Entry #1 Twitter
I have a twitter account. Check me out @fhcbradanderson . Two and half years ago I signed up for twitter. And there my account sat for two years almost without a single "tweet" or a single follower. Pretty sad really. I had no idea what twitter meant and what it could do for me and my continuous learning as a coach and teacher. It would have gone on like this had it not been for an early morning breakfast with a good friend of mine.
Sitting at the corner table (where I always park it) at my favorite mom 'n' pop breakfast place I sat across from my friend to talk about what we usually talk about - wrestling. I am the varsity wrestling coach at the high school and he is an involved parent, volunteer coach and booster member. I have these frequent breakfasts with the many stakeholders of my program. It's my small way of staying connected in this wifi world we now live. You cannot beat a face-to-face conversation. However, you also cannot ignore the power of social networking and "the social web" as Will Richardson calls it in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.
After talking about next year's line-up and other particulars, we started to talk about communication. "How do we best communicate to the parents and the wrestlers?" I asked. My friend, who is a multimedia and graphic designer by trade, had a few thoughts: 1) accurate, timely updates of the team website for the parents 2) for the kids, facebook and twitter.
Right away I knew I could step up my game with the website. I only updated it during the season and that was weekly at best. He told me that people want interesting info about the team all year - even if that audience is small - and they should be able to find that content on our website (or they will go someplace else figuratively). I also was pretty positive about my ability to update and create posts on the team facebook group page. The group page was started by one of my athletes and he quickly allowed me to be an administrator. With a most of my wrestlers members and a smattering of parents members as well, I quickly began posting camp pictures, links to wrestling articles, and interesting wrestling video clips. The facebook updates were fun and comprehensible.
Twitter however was another ballgame. I needed to jump in head first. I knew the power of twitter. I was never skeptical of twitter (as other skepticisms have been chronicled on this blog). I just hadn't bothered to learn how to effectively use it. I didn't understand the #hashtag or the @ symbol. I didn't get the "connect" feature and I didn't know who to follow. So I dove in. I found my favorite news destinations and followed them. I then found interesting leaders on both sides of the aisle and followed them. Then I found my favorite wrestling websites and became a follower. Finally I began following some education sites. Within days, twitter became my "go-to" source for news, articles, video clip links and motivational quotes. I was hooked. I was a twitter fan.
Now the trick was to use twitter to my advantage. That is where I learned how to retweet interesting posts. I also began to regale my followers with interesting news about our wrestling program and also post my favorite motivational quotes (hey, I'm a wrestling coach, right!). All of the sudden I picked up a few followers and a few more. At publication I am pushing 45 followers (I know that's sad, but it's better than collecting dust!). What is interesting to me is the @connect feature. I am watching people respond and interact with what I post. I have found that people not only pay attention to my tweets but they "favorite" them and "retweet" them often.
My hope is, that by next season (19 weeks and one day away!) I will have all of my wrestlers, all of my twitter-using parents and a handful of fans "following" @fhcbradanderson, so that next time I sit down with my friend for coffee we can talk about our communication as a strength rather than an area of weakness.
Entry #2 Storytelling
A Response to an Edutopia blog by
Suzi Boss, Journalist & PBL Advocate
(Click Here for Link)
"Your students graduate not just prepared, but inspired to chase their own whys." -quote by a New Tech graduate.
I am in 100% agreement with this statement. Learning skills are important to master and important for a teacher to impart. Nonetheless, I believe up to and maybe even exceeding 50% of a teacher's job is to inspire. I am not talking about a one-time "rah-rah" speech at the beginning or end of the school year. I am also not talking about "when you're in the real world you'll need to be..." speeches either. Like Boss' article states, "It's either Dead Poets Society or Bad Teacher," laments Chaltain. What this refers to is what the public views us as - either inspired, cutting-edge risk-takers that flaunt convention or the stodgy teacher that laminates their lesson plans. Most of us know, those are caricatures of extremes. Most of us lean towards progress, improvising, adapting and building new ways to overcome learning barriers.
