Okay, honesty. I haven’t focused on learning or adding anything in particular for this course. BUT, and this is a big but, I have been working on my class wiki, setting up a blog schedule for my classroom, and setting up a classroom blog. I have read hundreds of blogs, added them to my LiveBinder, and even creating a de.lic.ious account. So, that said, it all counts, right?

Where I continue to get stuck, is figuring out how I am going to make it all work and how I can teach/encourage all of my team to get involved and have the students benefit from our knowledge. How can I create a real “web 2.0” school??

There are several places that I viewed on the K12 online conference and there were even more places that I explored due to the links I found there…

It started with Tony Vincent and his lesson on Project Based Learning In Hand.  This led me to learning more about Tony Vincent.  I went on to discover this site about some professional development in Arizona.  (which led me to wonder where the GOOD PD is in the state of Georgia??)  Next, I watched the following video,

…which led me to the following site.  15 TED talks for Teachers to Watch Before 2010.  I missed the deadline but I think I am off to watch a few new (to me) TED talks.

Hope you enjoy your exploring…

While parts of this process were things that I have completed in the past, sitting down and putting it all together at once, was new.  I used PhotoPeach, which was new for me, and as long as it was completed in one step, quite easy.  I originally downloaded only six photos, and when I viewed the video, I wanted to add more.  That process was very frustrating, and eventually I just started all over fresh.  I did see that there were other steps, like adding captions to each photo, that were much easier in the edit mode than the original mode.  I guess that is where picking one program, and getting very familiar with it, would be helpful.

Creating Rube Goldberg from Simple Machines on PhotoPeach

There are several images that I added to my wiki, that I am now realizing I could post on Flickr and have access to in possibly an easier format for work or family.   I have developed a weird interest in ceilings and the realization that often they are highly decorated, and largely ignored.  Here is one of my photos

And here is one I got from Flickr called chihuly at the bellagio by collectmoments

I like the idea of having students gather pictures and images that they would not see or experience in their own life, or at least not at this point in their life.  I am certain that I will be using flickr in the future!

Creative Commons.  Such a simple term for a very powerful idea.  This was certainly an informative lesson that allows me to adress my current task of creating my own text book with a deeper understanding.  While I thought I had a grasp on the basics of copyrighting, this  opened my eyes to things I hadn’t considered.  When I create, I own.  I never really thought about the power of my own work, and instead was more concerned about not stepping on other people’s toes.

I have struggled in the past to help my students realize that they can’t put music in their presentations, or emphasized to my students that they had to get images from “free to use or share” searches on google.  It is such a difficult area to work with kids, because they feel that as long as they don’t take words, and in their mind, that means a whole page of words, then they can “borrow” whatever they want.  I have spoken to many people at my school, including librarians, who say that students can use copyrighted work, as long as it is attributed to the owner, and wasn’t for profit.  Other sources say that all work that is being displayed or shown beyond the teacher, and that means hung in the hall or presented to the class, has to be original work.  Now, I am struggling to add creative commons work into the scope of what can legally be done.  I am sure that as I explore the topics in this course, it will become more clear for me.

Wikis have been a part of my classroom for the last year.  We used our wiki in the same manner as Small Stones, a record of our class work and a resource of pages and activities.  As other forms of technology, it has been mainly a teacher produced resourced, and I am very excited to find ways to make it a student produced resource.

The function of Vicki Davis’ wiki space was to allow students a place to create a study guide.  Last year, my students used google docs in this function.  A couple of weeks ago, I attended a class at Cary Academy and was told that one function of a wiki allowed teachers to form groups and I could assign students to particular groups on a wiki page.  This would be beneficial to me, and I think it would be better for me than having lots of google docs from each of my individual student groups.

I have much to learn, and certainly can imagine that there will be lots of ways to develop our wiki in the class, especially as we progress with our PBL classroom.

I love to learn.

I pulled up this link, from a tweet, and suddenly felt overwhelmed.  The same feeling I had when I got up this morning, checked my phone and discovered that a re-tweet, had then been re-tweeted multiple, multiple times.  Really cool, but WOW!

I could spend every moment of my waking life reading and discovering.  How can I balance my learning, developing new things for my classroom, and spending some time in the NOW?

Looking for comments!!

I read many blogs.  I have an RSS feeder for personal interests (arts, crafts, home decorating, fashion) as well as a professional reader.  I enjoy blog reading, although I will become overwhelmed with some blogs and the number of posts per day.  I add and delete blogs pretty fluidly- about once a week- and enjoy the fact that I am not “committed” to a blog like a magazine.

I think what is good about blog reading is the speed of access.  Of course, this can be concerning as well, especially if topics are written with emotion.  The other side of emotion, is that a blog is written with emotion.  Real emotions can be used in a blog.  Sometimes blogs can seem a little too much like a diary, which isn’t good.

I really would like to see students use blogs in my classroom, but am uncertain how much could be done in a science classroom.  It seems like this is a much better outlet for humanities.  Although, as I work toward PBL and individualized learning, there could be a way for students to share their research or topics.  I am willing to try and  see how this can be developed in my classroom because I believe writing leads to reflection and internalizations.  In addition, when student see each other’s work and can share ideas, they become very powerful to the other students’ learning.  The self-evaluation which occurs when students look at their classmates work is priceless.

I think the hardest part that I am trying to get my head around is how to do it all, and how to do it with meaning and not just as an exercise.

There is a new version of ShowMe and I am really excited about it!

I discovered ShowMe last year and used it once, and really loved it.  It was a super easy way to make a short video to explain a concept that normally would need many, many repetitions in class.  In this case, I was explaining how it is possible to determine the number for protons, neutrons, and electrons from the atomic number and atomic mass unit.  It isn’t a difficult concept, but I usually explain it, and then practice 5-20 times with the students.  ShowMe allowed me to create a two minute video to “teach” the students, and then another two minute of practice problems for them to complete.  Those students that wanted to watch the explanation over and over, take notes, and try the problems, could do so.  Those students that watched, got it, and wanted to move on, could do so.  And, it really only took me a few minutes to make and upload the video.

New updates are always exciting, especially when it is something you like to use and it just keeps getting better!

A cool new tool I discovered at Cary Academy!! I highly encourage everyone to take this course!