Copyrights and Permissions: Giving Online Credit Where Credit is Due
As students begin middle school, their research assignments become more in-depth. They begin to actively troll for information on the web, a medium with which they are very comfortable. However, they don’t always know when to give credit where it is due. This how-to article offers valuable tips about teaching writing students about appropriate use of collected information. It provides clear explanations of what is copyright and fair use. The Cyberbee quiz is a great, interactive link that allows students to learn more about how and when they can use what they find on the web.
Using Technology to Motivate Middle School Students
Studies show that student motivation undergoes a great change during the transition from fifth to sixth grade. This decrease in motivation has been linked to the transition to a middle school environment of more teacher control and less student autonomy. With hands-on, inquiry-based learning, students are more actively engaged, and thus more motivated to learn. This how-to article gives specific suggestions on using technology to raise student motivation. What is interesting is that the three ideas suggested: WebQuests, digital portfolios, and e-pals, are all about reaching beyond the classroom. Students reach globally to complete WebQuests, post their creations in digital portfolios to present to the world, and communicate with people outside their classroom. Can it be that stretching outside the normal boundaries gives the students a sense of control they usually don’t have?
Podcasting Basics
With the proliferation of iPods among students, it seems only natural that someone would find a way to use them as an educational tool. This how-to article is ideal for those teachers who aren’t sure what an iPod is, let alone what to do with it for instruction. The examples used in the website are clearly applicable in my writing classroom. Instead of a traditional poster for a group book project, students can work together to create a podcast for a character, or research and synthesize a response to a debate question. The usefulness of this article for me was in the examples and the steps for getting started. This allowed me to visualize what a podcast project would look like from start to finish.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Class 8 Reading Responses
When the Book? When the Net?
Although this commentary makes a few notable remarks about the filtering benefits of books over the Internet, it is worth mentioning that thirteen years ago when this was written, the web was a much more immature creature.
With the advent of Web 2.0 tools, the information available to the amateur researcher is much greater than when this article was written. However, I do agree that searches for older data such as the Cuban Missile Crisis example frequently lead to hard copy publications and more distilled, vetted information. I tell my students that info from books carry more credibility simply because that information is usually checked carefully before someone is willing to pay money to publish it. Yet, as more and more people feel compelled to correct collaborative websites, the reliability of the data on those sites is also improving.
Critical Issue:
Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction
As a writing teacher, I have seen the benefits of using word processing, multimedia, and electronic communication with my students. For one research assignment, I required students to share their paper with me through GoogleDocs instead of submitting a hard copy. I found that I was able to give more timely feedback electronically than I could have if I had sat down to read each individual hard copy. Students were able to make revisions immediately and resubmit. In essence, this electronic capability has allowed me to extend my writing workshop conferences beyond the school day and classroom to evenings through electronic communications.
I can relate to the “moving target” comment that just as we begin to understand the benefits of a particular technology, it becomes obsolete. A few years, I started using PALM handhelds in my classroom. Ironically, just as we are finding better ways to use the handheld in the classroom, the PALM itself is quickly going the way of the dinosaur. Many of the things that we did on the handhelds can now be done better on laptops with full applications.
Although this commentary makes a few notable remarks about the filtering benefits of books over the Internet, it is worth mentioning that thirteen years ago when this was written, the web was a much more immature creature.
With the advent of Web 2.0 tools, the information available to the amateur researcher is much greater than when this article was written. However, I do agree that searches for older data such as the Cuban Missile Crisis example frequently lead to hard copy publications and more distilled, vetted information. I tell my students that info from books carry more credibility simply because that information is usually checked carefully before someone is willing to pay money to publish it. Yet, as more and more people feel compelled to correct collaborative websites, the reliability of the data on those sites is also improving.
Critical Issue:
Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction
As a writing teacher, I have seen the benefits of using word processing, multimedia, and electronic communication with my students. For one research assignment, I required students to share their paper with me through GoogleDocs instead of submitting a hard copy. I found that I was able to give more timely feedback electronically than I could have if I had sat down to read each individual hard copy. Students were able to make revisions immediately and resubmit. In essence, this electronic capability has allowed me to extend my writing workshop conferences beyond the school day and classroom to evenings through electronic communications.
I can relate to the “moving target” comment that just as we begin to understand the benefits of a particular technology, it becomes obsolete. A few years, I started using PALM handhelds in my classroom. Ironically, just as we are finding better ways to use the handheld in the classroom, the PALM itself is quickly going the way of the dinosaur. Many of the things that we did on the handhelds can now be done better on laptops with full applications.
