As a result of taking IDE 600, I have a better understanding of the world of "social networking." If asked to give advice about the social networking sites that are currently "out there," I would suggest the following:
1. Start with Facebook. I've found it to be a great place to create a profile to reconnect with friends from high school and college. There are many cool applications (like "Philadelphia Phillies Fans" or "Bumper Sticker") and others that can be avoided (like "Lick My Frog").
2. Do not use MySpace. It's riddled with annoying ads and annoying pages that people have created with music, flashing animations, etc. It's the "place to go" for the middle school generation but not for anyone else anymore.
3. Use Delicious. You'll never have to worry about losing your Internet bookmarks again. There's no reason to store them on a hard desk when you can store them online. Your bookmarks travel wherever you go (as long as you have an Internet connection and browser).
4. Use Jott. This is one of my favorite tools, because it translates voice into text. It's a great way to send personal reminders to yourself or send "voice" messages to friends via email.
5. Use feeds. (Google Reader is a good way to do this.) Feeds allow you to do "one-stop shopping." Rather than visiting many web sites daily, the information from many web sites (of your choosing) comes to you via your feed reader.
6. Avoid Second Life. Call a friend instead. Or go outside and play.
7. Start a blog or a wiki. Everyone has something interesting to write about (even if no one reads it!) And wikis all you to collaborate with others. Try Blogger or Wikispaces.
8. Marry yourself to Google. There is no better email "provider" than Gmail. Google Docs allow you to collaborate with friends and avoid the need for a "product key" on Microsoft products! Plus, what would we do without Google's search and map functions?
That list will certainly get you started!
I must say that I continue to find it amusing how many of these terms have become verbs. For instance, no one "searches" for something. You "Google" it. No one "sends a message" to a friend. They "Facebook" a friend.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Information Literacy
According to the Association of College and Research Libraries, information literacy includes the "set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information." In the context of Web 2.0, these skills would include knowledge of chat applications, blogs, wikis, feeds, social networking, social bookmarking, and much more.
For a workshop on Information Literacy, I would include the following:
I. Social Networking
A. Definition
B. Examples & How To
C. Uses
II. Social Bookmarking
A. Definition
B. Examples & How to
C. Uses
III. Wikis
A. Examples
B. Advantages over a "web site"
C. Embedding photos, video, etc.
IV. Feeds
A. Why they're useful
B. How to subscribe
C. How to share information
D. Examples
V. Other information sharing tools
A. Twitter
B. Jott
C. Twine
D. Ning
Certainly elementary students would use Web 2.0 tools differently than would high school students than would college students than would business professionals than would government officials. Those working in government may need to be very careful regarding allowing others to access their information. Those in the business world may be stingy with their "business secrets." Still, there would be many ways for them to learn "best practices" from other business professionals.
Meanwhile, elementary students could create blogs about what they're learning in social studies across the globe. They could be virtually pen pals discussing and debating what happens in "social studies" classes in different countries.
High school students could use a tool like NoteMesh to organize and share their notes and prepare for tests. I can also seem them using CoverItLive for an online review session - with or without the teacher (virtually) present.
For a workshop on Information Literacy, I would include the following:
I. Social Networking
A. Definition
B. Examples & How To
C. Uses
II. Social Bookmarking
A. Definition
B. Examples & How to
C. Uses
III. Wikis
A. Examples
B. Advantages over a "web site"
C. Embedding photos, video, etc.
IV. Feeds
A. Why they're useful
B. How to subscribe
C. How to share information
D. Examples
V. Other information sharing tools
A. Twitter
B. Jott
C. Twine
D. Ning
Certainly elementary students would use Web 2.0 tools differently than would high school students than would college students than would business professionals than would government officials. Those working in government may need to be very careful regarding allowing others to access their information. Those in the business world may be stingy with their "business secrets." Still, there would be many ways for them to learn "best practices" from other business professionals.
Meanwhile, elementary students could create blogs about what they're learning in social studies across the globe. They could be virtually pen pals discussing and debating what happens in "social studies" classes in different countries.
High school students could use a tool like NoteMesh to organize and share their notes and prepare for tests. I can also seem them using CoverItLive for an online review session - with or without the teacher (virtually) present.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Thoughts on "A Vision of Students Today"
Regarding the video entitled "A Vision of Students Today," which was created by a digital ethnography class at Kansas State University:
I have many disparate views on the issues raised in this video. First, I do think that teachers (K-12 and higher ed) have to consider how technology impacts them as teachers and their students as learners. It is critical for teachers to integrate technology into the classroom. For those students fortunate enough to have "technology" (computers, iPods, etc.) in their home lives, they now "expect" such technology to be a part of their school lives. The absence of such technology could be seen as a could reason for them to "tune out" their teachers.