Inspiration can and should come in many forms and it must be frequent. As Boss' article states, "The Ignite (educational resource) slogan is 'Enlighten us, but make it quick." Passion is essential. Humor doesn't hurt. Good visuals are a must.' " How true.
If a teacher wishes to inspire they must employ many tactics to reach a variety of skill sets, personalities and souls.
Every Monday my students know the first thing we do is "Monday Motivation". It starts off as my collection of quotes (Teddy Roosevelt & Rudyard Kipling poems are a frequent visitors) and YouTube clips ("I am a Champion" and "How bad do you want it?" are favorites of mine) and then by the second semester I find that students invest by sending me or recommending to me their favorite quotes, clips, stories and so on. I encourage them to "own it" and find things that motivate them. We acknowledge that not every day is "sunshine and rainbows" and sometimes - many times - we need inspiration.
I also use teachable moments from class activities, random acts of kindness or meanness I see, current events, or school issues to stand on my soap box. My students know my "speeches" are 5-minutes or less (mostly), and they have a certain model: 1) the hook or attention-getter 2) the tease 3) an anecdote 4) the message 5) and relief (Thank You Chris Matthews and The Hardball Handbook!). I explain in very direct terms what it means to be honest, to work hard, to face failure and move forward, to have courage and treat others with kindness. We dialogue and the students respond.
I also use, what many teachers think is a waste of instructional time, movie clips from Rudy (Go Irish!), Rocky (any training montage or Rocky self-actualization moment will do), It's a Wonderful Life (who doesn't identify with George Bailey and his personal sacrifices?), Scent of a Woman (can you beat that closing speech by Pacino?!), and Cinderella Man (even I tear-up a little when he - spoiler alert - beats Max Baer). I use these timeless films to illustrate the richness of life, the triumph of the spirit, the heart of champions, and the idea that effort over time can equal success. The 45 minutes spent here-and-there on scenes from these movies at well-timed moments of the year can pay huge dividends. First, the students who have seen the films connect to you and your humanness. Second, the students who have not seen the films are exposed to some great cinema and heart-felt moments they otherwise might not ever see. Next, you show the students that you care about more than academia, that you care about their spirit, their motivation, and their education as well-rounded people. Finally (actually, I could go on-and-on), the students feel better about overcoming obstacles and enduring hardship if only for a brief moment. It promotes self-efficacy - something that is lost in this world of participation ribbons and awards for everything and anything.
Inspiring - or at least attempting to inspire - students is to me a solemn duty. I am there to ignite a "fire in their bellies". You cannot expect 16-year-olds to always want to learn for the sake of learning. Sometimes they need to be reminded that life is a journey, that they are on a bath that is one-part academic and one-part spiritual. They need to see you, the role model, getting fired-up.
The best compliment I can get from a student is that they recognize I am passionate. Because, if I am not passionate about learning and about the journey, then why should they be?!
Being a good storyteller is also a part of embracing your role as "inspirer-in-chief". Will you be the teacher that they remember as "lighting their fire"? Or will you be just another cog in the wheel?
Storytelling, motivating, inspiration, building life-long learners, guiding students towards lifelong passion and pursuits...those to me are the reasons I became a teacher. The content is merely a vessel.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
EDU 653 Week #5
Entry 1 To Wiki, Or Not to Wiki? Part II
Follow-up to Week #3 Post
It has been two or three weeks since my blog post about my dive into the world of wikis. Since then I have become more comfortable with the "ins and outs" of wiki use. I have not had an opportunity to implement in the classroom as I am luckily on summer recess, however I did set up a class wiki on Wikispaces. The link has been placed on my class website and is now just waiting...
