Monday, November 30, 2009
Animoto Uses???
Has anyone figured an Animoto use for the classroom? I am thinking about using it for one of my classes as a way to share their photos of their Latin American country if they can embed it within their text. Personally, I loved creating one for my relatives with pictures of my own children. I could see students really enjoying creating these, but I just want to make sure that it makes sense educationally....
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Summarizing with Wordle
During social skills groups this week students practiced expressing appreciation. We created a wordle to summarize our lists of people and things in our lives that we are thankful for. This is definitely a practical application of technology to enhance learning in the classroom.
title="Wordle: Showing Appreciation">
alt="Wordle: Showing Appreciation"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">
title="Wordle: Showing Appreciation">
alt="Wordle: Showing Appreciation"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
MTA Twitter article
Did anyone catch the Twitter article in the most recent MTA magazine? There was a brief article on how a union rep uses Twitter as a professional tool to keep in contact with her members in order to update the members on upcoming meetings, paycheck issues etc. In the article, she mentions that e-mail is no longer enough...I have a few questions. Are we thinking that Twitter, Ning, and some of these other sites that we have signed up for will be used solely for professional connections? At what point, do we become too saturated with technology? Can we really check Ning, Facebook, multiple e-mail accounts, Twitter, Chatzy, blogs and so on many times each day? Are we eliminating face to face contact if we are using Twitter and other devices with people that work in our same buildings? I am concerned that there may be this expectation that we use social networking for professional purposes and that it will be one additional task that overwhelms us. At what point is the technology enough or should we be choosing a limited number of technologies that actually make our lives easier not more complicated?
Finally, I still do not see a value in signing middle school students up for any of these social networks. It is already challenging for them to see a Wiki or blog as a school assignment that requires words and not abbreviations. Although students may be comfortable with social networking and may enjoy it outside of school, it does not currently have an appropriate place in the curriculum.
Finally, I still do not see a value in signing middle school students up for any of these social networks. It is already challenging for them to see a Wiki or blog as a school assignment that requires words and not abbreviations. Although students may be comfortable with social networking and may enjoy it outside of school, it does not currently have an appropriate place in the curriculum.
Do the students EXPECT too much...
Catchy title, I know! Seriously though, in my opinion, students have come to expect technology in the classroom everyday AND they seem to need more to keep them engaged. In other words, because these students have experienced technology in the classroom for most of their lives they have come to expect to be "wow'ed" every day.
Using technology is great and can produce some wonderful results, but it's also very time consuming. So if i use technology once or twice a week and traditional methods the rest of the week I sometimes feel like there is a disconnect with the students. I take the time to plan fun, creative lessons and it's depressing when the students aren't as engaged as i had hoped or anticipated simply because the lesson wasn't presented in a 'technological' format.
I almost want to stand in front of the room and give them the, "Ten years ago..." speech. Of course I realize that's not the answer, but that speaks to my level of frustration. Clearly differentiation and adapting to different learning styles is key, but I still feel like the students need to be responsible for responding to ALL formats of presentation, not just the formats they find interesting.
Using technology is great and can produce some wonderful results, but it's also very time consuming. So if i use technology once or twice a week and traditional methods the rest of the week I sometimes feel like there is a disconnect with the students. I take the time to plan fun, creative lessons and it's depressing when the students aren't as engaged as i had hoped or anticipated simply because the lesson wasn't presented in a 'technological' format.
I almost want to stand in front of the room and give them the, "Ten years ago..." speech. Of course I realize that's not the answer, but that speaks to my level of frustration. Clearly differentiation and adapting to different learning styles is key, but I still feel like the students need to be responsible for responding to ALL formats of presentation, not just the formats they find interesting.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Using technology transformatively
Something that I've been thinking about, the past few weeks, is the difference between just "incorporating technology" and actually using technology to do significant, worthwhile things that couldn't have been done (or couldn't have been done as easily) before. Sometimes I feel like the idea of "using technology in the classroom" is currently at the point that "hands-on learning" was ten years ago, or that the whole-language movement was twenty (Thirty? Forty?) years ago. That is, each of these valuable techniques has passed through a stage where it is considered so valuable in and of itself that people are encouraged to use it whenever possible, without necessarily stopping to consider whether it's the best (most effective, most efficient, etc.) method for a given situation. (All three of these particular techniques share the benefit of being highly engaging, which is always worth something. All three are extremely valuable, worthwhile methods to employ some of the time. None is so good as to be the best method for every learner all the time, though, and as we've learned in the case of the other two, careful decisions need to be made as to when to use one of these techniques, when to use direct instruction, etc.)
This topic has come up in our course blog before, for example in terms of people being frustrated that some teachers seem to get "credit" for "incorporating technology" well just because they use lots of Powerpoints. To some extent the focus on "incorporating technology" for its own sake is built right into our Curriculum Standards, in the form of a list of suggested technology applications for each learning standard. Sometimes the suggested web sites, etc. are great content resources for teachers or students. At other times, though, they strike me as just incorporating technology for the sake of incorporating technology. What's inherently better about making a concept web in Kidspiration than on paper, for example? (Or is it that helping kids become proficient with technology is such an overarching goal that we really should be teaching everything we possibly can that way, even if it sometimes slows down a lesson that would work just fine with pencil and paper?)
By analogy, I was thinking about the push to incoporate more writing into every subject area. When I assign writing in Math or Science, sometimes my primary goal is literacy skills (e.g., I might want kids to practice writing a compare / contrast essay, while reviewing information about types of quadrilaterals as a side bonus at the same time), but often my primary goal is the math or science content itself. On the other hand, when I plan Computer Lab activities for my students, the primary goal is almost always content reinforcement or exploration in whatever area of the curriculum (often Science, this year) I most feel the need for extra time. I choose web sites and digital tools by how much they can help students learn the Science (or whatever), and only occasionally by how much they will help them learn the particular technology skill itself.
Some of the "cool tools" that we've seen in class feel more like "fun toys" than like real learning tools, to me. My students did a fun "introducing themselves" activity that I got from a colleague at the beginning of the year, using Wordle, and last year my class did a wonderful end-of-the-year project with our Computer teacher using Animoto and pictures of themselves from kindergarten through fifth grade. I'd be unlikely to use either of these "tools" to teach or even review real content, though (even after seeing examples on each of those web sites of ways that other teachers have done so). If I did, I'd feel like I was mostly incorporating technology for technology's sake, not efficiently and effectively enhancing student learning. (Again, to me this seems like the problem of teachers doing great hands-on activities with students, without making sure that they are also "minds-on": the students are very engaged, but can miss the academic point completely. And if the particular content to be taught through a hands-on activity isn't carefully chosen, students can potentially end up spending a long time on a very minor bit of academic content.)
