Final Blog Reflection

What an incredible journey this course has been. At the beginning I felt like I was riding a three-wheeled tricycle down the freeway and then at some point, with out even noticing, I realized I was striving for the finish line in a Smart Car. And then it hit me. No, nothing physical, just the realization that there isn’t an actual finish line. New web 2.0 technologies are being developed on a daily bases (perhaps even every hour, minute or nanosecond) and that means that there isn’t an end to this journey in the traditional sense. As I was speeding along in my Smart Car, it occurred to me that I was no longer learning about web 2.0 for my students, I was learning for myself and have come to embrace this learning as a part of my everyday life. Web 2.0, in all of its glory and misery, is here to stay and if you want to be, or remain being, a contributing member of society, it is necessary that you familiarize yourself, not with the future, but what is in the present. Even the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has had to accept that the way people protect themselves is changing. Thus, we too must embrace this change and potentially even begin preparing ourselves for web 3.0, 5.0 and so on.

With that said, the entire field of education also needs to grasp the present and move forward utilizing web 2.0 technologies in order to create capable, contributing and connected 21st century learners. It is upsetting to report that many schools simply don’t have the pertinent technology, educators who are familiar with web 2.0 enough to use these tools in the classroom and/or are restricted in the use of web 2.0 tools due to sites being blocked. As an educator who has taken the personal time to familiarize herself with web 2.0 technology, I now feel a sense of moral responsibly to share my knowledge and skills with other educators and even family and friends. And just to be clear, I fully acknowledge that I am not cruising down this freeway in a Ferrari, but hope to steadily continue this experience by following the web 2.0 gurus in their sports cars, with a few passengers and perhaps even towing a trailer full of other eager learners.

Highlights and Lowlights

My highlights of this course have been, umm, let me think for a minute here…. Everything? Other than using Facebook, YouTube (which I didn’t realize was part of all this web 2.0ness) and the creation of one Glogster poster, I honestly knew nothing about web 2.0 anything. In fact, I couldn’t have even explained what the term meant. Now I dream about it! Beyond a doubt I would have to identify Animoto as my favourite, most useful, easiest to use and ‘gotta sign up to it today’ web 2.0 tool. From the minute I learned about Animoto, I began creating music videos both personally and professionally and I probably won’t stop for some time (even thinking of using their new Christmas card feature!). Delicious, my social networking bookmark, certainly earns the runner-up position, as I save new websites to it every couple of days and often refer to it when I’m not on my home laptop. However, I am disappointed that the site is still boring to look at and I really must dish-up some tasty cupcake photos to the owners in hopes that they’ll add a dollop or too of colour to the site. Honorable mention goes to the many widgets that I took time to ‘play’ with, some of which I added to my blog, but I didn’t specifically write about them. And lastly, in a class all on their own, are the educational Ning sites of which I became a member. With taking this course and working full-time there just weren’t enough hours in the day to really delve into these, but based on the professionally relevant e-mails I periodically receive from Classroom 2.0, EFL Classroom 2.0, Flat Classrooms, and OZ/NZ Educators, I can see that I’m going to be able to connect with other professionals to continue learning about web 2.0. This, folks, is the very core of what web 2.0 technologies are all about!

Along the freeway of learning, there are inevitably a few potholes that are either hit smack on, painstakingly swerved around or, with the support of a few friends, almost avoided altogether. The first major difficulty that I experienced was setting up my blog and if it wasn’t for a technologically savvy friend who pointed out that I was signed up to Blogster.com while most of my classmates were using Blogger.com, I may not have even really begun this course! There are some pretty distinct differences between the two programs and Blogster is certainly designed for experienced bloggers. My next three hours of frustration occurred when I couldn’t seem to figure out how to link or embed my podcast into my blog. Fortunately this was resolved when a fellow classmate (who appeared to be experiencing this predicament on a much larger scale) posted for help on the e-class site and we were all directed toward a plausible solution. Now I must be honest here and admit that I did encounter another pothole in my learning, but this time it wasn’t a manageable pothole – it was massive sink hole! This it totally embarrassing to share, but I’m afraid that if I don’t I may never receive the necessary support to get back on the freeway. You see, I spent a very long time (a whole week in fact) trying to learn to use or at least understand this web 2.0 tool and if it wasn’t for the fact that people often recommend this tool for division one students, I might not feel so dim-witted… but really it is true… I have no idea how VoiceThread works! There I’ve admitted my inadequacy – now I’m hoping that somebody can help me out! But really in the big scheme of things, I think things went pretty smoothly considering the fact that I came into this with little background knowledge. I knew I could do it!

Future Professional Plans

Throughout the course I have been introducing a few web 2.0 tools to my students. They have enjoyed using Glogster and they love to watch YouTube and TeacherTube videos. Animoto has been a class favourite, highlighting class photos and videos. In January, I plan on introducing wikis and blogging into our weekly class routine. I want my students to be engaged 21st century learners who are learning for a purpose with an authentic audience. Web 2.0 technologies utilize the assessment for learning strategies that I use with my students, as they encourage self-assessment and provide a forum for peer feedback. They can also be used as an online portfolio to capture their learning over time. But most importantly, and perhaps more specifically, I refer again to Lorrie Jackson (2005) who writes the following in an Education World post explaining the benefits of having students blog: “Blogs, because of their ease of use, and because of the context of news and editorial column writing, have become a highly effective way to help students to become better writers. Research has long shown that students write more, write in greater detail, and take greater care with spelling, grammar, and punctuation, when they are writing to an authentic audience over the Internet.” Research shows that web 2.0 tools can be used to assist English Language Learners in their quest to learn the English language in an authentic setting (Campbell, 2003). Web 2.0 tools can also be used to encourage greater participation and excitement from all students and in particular shy or reserved students (BBC, 2005). Now all I need to do is teach the necessary skills to be online readers and how to safely use the internet. Fortunately, I’ve recently solved the problem (via a g-mail account) of web 2.0 tools that require the user to be a least 13 years old.

Due to a wide range of abilities and interests, it is going to be challenging to convince my colleagues to openly accept and use web 2.0 tools in their practice. However, I hope that my classroom practices can be used as an illustrative example as to how this can be accomplished in a step-by-step format. I’m also hoping to assist in ironing out some of the technical difficulties, privacy issues and blocked sites, before my colleagues discover them and become frustrated. I’ve volunteered to be a part of the technology portion of our school’s instructional leadership team and have had the opportunity to co-present the very basics of web 2.0 during our professional development day. It is my hope that this session will be the catalyst for some amazing work with our 21st century learners. By remaining up to date on current trends, via blogs and Nings, I anticipate that I’ll have much to share in the future with my colleagues. However, in order to encourage them to merge onto the web 2.0 freeway, I’ll first introduce them to multimedia sharing sites (specifically Animoto, Glogster, and TeacherTube) as these sites are easy to use and students find them engaging. Perhaps by the end of the year, there will be another class or two using blogs and wikis (both personally and professionally) to enhance their literacy skills!

Additional Learning

Along side this impressive blog (ok, I’m biased) I’ve been participating in a number of discussions related to various web 2.0 topics. Here is a brief summary of what I’ve learned from these discussions from my classmates and through research:

- The three Cs - Capable, Connected and Contributing, are concepts at the heart of teaching. By integrating web 2.0 technologies we are allowing our students to make and retain connections and demonstrate that they are capable learners, who can be contributing members of society. Web 2.0 technologies allow for our students to learn in a style that they are familiar with, however, that doesn’t mean that we need to bombard them with every web 2.0 technology available. Teachers need to carefully select and know how to use the web 2.0 technologies that are most relevant and beneficial to their learners, otherwise we are contributing to information overload.

- Research shows that web 2.0 technologies, such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, may help to foster community and communication, but they are also adding to information overload and possibly health problems (Schiffman, 2008). It is reported that there is an increase in health problems that include internet addiction, sleep deprivation, obesity, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headaches. This is not an exhaustive list and many of these conditions are impacting teenagers, who seem to be on the computer or phone (texting) 24/7 (Lang, 2009). Research also shows that advertising is another contributing factor to a person’s information overload (Atkinson, 2005). This is a reminder that we need to educate our students about the adverse effect of always being connected and how it is healthier to maintain a balanced lifestyle.