The video raises the problem of rising textbook costs, particularly in college classrooms. Textbooks are expensive and many students don't even end up using them (because they don't need to.) For many subjects, it seems quite possible that a professor could "collect" readings in an online space (like a wiki, for instance) rather than requiring the purchase of a textbook. For subjects like math and science, I could see a valid argument for the need for textbooks. Still, that's not to say that there aren't perfectly adequate materials for these subjects to be found online.
There is an image of student with a "Scantron" sheet in the video, and the student is alluding to the fact that the Scantron sheet and the multiple choice test associated with it are not doing anything to prepare her for her future. I could not agree more! Scantron sheets are the enablers of lazy teachers! (Okay, if a high school teacher has 200 students, Scantron may be his/her only saving grace. But that would raise a serious issue about class size.) I recently talked to a former student (who is now in high school) who has "Scantron" Spanish exams that test her knowledge of little more than vocabulary. As a former Spanish teacher, I was appalled. Foreign language ability can certainly not be assessed in any meaningful way through multiple choice questions. Only assessments that gauge a student's writing, reading, speaking, and listening ability can seriously assess a student's foreign language ability. I don't believe Scantron exams should be used in any meaningful college courses either, assuming that critical thinking skills are encouraged in the classroom.
The video also raises the issue of laptops in the classroom. One student mentions that she spends time on Facebook rather than being engaged in the class discussion when she has her laptop in class. I'm somewhat torn on this issue. On one hand, I feel that students can take notes more efficiently if they use a laptop. (I know that I type much faster than I write - and most/if not all students younger than me certainly type much more frequently then they write as part of their everyday lives.) On the other hand, students can very easily be surfing the Net, Facebooking, etc. and tuning out the class discussion if they have their laptops in the classroom. The question then becomes, "Who is responsible for the student's learning?" At some point, the student has to be responsible enough to close Facebook when class starts and get his/her act together. Particularly if we're talking of college students, I would expect them to be mature enough to focus in class and ignore Facebook for 90 minutes. (Some would shudder at that thought, I'm sure!) Still, if I were teaching a college course that allowed/encouraged laptops, I would occasionally meander around the room to take a look at student's screens...all the while knowing how easy it is for them to 'X' a site or minimize it when the professor's curious eyes come a calling. This is a difficult issue!
I enjoyed the Kansas State video and the issues that it raises. I'll look forward to keeping an eye on the blog that is "advertised" at the end of the video!
The video is located at: A Vision of Students Today.
I have many disparate views on the issues raised in this video. First, I do think that teachers (K-12 and higher ed) have to consider how technology impacts them as teachers and their students as learners. It is critical for teachers to integrate technology into the classroom. For those students fortunate enough to have "technology" (computers, iPods, etc.) in their home lives, they now "expect" such technology to be a part of their school lives. The absence of such technology could be seen as a could reason for them to "tune out" their teachers.
The video raises the problem of rising textbook costs, particularly in college classrooms. Textbooks are expensive and many students don't even end up using them (because they don't need to.) For many subjects, it seems quite possible that a professor could "collect" readings in an online space (like a wiki, for instance) rather than requiring the purchase of a textbook. For subjects like math and science, I could see a valid argument for the need for textbooks. Still, that's not to say that there aren't perfectly adequate materials for these subjects to be found online.
There is an image of student with a "Scantron" sheet in the video, and the student is alluding to the fact that the Scantron sheet and the multiple choice test associated with it are not doing anything to prepare her for her future. I could not agree more! Scantron sheets are the enablers of lazy teachers! (Okay, if a high school teacher has 200 students, Scantron may be his/her only saving grace. But that would raise a serious issue about class size.) I recently talked to a former student (who is now in high school) who has "Scantron" Spanish exams that test her knowledge of little more than vocabulary. As a former Spanish teacher, I was appalled. Foreign language ability can certainly not be assessed in any meaningful way through multiple choice questions. Only assessments that gauge a student's writing, reading, speaking, and listening ability can seriously assess a student's foreign language ability. I don't believe Scantron exams should be used in any meaningful college courses either, assuming that critical thinking skills are encouraged in the classroom.
