week 11: my refections on open source software and learner management systems

Teachers often share materials, ideas and information in order to provide the best learning environment for their pupils. Teacher support systems have always existed but have changed throughout the years. In this new information age, educators are fortunate to have access to an almost endless supply of resources which are, quite literally, at our fingertips. I found the Schoolforge site to be a good example of a TSS as it provides a variety of resources , whether one is looking for news, case studies or even a workshop or two. I like this site and I think that educators will use more sites like this in the future.

Speaking of interesting sites ... recently, our principal recommended a site to our staff: bc.exambank.com/. This site offers practice exams for students. I would consider using this type of resource and often find myself looking online for various types of lesson based information.

I really like the approach that Ross and Waymack are taking with the systems that they have developed . They have each created an environment that allows for very effective and productive communication. Ross' comment about the overwhelming response he gets online after asking an algebra question is very significant " ...you may get 100 hits within 15 minutes." This is exactly what a teacher would like ... interest and interaction/participation! This means that the students are engaged so there is a greater chance for learning. It seems that there is a certain level of comfort in this type of learning enviroment. The fact that both Ross and Waymack have gotten very positive feedback/results from their learning management systems makes me think that this will work in our schools. For myself, I find that I am feeling more and more comfortable with the Vista system and would not hesitate to use it again.

As a teacher - librarian in an elementary school , I am "tapped into" each classroom, as I interact with each teacher and student and provide information and support for all. In my mind, both the library and the teacher-librarian are a large part of the tss in a school and, as a result, must explore the learning management systems and open source software that is available.

Interesting article to keep for reference

I found this article interesting and would like to keep it on hand ... http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7016.pdf.

week 10:podcasts ... more library mashup reflections

I was thinking about mashups when I came home from school today, thinking about a "library mashup". I did some looking around and found an interesting slideshare, by Nicole Engard, demonstrating the value of using mashups in the library:http://www.slideshare.net/nengard/library-mashups. Some of these ideas would work in a school library setting ... mapping mashups, for example, would be great as a teacher-librarian would have access to current geographical data from the internet. This makes me think about Breeding's comments. Is using mapping mashups in a library lesson an example of Breeding's point ... that we must use computer applications to stay current? A library is a place where one can go in order to find information and, as a result, we owe it to our patrons to provide information that is up to date. We have the resources to do this now and can use the computer (the internet) as our main source of information . So, yes, Breeding is correct, combining the traditional library world with the new computer world, is necessary.

week 10:Podcasts ... reflection on Horizon article

Mashups? This term is a new one for me but, after reading up on what it refers to, I think I get it. The ability to combine data from a number of sources seems to be a much easier process in today's digital world. Using the great big data source that is the "world wide web", we are now able to "grab online data, organize it and diplay it the way the author wants"(Horizon report, 2008). The possibilities are endless and, in a school environment, would be valuable in a number of different classroom settings. The Horizon report (2008) refers to "collective intelligence" where students can be part of the process and this is what we want ... an active learning environment. If they are involved, they will learn! As educators, we must teach our students how to gather information and become discerning information seekers.

Week 9: videos and sharing ... another Vimeo video

I realize that my first Vimeo video was a bit short so I thought I would try again. My subject was our dog, Kobe, once again. We took advantage of the beautiful day and walked to the school around the corner where Kobe had some time to "explore". In this video, he seems very interested in grazing on some tasty grass. I asked him to "sit", so I could film his great listening skills, but the grass was far too yummy!

Kobe: Part II from ivana jorgensen on Vimeo.

week 9: videos and sharing ... Trier and Campbell articles

I particularly enjoyed reading Trier's column this week. He makes a valid point ... why not use "cool" media as a pedagogical tool as its popularity with the younger generation is evident. If our students are part of the YouTube Generation, using this form of media as a teaching tool makes sense. Trier did this with his "mosh-pit pedagogy" idea and it sounded great! Students were to contribute a "text" that related to the reading of the week ... but this "text" did not have to be the old fashioned "text", it could also be the new "text" (retreived from the internet). The internet offers so many possibilities that the students must have loved it. It seems that going with the flow works much better than going against it.

Campbell's article made me see the value of podcasting. I appreciate the point that was made in regards to "developing effective listening skills". This is an important skill to work on as most of us are visual learners (myself included). I also like the point that was made in regards to the "human quality of a voice"; a human connection is important to maintain in a world that is becoming overloaded with technology. My favourite sentence in this article is a quote from Frank Burgos, the editorial page director of the Philadelphia Daily News , who calls newspapers "a collection of human beings." If we can "listen" to the newspaper, this would be very good!