At the other end of the spectrum from Wordle and Animoto, are projects like the one we read about using Kiva (the microlending site). That's why I think project-based learning is so exciting -- that's an area where web 2.0 tools can be truly transformative! Personally, I find the constant push to "incorporate technology" kind of overdone -- way too much like Whole Language a generation or two ago. We need to constantly stop and ask ourselves whether technology is the best way to teach a given concept, or whether we're just trying to mentally check off the "using technology" box. When kids do significant real-world projects that they couldn't have done without web 2.0 tools, that's truly worthwhile!
What got me thinking about all this again was trying to choose a "Digital Sharing Project". I thought about creating a wiki on project-based learning, which I'm truly interested in, but other people have already done that -- it felt like reinventing the wheel. I thought about making a wiki of grade 5 curriculum resources, but the Technology teachers in each elementary building have already done something pretty equivalent. Many people were talking, in class this past Thursday, about creating a wiki that their students would contribute to. I was leary of creating huge amounts of additional work for myself in moderating that kind of activity amoung ten-year-olds, though, and also I am still unconvinced that having students of that age share their thoughts online really adds anything significant to having them share their thoughts in class. It felt too much like incorporating technology just for the sake of incorporating technology!
Finally, I realized that I've been needing a venue in which the three-person groups that have been writing myths together, can easily revise them together or take turns revising them from home or school. I also wanted to be able to see and comment on their changes right away. At first I thought of using Google docs, but it wouldn't work with kids this age because it requires email addresses. All of a sudden, a free "Plus level" teacher wiki seemed like it might be just the right thing!
This is certainly not a "transformative" use of technology. It does feel like a real purpose for my wiki, though; one that goes beyond just "incorporating technology" or finding a final project for this course. I'm glad of that.
This topic has come up in our course blog before, for example in terms of people being frustrated that some teachers seem to get "credit" for "incorporating technology" well just because they use lots of Powerpoints. To some extent the focus on "incorporating technology" for its own sake is built right into our Curriculum Standards, in the form of a list of suggested technology applications for each learning standard. Sometimes the suggested web sites, etc. are great content resources for teachers or students. At other times, though, they strike me as just incorporating technology for the sake of incorporating technology. What's inherently better about making a concept web in Kidspiration than on paper, for example? (Or is it that helping kids become proficient with technology is such an overarching goal that we really should be teaching everything we possibly can that way, even if it sometimes slows down a lesson that would work just fine with pencil and paper?)
By analogy, I was thinking about the push to incoporate more writing into every subject area. When I assign writing in Math or Science, sometimes my primary goal is literacy skills (e.g., I might want kids to practice writing a compare / contrast essay, while reviewing information about types of quadrilaterals as a side bonus at the same time), but often my primary goal is the math or science content itself. On the other hand, when I plan Computer Lab activities for my students, the primary goal is almost always content reinforcement or exploration in whatever area of the curriculum (often Science, this year) I most feel the need for extra time. I choose web sites and digital tools by how much they can help students learn the Science (or whatever), and only occasionally by how much they will help them learn the particular technology skill itself.
Some of the "cool tools" that we've seen in class feel more like "fun toys" than like real learning tools, to me. My students did a fun "introducing themselves" activity that I got from a colleague at the beginning of the year, using Wordle, and last year my class did a wonderful end-of-the-year project with our Computer teacher using Animoto and pictures of themselves from kindergarten through fifth grade. I'd be unlikely to use either of these "tools" to teach or even review real content, though (even after seeing examples on each of those web sites of ways that other teachers have done so). If I did, I'd feel like I was mostly incorporating technology for technology's sake, not efficiently and effectively enhancing student learning. (Again, to me this seems like the problem of teachers doing great hands-on activities with students, without making sure that they are also "minds-on": the students are very engaged, but can miss the academic point completely. And if the particular content to be taught through a hands-on activity isn't carefully chosen, students can potentially end up spending a long time on a very minor bit of academic content.)
At the other end of the spectrum from Wordle and Animoto, are projects like the one we read about using Kiva (the microlending site). That's why I think project-based learning is so exciting -- that's an area where web 2.0 tools can be truly transformative! Personally, I find the constant push to "incorporate technology" kind of overdone -- way too much like Whole Language a generation or two ago. We need to constantly stop and ask ourselves whether technology is the best way to teach a given concept, or whether we're just trying to mentally check off the "using technology" box. When kids do significant real-world projects that they couldn't have done without web 2.0 tools, that's truly worthwhile!
What got me thinking about all this again was trying to choose a "Digital Sharing Project". I thought about creating a wiki on project-based learning, which I'm truly interested in, but other people have already done that -- it felt like reinventing the wheel. I thought about making a wiki of grade 5 curriculum resources, but the Technology teachers in each elementary building have already done something pretty equivalent. Many people were talking, in class this past Thursday, about creating a wiki that their students would contribute to. I was leary of creating huge amounts of additional work for myself in moderating that kind of activity amoung ten-year-olds, though, and also I am still unconvinced that having students of that age share their thoughts online really adds anything significant to having them share their thoughts in class. It felt too much like incorporating technology just for the sake of incorporating technology!
Finally, I realized that I've been needing a venue in which the three-person groups that have been writing myths together, can easily revise them together or take turns revising them from home or school. I also wanted to be able to see and comment on their changes right away. At first I thought of using Google docs, but it wouldn't work with kids this age because it requires email addresses. All of a sudden, a free "Plus level" teacher wiki seemed like it might be just the right thing!
This is certainly not a "transformative" use of technology. It does feel like a real purpose for my wiki, though; one that goes beyond just "incorporating technology" or finding a final project for this course. I'm glad of that.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Experimenting with Glogging
Last night I discovered a creative way to make posters by glogging. I plan to use this poster in my social skills class as a review of conversation roles and rules. I successfully posted this glog in my personal blog and will now make it available for our class. I wondered if anyone knows how to print a glog after it is published?
My First Glog
Check out these websites to create your own glogs.and login to glogster.
My First Glog
Check out these websites to create your own glogs.and login to glogster.
Monday, November 16, 2009
I'm not sure if this is permitted in the underlying rules of blogging, but my post is going to cover many topics, so bear with me!
