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natalie_cepeda

What are Discussion Forums and How do They Enhance Learning? - 21 views

In your first Diigo Group post, please summarize your understanding of the Discussion Board and discuss how you could use this in your classroom to deepen learning. From personal experience, I hav...

technology education classroom pedagogy

started by hillaryparrish on 05 Jun 14 7 follow-ups, last by natalie_cepeda on 14 Jun 14
noramedrano

Best content in technology in education PK-20 | Diigo - Groups - 11 views

www.edutopia.org/...nternet-research-cathy-knutson

education technology classroom teaching computer google

shared by noramedrano on 11 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • Preventing Summer Slide: Why Not Try Internet Research?
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      How can you use the internet to avoid pitfalls for students during summer?
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 11 Jun 14
       
      This is difficult to answer as a teacher. Unless a student is in a program that requires them to do certain projects over the summer, we can encourage, we can show them the way, but ultimately the student or the parents are in charge once students leave for the summer. As the article mentioned, research is a good way to avoid pitfalls. In the summer, it is up to the student to be self motivated or up to the parent to motivate them in some way. I like the idea of research during the summer because not only are they answering questions they may have had, but they are also reading. Children really need to keep reading during the summer. I love the idea of having students create the map. I realize that this lesson is about the internet, but I would strongly suggest having the student map the trip on both Google Maps and a real map. What if the internet goes down? You never know. Both skills are good skills.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 13 Jun 14
       
      Hillary, I agree. We should always have plan B, and allowing the child to use both ways to map a trip will not hurt them. I believe that parents like you say are the ones to motivate the student once they leave school. In the district that I work at, we are having a summer slide program. It is a little different because instead of researching they read book and test (AR). They are using the Internet to test because they are able to do it form home. I like this idea of summer slide programs.
  • Does this website answer my specific question? How do a variety of websites answer the same question? (We are comparing and contrasting without the Venn diagram!) Are all web resources equal and accurate, and if not, how can I tell?
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      The highlighted area is important because when we research anything on the web it is important to follow these search results.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 11 Jun 14
       
      I agree. These questions as well as others such as, "When was the last time this website was updated?" help a person know whether the site is real or not. This makes me think of the first time I came across a story by the site, The Onion. I kept thinking how it looked legitimate, but did not sound legitimate. This probably makes me sound pretty unintelligent, but many students believe whatever they read on the internet. There needs to be a thought process that students go through that helps them compare and contrast the different aspects of the site to a real site, and these questions help them do that. It is great learning experience, and would be an excellent activity for the summer.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Nora, This reminds me of the AllState commerical with the girl waiting outside for a guy who she met on the Internet. She tells the AllState guy about some other insuracne company and adds, It is on the Interneet so it must be true." Her date walks up and is very very unappealing and definitely not a French model. Our students believe if it is on TV or the Internet then it is the truth. That is why commericals has such a huge impact on our students. As for the Internet, ther should be a much needed simply way for students to really check the creditability of a source. Wow sounds like a new apps to me.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 13 Jun 14
       
      Hillary, YES!!!! (caps because I agree 100%) Students at times are gullible and they will believe anything they read online and what people say. It is important to teach children that another importance or safety of online researching is how reliable the source is. That is a great idea that I had not thought about.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 13 Jun 14
       
      Lucretia, I have seen this commercial and it is funny. Commercials are powerful because they make a child want the product and ask their parents. The greatness of commercials. are we on to something here?
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • How to Engage Children in Research at Home
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      The following are some examples on how parents can engage students via internet usage. 
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      When I was researching trying to find an article for this discussion, I ran across an article that had 7 apps for summer adventures for kids. The article had apps from birding guides to how to tie knots and some pretty cool stuff inbetween. Check out the website http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ipad-apps-for-outdoor-adventures-monica-burns
  • The ability for children to ask and answer their own questions is one of the most fundamental learning objectives for life. This informal research, with children seeking to answer their own questions, is engaging, motivating and empowering. A cyclic pattern of research is established -- curiosity leading to research and back again to curiosity and follow-up questions.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
       
      Children are not always engaged and are usually only interested in what they are curious about. Why not allow that curiosity to turn into research. Allowing the students to use the internet is fun and they will be learning at the same time. 
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 11 Jun 14
       
      Children are definitely curious. I find that my own children ask me so many questions that I do not know the answer to. I am constantly saying, "Google it." At first, they were scared to use the computer to Google anything. However, once they realized that you type it in and it will give you answer. Sometimes the answer is what you are looking for and sometimes it is not, they were ok. It is funny when they are looking something up and I hear, "Mom, this doesn't make any sense for what I am asking." It is a learning moment that maybe you cannot type it into the computer exactly how you would speak it. I agree that allowing students to use the computer is fun and they are learning. Students are empowered when they can answer their own questions and contribute to conversations. Last year, I had one student that had listened to countless Ted Talks. As a result, he could discuss topics that many other students had never heard of.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Nora, It is true that the Internet brings information right to us in a flash. The hard part about that is getting our students to take that information and apply it to the particular problem they are trying to solve or simply retaining the information they have Goggled. That is where good teachers come in. For most of our students using the computer, Smartphone or tablet is as second nature as walking, but to getting them to incorporate that tool into critcal thinking, solving problems and engagement has to be done by well trained and dedicted teachers.
  • noramedrano on 11 Jun 14
     
    This article will allow parents to be aware of activities to engage students during summer time in order not to fall into pitfalls.
Benjamin Caulder

15 Rules of Netiquette for Online Discussion Boards [INFOGRAPHIC] | Online Education Bl... - 12 views

blogs.onlineeducation.touro.edu/uette-online-discussion-boards

netiquette discussion boards infographic

shared by Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14 - No Cached
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      Cannot highlight text in an infographic :). I prticularly like this "bullet" (not in bullet form). Tone is absolutely one of the hardest things to communicate and only great writers communicate accurately every time, and they do after many many edits and re-writes. Being overly polite is the best course of action. Personaly, I alomost lost a dear friend because she didn't understand my sarcasm in a Facebook post. It was the last time I tired to be sarcastic online.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      When I talk to my sons, especilaly when they are in college, I always call them if I ask them something of importance. Their text can lie, their voice, pitch and tone never could!
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 13 Jun 14
       
      Ben, I am sure that I do not follow this rule very well and need to work on it! When I speak, I use a lot of voice inflection so people understand my intentions. I have even noticed that when speaking on Collaborate, tone does not transfer well there either, and I have been misunderstood. However, it is funny because sometimes I will write and re-write an email worried that someone will take me the wrong way. I never mean harm. For example, with someone that has unfair working conditions, I naturally have the tone, "Bless your heart." But, it is not always taken that way! I do wonder if it is a cultural thing?
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      Long replies, or posts, are not detrimental. They just aren't read. Giving away quite a bit here, but this is my confession. In previous classes that had discussion questions or boards, I rarely read posts over 200 words. That may seem rediculous, but I have prefer posts that get the heart of the matter quickly and effectively as apposed to excessive posts. Therefore, this is a great point to keep in mind.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Ben, Unfortunately I have been in classes that have a minimum requirement of words written! I have a class right now that has a 250-500 word minimum requirement on almost every initial post! So all I do is read and write!
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 13 Jun 14
       
      Ben, As Lu mentioned, I too, have been in classes that required a certain number of words. I enjoy writing, and sometimes, to be clear as I mentioned in the above post, I require a few more words! Not only do I want to be understood, but I want to fulfill the requirements of my classes. If it means I do extra research, give more of my opinion, or write more, I do!
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      Nothing in our society erodes people's confidence in someone else's intelligence as quickly as bad grammar and poor spelling. There are, of course, exceptions... like when the whole tone of the DB is very casual or is filled with a certain vernacular or jargon. On the whole, a few seconds of editing is always worth it.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Ben, I am very guilty of not using spell check as often as I should in discussion boards. It is nice when the discussion forum platform underlines misspellings and at least you can correct spelling.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 13 Jun 14
       
