Usually considered a huge distraction and often banned from rearing their shiny heads in school, iPods (as well as Zunes and other mp3 players) are gaining some traction and earning a reputation as being beneficial for some students. Is the education community's ban on these devices coming to a thoughtful end?
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a few districts in Wisconsin, particularly in and around the Greater Milwaukee area, are weighing the benefits of letting students have access to iPods during school hours. Students at the schools where iPods and other electronic devices are banned have argued that listening to music and podcasts helps them concentrate in study hall and drowns out noise in the lunchroom and other places. A 17-year old in Waukesha even started a Facebook group, which now has more than 400 members, as a sort of petition to encourage administrators to loosen the regulations surrounding the use of these devices on school grounds.
Teachers opposed to lifting the ban are citing a mixed bag of arguments ranging from the obvious ones of distraction to the value of listening to some popular music period. With cell phones and two-ways, which are still universally banned by state regulation, students can text each other unnoticed during class, but as long as the kids listen to iPods at appropriate times, what harm can they do?
It seems that many schools are moving toward letting teachers decide whether or not iPods can be used in study halls and other times during the day. The problem is that it creates discord among faculty members and the inconsistencies become bargaining chips for students when one teacher permits and another prohibits. Still, some teachers worry that allowing students to self-isolate can be emotionally harmful and question whether or not the students' claims are accurate. As one teacher mused, how could listening to Eminem be helpful for anyone?
The article, published on December 27, says that the schools involved in the debate are not currently using mobile devices like mp3 players as part of the curriculum; teachers are not widely posting classroom content on blogs so that it can be listened to and/or viewed later for reinforcement and to help students study for tests and complete assignments. Would that change the debate? I think so. In my mind, if teachers recognized the legitimacy of iPods as learning devices, students might actually use them in that way. I know for certain that I have been on duty in my fair share of study halls that could have used an iPod or two to keep chatter down and students focused.
What do YOU think?
Social networks for book lovers!
This is really great news for bibliophiles like me AND for teachers who struggle to find ways to help reading secure a place in our students' digital-soaked lives.
Earlier this week, Vince Darcangelo of the Boulder Daily Camera reported on new social networking sites that revolve around what you're reading, what's on your bookshelf, the books you're obsessed with, the books you detest, the one you're writing...all things literary!
The idea is that the sites take the act of reading, which is usually a solo endeavor based on personal taste, and transform it into something to be shared and discussed online. For those who don't have the time/money/interest/whatever to be part of an in-person book discussion group, these sites let readers react to literature with an online community of friends that they connect with based on literary interests. There are thematic discussion communities within the networks or participants can choose to operate on their own and maintain their virtual library, write reviews, and meet new people.
I can see a lot of ways that the digital nature of these literacy-themed sites can link the modern interests of our students with the timeless act of reading and responding to literature. Members are constantly interacting with books, whether it's cataloging their own, reviewing their latest read, or commenting on the collections of others. These sites encourage participants to think about what they have read and form relationships with others based on books. The focus of sites like this is a little different from Facebook Book Groups and I think it would be a great exercise to conduct portions of Lit classes online using these resources. Kids can see what others their age are reading, form discussion groups to help interpret more challenging assignments, and maybe--just maybe--get turned on to more books and diversify their reading interests.
Check them out for yourself:
GoodReads
Shelfari (now operated by amazon.com)
LibraryThing
If you have any ideas for how to incorporate a bibliophile networking site in your literacy efforts, please post them below by clicking "Your Turn."
Read the full Daily Camera article here.
Earlier this week, Vince Darcangelo of the Boulder Daily Camera reported on new social networking sites that revolve around what you're reading, what's on your bookshelf, the books you're obsessed with, the books you detest, the one you're writing...all things literary!
The idea is that the sites take the act of reading, which is usually a solo endeavor based on personal taste, and transform it into something to be shared and discussed online. For those who don't have the time/money/interest/whatever to be part of an in-person book discussion group, these sites let readers react to literature with an online community of friends that they connect with based on literary interests. There are thematic discussion communities within the networks or participants can choose to operate on their own and maintain their virtual library, write reviews, and meet new people.
I can see a lot of ways that the digital nature of these literacy-themed sites can link the modern interests of our students with the timeless act of reading and responding to literature. Members are constantly interacting with books, whether it's cataloging their own, reviewing their latest read, or commenting on the collections of others. These sites encourage participants to think about what they have read and form relationships with others based on books. The focus of sites like this is a little different from Facebook Book Groups and I think it would be a great exercise to conduct portions of Lit classes online using these resources. Kids can see what others their age are reading, form discussion groups to help interpret more challenging assignments, and maybe--just maybe--get turned on to more books and diversify their reading interests.
Check them out for yourself:
GoodReads
Shelfari (now operated by amazon.com)
LibraryThing
If you have any ideas for how to incorporate a bibliophile networking site in your literacy efforts, please post them below by clicking "Your Turn."
Read the full Daily Camera article here.
It's the end of the year
Time for a Top ___ List!
The Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies, a U.K.-based group, recently released a Top 100 List of the best tech resources for learning. The list was created from the feedback of more than 200 education and adult learning professionals. Here are the Top 10:
1. Delicious
2. Mozilla Firefox
3. Google Reader
4. Skype
5. Wordpress
6. Google Search
7. Google Docs
8. PowerPoint
9. Moodle
10. Blogger
Not surprisingly, web giant Google is the driving force behind almost half of this list! I have experience with a few of these tools (I'm using Skype, Blogger, and Firefox right now) and have begun to explore a few others as part of this blog. The one that seems to be getting the most buzz--and that I know least about--is Delicious, which is a "social bookmarking" tool. At first glance, the site is a place for users to share their lists of sites of interest with everyone. The links are divided into categories and the site makes a great springboard for web searches and rainy day browsing. Anyone can sign up for an account and start sharing.
A lot of educator blogs that I have read say that Delicious is the second coming. I am not sure that I have the research to agree or disagree just yet, but the list of Web 2.0 bookmarks is enough to make me want to know more.
Here is the rest of the list. If you have a web resource that has done wonders for you or your classroom, let me know!
The Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies, a U.K.-based group, recently released a Top 100 List of the best tech resources for learning. The list was created from the feedback of more than 200 education and adult learning professionals. Here are the Top 10:
1. Delicious
2. Mozilla Firefox
3. Google Reader
4. Skype
5. Wordpress
6. Google Search
7. Google Docs
8. PowerPoint
9. Moodle
10. Blogger
Not surprisingly, web giant Google is the driving force behind almost half of this list! I have experience with a few of these tools (I'm using Skype, Blogger, and Firefox right now) and have begun to explore a few others as part of this blog. The one that seems to be getting the most buzz--and that I know least about--is Delicious, which is a "social bookmarking" tool. At first glance, the site is a place for users to share their lists of sites of interest with everyone. The links are divided into categories and the site makes a great springboard for web searches and rainy day browsing. Anyone can sign up for an account and start sharing.
A lot of educator blogs that I have read say that Delicious is the second coming. I am not sure that I have the research to agree or disagree just yet, but the list of Web 2.0 bookmarks is enough to make me want to know more.
Here is the rest of the list. If you have a web resource that has done wonders for you or your classroom, let me know!
How to talk to your students
I feel as though there is a pretty sizable gap in the "languages" spoken by most teachers--or any adult, for that matter--and kids today. Thankfully for us coming into the profession now as opposed to 20 or 30 years ago, we are a little bit closer to complete comprehension of what our students are saying (which, I have found, is especially handy if it's not appropriate talk for school), just by nature of being users of a lot of the same vocabulary.
Popular culture is a pretty big part of my teaching philosophy because it helps provide the necessary context that kids need to learn the material. Languages are alive and just like a science teacher would use experiments to prove scientific principals or supply a real world situation for practice, a language teacher must provide ways to exercise language "muscles" with authentic and relevant communication. One of my favorite examples of this is the scene in Good Morning Vietnam when Robin Williams's character, Adrian Cronaur, takes over teaching English to a group of Vietnamese adults. He sees what they are learning and scoffs, remarking that you don't walk up to somebody on the street and say, "Good day, I would like to buy some butter and some cheese." He then teaches the class how to say, "Hey man, what happening?" Providing students with authentic communication tools that they actually stand a chance of using in real life has its place in the foreign language curriculum, there's no doubt about it.
Authentic communication also needs to take place between teachers and students and it is our responsibility as teachers to bridge the gap I described above. If you've ever traveled to a foreign country and tried shopping, you'll know the sense of relief that you feel when you discover that the proprietor of the store you're in speaks English. I think it stands to reason that it's the same for kids and teachers. We are the proprietors and they are the customers; we need to speak their language if we want to do business.
Now, this certainly doesn't mean that we should absorb adolescent parlance so much so that we lose an aspect of our authority, but it's helpful to know--and sometimes use--the phraseology that our students do. It creates a connection and an understanding, and shows that we're interested in their lives. I worked at a school in the D.C. suburbs in 1999-2000 and the kids, most of whom were urban Latinos and African-Americans, got a huge kick out of me when I used their words, so at the very least, we can supply tension-breaking chuckles by going out on a limb with our vocabulary.
An education writer that I enjoy reading has some thoughts on this as well. She was the inspiration behind this entry (which really is about 21st century literacy after all). Read her musings here and subscribe to the RSS of Visual Thesaurus while you're there, it's a great site.
Popular culture is a pretty big part of my teaching philosophy because it helps provide the necessary context that kids need to learn the material. Languages are alive and just like a science teacher would use experiments to prove scientific principals or supply a real world situation for practice, a language teacher must provide ways to exercise language "muscles" with authentic and relevant communication. One of my favorite examples of this is the scene in Good Morning Vietnam when Robin Williams's character, Adrian Cronaur, takes over teaching English to a group of Vietnamese adults. He sees what they are learning and scoffs, remarking that you don't walk up to somebody on the street and say, "Good day, I would like to buy some butter and some cheese." He then teaches the class how to say, "Hey man, what happening?" Providing students with authentic communication tools that they actually stand a chance of using in real life has its place in the foreign language curriculum, there's no doubt about it.
