Week 4 - Blog #8 - Reflections on Blogging

          This month I was formally introduced to Web 2.0 and all its glories.  I finally figured out just what Web 2.0 meant and why there is a "2.0" craze.  I get it.  There is a saying that claims "Life is not a spectator sport."  Most educators would agree that "Education is not a spectator sport."  That sentiment is exactly what Web 2.0 supports.  Don't sit and absorb; create and contribute.  Although there seems to be a plethora of tools already developed, open source tools available for modifications, and new tools coming out frequently, I have not found many that were developed for math teachers.  That is not to say that wikis and blogs couldn't be used, but I still feel that many of the tools don't provide resources for more effective pedagogy for math.  Integration of many of the tools would feel more like trying to use technology for technology sake.  I would love to see a sort of mashup of The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives  (for interactive mathematics) with Skrbl (an interactive whiteboard) with iChat (text & audio capabilities at a minimum).  Now that is a tool that I think could be powerful in a math classroom!


The video below contains my thoughts about the experience of blogging.

Week 4 - Blog #7 - Second Life

In the future, I imagine that virtual schools could have their own islands in a Second Life type of environment that integrates augmented reality to make the experience even more interactive and lifelike.  Students would create avatars and could then attend classes with other students from anywhere in the world.  As a parent, I would be excited to send my children to a school like that.  As an educator, I am excited to think about how environments like Second Life might completely transform how education is delivered.  I truly believe how students attend school will undergo some drastic changes in the next few years.  Virtual and online education environments have the power to differentiate and individualize instruction with ease, which every educator knows benefits students but is often taxing to consistently do in classes of 20-30 students.

            Unfortunately, Second Life as it is right now is difficult to maneuver through because it is not  focused on only educational ventures.  Therefore, some environments that seem like they would be educational end up being inappropriate for educational uses.  Egypt Adventure is one such environment that I visited expecting to learn about Egyptian culture only to end up finding lots of different nude or extremely suggestive skins I could try on.  I find it difficult to find new environments in SL.  There are numerous places to search through and I struggle with the words I need to use so that the places I am searching for will be identified by the search feature. 

 However, there are many individuals, universities, corporations, and even non-profit organizations discovering educational uses of Second Life.  I have encountered many rich environments on my different journeys into Second Life – Virtual Harlem, Virtual Bucharest, Virtual Mexico, The Museum of Innovation, The Learning Experience, Immersive Aquarium, Smithsonian Hispanic Cultural Center, and the Babel Language School to name a few.  Most of the areas that I explored held valid educational opportunities, in my opinion, for disciplines like literature, history, science, and design.  Unfortunately, I normally found myself exploring a deserted environment.  Since I was alone in the different areas, I typically left and therefore an educational opportunity was lost.  Yet, when I explored Virtual Harlem with some friends, we could interact and chat and I spent longer in the environment and learned more about 1920’s Harlem culture. I even joined ISTE and TLE and have found both of them to be great groups for educators wishing to use SL for educational purposes.

Yet, could I see myself teaching in Second Life?  Well, no.  I teach math and I just don’t see SL as offering anything to a math teacher currently.  I guess there could be a museum of mathematicians created or a math learning center developed– but it doesn’t currently exist.  However, I did find the SL educator’s wiki (http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki) to be very interesting and a great resource for individuals who perhaps currently teach in a discipline for which SL seems to offer a chance for the content to come to life.  I even listened to an Educause interview with Sarah Robbins (http://www.educause.edu/blog/jcummings/SarahRobbinsonTeachinginSecond/166780), an English professor at Ball State who does conduct classes in SL, and she commented that SL acts almost like a 3D wiki and that you don’t have to be a tech head to be able to teach in SL.  However, the learning curve is fairly steep, so you need to be prepared to avoid drowning (literally, well virtually).

Week 3 - Blog Posting #6 - Communities of Practice

             Shirky (2008) says, “Communities of practice are inherently cooperative, and are beautifully supported by social tools, because that is exactly the kind of community whose members can recruit one another or allow themselves to be found by interested searches” (p. 101).  The Web is overflowing with already established or potential communities of practice.  The new tools that exist allow us to consume, create and share media.  Through the sharing, new networks are born.  Where previously we were limited by geography in terms of the communities we could form, that boundary doesn’t exist today.  The only limit that exists comes from individuals’ willingness to be found.  It seems like plenty of people are searching for and willing to join communities.  The Web is a powerful network to have.

            Similarly, the power of a classroom exists in its ability to perform as a network of many communities of practice.  The more that conversations can be cultivated and students can collaborate and communicate during the learning process the better.  When I was teaching a multi-age classroom where I had children for several years, I did not feel challenged to build and maintain communities of practice.  The constructivist/inquiry approach to learning that I facilitated created students who learned the power of the community brain, which they contributed to and accessed inside and outside of the classroom.