      Ben, This reminds me of students who translate their texting speech to formal typing. Unfortunately, I used to spell well, but now I have used spell check way too much. I agree that unless the forum is casual, words should be spelled correctly.
  • ...1 more annotation...
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      These do not appear to be in a heirarchical order. It would seem to be a fun and natural class activity to order them rank of importance. My top 5, in order, are: 1. #4 2. #9 3. #2 4. #15 5. #7 What are you top 5?
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 12 Jun 14
       
      Intersting Ben! First let me apologize if I have been sarcastic in anyway to you over the course of this program, becauseI tend to be. My top 5 are: #9 #5 #2 #11 #15
  • Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
     
    Nice infographic of 15 good rules all discussion board posters should follow.
  • Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
     
    From touro.edu, Touro College on Long Island. These 15 tips are not overly complex, but they do get the heart of best practices for online postings. Point in fact, if all of our face to face interaction mirrored these 15 rules, our society as a whole would be changed for the better.
Benjamin Caulder

Discussion Board Audit-A Metacognitive, Wrap-up Assignment | Faculty Focus - 4 views

www.facultyfocus.com/...-metacognitive-wrap-assignment

discussion boards Blog Audits

shared by Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • “I wanted my students to cite and support their comments because everybody has an opinion about alcohol and drugs. I want to know where they get [their opinions] and to make them credible opinions,” Lake says.
  • students blog and do blog audits at the end of the course
  • My critical thinking has improved
  • ...2 more annotations...
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      I think, as a high school teacher, it would be interesting to do this at the end of a unit, which could be anywhere from 4 weeks to 7 weeks. I think students sometimes need to see their attitude change, or their understanding change, in a short term to stay motivated for the next unit.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 13 Jun 14
       
      I agree. Many students do not see the value in their education. Not only would it give them an opportunity to see how they have grown, but it would give them a learning guide along the way written in their own words. It could be an additional resource to their notes.
    • Benjamin Caulder
      Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
       
      When do you think it is best to have formalized writing, as this example is, and when is it best to not (no citation or research)?
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 13 Jun 14
       
      I have never really thought about specific situations. I teach APA to my students. Of course, they hate it especially students in a digital imaging class because I have them cite images that are from the internet, and there is often missing information. As far as formal research, I take it on a project by project situation. I will say that I would not have thought about formal writing in a blog. It is something I typically think of as informal; however, I see why they required it in this situation.
  • Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
     
    Taking the next step after the course content is completed but before the course actually finished: Blog Audits. It is a meta-cognitive approach to the student's contributions to the class from where they began to where they finished.
  • Benjamin Caulder on 11 Jun 14
     
    This article is directed towards higher ed., but it seems very applicable to my Senior English class. It can be extremely difficult for students, and even teachers, to quantify growth in education. Often enough, students are developing in some way that is not apart of the curriculum and any good teacher is OK with that. These changes can often be found in writing, which is a major reason why many schools across the country are focused on writing across the disciplines. Seeing and valuing these changes is a major part in finding the value of a student's time and effort in a class. While student may not accomplish all the objectives in a course, their attitude may change to the learning and that is not something trivial. That can be found in this meta-cognitive activity.
vasquezgonzalezv

Discussion boards and their use in my classroom - 7 views

In your first Diigo Group post, please summarize your understanding of the Discussion Board and discuss how you could use this in your classroom to deepen learning. My experience with discussion f...

education classroom public school band fine arts music

started by vasquezgonzalezv on 10 Jun 14 no follow-up yet
Lucretia Human

The Backchannel: Giving Every Student a Voice in the Blended Mobile Classroom | Edutopia - 7 views

www.edutopia.org/...blended-classroom-beth-holland

shared by Lucretia Human on 04 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • Backchannels give all of these students a voice. They create a blended environment where teachers and students engage in both physical and online conversations so that learning is no longer confined to a single means of communication or even an arbitrary class period. Backchannels don't replace class discussions -- they extend them.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 04 Jun 14
       
      As the article will address later, Backchannels give a voice to students that may not speak in a group setting.  Sometimes the shy students that will never raise their hand or answer very quietly when they are called on actually flourish when given the chance to "talk" on a Backchannel.  Students are able to begin with an idea and add to those ideas based on what other students wrote which helps take the pressure off each student.  
  • However, by incorporating a backchannel, all of her students could contribute their questions both in their small groups as well as to the entire class. With the inquiries documented, Meghan could then let the students drive their scientific investigations for a unit on objects in the sky.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 04 Jun 14
       
      The students could not only use Backchannels individually, but in groups if they wish.  As the article mentions, the questions would be documented.  Students that were absent could get a record of questions and answers that were asked during class that day.  This could be very beneficial since that student may have the same questions as other students' that were in the class.  
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 09 Jun 14
       
      I feel like when students are absent they miss more than just the assignments, but the whole dymanics of the class. This can lead to decrease understanding. However, through backchannels students can get the dynamics of the class through questions and answers from their peers. I found this intersting article about Backchannels and some examples on how they can be use. http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/04/10-ways-to-use-backchannels-in-your.html
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 10 Jun 14
       
      Lu, Great point! I agree that students do miss more than just the material when they are absent. Thank you for sharing the article! To this point, I have not used Backchannels a lot for several reasons, but I like the ideas given in the article suggested. My favorite is to assess prior knowledge. What an engaging way to find out what students already know about a topic!
  • However, by typing their thoughts, all students contributed their ideas while each having the autonomy to work at his or her own pace.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 04 Jun 14
       
      Depending on what type of Backchannel is used, students could be typing their ideas in or out of class so they would have the opportunity to think about their answers and post them as long as they posted them before the due date or discussion date.  By having more students participation to the conversation, other students as well as the teacher may see different perspectives on concepts that they may have never thought of before.  Something that was not mentioned in this article is that students need good up front rules about Backchannels before beginning the activity to prevent them from thinking they can use it to speak to each other like they do in social networking.
    • Lucretia Human
      Lucretia Human on 09 Jun 14
       
      I really think that Backchanneling is a great idea for deepen students knowledge of the topic, however I have a few questions: With multiple conversations occuring simultaneously during the main presenation of material, couldn't that cause a diversion of the student's focus, especially if the topic requires intense focus or reflective thought? Also how will the privacy of the student's comments be protected when archive?
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 10 Jun 14
       
      Lu, I have used Backchanneling during a presentation (I used Google Sites), and literally had to make it part of my students' grade that they ask the presenter a question during the presentation in order to get them to type in it! I teach high school in a rural East Texas school. My students told me it would be rude to type while the presenter was talking! While that may have been unusual, I think the key is to set boundaries up front with the class for what is to be discussed during a presentation. In my opinion, multiple conversations should not really be occurring during the presentation. We used to to communicate a question to the presenter while he/she was presenting. Sometimes, when students hold questions to the end, they forget their question. The presenter can choose to answer immediately or answer all questions at the end, but the presenter has all the questions typed out. On the privacy of the students' comments, my initial thought was that their comments would be saved securely on the school's server and only shared with that class. However, I could see where that could go awry so I looked up a some sites that spoke about archiving. Backchannel Chat indicates the teacher should have students use "appropriate" display names (http://backchannelchat.com/Benefits). However, on sites such as Google Sites, students log in so names would need to be changed if the conversation was going to be archived.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Across the curriculum, backchannels lead to better outcomes as learning no longer becomes confined to a desk, or a room, or even the school day.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 04 Jun 14
       
      Think of a lesson in which you could use a Backchannel in your classroom.  Briefly describe how you would implement it. 
Stephen Simon

How Collaborative Learning Leads to Student Success | Edutopia - 8 views

www.edutopia.org/borative-learning-college-prep

shared by Stephen Simon on 14 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • "What our collaborative learning style empowers and enables is a student's resilience -- how do you look to your neighbor as a resource, how do you test your own theories, how do you understand if you're on the right track or the wrong track?"
  • But now it's clear to her why allowing her students to learn in this way is so powerful. "They're learning more than just math," she says. "They're learning to be more proactive; they're learning how to depend on their peers. When they go off to college, they already know how to work with people and draw out their strengths."
    • lbanuelos
      lbanuelos on 20 Apr 14
       