- Based on research and personal experience, blogs, wikis, social bookmarks, and RSS feeds help with information overload by aiding in the consolidating and prioritizing processes. One way to help control the problem via my Google Reader is to constantly review the content that I am receiving and to follow only those people who remain up to date on topics (citymark, 2008). Web 2.0 users should also evaluate websites to determine their usefulness and to avoid using those that are of minimal or no benefit to them.

- In regards to wondering, “what is being done with the information that people use to portray themselves on social networking sites,” the following information was found on the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s website: a) they have received many complaints about social networking sites, “packaging user data into trends and patterns and breaching privacy laws” (Privacy Commissioner, 2009); b) identity theft is becoming more prevalent (Spam Laws, 2007); and, c) social networking sites “represent a dramatic shift in the way people communicate, and their use raises interesting questions about long-held views on what it means to have a private life or a sense of “privacy” (Denham, 2009). Research taught me that the internet should be viewed as a public domain and that users should use it in a professional manor and be aware of privacy settings.

- Blogging to ‘earn’ a grade can stifle creativity. This is partially why our school board is focusing on Assessment for Learning practices (Alberta Assessment Consortium). By providing the students with feedback rather than a grade, they can more readily progress as learners. Although blogging for a course may have restrictions, students (of all ages) will have the opportunity to learn about this web 2.0 tool and may go on use in their personal life. It is essential to note that becoming a complex blogger takes time to develop (Richardson, 2009).

- Regarding the differences between reading online and reading a tangible book. I found that internet readers must be able to handle large volumes of text, evaluate eye-catching graphics/information, comprehend expository text, and learn to collaborate with others. Reading on the internet involves using traditional reading strategies, with an additional strategy that requires the reader to not only make meaning from text but to also locate the information within the internet (Schmar-Dobler, 2003). Additionally, Educators must also be aware that Web-based texts are typically nonlinear, interactive, and inclusive of multiple media forms (Coiro, 2003). When comprehending online text, students need to make decisions regarding the validity of the text, thus this is another skill that must be taught (Coiro, 2003). Not surprisingly, I found research that supports the fundamental premise of web 2.0: “Immediate feedback from peers and opportunities for sharing with real global audiences can promote higher level thinking, communication skills, and deeper understandings of text (Coiro, 2003).”

- Web 2.0 technologies may provide a safe forum for shy/reserved students and/or English Language Learners to feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions – particularly because small group work and anonymity is possible (Nilsson, 1998).

Before I pull over for a quick pit stop, I just wanted to thank those who’ve assisted me along this never ending journey that has changed my life forever! I encourage you to follow my progress in the months ahead, as I develop my web 2.0 skills as Canadanz!

References

Alberta Assessment Consortium. (N/A). AAC everyday assessment tools for teachers. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from http://www.aac.ab.ca/aboutqa.html

Atkinson, C. (2005, May 3). Information overload makes you dumb. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.beyondbullets.com/2005/05/information_ove.html

BBC, British Council. (2005, March 6). Blogging for ELT. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/blogging-elt

Campbell, A. (2003, February). Weblogs for use with ESL classes. Internet TSOL Journal 9. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from: http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Campbell-Weblogs.html

Citymark (2008, November 11). Managing social media overload. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from http://markfaul.ca/2008/11/11/managing-social-media-overload/

Coiro, J. (2003, February). Reading comprehension on the Internet: Expanding our understanding of reading comprehension to encompass new literacies [Exploring Literacy on the Internet department]. The Reading Teacher, 56(6). Retrieved November 8, 2009, from: http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/rt/2-03_Column/index.html

Denham, E. (2009, July 22). Report of findings into the complaint filed by the Canadian internet policy and public interest clinic (CIPPIC)against Facebook Inc. Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://www.priv.gc.ca/cf-dc/2009/2009_008_0716_e.cfm

Jackson, L. (2005). Blogging? It’s elementary my dear Watson! Retrieved December 4, 2009, from: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech217.shtml

Lang, M. (2009, August 13). Too much texting can be harmful to teens. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090813/FEATURES/908130312/-1/PARENTING

Lang, M. (2009, September 7). Too much texting for many teens, messaging a 24/7 activity. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.allbusiness.com/medicine-health/diseases-disorders-neurological-sleep/12864554-1.html

Nilsson, B. (1998). Some students consider how we might help students talk. Retrieved November 26, 2009, from: http://www.jstor.org/pss/40172957

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (2009, October 1). What does a friend of a friend of a friend need to know about you? Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/privacy-on-social-networks/

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Schiffman, B. (2008, April 21). Web 2.0 Expo preview: Torture by information overload. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2008/04/web-20-expo-pre/

Schmar-Dobler, E. (2003, September). Reading on the Internet: The link between literacy and technology. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 47(1). Retrieved November 8, 2009, from: http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/jaal/9-03_column/

Spam Laws (2007, November 21). Identity theft in Canada. Retrieved October 11, 2009, from http://www.spamlaws.com/id-theft-can.html

Blog #9 - Blogging/RSS

Have you ever wanted to be a journalist for the New York Times, a writer for Good Housekeeping, the photographer for National Geographic or a restaurant reviewer for Dish? Well the time has come where anyone, yes even you, can be the writer they have always wanted to be and your writing may even attract a few or potentially millions of followers. Of course this can be accomplished through blogging. There are multiple free sites available such as Blogger, Wordpress and Movable Type, that enable the general public to create their own blog without needing to be familiar with HTML codes. Because blogging has become so popular in the last few years (see Wikipedia for more information), Real Simple Syndication – RSS (again check out Wikipedia for specifics) has been designed to help manage posts from blogs or other sites that you may be following. Follow this blog post as I explore how blogging and RSS work and how these web 2.0 technologies have impacted me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Blogs/RSS

If you’ve been following my blog you’ll know that many web 2.0 tools are easy to use. Thus, it won’t be a surprise to hear that it is incredibly easy to set up a blog and an aggregator (technical terms used for an RSS reader). For the sake of discussion, I’m going to explain how to use Blogger, simply because this is the site that I use and more obviously the one where this blog post is located. In order to get started, you’ll need to register with an e-mail address and some basic information. Then simply follow the easy steps of setting up your blog – you’ll need to create a title, choose a layout, select a colour scheme, and modify your settings as desired. When you’re ready to post, just click on the ‘New Post’ button located at the top of the blog or the dashboard. It should be noted that postings typically include text, but many other things such as videos and photos can also be posted. Other multimedia technologies, such as an Animoto video, can also be included in posts by copying and pasting the embedded URL into the HTML version of the post. You can switch between the ‘Compose’ – WYSIWYG screen and the ‘Edit HTML’ screen by using the tabs at the top of the posting. The ‘Layout’ tab enables you to add and arrange your page elements and, even for beginners, this is extremely easy to do. Although, Blogger suggests a number of widgets, please be advised that you can access thousands more by simply conducting an internet search for widgets. When selecting your page elements, be sure to keep your readers in mind and add widgets/badges that would both useful and appealing to your audience. Depending on the type of blogging you plan on doing, you may also want to write to engage your audience.

Whether or not you’ve decided to become a blogger yourself, I guarantee you will want to set yourself up with an aggregator to manage the latest news of all the blogs and websites that you follow. Again this is easily done with the click of a mouse. There is a plethora of aggregators available, but Google Reader will be used as the example in this post. If you have a Google account for anything, than you already have an account for Google Reader. In order to use Google Reader, all you have to do is click on the ‘add subscription’ button at the top left of the screen and enter in the URL of what ever you want to follow. You will get the URL for desired sites by finding and clicking on the square orange symbol (it has a quarter of a rainbow picture on it) and copying and pasting the URL. You can manage your feeds (fancy name for incoming news/posts) by creating folders and reading the short excerpts to decide if you want to keep reading the rest of the story. It should be noted that although aggregators can reduce your information overload, you still need to make sound judgments about sites that you choose to follow and you may want to periodically review your subscriptions, otherwise you may feel overwhelmed. Watch the following video for more specifics on how Google Reader works:



Blogging/RSS – For my own Personal Learning

Up until a few months ago I had read the odd blog, but wouldn’t have even considered setting up my own. In fact, I’m not even sure that I would have known what to do – much less think of a topic to write about. This course about web 2.0 has created a platform for me to be gently pushed into the unknown. For this I am thankful! Blogging has provided me with the opportunity to experience what many others have been doing for the past few years. Writing is not one of my favourite pastimes, therefore, blogging seems more like work rather than a pleasurable activity to me. However, this blog is for a specific purpose and I do feel that it is meeting the goal of sharing my web 2.0 learning experiences for this course. I have really enjoyed playing with the layout, selecting the widgets and attempting to use the HTML function to incorporate multimedia items in my posts. Since I’ve been a blogger, I’ve realized that I have taken much more notice of other people’s blogs and in doing so have considered aspects of my blog such as how I engage the audience and which widgets/badges would be most useful to myself and my readers. My writing style/voice has also changed over time. Now that I’m familiar with blogging I would certainly consider using it in the future to share exciting life events with my family and friends, such as when I’m travelling and/or a major family event is taking place.