Authentic communication also needs to take place between teachers and students and it is our responsibility as teachers to bridge the gap I described above. If you've ever traveled to a foreign country and tried shopping, you'll know the sense of relief that you feel when you discover that the proprietor of the store you're in speaks English. I think it stands to reason that it's the same for kids and teachers. We are the proprietors and they are the customers; we need to speak their language if we want to do business.
Now, this certainly doesn't mean that we should absorb adolescent parlance so much so that we lose an aspect of our authority, but it's helpful to know--and sometimes use--the phraseology that our students do. It creates a connection and an understanding, and shows that we're interested in their lives. I worked at a school in the D.C. suburbs in 1999-2000 and the kids, most of whom were urban Latinos and African-Americans, got a huge kick out of me when I used their words, so at the very least, we can supply tension-breaking chuckles by going out on a limb with our vocabulary.
An education writer that I enjoy reading has some thoughts on this as well. She was the inspiration behind this entry (which really is about 21st century literacy after all). Read her musings here and subscribe to the RSS of Visual Thesaurus while you're there, it's a great site.
Safe blogging tips for teachers
As teachers, we are expected to model best practices for our students. These include healthy lifestyle choices, a strong work/study ethic, positive and respectful interpersonal relationships, proper/safe use of equipment, and all sorts of other things that we might not have been accountable for in our non-teaching lives. Modeling is a concept that I became acquainted with after I began the graduate education program at Saint Michael's College; now, my behaviors are subject to a sort of scrutiny that I have never experienced...not even in my nearly 10-year long career in public relations!
The pressure to be a good model is sometimes grounds for frustration. As I posited to one of my Master's classes this past week, "Teachers are people too, how do we keep our frustrations and anger in check in the classroom when they are natural human emotions in difficult situations?" (it had been a challenging week for me from a classroom management perspective). The answer is that it takes some personal training of the emotional-psychological type, but the resulting best practices have really made me feel like a more centered person.
Modeling also has to occur when you're not in front of your students and with the pervasiveness of digital technologies in our culture (and the extent to which our students use them), this means being diligent with our online personalities. Many teachers have fallen prey to comments, posts, and content on their blogs, Facebooks, and MySpaces, but that doesn't mean that teachers have to avoid participating in these types of media.
Education writer Maya Payne Smart offers some tips for teachers so that they may continue blogging and social networking without being entangled in a lawsuit or embroiled in a scandal. Thankfully, they are simple and boil down to common sense.
1. Praise specifically, criticize generally: Generous and specific praise of your school and community should be key players in your blog. If you must mention your work in your personal blog, speak highly of it and offer criticisms of colleagues' actions/philosophies and other hot-button issues sparingly and as generalities. Also be mindful that extreme personal opinions and sarcasm can cause unwanted trouble, so think twice before clicking "Post."
2. Give your byline: Anonymous posts can be traced and not taking ownership of your comments and posts looks a little shady. Many teachers are posting their names, job titles, and places of work with their comments to be accountable and transparent.
3. Keep confidentiality paramount: We are a professional learning community, even online, so it stands to reason that we should use this resource and the public nature of new media to garner opinions about the issues we encounter every day. However, this does not mean using names or details about students and/or colleagues in any posts or comments. There are plenty of ways to get feedback about personality conflicts and student issues without naming names.
As for personal blogs and profile pages, I would encourage you to continue posting, but you might consider using your blog software's "invite" function to limit those with access to your personal blog (the same goes for MySpace and Facebook, which have similar "private" settings). I began blogging with a personal blog, but have since made it invite-only as I channel my energy into this one, which will serve as the basis for my class blog. When I direct my students here to comment on classwork and postings, they will see only professional or curriculum-related content. With this as a model, they should then be able to create their own personal blogs for use in class based on what I have set-up.
Read the rest of Maya Payne Smart's article and more about the potential legal ramifications for blogging teachers here.
The pressure to be a good model is sometimes grounds for frustration. As I posited to one of my Master's classes this past week, "Teachers are people too, how do we keep our frustrations and anger in check in the classroom when they are natural human emotions in difficult situations?" (it had been a challenging week for me from a classroom management perspective). The answer is that it takes some personal training of the emotional-psychological type, but the resulting best practices have really made me feel like a more centered person.
Modeling also has to occur when you're not in front of your students and with the pervasiveness of digital technologies in our culture (and the extent to which our students use them), this means being diligent with our online personalities. Many teachers have fallen prey to comments, posts, and content on their blogs, Facebooks, and MySpaces, but that doesn't mean that teachers have to avoid participating in these types of media.
Education writer Maya Payne Smart offers some tips for teachers so that they may continue blogging and social networking without being entangled in a lawsuit or embroiled in a scandal. Thankfully, they are simple and boil down to common sense.
1. Praise specifically, criticize generally: Generous and specific praise of your school and community should be key players in your blog. If you must mention your work in your personal blog, speak highly of it and offer criticisms of colleagues' actions/philosophies and other hot-button issues sparingly and as generalities. Also be mindful that extreme personal opinions and sarcasm can cause unwanted trouble, so think twice before clicking "Post."