      When students engage in peer learning, the build self esteem and a sense of responsibility. http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/collaborative-learning.html
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 01 May 14
       
      Being more proactive enhances how we move forward with advancements in every discipline. College Prep forces students to learn to depend on each other in times of need and stress. Leaving the nest is an experience that everyone who goes away for college encounters. The more at ease you feel when join a new group in a new setting just lubricates the learning environment.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 04 May 14
       
      I like the statement that students are learning more than math. What are they learning? They are learning life skills that cross the content area boundaries. Skills such as critical thinking which are so important in problem solving, creativity and general success can only be learned through collaborative learning. It is not possible to learn to depend on peers or to learn teamwork without working with others in a collaborative environment. In order to be proactive you have to be able to see the possibilities before they occur, this can't be done without interacting with a complex environment that involves others. You cannot predict in a system you have no familiarity with. Collaboration is a key scaffolding tool in the effort to constantly expand understanding and performance.
  • In math, for instance, the teachers prompt the students to ask each other their questions before asking the teacher, so that students learn to rely on their own collective wisdom.
    • lbanuelos
      lbanuelos on 20 Apr 14
       
      Peer learning is a mutual experience where student make equal contributions. Learning is also less formal. It may start in the classroom but can continue through social media.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 01 May 14
       
      It's now OK to ask your classmate for help. This is a great idea and really fosters two things: learning and socialization. When certain tasks are intentionally harder, it nudges the student to explore if their classmates are having the same situation: a shared learning experience. This is an awesome approach to what can be both tedious and difficult in nature. This particular paradigm to math will foster metacognition in the individual learner.
  • lbanuelos on 14 Apr 14
     
    With the onset of many Web 2.0 tools we can all agree that collaboration is easier that ever before. As a student in high school I remember doing poorly in one of my Spanish classes so my teacher sat me next to another student that was doing much better. Together all three of us formed a partnership that ultimately helped me pass that class. Back then I never really understood why it was easier for me to learn with the help of my peer. How can we as educators encourage collaboration in the classroom? http://www.smu.edu/~/media/Site/Simmons/CCCD/Peer%20Teaching%20in%20Math.ashx
  • ...10 more comments...
  • eeverett3 on 14 Apr 14
     
    After the sticker shock of the private high school costs, I was able to focus on the many ways they are using collabortion! What I enjoy in collaborative efforts is watching the students justify their answers/opinions. That is going to serve them well in future jobs.
  • Jeff Blackman on 14 Apr 14
     
    I think the tools we will be showcasing in this class could be one way. I didn't realize there were so many of these types of tools out there and I'm looking forward to hearing about more. It can be overwhelming, though. So, I'd pick one or two to focus on and get my students going on those.
  • Araceli Gracia on 14 Apr 14
     
    Luis, I think teachers and administration would encourage more collaboration, but since everything is so data driven, they are weary of what that would do to their numbers especially in the upper grades. I like the idea of collaboration because like your article mentioned students do not all have to agree and they are able to challenge each others ideas. The opportunity to work with others gives everyone a chance to learn from one another, however there could be students who do not like being part of a group. My younger son sometimes does get frustrated when in a group, since he is just one of those who likes to work alone. http://www.districtadministration.com/article/benefits-teacher-collaboration
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 17 Apr 14
     
    As a math teacher, I love having my students collaborate. However, I found that just throwing a group of students together and hoping for the best does not work. I found an article called "So Collaborative Learning Tips and Strategies for Teachers" that summarizes a lot of what I have learned in to have successful collaborate learning. Check it out, it is one that you might like to bookmark for future reference. http://www.teachthought.com/learning/20-collaborative-learning-tips-and-strategies/
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 17 Apr 14
     
    Elizabeth, I had to laugh at your mentioning the sticker shock! I was thinking I must be in the wrong private school. Although my private school is in Texas, the Archdiocese of San Antonio decided to incorporate the instructional shifts of Common Core, especially the mathematical practices. I find that collaboration is strongly needed in satisfying these practices. Collaborating is essential in make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. (MP.1) and constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others. (MP.3) One of my favorite activities is to put a challenging problem on the board and have the students collaborate in groups to solve it. Then the groups debate between themselves as to the correct answers. We have many lively discussions. http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Practice/
  • Don Martin on 20 Apr 14
     
    For me the best thing about collaboration is that it all fits well with the things that I feel work best in the classroom. I am a big proponent of scaffolding in the zone of proximal development. Problem based learning (PBL) and task centered learning (TCL) are two of my favorite scaffolding tools. Many of the web 2.0 tools we have seen this semester are excellent tools to help develop PBL and TCL experiences. The collaborative nature of many of the Web 2.0 tools lends itself well to learners helping learners and I think this is the best method of learning that we can foster in our classrooms whether they are online or face to face. Collaboration is great but it needs structure and guidance in order to be effective and have long lasting results.
  • Eric Folks on 20 Apr 14
     
    I'd say I'm going to play devil's advocate here and argue what I don't really believe, but I'll be honest: I'm on the fence about collaborative learning. I know in this day and age disparaging collaborative learning is like arguing for ObamaCare in Texas, especially with Social Media and sharing tools everywhere - many, many of which I use and advocate - but working in a group sometimes frustrates the snot out of me, and I'm not alone. http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/archive/cl1/cl/story/middlecc/TSCMD.htm#speed Some people like to just get the work done on their own, at their own speed, without all the trials and tribulations of working in a group. Here it is, Sunday night, and my son and I are waiting to hear back on a video presentation due tomorrow for his 8th grade English class. Obviously they're done with their Staar test and have more time and flexibility than they did a couple months ago, but the teacher has instructed them to work together collaboratively on a video version of a book they read...completely outside of class. So having worked through the challenges of scheduling a shooting time for the raw clips, and the challenges of everyone voicing different ideas on what to shoot, how to shoot, how to operate and so on, we finally got all the raw footage put together Friday afternoon. I keep saying "we" because for some reason my wife didn't want my 13 year old son going over to someone's house and recording themselves shooting BB guns !? Anyway, we specifically agreed and confirmed with one kid, who volunteered to do the editing and put the video together, that we wouldn't wait till Monday to see it for the first time. I send him the footage clips in the form of a Dropbox link Friday evening. At 12:15 AM last night he says he just got them and will hopefully get the video to us sometime today (even though the sent email below showed he rec'd the email Friday). Same old small group story. I know there are times when we need to collaborate in the real w
  • Jose Escobedo on 20 Apr 14
     
    Eric, I feel your pain. I have to say I remember those days when my kids brought group projects and were always waiting for the group to meet during the weekend. Like always dad had to help on Sunday night. Of course the main excuse they got from their peers was the lack of transportation. Luis made a good point when he mentioned the availability of Web 2.0 tools. With all these real time collaboration tools it should be easier for my youngest daughter once she gets to Middle School and HS.
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 20 Apr 14
     
    Eric, I also feel your pain. My daughter ends up doing most of the work on collaborative projects. But I think with the tips in the link I left and teachers giving students time to work on projects in class, a lot of this pain we go through could be alleviated.
  • Don Martin on 26 Apr 14
     
    Eric, I believe the fault is not in the concept of collaborative learning but in the design of the collaborative project. How can there be a fault in any learning tool or style that works? When we look at anything we do or use in the classroom if that system fails it is usually a design flaw as a result of the creator. Power Point is a great example, I don't claim to be a power user of Power Point but I know what the system is capable of and I know when I have seen a really bad presentation. Collaboration is no different, it takes a great deal of thought and effort on the part of the instructor to create a successful collaborative exercise that can be used to scaffold a class or subject effectively. I think that if you went back and looked at the design of the project you could probably identify ways to make it better and make it work. If you do that you should send feedback to your child's teacher, let them know what the problem was for your child and give them feedback on how to fix it. Remember, teachers are learners too!
  • Eric Folks on 26 Apr 14
     
