Reflection, Appendix C Web 2.0: new schools, new tools

I wanted to try to use a web 2.0 tool to create a reflection of the chapter I choose. I found Wordle and thought it would be the perfect tool to visually sum up my reading. Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. I was not able to scan a chapter and copy it to Worldle, so I choose David Warlick's essay titled "A day in the life of web 2.0" (Appendix C) because I could also find it online. I edited out all the Mr. and Mrs. because I liked the word cloud better without them. So here it is.



Click here for larger image.

Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 – Online Safety and Security

Now that our schools are incorporating technology, I think that every district should ensure that the all educators receive professional development regarding online safety /security and copyright /intellectual property issues. Students should also receive implicit instruction and consumer education in these areas. Our school has an acceptable use policy that students fill out during registration, but I do not know if teachers review the policy with their students. I appreciated the list of administrative restrictions regarding blogs, wikis, and other content sharing sites like YouTube. (Page 149) This shows that the decision made to use or not use these tools has been well thought out and planned by those accountable.
*The Web 2.0 tool alternatives listed on page 156 are a great resource. Teachers are the moderators so content is checked before posting.

Chapter 9 - New Schools

“Times, they are a changin’…” This chapter is about ideas to ponder and strategies to try that may make a difference in the future. I am a list person, so here are my thoughts… listfully .
Ideas and Strategies:
•Harness the collective intelligence of ed. data to provide students immediate feedback.
•Educational materials (content and Web 2.0 tools) that address real learning needs.
•Open source software and /or subscriptions based on usage.
•Wiki based textbooks.
•Professional development = online conferences based on educators needs.
•Policies/politics: Broadband access for all, net neutrality and open access, classrooms equipped as needed.

Chapter 1 – New World, New Web, New Skills

Chapter 1 starts with, “Think back to when you were in school; consider how different everything was then”. Just today, I had a conversation with a colleague about writing college term papers. I reminisced about using the electric typewriter and eraser cartridges. He had never seen an electric typewriter, luckily I have one on hand (for emergencies) to show him. “How do you delete?” was one concern of his. I would venture that the question, “how do you gather information, analyze, prioritize, adapt, communicate, collaborate with, create and share this information?” is our present concern.
Web 2.0 tools promote creativity, communication, and collaboration. They also allow students to choose tools that mesh with their learning style.
One thing that caught my eye was the statement from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills that states: “Students cannot master 21st-Century skills [which they will need in their future endeavors] unless their teachers are well trained and supported in this type of instruction.” It is my hope to try to integrate more of these skills into what I teach in the library and support other educators in their efforts also.

Week 9, Thing #23

I have used and recommended creative commons often this year. I found a great video from their site that illustrates how objects/ideas can be used, changed, altered, and re-mixed to create something new. You will find Sheryl Seibert’s video about found art and remix culture below.



I also liked the License page. It explains the six different licenses available with Creative Commons, and what creative options are available with the work one is "remixing".

I have enjoyed AND learned so much from this program. Thanks to Ann and Katie for their instruction and insights, and to the folks at the Alaska State Library for the grant funding for this program.

Week 9, Thing #22

I looked through the world book fair site and at first glance did not get excited about it. Then I looked at the collections list and was fairly impressed. Then... I found out you have to be a member (small $) to use the collections section and was not so impressed. Here are some examples of the variety of the collections:
BuddhaNet , BuddhaNet™ is the result of a vision to link up with the growing worldwide culture of people committed to the Buddha's teachings and lifestyle, as an on-line cyber sangha.
The Public Domain Music Score Library attempts to create a virtual library containing all public domain musical scores, as well as scores from composers who are willing to share their music with the world without charge. Since its launch on in 2006, more than 17,000 scores by over 1,000 composers have been uploaded, making it one of the largest public domain music score collections on the web.
Children's Literature Collection is compiled from scans of original image rich children's books. The World Public Library Children's Literature Collection is a selected list of the most popular children's books of all times.

LibriVox is a great resource for those looking for audiobooks. The reading is done by volunteers, so I do not know about the audio quality. I know I will be showing this resource to students when they are doing literature units.

There are a couple of advantages to ebooks like text searching, the ability to change font size and they maybe more environmentally sound. But... I personally would rather have a paper book. They don't need power, they are better on my eyes, and... they just smell right.

Week 9, Thing #21

After looking around for awhile, I came upon the Marian High School (Omaha, Nebraska) Student Journalism Weekly Podcast(videocast)Program. What a wonderful way to integrate technology into the journalism class and provide a service to the school. I will make note to share this with our new Journalism teacher next year.

As our students here work on their BookLooks (trailers), I have shared Nancy Keane's Booktalks Quick and Simple. Most of them wanted VISUALS along with the audio.