On another note, Google Reader has saved my life. My reader has helped to manage my information overload, as I now just need to read the short blurb about the latest news to decide if I’m interested in reading the whole post or article. It has also saved me a lot of time by reducing my need to go to every blog or website that I’m interested in to see if it has been updated. On the other hand, I have found that, in some cases, as a visual learner I miss seeing the actual layout of some of the websites as the appearance can sometimes help me to remember the author and the content of things that I’m particularly interested in. And ok - I admit that I also periodically miss checking out the cool widgets that are found on some blogs. Nonetheless, I’ll be relying on my reader in years to come or at least until a new product is designed.

Blogging/RSS – for my Professional Learning

As hopefully demonstrated through this blog, blogging can be a highly useful professional development tool. Not only is it possible for you to share your experiences and opinions with others, but you can also visit and participate in other people’s blogs which may offer you much insight into your own pedagogical practices. By connecting or networking with like-minded individuals the possibilities are endless in terms of sharing, asking questions, collaboratively solving mutual problems, and simply working together to ultimately support the needs of our 21st century learners. Here are three of my favourite blogs that I frequently consult to improve my practice:

The Blue Skunk Blog – Doug Johnson is an educator who often shares relevant information regarding the use (or lack there of) technology in schools.

2¢ Worth – David Warlick, another educator, often has fresh ideas when it comes to using web 2.0 tools in schools.

weblogg-ed – Will Richardson is my favourite blogger as his posts often push my professional thoughts into those of a 21st century learner.

In addition to using blogs for professional development, they can also be used by, with and for students. Lorrie Jackson wrote the following information in an Education World post that explains the benefits of having students blog:
“Blogs, because of their ease of use, and because of the context of news and editorial column writing, have become a highly effective way to help students to become better writers. Research has long shown that students write more, write in greater detail, and take greater care with spelling, grammar, and punctuation, when they are writing to an authentic audience over the Internet.”
Teachers are often trying to ensure that their students are engaged in authentic experiences and it is obvious that, with the ability for feedback or comments, blogging helps to fill this function. For these same reasons blogging also benefits English Language Learners, particularly because it provides an authentic medium for these students to practice their language skills (see Aaron Campbell’s article – Weblogs for Use in ESL Classrooms for further information). According to a post on the BBC British Council blog, blogging may also provide a forum for shy or more reserved students to express their opinions, help to create a sense of community and perhaps, most importantly, stimulate out-of-class discussions. If all of these benefits are enough to convince you to have your students blog, but feel you need a bit more support – check out these blogs to see how other educators are using them:

Mrs. Kolbert’s Class Blog
Mrs. Cowan’s Student Blog
Meghan’s Math Mania
Doodle Bug Writes
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=150372
Science Girl Em’s Blog

Since blogging and RSS tend to go hand-in-hand, you can safely assume that this is another useful web 2.0 tool for education. The potential of using a reader in the classroom is as endless as one’s imagination. Here are a couple of Traci Gardner’s tips that she included in a blog post entitled – RSS: Bringing What’s New to You:

- “Have students set up blogs for writing activities or in lieu of writer's logs. To build community, have students subscribe to each other’s blogs. Students can easily share their work, and you don't have to set up a class website with all the links. Likewise, once you’ve subscribed to their blogs, you can keep track of every student’s progress from one site (instead of having to go to each one to see if there have been changes).”

- “Have students working on research or inquiry projects on contemporary topics? Show them how to set up news searches on their topics so that the most recent articles come directly to them. With younger students, you might set up a similar feed for the whole class to share. If you have a computer in the classroom or LCD projector, students can read through the news on their inquiry topics with you, without having to filter through all the other news (some of which may be inappropriate for their age levels).”

Here are some of the pros and cons regarding the use of blogging/RSS in the classroom:

Pros
Easy to use
Saves time
Promotes writing skills
Encourages collaboration/networking
Supports professional development
Authentic activity
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Real audience
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Safe forum to share opinions for shy/reserved students
English Language Learners can practice their language skills
Creates classroom community
Deepens understanding of a topic
Supports inclusive education
Educators can collaborate with colleagues
Able to adjust the privacy setting

Cons
Number of subscriptions can become unmanageable
Inappropriate comments could be made
Students may use it to just socialize
Privacy could be an issue
Negative outcomes (e.g., embarrassment)
May not feel confident or comfortable to use/share
Inaccurate information is possible
Content may not be considered professional or appropriate

Today I’ll end this blog post with a few thoughts from Greg Schwarts (WebJunction blog) who writes about why you should write your own blog or contribute to one (just incase you’re still wavering on the topic):

“Reason #1 - Writing a blog keeps you current. You'll want to know what's going on in the world before you start talking about it. Posting regularly to a blog encourages you to actively engage the process of information seeking and current awareness.

Reason #2 - Blogs are an advocacy tool. If you want change, you have to talk about it. Blogs are a great forum, not only for exposing the world to the issues facing both libraries and librarians, but also for thinking through your ideas and cultivating means of expressing them effectively.

Reason #3 - Blogs build community. Some of you are probably thinking that no one will read what you have to say. When I started my blog, Open Stacks, I shared your skepticism. As it turns out, no matter who you are and what you write about, there will be others who share your interests. I was surprised to discover that, as a librarian, you already have a built-in community of people interested in you and your perspective. You can, and probably will, meet people that you may not have met otherwise, becoming part of a very progressive segment of the LIS community.

Reason #4 - You are unique. One of the problems with librarianship is image. Stereotypes of librarians abound. Publishing a blog is an opportunity to demonstrate your individuality and thereby work to dispel some of those pervasive myths. Even if you don't think of yourself as unique and fear being redundant, your voice is yours and yours alone, so join the chorus.

Reason #5 - Do it for you. Never discount the power of writing as catharsis.

Reason #6 - Lastly, it's easy, so no excuses.”

Blog #8 - Twitter

It may be safe to say that for generations (at least in movies, if Harry Potter has taught me anything) people have been using animals to transport messages from one person to another. Now with Twitter we can save ourselves the cost of birdseed, by using a virtual bird to carry our messages to potentially thousands of people. Twitter (originating back in 2006, see Wikipedia for the specifics) is like a mini blog post or if you’re a Facebook user, a status update. If you’re a blogger or Facebook user you may now be wondering why you should bother with Twitter, if it is similar to something that you are already doing. Well, although it has some similarities, what Twitter really does, is combine social networking, live searching and link-sharing into one website. The blue bird may be small, but the Twitterverse is vast and probably growing exponentially. If you haven’t already – you should join its flock now, so that you too will know what everyone is ‘tweeting’ about! Come and fly with me as I explore how Twitter works and how this web 2.0 technology has impacted me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Twitter

As Stephen Johnson writes in a Time article: “The basic mechanics of Twitter are remarkably simple. Users publish tweets — those 140-character messages — from a computer or mobile device. (The character limit allows tweets to be created and circulated via the SMS platform used by most mobile phones.) As a social network, Twitter revolves around the principle of followers. When you choose to follow another Twitter user, than that user's tweets appear in reverse chronological order on your main Twitter page. If you follow 20 people, you'll see a mix of tweets scrolling down the page: breakfast-cereal updates, interesting new links, music recommendations, even musings on the future of education. Some celebrity Twitterers — most famously Ashton Kutcher — have crossed the million-follower mark, effectively giving them a broadcast-size audience. The average Twitter profile seems to be somewhere in the dozens: a collage of friends, colleagues and a handful of celebrities. The mix creates a media experience quite unlike anything that has come before it, strangely intimate and at the same time celebrity-obsessed. You glance at your Twitter feed over that first cup of coffee, and in a few seconds you find out that your nephew got into med school and Shaquille O'Neal just finished a cardio workout in Phoenix.”