Week 9: video and sharing ... newspaper article

I was reading the newspaper this morning and low and behold, I found an article relevant to this week's lesson: Social media boosts power of TV:
Boob-tube is benefitting from the digital realm as viewers go online with their thoughts

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Social+media+boosts+power/2693274/story.html

The article refers to social media as the "new hive" where people gather and contribute their thoughts...in this case, sharing thoughts about what they watch on t.v. The writer suggests that the old "water cooler", has been replaced by Twitter,blogs and Facebook. Yes, I would agree, and think that since the internet has such a large "reach", the participation level within these forums could be huge!

week 9: videos and sharing ... the Vimeo process

My Vimeo project went much more smoothly than expected. I did not have the use of a video camera so I was not sure what to use until a friend mentioned trying to use our digital camera. Yes, this was worth a try so I stepped into the back yard and filmed our dog, Kobe. I had already set up a Vimeo account earlier in the week so I was ready for the rest. Attaching my video file (from my camera) to my Vimeo account was no problem and the Vimeo site took only 30 minutes to prepare the clip for me. Next, I had to embed this video onto my blog site ... yikes! This sounded like it could involve some complicated manoeuvres! I have to say that it did not! So, you see in my previous blog, from earlier today, it was a success!

Week 9: videos and sharing ... my "vimeo" video

Kobe enjoying the sweet spring weather! from ivana jorgensen on Vimeo.

Week 9: videos and sharing ... my topic presentation week

This was my week for the topic presentation portion of this course and I spent many hours searching and researching as I was not exactly sure which direction to take with the topic of videos and sharing. I found many interesting bits of information on media collections available on the internet. I found a site called "SchoolTube" and some cool (and inspiring) videos (one of which I used in my topic presentation). After a few days, I realized that I was very impressed with the collaboration aspect of this topic. In my mind, collaboration means sharing ideas and, in doing so, becoming involved and active. Is there a better way to learn?

Video sharing can be both physically and mentally engaging. A student can watch and learn from a video (i.e. demonstrating how to do a task) or the same student can create a video through any type of social network. An example of creating a video could go something like this ... in a library setting, a book club group creates a video before and after reading its assigned book: the first video (before the book was read) could be a collaboration of predictions about the book and the second video (after the book was read) could present reflections about the book. The possibilities are endless and the video sharing sites offer many ideas.

The natural appeal of media collections is something which teachers need not ignore ... this form of "sharing" enables us all to reap the benefits of "putting our heads together", coming up with many amazing results! Perhaps this is the start of the new "active" learning library.

Henry Ford said ... Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. How true.

technology in schools: 2 articles/posts

Will Richardson's post regarding reactions to using technology in schools was not surprising to me. The "tech" world is constantly changing ... upgrading, correcting etc. Many schools are having trouble keeping up. Is it because administration cannot keep up as far as budgets are concerned or is there a concern about a backlash from parents who are not ready to enter the new world with both feet and are cautious ( they need more time to "catch up")? Both of these reasons seem valid to me. I say we keep moving, one step at a time ( even though they may be small steps).

The second article regarding web filters was presented tongue in cheek and made its intended point : are we too strict with our filters so that students do not reap the benefits that the internet has to offer? Yes, and no. Filters are necessary because we all know that, if you type in the wrong "search" word , you can open up a very scary world and we do not want that. Filters, in moderation, are necessary but we need to review them to make sure that they are not too "tight" and still allow for some exploration.

week 8: social networking: collaborative tagging

Golder and Huberman's article on collaborative tagging seems to cover both the good and the bad but concludes with a positive comment supporting this concept. Initially, I wondered how organizing information could be a collaborative effort without some sort of plan on how to organize things...wouldn't it be a bit chaotic with so many different people adding their own tags? By the end of the article, a few points remained in the forefront of my mind:
1.) even information tagged for personal use can benefit other users. For example, if many
users find something funny, there is a reasonable likelihood someone else would also find it to be so, and may want to explore it.
2.)Tagging is fundamentally about sensemaking.

I now think of tagging as the new version of "highlighting and making notes on the side". Before the internet, the highlighter (which only came in yellow in the 80's) was the best way to draw attention to key points in a written article. Adding a few points (in pencil) on the same written material came next. Content was being organized and labeled..."sensemaking" was taking place. I remember finding a textbook with someone else's notes in it ... this was usually considered a good thing. Often, I would add my own notes to the ones already there. Is this "collaborative tagging"? I would say it is to a degree. This version of "tagging" still exists in books today as I see it in my youngest son's textbooks.

