What does it mean to be a 21st century teacher-librarian?
I believe that we need to possess or be willing to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitude to create a learning environment that recognizes and supports the current needs of our students while being prepared to embrace and adapt to the inevitable changes that the future will bring.
What are the characteristics of a 21st century teacher-librarian?
Joyce Valenza’s “A Modest Manifesto” describes characteristics that define a 21st century teacher-librarian. Her wiki and podcast, while initially daunting, provided an opportunity for me to reflect on my own practice and to set goals to ensure that I am providing an engaging environment that meets the needs of my students. One goal that I now have is to “organize the Web for learners” (Valenza, 2009). Creating a blog, wiki, or a pathfinder provides a model for students on the use of Web 2.0 tools as well as providing them with easy access to resources. Another goal is to reconsider what I view as a school library collection. Beyond books, what do I have to offer students to facilitate their learning?
Who are our learners? What are their needs?
“As the first generation to have grown up always having the Internet, new media, and access to many learning opportunities, educators are faced with growing evidence that the traditional methods of teaching and learning are out of sync with current students and find many are disengaged with their school work and more interested in what is happening outside of school” (Asselin & Doiron, 2008). Therefore, we need to explore how we can change in order to engage students. I plan on updating my lessons to ensure that students have opportunities to use a variety of resources and incorporate the use of Web 2.0 tools such as video and podcasts. As a teacher-librarian, I have already started to focus on having students participate in inquiries rather than traditional research projects. Marlene Asselin and Ray Doiron have developed a list of ten characteristics which are common to the “Net Generation” (Asselin & Doiron, 2008). These characteristics give insight into how students prefer to learn, how they view the use of technology, the importance of their social networks, and their willingness to act globally. It is important to provide students access to technology and allow them to take ownership of their learning while they construct meaning and solve problems.
How do we evolve from a traditional library to School Library 2.0?
Evolving from a traditional library to School Library 2.0 involves understanding and creating an environment that changes “from consumption of information to creation of information” (Todd, 2008). Students are more active in their acquisition of knowledge and strive to present their understanding in various ways. It is important then to consider “which Web 2.0 tools are the most useful and which promote learning?” (Naslund & Giustini, 2008). For instance, I think blogs are great ways for students to share their understandings and to have their fellow students further their thinking through discussions and comments about posts but I am not sure how I would best use social networking sites in the classroom or library.
Another consideration for developing School Library 2.0 is being open to non-traditional activities and literature in the library to further learning and to demonstrate to students that the school library is there for them (Friese, 2008). Students engaged in videogames in the library demonstrate how “videogame play supports learning in many complex ways, encourages positive interaction with computers, the use of imagination, problem-solving skills, and enables opportunities for collaborative engagement” (Sanford, 2008). Allowing students to play videogames in the library has shown me the value with regards to shared learning and the development of social skills in students who are usually introverted. As well, asking for student input into the school library collection has led to many discussions about traditional literature and popular culture literature in which text is analyzed critically.
A 21st century teacher-librarian exemplifies the role by being knowledgeable about 21st century learners. We implement the evolution of traditional libraries and challenge ourselves to include new technology such as Web 2.0 tools to engage and support learners as they prepare for their future.
References:
Asselin, Marlene & Doiron, Ray. “Towards a Transformative Pedagogy for School Libraries 2.0.” School Libraries Worldwide. Edmonton: Jul. 2008. Vol. 14, Iss. 2; pg. 1, 18 pgs.
Friese, Elizabeth E. G. “ Popular Culture in the School Library: Enhancing Literacies Traditional and New.” School Libraries Worldwide. Edmonton: Jul. 2008. Vol. 14, Iss. 2; pg. 68, 15 pgs.
Naslund, Jo-Anne & Giustini, Dean. “Towards School Library 2.0: An Introduction to Social Software Tools for Teacher Librarians.” School Libraries Worldwide. Edmonton: Jul. 2008. Vol. 14, Iss. 2; pg. 55, 13 pgs.
Sanford, Kathy. “Videogames in the Library? What is the World Coming To?” School Libraries Worldwide. Edmonton: Jul. 2008. Vol. 14, Iss. 2; pg. 83, 6 pgs.
Todd, Ross. “Youth and their Virtual Networked Worlds: Research Findings and Implications for School Libraries.” School Libraries Worldwide. Edmonton: Jul. 2008. Vol. 14, Iss. 2; pg. 19, 16 pgs.
Valenza, Joyce. “A Modest Manifesto.” (2009) Retrieved from: http://informationfluency.wikispaces.com/You+know+you%27re+a+21st+century+librarian+if+.+.+.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Monday, December 8, 2008
Final Reflection
“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” – Sir Winston Churchill
I reflected this week on my learning during EDES 501 and realized that while I still have a lot to learn, I have moved beyond the beginning. The path was well laid out through course expectations but it was not always smooth and occasionally I felt that it was unsurpassable. However, with the guidance of our knowledgeable professor and the encouragement from reading and discussing Web 2.0 with my colleagues I have felt a sense of accomplishment and anticipation to continue along the path.
Initially, the course challenged my personal comfort level with regards to publishing my learning to a global audience through blogging. Up to this point, my learning had always been private, shared only with my professors and sometimes with my colleagues. This resulted in many sleepless nights as I continually reread and revised my posts. After blogging for a few months, I am now more comfortable with having my learning “on display” as I realize the value of sharing thoughts, ideas, and knowledge far outweighs my insecurities. This shift in thinking was due not only to blogging weekly but also to reading the blogs of my colleagues as they fearlessly shared their own learning during the course.