1. Recreational computer use vs. Required computer use
This past week, I've been thinking a lot about the various reasons we use computers, and how these uses impact each other. Sometimes, we log on to our computers with a specific purpose: to write an email to a parent, to work on grades, to take attendance, to find a resource for an upcoming lesson, to write another email to the same parent. And some of the times, the interaction ends with the specific task we sat down to do. More times than not, however, these same brief tasks are accompanied by several other open tabs, leading us to news websites, fantasy football box scores, youtube, a quick check of our online banking, facebook, personal email accounts (sometimes more than one), a retail store's website (because when we opened our email, we found a one-day-only coupon for 20% off plus free shipping!!), plus any number of other sites. And don't forget about the documents, spreadsheets, and media players opened behind those browsers! This scenario, in my opinion has taken the concept of multi-tasking to a whole new level. It goes far beyond being able to complete several things at once. The idea of having several tabs and programs open with such diverse content requires our brains to switch gears in opposite directions, sometimes at lightening-fast speeds.
My first thought about this idea of "21st century multi-tasking" is that sometimes, when I've been so focused on completing my 'required' tasks on the computer/internet, I don't even want to begin the recreational uses for the internet. This week, for example, after completing grades and extra online research about a lesson I was preparing for an observation, the thought of sitting down to the computer for personal/leisure purposes nearly gave me anxiety. All of the required uses (which are clearly piling on as we find more practical uses for the web) leave me wanting to turn off the computer and spend as much time outside, spending time with family, or doing anything that does not involve technology. In other words, the more I have to use technology, the less I want to use it for other purpose. It is becoming synonymous with work tasks that the 'recreational' uses are losing their excitement for me. Admittedly, I am still going to enjoy writing emails to friends, posting pictures, following the latest celebrity gossip on TMZ, searching for a new recipe to try, and even eagerly searching for new ways to spice up a lesson.
In order to move forward, I think I need to make an effort to separate my web-usage. I think I will enjoy the web more and even be more efficient if I don't try to conquer the 21st century multitasking.
2. Student Web Use
I suspect that while I am shying away from web browsing and online multitasking, or students are probably embracing this multitasking and absorbing themselves (and much of their free time) in exploring the web. My current group of 6th grade students are the most web-savvy of any classes I've had in the past few years. They are comfortable with email, often suggest new sites to each other during class discussions, and are even more willing to edit and revise their writing because they recognize how easy it is to do once a document is typed.
It would be interesting to spend some time discovering student opinions about their personal internet use. Do they multitask with ease? Do they feel the same pressure that I feel when balancing required web tasks and leisure-browsing? Do they recognize the practical uses for the internet, or are they too busy instant messaging and posting on each others' walls?
Regardless, I'm happy to realize that despite the fact that, as we've discussed, students to need guidance on appropriate internet use, along the way they have learned a great deal of computer fluency that has been and will continue to be beneficial in a classroom setting.
3. How Far We've Come
I am still pretty new to teachings, so I didn't expect that I'd be saying something anything like this for many years, but--- it's amazing how far technology has come since I started teaching. To think of the technological improvements that have been made in the classroom in just five short years is incredible. As an example, the fact that students (and I) get frustrated when a computer's wireless printer queue isn't set up to print to the exact printer right across the hall is incredible! Five years ago, wireless printing wasn't even a possibility, and now it's become a norm.
4. Comment on the 'Blogging on the Brink' article
The article Blogging on the Brink brings up several interesting points about the accountability of bloggers. Then, below the article, there are dozens of comments that people have posted. The irony in these comments, however, is that many of them include spelling errors, capitalization issues, and poor sentence structures. So, here are people who feel strongly enough to agree that people should be held accountable for what they blog about, yet they don't even realize the basic idea that whatever they type, regardless of its content, is also a reflection on their intelligence, writing ability, and basic knowledge of grammar!
As an ELA teacher, I may have a stronger interest in spelling and grammar than most, but as we are all reading a great deal of web content, a quick way that many of us sift out less-reliable and less-respected sources is to make snap-judgments based on typos, forgotten punctuation, and often blatant disregard for capitalization.
5. Texting (not much relation to the class content, just an interesting tidbit)
I was at a wedding this weekend, where the father of the bride mentioned in his toast how he loved his daughter and her new husband, and how it has been such a pleasure watching their love grow. "However," he added, "I could do without all the texting between you two!" This was a tiny moment that caught my attention, mainly because it seemed so out of place for texting to be mentioned at a wedding!
1. Recreational computer use vs. Required computer use
This past week, I've been thinking a lot about the various reasons we use computers, and how these uses impact each other. Sometimes, we log on to our computers with a specific purpose: to write an email to a parent, to work on grades, to take attendance, to find a resource for an upcoming lesson, to write another email to the same parent. And some of the times, the interaction ends with the specific task we sat down to do. More times than not, however, these same brief tasks are accompanied by several other open tabs, leading us to news websites, fantasy football box scores, youtube, a quick check of our online banking, facebook, personal email accounts (sometimes more than one), a retail store's website (because when we opened our email, we found a one-day-only coupon for 20% off plus free shipping!!), plus any number of other sites. And don't forget about the documents, spreadsheets, and media players opened behind those browsers! This scenario, in my opinion has taken the concept of multi-tasking to a whole new level. It goes far beyond being able to complete several things at once. The idea of having several tabs and programs open with such diverse content requires our brains to switch gears in opposite directions, sometimes at lightening-fast speeds.
My first thought about this idea of "21st century multi-tasking" is that sometimes, when I've been so focused on completing my 'required' tasks on the computer/internet, I don't even want to begin the recreational uses for the internet. This week, for example, after completing grades and extra online research about a lesson I was preparing for an observation, the thought of sitting down to the computer for personal/leisure purposes nearly gave me anxiety. All of the required uses (which are clearly piling on as we find more practical uses for the web) leave me wanting to turn off the computer and spend as much time outside, spending time with family, or doing anything that does not involve technology. In other words, the more I have to use technology, the less I want to use it for other purpose. It is becoming synonymous with work tasks that the 'recreational' uses are losing their excitement for me. Admittedly, I am still going to enjoy writing emails to friends, posting pictures, following the latest celebrity gossip on TMZ, searching for a new recipe to try, and even eagerly searching for new ways to spice up a lesson.
In order to move forward, I think I need to make an effort to separate my web-usage. I think I will enjoy the web more and even be more efficient if I don't try to conquer the 21st century multitasking.