2. Give your byline: Anonymous posts can be traced and not taking ownership of your comments and posts looks a little shady. Many teachers are posting their names, job titles, and places of work with their comments to be accountable and transparent.
3. Keep confidentiality paramount: We are a professional learning community, even online, so it stands to reason that we should use this resource and the public nature of new media to garner opinions about the issues we encounter every day. However, this does not mean using names or details about students and/or colleagues in any posts or comments. There are plenty of ways to get feedback about personality conflicts and student issues without naming names.
As for personal blogs and profile pages, I would encourage you to continue posting, but you might consider using your blog software's "invite" function to limit those with access to your personal blog (the same goes for MySpace and Facebook, which have similar "private" settings). I began blogging with a personal blog, but have since made it invite-only as I channel my energy into this one, which will serve as the basis for my class blog. When I direct my students here to comment on classwork and postings, they will see only professional or curriculum-related content. With this as a model, they should then be able to create their own personal blogs for use in class based on what I have set-up.
Read the rest of Maya Payne Smart's article and more about the potential legal ramifications for blogging teachers here.
From the November VAMLEgram
EXAMPLE OF TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION
By: Ned Kirsch, principal, Essex Middle School, Essex Junction, VT
Addressing the needs of the 21st century learner is the primary focus of technology integration at Essex Middle School (EMS). This year our building has become a wireless environment that supports laptops throughout the school. The infrastructure and hardware are crucially important; however, how the technology is used is where the rubber meets the road.
A major focus of this year’s school action plan is the incorporation of Web 2.0 tools into our teaching and learning. When this idea was put into action, there was some trepidation about how such tools could and would be used. Over the summer and early fall, school and district technology integrationists worked with EMS staff to introduce ideas and online resources. The teachers took away suggestions and ideas on new ways of introducing and facilitating learning. What they learned has firmly taken hold in our school.
So many tools are now commonplace in classrooms, but by far the most used tools are wikis, Moodle, blogs, Animoto, and photo stories. Wikis are used not only in the classroom but also as a tool for administrative communication. Each one of our building committees maintains a wiki that allows for staff to view resources and meeting minutes. Wikis also enable committee members to stay in frequent contact without having to find the time to sit down and meet. Blogs are used beyond the classroom too. Our guidance counselor communicates with parents regarding transition issues and our school and a Washington, DC, trip coordinator keeps the school community up-to-date on our trip plans. Classroom teachers use Moodle to coordinate online learning and use photo stories and Animotos to demonstrate learning for assessment.
These Web 2.0 tools are only the tip of the iceberg. Interacting, designing, and creating content on the Web not only meets students in their current realities, it allows for our school staff to grow professionally in meeting the needs of all students at Essex Middle School.
[Kate's Notes: Other sites written about in this VAMLEgram included a great lit-heavy and student-centric list from the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Middle Level Task Force: wordle.net, wikispaces.com, epals.com, and whyville.com. Check them out now so that you're prepared to comment when I review them later on!]
By: Ned Kirsch, principal, Essex Middle School, Essex Junction, VT
Addressing the needs of the 21st century learner is the primary focus of technology integration at Essex Middle School (EMS). This year our building has become a wireless environment that supports laptops throughout the school. The infrastructure and hardware are crucially important; however, how the technology is used is where the rubber meets the road.
A major focus of this year’s school action plan is the incorporation of Web 2.0 tools into our teaching and learning. When this idea was put into action, there was some trepidation about how such tools could and would be used. Over the summer and early fall, school and district technology integrationists worked with EMS staff to introduce ideas and online resources. The teachers took away suggestions and ideas on new ways of introducing and facilitating learning. What they learned has firmly taken hold in our school.
So many tools are now commonplace in classrooms, but by far the most used tools are wikis, Moodle, blogs, Animoto, and photo stories. Wikis are used not only in the classroom but also as a tool for administrative communication. Each one of our building committees maintains a wiki that allows for staff to view resources and meeting minutes. Wikis also enable committee members to stay in frequent contact without having to find the time to sit down and meet. Blogs are used beyond the classroom too. Our guidance counselor communicates with parents regarding transition issues and our school and a Washington, DC, trip coordinator keeps the school community up-to-date on our trip plans. Classroom teachers use Moodle to coordinate online learning and use photo stories and Animotos to demonstrate learning for assessment.
These Web 2.0 tools are only the tip of the iceberg. Interacting, designing, and creating content on the Web not only meets students in their current realities, it allows for our school staff to grow professionally in meeting the needs of all students at Essex Middle School.
[Kate's Notes: Other sites written about in this VAMLEgram included a great lit-heavy and student-centric list from the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Middle Level Task Force: wordle.net, wikispaces.com, epals.com, and whyville.com. Check them out now so that you're prepared to comment when I review them later on!]