Each week we had the opportunity to focus on and explore a new Web 2.0 tool. The majority of these tools were ones that I had only heard of and found that I had a lot of research to do in order to understand and use these tools. I was able to set up my own account for some of these tools quickly and easily whereas others proved more frustrating. The trailfires created by our professor, which included the fantastic “Plain English” series on YouTube, and Will Richardson’s book ““Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms” were invaluable during this process. In the end, social bookmarking was the easiest tool for me as I had some prior knowledge about it and I have found it to be quite useful professionally. Podcasting was enjoyable but the most challenging to set up and include in my blog. In fact, I still need to learn how to embed video and sound properly. Overall, I am left with a sense of satisfaction as I managed to persevere and meet the weekly goals.
My next challenge now is to take the time to revisit each Web 2.0 tool, become more adept at it’s use, and determine how and when to implement it in my classroom and library, as well as share these tools with school staff. My teaching partner and I recently received a laptop to use in our classroom and this will help to facilitate setting up a class blog. I envision using the class blog initially for Language Arts as we are currently focusing on the writing process and criteria for ‘good writing’ and will be starting literature circles in the New Year. Students will benefit from sharing their writing and discussing their books with each other through the class blog. The only concern is the availability of the computer lab as some of our students do not have access to computers outside of school and, due to transportation requirements, are not able to come to school early or stay after-school to use computers. In addition to a class blog, I would also like to create a virtual school library or at least go further than the current photo and school name that represents my school’s library. A school library site would allow for the sharing of all the many great books we currently have in the library and showcase student learning.
As the beginning ends, I am extremely grateful for all that I have learned from my colleagues and my professor and all that they have inspired me to learn. Many great sites and books were shared through their blogs and on our class discussion site. Reading about my colleagues experiences with each Web 2.0 tool furthered my own knowledge and understanding. I wish everyone the very best and am hopeful that we will have the opportunity to learn together again.
I reflected this week on my learning during EDES 501 and realized that while I still have a lot to learn, I have moved beyond the beginning. The path was well laid out through course expectations but it was not always smooth and occasionally I felt that it was unsurpassable. However, with the guidance of our knowledgeable professor and the encouragement from reading and discussing Web 2.0 with my colleagues I have felt a sense of accomplishment and anticipation to continue along the path.
Initially, the course challenged my personal comfort level with regards to publishing my learning to a global audience through blogging. Up to this point, my learning had always been private, shared only with my professors and sometimes with my colleagues. This resulted in many sleepless nights as I continually reread and revised my posts. After blogging for a few months, I am now more comfortable with having my learning “on display” as I realize the value of sharing thoughts, ideas, and knowledge far outweighs my insecurities. This shift in thinking was due not only to blogging weekly but also to reading the blogs of my colleagues as they fearlessly shared their own learning during the course.
Each week we had the opportunity to focus on and explore a new Web 2.0 tool. The majority of these tools were ones that I had only heard of and found that I had a lot of research to do in order to understand and use these tools. I was able to set up my own account for some of these tools quickly and easily whereas others proved more frustrating. The trailfires created by our professor, which included the fantastic “Plain English” series on YouTube, and Will Richardson’s book ““Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms” were invaluable during this process. In the end, social bookmarking was the easiest tool for me as I had some prior knowledge about it and I have found it to be quite useful professionally. Podcasting was enjoyable but the most challenging to set up and include in my blog. In fact, I still need to learn how to embed video and sound properly. Overall, I am left with a sense of satisfaction as I managed to persevere and meet the weekly goals.
My next challenge now is to take the time to revisit each Web 2.0 tool, become more adept at it’s use, and determine how and when to implement it in my classroom and library, as well as share these tools with school staff. My teaching partner and I recently received a laptop to use in our classroom and this will help to facilitate setting up a class blog. I envision using the class blog initially for Language Arts as we are currently focusing on the writing process and criteria for ‘good writing’ and will be starting literature circles in the New Year. Students will benefit from sharing their writing and discussing their books with each other through the class blog. The only concern is the availability of the computer lab as some of our students do not have access to computers outside of school and, due to transportation requirements, are not able to come to school early or stay after-school to use computers. In addition to a class blog, I would also like to create a virtual school library or at least go further than the current photo and school name that represents my school’s library. A school library site would allow for the sharing of all the many great books we currently have in the library and showcase student learning.
As the beginning ends, I am extremely grateful for all that I have learned from my colleagues and my professor and all that they have inspired me to learn. Many great sites and books were shared through their blogs and on our class discussion site. Reading about my colleagues experiences with each Web 2.0 tool furthered my own knowledge and understanding. I wish everyone the very best and am hopeful that we will have the opportunity to learn together again.
Monday, December 1, 2008
What's Next?
Blogs, wikis, and podcasts, oh my! There are a number of Web 2.0 tools that I have had the pleasure of being introduced to and now look forward to sharing with staff members.
The first Web 2.0 tool that I will “introduce” is blogging. With approximately 30 teachers at my school, the understanding and use of this tool is varied. We have staff members who blog and we have staff members who don’t know what a blog is. The initial step then is to identify where staff members are on the blogging spectrum and meet with those teachers who are already bloggers and who would be willing to collaborate on sharing this tool with the rest of the staff.
