Teaching and Learning in a Digital World

Blogging in the Classroom

2007-05-18T14:08:00.000-05:00

In the April 2007 issue of Technology and Learning, Jeff Utecht talked about blogs and why educators aren't using this tool as a way to enhance learning, thinking and conversation. You can find the article at techlearning.com
Jeff discusses how blogs should be used as a continuing conversation with students from your own classroom and beyond. This perspective can capture the attention of your students. With a little guidance on how to post to a blog geared for educational topics, kids can show off what they think, ask questions to clarify their understanding, and perhaps gain a global perspective on the issue within the conversation.

As educators we should be latching onto the tools of today to harness the abilities known and unknown to our students. We must meet them where they are in the world of today. That world includes blogging, instant messaging, cell phones, social networking and Second Life. Every chance I get I introduce the idea of blogging to teachers but many are just not there yet. I don't post enough myself but we must get in and get going. We must realign how we work with students so they are motivated and intrigued. Today's students want more than a lecture. They need multiple ways to get at what we are trying to teach. It is up to us to learn new things and work in new ways with them. A blog can open the doors to learning if used as a place for commenting, discussion and conversation about specific issues and topics. Give it a try. The kids will respond.

More about Web 2.0

2007-02-26T10:18:00.000-06:00

In the world of education and social networking Web 2.0 tools are powerful assests. I discovered an article that address some of the ups and downs of where Web 2.0 is headed. Take a gander at what Michael Rogers has to say in Can Web 2.0 Change the World?

And from Wired News reporter Ryan Sigel learn more about the buzz of people and Web 2.0 in his article, Are You Ready for Web 2.0?

Still not sure about this new buzz? Then take a look at Tim O'Reilly's, the one who coined the term, Web 2.0:Compact Definition?

Being that I am an educator I'm interested in where this will go in K-16 classrooms. How, what and when will these tools impact teachers in k-12, university professors,and school district administrators? Don't we in the digital immigrant world need to be considering the ways in which we will use these tools to reach the students who are digital natives? Think how we can bring cultures and learning together. Here are two teachers thinking on the cutting edge in Flat Classrooms These teachers are using Wikispaces, blogs and Skype to move learning to a new level. Too bad these tools are blocked for many school districts.

Web 2.0

2007-02-20T15:06:00.000-06:00

Have you thought about where we will be going with the collaborative look and feel of the web, commonly known as Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is considered by many to be a new era of Internet use, an improved version. One where social networking, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds, weblogs, and collaborative data drive what's happening on the web.

Have you created a blog? or a moblog? Have you used Wikipedia for information or added to the collective knowledge? Have you visited craigslist or eBay? Have you tried working with a group at wikispaces? Or how about Skye and internet phone conferences. There's lots out there to make communicating across the world more fun. Give some new tools a try but before you do try looking at the video at YouTube about Web 2.0

Lots of Choices

2007-01-06T22:44:00.000-06:00

Getting up to date on the tools out there for working over the web can be overwhelming but oh so much fun. Blogging is a create tool to use as an extension to classroom instruction. Homework assignments can be posted and students can ask questions in the comment section. Using a blog in this manner is very effective when the teacher makes sure to keep updating assignments and more importantly responding to student comments and questions.

Mobile blogging can be another tool to use with students as a reporting place for specific assignments. Here's a suggestion: geometry exists everywhere in the world. For the students who have a mobile phone (most do these days), have students create a mobile math blog, capturing geometric shapes and reporting their observations in their moblog. You would need the address for evaluating their work. Discussions and expectations for the moblog would need to be covered in class prior to using this tool. It would definitely need to be G - rated.

Some free or low cost spaces for blogging:
Blogger
Live Journal
Typepad

Wikis are good tools for sharing information and working in a collaborative environment. Create your own at Wikispaces. A wiki is a webpage that many can edit together. Pictures can be added to share with others. Wikis are easy to use.

Start your own place on the web for you and your students.

A New Blog

2006-10-29T23:54:00.000-06:00

I haven't been using this post as I once planned. I've gone back to school and must use blogging there and work started a blogging site for my team. So between these I have been neglectful. I will try to add more here but for the time being, I've included a link for the other site.