2. Student Web Use
I suspect that while I am shying away from web browsing and online multitasking, or students are probably embracing this multitasking and absorbing themselves (and much of their free time) in exploring the web. My current group of 6th grade students are the most web-savvy of any classes I've had in the past few years. They are comfortable with email, often suggest new sites to each other during class discussions, and are even more willing to edit and revise their writing because they recognize how easy it is to do once a document is typed.
It would be interesting to spend some time discovering student opinions about their personal internet use. Do they multitask with ease? Do they feel the same pressure that I feel when balancing required web tasks and leisure-browsing? Do they recognize the practical uses for the internet, or are they too busy instant messaging and posting on each others' walls?
Regardless, I'm happy to realize that despite the fact that, as we've discussed, students to need guidance on appropriate internet use, along the way they have learned a great deal of computer fluency that has been and will continue to be beneficial in a classroom setting.
3. How Far We've Come
I am still pretty new to teachings, so I didn't expect that I'd be saying something anything like this for many years, but--- it's amazing how far technology has come since I started teaching. To think of the technological improvements that have been made in the classroom in just five short years is incredible. As an example, the fact that students (and I) get frustrated when a computer's wireless printer queue isn't set up to print to the exact printer right across the hall is incredible! Five years ago, wireless printing wasn't even a possibility, and now it's become a norm.
4. Comment on the 'Blogging on the Brink' article
The article Blogging on the Brink brings up several interesting points about the accountability of bloggers. Then, below the article, there are dozens of comments that people have posted. The irony in these comments, however, is that many of them include spelling errors, capitalization issues, and poor sentence structures. So, here are people who feel strongly enough to agree that people should be held accountable for what they blog about, yet they don't even realize the basic idea that whatever they type, regardless of its content, is also a reflection on their intelligence, writing ability, and basic knowledge of grammar!
As an ELA teacher, I may have a stronger interest in spelling and grammar than most, but as we are all reading a great deal of web content, a quick way that many of us sift out less-reliable and less-respected sources is to make snap-judgments based on typos, forgotten punctuation, and often blatant disregard for capitalization.
5. Texting (not much relation to the class content, just an interesting tidbit)
I was at a wedding this weekend, where the father of the bride mentioned in his toast how he loved his daughter and her new husband, and how it has been such a pleasure watching their love grow. "However," he added, "I could do without all the texting between you two!" This was a tiny moment that caught my attention, mainly because it seemed so out of place for texting to be mentioned at a wedding!
Blogging Standards: To have or not to have?
As I signed in to my blog, contemplating the content of my post, an article about blogging standards caught my eye, "Blogging on the Brink: Time to Set Standards" (I tried to make my title link to the website, but to no avail. I'll work on that tomorrow when I am more alert.) Since I teach social skills and encourage students to take responsibility for what they say and do, I was pleasantly pleased to see that some bloggers are raising the bar when it comes to posting blogs. While some continue to take a wild west approach to blogging, there is an increasing trend towards holding bloggers accountable for their posted comments. I agree that standards are necessary for responsible blogging as opposed to an "anything goes" policy for posting.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Comments on other people's posts
"Will it be harder to grade 100 blog comments or wiki projects than traditional projects and tests?" I wanted to respond to SLehr's comments on this topic.
I have thought a great deal about this. I've assigned a number of wiki projects in the past year. I've had students create wiki pages and have had to grade 25 of them at a time. That was not too difficult because I had a clear rubric for my students to begin with, as I would with any other assignment. I graded their wiki pages based strictly on that rubric. Rubrics can be invaluable.
The area where grading has been difficult has been when students are posting to a discussion. I've established criteria for discussion posts related to thought and relevance, but I still find it hard to grade those, especially when students are posting in more than one place. It can be more time consuming to grade than having students write a reflection to turn in on paper. But... the benefit is giving students the ability to see each other's thoughts and be able to discuss/comment.
Also, in response to DKinney's earlier post about books, I have some comments.
My big concern is attention span. I notice it with myself sometimes. Younger generations are more and more accustomed to gathering information in small snippets and sound bites. The question has been posed as to whether Google is making us less intelligent. I think that having access to so much information is hugely beneficial, but there is something about being deeply ensconced in a book. That level of deep concentration that leads to in depth learning and understanding. If people only think in sound bites and do not have the patience to read something that takes them more than five minutes before giving up the desire for understanding, I think that will be detrimental to our society's future.
Finally, I totally agree with your statement DKinney, about NPR and Time, and stumbling across information that you weren't necessarily seeking out. Whenever something comes on NPR that I'm not sure that I'm interested in, I often leave it on anyways. It is amazing how often my knowledge of a topic that I have heard about as a result of reading/listening to something from start to finish has benefited me in conversations.
The bottom line is that when we incorporate new technologies, we need to be sure that we are not sacrificing efficiency (in regard to grading-- technology doesn't seem useful if it makes us less efficient as teachers-- this will affect our students) and depth of knowledge (it is good to know a lot about a variety of topics, but it is also important to have depth and expertise in one or more areas).
I have thought a great deal about this. I've assigned a number of wiki projects in the past year. I've had students create wiki pages and have had to grade 25 of them at a time. That was not too difficult because I had a clear rubric for my students to begin with, as I would with any other assignment. I graded their wiki pages based strictly on that rubric. Rubrics can be invaluable.
The area where grading has been difficult has been when students are posting to a discussion. I've established criteria for discussion posts related to thought and relevance, but I still find it hard to grade those, especially when students are posting in more than one place. It can be more time consuming to grade than having students write a reflection to turn in on paper. But... the benefit is giving students the ability to see each other's thoughts and be able to discuss/comment.
Also, in response to DKinney's earlier post about books, I have some comments.
My big concern is attention span. I notice it with myself sometimes. Younger generations are more and more accustomed to gathering information in small snippets and sound bites. The question has been posed as to whether Google is making us less intelligent. I think that having access to so much information is hugely beneficial, but there is something about being deeply ensconced in a book. That level of deep concentration that leads to in depth learning and understanding. If people only think in sound bites and do not have the patience to read something that takes them more than five minutes before giving up the desire for understanding, I think that will be detrimental to our society's future.
Finally, I totally agree with your statement DKinney, about NPR and Time, and stumbling across information that you weren't necessarily seeking out. Whenever something comes on NPR that I'm not sure that I'm interested in, I often leave it on anyways. It is amazing how often my knowledge of a topic that I have heard about as a result of reading/listening to something from start to finish has benefited me in conversations.
