Technically Invisible

"Broadband, Social Networks, and Mobility Have Spawned a New Kind of Learner By John K. Waters 12/13/11 Students are different today because of technology. Every educator knows this, of course, but this change is about much more than agile thumbs, shriveling attention spans, and OMG'd vocabularies. According the Pew Research Center, the combination of widespread access to broadband Internet connectivity, the popularity of social networking, and the near ubiquity of mobile computing is producing a fundamentally new kind of learner, one that is self-directed, better equipped to capture information, more reliant on feedback from peers, more inclined to collaborate, and more oriented toward being their own "nodes of production." "

"Since technology in classrooms is constantly being updated, the way children practice skills should be updated, too. KidBlog is a fast and easy way for teachers to set up their very own classroom blog. Think of it like an online journal. Instead of students writing passages in a notebook everyday, they can do the same thing on the computer and not have to worry about losing the book or leaving it at home. It is a new way for them to discover the joys of writing as a way to get their thoughts across."

"Who says elementary students can't blog? It was a great day! I started the day by reading my previous post to the students about connecting with Chicago. The students were elated that they had been noticed by a teacher from Chicago. Now I have to say that my students think really big cause' when I asked them to guess who had written about them the guesses ranged from President Bush to Jimmy Carter to their principal and many others. I love their enthusiasm! They were pleased as punch when they heard the nice words Steve Dembo had written. Nice way to start the day! We discussed the feelings they had when they saw comments on their site. The students were ready to blog! "

"You are reading Part II of a series of blog posts that started out of the desire to help teachers learn more about blogs for themselves in order to help/coach/facilitate their students' blogging adventure. My guiding questions for this series of blog posts are: How can I make it easier for teachers to learn about the process of teaching and learning with blogs? How can blogging enhance student learning? What are components of QUALITY blogs? How can I guide teachers in experiencing a shift in teaching and learning and help them make a pedagogical commitment to blogging. In Part I, I laid out the importance of READING blogs in order for the teacher to be able to gain and understanding of student blogging as a platform FOR learning, not "just" a vehicle for technology integration."

"In the digital age, kids need to have an understanding of what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. They need to learn the technical how-to's, as well as a more global comprehension of how to navigate the online world. To that end, Melbourne educator Jenny Luca made a commitment to help her students start blogging and to create ePortfolios. Here are six reasons why, at her school, these skills are now a high priority. By Jenny Luca"

"MEET the mini-bloggers. Most think of blogging as an adult pastime but kids as young as seven are now joining in. Some young bloggers are proving so popular, they have started to receive sponsorship. Here HEATHER GREENAWAY talks to children from Scotland's first blogging primary school and a teenage book blogger, who is proving a hit with famous authors."

"Welcome to QuadBlogging 2011 - 2012 We are poised to launch the new round of QuadBlogging to start in January 2012. If you don't know what QuadBlogging is, here's a short video produced by pupils in Mrs. Yollis' class in Los Angeles, Mr. Salsich's Class in Connecticut, Class B4 in New Zealand and Class 2KM and 2KJ Leopold School, Australia:"

"Reporters from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times probably didn't expect to be joined by TechNewsKids, a blog run by 11-year-olds. Yet all three covered Apple's press conference this September. Benno Kass and Max Iger of TechNewsKids watched the live-stream of the announcement online so that they could "live blog" its contents as soon as possible."

"Blogs for Kids by Sharon Housley Flush out the writer in children. Blogging could draw out a young writer and open doors to their future. Consider encouraging your child to start blogging! Children love having an audience. The instant recognition and approval that comes from a crowd just can't be beat. Employing blogs to help develop good spelling habits, grammar skills, and develop a love for writing at a young age is an innovative concept that has potential benefits:"

"Blogging -- or Web logging -- most often is thought of as an activity for high school students. Did you know, however, that students as young as kindergarten now blog on a daily basis in a variety of exciting ways? Read on to find out how elementary blogging works, what topics elementary students and teachers cover in their blogs, software programs and tools to consider, and cautions and tips for starting your own blog. INCLUDED: More than two-dozen links to blogging software and to elementary blogs across the United States."

"All of our teachers at my elementary school maintain their own classroom blog. As I wrote about in Blogs vs. Static Website and Changes in Classroom Blogs, we still have a long way to go as we need to move forward from merely a one sided communication tool to an online learning space that encourages, fosters and supports students' creativity and learning. Being able to read AND express yourself in a digital world is an important part of being literate in the 21st century."

"When I arrived at ISB last year, one of the first major projects I started with two of our wonderful grade 5 teachers was student blogging (um, and did I mention that we started blogging at the same time as participating in Chris Craft's Life 'Round Here digital storytelling project?). I had come from a middle school position where every student in the school (grades six - eight) had their own individual student blog and was ready to continue that experience here."

"In a digital world, the question is not whether you will leave a mark. The question is, "What kind of mark are you leaving?""

"YouTube safety mode is finally here. This should make it feasible for school to districts to "lock down" YouTube at the browser level. It even filters out comments which is ideal when in a school setting!!" Check out the video:

"JeopardyLabs allows you to create a customized jeopardy template without PowerPoint. The games you make can be played online from anywhere in the world. Building your own jeopardy template is a piece of cake. Just use our simple editor to get your game up and running."

PDF template for creating a digital story storyboard

"Digital storytelling is a great idea, but where do you start? Mechelle De Craene outlines some practical strategies to enable you and your students to get the most out of this exciting medium."

" The ancient tradition of storytelling meets the digital age. When students create a movie or interactive slideshow to tell their story, learning becomes personal. With digital storytelling, students can: * Improve their writing. * Show creativity. * Have a voice. Digital storytelling projects lend themselves well to portfolio assessment."

"Stories for Change is an online meeting place for community digital storytelling facilitators and advocates. Learn more about how we're using this unique medium for social change and join the network."

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