I like the simplicity in how Johnson explains how Twitter works, because it is really that easy. Just go to the website Twitter.com to register (you must have an e-mail account and you will need to create a user name). From here you can set up your profile with your location and biography. The next step is to find some people to follow, which can be done by searching for specific people, using your e-mail, inviting others via e-mail, or by adding the ‘suggested users’ that Twitter selects for you. The last step is to begin tweeting (Twitter’s cute term for your message), by responding to the question ‘What’s happening?’ with information and/or sharing a link or photo with others. You are only given 140 characters per tweet, so if you want to share a link you should shorten it by using Tinyurl.com (or something similar) to save character space for your comments. Visit Twitpic.com to upload photos that you may want to share (Twitter users have access to this site via their Twitter accounts). For tips on how to effectively tweet, check out the following sites:

- Twitter Tips: How to Write Better Tweets

- Top 10 Twitter Tips for Beginners

- Twitter for Beginners

Twitter – For my own Personal Learning

Twitter is a web 2.0 technology that I can see a future for. When I was living in New Zealand it was by far more cost efficient to use your mobile (cell phone) to text than it was to ring (call) someone. To me tweeting is like texting, due to the 140 character limit, and is an effective way to share information, ask questions and connect with others. Furthermore, it is fun, easy to tweet and potentially addictive. I appreciate that Twitter enables me to remain informed about what’s happening on global, local and personal levels with those who I personally know and those who I choose to follow. Although I sometimes receive tweets about mundane information, more often than not my followers tweet about things that are meaningful to me, either personally or professionally. In the last few month of being a Twitter user I have enjoyed following many tweets, even though I haven’t personally tweeted very often (my policy is to only respond when I have something constructive to say). I see Twitter as a tool that would be more useful to someone who has an iPhone (or an equivalent), as they would be able to follow the tweets frequently and be more in the ‘know’ (I love the anywhere, anytime factor). So… once again – Santa, if you’re listening, I’d like an iPod touch for Christmas!

Having said this I do have a couple of beefs about Twitter. First, and yes I’m admitting this, I can’t seem to figure out how to reduce the size of a photo in order for it to fit Twitter’s specifications for my photo. This may seem ridiculous, but I honestly find this annoying and I’ve only ever ran into this problem once before with a web 2.0 tool. Oh, and just to be clear, I’m trying to upload an average sized photo - nothing fancy. Maybe I should tweet about this for help! The second difficulty that I had with Twitter is locating people. Now I realize that like my photo problem that this is not a fault of Twitter, but when people don’t use their real name it is difficult to locate them and subsequently follow them. Of course, I too am guilty of this, but hey let me use this blog as a public advertisement… I’m Canadanz on Twitter. Please follow me!

Twitter – for my Professional Learning

As the subheading suggests, Twitter is an excellent tool for professionals to use to remain up to date in their area(s) of expertise. When following like-minded individuals, it is easy to be in the know, ask questions, share information and make connections via Twitter. Thus, Twitter is an excellent tool for educators to extend their professional development opportunities beyond the four walls of their classroom. In fact, I’m one of the few web 2.0 users at our school, and without the support from other users, my opportunities to grow professionally are limited.

Fortunately, Twitter is not blocked where I teach, meaning that students can also make use of this tool. Although I can identify some potential issues that Twitter’s use in the classroom presents, with some inappropriate tweets that can be difficult to control, there are also numerous educational benefits. For example, students could use TweetDeck (or equivalent browser) while working on assignments, to share protected (or unprotected) tweets within a specific learning group. Twitter is an excellent tool for students to use when they need help with a problem or are looking for information, as connecting with others is what web 2.0 is all about. English Language Learners (ELLs) may also benefit from using Twitter as the 140 character limit is not as daunting as writing an e-mail or blog post, yet requires the user to think about the message that they are trying to convey. By potentially receiving a prompt response, they may feel encouraged to continue practicing their English skills. Additionally, Twitter may also help to persuade more reserved students to share their thoughts and participate in a class discussions. Check out the following links that further identify how Twitter can be used in educational settings:

6 Examples of Using Twitter in the Classroom – great examples for older students.

How to Use Twitter in the Classroom – creative ideas for all levels of students.

Twitter in the Classroom – some excellent thoughts on how to use Twitter to create a more cohesive classroom community.

Twitter in the Classroom: What Does that Really Look Like? – using Twitter for school news and the day’s highlights, amongst other exciting ideas.

Twitter for Academia – a wide variety of wonderful suggestions, including following a professional and practicing the use of punctuation and/or grammar.


Here are some of the pros and cons regarding the use of Twitter in the classroom:

Pros
Easy to use
Encourages collaboration/networking
Supports professional development
Other applications are compatible with Twitter
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Real audience
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Deepens understanding of a topic
Supports inclusive education
Educators can collaborate with colleagues
Able to adjust the privacy setting

Cons
Students may use it to just socialize
Privacy could be an issue
Negative outcomes (e.g., embarrassment)
May not feel confident or comfortable to use/share
Inaccurate information is possible
Content may not be considered professional or appropriate

Blog #7 - Facebook (Social Networking)

“Umm, will you be my friend?” Being ‘friends’ with someone is what social networking is all about and according to eBizMBA, Facebook is the most frequented social networking site. If you’re like me you probably already use Facebook and have heard of MySpace, Twitter and Classmates.com. However, there are a number of others, such as Linkedin, Ning, Bebo, Hi5, and Friendster, that are also pretty popular. The social networking site or sites that you use may correlate to your age, job or social interests, as suggested by Danah Boyd. Watch the Common Craft Video by leelefever (located in this blog post) in order to gain a good understanding of what a social networking site is. For a more in depth study of a social networking site, I encourage you to network with me as I explore how Facebook works and how this web 2.0 technology has impacted me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Facebook

Like other web 2.0 tools, Facebook is easy to sign-up to and ‘friendly’ to use. In order to sign-up you must be 13 years of age or older and have an active e-mail address; you also need to state if you are a male or a female, your first and last name and your birth date. However, as long as you indicate that you are 13 or older and supply an active e-mail address, all information is supplied by the user and may or may not reflect the actual user. As a user you can set up your profile, based on specific categories of information – basic, personal, and contact, that you can control the privacy settings limiting what certain categories of friends and others outside of your network can see. From this set-up stage all you need to do is locate some friends using the ‘Find Friends’ function. This is efficiently done by using your contacts in your e-mail account or by searching for specific people, similar to searching on the internet; however to further simplify the process Facebook also suggests friends for you based on your friends’ friends. The bottom line – it is pretty easy to acquire ‘friends’ on Facebook. Facebook allows you to send private messages via your ‘Inbox,’ write on a friends ‘wall’ and/or update your ‘status.’ Additionally, you can also upload and share pictures, videos links and participate in games such as Scrabble and Farmville. Users should be aware that these types of games are referred to as third party applications and have their own privacy policy. The nature of social networking sites is to obviously network, thus Facebook also enables users to create and join groups.

