Take a few moments to reflect on your journey. You've covered a lot of material over the past ten weeks. What does it all mean? What are your big "take aways" from this experience? How can you, as an instructional leader, inspire others to bring 21st Century learning to the next level in your school or district?
There is an overwhelming amount of information available to all of us via the internet. Becoming educated in Web 2.0 is essential to bring some kind of order to the massive amounts of data. Web 2.0 is about people learning, sharing, and collaborating. It is about learning to use all the resources available in an efficient manner.
I almost need to separate my take aways into personal and professional categories. I really enjoyed all of the experiences with the various tools. I discovered many useful RSS feeds that I check daily. I also subscribe to several podcasts that I listen to while walking the neighborhood. I am now using delicious on a regular basis as it has brought my both my personal and professional bookmarking together and I am so glad I learned how to tag. I am really looking forward bringing my blog and wiki together to create an interactive site with my staff. I envision creating a web page where I can share all the cool sites I run across as well as embedding some podcasts and videos. I want to encourage staff to be active in the wiki and create their own as well. It all fits well into PLC philosophy we have established at our building. The thing I can do to inspire my staff is to start living in Web 2.0 world and model for them the available tools. I can start providing them the necessary PD and give them the time to play as well. If I take some risks with them, I believe they will take risks in their classrooms. It is essential if I ever want to observe 21st century teaching and learning in my building.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thing 22
In your blog post be sure to include the link to your wiki. Then discuss your feelings about using a wiki. How does a wiki differ from a blog? When is one more appropriate to use than the other?
My new wiki can be found at: https://apmspanthers.wikispaces.com/
I really like how a wiki can bring several of the web 2.0 tools together in one place. I think the greatest challenge to all of this wonderful new stuff is having all the different sites to navigate and manage. Again, if it one stop shopping, I will be more inclined to go there and use the tools. It seems like a wiki can pretty much bring it all together once you do some legwork with the other tools. The difference between a blog and a wiki can be somewhat subtle. It seems to me a blog is a little more personable in terms of voice and audience. A wiki feels like a much more collaborative tool that encourages many people to participate. Both have a distinctive place in Web 2.0. Blogs are very powerful in two way communication on a specific topic. The author has a strong voice in the process. A wiki would be more desirable in setting a collaborative tone that encourages everyone to participate equally.
My new wiki can be found at: https://apmspanthers.wikispaces.com/
I really like how a wiki can bring several of the web 2.0 tools together in one place. I think the greatest challenge to all of this wonderful new stuff is having all the different sites to navigate and manage. Again, if it one stop shopping, I will be more inclined to go there and use the tools. It seems like a wiki can pretty much bring it all together once you do some legwork with the other tools. The difference between a blog and a wiki can be somewhat subtle. It seems to me a blog is a little more personable in terms of voice and audience. A wiki feels like a much more collaborative tool that encourages many people to participate. Both have a distinctive place in Web 2.0. Blogs are very powerful in two way communication on a specific topic. The author has a strong voice in the process. A wiki would be more desirable in setting a collaborative tone that encourages everyone to participate equally.
Thing 21
Describe a wiki you found that inspires you to create one of your own. Do you have ideas for how your staff might use a wiki? What hurdles might stand in the way of using a wiki? What would it take to remove the hurdles? Is it worth the fight?
I really found many of the wikis inspiring. The Arbor Hill elementary website was outstanding. I really liked how it provides an avenue for all the stakeholders to contribute to the website. I loved how they incorporated Facebook into their webpage as well. As I looked through it, it was a vehicle of positive interaction between school and the various stakeholders. So often, the social websites are places where kids get bullied or leave negative responses. This school has modeled a positive approach to using a social network to bring their community together. I was very impressed.