FHCBradAnderson Class Website Click Here
I have not entirely decided what to do with the wiki. It is set up. It is tabula rasa as they say or a "blank slate". However, I want to avoid the trap of using technology for technology sake. I want my use of a wiki to be engaging and valuable.
In Will Richardson's book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Tools for Classrooms, he suggests a variety of wiki uses that include report collaborations (sometimes with other schools or districts), posting results to experiments, collaborative review (Welker's Wikinomics), virtual communities, online diaries, online photo journalism projects and creating an online "book".
I think where this technology can be interesting and innovative in my history classroom is two-fold:
1. Online debate tool: Too often in class students that are reserved or introverted tend to shy away from discussions and debates. I have tried facilitating discussions many different ways, but a wiki may be a great option. Modeling an online debate much like we have in our EDU 653 class may be a viable option. Students would add-to and edit content based on discussion in class, readings, notes and other research.
2. Online collaborative report: As a teacher I usually stay away from the group project out of class. In class there is slim time to allot to students as well. To hurdle a time constraint and scheduling constraint, a wiki could be used to create a collaborative project whereby students could add-to and edit the wiki on their own time. As the teacher I could monitor their time and activity on the wiki.
The wiki will most definitely be used in my classroom this fall and I look forward to, instead of dread, the implications of this innovative use of technology.
Entry 2 "Six Paths to Better Leadership"
A Response to an Edutopia Article by
Maurice Elias Professor, Rutgers University Psychology Department
The following are the "six paths to better leadership" as outline by Professor Elias
I am an avid reader of leadership and team work literature. I am a huge fan of John Maxwell and his leadership books. One of my favorites is Frosty Westering's Make the Big Time Where You Are. I also enjoy Jim Collins' writings on the subject. A particular favorite of mine is not a book about leadership but rather "excellence in the workplace" and it's called The Little Big Things: Excellence by Tom Peters. All of those books, if distilled to their core, would look something like Elias' list aforementioned. As John Maxwell states, "Everything rises and falls on leadership."
As a classroom teacher, we are not only content area specialists, we are the leaders in the classroom. A strong, fair, kind and discipline leader is needed in the classroom for the students to succeed. Individual temperaments aside, teachers should all abide by the six, very simple, rules stated above. This is especially true during the first week - even more importantly first day - of school. From the "get-go" students want to know they have someone who will lead them effectively - someone who will set a vision, make it clear for all, inspire, be an example, show calm & courage and recognize teachable moments.
When I saw Professor Elias' "six paths" I knew right away that I would copy those onto a sheet and post those very six paths on my desk for me to see every day. As a teacher that is constantly reflecting on the process and continually trying to improve the classroom experience, this six paths will make it clear what I need to do during the first week.
In the past I have done or implemented the six paths, I just didn't know I was doing it. Now I will have a specific outline for action. For example:
First Day of School:
1. Stand in the hall way
2. Greet & shake hands of students
3. Have an assignment on the board & seating chart ("Find your seat, sit quietly & fill out the following info...)
4. Set a vision (I have an expectations slideshow that clearly outlines my beliefs and my vision for the class)
A. Expectations include morality, honesty, hard work, discipline, attendance
B. We also talk about how to interact with one another
5. On the first day I try to inspire and motivate (personal or historical anecdote)
As far as #6 goes, that is something that will take place during the week. I set up the first week to get the kids active and engaged with one another before I ever open a textbook or history lesson.
The "Six Paths to Better Leadership" will provide a template for weekly/daily actions in my Room 112.
Follow-up to Week #3 Post
It has been two or three weeks since my blog post about my dive into the world of wikis. Since then I have become more comfortable with the "ins and outs" of wiki use. I have not had an opportunity to implement in the classroom as I am luckily on summer recess, however I did set up a class wiki on Wikispaces. The link has been placed on my class website and is now just waiting...
FHCBradAnderson Class Website Click Here
I have not entirely decided what to do with the wiki. It is set up. It is tabula rasa as they say or a "blank slate". However, I want to avoid the trap of using technology for technology sake. I want my use of a wiki to be engaging and valuable.