    Don, I train 240 teachers and even more para professionals and staff on an ongoing basis. I get that they are learner too. My point was not that any and all collaborative learning models are flawed; it was that it's proponents seem to go unchallenged and in practice, many times anything deemed or labeled "collaborative" is considered good teaching. I believe collaborative learning has its place, but I also believe individual learning does as well. If the project is collaborative, there must be clearly delineated roles and rubrics, and "group" grades must be coupled with grades that target individual contributions. Google Docs and Murally are just two tools of many I share with teachers to more accurately determine who has done what and when.
  • Stephen Simon on 01 May 14
     
    "How Collaborative Learning Leads to Student Success"
lbanuelos

Integrating Web 2.0 Tools into the Classroom: Changing the Culture of Learning | CCT - 5 views

cct.edc.org/...room-changing-culture-learning

shared by lbanuelos on 14 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • Educators are using Web 2.0 tools to promote new avenues of communication among teachers, students, and the community in ways that can strengthen the community of learners.
    • lbanuelos
      lbanuelos on 20 Apr 14
       
      Communication and collaboration promote learning.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 01 May 14
       
      Web 2.0 content roadblocks to delivery are obstructions that can be avoided by utilizing tools which place no such restrictions on student access. Here is a link to some of those resources: http://www.jogtheweb.com/run/6fHHrXqPLFpm/Web-20-No-Registration-Necessary
  • lbanuelos on 14 Apr 14
     
    This report represents the finding from a two-year investigation on how Web 2.0 tools and social networking technologies support teaching. One of the things I found most interesting is that instructors are using these tools to incorporate parents into the learning process. Research suggests that parent involvement has a positive effect on academic performance. How are you connecting parents to the classroom? http://www.education.com/reference/article/benefits-parent-involvement-research/ http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=parental-involvement-in-schools
  • ...7 more comments...
  • lbanuelos on 14 Apr 14
  • eeverett3 on 14 Apr 14
     
    Great articles! Increased parent involvement and web 2.0 tools to increase communication! Everyone take note that "ease of use" was a major factor in wether or not teachers would use a new tool! We have to make this easy for our teachers...
  • Araceli Gracia on 14 Apr 14
     
    Elizabeth, I am guilty of being one of those teachers that is all about the "ease of use". If it is something that takes too much time, I will just find another tool that is quicker. Thankfully through this class ,I have learned so many tools that not only I, but my students can use in the classroom and at home. One of the problems that I had encounter in the past is having sites blocked by our school district. The Web 2.0 tools that I have recently used in my class have not been blocked so it is great to be able to share them with my students. Having the technology to communicate with parents and students is another plus. There can be many ways to communicate with parents even if it is a simple email. I have many parents who ask me to email them instead of calling because that is just a better way of communication for them. Merrill had mentioned a website last week called Kidblog. Having students participate in this is a perfect example of how technology is being used outside the classroom.
  • Jeff Blackman on 14 Apr 14
     
    To date, my kids' teachers have not used any type of Web 2.0 tools to allow for us (parents) to get involved. That's not to say that they don't involve us in other ways but I can definitely see some potential there. Outside of school, I have found it interesting that the stage manager of a play my son is in uses Shutterfly as a way to communicate with the cast and parents. We get reminders, participate in discussion boards, sign up for things, get a calendar - all within this site she has set up. It's pretty cool and definitely helps me as a parent to know what is going on. I'd always thought Shutterfly was just for photos so it was very enlightening to learn about this whole new functionality.
  • Merrill Redfern on 15 Apr 14
     
    Our campus supports the use of Twitter and Facebook for parent communication. In fact, our PTO has their own Facebook page in which they communicate all activities and upcoming events and encourage parent questions. In addition, each grade level has their own closed Facebook page where they communicate to parents about field trips, special occasions and post pictures of students hard at work. This is not the only form of communication. The teachers continue to send out flyers and documents home with their students. Personally, I maintain a Twitter account for our Library. I tweet (still so weird to use the word "tweet") information such as new book arrivals, facts/history about the library, and advertise book fairs/club etc. http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/ultimate-guide-to-use-of-facebook-in.html
  • lbanuelos on 17 Apr 14
     
    Yes Elizabeth, ease of use is a must but with so many web 2.0 tools out there, finding one shouldn't be an issue. I also believe that fear of change is another factor that should be considered. So many professionals are not happy about change. They need to be shown the benefits of these new technologies and provided a support system to help them adapt. Besides teachers, parents may also have reservations about technology. I believe that if parents are exposed to technology when their children first start school (pre-k), they will be less resistant as the years go by. Jeff, my son's school doesn't use any tools either. I still get notices by paper. I can contact the teacher by email but that is about as high tech as it gets. I never thought about Shutterfly as a communication tools. I'd like to see the same type of initiative at our local school district. I believe that it will enhance parent participation. Merrill, I like that your campus supports Twitter and Facebook for parent communication. That's great that you maintain a twitter account at your library to let students know about new arrivals. If you tweet them, they will come.
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 17 Apr 14
     
    Interesting! Last year, I introduced Edmodo to the middle school students. I used it mainly to post assignments and interesting links and videos. However, it seemed that students only used it about 50% of the time and the parents were unaware of the parent accounts (even though I had sent a paper home). So this year, at a mandatory technology parent meeting, I presented a PowerPoint to parents about Edmodo and how to register for an account. I really wanted the parents involved. Especially since late homework is an issue in our school. I can say that for the parents that use Edmodo, their children rarely miss handing in homework. Those parents are also greatly appreciative of my efforts in keeping them in the loop. I agree that parent involvement has a positive effect on academic performance, and informing parents is a good thing.
  • Don Martin on 20 Apr 14
     
    Unfortunately, in my arena connecting parents to the classroom isn't really an option or a concern. I teach at the college level and while many of the things we discuss in this class are applicable at every level of instruction the idea of parental involvement is not an option when we are working with adult learners. Collaboration, engagement, web 2.0 technologies, and so much more that we have talked about are universal concepts in education but by the time they reach me the time for parental influence has passed. Hopefully their parents have had some interest in their education but at the college level I can't even share any of their education history or information with their parents without express written consent from the learner.
  • Jose Escobedo on 20 Apr 14
     
    I am not well versed on what is allowed in the classroom as far as technology but if it's easy and fun to use why not implement the Web tool.
Janice Wilson Butler

The Technologists' Siren Song - 3 views

chronicle.com/...145107

technology education classroom teaching computer

shared by Janice Wilson Butler on 20 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • Janice Wilson Butler on 20 Mar 14
     
    Provocative article - worth discussing!
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Eric Folks on 21 Mar 14
     
    When I was younger, I consoled myself with the belief that even though much of life and what was going on in it was beyond me and my control, at least there's someone out there, someone in power and control. As I grew up I came to question the idea that somebody somewhere knew what was going on and had the big picture and all our best interests in mind...I came to realize that society itself was moving faster and faster. But to where? Who's providing direction to this unstoppable (a human idea in and of itself) freight train we call life? This article reminds me that in the area of technology especially, we're in a big hurry to see if we can do something or control something or create something...without taking the time to ask, why should we? Why are we creating this? For what purpose? How will this further our species or quality of life? Take this article I read yesterday. They've created a drone quad copter and quipped it with a 80,000 volt stun gun (1). Brilliant! Have they not seen Terminator? Do they not know we already have military drones flying over US airspace (2)? Do we really want to outfit quad copters with stun guns? Just because we can doesn't mean we should, and that's what scares me about the increasing pervasiveness of technology in our personal lives. It's not just that Google or Apple knows my every move; it's that they sell that information (BIG DATA, BIG DATA!) and supply that information to businesses and governments I don't necessarily trust. Things are getting bigger and faster, and generally speaking from a historical perspective, that's not always a good thing. The more concentrated the power (in this case the data or tech knowhow), the more likely it's applications are to be counter to improving the human condition overall. I'm glad McCray points out the environmental impact all our neat devices have...the superfund sites and rare minerals involved in their production. We need to source our technology like we need to source
  • Jeff Blackman on 28 Mar 14
     
