some advice for policy-makers on how to do a better job of preparing students for the 21st century. Mind Matters editor Jonah Lehrer chats with Gardner about his new book, the possibility of teaching ethics and how his concept of multiple intelligences has changed over time."
tags: education, gardner, brain, 21stcentury, learning, intelligences, 21st-century
MicroModule Tutorials
tags: technology, information, interactive, literacy, education
shortsighted.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Excerpt - "To future generations, Americans‘ current educational myopia is likely to appear, at best, a negligent failure to anticipate and meet the needs of the nation and its citizens. And for the sake of those future generations, the short-sighted practices and parochial policies that have delayed significant improve-ment in the nation‘s educational advancement must change. To provide students with a world-class education, the United States, beginning with strong leadership from the U.S. Department of Education (ED), must adopt a more global outlook. The tools and opportunities already exist; indeed, the United States has even subsidized their creation. Now the nation needs to participate in, learn from, and act on the results of internationally benchmarked assessments."
tags: education, 21centuryskills, assessment, change, comparison
Thinkature - About Thinkature
Excerpt - "With Thinkature, you can create a collaborative workspace and invite coworkers, friends, and colleagues to join you in just seconds. Once inside your workspace, you can communicate by chatting, drawing, creating cards, and adding content from around the Internet. It's all synchronous, too - no need to hit reload or get an editing lock."
tags: collaboration, web2.0, visualization, notetaking, education

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Web 2.0, Education, and Keeping Up With It All (a sharing of bookmarks with excerpts)

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:32:00 +0000

Universities with the Best Free Online Courses -- Education-Portal.com

Excerpt - "No tuition money? No problem! There are many top universities that offer free courses online. This list ranks several of the best free university courses available for people who want to enhance their personal knowledge or advance in their current field."
tags: education, e-learning, university, courses
Stanford on iTunes U
Download courses, faculty lectures, interviews, music and sports.

Play on your iPod, Mac or PC, or burn a CD.

Stay Connected anytime anywhere.

Experience a wealth of learning from Stanford.
tags: education, podcast, itunes, stanford, lectures
Free Foreign Language Lessons (Download to MP3 Player, iPod or Computer) | Open Culture
A great way to learn 37 languages for free. Spanish, French, English, Mandarin, Russian and much more. Why pay for Rosetta Stone when you can learn a new language for free.
tags: language, learning, podcast, languages, education
More Tuition-Free Education Courses for Teachers
Excerpt - "In a recent post about Tuition-Free Education Courses for Teachers, I pointed out a number of online education courses that are free to self-learners around the world. Most of these courses are provided through well-known colleges and universities. While these courses are an excellent way to broaden your knowledge of specific topics, they aren’t the only sources of free teacher education on the web. There are many other organizations that provide tuition-free education courses to teachers. "
tags: professionaldevelopment, professional_development, education, educator, free_online_courses
Teaching Gen Yers
Excerpt - "Are you a professional developer, a high school teacher, or university faculty? Are you finding that some of your adult students born between 1976 and 1995 maybe even up to 2001 have specific needs that are difficult to meet in a traditional classroom situation? This generation is what we call the "Generation Y" high school and college students. You may be a Gen Yer or "Millennial". Think about what type of learning environment works best for you. If many of your students are the Generation Y, here are some ideas that might help you when you design your learning activities."
tags: teaching, Gen_Yers, education, technology, stategies, techniques
The Three-E Strategy for Overcoming Resistance to Technological Change (EDUCAUSE Quarterly) | EDUCAUSE
Excerpt - "First, a technology must be evident to the user as potentially useful in making his or her life easier (or more enjoyable). Second, a technology must be easy to use to avoid rousing feelings of inadequacy. Third, the technology must become essential to the user in going about his or her business. This "Three-E Strategy," if applied properly, has been at the core of every successful technology adoption throughout history."
tags: technology, adotion, education, web2.0
Digitally Speaking / FrontPage
Excerpt - "Our kids’ futures will require them to be:

* Networked–They’ll need an “outboard brain.”
* More collaborative–They are going to need to work closely with people to co-create information.
* More globally aware–Those collaborators may be anywhere in the world.
* Less dependent on paper–Right now, we are still paper training our kids.
* More active–In just about every sense of the word. Physically. Socially. Politically.
* Fluent in creating and consuming hypertext–Basic reading and writing skills will not suffice.
* More connected–To their communities, to their environments, to the world.
* Editors of information–Something we should have been teaching them all along but is even more important now."
tags: wiki, web2.0, education
TeachersFirst's Tech Tips
A very nice list of lab techniques when utililzing technology/computers in a lesson.
tags: technology, education, tips, lab_techniques

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Democracy, Authority and Technology Embracing Educators

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:20:00 +0000

Just recently I've had the opportunity to watch the above thought-provoking video from MIT World called "The Future of Work" by Thomas W. Malone (2004). At its conclusion, I found myself thinking about the popular post Wake Up and Smell the New Epistemology by T. Clydedale. Two of Clydesdale's statements below have really sent me thinking about my own knowledge acquisition as a professional educator and my view of authority/management because of it. The first quote is from a student referring to today's generation of digital learners, and the second is Clydesdale's suggestion as to how we should respond to this new shift in authority and knowledge.