In Will Richardson's book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Tools for Classrooms, he suggests a variety of wiki uses that include report collaborations (sometimes with other schools or districts), posting results to experiments, collaborative review (Welker's Wikinomics), virtual communities, online diaries, online photo journalism projects and creating an online "book".
I think where this technology can be interesting and innovative in my history classroom is two-fold:
1. Online debate tool: Too often in class students that are reserved or introverted tend to shy away from discussions and debates. I have tried facilitating discussions many different ways, but a wiki may be a great option. Modeling an online debate much like we have in our EDU 653 class may be a viable option. Students would add-to and edit content based on discussion in class, readings, notes and other research.
2. Online collaborative report: As a teacher I usually stay away from the group project out of class. In class there is slim time to allot to students as well. To hurdle a time constraint and scheduling constraint, a wiki could be used to create a collaborative project whereby students could add-to and edit the wiki on their own time. As the teacher I could monitor their time and activity on the wiki.
The wiki will most definitely be used in my classroom this fall and I look forward to, instead of dread, the implications of this innovative use of technology.
Entry 2 "Six Paths to Better Leadership"
A Response to an Edutopia Article by
Maurice Elias Professor, Rutgers University Psychology Department
The following are the "six paths to better leadership" as outline by Professor Elias
1. Believe & Envision
2. Start Strong & Simple
3. Persuade & Inspire
4. Lead Morally
5. Demonstrate Courage & Compromise
6. Optimize Any Situation
I am an avid reader of leadership and team work literature. I am a huge fan of John Maxwell and his leadership books. One of my favorites is Frosty Westering's Make the Big Time Where You Are. I also enjoy Jim Collins' writings on the subject. A particular favorite of mine is not a book about leadership but rather "excellence in the workplace" and it's called The Little Big Things: Excellence by Tom Peters. All of those books, if distilled to their core, would look something like Elias' list aforementioned. As John Maxwell states, "Everything rises and falls on leadership."
As a classroom teacher, we are not only content area specialists, we are the leaders in the classroom. A strong, fair, kind and discipline leader is needed in the classroom for the students to succeed. Individual temperaments aside, teachers should all abide by the six, very simple, rules stated above. This is especially true during the first week - even more importantly first day - of school. From the "get-go" students want to know they have someone who will lead them effectively - someone who will set a vision, make it clear for all, inspire, be an example, show calm & courage and recognize teachable moments.
When I saw Professor Elias' "six paths" I knew right away that I would copy those onto a sheet and post those very six paths on my desk for me to see every day. As a teacher that is constantly reflecting on the process and continually trying to improve the classroom experience, this six paths will make it clear what I need to do during the first week.
In the past I have done or implemented the six paths, I just didn't know I was doing it. Now I will have a specific outline for action. For example:
First Day of School:
1. Stand in the hall way
2. Greet & shake hands of students
3. Have an assignment on the board & seating chart ("Find your seat, sit quietly & fill out the following info...)
4. Set a vision (I have an expectations slideshow that clearly outlines my beliefs and my vision for the class)
A. Expectations include morality, honesty, hard work, discipline, attendance
B. We also talk about how to interact with one another
5. On the first day I try to inspire and motivate (personal or historical anecdote)
As far as #6 goes, that is something that will take place during the week. I set up the first week to get the kids active and engaged with one another before I ever open a textbook or history lesson.
The "Six Paths to Better Leadership" will provide a template for weekly/daily actions in my Room 112.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
EDU 653 Week #4
Entry #1 Podcasting & Live Streaming
Last Sunday when I began reading Will Richardson's chapter 8 in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms I was somewhat skeptical. I had tried the Audacity technology before without much success. However, after devoting my afternoon to reading about and then searching the internet for different podcasting, screencasting and live streaming tools, I can honestly say I have drank the kool aid.