    Wow! Great food for thought. I admit, I tend to be in the "gee whiz" camp when it comes to technology. I get excited with the new products and innovations. McCray makes some great points, though, about the "darker side" of technology. If I really sit and focus on some of these (e.g. discarded technology, all of the data about us going who knows where...), I could really put myself in a funk! Being in the Educational Technology field, I do think it is important to keep this stuff in mind. I want to continually ask "why" about new technologies and not just jump on the bandwagon of what is considered cool.
  • Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
     
    While I agree with much of the opinion contained within this article, I had a strong negative reaction to the following sentence: "Unfortunately, the conversation is impoverished by the absence of a robust cadre of scholars who can engage with and critique the role of technology in society." - Ouch! While I am aware that the writer's point was that much of the debate takes place amongst those that promote Silcon Valley, like the editor of Wired, I think this particular assertion fires a shot not only at the readers of the article, but also at the writer himself. The writer bemoans the dearth of white men that dominate the debate whilst ostensibly being one and making me, a white person feel like my contribution to any discussion could be considered less than valuable.
Brenda Wohlfeil

Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Nicholas Carr - The Atlantic - 8 views

www.theatlantic.com/...306868

google technology reading

shared by Brenda Wohlfeil on 17 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      The first question this article raises in my mind is...are other people feeling like this? that books and long articles are becoming too difficult to read?
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 18 Mar 14
       
      When I am sent off to training and I know I will have limited connectivity, my laptop stays in my bag. I use this time to read articles which I print out or just simply read a book. If I have connectivity, my concentration to simply read articles or a textbook would be lost because I want to get to other class assignments or simply surf the net. To me its just a mind over matter.
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 22 Mar 14
       
      After reading/working on the computer for long periods of time, I noticed I get jittery.  I was concerned about it, so I searched the internet for answers.  I came across Linda Stone's video and website.  She has studied attention, health and technology.  In the video she talks about continuous partial attention, which is a form of multi-tasking.  Ms. Stone's research has shown that we have become hyper alert to scan for every possible input and opportunity.  In another words, we don't want to miss anything.  And this puts us in an artificial state of constant crisis.  Amongst many physical changes from this artificial state, including jitteriness, our minds find it hard to focus. (Linda Stone-May I Have Your Attention Please?, http://internoobs.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/linda-stone-may-have-your-attention-please-0128197/) So I have to wonder, is it that we just don't have the patience for reading long books, or are we in an artificial state of constant crisis that makes it impossible for us to focus?
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 24 Mar 14
       
      I actually have a student this year who cannot use the computer at all because it causes seizures for her! Scary!
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      This particular quote reminds me of an Aristotle quote: "We are what we constantly do, excellence isn't an act then, but a habit." It seems that Mr Carr is mistaking habits for permanent brain changes.
  • And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      I really like this analogy of finding information online. I often feel like this and in my library, I see students seraching so rapidly that I wonder if their research is effective.
    • Araceli Gracia
      Araceli Gracia on 17 Mar 14
       
      I know that I am guilty of telling my children to "Google It" when I don't know something right away. It is quick way of getting answers to what we are not sure about. But how else would students get their information. Unless they have a set of encyclopedias, it would prove difficult to search. Long articles are more tedious to read than difficult I think. Its a matter of time that doesn't allow for reading so they are just being glanced at rather than being fully understood.
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 18 Mar 14
       
      The analogy provides an excellent mental picture of what searching online looks like in the 21st century. This analogy also reminds me of times in my library, while locating a book for a student, by the time I have tracked down the book a student can't absolutely live without they have already changed their minds on what they are interested in. Amazes me on how fast students can "switch gears," which is what (among other things) the Internet searching is creating in our student population.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Mar 14
       
      I've got mixed feelings on this. It seems counterintuitive that we should take advantage of the resources we have at hand, be it Google or some mobile device, and that we should teach our kids to do the same. How many technologies and advances in the past have changed the way we find, process, and share information? Each was met with resistance and criticism and also a bit of excitement, but eventually, they came to be seen as valuable tools for learning. While I think the same can be said of modern technologies, I do have some reservations about the concentration and scale of control companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook and the like have over society's day to day interactions. "Big data" and the way it's being used should give everyone pause, as they really boil down to refining the manipulation process. If we spent as much time teaching digital literacy and critical thinking (helping young to old be more aware of forms of manipulation, propaganda, and logical fallacies), I would be more likely to say (with some checks and balances and oversight), it's ok for these companies to provide us with goods and services specific to our needs and wants. The problem is we are witnessing both the growth of big data and the growth of technology dependence at the same time. Is technology becoming the modern day "opiate of the masses?" It just may be... More and more parents are using technology to babysit their children, enough so that pediatricians are pointing out the writing on the wall: this overuse of technology is excacerbating ADD, ADHD, childhood obeisity, and more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/10-reasons-why-handheld-devices-should-be-banned_b_4899218.html Personally, I have my kids complete a technology challenge every day before they're able to get on technology for gaming and entertainment (which we are now limiting to 1 hour). Most of these technology challenges involve them using technology as a creation tool, and I've got to say, it's working!
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
       
      The Net does chip away at your capacity for concentration, contemplation, and criticial thinking because we let it. The information on the Net is only that; you still have to decide if what you are reading can how water. I think it is important to approach search engines, like Google, by learning to structure a query followed by what storehouses of data we know to have veracity.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 25 Mar 14
       
      It may well be that the problems we are seeing as being created by the internet and the accessibility of information are actually caused by us as instructors and not by the medium itself. As instructors it is our job to find appropriate resources and appropriate uses for the information that is so readily available today. Through the use of Web 2.0 Technologies we need to find ways to create depth of information by inspiring our students to dig deeper and helping them in the development of their critical thinking skills.
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      While I love Mr. Carr's use of metaphor (scuba vs jet ski) this kind of argument via analogy is fallacious at best. You know what else challenges concentration and contemplation? Sports. They are just the same kind of rapid-fire informational experiences as "surfing the net" can be. No one would challenge the value of sports to a child's mind (or an adults for that matter) because it brings it's own skills and rewards. I think we confuse the situation when we try to compare un-like things.
  • It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      I wonder if reading habits are changing and if this is good or bad...how will it affect students and educators?
    • Araceli Gracia
      Araceli Gracia on 17 Mar 14
       
      In the article, it mentions how texting has made it more important about being efficient and immediate which then weakens our capacity for reading. This stood out to me because this past weekend I went to help my mother send a text message. My mother does not text, she believes in the old fashion ways of speaking with people. So my 10 year old said he would help her create the text. Of course my mother wants to put capital letters, punctuation, and proper grammar. He was telling her, you don't have to do that, just put in "u" for "you". She was so shocked that he was telling her that, she was like no I have to have my name with a capital letter.
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 18 Mar 14
       
      In my experience, many students are obtaining just enough information to get by and not digging deeper into a subject where it could be meaningful. The internet provides the perfect forum for this. The "grab and go" mentality. Some would argue the amount of time placed on educators is a determining factor for teachers to "power browse" information. I believe there is some truth to that but above all, the internet has significantly changed the way we search, think, communicate, teach, plan and recall information.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Mar 14
       
      I see power browsing and recreational reading as two different activities...when I want to relax, I read (digital or print makes no difference as long as the device is light and I can adjust the brightness). When I want to stay on the cutting edge of my chosen profession, I power browse and experiement.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 21 Mar 14
       
      It seems to me that the real problem may be related to something deeper. We have been told for so long by so many that we need to be good "multitaskers" that we have spent a great deal of time and energy on trying to do just that. Recent studies show that humans don't really multitask on any effective level and that when we do try to multitask our work and thought processes suffer for it. Here is a good article from Time Magazine about multitasking and its negative effects: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174696-1,00.html
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 21 Mar 14
       