Why blogs? They are easy to create, can be used by teachers as professional development, and can be used to support student learning in any class. Blogs support learning through “their ability to 1) promote reflective thinking; 2) nurture collaboration and relationship-building; 3) increase perceived accountability and therefore quality of student work; 4) encourage peer support for one another; 5) increase opportunities for students to receive feedback; 6) extend learning outside classroom walls; and 7) allow and encourage interactions with experts and others outside of the classroom.” (MacBride & Luehmann, 2008)
How could blogs be introduced to other teachers? The most efficient method would be as part of a staff meeting as all teaching staff are in attendance or as school-based (and later district-wide) professional development. Defining blogs and sharing the video entitled “Why Let our Students Blog?” created by Rachel Boyd on TeacherTube serves as a great introduction and demonstrates the reasons for student blogging. This video can be followed up with samples of classroom blogs already created by teachers on staff, as well as other great online examples. Will Richardson’s book “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms” (Richardson, 2009) could be purchased for individual professional development or for a book study. His comprehensive list of classroom uses located on page 38-40 of his book provides many starting points to choose from.
How can the creation and use of blogs be encouraged? The best way for teachers to “fully understand the potential of Weblogs as a teaching and learning tool is to become a blogger.” (Richardson, 2009) Teachers who choose to use this tool will benefit from trying it out on their own first but also need to know that they have support within the school and district if they need or want it. It is imperative to create a support network of teachers and technology support staff for teachers to contact as they incorporate blogging into their teaching practice. Sharing successes and resolving challenges both informally and formally can encourage the continued use of blogs. Individual class blogs linked off the school’s website is also a way in which student learning can be showcased and shared with the community.
Blogging is a great way to integrate technology into classrooms and there are other Web 2.0 tools that are also beneficial to student learning. As I see an opportunity for the use of these tools, I share them with teachers. This has been successful but does not provide knowledge of these tools with all the staff. Sharing one tool each month (or more frequently) during staff meetings and/or team meetings will ensure that all staff have the same opportunities.
References:
Boyd, Rachel. “Why Let our Students Blog?” TeacherTube. (April 2008). http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=be6ec9b852b0a542e2f3
MacBride, Robyn, and April Lynn Luehmann. "Capitalizing on emerging technologies: a case study of classroom blogging.(Case study)." School Science and Mathematics 108.5 (May 2008): 173(11).
http://find.galegroup.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE
Richardson, Will. (2009) “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.” California: Corwin Press.
The first Web 2.0 tool that I will “introduce” is blogging. With approximately 30 teachers at my school, the understanding and use of this tool is varied. We have staff members who blog and we have staff members who don’t know what a blog is. The initial step then is to identify where staff members are on the blogging spectrum and meet with those teachers who are already bloggers and who would be willing to collaborate on sharing this tool with the rest of the staff.
Why blogs? They are easy to create, can be used by teachers as professional development, and can be used to support student learning in any class. Blogs support learning through “their ability to 1) promote reflective thinking; 2) nurture collaboration and relationship-building; 3) increase perceived accountability and therefore quality of student work; 4) encourage peer support for one another; 5) increase opportunities for students to receive feedback; 6) extend learning outside classroom walls; and 7) allow and encourage interactions with experts and others outside of the classroom.” (MacBride & Luehmann, 2008)
How could blogs be introduced to other teachers? The most efficient method would be as part of a staff meeting as all teaching staff are in attendance or as school-based (and later district-wide) professional development. Defining blogs and sharing the video entitled “Why Let our Students Blog?” created by Rachel Boyd on TeacherTube serves as a great introduction and demonstrates the reasons for student blogging. This video can be followed up with samples of classroom blogs already created by teachers on staff, as well as other great online examples. Will Richardson’s book “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms” (Richardson, 2009) could be purchased for individual professional development or for a book study. His comprehensive list of classroom uses located on page 38-40 of his book provides many starting points to choose from.
How can the creation and use of blogs be encouraged? The best way for teachers to “fully understand the potential of Weblogs as a teaching and learning tool is to become a blogger.” (Richardson, 2009) Teachers who choose to use this tool will benefit from trying it out on their own first but also need to know that they have support within the school and district if they need or want it. It is imperative to create a support network of teachers and technology support staff for teachers to contact as they incorporate blogging into their teaching practice. Sharing successes and resolving challenges both informally and formally can encourage the continued use of blogs. Individual class blogs linked off the school’s website is also a way in which student learning can be showcased and shared with the community.
Blogging is a great way to integrate technology into classrooms and there are other Web 2.0 tools that are also beneficial to student learning. As I see an opportunity for the use of these tools, I share them with teachers. This has been successful but does not provide knowledge of these tools with all the staff. Sharing one tool each month (or more frequently) during staff meetings and/or team meetings will ensure that all staff have the same opportunities.
References:
Boyd, Rachel. “Why Let our Students Blog?” TeacherTube. (April 2008). http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=be6ec9b852b0a542e2f3
MacBride, Robyn, and April Lynn Luehmann. "Capitalizing on emerging technologies: a case study of classroom blogging.(Case study)." School Science and Mathematics 108.5 (May 2008): 173(11).
http://find.galegroup.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE
Richardson, Will. (2009) “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.” California: Corwin Press.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Blogs and Professional Development
Opportunities for professional development in teaching increase exponentially each year due to the creation of blogs and other online resources. Before the advent of online professional development, teachers relied on attending workshops, reading professional books, and collaborating with other local teachers. For reasons, such as monetary and time constraints, not all teachers are able to meet their professional needs in these traditional formats. Blogs allow teachers access to global professional development at any time and on specific topics that meet their needs.