Facebook’s privacy policy is both convoluted and complex. Users should definitely read the policy and alter their privacy settings according to their needs. Click here to view the Facebook privacy policy. In particular, users should take the following information from Facebook’s privacy policy into consideration when signing up and using the site:

Sharing information on Facebook. We designed our privacy settings to enable you to control how you share your information on Facebook. You should review the default privacy settings to make sure they reflect your preferences. Here are some specific things to remember:- You can control the visibility of most of the information you share on Facebook through the privacy settings you select. - Certain categories of information such as your name, profile photo, list of friends and pages you are a fan of, gender, and networks you belong to are considered publicly available, and therefore do not have privacy settings. (We will soon stop using regional networks, but your geographic region will still be considered publicly available). You can limit the ability of others to find this information on third party search engines through your search privacy settings. - Some of the content you share and the actions you take will show up on your friends’ home pages and other pages they visit.- Even after you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere to the extent it has been shared with others, it was otherwise distributed pursuant to your privacy settings, or it was copied or stored by other users.- You understand that information might be re-shared or copied by other users.- Certain types of communications that you send to other users cannot be removed, such as messages.- When you post information on another user’s profile or comment on another user’s post, that information will be subject to the other user’s privacy settings. - If you use an external source to publish information to Facebook (such as a mobile application or a Connect site), you should check the privacy setting for that post, as it is set by that external source.

Although social networking is the premise of web 2.0 technologies, please remember to network responsibly!

Facebook – For my own Personal Learning

Prior to this past summer, Facebook was the only web 2.0 technology that I was actively using (and aware of). I originally joined Facebook in order to connect with people for a reunion. When I began I was careful to limit the amount of personal information that I shared. For example, I included an ambiguous picture of myself, stated that I’m married and that I am currently living in Alberta, but have close ties to New Zealand. I’ve now been a Facebook user for two and a half years and this information remains unaltered. Additionally, I have not uploaded any photos or videos (I remove my name if I’ve been tagged in someone else’s photos) and I’ve only ever updated my status once. The interesting part of all of this is that I ‘check’ my Facebook account at least once a day! Why? To stay connected of course! Because of my profession I don’t feel comfortable sharing my personal information, but I am eager to connect with others and although I don’t share publicly I frequently use my Facebook ‘Inbox’ to privately e-mail my friends. I enjoy the networking that this site enables users to engage in, particularly with those people who I would have otherwise lost contact with, and I expect to be a Facebook user in years to come.

Although there are oodles of benefits (personally and professionally) to being a Facebook user, there is also a vast grey area that I’m not a fan of, primarily in relation to the privacy policy. Even after reading the policy a number of times, I’m still not 100% sure that I fully understand it. Specifically, I am confused about who ‘owns’ my information and photo; how my information is being used (but not shared) to select advertising to meet my interests; and how the plethora of privacy settings really work to protect my information. And adding to the confusion are third party applications that use the Facebook platform, but (once you agree) have access to your information and utilize it based on their own privacy statement. Based on the number of Facebook users I get the impression that many people are simply not worried about this potential breech of information, but there are others who do. As I’ve previously stated in a class discussion, one of those other ‘people’ is The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada who has had multiple complaints about Facebook which include, “included default privacy settings, collection and use of users’ personal information for advertising purposes, disclosure of users’ personal information to third-party application developers, and collection and use of non-users’ personal information (Denham, 2009).” The full report can be viewed at: http://www.priv.gc.ca/cf-dc/2009/2009_008_0716_e.cfm . Some of these complaints have been addressed by Facebook by making the privacy information more accessible to the users, but in the meantime I’m going to act professionally in terms of the information that I place on social networking sites.



In addition to being a Facebook user, I am also a member of a couple of Ning sites and just this past week an acquaintance requested me to become a Linkedin user, which is a social networking site for professionals. I haven’t yet responded to this request, but a professional networking site sounds promising (provided the privacy policy is transparent). In order to expand my workings with Facebook I’ve recently become friends with Toys "R" Us Canada and ja.de classroom of creations to see how it is possible to network with businesses. In the last three weeks I’ve noted that the toy store uses Facebook to advertise new products and to let potential customers know when hard-to-get toys have arrived at specific locations, while the other website encourages its followers to view examples of new products and creative ideas (which are often attuned to the seasons). This is a powerful way to advertise, particularly because I’m interested in the products and it is getting close to Christmas. To become my Facebook friend, simply let me know what your user name is in the comment box below this blog post and I’ll hook you up! In the meantime I’m going to update my ‘status’ for the second time ever! Oh hang on a minute… I just updated my status to say, “My second status update ever… Who reads this stuff?” and it only took 11 minutes before one of my friends replied!

Facebook – for my Professional Learning

If someone asked me a few months ago what I thought of social networking sites, particularly Facebook, in terms of their educational value or even their place in education in general, I would have raised my eyebrows, smiled and shook my head (while thinking in my head that they are a donut – nothing sharp about them). Now that I’ve been learning about web 2.0 technologies and expanding my thoughts about their purpose in education, I have a different story to tell. Before you get too excited, let me just state that the remainder of my lessons for this school year are not going to necessarily utilize Facebook (even if it wasn’t blocked at the school I teach in), but I do think that it has a place in the education system. For example Facebook is a great way to network with my colleagues and can also be used to connect with parents via a medium that they are probably familiar with. This is particularly important when it is extremely taxing to convince parents to attend conferences or to make them aware of school-wide and classroom activities. I still feel that becoming friends with my students is unprofessional, however I could easily be convinced to create a professional account for my students and parents that is separate from my personal life, as this is a great way to further connect with my students in ‘their’ environment. If students are going to be using web 2.0 tools, then teachers should also be using the tools, not only to remain current with technology, but to have an understanding of the technologies in order to teach students how to use them appropriately. I feel strongly that schools should be teaching students internet safety skills, as in many cases this is not being taught at home. Furthermore, this avoids sending the message to our 21st century learners that social networking is bad or wrong, because it isn’t and when it is used properly can become a powerful educational tool. For example, students can network with each other regarding homework or by sharing their creative abilities, whether it is writing poetry, podcasting a weekly radio show or using their acting/producing abilities to create a YouTube video. For the English Language Learners (ELLs) that I teach, Facebook is yet another way for them to practice their language skills in an authentic situation. For further information regarding Facebook or other social networking sites in education, check out the following sites:

- Thanks for the Add. Now Help Me with My Homework By Michael Blanding – one of my favourite articles on the subject, really explains social networking and puts it in its place regarding its use in education.

- Scaffolding the New Social Literacies By Stephen Abram – discusses the popularity of social networking sites and how they relate to kids.

- Facebook – An Educational Resource? By Doug Johnson – writes about using Facebook in an educational setting.

- The Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500 By Gary Hamel – suggests that the way businesses function may be changing (or has already changed) as a result of social networking.

Although there are many educational uses for Facebook, I’ve personally found that the Ning social networking site is an excellent way to enhance my professional development opportunities with like-minded individual from around the globe. In her article entitled Social Networking: The Ning’s the Thing, Traci Gardner explains how Nings work. If you are an educator, I suggest that you sing up to Ning today. I’m a member of the following networks for educators (use my last name to locate me): Classroom 2.0, EFL Classroom 2.0, Flat Classrooms, and OZ/NZ Educators. I’ve been so busy following these Ning networks that I haven’t had a chance to create my own, but I’m interested in creating one for our school community, as it may help students and teachers to connect across grade levels (I work in a preschool to grade 9 school).

Here are some of the pros and cons regarding the use of social networking sites in the classroom:

Pros
Easy to use
Encourages collaboration/networking
Other applications are compatible with Facebook
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Real audience
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Deepens understanding of a topic
Supports inclusive education
Educators can collaborate with colleagues
Able to adjust many of the privacy settings
Medium for professional development

Cons
Privacy could be an issue, as the policy is confusing
Negative outcomes (e.g. embarrassment)
May not feel confident or comfortable to use/share
Inaccurate information is possible
Content may not be considered professional or appropriate

Blog #6 - Animoto (Multimedia)

And the top 2009 music video award goes to… Canadanz!!! The crowd cheers frantically, as Canadanz makes her way to the stage to deliver the following speech: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my husband, my editor and of course all of my fans! I spent 10 minutes creating this music video and I never thought that these few minutes would lead me to this!!! Thanks to Animoto my dreams have come true!!!”