We have used wikis in our district to have collaborative conversations across grade levels and buildings. Most of the time, they were developed by our Media Specialist while working on a special project. It is fair to say the concept/tool has not caught as of yet. Like anything else, the limited exposure has been a killer. I think wikis can/will become a part of everyday life very soon. They are practical, user friendly and in short, the way to go. I think the hurdles to overcome is leadership. If I can provide the training and then model how we are going to use them, I can then "require" that some of our everyday school life be accomplished through wikis. An example would be departmental curriculum maps, guides, course descriptions, assessments, etc. be "warehoused" on a wiki. I could absolutely take many of the administrative things I do for staff and create an interactive wiki. The possibilities are endless and the only real hurdles are some PD and and a commitment to working smarter rather than harder.
I really found many of the wikis inspiring. The Arbor Hill elementary website was outstanding. I really liked how it provides an avenue for all the stakeholders to contribute to the website. I loved how they incorporated Facebook into their webpage as well. As I looked through it, it was a vehicle of positive interaction between school and the various stakeholders. So often, the social websites are places where kids get bullied or leave negative responses. This school has modeled a positive approach to using a social network to bring their community together. I was very impressed.
We have used wikis in our district to have collaborative conversations across grade levels and buildings. Most of the time, they were developed by our Media Specialist while working on a special project. It is fair to say the concept/tool has not caught as of yet. Like anything else, the limited exposure has been a killer. I think wikis can/will become a part of everyday life very soon. They are practical, user friendly and in short, the way to go. I think the hurdles to overcome is leadership. If I can provide the training and then model how we are going to use them, I can then "require" that some of our everyday school life be accomplished through wikis. An example would be departmental curriculum maps, guides, course descriptions, assessments, etc. be "warehoused" on a wiki. I could absolutely take many of the administrative things I do for staff and create an interactive wiki. The possibilities are endless and the only real hurdles are some PD and and a commitment to working smarter rather than harder.
Thing 20
Include in your post the name of at least one podcast to which you subscribed. Describe your experience using the various search tools. Which do you prefer and why?
I have subscribed to many podcasts in iTunes U including: MI State Superintendent, MASSP, Inside Michigan Education, Free Is Good. Some additional podcasts that I have been a longtime subscriber includes: Apple Education, MostMac Now and several software tutorials (iMovie, iPhoto). To be truthful, I spent very little time in both EPN and Podcast Ally. I have had great success searching and finding podcasts of interest in iTunes in the past and it is by far my preferred aggregator. I really like iTunes because I search both professional and personal interests in one application. I also like that I am familiar with the software filing system and can easily navigate and eliminate podcasts. Lastly, iTunes allows me to sync podcasts to my iPod as I often listen to my podcasts while exercising or walking the dog. It is all about the multi-tasking :-)
I have subscribed to many podcasts in iTunes U including: MI State Superintendent, MASSP, Inside Michigan Education, Free Is Good. Some additional podcasts that I have been a longtime subscriber includes: Apple Education, MostMac Now and several software tutorials (iMovie, iPhoto). To be truthful, I spent very little time in both EPN and Podcast Ally. I have had great success searching and finding podcasts of interest in iTunes in the past and it is by far my preferred aggregator. I really like iTunes because I search both professional and personal interests in one application. I also like that I am familiar with the software filing system and can easily navigate and eliminate podcasts. Lastly, iTunes allows me to sync podcasts to my iPod as I often listen to my podcasts while exercising or walking the dog. It is all about the multi-tasking :-)
Thing 19
Which podcasts did you find interesting? Identify one or two podcasts and describe how you would use them in your work. (Be sure to include links in your blog entry to the podcasts mentioned)
Unfortunately, I can never get back the first 10 minutes I spent listening to a podcast created by two Colorado administrators (see link below). I did hang in there to listen to the rest where they got into a few interesting topics including the top ten things they didn't teach you in grad school while prepping for the Principalship. The podcast ended with a review of the ipad and some others thoughts on how to incorporate this new technology into the classroom. While this is not a podcast I would subscribe to, I do recognize the value of this tool and its potential to provide information and professional development. I could definitely see myself researching a few quality podcasts on instruction and share them with staff. I have also broadcast Mike Flanagan's podcasts at staff meetings to keep my staff up to date on important state level issues. Podcasting is a great way to communicate and the potential for weekly podcasts for parents is there as well. It could replace some forms of written communication. I have a little experience with podcasts and I do subscribe to a few through itunes.