In choosing the blogs that I would follow for this course, I reflected on my own professional needs at this point in my career. Since I am a classroom teacher, teacher-librarian, and student, the blogs I chose were a classroom blog created by a teacher in my school, my district’s superintendent’s blog, two BCTLA (British Columbia Teacher-Librarian Association) blogs, Will Richardson’s blog, David Warlick’s blog, and the blogs of fellow students in the course.
The first blog was created by a colleague for her English class. She invited me to join and I am grateful to her for allowing me to participate in the blog and to witness the effects of blogs on student learning. The students involved were quite open with their enthusiasm about completing class assignments through blogging and both they and their teacher shared their trials and tribulations. I now feel confident enough to create my own class blog and have the wisdom and support of my colleague and her students to guide me through.
My school district superintendent’s blog was another I chose but have been following it since it was begun. Professionally, reading the blog gives me a window through which to see some of the teaching and learning that is happening across our district. This opens a forum for discussion, not only with the superintendent, but with the teachers involved. For instance, if I read that another teacher in the district has taught a great unit that is relevant to my students, I can contact them to learn more. The knowledge gained then leads to greater lessons in my classroom. The blog is one avenue for networking professionally in the district.
The BCTLA blogs I currently follow are the BCTLA’s president’s blog called “In Circulation” (http://bctlaincirculation.blogspot.com/) and the “Drop Everything and Read!” blog (http://bctladear.blogspot.com/). As a teacher-librarian, I find “In Circulation” to be indispensable. I frequently access the sidebar links including “The Virtual Bookmark” where I raid the lesson vault and keep up to date on new books and news articles concerning school libraries. To locate great age-appropriate books that boys will read, the “Books for Boys Wiki” is a great resource (I will have to remember to add some of my own recommendations). As for the “Drop Everything and Read!” blog, I began to check this site while we were preparing to participate in the DEAR challenge on National School Library Day. After it was over, I went on to see how other districts met this challenge and plan on suggesting at the next local teacher-librarian meeting that we add our district to the blog. This would also be great to share for advocacy purposes. The BCTLA blogs keep me connected to a vast wealth of knowledge generated and shared by other teacher-librarians.
Will Richardson’s blog “weblogg-ed “ (http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/11/) and David Warlick’s blog “2¢ worth” (http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/index.php) meet my professional needs both as a teacher and as a student. I have found the posts on their blogs and the various links to be insightful and to further my understanding with regards to Web 2.0 in the classroom. With Will Richardson’s blog, it was great to read further after having devoured his book “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.” (Richardson, 2009) One day, I may even get the courage to comment on their posts or to ask a question!
My classmate’s blogs are incredible and have been professionally beneficial. Reading about their experiences and learning with regards to Web 2.0 has deepened my own learning in this area. I enjoyed commenting on their blogs and can see how valuable discussion is for professional development.
Blogs have added a new dimension to meeting professional development needs.
References:
Richardson, Will. (2009) “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.” California: Corwin Press.
Monday, November 17, 2008
RSS Feeds
Personally and professionally, I am always on the hunt for information. In the last few years I have noticed that the amount of reading I do online has increased tremendously. RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds and blog aggregators are “tools aimed at helping [me] consume all the information [on the internet] in more efficient and relevant ways.” (Richardson, 2009) These tools allow me to choose the sites from which I want easy and quick access to the most up to date information. Utilizing RSS feeds and blog aggregators lets me “stay informed and save time.” (Gardner, 2008)
Up until just a couple months ago, I would bookmark sites which I wanted to visit again. Now with more and more people writing on the web, bookmarking is no longer an efficient method of accessing information and as Stephen Abram mentioned in his blog, checking bookmarks “is soooo last century!” (Abram, 2006) I now use Google Reader and subscribe to a few sites which are professionally relevant for me. Subscription is as easy as clicking a button – in this case the orange square RSS feed icon or the icon matching my reader. Just like a magazine subscription, the information comes to you instead of you having to do all the hard work of looking up all the sites. Currently, my subscriptions include Science journals and magazines, various newspapers, literary feeds such as the Red Cedar Books site, and my classmates’ blogs. To view these subscriptions, I go only to one site instead of spending time searching and opening all of the sites. The current information is displayed including a date and time when the new information was added to the site. Through my del.icio.us account, I can also subscribe to sites thereby bringing bookmarking into our century. I also subscribe to my classmates’ blogs through Blogger so that when I am on my blog, I am able to see new entries that my classmates have posted on their own blogs. There are other RSS readers available too such as Pageflakes and Bloglines which I plan on learning more about.
RSS feeds are great for me personally and as an educator who wants to keep informed but how will I use it in the classroom?
One of the important skills we teach students in the classroom and in the library is to be purposeful when reading. Students too often get lost when searching for information on the World Wide Web. By setting up their own RSS reader, students can subscribe to sites that are relevant to them (ex. for assignments or projects) and to sites that they find interesting. They receive current information which they can then use.
A few specific projects come to mind when thinking about which assignments and projects would benefit from the use of RSS feeds. These are the study of countries, science fair, space station, and global warming. Our students have learned about different countries through reading books and locating information on the internet. Students could create their own reader account and utilize the RSS feeder to subscribe to sites containing information for their country. As for the science fair, students can locate general science fair sites and then subscribe to various sites that assist them with the science fair project they choose. The NASA website would be one students could subscribe to, as well as newspapers, to learn about what is currently happening with the International Space Station (ISS). Newspapers are a good way to also keep on top of new information pertaining to global warming. Some other options for using RSS feeds in the classroom which came from Traci Gardner’s blog are subscribing to the websites of favourite authors or books, homework blog with RSS feeds, and writer’s logs.