      That is a great article,Don! I am glad to see that what I am yelling at my teens all the time is backed up by research! "When people try to perform two or more related tasks either at the same time or alternating rapidly between them, errors go way up, and it takes far longer--often double the time or more--to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially, says David E. Meyer, director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan: "The toll in terms of slowdown is extremely large--amazingly so." I worry about the multitasking all the time...has anyone seen the tv show "Brain Games"? I think that really illustrates the hazards of multitasking....
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
       
      I now have better understanding of the long view of cognition and how technology impacts it. Socrates opposition to the printed word was no different than a parent restricting internet access for their children; the capacity to properly learn the learning tool, left to its own device, is largely lost.
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 22 Mar 14
       
      I find myself mostly power browsing on the Internet, but I find it is difficult to do much more because of the back lighting.  The back lighting easily tires my eyes. For long articles that I need to digest, I prefer printing them out to read.   Here is an article on computer vision syndrome: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/computer-vision-syndrome Possibly future screen technology might alleviate eye fatigue. Eizo is a company that is already working on creating screens to help with eye fatigue.  Here is their latest product: http://www.eizo.com/global/library/basics/eyestrain/
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      Brenda, thank you for sharing this! Eye strain and visual fatigue are really big problems for me and other persons with dyslexia.
  • eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
     
    Here is an article that discusses the use of current technology and how it may affect the brain.
  • ...5 more comments...
  • eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
     
    I hope that everyone had a great Spring Break! Here is the article that I would like to discuss in Diigo that week. :) EE
  • lbanuelos on 17 Mar 14
     
    The article makes several points. Technology has changed how we think and measure our abilities. For example, as a computer technician, I always tell clients that I can solve their issues even if I haven't the slightest idea how to do. I just hope that someone else around the world has posted the solution on the internet. Thank you Google. So if the internet wasn't available I don't think I would feel as confident doing my job everyday.
  • Araceli Gracia on 20 Mar 14
     
    Luis, I have used You Tube so many times when trying to learn how to do something. I have even used it for this course when I need that extra tutorial. For example, if Stephen had not been kind enough to post a video on how to install Java on Screenr, I would have struggled so much more. Technology comes with the good and the bad. My older son learned to play the piano from the internet while my other son just wants to watch videos. So like everything in my life, there has to be a happy medium.
  • Don Martin on 21 Mar 14
     
    I'm inclined to believe that the problem is not with the technology but with how we adapt to it. In the past the rate of technology development has given us time to assimilate it, analyze it, and employ it. The problem with computers, the internet and all the associated electronic technology is that by the time we figure out what it is and what it is good for it's already changed. Given time we will figure out how to deal with the speed of change but in the meantime it means some struggle on our part as humans and as instructors in determining what is of value and what is not, what that value is, and how do I use it to my benefit and the benefit of my students?
  • Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
     
    Here is an article that discusses the use of current technology and how it may affect the brain.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Mar 14
     
    Araceli, I too use YouTube for learning how to do stuff. Just last week, I needed how to embed videos into a webpage for another project. Sure enough there was a video posted on how to do that. I believe that technology affects both the learner and the teacher. Instructors expect that students use these tools and have the ability to learn how to implement.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Mar 14
     
    Google puts tremendous amounts of data at our fingertips. This data needs to be interpreted. This is a important skill that must me taught to students. Not everything posted on the net is correct. I think this teaches students to be more critical of they read.
eeverett3

The internet: is it changing the way we think? | Technology | The Observer - 1 views

www.theguardian.com/...rnet-brain-neuroscience-debate

shared by eeverett3 on 24 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • American writer Nicholas Carr's claim that the internet is not only shaping our lives but physically altering our brains has sparked a lively and ongoing debate, says John Naughton. Below, a selection of writers and experts offer their opinion
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      I think this article did a much better job than the one above speaking about the real concerns that some people have over the changes that access to the world wide web may cause. It is less about the idea that "Google is making us stupid" (which I think very few people actually believe) and more about the changes in how our brains work then exposed to the extreme quantity of information (especially when the quality of the information is questionable). However, like Steven Pinker, I tend to be dismissive of this issue. I agree that this is no difference logically than the people who believed that comic books would ruin the youth of America or those who think that eating fierce animals makes the eater fierce. Ultimately, each human brain process information in the way it finds most efficient for it's surroundings and as we become a more technology rich society any small (probably totally insignificant) changes that might take place will probably be to the advantage of the mind's owner.
  • eeverett3 on 24 Mar 14
     
    Writers, academics and scientists respond to Nicholas Carr's claim that the internet is physically altering our brains. By John Naughton
  • eeverett3 on 24 Mar 14
     
    Thank you for all the comments and discussion this week. Many of the points that you brought up were discussed in this follow-up article. Enjoy!
Stephen Simon

MapSkip - Places Have Stories! - 6 views

www.mapskip.com/index.php

geography Web2.0 storytelling share knowledge

shared by Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14 - Cached
  • MapSkip makes the world a canvas for our stories and photos.
  • It is an ancient human instinct to share our life stories with others, as the paintings and hand prints in stone-age caves show.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      Storytelling is part of being a great teacher. Making it relevant is part of being a great mentor. This is not always as easy as some think it is but for those who invest in the art of storytelling realize that that is how lasting memories are made. Think of going camping and sitting around the fire telling stories; what was it that made those memorable to you?
    • Janice Wilson Butler
      Janice Wilson Butler on 16 Feb 14
       
      And charting your own adventures - I keep having trouble remembering where I ate a great food or saw a play, etc. I like when a tool can be powerful for personal reasons as well as for educational reasons.
    • Joe Pedraza
      Joe Pedraza on 17 Feb 14
       
      This would be good for my 9 year old to track our summer vacation. He can take photos, videos and add the stories to the map. The MapSkip can even be linked to your twitter account allowing the user to tweet as you post stories. I think this for me would be a little too time consuming but overall great for users with time on their hands.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 26 Feb 14
       
      I could see something like this being used in combination with a interactive timeline. You could put your history on the timeline and then use the map locations to tell the stories behind the events.
  • ...3 more annotations...
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      I do not agree that it is human instinct to share our life stories. The reason being that if everyone wanted to do that, no story would ever be heard. Do you agree with the premise that we, as homo sapiens, instinctually want to share our stories?
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 12 Feb 14
       
      People share life stories for various reasons. They share stories in an effort to connect themselves or others with someone or something. To feel a belonging to something significant that will define or confirm their characteristics, attributes or identity. I do agree in that not every person instinctively wants to spill the beans about their life and does not need to share stories for fulfillment. Introverts have a difficult time telling stories and find it challenging or exhausting. However, I believe technology has set a forum for some introverts to "safely" tell stories in an environment in which protects them from the world they may find challenging.
    • Jeff Blackman
      Jeff Blackman on 12 Feb 14
       
      Yes, I do think there is an instinct to share stories. Not necessarily to the whole world but at least to one other person. For example, our kids, spouses, families. People we are comfortable with - we want to share our stories - even the mundane ones like "how was work today?" It fills a need.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 13 Feb 14
       
      I try to find ways to keep in touch or share my experiences with my kids back home and MapSkip offers that opportunity. I can share my experiences with my little girl especially when she has a school project due. Instead of sending pictures and or trying to explain a place via email or text, she can access my stories with her tablet at school.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 16 Feb 14
       
      Using a tool like this one can lend itself to sharing with family as Jose has pointed out. Usually these stories are somewhat private and so long as you know that they are public, fine with me. If more people did this then perhaps some stories which are usually isolated to an individual could possible be cross-indexed to someone else. This would certainly give you some perspective on the story itself when told by different individuals.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Feb 14
       
      I believe that humans have a need to share their stories. That is how we make connections with each other and how we work out our differences in opinion. We are always trying to explain, share, and teach.
    • Joe Pedraza
      Joe Pedraza on 17 Feb 14
       
      I believe that we as homo sapiens do want to share our stories, not necessarily instinctively but more subconsciously. Our subconscious is the storage of our knowledge and prior experiences. When we meet others that we have something in common with like an idea, or something that triggers an emotion, we feel a connection that triggers our subconscious to share this information.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Feb 14
       