Yet, now teaching at a community college where I only have students for 110 minutes twice a week, creating a community of practice has been more of a challenge.  Perhaps the difference is that the students I have now haven’t spent their entire schooling career working in communities, like the students I previously had.  However, the people that have created communities of practice at Flickr definitely haven’t had anyone guiding them.  Those communities of practice evolved naturally. 

Given that many of my students are not comfortable in the technological world of the Web, I am intrigued by the Social Media Classroom (http://socialmediaclassroom.com/) that Howard Rheingold has created which provides a more manageable way to support integration of social media like blogs, wikis, forums, chats, and social bookmarking.  It seems to be a nice platform to allow students who are not comfortable with digital media to create a community of practice that can be accessed in or out of class.  Now if only I had computers in my classroom instead of a chalkboard! 

I believe my best bet for setting up a stronger community of practice that is accessible beyond the classroom walls is to provide more access to me beyond the classroom walls.   Let’s hope it spurs a greater community connection among the classmates as well.

References:

Shirky, C. (2008). Here comes everybody: the power of organizing without organizations.     
                 London: The Penguin Group.

Week 3 - Blog Posting #5 - Social Media

             Having always been someone who preferred to live a bit more on the outside, watching and observing, I am a bit lost as to how to embrace all the new social media that exists.  I have never posted a “What’s on my mind” on Facebook,  nor a “What are you doing” on Twitter.  Yet, I get the power that those social media sites and others offer to citizens around the world.  Humans are social beings.

            In Gordon Brown’s video, Wiring a Web for a Global Good, his comment that “What we see unlocks what we cannot see,” made me wonder about what power social media could have in a classroom.  Although, he was referring to images that have been shared globally and have spurred global action among the human race to act more responsibly and sympathetically, it doesn’t mean that classrooms and schools couldn’t benefit from giving students an opportunity to see each other more clearly.  The more that people open up, the more chances there are to create ties and better understand each other. 

In elementary school, bonds are easier to build it seems because the students spend the whole day together.  However, by the time students get to middle school all that changes.  The changing of classes brings a much larger social network for students to access.  That potential social network seems to grow exponentially through high school and into college.  So, how can social media be used in the classroom to create a stronger learning community?

Well, I came across a blog that shared 13 different examples of how social media was being used in classrooms (middle school – college).  Check it out here: 

http://bestonlineuniversities.com/2009/13-enlightening-case-studies-of-social-media-in-the-classroom/.  One example that I found interesting was that Stanford offers Facebook office hours.  I am curious about the success of that.  Currently, I am teaching developmental math at a community college and have been pondering how to provide students more access to me after class hours.  Yet, as I read through the list, I realized that most of the examples were more about giving students access to class content or other information and less about creating a learning community that was learning more about the other members. 

My preference for incorporating social media would be to use the social media to create a stronger learning community by linking the learners and building their willingness to rely on each other.  But, in order to achieve that, I suppose I might have to let someone know “What’s on my mind.”  Hmmm….I will have to think about that.

References:

Brown, G. (2009, July) Gordon Brown: Wiring a web for global good [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.ted.com/talks/gordon_brown.html

Week 2 - Blog Posting #4 - 21st Century Skills & Lifelong Learning

            I think the reason I originally wanted to become a teacher was because I am a lifelong learner.  Becoming an educator, in my mind, meant that I would have to continually learn and explore my world, share what I was curious or passionate about with my students, and pass on the wisdom of the power and fulfillment that journeying through life as a learner (instead of expert) provides.  Al Rogers once eloquently stated that, “In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

            Currently, we are experiencing a profound change in education.  The vehicles a lifelong learner uses to access information and experts have radically changed over the last few years with the explosion of technology. Now, not only can you go out and search for information 24/7, you can have the information find you through syndication and aggregators.   It is amazing, yet at the same time somewhat overwhelming.  I find that defining boundaries for when my learning will take place is difficult at times because the allure of new knowledge, or the ability to pursue the random thoughts and questions running through my mind is too easy.  Yet, as I think that, the question of why I should want there to be boundaries quickly arises in my mind.  Am I being hypocritical? 

I feel torn by the seductive power of technology to make my learning pursuits easy and available 24/7 and my belief that the ability to effectively connect and discuss ideas face-to-face is also important.  Owen Edwards (2009) discusses how the technology that affords the opportunities for new ways of being constantly connected online has resulted in disconnection from the real world.  You can read his thoughts on this at Edutopia (http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-high-tech-disconnect).  I do see how I have been a victim of that.

Therefore, as an educator, I believe being able to integrate technology in a way that allows students to develop Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) to encourage their pursuits as lifelong learners is important.  Also, integrating technology in a way that encourages more students to participate in the classroom learning process and find their voice as contributors is equally important.  Yet, I also believe understanding and mastering the nuances of face-to-face interactions should still be part of the learning climate in classrooms. 