The bottom line is that when we incorporate new technologies, we need to be sure that we are not sacrificing efficiency (in regard to grading-- technology doesn't seem useful if it makes us less efficient as teachers-- this will affect our students) and depth of knowledge (it is good to know a lot about a variety of topics, but it is also important to have depth and expertise in one or more areas).
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Creativity and information literacy
Our new cluster concerns creativity and information literacy. At first glance, I thought the two ideas were rather mismatched. Upon reflection, though, I can see the connection. Without information literacy, it would be impossible for the New Biology folks to share their data and grapple with some of the worlds most challenging issues. The Philadelphia school uses the resources available on the web for creative project work in which I would imagine the students must analyze and utilize data from the internet. So while the two areas are separate, the 2.0 connection can clearly be made.
So the question remains. What are the ways that we can utilize the richness of the internet to foster our students collaborative and creative abilities? Some of our table and hallway conversations have been very rich. We've considered the obstacles, both in terms of resources, but in terms of the expectations on us to "cover" material. While discussing obstacles might seem like coming up excuses for not doing more of what the school in Philadelphia does, it is necessary to identify obstacles before you can remove or modify them. These conversations need to happen.
We also need to continue our discussions about these new technologies and when they are best used. As Diana suggests, books continue to be invaluable resources--and are sometimes the best way to glean specific and trustworthy information. Do students utilize different skills when collaborating face to face vs. over the internet? Should we balance our curriculum so that both are required? Should assignments be planned with student goals in mind first--or with utilizing technology first. When I first began planning my wiki for my sharing project, I began by looking for internet resources before I'd even thought about what I wanted students to learn. Three hours into things, I realized that this was completely backwards. But when educators try something new, they need to experiment--and sometimes learn how to avoid pitfalls like the one I fell into. The use of internet 2.0 tools in schools also brings up issues of etiquette. Should students be tweeting from lectures? Adults do it all the time. Is this O.K.? Is it rude? Some discussion is needed here, and I love to have some of these conversations in class with interested educators from my district.
I would also love to see what those of you who've used wikis and moodle and other resources have already done in your classrooms. I'm sure some of you have encountered problems I'll encounter and could save me some time consuming trial and error. I hope they'll be some forum for this, in a live context, as the class continues.
So the question remains. What are the ways that we can utilize the richness of the internet to foster our students collaborative and creative abilities? Some of our table and hallway conversations have been very rich. We've considered the obstacles, both in terms of resources, but in terms of the expectations on us to "cover" material. While discussing obstacles might seem like coming up excuses for not doing more of what the school in Philadelphia does, it is necessary to identify obstacles before you can remove or modify them. These conversations need to happen.
We also need to continue our discussions about these new technologies and when they are best used. As Diana suggests, books continue to be invaluable resources--and are sometimes the best way to glean specific and trustworthy information. Do students utilize different skills when collaborating face to face vs. over the internet? Should we balance our curriculum so that both are required? Should assignments be planned with student goals in mind first--or with utilizing technology first. When I first began planning my wiki for my sharing project, I began by looking for internet resources before I'd even thought about what I wanted students to learn. Three hours into things, I realized that this was completely backwards. But when educators try something new, they need to experiment--and sometimes learn how to avoid pitfalls like the one I fell into. The use of internet 2.0 tools in schools also brings up issues of etiquette. Should students be tweeting from lectures? Adults do it all the time. Is this O.K.? Is it rude? Some discussion is needed here, and I love to have some of these conversations in class with interested educators from my district.
I would also love to see what those of you who've used wikis and moodle and other resources have already done in your classrooms. I'm sure some of you have encountered problems I'll encounter and could save me some time consuming trial and error. I hope they'll be some forum for this, in a live context, as the class continues.
Believing in Books
Friday night, after I tucked my daughter into bed, I was sitting in the comfy chair in our library room across the hall from her bedroom, where I always sit and read or plan or grade papers while she's falling asleep. I was thinking about a question my students had had that day, about platypuses. So I reached one arm down next to my chair, pulled up the one-volume New Columbia Encyclopedia that I've had since I was twelve (3,000 tissue-paper-thin pages of information in tiny print), quickly and easily flipped to the paragraph on platypuses -- and found exactly what I was looking for. The Platypus article said that they shared a primitive order of mammals only with the echidna, and I was curious, so I flipped to the Echidna article and read about those primitive spiny anteaters. On that same page was a long article on Echinoderms, so I happily read for a while about starfish and sea urchins and sea cucumbers, too.
Last night, I was too tired to plan or grade or read for information (and novels generally wait for school vacations), so I reached for my favorite book of poetry -- Always A Reckoning, by Jimmy Carter. (Yes, Jimmy Carter writes beautiful, evocative poetry about things like growing up in the deep South in the 1940's, or how a flock of geese flew by and reflected city lights beautifully one night when he and his family had been searching in vain for constellations through those same city lights, from the roof of the White House.) Other nights, I might read too many selections from my large collection of Chicken Soup for the Soul books (yes, I like that sort of thing), or browse through the perceptively told anecdotes in one of Vivian Paley's books about teaching kindergarten, or one of several books on urban high schools that were excelling through the use of "best practices" before the Internet.
In the video that we watched in class, on that high school in Philadelphia that apparently relies almost entirely on project-based-learning through web 2.0 resources, a young woman (Student? Teacher?) was quoted enthusing about her school. In explaining what it wasn't, she managed to use the words "books" and "worksheets", together, twice in a row. Yes, she's just one person -- but not really, since the editors and producers of the video decided to include her comments. Apparently, they didn't mind protraying their school, for the world, as a place where people equate books with worksheets.
I hope that the students, teachers, and schools of the future, as they continue to explore and enjoy and benefit from all of the new opportunities brought by the Internet, never lose sight of the beauty and wonder of books! The web is a great place to go when you want to know a lot about a topic, but for my simple question about platypuses, a book was perfect. I found what I wanted to know quickly and easily, without having to guess which of many articles might turn out to be written by a second-grader and which might turn out to be written half in Latin by a Ph.D. researcher on monotremes. There were no advertisements, and I didn't have to follow a zillion links to find what I was looking for. I did choose to "follow a link" (turn a few pages) to learn about a related topic (echidnas). And, I did this all from the comfort of my favorite green armchair, with nothing to plug in or boot up, and no email black hole to fall into, and no feeling that as long as I was online I ought to be working on this course as well. . .