Class 7 Reading Responses
Critical Issue:
Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom
As I read this article, I couldn’t help but nod my head in agreement with many of the points made. The contradictory belief that it is okay to use the Internet in our real lives but not in the schools constantly amazes me. With our increasing dependence on the Internet to read, write, buy, sell, bank, even pay our taxes, how can we deny that our students’ education must reflect our current culture?
One of the issues discussed revolves around the teacher as a key factor in the success of technology implementation in the classroom. That seems self-evident; teachers are the key factors in the successful implementation of any curriculum. However, increased computer use without instructional purpose adds no value. Students must be shown that technology can do more than calculate; it can also be used to problem solve and create. But if we are successful in this, then we must also adjust our assessment tools to reflect the change in the medium. I spend all year allowing my students to use the Internet and word processing software to write essays. Then, in spring, the standardized tests are traditional pencil-and-paper assessments. My students have trained their brains to drive the car using automatic transmission and now we are testing if they can drive with a stick shift. It doesn’t make sense.
While there may be valid obstacles to technology implementation, obstacles also arise for implementation of any new innovation in education. It is up to us all, board members, administrators, teachers, students, and parents, to overcome those barriers to prepare our children to succeed in the future.
Integrating Technology into the Classroom using Classroom Instruction that Works
It seems the Jordan School District has found a great way to tie Marzano’s brain-based research strategies to technology. For the teacher who is just beginning to integrate technology and instruction, the tips offered on this webpage can provide a basic roadmap on how to get started. For the experienced teacher, it allows you to see how to blend the proven activities with the technological innovation. This webpage will definitely be one that I add to my bookmarks.
Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom
As I read this article, I couldn’t help but nod my head in agreement with many of the points made. The contradictory belief that it is okay to use the Internet in our real lives but not in the schools constantly amazes me. With our increasing dependence on the Internet to read, write, buy, sell, bank, even pay our taxes, how can we deny that our students’ education must reflect our current culture?
One of the issues discussed revolves around the teacher as a key factor in the success of technology implementation in the classroom. That seems self-evident; teachers are the key factors in the successful implementation of any curriculum. However, increased computer use without instructional purpose adds no value. Students must be shown that technology can do more than calculate; it can also be used to problem solve and create. But if we are successful in this, then we must also adjust our assessment tools to reflect the change in the medium. I spend all year allowing my students to use the Internet and word processing software to write essays. Then, in spring, the standardized tests are traditional pencil-and-paper assessments. My students have trained their brains to drive the car using automatic transmission and now we are testing if they can drive with a stick shift. It doesn’t make sense.
While there may be valid obstacles to technology implementation, obstacles also arise for implementation of any new innovation in education. It is up to us all, board members, administrators, teachers, students, and parents, to overcome those barriers to prepare our children to succeed in the future.
Integrating Technology into the Classroom using Classroom Instruction that Works
It seems the Jordan School District has found a great way to tie Marzano’s brain-based research strategies to technology. For the teacher who is just beginning to integrate technology and instruction, the tips offered on this webpage can provide a basic roadmap on how to get started. For the experienced teacher, it allows you to see how to blend the proven activities with the technological innovation. This webpage will definitely be one that I add to my bookmarks.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Class 6 Reading Responses
Copy And Paste Literacy? Literacy Practices In The
Production Of A MySpace Profile
By Dan Perkel
What started out as a social networking tool has now become so ingrained in our society, especially among teenagers, that we now question whether MySpace is “reading” or “writing.” Reading and writing have generally been viewed as an individual’s task. As teachers, we insist that students put things into their “own words.” But with this shift towards a more collaborative society, copy/pasting is not only acceptable, it is encouraged. If reading/writing are primarily about communicating, and this collaborative re-use of media has become a keystone for communication, then sites such as MySpace must be viewed as literacy tools.
The Perils and Pitfalls of Wikipedia
As Wikipedia has become more widely used, many Internet users (my students among them) have come to view it as equally reliable as a hardcover encyclopedia or text. Although its popularity may have increased its reliability, the collaborative nature continues to inspire skepticism in the minds of traditional researchers. More than one English teacher has banned the use of Wikipedia as a creditable research source. Although I do allow my students to use Wikipedia, I also strongly encourage them to verify the information with at least one other source.
The success of such sites as Wikipedia has led me to make an observation about my student researchers. Information has become so web-based that some students no longer know how to use print sources such as books, encyclopedias, or magazines. Their research is predominantly conducted on their computers. Perhaps a balance still needs to be kept among the old and the new.