Tech how-to video site
This site I found is definitely browse-worthy, if you haven't done so already. I found a bunch of great videos that I will be sharing with you here as I start my Web 2.0 project in my classroom in January, but for now, I thought I would share a video both to kick off the resource (CommonCraft.com) and serve as a reminder that YOU too need to start a blog in YOUR classroom because it's fun and easy AND can really help your students with their literacy skills (consult the transcript to my Vision Project below if you have any doubts). I embedded this video into my blog, which is easy to do because any video site worth its salt (YouTube, TeacherTube, etc.) will give you the code to do the same and it provides a much better impact while keeping people at my site to read my news before jetting off to search the web elsewhere.
So watch how easy and worthwhile it is to blog and then start poking around to make your own--call it a pre-New Year's resolution to get fluent with the times!
So watch how easy and worthwhile it is to blog and then start poking around to make your own--call it a pre-New Year's resolution to get fluent with the times!
Good post from another good ed blog
Back from Thanksgiving, hope yours was happy and that you are enjoying a few extra days off before the downhill slide into the holiday season.
Here is a great post from a kindred blogger that gives a nice glimpse into the same efforts and struggles that Canadian teachers are facing when incorporating Web 2.0 in the classroom. Not only does it detail one teacher's efforts, but it's also a good primer for some of the technologies that I will be discussing later in this blog.
EDES 501 Web 2.0 Learning Log
I found this article by setting up a Google Alert, a lo-fi news aggregator that trolls the web and delivers content to my Gmail account based on keywords that I plug in. It allows me to constantly search the web for very specific news items and blog posts without having to do searches every 10 minutes for the newest content. Sure, some of the results I get are useless, but then a gem like this comes along and makes it all worthwhile. It's also a good way to hone your search terms to get the content that you want. For example I had not been using "Web 2.0 in the classroom" as a search term, but instead was searching for "blogging in the classroom, podcasting in the classroom, new media in the classroom..." Now that I've gotten such a great result, I can redefine what I'm searching for to take a step toward better results in the future.
In the above-linked post, there is also a link to a list of the Top 100 tools for Learning that I am about to dig into. I'll post the greatest hits here next time, so stay tuned.
Here is a great post from a kindred blogger that gives a nice glimpse into the same efforts and struggles that Canadian teachers are facing when incorporating Web 2.0 in the classroom. Not only does it detail one teacher's efforts, but it's also a good primer for some of the technologies that I will be discussing later in this blog.
EDES 501 Web 2.0 Learning Log
I found this article by setting up a Google Alert, a lo-fi news aggregator that trolls the web and delivers content to my Gmail account based on keywords that I plug in. It allows me to constantly search the web for very specific news items and blog posts without having to do searches every 10 minutes for the newest content. Sure, some of the results I get are useless, but then a gem like this comes along and makes it all worthwhile. It's also a good way to hone your search terms to get the content that you want. For example I had not been using "Web 2.0 in the classroom" as a search term, but instead was searching for "blogging in the classroom, podcasting in the classroom, new media in the classroom..." Now that I've gotten such a great result, I can redefine what I'm searching for to take a step toward better results in the future.
In the above-linked post, there is also a link to a list of the Top 100 tools for Learning that I am about to dig into. I'll post the greatest hits here next time, so stay tuned.
Culture Notes: France's cafe scene on the downward slide?
Here is a story from today's New York Times that I permalinked from the paper's site so that it will be accessible even after the article is moved or archived. This is a great method for sharing content with all of your students without taking up a ton of room copying the whole item onto your blog; it's also an effective way to build a content library and encourage further research.International / Europe
Across France, Cafe Owners Are Suffering
By STEVEN ERLANGER
Published: November 23, 2008
Traditional cafes and bars all over France are suffering and in some cases even closing, hit by changing attitudes, habits and now a poor economic climate.
This Just In ... State Ed Tech Directors Assn issues a Top 10
eSchoolNews.com is reporting that the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has put out some ideas for using technology to get the most out of classrooms. Here's the list:
1. Ensure that technology tools and resources are used continuously and seamlessly for instruction, collaboration, and assessment.
2. Expose all students (pre-K through 12th grade) to STEM fields and careers (Kate's Note: That's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
3. Make ongoing, sustainable professional development available to all teachers.
4. Use virtual learning opportunities for teachers to further their professional development, such as through online communities and education portals.
5. Incorporate innovative, consistent, and timely assessments into daily instruction.
6. Strengthen the home-school connection by using technology to communicate with parents on student progress.
7. Provide the necessary resources so that every community has the infrastructure to support learning with technology, including assessments and virtual learning.
8. Obtain societal support for education that uses technology from all stakeholders--students, parents, teachers, state and district administrators, business leaders, legislators, and local community members.
9. Provide federal leadership to support states and districts regarding technology's role in school reform by passing the ATTAIN Act.
10. Increase available funding for the e-Rate so that schools can acquire telecommunication services, internet access, internal connections, and maintenance of those connections.
Read the full article here.
What do YOU think? Add your thoughts by clicking "Your turn" below to post a comment.
1. Ensure that technology tools and resources are used continuously and seamlessly for instruction, collaboration, and assessment.