Umm, ok so this might be a bit of a stretch (especially if you’ve been following my post and know that my knowledge and ability is lacking when it comes to music), but the multimedia web 2.0 tool, Animoto, really does allow its users to create professional quality music videos. And yes, it really can be done in 10 minutes! I challenge you to come and ‘rock out’ with me as I explore how Animoto works and how this web 2.0 technology has impacted me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Animoto

It only takes a minute to sign-up to Animoto and begin making your own music videos. Here’s how the makers of Animoto describe the site:
“Animoto produces TV-quality music videos using your photos and video clips in just minutes. It's so simple to do too. Choose a song as the soundtrack to your video and Animoto will analyze every nuance of it. Producing a totally unique video each time, no two videos are ever the same. Sharing them is a cinch as well. Add them to your MySpace & Facebook profiles, on your blog, e-mail them to friends, put them up on YouTube or download them onto your computer. Some of Animoto's founders used to produce shows for MTV, Comedy Central & ABC, study classical music in London, play in rock bands in Seattle and develop software in Japan. They developed a patent-pending, Cinematic Artificial Intelligence that thinks like an actual editor and director.”
This description that they provide accurately highlights what Animoto is and what you can do with the videos – it truly is that simple. Since signing up to the site a week ago I’ve made multiple music videos and have shared them with my family, friends and students. I’m still in awe over how Animoto dances my photos and videos across the screen to the beat of the music. Although basic in appearance, the site is visually appealing and provides effectively simple instructions on what to do. To begin with the user has the choice of making an ‘Animoto short’ (30 second video) or a ‘full-length’ (extended length) video. Users are reminded that approximately 12 images equal 30 seconds worth of video and that while ‘Animoto shorts’ are free, full-length videos, are of an extended length with unlimited remixes, cost a few dollars. A remix is where you allow Animoto to recreate your video either with or without edits that you have the option of making. After selecting the length of your video, you are prompted to retrieve your images and/or videos by uploading them from your computer, selecting them from their collection or by retrieving them from another site. You are able to add text, rotate, duplicate and spotlight special photos and videos. With videos you are also able to select a specific clip from them, rather than playing the whole thing, and you can decide if you would like the sound to be on or off. The next step is to add music. You may upload your own music (providing that you are not infringing copyright) or select music from Animoto’s collection. Lastly users have the option of altering the pace of the images, selecting the video’s screen cover, providing a title, description and can identify the producer (I enjoy seeing my name in this position!). By clicking on the ‘create video’ button Animoto will process, analyze and render your video with their technology. This process takes about 3 minutes and they will send you an e-mail when your video is complete; in the mean time you can create another video. From here you may share your video via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. You are also able to leave a comment under your music video and can send a personal message when e-mailing it to others. It should be noted that users require an e-mail address and must be at least 13 to register. However, Animoto offers an educational version where teachers (and students 13 and older) can sign up their students of any age and receive an ‘all-access pass’ that allows users to create full-length videos for free. The educational site also hosts a ‘case study’ link that provides teachers and students with examples and ideas of how to use Animoto in the classroom.

Animoto – For my own Personal Learning

To be point blank Animoto has impressed me! I love the fact that in a few short minutes I can create a professional music video that others will ooohhh and ahhh over. The program is so easy to use and the end result is something that would have taken me hours to do with power point. I genuinely enjoy sharing photos with my family and friends and often struggle with sizing photos and individually attaching them to my e-mails. With Animoto these problems are not only rectified, but present my photos in an even more attractive way. Within minutes of signing up to Animoto I was e-mailing my music videos to others and began receiving feedback with much positive energy. Needless to say, this motivated me to create a few more! Check my blog to jive along to one of my finer creations! Although, I don’t have any special engagements or presentations in the near future (e.g. a wedding, university presentation), I can see how this multimedia site could come in handy. The only down side to Animoto is that the user has limited control over how Animoto mixes the video. For example I found that some of my photos moved too quickly and that the pictures become blurry when seen in full-screen mode. Animoto does allow for users to alter the speed of the photos (within parameters) and one can also purchase a full-length video DVD if they want professional quality. Personally, I’m willing to give-up some control for an easy to use program, especially one like Animoto that I foresee myself using in years to come.

Animoto – for my Professional Learning

Almost as soon as I began using Animoto in my personal life, I began using it professionally. In fact the day I signed up, my students participated in a Science FUNdamentals presentation and I captured their learning in photographs, which I uploaded into an Animoto music video. My students loved the video and it sparked a thought provoking discussion about what they learned about our new science unit, Evidence and Investigation. A few days later I created another video of our school’s professional development day and shared it with the staff. Not only did they enjoy the video, it helped to introduce the capabilities of web 2.0 tools to new users.

The educational projects that can be developed with Animoto are as endless as the imagination of the user. The photo, video and music collections also contribute to ease of use, as students don’t need to get into the tricky business of uploading these items. Because Animoto is so easy to use, division one students and English Language Learners may be able to navigate the site successfully on their own to meet the criteria of a specific assignment. This would help them to create a sense of accomplishment and motivate them to share and explain their work. Older students may enjoy taking their own photos and videos for their music video. Unlike some other web 2.0 technologies, Animoto music videos can’t be accessed by the general public, so security is not a huge issue. Parents may also enjoy participating in their child’s education via music videos, which may provide information, tell a digital story and/or demonstrate the child’s learning.

Here are a few sites that offer tips and examples on how to use Animoto in the classroom:

Rockingham County Public Schools - explains how to use Animoto and provides a number of examples (field trip, scientific method of study, preschool play) and tips for many different grade levels.

Classroom 2.0 - uses a video to demonstrate how Animoto works and gives specific suggestions on how to use it in the classroom.

Putting the Pedagogy into the Tools - tips on how to use Animoto.

Teaching Tomorrow - shares how to use Animoto as a guest speaker.

Thoughts from a Tech Specialist - highlights why Animoto is such a great tool for education.

Learnhub - shares how Animoto can be used with other sites, such as Flickr and YouTube.

from the guys at animoto - educational suggestions from Animoto themselves.

After perusing these sites your mind will probably be spinning with a number of projects for which you could use Animoto to enhance the learning of the 21st century learners in your classroom. I’ve already begun using this web 2.0 tool and I can’t wait to use it again. Without further adieu, let me leave you with some of the pros and cons regarding the use of Animoto in the classroom:

Pros
Easy to create an Animoto music video
Music videos connect with students on their turf
Great for digital storytelling
Able to adjust some of the settings
Personal photos/videos can be uploaded
Photos/video from other sites can be uploaded
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Encourages collaboration/networking
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Real audience
Cross-curricular
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Deepens understanding of a topic
Supports inclusive education
Music videos are private
Doesn’t require a lot of equipment

Cons
Can’t control all aspect of the final product
Students need their own e-mail account
Negative outcomes (e.g. embarrassment)
Quality can be upgraded with a fee
FOIP is an issue if students use their own pictures/videos

Blog #5 - Wikis

Aloha! I love the sea, I love the sand, I love the salty air and I LOVE relaxing on ‘island time!’ But what on earth does Hawaii have to do with web 2.0 technologies? One word should clarify things for you: “wiki.” Wiki? “Wiki” (pronounced [ˈwiki] or [ˈviki]) is a Hawaiian word for fast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki). So what exactly is a wiki? According to Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org/), the free encyclopedia, a wiki is “a website that uses wiki software, allowing the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked Web pages, using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor, within the browser. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking, in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems” (Wikipedia – wiki, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki). Here is a checklist from Julia Davies and Guy Mercahant (2009, www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=310264&vLang=E&vHR=1&vUR=2&vUUR=1) that further explains what a wiki is and how they function:
The text can be edited by anyone who is registered on the site
- Individuals who set up the site can set out specific rubric, guidelines and community values for others to follow
- Authorship is shared and distributed
- Editing discussions and histories can be archived and consulted
- Openness is valued
- Collaboration is valued and individualism is less valued
- Wikis are in a constant state of flux
- Text can easily incorporate links to other sites, to entries on its own site and to profiles of contributors
- Referencing is highly valued
- Incorporation of texts and items from other sites is endorsed – as long as legally adopted and sources are cited

Now, if you’re still confused, try visiting Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org/). After all, it IS a wiki and while you’re there why don’t you try participating in the site?!? Of course, you could just follow me on my journey as I reflect on using Wikispaces (http://www.wikispaces.com/) and share how this web 2.0 technology has impacted me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Wikispaces

Wikispaces is another free web 2.0 technology that is fairly straightforward to use. Similar to Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/) the site takes you through a step-by-step process when you begin. This process is very helpful and it remains available for future reference. In particular, I found the “tours” (http://www.wikispaces.com/site/tour#introduction) to provide a clear visual of how to learn the basics. Although setting up my wiki - Where-We-Learn (http://where-we-learn.wikispaces.com/) - was easy, I did refer to the “tours” more than once. Within a couple of hours, I was able to create a wiki with multiple pages and tags; upload multiple items (a Pixton comic - http://www.pixton.com/, YouTube video - http://www.youtube.com/ and survey - http://www.surveygizmo.com/); adjust the template and colour scheme; and confirm my privacy settings. Wikispaces is currently offering free wikis for educators, which are advertisement free and provide a secure environment for students. I signed up for this special service and was pleased to discover that I can easily have my students join without having them register with an e-mail address.