The idea of podcasting to my students enthralled me. After some toying around with Audacity (per our class assignment) I found it to be a simple yet powerful tool that could be used immediately. The implications for classroom use are far-reaching: a weekly teacher-parent podcast, review podcasts, lecture podcasts, student-created podcasts and teacher commentary podcasts. Couple that with a wiki and you have an amazing online resource that has endless possibilities. After working through our own EDU 653 podcast/Audacity assignment, I decided that I was going to have a three-prong plan surrounding podcasts in my classroom:
1. A weekly teacher podcast where I give a synopsis of the week ahead, class updates, class announcements, reminders, and teacher recommendations (books, movies, websites, articles)
2. A weekly student podcast where a selected student gives a brief synopsis of what was learned in class during the week, descriptions of class activities, and a summary of assignments.
3. Condensed lectures that would summary/supplement class activities and content. This would also be useful for students that missed class or for students that need extra review.
Podcasting via Audacity is quick, easy and convenient and can be done at my desk. It will be a technology I will implement immediately this autumn.
Live Streaming is another intriguing avenue for educators. I have not fully explored my use of live streaming in the classroom but I did recognize an immediate use for my wrestling team. After exploring various options that Will Richardson recommends I chose UStream to invest my time. It is a quick, simple and user-friendly live-streaming technology that also offers a free account. I set up an account, tested the technology and fell in love with the potential of it all.
I plan on live streaming my wrestling matches so that Grandpa Jim in Wabash, Wisconsin can watch his grandson Johnny wrestle in Grand Rapids, Michigan live! I watch a lot of live-streamed wrestling (as not much actual wrestling is on tv or live for that matter) and I look forward to utilizing this exciting prospect for my own wrestlers and their fans.
This is my first attempt at a podcast. Enjoy!
Click Here for Link
Entry #2 RSS Feeds
"Really Simple Syndication" is recommended by Will Richardson as the technology to use and implement immediately and then introduce it to your students. Per our introductory tasks, creating a Feedly "RSS" reader was required. At first I was not interested in creating yet another account with another site. After all I have a facebook account, twitter account, prezi account, two educational wikis, two google accounts (one personal, one school), one UStream account, and more. Setting up this technology I was not sure how exactly I would utilize an RSS feed.
Yet again, after you are forced to use such a technology you begin to see the merits. My Feedly reader is now a part of my morning routine. I have subscribe to several educational sites (as well as fellow EDU 653 classmates) and I enjoy getting interesting and resourceful updates. Not having to "surf the internet" to find articles and resources saves time and effort. It has become my one-stop-shop for news, articles and educational updates.
I will highly recommend this technology to my students and with further use I may even spend valuable class time to help them set-up their own reader.
Last Sunday when I began reading Will Richardson's chapter 8 in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms I was somewhat skeptical. I had tried the Audacity technology before without much success. However, after devoting my afternoon to reading about and then searching the internet for different podcasting, screencasting and live streaming tools, I can honestly say I have drank the kool aid.
The idea of podcasting to my students enthralled me. After some toying around with Audacity (per our class assignment) I found it to be a simple yet powerful tool that could be used immediately. The implications for classroom use are far-reaching: a weekly teacher-parent podcast, review podcasts, lecture podcasts, student-created podcasts and teacher commentary podcasts. Couple that with a wiki and you have an amazing online resource that has endless possibilities. After working through our own EDU 653 podcast/Audacity assignment, I decided that I was going to have a three-prong plan surrounding podcasts in my classroom:
1. A weekly teacher podcast where I give a synopsis of the week ahead, class updates, class announcements, reminders, and teacher recommendations (books, movies, websites, articles)
2. A weekly student podcast where a selected student gives a brief synopsis of what was learned in class during the week, descriptions of class activities, and a summary of assignments.
3. Condensed lectures that would summary/supplement class activities and content. This would also be useful for students that missed class or for students that need extra review.