The amount of relevant and current information that I am able to access, as well as my students, is greatly enhanced by the use of RSS feeds and readers.
References:
Abram, Stephen. (2006) “Stephen’s Lighthouse: Bloglines.” http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/archives/2006/12/bloglines.html
Gardner, Traci. (2008) “RSS: Bringing What’s New to You.” http://ncteinbox.blogspot.com/2008/06/rss-bringing-whats-new-to-you.html
Richardson, Will. (2009) “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.” California: Corwin Press.
Up until just a couple months ago, I would bookmark sites which I wanted to visit again. Now with more and more people writing on the web, bookmarking is no longer an efficient method of accessing information and as Stephen Abram mentioned in his blog, checking bookmarks “is soooo last century!” (Abram, 2006) I now use Google Reader and subscribe to a few sites which are professionally relevant for me. Subscription is as easy as clicking a button – in this case the orange square RSS feed icon or the icon matching my reader. Just like a magazine subscription, the information comes to you instead of you having to do all the hard work of looking up all the sites. Currently, my subscriptions include Science journals and magazines, various newspapers, literary feeds such as the Red Cedar Books site, and my classmates’ blogs. To view these subscriptions, I go only to one site instead of spending time searching and opening all of the sites. The current information is displayed including a date and time when the new information was added to the site. Through my del.icio.us account, I can also subscribe to sites thereby bringing bookmarking into our century. I also subscribe to my classmates’ blogs through Blogger so that when I am on my blog, I am able to see new entries that my classmates have posted on their own blogs. There are other RSS readers available too such as Pageflakes and Bloglines which I plan on learning more about.
RSS feeds are great for me personally and as an educator who wants to keep informed but how will I use it in the classroom?
One of the important skills we teach students in the classroom and in the library is to be purposeful when reading. Students too often get lost when searching for information on the World Wide Web. By setting up their own RSS reader, students can subscribe to sites that are relevant to them (ex. for assignments or projects) and to sites that they find interesting. They receive current information which they can then use.
A few specific projects come to mind when thinking about which assignments and projects would benefit from the use of RSS feeds. These are the study of countries, science fair, space station, and global warming. Our students have learned about different countries through reading books and locating information on the internet. Students could create their own reader account and utilize the RSS feeder to subscribe to sites containing information for their country. As for the science fair, students can locate general science fair sites and then subscribe to various sites that assist them with the science fair project they choose. The NASA website would be one students could subscribe to, as well as newspapers, to learn about what is currently happening with the International Space Station (ISS). Newspapers are a good way to also keep on top of new information pertaining to global warming. Some other options for using RSS feeds in the classroom which came from Traci Gardner’s blog are subscribing to the websites of favourite authors or books, homework blog with RSS feeds, and writer’s logs.
The amount of relevant and current information that I am able to access, as well as my students, is greatly enhanced by the use of RSS feeds and readers.
References:
Abram, Stephen. (2006) “Stephen’s Lighthouse: Bloglines.” http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/archives/2006/12/bloglines.html
Gardner, Traci. (2008) “RSS: Bringing What’s New to You.” http://ncteinbox.blogspot.com/2008/06/rss-bringing-whats-new-to-you.html
Richardson, Will. (2009) “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.” California: Corwin Press.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Social Networking
What does it say about me when I prefer Webkinz over Facebook?
Webkinz and Facebook are two websites that are known as social networking sites.
“Social networking refers to a broad class of web sites and services that allow you to connect with friends, family, and colleagues online, as well as meet people with similar interests or hobbies.” (Running, 2007) Both Webkinz and Facebook are popular social networking sites but with different age groups. Facebook is intended for people 14 years of age and older whereas Webkinz is intended for a much younger audience.
Facebook
My first introduction to Facebook two years ago was by a twenty year old friend. She excitedly went through the features the website contained while I nodded my head and gave the appearance of understanding. She showed me all the connections she had made and I was amazed to see how many “friends” she had acquired (well over 300). After declining an invitation to join, I didn’t really think much about this website until it seemed everyone was on Facebook. “Since their introduction, social network sites (SNSs) such as MySpace, Facebook, Cyworld, and Bebo have attracted millions of users, many of whom have integrated these sites into their daily practices.” (Boyd, 2007) With these social networking sites becoming more popular, I revisited Facebook through viewing pages that family members and friends had created. However, I didn’t understand the appeal and did not join until it was necessary for the course I am currently taking.
My Facebook page is very minimalistic. I still have not put a picture of myself on it and have only 4 friends listed. Email notification of a friend request or message is my signal to check Facebook, otherwise I don’t tend to look at it at all. Personally, I have found it to still be a website that I would not want to spend time on daily. My “real-world” social network is plentiful and I find that I don’t have enough time for these people, let alone those online. The friends I have on Facebook are ones that I would normally email and therefore stay in contact using that method. Is it my hesitation with the site and the fact that I have not used all the features of Facebook which negatively impacts on my awareness of the usefulness of this site?
How can Facebook be used in the classroom? A paper written by Michael Staton entitled “Drive Belonging and Engagement in the Classroom Using Facebook” (2008) suggests that a person open two Facebook accounts: a personal one and a professional one. The professional one can then be used to communicate with students and “create a sense of belonging.” (Staton, 2008) A teacher can create a class roster in which students are sent notifications, view upcoming classroom or school related events, and also share photos and videos that are relevant to the class. If these aren’t enough, other applications can be added. A list containing some of these applications and a description of each can be found at “FaceBook as an E-learning tool: How to support classroom teaching with FaceBook?”