  While pondering about this and the buzz of 21^st Century Skills I began to contemplate what an effective pedagogy to apply in classrooms today is.  In this pursuit, I remembered Marie Sontag’s (2009) social-and-cognitive-connectedness schemata (SCCS) theory, which I discovered a few months ago.  This theory melds the ideas of constructivism, situated learning, social learning, and cognitive strategies while including game elements to supply a bridge between behaviorist and cognitivist theories.  I think it provides a way for teachers to temper the incorporation of technology to address developing 21^st Century skills for students without 21st Century skills falling victim to the “all-at-once” syndrome that Jay Matthews discusses in this article http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/04/AR2009010401532.html.

It seems the Hebrew proverb, “Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born of another time.” would be beneficial for all parents and educators to consider as we venture into exciting, unknown territory and try to best equip our children and students to be well prepared lifelong learners in the world of the future.

References:

Sontag, Marie. (2009). A learning theory for 21^st-century students. Innovate, 5(4). Retrieved June 20, 2009, from http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=524&action=article

Week 2 - Blog Posting #3 - Media Literacy

                 In order to be media literate in today’s digital multimedia world, children need to develop skills that allow them to become critical of what they are consuming while at the same time becoming empowered producers who play by all the right rules.  (Although, the most complicated thing, it seems, is that some of the rules aren’t quite clear.)  As Clay Shirky (2008) points out, everyone is a media producer.  Anyone can create a website, set up a blog, post videos to YouTube, or pictures to Flickr.  Also, Solomon and Schrum (2007) describe how educators are taking advantage of how easy it is to produce media and contribute and collaborate with others by creating classrooms where production is an integral part of the learning cycle.  Isn’t it every educator’s responsibility then to make sure that students are critical readers and creators in this new landscape?

That was my thinking three years ago when I decided that my students’ skills as consumers of media were not what they should be.  At that time, I was teaching a 2^nd-7^th grade multi-age classroom.  My students spent a lot of time researching and exploring on the Internet, and I felt that they were too naïve.  So, I decided to spend a year helping them to develop their ability to think more critically about content, images, story angles, etc.  My theme for the year was Mythbusting.  (Yes, I was a bit obsessed with Discovery Channel’s MythBusters when I selected the theme). 

One of the units my students completed that year was about media literacy.  I was so excited to have found the Center for Media Literacy and their guide for teaching media literacy skills for 21^st Century learners.  I found it to be well organized and easy to embed into my curriculum.  The parents appreciated that their children were developing skills for how to be critical consumers of information from television, radio, Internet, movies, friends, teachers, and yes – even from the parents themselves.  What made the experience more powerful, in my opinion, was that the year was spent using the five guiding questions to analyze all information we were ingesting from myths different cultures created about how the world began to results of scientific research to television newscasts to commercials.  It was a timely unit for them and hopefully they remember at least to question what they read/watch/hear.  I know my own son, who was in my class at the time, does at least check webpages more closely and doesn’t believe everything his friends tell him anymore.  He only believes almost everything now.

So, while reflecting on how media literacy is no longer just about consumption, but now also about production with the wealth of Web 2.0 tools that exist, I wondered what was new at the Center for Media Literacy website (http://www.medialit.org/).  To my surprise, they had a version 2 of the 21^st century literacy skills guide I had used 3 years ago.  (I was even more surprised that it wasn’t called the media literacy 2.0 guide since everything else is “something 2.0” to describe the read-write nature of the web.) 

Curious, I downloaded the new guide and checked it out.  Basically, the same five questions that are used to analyze their consumption of media are used to analyze their production of media.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a classroom full of young students to mentor and guide this year because I would definitely revisit the topic.  However, I do have my own children that I am homeschooling this year…any guesses what they’ll be learning about? 

References:

Jolls, T. (2008). Literacy for the 21st century: An overview and orientation guide  (2nd ed.). Retrieved from Center for Media Literacy Web site: http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article540.html

Shirky, C. (2008). Here comes everybody: the power of organizing without organizations. London: The Penguin Group.

Solomon, G. & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0 new tools, new schools. Washington, D.C.: International Society for Technology in Education.

Week 1-Blog Posting #2-Learning 2.0

         Being a successful teacher is a bit like being a talented juggler.  I don’t mean the amateur version of juggling three balls either.  You need to be able to manage twenty some balls at the same time.  The challenge of course is to keep them all up in the air, in the mix, working together with the other balls, and adjust your catches and tosses so that none fall to the ground. 

     Learning 2.0 isn’t another ball to juggle, it is more of a technique that will help the balls fly higher and stay in the air on their own. Learning 2.0 challenges educators to engage the digitally savvy learners that enter our classrooms everyday with Web 2.0 tools and applications.  The challenge to engage and motivate students is one that each educator knowingly accepts upon entering a classroom. In order to succeed, the educator must present curriculum in a manner that acknowledges the capabilities and skills of each student. However, educators today do sometimes drop balls because current curriculum and teaching practices do not acknowledge and incorporate the technological skills and interests of today’s learners.  Sontag (2009) states that not only do today’s 21^st century learners have different technological skills and interests, the social and cognitive needs of today’s student have also changed. Therefore, the success of educators to engage and motivate the learners occupying seats in today’s classroom lies in the ability to satisfy all their needs and interests.  By incorporating Web 2.0 tools, educators will be able to develop skills that will help students succeed in the new world they live and will eventually work in.

    There are many ideas of what those skills are too.  For instance, in the video Education in the Mobile Generation, Elliot Soloway (2009) states we are undergoing a transformation of having students learn what to having students learn how.  Also, Howard Gardner (2006) identifies five minds, or cognitive abilities, that he believes are necessary to succeed in the future.  The five minds that Gardner identifies are: the disciplinary mind, the synthesizing mind, the creating mind, the respectful mind, and the ethical mind.  Additionally, Daniel Pink (2006) identifies six senses, or aptitudes, he believes are needed to complement our left-brained reasoning so that we can create a new mind that will help us succeed in the Conceptual Age.  The six aptitudes are: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning.  Although there are many ways to name the skills, there seems to be a general consensus that we need to develop students’ abilities to locate, evaluate, manipulate and synthesize information.

    What Web 2.0 tools provide is a way to make learning have relevance and rigor while allowing students to create relationships.   What Learning 2.0 demands is that educators be brave.

References:

Brown, S. (Producer). (2009). Education in the mobile generation. Mobile Learning Institute: A Nokia  Pearson Foundation Alliance. Video retrieved from the Mobile Learning Institute Web site: http://www.mobilelearninginstitute.org/21stcenturyeducation/films/film-elliot- cathie.html

Gardner, H. (2006). Five minds for the future. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Pink, D. H. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Penguin Group.

Sontag, M. (2009). A learning theory for 21^st-century students. Innovate, 5(4). Retrieved June 20, 2009, from http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=524&action=article

Week 1-Blog Posting #1- Web 2.0

As an educator, exploring the tools and applications Web 2.0 offers is like being a kid in a candy store.  Everything looks so good…but when I try to consume it all at once I end up with a stomachache!  I have always believed in the power of collaborating to create a superior product.  Two minds are better than one.  Isn’t that the old saying?  Well, Web 2.0 takes that idea to a whole new level.  Perhaps the new saying should be six billion minds are better than one.  

Solomon and Schrum (2007) point out that, “intellectually, Web 2.0 signals a transition from isolation to interconnectedness…(p.13).” This interconnectedness was obvious in Dr. Michael Wesch’s YouTube video, Social Media in the Classroom.  In the video, he depicts how his students use a collaborative class wiki to take notes and explore topics.  Students contribute outside resources as well as have discussions about the topics or what they found in their research on the wiki page. 

Before the tools of Web 2.0 existed, those students would have taken their own individual notes, studied in isolation or perhaps small groups and the collective knowledge of the class would have been low.   Now, with access to tools that enable the students to share and synthesize together, the collective knowledge of the class soars…along with each individual student’s knowledge.

Yet, while extolling the wonders of Web 2.0 and what having access means for the future of schools, businesses, and the world, simultaneously I consider the consequences for those who are digitally deprived.  Although I live in an urban area (Albuquerque), many areas of my state (New Mexico) are very rural.  On a recent trip, I found myself wondering about the digital situation in the small towns that I drove through and the reservations that I drove by. 

My suspicion is that many of those communities do not have broadband connection or adequate access to computers, which is important to be able to take advantage of what Web 2.0 offers.  In Web 2.0 New Schools, New Tools, Solomon and Schrum (2007) describe Intel’s World Ahead Program that is aimed at helping emerging nations get the necessary infrastructure and trained teachers so that they can join the digital revolution (or evolution) that is taking place.  They also point out that in 2006, the United States ranked 20^th among countries of the world for broadband penetration at only 44.45% (p.12).  Iceland, Israel, and Taiwan all ranked higher than the US.  So, I found myself wondering who is seeing to it that emerging towns in the United States are also receiving the proper infrastructure, trained teachers, and digital access needed to be able to experience the interconnectedness that Web 2.0 offers.  Shouldn’t everyone be able to indulge and experience a stomachache?

References:
Solomon G. & Schrum L. (2007). Web 2.0 new tools, new schools, International Society for Technology in Education.


AllMuscle1 (2008, September 23) Dr. Michael Wesch - Social Media in the Classroom [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQPe8bNnjx4