Podcasting via Audacity is quick, easy and convenient and can be done at my desk. It will be a technology I will implement immediately this autumn.
Live Streaming is another intriguing avenue for educators. I have not fully explored my use of live streaming in the classroom but I did recognize an immediate use for my wrestling team. After exploring various options that Will Richardson recommends I chose UStream to invest my time. It is a quick, simple and user-friendly live-streaming technology that also offers a free account. I set up an account, tested the technology and fell in love with the potential of it all.
I plan on live streaming my wrestling matches so that Grandpa Jim in Wabash, Wisconsin can watch his grandson Johnny wrestle in Grand Rapids, Michigan live! I watch a lot of live-streamed wrestling (as not much actual wrestling is on tv or live for that matter) and I look forward to utilizing this exciting prospect for my own wrestlers and their fans.
This is my first attempt at a podcast. Enjoy!
Click Here for Link
Entry #2 RSS Feeds
"Really Simple Syndication" is recommended by Will Richardson as the technology to use and implement immediately and then introduce it to your students. Per our introductory tasks, creating a Feedly "RSS" reader was required. At first I was not interested in creating yet another account with another site. After all I have a facebook account, twitter account, prezi account, two educational wikis, two google accounts (one personal, one school), one UStream account, and more. Setting up this technology I was not sure how exactly I would utilize an RSS feed.
Yet again, after you are forced to use such a technology you begin to see the merits. My Feedly reader is now a part of my morning routine. I have subscribe to several educational sites (as well as fellow EDU 653 classmates) and I enjoy getting interesting and resourceful updates. Not having to "surf the internet" to find articles and resources saves time and effort. It has become my one-stop-shop for news, articles and educational updates.
I will highly recommend this technology to my students and with further use I may even spend valuable class time to help them set-up their own reader.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
EDU 653 Week #3
Entry 1: To Wiki, Or not to Wiki?
I have to admit that several years ago our media center specialist at FHC attempted to convince me of the merits of a wiki. My only experience at the point with wikis was of course Wikipedia. Fresh out of college in 2005, the prevailing wind was that Wikiepedia was not only unreliable but almost a sin when using in an academic setting. The media center specialist convinced me to use a wikispaces site to collect and administer a project on the seven continents (a project for a Geography course I was teaching). I happily registered with wikispaces and was determined to be the fresh, young teacher that was willing to try such programs. I set up a pretty slick (for the time) wikispace and then invited all of my sixth hour Geography students to the site.
After about five minutes in the computer lab (about the time it takes to boot-up and log-in to the computers) the first hand shot up like a ship into space. Then another hand and another hand and another.
"Mr. Anderson! The site URL you gave us is blocked!" shouted one student.
"Try it again," I said, not sure if I should break a brow sweat or chalk it up to inattentiveness by five of my students.
But, then another dozen hands and a dozen inquisitive looks were directed towards me.
"Mr. Anderson...ummm...I tried it again and it doesn't work", calmly stated one of my more thoughtful and forgiving students.
"I guess this means we can't do the project, huh, Mr. Anderson?!" snarkily commented one of my least attentive students.
What happened was that although I was given access to wikispaces through our very stringent school internet filtration system, for some reason at that time, wikispaces was a blocked site.
At that very moment I realized something about technology, a creed repeated by my EDU 653 professor Kim Guerrazzi often, "Technology is great, when it works!"
Another, thing happened that day: Even though it was the district block and not the software/technology itself, I was jaded and word "wiki" to me meant embarassment, wasted work and treachery. Anytime I heard the word again I cringed. Not only would I refuse to see the merits of the technology but I would actively discourage other educators in my department from using it.