There are many useful and interesting features located in the “manage wiki” section that really allowed me to have control over my Wikispace. The “content” section allows you to organize your files, tags and pages, while the “people” section allows for the management of privacy and people. The “settings” area enables the user to manipulate the way a wiki looks and how it is presented via its domain name. The most appealing section is the “tools” area where you can get URLs for badges and attach the wiki to a blog. Within this section is the “wiki statistics” icon that provides nifty little graphs to show the number of views, edits, messages and other interesting information regarding a specific wiki. Although setting up my wiki was easy and there are a number of useful tools and features available, I’m not sure that I feel confident using this web 2.0 technology. I found the privacy settings (permissions) to be a bit confusing and even now am not entirely clear about what my students will and won’t be able to do. I’ve decided that I will carefully check this out once I set up my student accounts (which I’ll do in the next few days). Upon checking, I did confirm that my wiki is indeed private as you need to log in to access it. Within the last couple of days I have had the opportunity to participate on a few wikis and I found this experience motivating and simple to do. I also appreciated the e-mails that I received explaining that I’ve been invited to participate in a wiki and was given guidance (via the wiki tours) on how to go about this experience. By participating in other wikis I’ve realized that I will probably feel more confident as I spend additional time with this web 2.0 technology and am looking forward to collaborating with others via wikis.

Wikispaces – For my own Personal Learning

At this point I’m not sure if I will create a wiki for personal use, mainly because I’m not sure what it would be about or who my audience/participants would be. If I could convince my family and/or close friends to become more technologically savvy, perhaps I would feel more inclined to do so. I guess another way to go about this would be to locate some new friends via web 2.0 technologies, I heard from a little bird that Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) may be useful for this! In the meantime I am more than happy to contribute on other peoples’ wikis.

I really like the way wikis enable me to collaborate and allow for others to confirm or correct my information, as this helps to ensure that the information is accurate (Richardson, 2009 www.amazon.com/Blogs-Wikis-Podcasts-Powerful-Classrooms/dp/1412959721/ref=ed_oe_p). However, I must be honest and admit that prior to researching wikis for this blog, I did think that Wikipedia was not a reliable resource for information. It was through my research that I discovered just how reliable wiki information can be. Alex Halavais, a University of Buffalo professor, tested this theory via the Isuzu Experiment (http://alex.halavais.net/the-isuzu-experiment/) by creating 13 errors on various posts on Wikipedia and within a few hours all of the errors were corrected (Richardson, 2009). Another study by the Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_5786064) asked experts to review entries in their field of study and 4 out of 5 agreed that the Wikipedia entries were accurate, informative, and comprehensive (Richardson, 2009). I like that in the event someone comes along and ‘vandalizes’ a page, the wiki history function makes it easy revert the page back to its previous version. However, with many people using a site and their collaborative efforts there is less of a chance of inaccuracies in information (Richardson, 2009). Collaborating with others is often a win-win situation, so the next time I have something to contribute, I’ll be sure to add my ideas or make changes on a wiki. And who knows, perhaps one day I’ll be the organizer of my own personal wiki – just think of the things I will learn!

Wikispaces – for my Professional Learning

Aside from personal interest, business and education are the two environments that I feel would most benefit from the collaborative medium of wikis. Since I’m an educator and education is my business, I’m fairly certain that wikis would be really useful in my environment. The main focus in the school where I work is to ensure that students are engaged by enabling them to be capable, connected and contributing members of society. Wikis are an amazing web 2.0 technology that supports this initiative by providing a medium for this type of work. They also allow for differentiated instruction and may help English Language Learners use and become more familiar with the English language in a meaningful format.

Based on my own research and that of my students, it is safe to say that Wikipedia entries consistently come up in the top ten search results for just about any topic (Davis & Merchant, 2009). Thus, without even intentionally introducing wikis into the classroom they are already being used in educational environments, at least for gathering information. In order to effectively use wikis in the classroom educators are going to need to educate their students on how to constructively edit them, participate in discussions and ensure that they understand how to respect the intellectual property of others. Additionally, educators will need to select the level of privacy that is most appropriate for their situation. With this being said, there are millions of wonderfully educational ways that wikis can be used in the classroom. The ‘WikEd!’ wiki has a list of examples of how wikis can be used in a K-12 classroom, which includes science fair projects, literature circles, and student portfolios, and can be viewed at: http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Wiki_in_a_K-12_classroom. ‘Wikis In Education’ is a wiki with a comprehensive list of classroom wikis that provides the URL, grade level and a brief description on how the wiki is being used; check it out at: http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/page/Wikis+in+the+Classroom. If you like what you see, you may want to visit the ‘Wikis In Education’ home page (http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/) for links to pages that use wikis in more diverse ways, including teacher-peer wikis, global wikis, student created wikis, and group project wikis. There is some amazing collaborative work being done with wikis and it isn’t just for students, as educators are also using them to collaborate with fellow educators from around the world. Although educators share tips about using wikis in the classroom on the ‘Wikis In Education’ wiki, you may want to compare wiki programs at the http://www.wikimatrix.org/ site in order to choose the best program for you specific needs.

Here are some of the pros and cons regarding the use of wikis in the classroom:

Pros
Easy to create a wiki on Wikispaces
Excellent help section with “tours”
Able to adjust many of the settings
Interesting and useful “tools”
Other applications can easily be added to Wikispaces
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Encourages collaboration/networking
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Real audience
Cross-curricular
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Deepens understanding of a topic
Supports inclusive education
Can select level of privacy
Many websites where educators can collaborate with colleagues

Cons
Vandalism could be a problem
Inaccurate information is possible
Negative outcomes (e.g. embarrassment)
Privacy could be an issue
May not feel confident to use/share at first
Some people don’t view wikis as a reliable resource

I’m so thrilled about using wikis in my classroom that I’ve recently created a wiki for my students to use. With this wiki, I look forward to connecting with my students in the role of a facilitator in order to allow them to learn from one another, as much research has done in this area to show the benefits of this teaching style (www.education4skills.com/jtylee/teacher_as_facilitator.html). As soon as I’m able to book some computer time I’m going to have my students work on sharing what they’ve learned in our “Trees and Forests” science unit. You are welcome to visit our wiki (http://where-we-learn.wikispaces.com/), but I’m going to keep it in a protected mode (invited guests only, drop me a message if your interested) until we are more confident users. Wikis are another web 2.0 technology that prepare our 21st century learners for the collaborative environment that they will most likely work in (http://www.infotoday.com/Paris/Collaboration/).

Blog #4 - Podcasting

Have you ever wanted to work in the media industry? Perhaps you wanted to be a radio announcer or an anchor person on the news. Maybe you’re like me and rely on the industry for up-to-date news, but never considered tackling the job. Today’s post is about podcasting and this web 2.0 technology may be able to make your media dreams come true! Over the past week I have had the opportunity to create my first podcast using Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/). Join me as I attempt to explain how it works and how it will impact me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Audacity

Audacity is a free audio recording program that you must download from the internet. It was easy for me to learn how to use it only because I had a professional show me! Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. This past week I went to a professional development workshop that dealt with using technology in the classroom. It was at this workshop that I was shown how to use Audacity and, to be more than honest, if I had to learn about this web 2.0 technology on my own I may still be sitting here trying to figure out where the record button is! The workshop instructor (who works in the media industry producing documentaries) took the participants through what he called the basic tools by showing us where they are located and what they are used for. It was then up to us to create an audio recording and add it to a 30 second video clip. This is much easier than it sounds (pun intended)! Let me share what I learned.