One key teaching though with social networking sites is how to be responsible and ethical when using these sites. Too often we hear about the negative side of social networking sites with respect to cyberbullying. Students need to be made aware that this is not acceptable and to be taught to be respectful when online. Many students at my school are not old enough to have a Facebook or MySpace account. It is a perfect opportunity to teach them to critically think about their web presence before they have one. Students can be taught to be safer online and to positively portray themselves online.
Webkinz
My concept of social networking sites was Facebook and other similar sites. After reading “Scaffolding the New Social Literacies” by Stephen Abram, I was made aware that even younger children were being introduced to social networking through sites such as Webkinz and Club Penguin. Indeed, students coming in to my library at lunch were eager to log on with their friends to these sites.
After I was shown the Webkinz site by students and it was explained that all you needed was a code from a Webkinz stuffed animal, I purchased two for children in my family and we were “hooked”. I have been on the Webkinz site more times than I care to admit. The games are entertaining for all ages and educational for younger people. Since my focus originally was on the games in the arcade only, I was not aware of the social aspects such as playing games with others online, sending messages and gifts through “Kinzpost”, and entering rooms where you can chat with other Webkinz owners. Once I did though, I found that the messages that can be used to chat with others and the letters that can be sent are appropriate and are not able to be altered.
How can Webkinz be used in the classroom? Many students are already on this site and therefore, discussions about social networks can occur by relating to their experiences on these sites. Showing etiquette when playing and chatting with others online, as well as an awareness of computer safety can be taught. A great idea for using Webkinz in schools is in “Webkinz Club has kids clamoring for computers.” (Wixon, 2008) This article explains how one elementary school used the Webkinz craze to start a club in which students meet in the morning with their Webkinz and go online to the site. They are only allowed to invite people to be friends online if they are in the club and not strangers on the site. Responsibility through the mimicry of real world situations such as taking care of a pet and managing finances is demonstrated by students. By purchasing a class Webkinz, students who may not be able to have their own can still participate.
We are learning with our students how to communicate in a digital world. Social networking sites are a way to develop online connections.
References:
Abram, Stephen. (2008). Scaffolding the New Social Literacies. Multimedia and Internet @ Schools. http://www.sirsidynix.com/Resources/Pdfs/Company/Abram/MMIS_23.pdf
Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html
Running, Jordan (2007) Understanding Basic Internet Jargon. http://www.tucows.com/article/1903
Staton, Michael (2008) Drive Belonging and Engagement in the Classroom
Using Facebook. http://www.edumorphology.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/fb_classroom1.pdf
Wixon, Colleen. (2008) Webkinz Club has Kids Clamoring for Computers. http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jan/01/30a-new-webkinz-generation-of-computer-club/
Wolf, Dr. Karsten D. (2007) FaceBook as an E-learning tool: How to support classroom teaching with FaceBook? http://www.didactalab.de/wp-main/?p=66
Webkinz and Facebook are two websites that are known as social networking sites.
“Social networking refers to a broad class of web sites and services that allow you to connect with friends, family, and colleagues online, as well as meet people with similar interests or hobbies.” (Running, 2007) Both Webkinz and Facebook are popular social networking sites but with different age groups. Facebook is intended for people 14 years of age and older whereas Webkinz is intended for a much younger audience.
My first introduction to Facebook two years ago was by a twenty year old friend. She excitedly went through the features the website contained while I nodded my head and gave the appearance of understanding. She showed me all the connections she had made and I was amazed to see how many “friends” she had acquired (well over 300). After declining an invitation to join, I didn’t really think much about this website until it seemed everyone was on Facebook. “Since their introduction, social network sites (SNSs) such as MySpace, Facebook, Cyworld, and Bebo have attracted millions of users, many of whom have integrated these sites into their daily practices.” (Boyd, 2007) With these social networking sites becoming more popular, I revisited Facebook through viewing pages that family members and friends had created. However, I didn’t understand the appeal and did not join until it was necessary for the course I am currently taking.
My Facebook page is very minimalistic. I still have not put a picture of myself on it and have only 4 friends listed. Email notification of a friend request or message is my signal to check Facebook, otherwise I don’t tend to look at it at all. Personally, I have found it to still be a website that I would not want to spend time on daily. My “real-world” social network is plentiful and I find that I don’t have enough time for these people, let alone those online. The friends I have on Facebook are ones that I would normally email and therefore stay in contact using that method. Is it my hesitation with the site and the fact that I have not used all the features of Facebook which negatively impacts on my awareness of the usefulness of this site?
How can Facebook be used in the classroom? A paper written by Michael Staton entitled “Drive Belonging and Engagement in the Classroom Using Facebook” (2008) suggests that a person open two Facebook accounts: a personal one and a professional one. The professional one can then be used to communicate with students and “create a sense of belonging.” (Staton, 2008) A teacher can create a class roster in which students are sent notifications, view upcoming classroom or school related events, and also share photos and videos that are relevant to the class. If these aren’t enough, other applications can be added. A list containing some of these applications and a description of each can be found at “FaceBook as an E-learning tool: How to support classroom teaching with FaceBook?”
One key teaching though with social networking sites is how to be responsible and ethical when using these sites. Too often we hear about the negative side of social networking sites with respect to cyberbullying. Students need to be made aware that this is not acceptable and to be taught to be respectful when online. Many students at my school are not old enough to have a Facebook or MySpace account. It is a perfect opportunity to teach them to critically think about their web presence before they have one. Students can be taught to be safer online and to positively portray themselves online.