One side note, is that the block was lifted after a few days of scrambling and watching The Discovery Channel's "Planet Earth" DVD's to "supplement" the project. We has a few days still in the lab and we attempted to utilize the wiki. More problems floated to the top: password problems, editing issues, etc. What I did not wrap-my-head-around was that a wiki, which loosely translated in Hawaiian means "quick", is a resource where anyone with access to the wiki is in essence an editor-in-chief. The technology itself was not properly explained to me, when, in a time where blogs, wikis and YouTube were still emerging and in their infancy (educationally at least).
Fast forward to my journey to attain a masters in educational technology. I signed-up out of a genuine interest to advance my knowledge and competency in the area of educational technology. Learn how to create and upload a YouTube clip? Sure. Be versed in the ways of prezi and google sites? No problem. Attempt a digital storytelling video? Heckya! Craft ten page essay using Google Drive? You got it! But the buck stopped, for me at least, when it came to wikis. It was like nails on a chalk board when a professor used this modality.
It's not all because of that one isolated let-down back six or seven years ago, but rather my inability to see or happen-upon wikis of any value. Most of my digital life is spent on news websites, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, and the suite of Google Apps our district provides (Drive and sites being my favorite outside using blogger). And so, a wiki to me translated to a fancy and convoluted way to administer a course or collaborate with colleagues. I saw wikis as the darling of the digitocracy meant to make amateurs like me feel silly and stupid when dive down the rabbit hole.
However, my paradigm, begrudgingly is shifting and shifting quickly. I was gaining ground after being required in this class to not only maintain my own wiki but join the EDU 653 wiki. And then, in the second course I am taking this summer I was asked to create a PBWorks wiki page through the course. I was forcibly immersed in wikis! Then something beautiful happened, I was forced to read Chapter 4 in the Will Richardson's book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. I finished the chapter and immediately began thinking of way I could use the power of the wiki in my own classroom where I still am a fresh (maybe not young) teacher look for interesting ways to integrate useful technology into the classroom.
I think my change of heart is due in large part to having to use the wiki technology AND Mr. Richardson's artful way of explaining what exactly a wiki is and what its intended uses should be for an educator. Had this been carefully explained to me the first time - that a wiki is a mode of learning, not the goal of the learning - I may have been using wikis as often as I use YouTube, digital storytelling and Twiiter today.
As an educator I consider myself a pragmatist. I want to use what is going to work and work best for kids. Thanks to Mr. Richardson (and EDU 653 & 709) I began to see the possibilities of collaborative work. I am a huge advocate of project based learning, "hot" cognition and the like. I believe students perform best when there is something personally invested and something important (other than a grade) at stake. Wikis offer a (now) easy and logistically viable resource for student collaboration on any number of topics and projects.
I now proudly will forge ahead with an adjusted attitude about the word and the technology we call wikis. The funny thing is, just weeks before my first stab at a class wiki, our district was visited by a progressive educational technology advocate by the name of Will Richardson. During his presentation I saw Twitter for the first time, Skype for the first time and learned about this new-fangled thing called a "weblog". For whatever, I may have blacked out during his wiki presentation. Either way, here I am...a changed man.
To wiki!
Entry 2: In the Spirit of Collaboration
A response to Joshua Block's blog on Edutopia
"Creating Successful Collaborations"
In the spirit of the extolling the virtues of wikis and collaborative learning I sat down and read Mr. Josh Block's July 5, 2013 blog entry about "Creating Successful Collaborations". I am a passionate proponent of project-based learning and collaboration goes hand-in-hand with wikis. Block's article was a nice follow-up to my weekly learning objectives.
The best part of Block's blog is his listing of guidelines for successful classroom collaboration. Among them are:
1. Establishing an environment of shared leadership and ownership
2. Planning together and creating common goals
3. Communicating regularly and reevaluating
4. Valuing and Celebrating Student Work
5. Fundraising together
-Joshua Block blog on Edutopia
Block states that if you follow the guidelines you can reap powerful rewards. Collaboration is not just working and producing among the students themselves, but rather work and experiences with business owners, professors, professionals and local community members. Collaboration is about learning beyond the measured walls of a classroom and empowering students to learn via an age old method - master & apprentice(s).
