week 13: the future ... Web 3.0 key questions

Libraries are becoming "active learning laboratories" because many Web 2.0 tools are information/communication based and these types of teaching tools and resources can be used by a teacher-librarian (Wikipedia, blogs, creating wikis).

Wikipedia's definition of Web 2.0 includes "... web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web ... web-based communities, hosted services, web applications, social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups, and folksonomies. A Web 2.0 site allows its users to interact with other users..." .

1. How do Web 2.0 (and beyond) tools transform the traditional role of the library as a place into one characterized as an active learning laboratory?

Since the library is the information epicenter of a school and many Web 2.o tools are information/resource based, it makes sense that Web 2.0 is becoming a big part of the school library. Wikipedia's definition (above) points to a toolbox filled with tools that involve interaction, sharing, collaboration and networking, all of which involve the state of being "active". A traditional (more passive) library does not involve much interaction ... it is more of a "one-way street"; however, a library using Web 2.0 tools becomes an active learning laboratory where students can explore, interact and communicate. Students that are creating wikis for a novel study, for example, are "active" and engaged in learning while they add bits and pieces to their wiki and are collaborating and sharing when asking classmates to contribute to the same wiki site. How about a student adding relevant information to his/her hometown Wikipedia site? If a student is engaged, he is definitely learning something and often, is recognizing the importance of the lesson.

2.How did you construct new knowledge and further development of your teaching philosophies using Web 2.0 tools?

I believe that, as teachers, we must choose how to "speak" to our students so they understand what we are saying. We must also choose teaching tools that "engage" our students in the learning process. Why not use digital tools to teach "digital natives"... and could these tools involve some sort of interaction? This is where Web 2.0 comes into the picture. It makes sense ... Wikipedia, blogs and YouTube (all interactive) are "comfortable" for students as they are often a part of their everyday lives. Throughout this course, I have slowly become more "comfortable" with many of these tools and see the value of using them within my library. The idea of interaction (engagement) is my favourite as it supports my own philosophy and I am happy to have many more tools in my toolbox. I am looking forward to interacting, sharing and collaborating with my students.

Week 13:the future ... web 3.0 reflection on readings

Will the school library become obsolete? What will happen to teacher-librarians? My thoughts on this are simple. As long as we evolve,learn and develop new skills, TLs will be here to stay... who else will be able to guide all of the traffic within the library (the information epicentre)? Within the world of web 3.0, the teaching profession will be there to help guide (and teach)students the ins and outs of new technologies ... to teach students HOW these tools can be used. Our libraries will be information laboratories, with active learners coming and going. Doiron and Asselin refer to "engaging students in new learning environments"...yes, this is it exactly! Just because Google will be even more amazing, that doesn't mean students will know how to use it effectively...this is where teachers step in and teach the "how" and the "where". As the basics of teacher education change, how and what we teach will also change. Our roles will be altered and, as educators, we will keep current and "go with the flow", "flourish and grow", embracing new technology and utilizing what it has to offer. Ken Robinson's very engaging talk on creativity was interesting. I like a few of his comments ... we must "rethink the fundamental principles regarding how we educate our children" and "intelligence is dynamic". His remarks are in reference to encouraging and appreciating creativity but the same words can be applied to using new (web)tools and integrating them into our educational systems. By the way, does Mr. Robinson realize that interaction on the web involves creativity?

"The future's bright, the future is..." full of opportunities! I found this article's approach very positive. Instead of worrying about new technology, why not take advantage of what it has to offer our profession. We will have to adjust some of our ideas in regards to how and what to teach but this is not a bad thing. Rethinking many fundamentals which have been around for a long time will make teaching more effective and current. Yes, it is hard to imagine what new technology will actually be like but in an ever - changing world, let's embrace "the new" and see what "teachers" can do with it. A new definition of (school) education might become necessary because "... emerging technologies will revolutionize teaching and learning...".

week 12: changing collections ... reflections on readings

The readings this week were very interesting and significant, dealing with something most of us do on a daily basis ... access free information online. I am a fan of open access information and agree that free access is "...promoting use and integration of knowledge into the lives of all citizens."(Kopak). Yes, this is a form of "public education". Willinsky echoes this and states, "increased presence is arguably good for the state of knowledge". My feeling is that in a world where information is available, why not use it ... selectively, of course. Let's educate as many as possible. Unfortunately, there are some issues to be dealt with, as everyone seems to be a writer these days, but I say we keep going as long as we can ... knowledge is a good thing.

At the moment, I am not too concerned about Esposito's "cost" issues. Maybe I should be but, right now, I am loving the idea of free information.

My "vision of the future"

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Vision of the future assignment

I will be posting my "vision of the future" assignment on my blog very soon. I put my thoughts together on a power point presentation and then uploaded my file onto slideshare. There was a bit of a learning curve going on throughout this experience! My power point slides did not exactly come through onto slideshare as I had saved them on powerpoint ... the size and style of font seemed to change, things did not look quite right. After a few adjustments, I think that it is much better. Slideshare was a new tool for me ... it looks like it can do many things so I will look to use it in the future (but I will still need some more practice with it!)

Animoto idea for assignment

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

week 11: exploring moodle

I took a further look at a moodle demo this morning and was very impressed. I found it very "user friendly" and intriguing. The features demo was well organized and looked very simple. I like the modules that were listed ... quizzes, resources, lessons, glossaries, surveys and even wikis, to name a few. There are even options available below each feature, providing some direction for those of us new to this type of thing. I like the idea of on-line learning and can understand why Moodle is so popular. For my first attempt at using Moodle I might try the lesson module and create some sort of book response type of activities.

week 11: doing some exploring ...

I took a look at some examples of OSS and found some that were familiar and others that were very new to me. Pidgin looks like an interesting instant messaging software, I like how it supports a variety of operating systems. Miro video converter ... converting video to MP4...this would definitely be useful at home and possibly in a school setting ... read aloud books, perhaps. I have seen Firefox because both of my children seem to use it but tell me that they do not prefer it as a web browser ... they also admit that they have not explored it much. I am interested in Open Office. This one might be worth looking into further as I am always curious about new word processing software. Moodle, an application tool for creating a learning site, looks quite user - friendly. This is a nice surprise! Everything is well labelled and I could see using this software to create courses, lessons, practice exams. I like the forum that is available on this site; communication with other educators would be helpful. I am amazed at the reach that Moodle has ... with participants from all over the world. I would like to show this to my colleagues and see if, over the summer, we could put some things together. I think I will make a note of this one and do some more exploring.

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.