Webkinz
My concept of social networking sites was Facebook and other similar sites. After reading “Scaffolding the New Social Literacies” by Stephen Abram, I was made aware that even younger children were being introduced to social networking through sites such as Webkinz and Club Penguin. Indeed, students coming in to my library at lunch were eager to log on with their friends to these sites.
After I was shown the Webkinz site by students and it was explained that all you needed was a code from a Webkinz stuffed animal, I purchased two for children in my family and we were “hooked”. I have been on the Webkinz site more times than I care to admit. The games are entertaining for all ages and educational for younger people. Since my focus originally was on the games in the arcade only, I was not aware of the social aspects such as playing games with others online, sending messages and gifts through “Kinzpost”, and entering rooms where you can chat with other Webkinz owners. Once I did though, I found that the messages that can be used to chat with others and the letters that can be sent are appropriate and are not able to be altered.
How can Webkinz be used in the classroom? Many students are already on this site and therefore, discussions about social networks can occur by relating to their experiences on these sites. Showing etiquette when playing and chatting with others online, as well as an awareness of computer safety can be taught. A great idea for using Webkinz in schools is in “Webkinz Club has kids clamoring for computers.” (Wixon, 2008) This article explains how one elementary school used the Webkinz craze to start a club in which students meet in the morning with their Webkinz and go online to the site. They are only allowed to invite people to be friends online if they are in the club and not strangers on the site. Responsibility through the mimicry of real world situations such as taking care of a pet and managing finances is demonstrated by students. By purchasing a class Webkinz, students who may not be able to have their own can still participate.
We are learning with our students how to communicate in a digital world. Social networking sites are a way to develop online connections.
References:
Abram, Stephen. (2008). Scaffolding the New Social Literacies. Multimedia and Internet @ Schools. http://www.sirsidynix.com/Resources/Pdfs/Company/Abram/MMIS_23.pdf
Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html
Running, Jordan (2007) Understanding Basic Internet Jargon. http://www.tucows.com/article/1903
Staton, Michael (2008) Drive Belonging and Engagement in the Classroom
Using Facebook. http://www.edumorphology.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/fb_classroom1.pdf
Wixon, Colleen. (2008) Webkinz Club has Kids Clamoring for Computers. http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jan/01/30a-new-webkinz-generation-of-computer-club/
Wolf, Dr. Karsten D. (2007) FaceBook as an E-learning tool: How to support classroom teaching with FaceBook? http://www.didactalab.de/wp-main/?p=66
Monday, November 3, 2008
Multimedia Sharing Sites
“The Internet has given us many new ways to provide learners with an environment that allows them to learn through discovery, play, collaboration, and just plain having fun.” (Abram, 2006) Multimedia sharing sites are one of these new ways and they are indeed a great way to teach and learn.
Two multimedia sharing sites I explored were Jumpcut and VoiceThreads. They were both easy to register with and had guides which explained all aspects of their programs clearly. Jumpcut and VoiceThreads allow their users to upload movies, video clips, and photos from sites such as Flickr, as well as computer files. Once the media is uploaded, you can access them through your account and utilize them to create movies and slideshows. I viewed quite a few creations that people had chosen to share through these sites, which gave me an understanding of the potential uses for Jumpcut and VoiceThreads in the classroom. The commenting features on these two sites differed though. Jumpcut appears to have commenting similar to that which you see on blogs. They are put in chronological order from the most recent to the oldest underneath the image itself. VoiceThreads’s commenting features have more options which allows for greater participation.
“VoiceThreads might best be described as interactive media albums. They are essentially online slide shows of images, documents, or videos that enable viewers to comment on any slide (or at any point in the video) by typing, recording an audio or video comment, or drawing on the image itself.” (Weir, 2008) As I was navigating through the user guides in VoiceThreads, it was the choice in commenting that really stood out as an important, key feature. There are five different ways that a viewer can leave a comment – text, audio file, webcam, computer microphone, or even by telephone. Talk about accessibility! VoiceThreads also has a doodling feature which allows a person to draw on the image as they make their comment. Embedding, exporting, and sharing are simple and moderation ensures that the creator has control over the comments that are featured with their image(s). Many identities can be created for a single account thereby facilitating the creation of identities for an entire class on just one account. However, I still need to investigate this component of VoiceThreads further, as I am not sure how to do this and how it would affect the security settings. Do all students log onto the same account at the same time? Can they then comment on the same picture at the same time? With these questions in mind, as well as many others, I began my first attempt at using the multimedia site, VoiceThreads.
Inspired by images of original artwork, I chose two drawings given to me by children to share. I took photos of the artwork, saved them to a computer file, and then uploaded them into my account on VoiceThreads. They were both based on fairy tales so I added a typed comment to each which requested viewers to identify which fairy tale was represented and how they determined it. When viewing the comments, they appear as speaking bubbles similar to those in comic books and graphic novels- two popular forms of books for students at my school. The entire process only took a few minutes and was very simple to do. The link to view these drawings is: http://voicethread.com/share/241590/
Multimedia sharing sites allow for differentiation in the classroom and library settings. The uses of these sites are determined by our own and our students’ imagination and creativity. A great way to start deciding how to use these sites is by browsing the media already displayed for public viewing on VoiceThreads. Some slideshows that I saw while browsing through VoiceThreads included fractured fairy tales, global warming, fractions, and Ancient Egypt, all of which are part of the curriculum in my school. I also saw many slideshows which featured book discussions, such as those books students were reading as literature circles and reviews about favourite books. I plan to start using VoiceThreads by providing images for students to discuss and comment on the book I am currently reading aloud called “City of Ember.” With a large class, it is difficult and often impossible to have all students share their thoughts about what was read. As an alternative to having students write comments on paper and submitting them, students could post their comments online and participate in what teacher Bill Ferriter describes as “collaborative conversation.” (Weir, 2008) This form of conversation can be taught to students, as well as other skills, such as storyboarding, that would benefit them when creating a VoiceThread.