      OK people, I can't believe we're debating whether or not ppl like/need/want to share stories. Let's leave it at storytelling has been a part the human culture creation process since the beginning, but sharing stories is an individual choice. More importantly, so is the means by which we do it! Does MapSkip offer tools and services other sites don't? Maybe. But from what I can tell, this doesn't offer much more than Google Maps Engine (https://mapsengine.google.com/map/?pli=1)...other than another site we need to create, manage, and curate content on. Another option is Dr. Alice Christie's GoogleTreks (http://googletreks.org/). MapSkip seems cumbersome to me in comparison to some mobile options out there, like location-based posts in Twitter, G+, FB, and my favorite for this type of thing, Instagram. Here are some other apps for location-based maps/activity etc. http://www.slideshare.net/matteoroversi/beyond-foursquare-overview-on-the-best-location-based-apps
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 23 Feb 14
       
      Digital Stories were foreign to me. I appreciate the video that Simon posted, although it was a bit advanced for me. I have since found a website that gives a basic overview of digital stories with information on how to map them. http://maps.playingwithmedia.com/digital-story/
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 23 Feb 14
       
      I agree that story telling is what forms the basis for human culture. This tool looks like a fun and interesting way to do just that. Gosh it would be a fun way to share travel stories or even share reviews or tips for particular locations or venues for others on their travels.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 04 Mar 14
       
      Brenda, Thanks for the link that clarifies the digital story possibilities. I agree that it can be a bit confusing and overwhelming at times. I think the key is having a good plan before you start. If you have a story plan then you can go and find the "places" you want to use to tell your story.
  • - Our Partners
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      Check out this teacher resource who partnered with MapSkip.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 16 Feb 14
       
      Capturing family history through stories was pretty much the only way to keep the story alive. Now you have new tools to make it live on. Investing in a flip-cam is great for impromptu video capture of a story. Many times my kids tell me that not everyone wants to be on video so I am more cautious when I take it and film. But what you get as a product is priceless as I look back at video of my father and realize how much I miss his stories.
    • Janice Wilson Butler
      Janice Wilson Butler on 16 Feb 14
       
      This looks like a very interesting tool. I can see it being of great benefit for students who are learning English - a way to connect the English language to their own culture. It should be a cool tool for social studies as well - the discovery of the United States, the Pilgrims, etc. Or battles of the Civil War - so many uses!
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Feb 14
       
      Stephen, we invested in Flipcams a while back, about 5 per campus for check out via library. They discontinued support for them right after we bought them :( but they've nevertheless been useful for long recordings. Since so many now have smart phones, and the shorter the video clips often the better, the flip cameras are not used as much... I am curious how difficult (or easy) the workflow would be to add video resources to your MapSkip post. Might give it a try and let you know!
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Feb 14
       
      OK, so you can't upload a video (only add a YouTube video, which is easy enough to upload yourself), add a jpg image, and even upload a sound file (mp3), which I thought particularly nice. After exploring the features a bit more, I've got to say it's more capable and less cumbersome than I orginally thought!
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Feb 14
       
      I thought that the capacity to narrate (mp3) was perfect for this type of We 2.0 tool. That way the story is not lost in all the extraneous material a video brings. But the youTube capacity adds an element of commercialization to the artifact which I don't like; especially in the classroom.
  • Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
     
    This is an ambitious method of story-sharing using integrated GoogleMaps with pins to denote where a story, with and without photos, can be posted and accessed.
  • ...5 more comments...
  • Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
     
    Here is a video on Digital Storytelling from a lecture in SecondLife. I found it informative and an sharing it with you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XRS-45wKWk
  • Jeff Blackman on 12 Feb 14
     
    I love storytelling as a means to teach. I always try to weave stories into my training as I think it helps people connect to the material better.
  • lbanuelos on 14 Feb 14
     
    Storytelling is a natural way to create meaningful and sometimes emotionally rich connections. When my grandfather would sit me down and talk about all the various places he had traveled to though out his life, I couldn't help but feel connected to those places. It also gave me deeper insight as to what those places must have been like. I believe that because storytelling forces our minds to envision the situations, it keeps learners interested and assists in information retention.
  • Araceli Gracia on 17 Feb 14
     
    When I make a connection to a lesson, I love to tell my students my personal stories or experiences especially traveling to different places. My students are so attentive and if I bring pictures, they can appreciate the story and lesson even more. Of course this leads to some students making their own connections and wanting to share their stories and experiences. And although not all students may have many opportunities to travel, they all have something to say and listening to their classmates tell a story makes everything very meaningful.
  • Araceli Gracia on 18 Feb 14
     
    I don't know if I would tell every story and detail of my life, but if the situation called for it, I probably would share. I know some people, like my stepfather, who is not shy will share his stories about the past, but maybe because he is older and has nothing to hid. However, I will share my stories with my students if I feel it will make a lesson more meaningful.
  • lbanuelos on 20 Feb 14
     
    I see this a good tool for students to map places they have explored that have personal value to them. For example, as a former boy scout, I would map places where we setup camp and document the skills I learned. This would later be used to reflect upon. I agree with Eric that they are other tools that are somewhat easier to use but for me it works fine.
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 23 Feb 14
     
    It has occurred to me after reading all the comments, Dipity and MapSkip combined together could turn a student autobiography into one neat project! What a way to engage students to reflect upon the on the places and events of their lives.
Stephen Simon

Dipity - Find, Create, and Embed Interactive Timelines - 6 views

www.dipity.com

share Web2.0 timeline education visualization history collaboration

shared by Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14 - Cached
  • Dipity is a free digital timeline website. Our mission is to organize the web's content by date and time.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 13 Feb 14
       
      Timeglider is another nice timeline application. There are actually a lot of great timeline resources. Timelines are a great tool that allows you to create linear content with embedded learning objects like pop-up text boxes, videos, pictures, sound files, and more. I've used timelines in my courses in the past and have even embedded them in presentations.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 13 Feb 14
       
      This is a neat, free tool! I searched WWII and the Holocaust because I know that my 8th grade AP English teachers are about to start a project on this that will involve a timeline. I will share this immediately with those teachers! We will experiment with the students adding information to one timeline. I looked at the sources listed on one of the Holocaust timelines and that information was not very detailed so I will be looking closely at sources as I play! Thanks for the link, Stephen!
    • Joe Pedraza
      Joe Pedraza on 17 Feb 14
       
      This tool can be integrated into the classroom, workplace or at home. Timelines are a great way for students to visualize what they are learning and engage in the lesson. Dipity would be great for history teachers. They can use the power of multimedia, social media content with trends like timestamps, geolocations and real time updates to bring the lesson to a life-like experience.
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 19 Feb 14
       
      Dipity can be a very useful tool for those students who have a difficult time being creative with school projects. As Joe P. mentioned, the use of social media will facilitate the need for students to think "outside the box".
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 23 Feb 14
       
      This timeline tool is wonderful and can be integrated into the library as well. Each year our campus celebrates the author, Theodor Seuss Geisel's (aka Dr. Seuss'), birthday with book readings, book trivia, etc. I searched Dr. Seuss and found many interesting facts about the beloved children's author. What a great way to conduct an in depth study about him while incorporating history and literature.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 24 Feb 14
       
      Did you all see this post from Tech & Learning? Top 20 Sites and Apps for Creating Timelines (Feb. 21st) http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&entryid=7150
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 02 Mar 14
       
      Thank you for posting the Tech & Learning link. Being fairly new to the technology of timelines I found this top 20 list very inspiring. As I sifted through the list of apps thinking about how I could implement such a great tool in the library I found the app TIMELINE. It's FREE :) and is practically effortless to navigate through. One can simply tap on the timeline at the location where you want to add an event including label, description and image. Projects can be saved in a file within the app and can also be sent out to others. I like the idea of my students conducting research on authors and creating a timeline of books published by the author.
  • Dipity allows users to create free timelines online.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      Drag the timeline around; there is some interesting content here but it looks largely aggregated. Have you tried integrating a timeline in your classroom with any success?
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 15 Feb 14
       