2. Expose all students (pre-K through 12th grade) to STEM fields and careers (Kate's Note: That's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
3. Make ongoing, sustainable professional development available to all teachers.
4. Use virtual learning opportunities for teachers to further their professional development, such as through online communities and education portals.
5. Incorporate innovative, consistent, and timely assessments into daily instruction.
6. Strengthen the home-school connection by using technology to communicate with parents on student progress.
7. Provide the necessary resources so that every community has the infrastructure to support learning with technology, including assessments and virtual learning.
8. Obtain societal support for education that uses technology from all stakeholders--students, parents, teachers, state and district administrators, business leaders, legislators, and local community members.
9. Provide federal leadership to support states and districts regarding technology's role in school reform by passing the ATTAIN Act.
10. Increase available funding for the e-Rate so that schools can acquire telecommunication services, internet access, internal connections, and maintenance of those connections.
Read the full article here.
What do YOU think? Add your thoughts by clicking "Your turn" below to post a comment.
Vision Project transcript
For a PDF copy of the mini-newsletter for this research project, just send me an email.
Literacy Research
Educational researcher Diane Penrod encourages teachers to “consider what literacy is becoming” (2007, p. 132). Indeed, more than just being able to read and write, students are now required to be literate in many different ways in order to keep up with the fast and ever-changing pace of modern life. Mixing new media with traditional assignments and class work is a unique way to expand important literacies in a relevant way.
Blogging and podcasting fit well in the foreign language classroom as they are centered on communication: blogging with written and read communication and podcasts with spoken and heard communication. We use language to convey meanings and as young people study a second language, they must have authentic experiences in which to exercise their written and aural skills. So why incorporate what most people consider to be online diaries into a foreign language curriculum? Simply put, blogs and podcasts provide those necessary authentic experiences by giving students a legitimate medium for language practice and cultural exploration as well as a real world audience with which to interact. Terra Williams and Charles Lowe, two language teachers who use blogs in their classrooms, noticed that “the addition of a real audience…creates an authentic discourse and forces students to think more carefully” and that “the potential for actual readers has positively influenced their students’ [skills]” (Seitzinger, 2006, p. 6).
Blogging and podcasting are constructivist learning activities that enhance literacy and promote student voice. Many researchers and educators note that the quality of literacy-based projects—writing assignments, audio presentations, reports, and even comments on existing posts— and the depth of reflection are improved when students know it will be posted online. Writes Penrod:
Literacy is a much broader set of practices when writers blog. The shift in literacy practices arises because of the blog’s public element. Bloggers actively engage in making meaning for others. Bloggers make judgments about what information is presented, as well as how it is presented. Because messages are meant for public readership, bloggers also have to consider the social, cultural, emotional, and political dimensions of their words and the extent to which those components will shape a reader’s response. (20-21)
The careful consideration and framing of ideas that blogging is shown to motivate puts these activities high on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Not only are students showing knowledge and comprehension of topics at hand, but they are analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information and audiences. Essentially, as students produce content for the blogosphere, they are not only demonstrating content area knowledge, but also an awareness of cultural and social implications and how to create information for the digital age.
When new media and pedagogy meet, students are generating content to learn. The results are richer, better-researched, and demonstrate clear positions and thought processes. As one teacher put it, “In an effort to build a following, they often clean up their grammar, stretch their vocabulary and generally write more creatively” (Gilbert, 2005). Though this sounds like the kind of intense work that students would shy away from, there is evidence that the nature of blogging, the style it takes, and the self-directedness that it inspires make it an entertaining activity for students. Even though teachers construct “assignments,” Penrod suggests that students “view blogging not as academic writing but as external to schooling [and] a ‘fun’ activity” (22).
Why New Media Work for Students
We have discussed how blogging innately promotes literacy through its emphasis on research, thought, conversation, and the written word. It is also inherently student-centric, which is key to fostering an environment where students are comfortable with expressing their voice.
First things first: today’s students are used to computers and expect to see and use them in the classroom. As teachers, we should “use all of the tools available to students, especially when they’re already such a part of their lives—and skill sets” (Reed, 2008). Arguably, the comfort level most students have with the hardware and the media itself will make it easier for them to take the first step if they have never used new media or are timid about self expression in the online world.
Yet even though it is a familiar place, the Internet, more specifically the blogosphere, is vast. But, the size and scope make it less confining for students. New media are not just present from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. like a chalkboard or a teacher. Because they permeate students’ non-school lives they are easily integrated, turning discussions and interactions with peers into a 24/7 affair that students can participate in at their leisure and without parents, teachers or classroom pressures. According to researcher Alexander Halavais, “The most important [thing] is removing the temporal and spatial constraints of the classroom” (Washington Post, 2006). With less restriction, students are freer to self-express and middle school teacher Clarence Fisher says that blogging shows students that people are listening to them in return: “People are commenting on it, and [the students are] learning that they have a voice” (Gilbert, 2005).