Multimedia sharing sites are a great environment to facilitate learning. Students are able to acquire and share knowledge in an interactive, collaborative atmosphere.
Suggested sites:
“VoiceThreads: Interactive, Visual and Collaborative Learning Spaces”
http://www.slideshare.net/brocansky/voicethreads-interactive-visual-and-collaborative-learning-spaces?type=powerpoint
“Using Voicethread for Digital Conversations” http://digitallyspeaking.pbwiki.com/Voicethread
“VoiceThreads for Education”
http://thinkingmachine.pbwiki.com/Think%20VoiceThreads
References:
Abram, Stephen. “Some Tricks to Build Information Fluency – Part 1.” Multimedia & Internet@Schools. Medford: Sep/Oct 2006. Vol. 13, Iss. 5; pg. 23, 3 pgs.
Weir, Laila. “VoiceThreads: Extending the Classroom with Interactive Multimedia Albums.” (2008) Edutopia.org
Two multimedia sharing sites I explored were Jumpcut and VoiceThreads. They were both easy to register with and had guides which explained all aspects of their programs clearly. Jumpcut and VoiceThreads allow their users to upload movies, video clips, and photos from sites such as Flickr, as well as computer files. Once the media is uploaded, you can access them through your account and utilize them to create movies and slideshows. I viewed quite a few creations that people had chosen to share through these sites, which gave me an understanding of the potential uses for Jumpcut and VoiceThreads in the classroom. The commenting features on these two sites differed though. Jumpcut appears to have commenting similar to that which you see on blogs. They are put in chronological order from the most recent to the oldest underneath the image itself. VoiceThreads’s commenting features have more options which allows for greater participation.
“VoiceThreads might best be described as interactive media albums. They are essentially online slide shows of images, documents, or videos that enable viewers to comment on any slide (or at any point in the video) by typing, recording an audio or video comment, or drawing on the image itself.” (Weir, 2008) As I was navigating through the user guides in VoiceThreads, it was the choice in commenting that really stood out as an important, key feature. There are five different ways that a viewer can leave a comment – text, audio file, webcam, computer microphone, or even by telephone. Talk about accessibility! VoiceThreads also has a doodling feature which allows a person to draw on the image as they make their comment. Embedding, exporting, and sharing are simple and moderation ensures that the creator has control over the comments that are featured with their image(s). Many identities can be created for a single account thereby facilitating the creation of identities for an entire class on just one account. However, I still need to investigate this component of VoiceThreads further, as I am not sure how to do this and how it would affect the security settings. Do all students log onto the same account at the same time? Can they then comment on the same picture at the same time? With these questions in mind, as well as many others, I began my first attempt at using the multimedia site, VoiceThreads.
Inspired by images of original artwork, I chose two drawings given to me by children to share. I took photos of the artwork, saved them to a computer file, and then uploaded them into my account on VoiceThreads. They were both based on fairy tales so I added a typed comment to each which requested viewers to identify which fairy tale was represented and how they determined it. When viewing the comments, they appear as speaking bubbles similar to those in comic books and graphic novels- two popular forms of books for students at my school. The entire process only took a few minutes and was very simple to do. The link to view these drawings is: http://voicethread.com/share/241590/
Multimedia sharing sites allow for differentiation in the classroom and library settings. The uses of these sites are determined by our own and our students’ imagination and creativity. A great way to start deciding how to use these sites is by browsing the media already displayed for public viewing on VoiceThreads. Some slideshows that I saw while browsing through VoiceThreads included fractured fairy tales, global warming, fractions, and Ancient Egypt, all of which are part of the curriculum in my school. I also saw many slideshows which featured book discussions, such as those books students were reading as literature circles and reviews about favourite books. I plan to start using VoiceThreads by providing images for students to discuss and comment on the book I am currently reading aloud called “City of Ember.” With a large class, it is difficult and often impossible to have all students share their thoughts about what was read. As an alternative to having students write comments on paper and submitting them, students could post their comments online and participate in what teacher Bill Ferriter describes as “collaborative conversation.” (Weir, 2008) This form of conversation can be taught to students, as well as other skills, such as storyboarding, that would benefit them when creating a VoiceThread.
Multimedia sharing sites are a great environment to facilitate learning. Students are able to acquire and share knowledge in an interactive, collaborative atmosphere.
Suggested sites:
“VoiceThreads: Interactive, Visual and Collaborative Learning Spaces”
http://www.slideshare.net/brocansky/voicethreads-interactive-visual-and-collaborative-learning-spaces?type=powerpoint
“Using Voicethread for Digital Conversations” http://digitallyspeaking.pbwiki.com/Voicethread
“VoiceThreads for Education”
http://thinkingmachine.pbwiki.com/Think%20VoiceThreads
References:
Abram, Stephen. “Some Tricks to Build Information Fluency – Part 1.” Multimedia & Internet@Schools. Medford: Sep/Oct 2006. Vol. 13, Iss. 5; pg. 23, 3 pgs.
Weir, Laila. “VoiceThreads: Extending the Classroom with Interactive Multimedia Albums.” (2008) Edutopia.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG)