RSS is an SOS

Using the Google Reader RSS has been a good experience. It is becoming as second nature as it is to check email. I like a point Pam refers to in a blog post about knowing where to find knowledge. The RSS is certainly one method to navigate your way to knowledge. One question I have is about number. Do most of the free sources allow high enough numbers for whole classes/schools to assign each student their own? One issue that keeps coming to my mind is security. There are probably many posts/websites out there that I wouldn’t want my fourth graders to read. I would think the same applies to high school. How can you monitor/screen what students are seeing?

Personal Learning Network

A member of our state board of education is a strong advocate of individual learning plans for each student. While this is laudable, it seems a daunting, larger-than-life task. It would be somewhat similar to IEPs students have for special education. I personally can’t envision a classroom teacher creating, reading, and revising written plans for 25 students. The board has adopted a follow-the-child initiative. There are certain skills students need to develop and demonstrate, and there is a base of information that students should master. While there has been too much emphasis placed on the later in the past, and information is even more “soft” today, there are certain facts that students need to learn. I see the personalization or individualizing of a student’s learning coming in to play in the way skills and information is addressed. I could lecture about Colonial New Hampshire. I could also have students research information about the topic, work on a collaborative wiki, and make blog posts written as a colonist. The lecture does not allow for individualization (or interest for that matter). Web2.0 takes the personal learning aspect and can be one way to make it more connected (network). Reading groups can be cold or lively. Cooperative learning groups can be exciting ways for students to connect/network. Web2.0 tools offer a new and additional manner for this connectedness to occur.
David

Projected Project

Michael and I have worked together on a project that highlights the use of Web 2.0 tools in education. It is meant to be an overview for those instructors just starting out with using these tools. It actually served as a terrific review for me of the material we have focused on during this course. I feel so much more comfortable with these tools now. Prior to this course I only had a vague sense of what a blog or podcast was. Wiki was not in my vocabulary. Now I have co-authored a wiki that explains what these tools are and how they can be used in the classroom. While I have thought of many ways I might employ these tools, I keep thinking about my email pen pals turning into working partners. This project has served as a good model and has been a way for me to experience what I might ask students to do. Michael and I each took three sections on which to work. We made suggestions and changes to each other’s work. We then worked together compiling the remaining section. We used email for most of our communication with each other, while students could use the comments section of the wiki. They could also use Skype, or something like Elluminate. While the project seemed daunting at first, it went well and was fun to work on.
David

Assessment

Assessment is a hot topic in these days of accountability. It is important and there has been a shift in the methods of assessment. This should be reflected in the way that students’ use of Web 2.0 tools is assessed. At the elementary level I would expect students to be involved with the assessment. Students could pick a blog post, wiki edit/contribution, or collaborative project component and evaluate it using a rubric. The student could then choose an entry, maybe the same one, for the teacher to read and evaluate based on a rubric. A number requirement could also be part of the assessment. The number and focus of posts is part of our assessment for this course and is mentioned in Richardson’s book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts (pg. 49). In New Hampshire there is a new state expectation (not mandate) for all districts to implement e-portfolios from K-12. At our school students are collecting artifacts and completing self-evaluations. Fourth graders are pulling the portfolio together and it is saved and sent to the middle school. A few blog posts, wiki projects, or podcasts could and should be part of these portfolios. Imagine a high school senior hearing a podcast created in second, fourth and eight grades. The same growth could be demonstrated in the level of their blog post throughout the years.
David

Illuminating Elluminate

I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Elluminate. There are many features that could be useful for all level of students. At the elementary level I could see using the voice/typing ability to allow students in another school to communicate with my own class. In the past I have had students be email pen pals with students in another state. This would be an awesome next level. To take it further I love the ability to view and share files. A collaborative project with the penpal would work well in a Wiki. Elluminate would again take it to a different level. Being able to communicate and share files would be an awesome combination. The features seem easy to use, and being an administrator would allow a good degree of security. Students would love to use the applause and related features. Instant feedback is awesome. The cost involved might be a roadblock at first. I would like to check out other related free programs. I believe that someone said Elluminate has a 3 person free level. Is that correct?
David

VLE and Me

VLE- It was a most interesting experience taking a trip through Second Life. Jeff, thanks for sharing a magic carpet with me. It was an amazing tour. It was surprisingly easy to think of the animated characters as people. When we were “sitting” together it really seemed as though we were sitting together. The interesting thing is that the main way to communicate was typing text. I would think that using actual voices would make it even more interesting. I was surprised at how many areas are related to education. I could see students "getting into" this, particularly at the high school level. While Second Life was truly amazing, I don’t see it as something I would have elementary school students use individually. I would definitely see benefits to something like Elluminate which I will talk about in another post.
David

Blogging

I thought time flew when just using the Internet. Blogging and the other new tools add even more time to staying connected and using the Internet. The RSS tool makes it easier to follow blogs and certainly reduces time spent on following them. Tis nice to both give and receive - comments that is. I would think that students would be very excited to receive comments. It must be equal to a college student receiving mail or a care package. As I go about my daily routines (read the newspaper, watch TV etc.) I am seeing more references to blogs. As Pam said in one of her blogs, a whole new world has been opened up.
David