Learning to use Garage Band

2006-06-21T23:13:00.000-05:00

WOW! Today was a huge success for the principals and other administrators who attended. Dr. Tim Tyson presented the happenings at his school, Mabry Middle in Marietta, GA. Then he took everyone to multiple AH AH moments with hands on learning. Everyone had a brand new fresh out of the box MacBook to learn to use Garage Band to produce a podcast. It was great hearing many PC users say, "This is so easy." One of my colleagues, Pat Sutton, who uses a PC only said, I can't believe I'm thinking I want a Mac especially if I can run Windows XP with Boot Camp. I could do everything with one machine."

By the end of the day we had shown 30 principals and assistant principals how easy producing a podcast can be and how digital tools can motivate students to learn what we as educators need to teach them. Corey Harris, principal at Longview Middle from Memphis City Schools, and Tyson both shared real stories of things happening in their respective schools that have changed what happens at school. At the end of the day, two Nano iPods were drawn for as door prizes. Rhoda Stigall, principal at Gardenview Elementary, and Ken Strong, supervisor for safety in MCS, each won with screams and shouts of excitement. I'll soon have a podcast posted of the day. It's great to show others how technology tools can impact teaching and learning. The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Flyer, local papers, sent reporters over during the day. Stories will follow in each.

Podcasting with Principals

2006-06-20T23:38:00.000-05:00

We have been working hard all day to prepare for an exciting day with district principals, assistant principals, mental health supervisors and more. Wednesday, June 21 we will have Dr. Tim Tyson visiting from Georgia. Many of you may have heard him speak at conferences. Tim will share his experiences with podcasting, then teach administrators how easy it is to get started with podcasting. We are expecting between 35-40 for an all day session including hands on training with brand new never used MacBooks ( the black ones). After lunch our own Corey Harris, principal at Longview Middle will share experiences of leading a one to one wireless school and his beginnings with podcasting. It will be an exciting day. More to come tomorrow.
We had lots of help today so thanks to the group that helped get ready, Jess Feldman, Jeff Baxter, Kevin Reed, Frankie Sharp and Diane Raley. Cindy Putnam helped sort laptops when they arrived and Scott Holcomb along with Jess and Jeff will be helping in the sessions tomorrow. Thanks everyone. Couldn't do it without the team!

MCS Podcast Network

2006-05-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

Teaching and Learning in a Digital World

I'm so excited about the multiple feeds we have established within the Memphis City Schools (MCS) Podcast Network. We now have four feeds from the district; Arts in the Schools, Technology Integration, World Languages and Curriculum and Instruction. We look at things happening in the district that may be of interest to all schools and broadcast these events.

With our next series of podcasts we'll post inside Curriculum and Instruction. We will take a trip to the Memphis Zoo to create a mini soundseeing trip for adding to local school field trips. We will look at a brief history of the zoo, travel to the newest exhibit, the Northwest Passage and see how such a field trip works with curriculum. But that's just the beginning. This year is the 100th year anniversary of the zoo and a big celebration is coming. We are working with the zoo to do some behind the scenes experiences at each of the newest exhibts. Be sure to check out all the podcasts currently on the curriculum and instruction website at the MCS Podcast Network. More to come soon. We have some surprises in store. Stay tuned.

Learning How to Podcast

2006-02-01T11:18:00.000-06:00

What's it take to do a podcast? It's easy on a Mac. You need a noise-canceling headset with microphone, Garage Band and great content. Our technology team here in Memphis City Schools spent the morning helping a high school librarian learn the basics of podcasting. What challenges does she face in taking this leap? Fortunately, the school has an iBook mobile cart equipped with OSX 10.3 and Garage Band so the first obstacle is now solved. With a few quick lessons, she understands the basic recording and simple editing she will need. It's a wonderful thing to see a teacher get so excited about using technology in instruction. By the time we finished with her first session, she has plans to bring a student in who knows how to edit so she can concentrate on the content of the podcast.

She has a creative idea. The students in International Studies will be creating their own company and producing short commercials to advertisement the service of product of that company. The students will use a talk show format with short spots as a podcast. Once she gets a few completed then we will help her launch a web site to house the podcasts. Then we can do a district podcast about more exciting things happening in our schools.