Week 8: social networking beyond text: YouTube in the classroom

Can teachers show videos from Youtube to a class or embed them in Web sites used for course material access, without infringing copyright or licenses?
Good question, one that I have wondered about often. There is something called "education exemption" which states: There is an exemption for educational institutions (Section 29.4 of the Copyright Act) which covers the use of materials in the classroom and during examinations. It is very restrictive; however, it is possible for a teacher to make a manual reproduction of a work onto a dry-erase board or flip chart for displaying hand-written materials; to make a copy for the purpose of projection using an overhead projector or a similar device; to reproduce, translate or perform in public a work as required for a test or examination. These exceptions must occur in-class only and on the premises of the university campus only. If I interpret part of this exemption correctly ... then it is fine for teachers to use YouTube videos as a teaching tool. To be honest though, I think that since the creation of the internet, copyright infringement has grown exponentially.

week 8:social networking ... issues

Is it true that younger generations embrace social networking sites yet the older generations do not? Check out this TIME magazine article ... http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1879169,00.html. Grossman writes a humourous article but I believe that there is some truth here and that "Old Fogies" are catching on. Let's be fair ... the younger generation has grown up with the internet and the older generations have not. The latter should be given time to "catch up", to learn and adapt to this new technology. Many are becoming quite good at using the internet for on-line communication ... I would guess that most began with email correspondence and, finding it quick and easy, were looking for what was next in this exciting new world. In a very current article written by Amy Porterfield http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-differences-among-teens-boomers-and-moms-new-study-findings/, we can see that in 2009 there was a jump in the Baby Boomers use of social media ... "Forty-six percent of Boomer respondents said they maintained a social network profile (compared to 30% in 2007, according to a recent Deloitte study). "

The privacy issue of social networking sites is an interesting and controversial issue ... do all facebook users read The Terms of Use? Are people aware of the Beacon? In this article http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/tech/hightech/facebook-beacon.html
we are told that Facebook has a huge database of consumer information and this new system allows advertisers to get at it. Companies that sign up for the plan will be able to target their ads based upon the information Facebook collects. Collecting information? Is that o.k. with everyone? Does that mean collecting all information ... like photos that have been posted? Isn't my photo, my photo? Maybe not. Yikes, that one crosses the line for me. Check out The Terms of Use. Social networking is great ... quick, easy and very handy ... but do we sacrifice privacy in order to socialize on-line? Perhaps, but for some, it is worth it and they can't live without it, for others it is not. It is a personal choice.

Week 8: social networking beyond text: picasa cont'd

Picasa is a cool way to put ideas together and a collage is one way of displaying these ideas. Collages can be created with a bundle of magazines, scissors, glue and some poster paper or, they can be made with (more personal) images using Picasa. Using this site, students can use their imaginations and the choices of images could almost be endless. The TED video on Photosynth is very inspiring. I consider photosharing to be an art that allows expression and Photsynthing adds some "zing" to the final product.

week 8:social networking ... Picasa

I have here a Picasa collage ... created from the photos taken at our Canada vs U.S.A gold medal hockey game party! Great!!!

Group Wiki Project: reflections

I am a believer in learning through play but must admit that, in the past, I have had a difficult time with the educational relevance of videogames. This is mostly due to my own personal experience with a gamer who is very close to me: my eldest son. On-line games have been a touchy subject in our home and we have battled with our child for many years. Teaching moderation is not an easy thing. My son has had stretches of time where I know he is addicted to the on-line game he plays. Those have been very upsetting and scary! After reading Sanford’s article, I could not believe the irony: the whole gaming topic was a tough one for me to even consider but I had to put my best foot forward, remove my emotions from the subject and see what would happen.
As the school library is often considered the “hub of the community”, I feel that the teacher-librarian‘s job must shift in order for “the community” to stay current with the changes in our world. When it comes to teaching, active learning is a concept that I support wholeheartedly. Will putting those two ideas together (staying current + active learning) equal “videogames in the library”? In order for teaching to be effective, it needs to be dynamic and since learning is a complex process, this idea is one to consider. If a student is studying Ancient Rome, playing a game called Ancient Civilizations would teach him/her a thing or two about the subject at hand. The student would inevitably absorb information without realizing it. In this case, yes, I would supplement my teaching with this type of videogame. I would say that moderation is important though, as the addictive qualities of these types of games have been well documented. I do believe that the pros outweigh the cons as far as this topic goes. Game playing involves interacting and if one is interacting with the subject being taught, that is a very good thing. There is value in this type of learning and it can be added to a teacher’s repertoire of teaching tools.
Speaking of teaching tools, I am teaching European Geography in one of my library blocks and found that my current “tools” were not working. The concept of teaching students about our world, in combination with teaching them to use reference materials was a sound one at the start. Unfortunately, I ran into trouble pretty quickly when preparing one of the first few lessons and realized that our large school maps were out of date. Next, I checked the atlases … also out of date and these books were not even that old! My next lesson became one on showing my students how borders are always changing … new countries are formed while old ones no longer exist … this was clearly a lesson that I could not resist. My students found it fascinating! Information on filling out a current map of Europe was to follow and, the next Thursday, we went to the computer lab and found what we needed on the internet … I knew that this tool would not let me down. While filling in our maps, my mind wandered to Sanford’s idea of learning through play and videogames in the library. Even though my students could find their data on a few different school approved websites, these sites were, I must admit, boring. I wondered if there was a more exciting way to complete our maps… a site that would offer some form of active learning. I could think of a few sites that would work for my lesson … but many are deemed educationally unsound, at the moment, and are not available on our school computers. I will look into this further and will definitely try to supplement this lesson with some type of interactive learning idea … perhaps an on-line game. Putting the idea of learning through (video) games into practice is a concept that I do consider and I see myself using this particular teaching tool in future lessons when appropriate.
Sanford’s article addresses the needs of 21st Century learners and the school library must adapt. To begin, we will need to review our “rules” regarding “safe” websites and decide how to govern these new teaching tools. Also, the reality is that many schools are lagging behind and are not keeping up with the technology that is available. One reason for this is funding but another is the resistance (by administration as well as parents) to change the traditional teaching tools. Slowly, but surely, society will embrace the changes in our schools and, as we all “shift” into the new world, hopefully we will all welcome the tools that become available.