Production Of A MySpace Profile
By Dan Perkel
What started out as a social networking tool has now become so ingrained in our society, especially among teenagers, that we now question whether MySpace is “reading” or “writing.” Reading and writing have generally been viewed as an individual’s task. As teachers, we insist that students put things into their “own words.” But with this shift towards a more collaborative society, copy/pasting is not only acceptable, it is encouraged. If reading/writing are primarily about communicating, and this collaborative re-use of media has become a keystone for communication, then sites such as MySpace must be viewed as literacy tools.
The Perils and Pitfalls of Wikipedia
As Wikipedia has become more widely used, many Internet users (my students among them) have come to view it as equally reliable as a hardcover encyclopedia or text. Although its popularity may have increased its reliability, the collaborative nature continues to inspire skepticism in the minds of traditional researchers. More than one English teacher has banned the use of Wikipedia as a creditable research source. Although I do allow my students to use Wikipedia, I also strongly encourage them to verify the information with at least one other source.
The success of such sites as Wikipedia has led me to make an observation about my student researchers. Information has become so web-based that some students no longer know how to use print sources such as books, encyclopedias, or magazines. Their research is predominantly conducted on their computers. Perhaps a balance still needs to be kept among the old and the new.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Week 5 Reading Responses
The focus of this article is on how educators must prepare children with the skills and experiences needed to succeed in future society. The concern is also that students should be aware of how media shapes their understanding of the world, their power to shape that media, and the responsibility that power bears.
The online world has shifted to one of participatory knowledge and we as educators must also shift our teaching to reflect that collective world.
Collective Intelligence has been defined as "the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with
others towards a common goal." This has led towards a teamwork mentality in the modern workplace. However, schools have not kept up with this trend; educators still primarily promote individual problem solving versus group as evidenced by the continued policy of individual grades. The author of this article suggests that schools need to teach students not only how to solve problems on their own but also when to work within a community to solve the problem. The suggestion was made that partnerships with experts as well as participants in multiple locations could allow students to work on problems collectively that might be too large or too complex to work on individually. I agree that this expansion of resources would be beneficial to our students in that it would stretch the classroom beyond the borders of the classroom. It would also give the students the real-world skills needed to work in a social community of knowledge.
Judgment was defined in this article as the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information
sources. The author suggests that students must be taught how to evaluate the reliability of information gathered from traditional expert sources as well as information gleaned from the collective intelligence. They must be taught that collective knowledge is an ever-changing process not a static product. The timing of this article for me as a teacher is fortunate. As a I begin instructing my sixth graders on the pluses and minuses of online research, we discuss the possibility of finding misinformation. I now realize that we must also teach students how to evaluate not only the content but also the source. Is it biased? Who is presenting the info and to whom? Although we as teachers have taught bias in such media as newspapers and TV news, we must also teach the subtleties of the online information world. Misinformation and bias are not always so obvious on the internet.
Media literacy should not be limited to one arena. Schools, after-school clubs, and parents should all be involved in preparing our children for participating fully in the modern world both online and offline.
Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century by Henry Jenkins, Director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The focus of this article is on how educators must prepare children with the skills and experiences needed to succeed in future society. The concern is also that students should be aware of how media shapes their understanding of the world, their power to shape that media, and the responsibility that power bears.
The online world has shifted to one of participatory knowledge and we as educators must also shift our teaching to reflect that collective world.
Collective Intelligence has been defined as "the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with
others towards a common goal." This has led towards a teamwork mentality in the modern workplace. However, schools have not kept up with this trend; educators still primarily promote individual problem solving versus group as evidenced by the continued policy of individual grades. The author of this article suggests that schools need to teach students not only how to solve problems on their own but also when to work within a community to solve the problem. The suggestion was made that partnerships with experts as well as participants in multiple locations could allow students to work on problems collectively that might be too large or too complex to work on individually. I agree that this expansion of resources would be beneficial to our students in that it would stretch the classroom beyond the borders of the classroom. It would also give the students the real-world skills needed to work in a social community of knowledge.
Judgment was defined in this article as the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information
sources. The author suggests that students must be taught how to evaluate the reliability of information gathered from traditional expert sources as well as information gleaned from the collective intelligence. They must be taught that collective knowledge is an ever-changing process not a static product. The timing of this article for me as a teacher is fortunate. As a I begin instructing my sixth graders on the pluses and minuses of online research, we discuss the possibility of finding misinformation. I now realize that we must also teach students how to evaluate not only the content but also the source. Is it biased? Who is presenting the info and to whom? Although we as teachers have taught bias in such media as newspapers and TV news, we must also teach the subtleties of the online information world. Misinformation and bias are not always so obvious on the internet.
Media literacy should not be limited to one arena. Schools, after-school clubs, and parents should all be involved in preparing our children for participating fully in the modern world both online and offline.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Week 4 Reading Responses
Rise of the Participation Culture
by Steve Borsch, CEO
Marketing Directions, Inc
Introduction
The shift in Internet use from passive to active has changed the infrastructure of technology in today's society. We have become a participation culture. Young people today do not wait for someone else to create a solution for their technological problems; they create their own solutions. This is a very different mindset from the previous computer generation.
The authors of Rise of the Participation Culture contend that this paradigm shift is on par with such notable historic events as the introduction of the printing press, telegraph/telephone, railroads/automobiles/planes where an improved system of creation and distribution of products and services changed our society. The global reach of an participatory Internet has allowed people from all over the world to create a new culture not bound by geography.
The "Participation Culture" is built upon three pillars: Internet, Participation, People
Internet as a Platform
Web-based applications mean that users are no longer tied to the computer or location where their application is stored. Users no longer need to worry about updating to the "latest" version of an application when it is housed in virtual space. The Internet has become its own operating system.
Participation Applications
User involvement is the key to the current Web culture. A network effect has been created by participants on such sites as Wikipedia, ebay, and online directory services such as LinkedIn. The driving force of sheer numbers results in a more powerful and valuable interactive experience.
Gaming and Virtual Worlds
A prime example of how pervasive the Participation Culture has become is in the gaming and virtual worlds arena. Annual revenues surpass even the motion picture industry. Projections indicate that worldwide gaming revenues will reach over $54 billion by 2009. No longer the domain of children, these gaming and virtual worlds are populated by people of all ages. The ability to create and "live" in other worlds has great appeal to many people. Many large companies in the "real" world are dipping into online gaming and the "virtual" world.
The suggestion was made that even educators are exploring the learning potential of virtual worlds. Imagine teaching a unit on Ancient Rome, creating a virtual city, and having students "live" in history. Talk about sparking imagination!
The possibilities are intoxicating but, I also worry about the drawbacks. While our world seems to be expanding exponentially, are we also in danger of becoming too virtual? Could these be the classrooms of tomorrow? "Virtual" classrooms where students login for class already exist. Will students lose that opportunity to learn how to interact on a face-to-face basis?
Rise of the Participation Culture
by Steve Borsch, CEO
Marketing Directions, Inc
Introduction
The shift in Internet use from passive to active has changed the infrastructure of technology in today's society. We have become a participation culture. Young people today do not wait for someone else to create a solution for their technological problems; they create their own solutions. This is a very different mindset from the previous computer generation.
The authors of Rise of the Participation Culture contend that this paradigm shift is on par with such notable historic events as the introduction of the printing press, telegraph/telephone, railroads/automobiles/planes where an improved system of creation and distribution of products and services changed our society. The global reach of an participatory Internet has allowed people from all over the world to create a new culture not bound by geography.
The "Participation Culture" is built upon three pillars: Internet, Participation, People
Internet as a Platform
Web-based applications mean that users are no longer tied to the computer or location where their application is stored. Users no longer need to worry about updating to the "latest" version of an application when it is housed in virtual space. The Internet has become its own operating system.
Participation Applications
User involvement is the key to the current Web culture. A network effect has been created by participants on such sites as Wikipedia, ebay, and online directory services such as LinkedIn. The driving force of sheer numbers results in a more powerful and valuable interactive experience.
Gaming and Virtual Worlds
A prime example of how pervasive the Participation Culture has become is in the gaming and virtual worlds arena. Annual revenues surpass even the motion picture industry. Projections indicate that worldwide gaming revenues will reach over $54 billion by 2009. No longer the domain of children, these gaming and virtual worlds are populated by people of all ages. The ability to create and "live" in other worlds has great appeal to many people. Many large companies in the "real" world are dipping into online gaming and the "virtual" world.
The suggestion was made that even educators are exploring the learning potential of virtual worlds. Imagine teaching a unit on Ancient Rome, creating a virtual city, and having students "live" in history. Talk about sparking imagination!