Now we will be getting ready to launch the district podcast for ARTS in the School.

Podcasts, Blogs and RSS

2005-12-01T22:28:00.000-06:00

Communication Tools You Can Use

Well, you might wonder what's out there to use with students to harness learning in this digital world? The Internet and new communication tools available over the web have opened up a global community for educators to tap into for any content using real world issues in real time with real questions students might ask if given a voice. Blogs, RSS and podcasts are a few of the tools that can change what's happening in classrooms and schools. Think about using a blog in your classroom where students work together in solving problems and answering questions. Students use the tools found on the Internet. Educators need to use those tools too.

What is a blog? A blog is a website which is used to generate text, images and more. Posting information to a blog is called blogging. Think how motivated students would be to find their assignments posted in the form of a blog. Think how that could change instruction, include families in student learning and improve reading and writing. Powerful ideas, wouldn't you think? Why aren't more teachers taking advantage of this idea? What would it take to get started? Create a blog at Blogger.com or at Novemberlearning.com Post assignments and student work with code names. Allow students to comment to one another after discussing how to comment on someone's work. Watch them become internally motivated and eager to work. Harness the technology and use it to help students learn the way they live. Visit The Clem to see what can happen.

Have you heard about Podcasts? Think there is no place in the classroom for this kind of tool?? Think again! Kindergarten students can read their picture stories as a podcast, post it with the teacher's help and tell parents and grandparents how to go listen to them. Middle school students can practice fluency in foreign language classes or develop their own school related weekly podcast of news and events. It's so easy. What do you need? A computer, Podcaster software (Mac only), iTunes and content. A podcast can be made in as little as 4 minutes, submitted on iTunes and available for the world in a day. Think about global learning. Go to the iTunes Music Store and look under k12 podcasts, subscribe to a few and get more ideas. Ask students how they think this kind of tool can be used. Check out Maybry Middle School.

Really Simple Syndication- RSS: Bring the content to your desktop instead of going out to look for content on specific topics. Safari has a RSS button built right in which makes it easy to subscribe to sites. RSS provides web content or summaries of web content together with links to the full versions of the content. Choose what you want to continuously receive by way of an aggregator and subscribe. Get news, movie reviews, classroom blogs and much more.

Changing teaching practice

2005-11-30T14:22:00.000-06:00

As I think about teaching and learning in today's world, I wonder what will it take to have the mainstream of our teachers using tools that students use outside school? At the same time I also know that change of practice takes time, patience, and support. As teachers move to restructure their teaching methods, technology becomes part of the engaged an active classroom naturally. The problem seems to lie in education in general not moving toward a collaborative environment both for the teaching population and student work groups.

After returning from NECC 2005 where I attended David Warlick's keynote session, I had much to ponder. It was so gratifying to hear someone talk about the global world our students live in now and the one they will live in and see that someone really gets it. I work with teachers throughout my district trying to help them see how new tools will make teaching exciting for them and learning an adventure for their students. We have tried many approaches tweaking a little each year. We've tried whole school work with a part time coach to a full time technology coach and a 1 to 1 initiative. Each has had successes and pitfalls. This year we will alter the approach again aiming at small groups of teachers who are ready and willing to work hard at changing practices in their methodology and strategies. The plan is for this approach to capture the attention of other teachers, principals and the community so they might see the advantages of up-to-date technological tools and instructional support.

Several schools have joined together to launch new efforts in moving the teaching staff of their respective schools to new levels of integration. For certain, this is a tall order but some have stepped up to the plate to take the lead and try new things. Lead teachers from these schools just completed two days of professional development training centered around the 5 stages of technology adoption. All teachers must go through these stages in changing their practices. The teachers worked in groups, used computer software without skills lessons, built a product for a project, and shared their product. The facilitator modeled the process for creating these changes in planning, delivery of content, and student participation. Now their task is to return to their schools to begin working with the staff to improve teaching with digital tools. It will be an exciting year to watch them mentor one another, grow in new knowledge and skills, and improve student learning.