After all, ‘tweens and teens are communicators by nature, always striving to interact with others. Creating new media content triggers a “drive to socialize [that] is a priority [nearly] all teenagers have” (Penrod, 2007, p. 128). As students communicate with each other—reading blog posts, listening to audio content, commenting on and linking to information—they are creating learning communities that are based entirely on student voice. These networks are places where all kids can interact, even if they might not be inclined to during school hours. Teacher Marisa Dudiak noted that blogs excite even the most unexpected student and found that “those who were quiet in class usually came alive online” interacting with peers, sharing thoughts on homework questions, displaying work or projects, and posting reports (Selingo, 2004). Penrod also recognizes this phenomenon: “Students who may not interact well with peers can find other audiences with whom they can engage in discussion and build the social networks they need and want as writers” (2007, p. 71).
As far as podcasting goes, trends are no different. According to teacher Brent Coley, his fifth-grade students’ “eyes light up when they learn that their schoolwork can be heard in Apple iTunes, the program that allows them to compile their favorite artists’ music” (Smart, 2008). Coley’s class posts audio reports, poetry, and other projects to their class website as well as on iTunes and their work has been viewed by people in all 50 states and 87 foreign countries.
Bibliography
Arena, Carla. (2008, March). Blogging in the language classroom: It doesn’t “simply happen”. TESL-EJ, 11(4). Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.tesl-ej.org/ej44/a3.html.
Gilbert, Alorie. (2005, October 17). Blogging 101: Weblogs go to school. CNET News. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://news.cnet.com/Blogging-101--Web-logs-go-to-school/2100-1032_3-5895779.html.
Green, Timothy, Brown, Abbie, and Robinson, LeAnne. (2008). Making the most of the web in your classroom: A teacher’s guide to blogs, podcasts, wikis, pages, and sites. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Penrod, Diane. (2007). Using blogs to enhance literacy: The next powerful step in 21st-century learning. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Pew Internet and American Life Project. (2005, November 5). Teen content creators and consumers. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.pewinternet.org.
Reed, Shannon. (2008, April 9). Websites, wikis and blogs in the classroom. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.visual thesaurus.com/cm/teachersatwork/1371.
Seitzinger, Joyce. (2006, July). Be constructive: Blogs, podcasts, and wikis as constructivist learning tools. Learning Solutions. Retrieved September 8, 2008 from http://www.elearningguild.com/pdf/2/073106DES.
Selingo, Jeffrey. (2004, August 19). In the classroom, web logs are the new bulletin boards. New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/19/technology/circuits/19blog.html?ex=1250568000&en=33627811ca310596&ei=5090.
Smart, Maya Payne. (2008, November 12). Listening to themselves: Podcasting takes lessons beyond the classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved November 19, 2008 from http://www.edutopia.org/podcasting-student-broadcasts.
The Washington Post Company. (n.a.). (2006, April 4). Blogs sidestep classroom constraints. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR2006040301348.html.
Williams, Bard. (2007). Educator’s podcast guide. Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.
Literacy Research
Educational researcher Diane Penrod encourages teachers to “consider what literacy is becoming” (2007, p. 132). Indeed, more than just being able to read and write, students are now required to be literate in many different ways in order to keep up with the fast and ever-changing pace of modern life. Mixing new media with traditional assignments and class work is a unique way to expand important literacies in a relevant way.
Blogging and podcasting fit well in the foreign language classroom as they are centered on communication: blogging with written and read communication and podcasts with spoken and heard communication. We use language to convey meanings and as young people study a second language, they must have authentic experiences in which to exercise their written and aural skills. So why incorporate what most people consider to be online diaries into a foreign language curriculum? Simply put, blogs and podcasts provide those necessary authentic experiences by giving students a legitimate medium for language practice and cultural exploration as well as a real world audience with which to interact. Terra Williams and Charles Lowe, two language teachers who use blogs in their classrooms, noticed that “the addition of a real audience…creates an authentic discourse and forces students to think more carefully” and that “the potential for actual readers has positively influenced their students’ [skills]” (Seitzinger, 2006, p. 6).
Blogging and podcasting are constructivist learning activities that enhance literacy and promote student voice. Many researchers and educators note that the quality of literacy-based projects—writing assignments, audio presentations, reports, and even comments on existing posts— and the depth of reflection are improved when students know it will be posted online. Writes Penrod:
Literacy is a much broader set of practices when writers blog. The shift in literacy practices arises because of the blog’s public element. Bloggers actively engage in making meaning for others. Bloggers make judgments about what information is presented, as well as how it is presented. Because messages are meant for public readership, bloggers also have to consider the social, cultural, emotional, and political dimensions of their words and the extent to which those components will shape a reader’s response. (20-21)
The careful consideration and framing of ideas that blogging is shown to motivate puts these activities high on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Not only are students showing knowledge and comprehension of topics at hand, but they are analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information and audiences. Essentially, as students produce content for the blogosphere, they are not only demonstrating content area knowledge, but also an awareness of cultural and social implications and how to create information for the digital age.
When new media and pedagogy meet, students are generating content to learn. The results are richer, better-researched, and demonstrate clear positions and thought processes. As one teacher put it, “In an effort to build a following, they often clean up their grammar, stretch their vocabulary and generally write more creatively” (Gilbert, 2005). Though this sounds like the kind of intense work that students would shy away from, there is evidence that the nature of blogging, the style it takes, and the self-directedness that it inspires make it an entertaining activity for students. Even though teachers construct “assignments,” Penrod suggests that students “view blogging not as academic writing but as external to schooling [and] a ‘fun’ activity” (22).
