23 incomplete things

Well, I didn't finish the 23 things course. There was so much and i really have enjoyed what i did get around to doing. I have expanded my use of the internet and of course, web2.01! The reader subscriptions are great resources and the blogs have been used in my classroom already. My students loved the class blog and some are still updating, they wanted to leave the blog up for them to post next year. It remains to be seen if they will actually post once they get to middle school. The use of videos online is good. My continuing problem with using my class in videos and photos is that some students have a "no photo" request from their parents. Putting elementary students pictures on the internet is still and issue with parents, and i do somewhat agree. So all in all i have learned lots, but still have one of my original problems.

thing 7

The wiki concept is interesting and I am not sure right now what separates it from a blog.  The uses are varied from using it strictly as a blog to using it as a web page for a school http://arborheights.wikispaces.com .  This is a great easy way to update a school website without waiting for the webmaster to do all the updates.  There is immediate news about school events.  This way many people can help keep the school site current.  There is also the using it as a teaching tool for one specific task.  The wiki for the study of the book Turn Homeward Hannalee is well done and obviously done by students, which makes it useful as a study guide and an assessment http://wiki.woodward.edu/hannalee/doku.php .  Since my class reads that book, it is particularly relevant.  I can see how creating a wiki would make for a great wrap-up for a class book. 

In the wiki, http://www.gkbledsoe.com/articles/process/writing_prompt_generator.html, there was a page to help students think of stories to write, using prompts.  That was fascinating.  Since it was written by students it was very user friendly.   However, the wiki at the "coolcat teacher" http://westwood.wikispaces.com/Web+2.0  most interested me right now.   I have a scholastic class homepage and find it cumbersome.  I have been looking for another way to post assignments and class news online that is easily accessible to parents and students.  This looks like it may work well.  I like the idea of using wikis for book collaboration and a class web site.

I did not find things that  I would change about the wikis I read, although some did not fit the capabilities of my students.  So while I would not use them as extensively as some that I read, there is a place for wikis in my classroom.

thing 6

I have been using diigo for a year or so, ever since Caroline came to my school and gave us all a lesson on using it.  It took me a few more steps to get everything listed on my macbook, don't know why, but it is all okay now.  http://www.diigo.com/user/lilypage  I have previously used it to research new approaches to lessons and to find templates for some of the more mundane tasks teachers must do, such as lesson plans.  So now I have a simple but effective lesson plan template.  Today while looking on the PBS teacher site, I saw these great Activity packs.  There are multiple subject areas, and they can be added to class web pages easily as embedded media.  I liked the one on earth day and added it to my class homepage.  The tags make it easier to sort through information, although sometimes when I add tags I wonder if I am seeing only the hot word that I am interested in and not other relevant topics that would apply.  It seems to be easy to forget to add quotation marks for more than one word tags.....and that gets very weird.

My class blog!!

I finally got my class set up with usernames and passwords for the class blog.  Unfortunately it wasn't all finished until Friday night so i had to email the info to the kids at home.  We will have a lesson about blogging when Spring Break is over, but I had showed them the blog already, so they may be able to try it.  I had one student write a comment almost immediately.  I have been looking at other class blogs and the students seem to really express themselves well.  Hopefully, this will be exciting enough to hold their interest and inspire some good communication.  There have been only two out of 29 students who have not returned the permission slips.  If anyone is interested I can send the permission letter, it is very basic and to the point.  I am excited about giving my students something new to bring some enthusiasm into the end of the year.  Now I am trying to think of all the things we can put on the blog.......there are so many possibilities.   http://lilypage.edublogs.org

thing 5a

i just read the link in Lett's Musing about teaching children to check facts and beware of information from the internet. "The Future of Reading: In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update" The average 5th grader believes if it sounds important, it is important. As in Wikipedia is the same as an encyclopedia. That one concept has been a trial for many this year in completing their research projects. As technology literate as many of them have become, that is one site I have had minimal luck convincing them of its unreliability.

Tailoring research expectations to the students has been a challenge.  Making things doable and motivating without making it toooooo simple or to complex is tricky with 5th graders.  They are all capable of finding information on any topic but picking out what is relevant and NOT copy and pasting into their presentations has been hard for many.   They enjoy looking and accumulating the facts.  They mistakenly believe that the computer will make it all come together.  Some of my best teachable moments have been in seeing them learn what information to select and knowing they have to learn it, build the presentations and present it! 

podcasts

I just read Kim Cofino's article about podcasts , http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2009/03/11/podcasting-power/,made by 5 th graders about reading and writing . It sounds like a good thing to motivate and promote more meaningful writing from students. I recently filmed a math class for the first time....well..... first successful time. there are some logistic problems that cropped up the first time. However, it was simple once i got a plan. I think that it wouldn't be that hard for students to try this. It also sounds like a great activity for the post-CRCT weeks of school. My goal is to get a class blog working and now i think a podcast would be a good project for them to work on. The class was so interested in watching the video from the math lesson that this would be even better. Student produced, directed and written.

Jessica made an interesting observation about my question of assessments elsewhere. We do look at how other countries educate their children, but not at how they assess that learning. This (blogging) is a great way to poll other educators on what they know and then seeing what we need to investigate. I have tired of hearing how the Japanese, the Chinese, the Germans etc. teach without hearing about how they check it........

does anyone have some sites on Diigo that would be helpful?