When I browsed to the article on echinoderms, on the same page as the article on echidnas, I made use of perhaps the very best feature of traditional print resources, and the one feature that I think the Internet may never be able to replicate because it either "overdoes" it or "underdoes" it. I could probably have followed links on platypuses for a long time (Too long!) on the Internet, and I'm sure they would have led me eventually to the echidna, just as my book did. The patypus links would not have led me to echinoderms, though. There is something wonderful about the way that you can stumble upon fascinating unrelated information by flipping through a reference book or wandering the shelves of a public library, that just doesn't happen yet (and perhaps never will) when you follow links or Google something or shop at Amazon.com. Similarly, when I listen to NPR or read my Time Magazine, I hear or stumble across information on topics that I'm not all that interested in -- movie reviews and pop culture stuff and such -- that I would never set up my RSS feed to send me, but that it is still nice to know at least a little bit about.
Don't get me wrong: I think the Internet is a wonderful resource! And someday, when I want to know a lot about platypuses, I'll look there. In the meantime, I really love my library room, and I hope that books always maintain an important place in our schools and our society.
Last night, I was too tired to plan or grade or read for information (and novels generally wait for school vacations), so I reached for my favorite book of poetry -- Always A Reckoning, by Jimmy Carter. (Yes, Jimmy Carter writes beautiful, evocative poetry about things like growing up in the deep South in the 1940's, or how a flock of geese flew by and reflected city lights beautifully one night when he and his family had been searching in vain for constellations through those same city lights, from the roof of the White House.) Other nights, I might read too many selections from my large collection of Chicken Soup for the Soul books (yes, I like that sort of thing), or browse through the perceptively told anecdotes in one of Vivian Paley's books about teaching kindergarten, or one of several books on urban high schools that were excelling through the use of "best practices" before the Internet.
In the video that we watched in class, on that high school in Philadelphia that apparently relies almost entirely on project-based-learning through web 2.0 resources, a young woman (Student? Teacher?) was quoted enthusing about her school. In explaining what it wasn't, she managed to use the words "books" and "worksheets", together, twice in a row. Yes, she's just one person -- but not really, since the editors and producers of the video decided to include her comments. Apparently, they didn't mind protraying their school, for the world, as a place where people equate books with worksheets.
I hope that the students, teachers, and schools of the future, as they continue to explore and enjoy and benefit from all of the new opportunities brought by the Internet, never lose sight of the beauty and wonder of books! The web is a great place to go when you want to know a lot about a topic, but for my simple question about platypuses, a book was perfect. I found what I wanted to know quickly and easily, without having to guess which of many articles might turn out to be written by a second-grader and which might turn out to be written half in Latin by a Ph.D. researcher on monotremes. There were no advertisements, and I didn't have to follow a zillion links to find what I was looking for. I did choose to "follow a link" (turn a few pages) to learn about a related topic (echidnas). And, I did this all from the comfort of my favorite green armchair, with nothing to plug in or boot up, and no email black hole to fall into, and no feeling that as long as I was online I ought to be working on this course as well. . .
When I browsed to the article on echinoderms, on the same page as the article on echidnas, I made use of perhaps the very best feature of traditional print resources, and the one feature that I think the Internet may never be able to replicate because it either "overdoes" it or "underdoes" it. I could probably have followed links on platypuses for a long time (Too long!) on the Internet, and I'm sure they would have led me eventually to the echidna, just as my book did. The patypus links would not have led me to echinoderms, though. There is something wonderful about the way that you can stumble upon fascinating unrelated information by flipping through a reference book or wandering the shelves of a public library, that just doesn't happen yet (and perhaps never will) when you follow links or Google something or shop at Amazon.com. Similarly, when I listen to NPR or read my Time Magazine, I hear or stumble across information on topics that I'm not all that interested in -- movie reviews and pop culture stuff and such -- that I would never set up my RSS feed to send me, but that it is still nice to know at least a little bit about.
Don't get me wrong: I think the Internet is a wonderful resource! And someday, when I want to know a lot about platypuses, I'll look there. In the meantime, I really love my library room, and I hope that books always maintain an important place in our schools and our society.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
21st Century Literacy
At my table, we talked about how you could completely eliminate some "traditional" teaching methods. For example, can you teach decimals using technology? Do we think that we should lose the experience of examining primary source documents because students can simply google information? Will it be harder to grade 100 blog comments or wiki projects than traditional projects and tests? We all seem excited about integrating some technology into our classrooms assuming that we have consistent access to the technology, but we still aren't completely sure how we integrate it and how we grade it.
creativity/info literacy
creativity is not just a manual art anymore....also a technological one. once fear is overcome, the options are not only huge but professional. literacy is not just using tools but also knowing where to find and how to access info.
did i learn how to post from the tutorial?
I just watched the tutorial here at class...let's see if this post makes it to right spot....my blog....
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A 21st Century Classroom
This is a duplicate post. I've posted it in my own blog as well.
We have been concentrating on the technology end of what 21st century skills mean for children and teachers alike. The piece that we haven't touched on so far is what it means for a global education. How can these skills help students be more global. We know that these skills, colaborating, communication and creating, are valuable skills to build within our own classroom walls, but what about beyond the four walls. We talked about the world being "flat", so how can we use these skills on a global level? We should seek out opportunities for our students to collaborate and communicate with classrooms across the country and across the seas. These opportunities will not present themselves easily, they need to be sought out by the teacher who is willing to put the extra effort into making these experiences meaningful for the students in front of them.
In a 21st Century classroom we should not notice the technology. It shouldn't be a special day that we got the laptop carts or the special lesson that uses the interactive whiteboard. These things should be blended into the daily routine in a manner that students don't see that it is something special. It should be like taking out their notebook. We need to become as comfortable with its potential and uses as we are with our text books and whiteboard markers. Students shouldn't notice technology happening in their classrooms. They don't use technology as a special treat in their lives outside of the classroom, it should be that seamless.
We have been concentrating on the technology end of what 21st century skills mean for children and teachers alike. The piece that we haven't touched on so far is what it means for a global education. How can these skills help students be more global. We know that these skills, colaborating, communication and creating, are valuable skills to build within our own classroom walls, but what about beyond the four walls. We talked about the world being "flat", so how can we use these skills on a global level? We should seek out opportunities for our students to collaborate and communicate with classrooms across the country and across the seas. These opportunities will not present themselves easily, they need to be sought out by the teacher who is willing to put the extra effort into making these experiences meaningful for the students in front of them.
In a 21st Century classroom we should not notice the technology. It shouldn't be a special day that we got the laptop carts or the special lesson that uses the interactive whiteboard. These things should be blended into the daily routine in a manner that students don't see that it is something special. It should be like taking out their notebook. We need to become as comfortable with its potential and uses as we are with our text books and whiteboard markers. Students shouldn't notice technology happening in their classrooms. They don't use technology as a special treat in their lives outside of the classroom, it should be that seamless.
21st Century Skills/Kiva Reaction
When I read the Kiva article, I was impressed with what Jen was able to accomplish with her 4/5th graders, and how many things the students had learned from this project. I also realized that this type of project would be more challenging with our middle school schedule.
The question of 21st century skills reminded me of our school committee and their goals along with the goals of our superintendent.
Many of us ask our students to work in cooperative groups for various activities. The interpersonal skills students develop through their successful interaction with classmates while solving a challenge allows students to practice their critical thinking skills as well as hone in on their ability to communicate. While this type of activity could take place remotely, there is something to be said for face to face conversations. Students learn to read body language and facial cues.
The use of technology: An observation I have made in the past is when students to run to the Internet for answers, check one site (usually Wikipedia), and declare themselves done with their research. While this is all well and good, they still need a reminder that just because "facts" are in print (especially the Internet and Wikipedia - although Wikipedia for schools has been approved by MTA - http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/index/subject.Geography.htm) - it doesn't mean they are true. It is essential for us to remind our students what reliable sources are and how to cross-check research information. With all of the digital resources available (many that our students have become incredibly proficient at) we really do become facilitators or coaches, as we help them navigate through the waters of their education.
Hopefully, as we guide our students through our curriculum we give them the tools they will need to become successful adults; learning how to think globally, be effective communicators, collaborators, and problem solvers.
The question of 21st century skills reminded me of our school committee and their goals along with the goals of our superintendent.
21st Century Skills: Ensure all students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the 21st century. These skills include communication, information processing, critical thinking (creative problem-solving), media literacy, creativity/innovation, global awareness, cultural competency (social competencies and social interactions with diverse groups), problem-solving, teamwork/collaboration (interdisciplinary curriculum), self-directed learning (project based learning) and leadership. Taken from the Sharon Public Schools School Committee and Superintendent Goals for 2009-10.What would this learning look like in a middle school classroom?
Many of us ask our students to work in cooperative groups for various activities. The interpersonal skills students develop through their successful interaction with classmates while solving a challenge allows students to practice their critical thinking skills as well as hone in on their ability to communicate. While this type of activity could take place remotely, there is something to be said for face to face conversations. Students learn to read body language and facial cues.
The use of technology: An observation I have made in the past is when students to run to the Internet for answers, check one site (usually Wikipedia), and declare themselves done with their research. While this is all well and good, they still need a reminder that just because "facts" are in print (especially the Internet and Wikipedia - although Wikipedia for schools has been approved by MTA - http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/index/subject.Geography.htm) - it doesn't mean they are true. It is essential for us to remind our students what reliable sources are and how to cross-check research information. With all of the digital resources available (many that our students have become incredibly proficient at) we really do become facilitators or coaches, as we help them navigate through the waters of their education.
Hopefully, as we guide our students through our curriculum we give them the tools they will need to become successful adults; learning how to think globally, be effective communicators, collaborators, and problem solvers.
Kiva Reaction/Features of a 21st C. Classroom
One of the aspects of the Kiva article that particularly resonated with me was the question of appropriately using time in our classrooms with an already existing, mandated curriculum.
I'd like to think that a feature of a classroom in the 21st century, hopefully something I'm doing, is that time management and lesson planning allow for the inclusion of the skills we have been talking about. I think that the more comfortable I become with using all of these skills the more natural the planning process will be which will take the stress off of, "how do I do this?" ringing in my head.
The article we read explored the theme of 'changing the world.' For me, this is just a little bit too zealous. However, I do like to think that I am of the mindset of, "how can I impact my student's lives?" One of the ways I like to think I have an impact is through the creation of interesting lessons and discussions. Certainly, there are some days in school which will simply be rote memorization, we all know that, but there are plenty of opportunities to allow for the use of 21st. century skills. As an ELA teacher one thing I would like to bring to the classroom is the ability for my students to interact with student around the world. There are many avenues, including Skype, email, video mail, blogs, etc., which make this a possibility. At the same time, I like to remind the kids that a 'simple' letter is also still an effective tool of communication.
Many of the options we have as educators today are already things that students are comfortable with using. This, in theory, should make it a little easier for us to use the technology in our rooms.
I'd like to think that a feature of a classroom in the 21st century, hopefully something I'm doing, is that time management and lesson planning allow for the inclusion of the skills we have been talking about. I think that the more comfortable I become with using all of these skills the more natural the planning process will be which will take the stress off of, "how do I do this?" ringing in my head.
The article we read explored the theme of 'changing the world.' For me, this is just a little bit too zealous. However, I do like to think that I am of the mindset of, "how can I impact my student's lives?" One of the ways I like to think I have an impact is through the creation of interesting lessons and discussions. Certainly, there are some days in school which will simply be rote memorization, we all know that, but there are plenty of opportunities to allow for the use of 21st. century skills. As an ELA teacher one thing I would like to bring to the classroom is the ability for my students to interact with student around the world. There are many avenues, including Skype, email, video mail, blogs, etc., which make this a possibility. At the same time, I like to remind the kids that a 'simple' letter is also still an effective tool of communication.
Many of the options we have as educators today are already things that students are comfortable with using. This, in theory, should make it a little easier for us to use the technology in our rooms.
Features of a 21st C. classroom
I think that we need to pair technology with active learning. The students must see how the are connected to the rest of the world. Our study of geography can help them with the location of places but what then? They need to connect with students to understand life in these places. They need to figure out how to be less self centered and more about how they can make a difference in this world. Of course, this is no easy feat.
Given that technology has become such a huge part of all of our lives, we need to embrace the parts that make sense for our classrooms. Of course, it requires us to actually have consistent use of technology, which right now, I do not. In addition, teachers may need to be given more training time to evaluate the role of technology in their classrooms. It isn't just can I show a video or use an overhead anymore. For students to evaluate a micro-lending project, they need to be able to receive current information not out dated statistics from books. Again, this requires technology.
As much as technology plays a role, I think we don't want to diminish the role that classroom learning and collaboration can have. Friends of mine who have recently taken higher education classes have been split on how well they have enjoyed the on line classes. Many of my friends miss the classroom interaction and resent the amount of time that they are taking to "chat" on virtual blackboards about readings. Students need our guidance on issues such as innovation, global awareness, and problem solving. We cannot just rely on the technology.