http://practicalprincipals.net/?p=176
Unfortunately, I can never get back the first 10 minutes I spent listening to a podcast created by two Colorado administrators (see link below). I did hang in there to listen to the rest where they got into a few interesting topics including the top ten things they didn't teach you in grad school while prepping for the Principalship. The podcast ended with a review of the ipad and some others thoughts on how to incorporate this new technology into the classroom. While this is not a podcast I would subscribe to, I do recognize the value of this tool and its potential to provide information and professional development. I could definitely see myself researching a few quality podcasts on instruction and share them with staff. I have also broadcast Mike Flanagan's podcasts at staff meetings to keep my staff up to date on important state level issues. Podcasting is a great way to communicate and the potential for weekly podcasts for parents is there as well. It could replace some forms of written communication. I have a little experience with podcasts and I do subscribe to a few through itunes.
http://practicalprincipals.net/?p=176
Thing 18
What did you like about the presentation you embedded? How might Slideshare be useful in the classroom? out of the classroom?
Using Web 2.0 in your teaching: applications for educational effectiveness
Using Web 2.0 in your teaching: applications for educational effectiveness
View more presentations from Matthew Allen.
I liked the presentation because I thought with some tweaking it could be very useful with my staff. It does a nice job of summarizing what Web 2.0 is and how the tools and concepts can be integrated into all classrooms. Slideshare is an absolutely awesome tool for teachers. It is very much the "Youtube" of powerpoint presentations. Once staff is introduced to the world of tagging, all of these resources become available. I believe this is one of the best tools I have been introduced to.
I liked the presentation because I thought with some tweaking it could be very useful with my staff. It does a nice job of summarizing what Web 2.0 is and how the tools and concepts can be integrated into all classrooms. Slideshare is an absolutely awesome tool for teachers. It is very much the "Youtube" of powerpoint presentations. Once staff is introduced to the world of tagging, all of these resources become available. I believe this is one of the best tools I have been introduced to.
Thing 17
Give a review of the tool you explored - what worked, what didn't work, how might it be used in your personal or professional life?
I spent some time in Zoho Show. It seems to be a very comprehensive online document sharing suite along the lines of Google Docs. It seems to be limited to Microsoft Office and Open Office software in terms of uploading and sharing documents previously created. If you do not use those applications or have the ability to learn other applications, Zoho provides templates for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, calendars, email. I played with the presentations part of the suite and it offered a very similar experience to that of Powerpoint or Keynote (Mac). Zoho is a tool that attempts to bring a one stop shopping experience to software applications and users being able to share their work seamlessly. The drawback is two-fold....you first need to populate your users with people who all subscribe to Zoho and also there is a cost factor. I see this as an excellent tool for a small business starting out or expanding. In my particular situation, I don't see the added benefits of the service.
I spent some time in Zoho Show. It seems to be a very comprehensive online document sharing suite along the lines of Google Docs. It seems to be limited to Microsoft Office and Open Office software in terms of uploading and sharing documents previously created. If you do not use those applications or have the ability to learn other applications, Zoho provides templates for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, calendars, email. I played with the presentations part of the suite and it offered a very similar experience to that of Powerpoint or Keynote (Mac). Zoho is a tool that attempts to bring a one stop shopping experience to software applications and users being able to share their work seamlessly. The drawback is two-fold....you first need to populate your users with people who all subscribe to Zoho and also there is a cost factor. I see this as an excellent tool for a small business starting out or expanding. In my particular situation, I don't see the added benefits of the service.
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