Blogs Wikis, Podcasts ~ Thoughts

As I reviewed the posts to our discussion about Will Richardson's book and look forward to our Skype session with him on Wed. I thought I'd review your posts and begin a list of questions and thoughts that your posts elicited.
~ How does blogging work with very young students? Ideas for getting young students to blog would be helpful.
~ Class Recorder - Could the notes be a form of blogging? A daily class posting of big ideas?
~ Quality over quantity for blogging - start small - but start and continue till you feel comfortable using the tool daily.
~ Updating all online content ~ It is only as good as the last post. People will return and look for new materials. If none are found ~ you will lose your audience.
~ If more of us posted and uploaded content as teachers ~ Don't you think parents and concerned guardians would be more likely to get involved? We must advertise our work and find ways of propagating what our students are doing!
~ RSS - To me is one of the most underused tools out there. BE creative, BE innovative, BE authentic and find ways to use RSS to gain back the one thing many claim technology takes away! (TIME!) *Would this work for your class: Have all the students blog about the big idea of the day and then you (the teacher) RSS all of there blogs so you can look in one place for all the responses.
~ Twitter: For me, this is the KILLER app that is least used (appropriately) - What more can I say than: Personal Learning Network: Follow the good ones, block inappropriate ones, and friends that post, "it's time to walk the dog" -- well, you decide. Use this in moderation -- it is like a drug of amazing stuff that you have to use as your schedule permits. On a personal note: I see Twitter more as a teacher resource than a student one. Could someone respond with ideas for appropriate instructional use?
~ DIIGO is the social web's most under used resource that could impact instruction and learning. How will you use it in your classroom?
~ Flicker and other image storing sites will become more accessible as tech directors become comfortable with how teachers use them with the instructional delivery of curriculum. We have to show them why and what we can do with these types of sites and in good faith, how could they continue to block them. Imagery as an instructional tool is vital.
~ Edmodo - Google+ - Ning - Facebook - Most important lesson I feel we are missing here is ethics and appropriate use of the tools. How do we get students to use them correctly if we don't model? What you post is ALWAYS going to be there - There are no ultimate DELETE buttons to remove it once you post it! How about a Parents BootCamp on Social Networking for every parent?

To sum up our learning: I have to agree with all the great posts and ideas!! Always keep in mind, what is good instruction, how do I best get students engaged, am I tying my instruction to the standards, using the best pedagogy and what I'm doing, does it have instructional value while engaging students and bringing them into a global learning environment prepared for life?

I felt your understanding of the book was right on the mark. Your posts reflect your understanding of Will's ideas and our conversation on Wed. should be enlightening.

google earth

After seeing the power of Google Earth tours, I would like to incorporate them into my instruction this year! What an awesome way to make it blatantly obvious that the world is flattening! For my final project and I am developing a class wiki, something I've wanted to do, but never had the shove to push me over the edge. I'm also looking forward to using story birds. It seems a little more primary friendly than kerpoof. Something that I'm concerned about when using storybirds is modeling. I technically do not have an IWB in my classroom (I borrowed one from a teacher on maternity leave at the end of last year). We were told they would be installed over the summer, but that may or may not happen. I just wish I had the hardware to make all of my dreams come true!! I would say I feel pretty confident about using glogster, wikis, animoto. I CAN say I am utterly confused as to how to record audio onto a google earth tour. I am convinced it is not possible! If anyone figures it out.. please let me know!

TOOK THE BAIT! CAUGHT A WHALE!

Well, I took the bait and .... joined my first live webinar.
Jeff sent the email about the Will Richardson is providing Webinars. http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=dfa2b25e8b508d24535e69e6d&id=0aaaf8056e&e=a7e6e372e0
and I signed up.

It went fine. I had never experienced the that before, so that was good for me. It was more about signing up for their services/class and courses. I did get to meet another first grade teacher who is trying to use technology in her classroom, so we were able to exchange "tweet" names. I also received some information from the moderator who is putting me in contact with other primary teachers who are already blogging with their students and who use some web 2.0 tools with their first grade students. So, that was the best! I so enjoyed reading Mr. Richardson's book but now need practical ways to implement some ideas and tools into the hands of non readers who are 6 year old. Collaborating and networking with other teachers who have already accomplished this feat will be awesome.

So, although I did not sign up for the webinar's course, or buy their services/product, I did get some very valuable information from it. I look forward to hearing from them soon with my contact names of my new "techie friends."

So, I took the bait on the is webinar invitation and I may have just caught a whale!
Here's hoping!!!
Reen

In need of a Digital Secretary or Custodian

Okay, all of this information is just overflowing my brain capacity! Where do I put it all and how will I remember to use it at the right time? Where do I file it? I am in need of a digital secretary or digital custodian to assist me with all of these tools throughout the year.

I feel like it is Christmas morning and I start opening up my gifts. Wow, this big present is oh, oh, oh so cool. But oh, now I see another gift. I'll open up that one. Oh, this is even cooler. I play with this one for a few more minutes until I see yet another gift. Yes, the gifts are endless and I play with everyone for a few moments. Do I have a favorite? I don't know yet.

Gifts= web 2.0Tools?

Wonderful, but remember the feeling of Christmas morning????

Right now, I almost want to just play with the box and the wrapping and be ever so satisfied!!!

Ever feel like this?
Reen

Your Own Sandwich

In a local sandwich shoppe that I visit once in a while, waitresses enter sandwich orders into a computer. Sometimes sandwiches from the menu need to be customized a little (actually sometimes a lot). This takes a little extra time, of course. However, for several regular customers who unswervingly order the same customized sandwich on every visit, the manager has entered that particular sandwich to the computer and named the sandwich after that customer.

Now although most people will never enjoy the pride of having a sandwich named after them, it seems to be a general need for people to frequent places and hang out with people whom they are familiar with. Familiarity is comfortable.

Familiarity is a key to the successful use of web 2.0 tools. Initially, just being comfortable with how to use the tool starts the journey to success. However, if a user stops there, he is probably cheating himself out of a great deal of what the tool has to offer. To gain the rest of what the tool has to offer, spend time getting to know the personality of some of the others frequent visitors and experiment with leaving a little of yourself behind so others can learn about your personality.

Web 2.0 offers us the opportunity to be people.

So be.

Looking for the hook

I have thought a lot lately about why some people simply love blogs while others think they are quite lame. My conclusion is that the difference between someone who thinks blogs are fabulous and someone who thinks they are a waste of time often depends on a hook.

Here a comparison might make this clearer.

If I were judging the value of magazines as a media type and was given issues of a fashion magazine and a NASCAR magazine, I probably would not be too thrilled with the use of magazines. On the other hand, if I were given a gardening magazine or a history magazine, I'd be more than happy to vouch for the brilliant uses of magazines.

So, I suppose what I am saying is that finding a passion to write about or a passion to follow will be one of the most important factors in determining if a person loves or hates blogs.

PS.
Note that we all have a great deal of control over what we choose to write about or learn about.

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