Week 8: social networking beyond text: bomomo

You are right Joanne ... Bomomo is a fun site. What a cool way for students to create some funky art!

My attempt at ... The Olympic Rings!

week 7:social networking and tag clouds

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I am a visual person so , as a result, I really like tagging. I think that most of us are visual so these would appeal to many. I believe that Joyce Valenza ( previous lesson) used them on her school library site. Above, you see a screenshot of my tagging experience so far. It is very small on here ( I have to work on adding screenshots to my blog) but with some trial and error, I think I have figured out how tagging works.

Yes, another blog entry ... this one about Twitter

After reading the Twitter article on the iLibrarian site (by the way, I really like this site), I am amazed at the popularity of yet another social networking site. I am not sure why there are so many of these sites but I guess each one has its own unique features. Twitter is going strong and I can't help but feel that its popularity is based on the fact that it is a constant and current feed of (social) information. Like being able to connect with someone at anytime or any place. In an elementary school setting ... this would not really be my first SNS choice. The upper intermediate students could handle the flow of information but I think that the younger students would find Twitter overwhelming. Hmm ... will have to look into this.

delicious ... a social networking tool

What a great name ... and a great idea. Delicious is a very usable school library tool. A bookmarking service (fitting name for something to be used in a library setting) for web based information is a must. An example: I spoke with one of my classes yesterday about looking for more than one source of information on the internet ... we all agreed that all of the information out there can be somewhat overwhelming. As a social networking service, Delicious would be helpful here as a place to organize information and allow those with common goals/interests to put their heads together ... wow, think of how effective this could be.

Todd's article ... collecting info

Todd's article is very interesting. Once again, the role of the librarian is forefront in my mind and I feel that a large part of my job is to teach my students how to find information ... research skills. But how do I adjust my role, as the Web 2.0 world is a new one. Every one of my students is comfortable using a computer and I am pretty sure that he/she has, at some point, "googled" something ... looking for info . So, access to info is no problem ... but ... according to the info in Todd's article, this is where we (teachers) come in. Todd mentions that even though students do not hesitate to look things up on the internet, often this research is done in a somewhat "sloppy" manner ... skimming and power browsing (instead of reading thoroughly) for example, is very common. What about checking more than one source? How many students do this? The teacher-librarian steps in here and teaches proper information literacy. Teaching the "google generation" how to collect information is a must.

social networking

Facebook was introduced to me by some friends who were trying to organize a high school reunion. It did the job and easily organized a great party! Communicating is simple and fun with this tool and I even got my husband interested...but he is not completly sold on the idea yet. Truly speaking, I do not check "my facebook" very often as I prefer to phone my friends to catch up on things. But getting together and planning some get togethers has been great using this form of social networking. I do worry about the creepy side and have heard that once you are in, your info can be made available to anyone...even with security settings in place. My own children use it and also rely on it for their social lives.
In a school environment ... it would work ... but again the creepy side pops up here. Many parents are still uncomfortable with their children "talking" on line. A very strictly structured site might work and put parents at ease. The positives of a site where students can collaborate and post their thoughts could outweigh the negatives. Could these parents see the advantages of a community of learners ... each one contributing ideas? A teacher created forum might be the way to go.