Why New Media Work for Students
We have discussed how blogging innately promotes literacy through its emphasis on research, thought, conversation, and the written word. It is also inherently student-centric, which is key to fostering an environment where students are comfortable with expressing their voice.
First things first: today’s students are used to computers and expect to see and use them in the classroom. As teachers, we should “use all of the tools available to students, especially when they’re already such a part of their lives—and skill sets” (Reed, 2008). Arguably, the comfort level most students have with the hardware and the media itself will make it easier for them to take the first step if they have never used new media or are timid about self expression in the online world.
Yet even though it is a familiar place, the Internet, more specifically the blogosphere, is vast. But, the size and scope make it less confining for students. New media are not just present from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. like a chalkboard or a teacher. Because they permeate students’ non-school lives they are easily integrated, turning discussions and interactions with peers into a 24/7 affair that students can participate in at their leisure and without parents, teachers or classroom pressures. According to researcher Alexander Halavais, “The most important [thing] is removing the temporal and spatial constraints of the classroom” (Washington Post, 2006). With less restriction, students are freer to self-express and middle school teacher Clarence Fisher says that blogging shows students that people are listening to them in return: “People are commenting on it, and [the students are] learning that they have a voice” (Gilbert, 2005).
After all, ‘tweens and teens are communicators by nature, always striving to interact with others. Creating new media content triggers a “drive to socialize [that] is a priority [nearly] all teenagers have” (Penrod, 2007, p. 128). As students communicate with each other—reading blog posts, listening to audio content, commenting on and linking to information—they are creating learning communities that are based entirely on student voice. These networks are places where all kids can interact, even if they might not be inclined to during school hours. Teacher Marisa Dudiak noted that blogs excite even the most unexpected student and found that “those who were quiet in class usually came alive online” interacting with peers, sharing thoughts on homework questions, displaying work or projects, and posting reports (Selingo, 2004). Penrod also recognizes this phenomenon: “Students who may not interact well with peers can find other audiences with whom they can engage in discussion and build the social networks they need and want as writers” (2007, p. 71).
As far as podcasting goes, trends are no different. According to teacher Brent Coley, his fifth-grade students’ “eyes light up when they learn that their schoolwork can be heard in Apple iTunes, the program that allows them to compile their favorite artists’ music” (Smart, 2008). Coley’s class posts audio reports, poetry, and other projects to their class website as well as on iTunes and their work has been viewed by people in all 50 states and 87 foreign countries.
Bibliography
Arena, Carla. (2008, March). Blogging in the language classroom: It doesn’t “simply happen”. TESL-EJ, 11(4). Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.tesl-ej.org/ej44/a3.html.
Gilbert, Alorie. (2005, October 17). Blogging 101: Weblogs go to school. CNET News. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://news.cnet.com/Blogging-101--Web-logs-go-to-school/2100-1032_3-5895779.html.
Green, Timothy, Brown, Abbie, and Robinson, LeAnne. (2008). Making the most of the web in your classroom: A teacher’s guide to blogs, podcasts, wikis, pages, and sites. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Penrod, Diane. (2007). Using blogs to enhance literacy: The next powerful step in 21st-century learning. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Pew Internet and American Life Project. (2005, November 5). Teen content creators and consumers. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.pewinternet.org.
Reed, Shannon. (2008, April 9). Websites, wikis and blogs in the classroom. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.visual thesaurus.com/cm/teachersatwork/1371.
Seitzinger, Joyce. (2006, July). Be constructive: Blogs, podcasts, and wikis as constructivist learning tools. Learning Solutions. Retrieved September 8, 2008 from http://www.elearningguild.com/pdf/2/073106DES.
Selingo, Jeffrey. (2004, August 19). In the classroom, web logs are the new bulletin boards. New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/19/technology/circuits/19blog.html?ex=1250568000&en=33627811ca310596&ei=5090.
Smart, Maya Payne. (2008, November 12). Listening to themselves: Podcasting takes lessons beyond the classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved November 19, 2008 from http://www.edutopia.org/podcasting-student-broadcasts.
The Washington Post Company. (n.a.). (2006, April 4). Blogs sidestep classroom constraints. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR2006040301348.html.
Williams, Bard. (2007). Educator’s podcast guide. Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to my new blog, which I have created following my recent presentation at the Vermont Middle Grades Professional Development Collaborative. There, I presented a research project on how new media (e.g., blogs, podcasts, wikis) can enhance curriculum, particularly in the realm of literacy, so I decided that I ought to develop a blog to keep the momentum going. I invite you to share this link with your colleagues and to visit often (or RSS me, if you dare!) as I will be adding resources and comments as often as I find them. My hope is to encourage experienced teachers who might not have experience with this media to learn more about it, use it, and see how it can enhance instruction, spark creativity and enthusiasm in your students, and make classroom life interesting. Thanks for stopping by!
~ Kate
~ Kate
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