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!