Overall, I guess for me, a 21st century classroom would have technology mixed with innovative learning about the world. In all of that, there is a need for a sense of citizenship and character that would ask students to evaluate their role and ask them to solve some of the problems that exist today. I think the Kiva article tried to do that in a meaningful way.
Given that technology has become such a huge part of all of our lives, we need to embrace the parts that make sense for our classrooms. Of course, it requires us to actually have consistent use of technology, which right now, I do not. In addition, teachers may need to be given more training time to evaluate the role of technology in their classrooms. It isn't just can I show a video or use an overhead anymore. For students to evaluate a micro-lending project, they need to be able to receive current information not out dated statistics from books. Again, this requires technology.
As much as technology plays a role, I think we don't want to diminish the role that classroom learning and collaboration can have. Friends of mine who have recently taken higher education classes have been split on how well they have enjoyed the on line classes. Many of my friends miss the classroom interaction and resent the amount of time that they are taking to "chat" on virtual blackboards about readings. Students need our guidance on issues such as innovation, global awareness, and problem solving. We cannot just rely on the technology.
Overall, I guess for me, a 21st century classroom would have technology mixed with innovative learning about the world. In all of that, there is a need for a sense of citizenship and character that would ask students to evaluate their role and ask them to solve some of the problems that exist today. I think the Kiva article tried to do that in a meaningful way.
www.voki.com
At this site you can create an avitar and put it in your website. See below
Get a Voki now!
At this site you can create an avitar and put it in your website. See below
Get a Voki now!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Interesting articles from Boston Globe Magazine
I came across an interesting article in the Boston Globe Magazine that, although I can't relate to on the parenting level yet, I can relate to from the teacher perspective. As we've discussed, kids often don't realize the parameters and appropriate usage of the internet, and the article highlights the fact that most of the time, they aren't misusing intentionally--they just haven't thought about it!
And truly, having nothing to do with the class, it's really a quick, entertaining article!
Too hot to handle: One dad dials back his daughter's online ID
Also, when I went online to find an electronic copy of the article, I came across this article, which brings up some interesting points....
Why an iPhone could actually be good for your 3-year-old
And truly, having nothing to do with the class, it's really a quick, entertaining article!
Too hot to handle: One dad dials back his daughter's online ID
Also, when I went online to find an electronic copy of the article, I came across this article, which brings up some interesting points....
Why an iPhone could actually be good for your 3-year-old
still trying
I am still trying to figure out how to add/alter my blog. I am now thinking I should just be putting my reflections on my learning there. I AM learning, just at my own much slower pace. I still feel a need to start all over. Have found a PT ning which I have joined. I have not posted anything because I am too nervous about confidentiality and how it has my full name/where I am from. Will continue to explore. I am very frustrated by having made a typo in diigo and it not responding to delete. My study group is the best but I still feel so lost. Will continue to try to untangle myself. Next on my agenda if I ever figure out this blog posting is google reader and i reader. I already have a google reader account but can't figure out more than that.
Perpetual confusion
I think I am posting to my personal gross motor development blog...here's the test to see if I am right.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Kiva Article
Jen Whiffen does a great job! She uses technology as an agent, which allows her students access to more authentic learning. While her class is making differences in the lives of others, she is also instilling a sense of social awareness and global competency in her students. One wonders who gets the most out of her class. Is it her students or the recipients of the micro-loans?
She mentions that she started off small, and this project grew over the years. That said it is fairly intimidating to think of creating a project of this magnitude.
I included a Wordle picture based upon my impressions of Kiva and a 21st Century classroom.
In Respoonse to the Kiva Article
I also thought that the Kiva article made me think of how useful the internet has become in allowing students to have authentic experiences as they learn some of the same things they have always been learning. As a history teacher, rather than having my students read about the conflict in the Middle East in the newspaper or in a book, we have the potential for students to have person to person contact with people their own age who are actually living in the West Bank. There is an actual program that has been discussed in my department in which a class can actually develop a relationship with a class in the West Bank-- I believe they would communicate through Skype. In addition to Skype there are so many other ways to communicate. Teens in that part of the world use Google chat/talk, Facebook, and other free and easy ways to communicate. It is pretty awesome for kids to see that there are real people associated with global conflicts-- it allows them to see important issues as being real.
That being said, I agree with what Kelley and Ruthie said about best practices. I have found myself spending way more time than is efficient doing "techie" kinds of things. Some of these things make teaching/learning easier, but some could also be done in a more low tech way that has the exact same effect. I think that we must be careful when getting excited about new technology that we truly understand it and make sure that it is worthwhile for us to be using.
Learning how to use new technological tools step by step is essential, otherwise their value will be lost and we teachers will not use them in ways that maximize their potential.
That being said, I agree with what Kelley and Ruthie said about best practices. I have found myself spending way more time than is efficient doing "techie" kinds of things. Some of these things make teaching/learning easier, but some could also be done in a more low tech way that has the exact same effect. I think that we must be careful when getting excited about new technology that we truly understand it and make sure that it is worthwhile for us to be using.
Learning how to use new technological tools step by step is essential, otherwise their value will be lost and we teachers will not use them in ways that maximize their potential.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Mixed feelings about Google Reader
My first experiences with Google Reader a few weeks ago were positive, but now I'm not so sure. I was originally happy with the fact that all of the posts I wanted to read were in one place. This saved me some time not having to flip-flop between sites. However, I am now finding that I think I prefer visiting specific blogs at specific times, not all at once. For example, if I am interested in seeing what Joe is up to in his Earth Science curriculum, I think I'll take the time to look solely at his site. And if I want to find out what's new with my friend who moved to Ethiopia, I'll go to her blog when I have a minute. But to see all of the diverse blogs in the same place isn't really working for me. I also found that when I went back to Google Reader after a week (during which I did visit individual sites), there were many repeats that Google Reader had marked as new that I'd actually already seen.
I imagine that as I get more comfortable with this tool, I will find that there are ways around all of the problems I'm discovering, but in the meantime, is there anyone who has found features of Google Reader that they really enjoy that I might be missing?
Willing to give it another shot if encouraged......
I imagine that as I get more comfortable with this tool, I will find that there are ways around all of the problems I'm discovering, but in the meantime, is there anyone who has found features of Google Reader that they really enjoy that I might be missing?
Willing to give it another shot if encouraged......
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