      Although I did not have the internet as a resource, I have had my students create mini-timelines using PowerPoint.  Each slide portrayed a different event and were in chronological order with dates.  My favorite was a timeline on the the battles and events of the American Revolution. Students were responsible for creating slides for different battles including sound and animation.  The slides were imported together into a class PPT. I don't think it will be something the students will forget.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 18 Feb 14
       
      I have used timelines in my courses to teach the history of the Surgical Technology Profession and show the development of various technological innovations as well as surgical specialties. The interactivity of the timelines and the addition of a visual component to the information makes the timeline effective. Add in the fact that you can embed learning objects such as videos and links to other information and timelines can be very flexible and effective as a tool to help reach an objective.
    • Araceli Gracia
      Araceli Gracia on 18 Feb 14
       
      I know it is horrible to admit, but I had no idea what a meme was so I had to look it up. If I am correct it is an idea that gets replicated and then evolves from sensations like famous people, videos, or certain phrases. http://thedailymeme.com/what-is-a-meme/
  • ...2 more annotations...
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      Internet Memes Timeline can provoke an interesting discussion on memes, how they get started, and what fuels their expansion. Is it possible to create a meme within a school?
    • Joe Pedraza
      Joe Pedraza on 17 Feb 14
       
      A meme is an idea that is spread from person to person quickly. The internet has become the home for the modern memes. The use of email, instant messaging, social media allows for the spread of memes. Humor is a great way to create a new meme. I think it is very possible to create a meme within a school. It's easy to pass along a meme to your colleagues by email. I have included a link to the top internet memes. (http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/weirdwebculture/tp/The-Best-Internet-Memes.htm)
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 19 Feb 14
       
      Timeline Maker claims to have the interactive capabilitites of Dipity but with the ability to integrate your timeline into Power Point and other MS programs. It is $125 however...this is a one-time cost and not a yearly subscription. http://www.timelinemaker.com/
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      This is an example of a broken-link and is usually a sign that the site is not maintained regularly. I consider it a red flag. It is just one more thing that can make you nuts. We all have our pet peeves; what is yours?
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Feb 14
       
      I agree with Brenda that timelines are a must in history classes; however, I think they are just as valuable in researching biographies in all subjects and as tool for building relationships with students. When elementary children create personal timelines, they see the connections between all their lives and what common stories and events they share.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Feb 14
       
      Yes timelines are the most applicable to history and perspective. Great app!
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 24 Feb 14
       
      Life is really about turning points, and so is history. What better way to make them come alive than through the creation of interactive timelines! Araceli Gracia nailed it: what a perfect storm of events that must fall into place for an indvidual to become a US president...what better way to highlight these turning points than Dipity!
  • Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
     
    Timelines are an excellent tool to get the "big picture" of an event, or events. I have always liked using it in projects that participants can study and formulate time-based concepts.
  • ...4 more comments...
  • Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
     
    I find this tool similar to VoiceThread. See what you think.
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 15 Feb 14
     
    I firmly believe visual timelines are a must in history classes. From my own experience, it was not until I taught my own children history using a timeline did I really understand history. For me, it was just events and a bunch of dates until I created one with my daughters. We built a timeline around our schoolroom of all the historical events that we were studying. Each time we studied and added another event, we were able to see it in the context of the world's history. I helped me see history in context for the first time. As Simon said, the "big picture." Dipity and other timelines like it, should be one of the pillar of tools used in today's history classes.
  • Araceli Gracia on 17 Feb 14
     
    I recently had students do a project for President's Day but this would be a great way to incorporate this project even more. They would be able to understand the person they have chosen and the events that went on during their time and like you mentioned Stephen get the "big picture." Awesome.
  • lbanuelos on 17 Feb 14
     
    Its easy to see how this technology could be used in the educational setting. It allows the instructor to set the background for a lesson on a particular event. It can be used to teach history but other topics as well. For example, in literature it can be used to list situations leading to a climax in play such as Romeo and Juliet. I was most surprised to see it being used in journalism. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvCyLrY9rDs http://www.dipity.com/alexvoa/Timeline-Chile-Miners-Ordeal/
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 23 Feb 14
     
    Besides Presidents, timelines can be used to deepen our understanding about any person. Seeing a person within a specific era, can help up better understand the thinking process of that person. Furthermore, it can help us really appreciate the uniqueness of people who think outside of the common thinking of that time.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Feb 14
     
    Dipity can be power tool in the classroom. Integrating pictures and video in a timeline can enhance retention. Dipity add multimedia to instruction. Both visual and audible learners will benefit. I remember one of my teacher in middle school discussing how bills become laws by showing us a "School House Rock" video. To this day, I can still sing some of the lyrics to the songs in the video.
Stephen Simon

Home | JOG THE WEB - 5 views

www.jogtheweb.com

share Web2.0 knowledge tour education resources pedagogy technology

shared by Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14 - Cached
  • synchronous guide to a series of web sites
  • allowing the author to annotate
  • ask guiding questions for each page
  • ...3 more annotations...
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      This is a great way to supplement your discussions but it has one drawback: if your URL changes in your stored Jogs, the link is essentially broken and will not display. This creates overhead for the teacher which most of us don't need.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 26 Feb 14
       
      I have seen something similar to this done with a Prezi presentation where the links are embedded in the slides and the presentation is uploaded to a cloud or other website.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      It is nice that one can post annotations (sticky notes) and keep the discussion synchronous. Most paradigms of this nature place the impetus back on the teacher instead of shifting it to the student. Do you agree?
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
       
      This try-it feature is nice because you do not have to join anything to take it out for a spin. Does this way of getting you to test drive something make you wary?
  • Stephen Simon on 11 Feb 14
     
    This is a great tool for displaying specific web pages in Powerpoint-like sequence with annotations. Virtual sharing during a lecture might be another way of describing it.
Stephen Simon

Learnist | Share what you know - 6 views

learni.st/featured

tech integration education learnist tools web2.0 knowledge share

shared by Stephen Simon on 06 Feb 14 - No Cached
  • Interested in teaching and learning, especially inclusive and digitally-mediated aspects thereof
  • Deeply thinking about how students perform on assessments, not just with student aggregate scores, but rather with individual question analysis is critical in the reflective practitioner.
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 06 Feb 14
       
      testing the basic interface
  • Stephen Simon on 06 Feb 14
     
    testing my bookmark
  • Stephen Simon on 06 Feb 14
     
    this is a web20 site used for testing
  • Joe Pedraza on 07 Feb 14
     
    i think i got the hang of diigo
Janice Wilson Butler

Free Technology for Teachers: Google Tutorials - 3 views

www.freetech4teachers.com/...google-tools-tutorials.html

technology Education resources google googletools

shared by Janice Wilson Butler on 22 Jan 14 - Cached
  • Joe Pedraza on 07 Feb 14
     
    this one i really enjoyed. Apart from my job, I am the president of the Texas SunGard User Network. It's a non-profit organization. Here is the link if you want to check it out. http://tx-sun.org Anyways, I run it by using some google apps. I use google groups to communicate with the 500+ members. I have 3 main groups set up where we post questions and the group members answer. We have another group set up for conference information. We also use google docs to keep all of the organizations documents and share them with the rest of the board members. I am interested in experimenting with google voice. We currently pay for a teleconference line with AT&T. We have a 1800 number with a huge access code and host code. Let's see if google voice will work for it. Also, the voicemail feature looks cool and the phone calling as well. Some districts use google for everything, email, documents, discussion boards. Thanks for sharing. I will be back and post after some trial with google voice.
Janice Wilson Butler

Free Technology for Teachers: Video Creation Resources - 7 views

www.freetech4teachers.com/...video-creation-resources.html

technology Education videos resources

shared by Janice Wilson Butler on 21 Jan 14 - No Cached
  • Janice Wilson Butler on 21 Jan 14
     
    How to use videos in the classroom.
  • Joe Pedraza on 07 Feb 14
     
    Wow! lots and lots of video resources that I had never heard of. Screen toaster caught my attention. It's very easy to use. All these free resources for editing, recording. It's awesome. thanks
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