The video also raises the issue of laptops in the classroom. One student mentions that she spends time on Facebook rather than being engaged in the class discussion when she has her laptop in class. I'm somewhat torn on this issue. On one hand, I feel that students can take notes more efficiently if they use a laptop. (I know that I type much faster than I write - and most/if not all students younger than me certainly type much more frequently then they write as part of their everyday lives.) On the other hand, students can very easily be surfing the Net, Facebooking, etc. and tuning out the class discussion if they have their laptops in the classroom. The question then becomes, "Who is responsible for the student's learning?" At some point, the student has to be responsible enough to close Facebook when class starts and get his/her act together. Particularly if we're talking of college students, I would expect them to be mature enough to focus in class and ignore Facebook for 90 minutes. (Some would shudder at that thought, I'm sure!) Still, if I were teaching a college course that allowed/encouraged laptops, I would occasionally meander around the room to take a look at student's screens...all the while knowing how easy it is for them to 'X' a site or minimize it when the professor's curious eyes come a calling. This is a difficult issue!
I enjoyed the Kansas State video and the issues that it raises. I'll look forward to keeping an eye on the blog that is "advertised" at the end of the video!
The video is located at: A Vision of Students Today.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Social Networking
I don't think I've ever had an "official" blog before, so I figure now is a good time to start! I'm enrolled in a really cool graduate course called "Social Networking: The Collaborative Internet." One of tonight's discussion topics was blogs, so I'm diving in head first!
We've also set up a "wiki" for the purposes of this class, so I'm setting up an RSS feed (another interesting Web 2.0 tool that we've covered) to send this blog directly to my wiki as well as to Facebook!
Check out some of the really cool tools that we've discussed:
Twitter
Jott
Netvibes
CoverItLive
Flock
Digg
Delicious
Pageflakes
Meebo
I hadn't heard/used any of these tools other than Digg and Delicious. And I never really used either of those that much. It's been exciting to learn about all of these tools and to understand all of the cool things they can do. Jott is definitely my favorite so far! I'm infamous for writing down things I don't want to forget (either on an index card or my iPhone) and Jott will allow me to "record" reminders (even while driving) without having to write or type anything. It converts voice to text...simply, it's awesome!
Tonight we talked about Facebook in class (that was cool!) as well as Webkins, which is basically Facebook for Toddlers!
I've created a list of "subscriptions" in Google Reader through RSS feed (look into those if you're not familiar!) and I'm currently feeding interesting goodies into my wiki and my Facebook profile.
Delicious is am amazing way to keep track of your "favorites" without keeping the list on a particular computer. You can even share your bookmarks with others and "feed" your favorites into a blog, wiki, etc.
I think many of these applications could be used creatively by K-12 teachers. I can see a teacher having a class blog that includes "feeds" of news stories related to what they're studying in class. The teacher could encourage the students to set up wikis that incorporate their interests, etc. They could use a live blogging program like CoverItLive to have an evening review class virtually. The possibilities are endless!
I'm looking forward to sharing a lot of these tools with my friends who are current teachers!
All for now!
We've also set up a "wiki" for the purposes of this class, so I'm setting up an RSS feed (another interesting Web 2.0 tool that we've covered) to send this blog directly to my wiki as well as to Facebook!
Check out some of the really cool tools that we've discussed:
Jott
Netvibes
CoverItLive
Flock
Digg
Delicious
Pageflakes
Meebo
I hadn't heard/used any of these tools other than Digg and Delicious. And I never really used either of those that much. It's been exciting to learn about all of these tools and to understand all of the cool things they can do. Jott is definitely my favorite so far! I'm infamous for writing down things I don't want to forget (either on an index card or my iPhone) and Jott will allow me to "record" reminders (even while driving) without having to write or type anything. It converts voice to text...simply, it's awesome!
Tonight we talked about Facebook in class (that was cool!) as well as Webkins, which is basically Facebook for Toddlers!
I've created a list of "subscriptions" in Google Reader through RSS feed (look into those if you're not familiar!) and I'm currently feeding interesting goodies into my wiki and my Facebook profile.
Delicious is am amazing way to keep track of your "favorites" without keeping the list on a particular computer. You can even share your bookmarks with others and "feed" your favorites into a blog, wiki, etc.
I think many of these applications could be used creatively by K-12 teachers. I can see a teacher having a class blog that includes "feeds" of news stories related to what they're studying in class. The teacher could encourage the students to set up wikis that incorporate their interests, etc. They could use a live blogging program like CoverItLive to have an evening review class virtually. The possibilities are endless!
I'm looking forward to sharing a lot of these tools with my friends who are current teachers!
All for now!
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