First off, it only takes a couple of minutes to download Audacity and you can begin using it right away. Simply agree to the terms and conditions and identify where you want your files to be saved. Once downloaded you will have a grey screen with a number of tools at the top. The main circular control buttons look similar to any other audio system, with the red circle being the record button. The lovely instructor failed to point this out and I spent a considerable amount of time wondering why the green arrow play button didn’t result in a recording – some of us are not as smart as others. Anyway, by simply pressing the record button, an audio track will appear and as long as there is somewhere for sound to be inputted into your computer, you should have an audio recording. The blue wiggly line is your audio track and it is under a meter measured in seconds, so you know how long it is. On the far right is an icon that looks like a curser, this is the selection tool that allows you to highlight parts of your track. Another tool in this area that you should become familiar with is the double arrow icon, or the time shift tool, which allows you to move your track along the meter. Toward the center of the page is the cut tool that has a scissor icon on it and it is used to cut or trim the audio track. Now I’m sure that the rest of the tools are beneficial, but to be blunt, I’m not a ‘music’ person and the rest of the information that the instructor shared with us went right over my head. I did get the general concept that they allowed you to alter your track in terms of volume, but with my basic understanding, I found it easier to just delete and try again. You will need to play around to find out how far you should be from the microphone. Therefore, I’ve only highlighted the tools that I actually used and that were relevant for my basic podcast production.

After you’ve made your audio recording you may want to use the selection tool followed by the cut tool to highlight and remove any distracting noises, long pauses, ums, etc. I found this to be easy to do. Similar to word documents, tracks are saved by going into “file” and selecting “save project as.” Up until this point I found Audacity easy (after a demonstration) and enjoyable to use. From here, however, things became a bit confusing. Audacity saves files as “.aup” files, which are not transferable to other programs. If you are planning on using the file elsewhere, you need to export it as an MP3 file. This is easy to do (located in the file section) and Audacity reminds you of this when you save. I e-mailed one of my files to myself at work as an .aup file only to find out that I couldn’t open it, even with Audacity. Thus, it is important to use the export as an MP3 file function. After you have this figured out your audio possibilities are only as endless as you make them.

Audacity – For my own Personal Learning

I’m not going to lie, unlike many of the other web 2.0 tools that I’ve been thrilled to learn about, podcasting did not create the same level of excitement. When reflecting on the root cause of this feeling I realized that it is because I associated podcasts with music and radio shows and I am not musically inclined in any way. To put this in perspective, not only am I lacking in the ability to play or read music, but I am a person who may know the words to many songs (yes, when I stop at lights people in other vehicles stare strangely at me) and yet never be able to identify the title of the song or the artist’s name. Just to clarify things even further this ‘ability’ also extends into the movie industry, as I can enjoy a move and the very next day not know the title or be able to identify the actors (however, I will remember the story line). Anyway, now that you’ve formed a picture of my true talents, you may start to see why podcasting didn’t strike a chord with me. Thus, I embarked on this journey at a slow pace and if it wasn’t for professional development opportunities, I may still be shuffling my feet. Fortunately, the workshop instructor demonstrated the basics and then let us play with Audacity. At the workshop my group had a gut-splitting hilarious time and I quickly realized that recording sound can be a lot of fun. Thus, I came rushing home to create my first official podcast. I read the story “A Kiwi Night Before Christmas” (http://www.iqtoys.co.nz/site/page=item/item=9943) and truly enjoyed myself. In fact, it was such an enjoyable experience, I proceeded to read the Clement C. Moore version of the story in another recording (http://www.christmas-tree.com/stories/nightbeforechristmas.html). You can listen to my podcast by clicking on this link: http://www.box.net/shared/1kfr8spx5u I discovered that it is fun to play with your voice and Audacity is simple to use. After recording the second version of the story I did realize that it is unfortunate that my audience couldn’t see the pictures, as this book was illustrated with modern images of a favourite classic by Richard Jesse Watson (http://www.harpercollins.com/book/index.aspx?isbn=9780060757410). However, upon further reflection, I also considered that by listening to a story it allows the reader to formulate their own images of the story. Hooray for creativity (remember I’m a teacher)! I think podcasting is here to stay for me; I love the idea of being able to record stories for my future children to listen to and I also like the idea of chatting at my computer, as it is much faster than typing when your really excited about sharing an idea quickly (maybe I’ll create my own radio show someday).

In addition to creating podcasts I also took the time to listen to a few (http://www.cbc.ca/spark/) and again I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Now I can’t believe I’m writing this, but Santa if you’re listening, I’d like an iPod for Christmas! Earlier today I was actually comparing the differences (and price) between an iPod and an iPod Touch (http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/home/shop_ipod?afid=p219%7CGOCA&cid=OAS-CA-KWG). The main reason for this shift in thinking is that with a device that plays MP3 files I can use my RSS feeder to send the files to a handheld device that plays MP3 files (Will Richardson, 2009, chapter 8, http://www.amazon.com/Blogs-Wikis-Podcasts-Powerful-Classrooms/dp/1412959721/ref=ed_oe_p). This means that I can listen to podcasts whenever and wherever I like. Talk about convenience! And you never know, I just might find the time to create my own play list and gain some knowledge about the music industry! With web 2.0 technologies anything may be possible!?!

Audacity – for my Professional Learning

I am as excited about podcasting with my students as I am in my personal life. Digital storytelling is the first thing that comes to mind. Students can read stories, listen to stories, share stories that they have written, and this medium even allows for them to go a step further and explain their thoughts on the selection. Reading recovery teachers could really utilize this tool by allow students to practice their reading skills in a fun way that enables them to play back their reading and learn from their mistakes. Teachers who teach another language and/or who work with English Language Learners (ELLs) could use this tool to practice the oral aspects of language. All teachers will appreciate the way student work can be saved for assessment purposes. Podcasting is an excellent way to engage the learner in the language arts concept of voice in a meaningful setting with a real audience.

Another way of looking at the educational value in podcasting is the learning that surrounds the actual podcast. Students will have to prepare a topic, think about what they are going to say and consider their audience. This is a lot of learning packed into a web 2.0 tool and I haven’t even mentioned the networking aspect. Ok, so I just did. There are endless possibilities when it comes to having a student, class, or school podcast internet radio show (which can also be live). Students can reach a global audience and of course this means that others can reply to their program and help to create an on going conversation. Podcasting may also be a viable means of reaching parents in order to inform them of upcoming events and to allow their child to demonstrate their learning. I could use podcasting to connect with my students; I could even make podcasts of lessons and other pertinent information and share them with students, parents, colleagues, and even the greater community. The Education Podcast Network (http://epnweb.org/) is an excellent site to visit for information on podcasting and education-related shows and the Apple website (http://www.apple.com/education/) offers technical support as well as lesson plans. A post on Open Culture lists the top 25 educational podcasts on iTunes and you may be interested to know that teaching foreign languages, particularly Spanish, is one of the most popular activities (http://www.openculture.com/2008/02/the_top_25_educational_podcasts_on_itunes_.html). Another aspect of podcasting includes the use of video as well as audio, but since I’ve already written a post about YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/canadanz16), I’m going to move on.

Here are my pros and cons of podcasting:

Pros
Easy to create audio
Requires readily available (often built in) or inexpensive equipment
Caters to a variety of skill levels (depending on how technical you want to be)
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Bookmarks can be made public or private
Encourages collaboration/networking
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Provides opportunity for students to play with their “voice”
Real audience
Cross-curricular
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Deepens understanding of a topic
Creates a venue for students to critically examine society
Medium for students to reflect and create/discover their personal identity
Supports inclusive education
Can select level of privacy

Cons
Some programs may be technical (depending on how you use them)
Saving in the right format can be tricky
Negative outcomes (e.g. embarrassment)
Privacy could be an issue

I look forward to podcasting with my students and feel that this valuable and easy to use web 2.0 tool will benefit all of my students in many aspect of the curriculum. I think I’ll begin by sharing a digital story with them, after all, Halloween is fast approaching and I feel up to the challenge of adding spooky sound effects.