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I like the ndividual student research blog -accessable to anyone and a tool for tracking students and the wiki also showing group contributions by individuals for all to see. The conversation re video engaging other aspects that writing may not is potent and portent no doubt.
writing is moving into the public sphere. Most writing that is published electronically is, by nature, works in progress. We post, we receive feedback (solicited or not) and we often rewrite or reconceptualize. In this way, teaching collaborative writing explicitely is crucial.
For me, the value of collaborative writing does not lie in the product but in the process; students are challenged to think critically, negotiate tactfully and engage meaningfully in a real life skill. The learning is layered and seamless.
when I first starting incorporating technology into my teaching repetoire, I must admit that it was the driving force of the lesson. In this way, I was trying to teach tech...which is not my area of expertise. However, when I finally figured out that I was not a tech teacher but rather someone who was using technology as a means to teach the skills and processes that have always been important to me...everything seemed so much more focussed and doable.
...writing is moving into the public sphere. Most writing that is published electronically is, by nature, works in progress. We post, we receive feedback (solicited or not) and we often rewrite or reconceptualize. In this way, teaching collaborative writing explicitely is crucial.
For me, the value of collaborative writing does not lie in the product but in the process; students are challenged to think critically, negotiate tactfully and engage meaningfully in a real life skill. The learning is layered and seamless.
According to many definitions of good teaching, I don’t qualify:
I don’t clearly state objectives
If I do state them, they are as fuzzy as all get out
I have a hard time measuring student progress
My course syllabus changes almost daily
I never use tests
I constantly stray off topic
I do constantly question whether or not I need to be more structured. Do I need to be able to define my outcomes more succinctly than this?
Students will learn that:
Learning is social and connected
Learning is personal and self-directed
Learning is shared and transparent
Learning is rich in content and diversity
I do provide rubrics, build criteria together, emphasis and utilize descriptive feedback. Providing supports and the odd insight best describes my role. I’m of total confidence they are learning. Just read their blogs.
I’ve read, listen and thought more about assessment than most and yet it still baffles me. Mostly because the kind of assessment that makes most sense (immediate and descriptive feedback) isn’t really valued in schools.
You can find information out about the Flat Classroom conference and also view our video documentary of last year's conference also. This year Julie Lindsay, Bernajean Porter, and I are running the student strand which will also incorporate educators as well.
Media industry titan Rupert Murdoch’s explicit threats this week to block Google from searching his content sites, and to sue the BBC for its use of content he says is “stolen” from his sites got me to wondering whether the head of News Corp. has, in fact, any basis in the law for launching these calculated attacks at this time and in this manner.
Murdoch perhaps does have at least a narrow legal perch to stand on.
he is not trying to grow his audience any longer, he says.
So basically, Google is taking something he wants to charge for and making it free. But my question is, if he wants to charge for it, shouldn't it be bedhind some sort of firewall or is it Google's job to see which sites it is allowed to index? Aren't there certain protocols that make the Net what it is? Certain standards? Isn't one of those the open indexing or crawling of unprotected sites? I'm not sure but hoping someone will respond.
Google allows Murdoch, or any publisher, to “opt out” of allowing its pages to be indexed?
Excellent overview of Rupert Murdoch's taking on of Google and that they should not index his sites, even though he can easily opt out of indexing, that they are somehow demonetizing his work by searching since he wants to "reduce his audience to those who will pay" not "increase his audience." This is a fascinating read and case study for those following Fair Use.