The possibilities are intoxicating but, I also worry about the drawbacks. While our world seems to be expanding exponentially, are we also in danger of becoming too virtual? Could these be the classrooms of tomorrow? "Virtual" classrooms where students login for class already exist. Will students lose that opportunity to learn how to interact on a face-to-face basis?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Class 3 Reading Responses
What Is Web 2.0
Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software
by Tim O'Reilly
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html?page=1
I would recommend this article to anyone who wants to understand exactly what Web 2.0 is. O’Reilly does an excellent job of not only defining terms but also explaining them in easy-to-understand language. The comparison of Web 1.0 tools (the Internet I understand) and the equivalent Web 2.0 resources were very useful in clearing most of the misunderstandings that I have about the current environment. The analogy of Google to the network used in a phone call enabled me to envision more clearly how truly different a web application is from a software application.
Publishing vs. participation – the web 2.0 environment is a living, breathing entity as opposed to a static display. It succeeds precisely because it is not controlled by one but by many. The interactivity of consumers and the ability to “harness (the) collective intelligence” is the strength behind the current web.
The organic, evolving nature of the Web 2.0 environment means that users/consumers must also continue to evolve. To be a competent user, I now feel that I can’t go to a class, learn to use the software, ignore it for a few months, and then expect to pick up where I left off. The speed at which this environment is developing means that I must stay on top of it if I want to be able to utilize it.
The New Wisdom of the Web
Why is everyone so happy in Silicon Valley again? A new wave of start-ups are cashing in on the next stage of the Internet. And this time, it's all about ... you.
NEWSWEEK
Updated: 6:39 PM ET Oct 15, 2007
http://www.newsweek.com/id/45976/output/print
This article clearly shows how common users have usurped control of the Internet. The author discusses how everyone has become the expert. Sites that cater to that need have been the successful ventures. I don’t believe that is an accident. Human nature is such that everyone wants to be heard and everyone wants his/her voice to count.
One of the other main characteristics of this current web environment is the sense of community. This also ties in to human nature. People want to have that feeling of belonging. Any feature that provides for that necessity is bound to be successful.
Social Bookmarking
http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/social-bookmarking
This was a very timely article for me. As a sixth-grade writing teacher, I spend much time with my students researching for assignments. We find ourselves frequently falling back on Google to begin our searches and trying to revisit sites. The ability to collect and share useful sites among all the students adds the value of collective research. We can screen the bad from the good and save them for future. It also will allow my students to begin research at school, save those bookmarks, and access them from home to continue their research. This is definitely one Web 2.0 resource that I can’t wait to use.
Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software
by Tim O'Reilly
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html?page=1
I would recommend this article to anyone who wants to understand exactly what Web 2.0 is. O’Reilly does an excellent job of not only defining terms but also explaining them in easy-to-understand language. The comparison of Web 1.0 tools (the Internet I understand) and the equivalent Web 2.0 resources were very useful in clearing most of the misunderstandings that I have about the current environment. The analogy of Google to the network used in a phone call enabled me to envision more clearly how truly different a web application is from a software application.
Publishing vs. participation – the web 2.0 environment is a living, breathing entity as opposed to a static display. It succeeds precisely because it is not controlled by one but by many. The interactivity of consumers and the ability to “harness (the) collective intelligence” is the strength behind the current web.
The organic, evolving nature of the Web 2.0 environment means that users/consumers must also continue to evolve. To be a competent user, I now feel that I can’t go to a class, learn to use the software, ignore it for a few months, and then expect to pick up where I left off. The speed at which this environment is developing means that I must stay on top of it if I want to be able to utilize it.
The New Wisdom of the Web
Why is everyone so happy in Silicon Valley again? A new wave of start-ups are cashing in on the next stage of the Internet. And this time, it's all about ... you.
NEWSWEEK
Updated: 6:39 PM ET Oct 15, 2007
http://www.newsweek.com/id/45976/output/print
This article clearly shows how common users have usurped control of the Internet. The author discusses how everyone has become the expert. Sites that cater to that need have been the successful ventures. I don’t believe that is an accident. Human nature is such that everyone wants to be heard and everyone wants his/her voice to count.
One of the other main characteristics of this current web environment is the sense of community. This also ties in to human nature. People want to have that feeling of belonging. Any feature that provides for that necessity is bound to be successful.
Social Bookmarking
http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/social-bookmarking
This was a very timely article for me. As a sixth-grade writing teacher, I spend much time with my students researching for assignments. We find ourselves frequently falling back on Google to begin our searches and trying to revisit sites. The ability to collect and share useful sites among all the students adds the value of collective research. We can screen the bad from the good and save them for future. It also will allow my students to begin research at school, save those bookmarks, and access them from home to continue their research. This is definitely one Web 2.0 resource that I can’t wait to use.
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