It is imperative that someone studying this generation realize that we have the world at our fingertips — and the world has been at our fingertips for our entire lives. I think this access to information seriously undermines this generation's view of authority, especially traditional scholastic authority.

The onus is on us to better convey the value that a robust intellectual life adds to the public good. And we need to begin by respecting our students (and the wider public) not just as persons but as the arbiters of knowledge that they have become.

Now widen this idea, and replace the word "students" in the last quote with "technology-embracing educators". This new access to information has made me see authority and management differently within my own profession, teaching. Because of this new access to information I question, research, and examine issues and answers much, much more. With this powerful access to information, I can see that not all districts have the proclivity to "block 'em all" when it comes to Internet filtering (which by the way, Wes Fryer has just started a very intriguing effort at Unmasking the Digital Truth in hopes of sorting some of this all out). Not all districts out there shudder at the thought of students using blogs, or wikis or social networks or Skype. With this powerful access to information via my digital PLN, I've come to realize that there are some pretty remarkable, progressive Web 2.0 projects being successfully developed and that they are actually embraced and desired by admin, parents and educators.

Malone shares in "The Future of Work" that the decreasing cost of communication via new Internet/technologies makes the idea of democracy more tangible and more sought after for the masses - and not just society in general, but also in the workplace. Are we seeing this to be true in our own profession, as well? Will the democratizing effect of Web 2.0 radically change education just as it now is changing so many aspects of our culture? Will the top-down authority we so often see in our profession give way to a more democratic, participatory culture of educators, parents, students, admin and community at large?

New Technologies of Literacy

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:51:00 +0000

Web 2.0 refers to a perceived or proposed generation of Internet-based services - such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies - that emphasize Internet-based sharing among users. Wikipedia

The continuously changing technologies of literacy mean that we must help children learn how to learn new technologies of literacy. In fact, the ability to learn continuously changing technologies for literacy may be a more critical target than learning any particular technology of literacy itself.
Donald J. Leu, Jr., The New Literacies

A picture is worth...

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:13:00 +0000

It's very difficult to get others to realize this. A picture is worth...but maybe a picture and text are worth more. If you are just starting on this journey, be warned that it is a bumpy one. It takes others a while to see the "whole picture" and I have to remind myself they'll piece it together at their own pace.

Web 2.0, Education, and Keeping Up With It All (weekly)

noreply@blogger.com (JBlack) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:32:00 +0000

Unmasking the Digital Truth / FrontPage
tags: education, filtering, internet_safety
YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.
YouTube EDU - videos and channels from our college and university partners.
tags: educational_videos
Pupils to study Twitter and blogs in primary shake-up | Education | The Guardian
tags: education, curriculum, UK
Forget iTunes U: Students Now Getting College Credit via YouTube - ReadWriteWeb
tags: youtube, readwriteweb, college, education

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Web 2.0 in the classroom

Woot! Google comes out with Android App Inventor!

Women in a Men's Tech World - An Educator's Summarized Perspective

If you ever feel like you're being used...you are

Teacher's Digital Briefcase | Diigo

You simply must read if you teach....well written and extremely perceptive

Challenging Ourselves

BaseKit: Helping Photoshop and Designers Be All They Can Be

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Getting Inspired via Photoshop

WordPress 2.9 - Carmen!

Moodle and WordPress to make full on websites

Simply Jaw-dropping! YES!!

Expanding a Bit

Just-in-time Learning Resources for creating 21st Century Classrooms

Twitter as Phatic Monologue/Dialogue

Fotopedia - Mashing up Flickr, Wikipedia and Google Maps

Web 2.0, Education, and Keeping Up With It All (weekly)

Online Conferences - Awesome, Convenient Professional Development for Educators

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Leadership and Web 2.0: There is no "Arriving", just the Journey

Web 2.0, Education, and Keeping Up With It All (weekly)

Web 2.0, Education, and Keeping Up With It All (a sharing of bookmarks with excerpts)

Democracy, Authority and Technology Embracing Educators

New Technologies of Literacy

A picture is worth...

Web 2.0, Education, and Keeping Up With It All (weekly)