I have been on the receiving end of forced collaboration whereby a guest speaker was brought to my classroom through some district-wide or guidance counselor initiative. It is a "crap-shoot" for lack of better term. I have had some really interesting speakers that engage the audience and draw in the crowd with a good story and a well-planned activity. I have also had people show up planning to speak about themselves for twenty minutes and then take question for the next thirty-five minutes. In short, I do not get overly-enthused when I get an email stating a "guest speaker" is coming to my classroom.
However, I think Josh Block's guidelines should be used by teachers has a plan and as a by-law for collaboration (either by choice or by mandate). After all, we work hard over weeks and weeks to establish trusting relationships and positive environments. Giving-up the reigns to a veritable stranger seems counter-intuitive.
Either way, collaboration should be a large part of education, especially in the teen years. First collaboration with fellow classmates and then onto broader experiences with the world at large.
I know for me, it was being sent out to shadow a local computer software business is what steered me towards education. In a setting much like NBC's "The Office" workers sat at cubicles and clammored around the water cooler during breaks. The boss - an amiable enough guy - wasn't the type of guy I could get fired-up to go work for every day. Subsequently, the collaboration worked in reverse...Instead of furthering my interest in the business world I had a self actualization moment - I liked working with people, I liked history and I liked to coach wrestling. After that, the decision to become a teacher became clear.
Had the teacher not reached out to collaborate (and follow the aforementioned guidelines) I might be sitting somewhere next to my own Dwight Shrute. Hard to imagine.
I have to admit that several years ago our media center specialist at FHC attempted to convince me of the merits of a wiki. My only experience at the point with wikis was of course Wikipedia. Fresh out of college in 2005, the prevailing wind was that Wikiepedia was not only unreliable but almost a sin when using in an academic setting. The media center specialist convinced me to use a wikispaces site to collect and administer a project on the seven continents (a project for a Geography course I was teaching). I happily registered with wikispaces and was determined to be the fresh, young teacher that was willing to try such programs. I set up a pretty slick (for the time) wikispace and then invited all of my sixth hour Geography students to the site.
After about five minutes in the computer lab (about the time it takes to boot-up and log-in to the computers) the first hand shot up like a ship into space. Then another hand and another hand and another.
"Mr. Anderson! The site URL you gave us is blocked!" shouted one student.
"Try it again," I said, not sure if I should break a brow sweat or chalk it up to inattentiveness by five of my students.
But, then another dozen hands and a dozen inquisitive looks were directed towards me.
"Mr. Anderson...ummm...I tried it again and it doesn't work", calmly stated one of my more thoughtful and forgiving students.
"I guess this means we can't do the project, huh, Mr. Anderson?!" snarkily commented one of my least attentive students.
What happened was that although I was given access to wikispaces through our very stringent school internet filtration system, for some reason at that time, wikispaces was a blocked site.
At that very moment I realized something about technology, a creed repeated by my EDU 653 professor Kim Guerrazzi often, "Technology is great, when it works!"
Another, thing happened that day: Even though it was the district block and not the software/technology itself, I was jaded and word "wiki" to me meant embarassment, wasted work and treachery. Anytime I heard the word again I cringed. Not only would I refuse to see the merits of the technology but I would actively discourage other educators in my department from using it.
One side note, is that the block was lifted after a few days of scrambling and watching The Discovery Channel's "Planet Earth" DVD's to "supplement" the project. We has a few days still in the lab and we attempted to utilize the wiki. More problems floated to the top: password problems, editing issues, etc. What I did not wrap-my-head-around was that a wiki, which loosely translated in Hawaiian means "quick", is a resource where anyone with access to the wiki is in essence an editor-in-chief. The technology itself was not properly explained to me, when, in a time where blogs, wikis and YouTube were still emerging and in their infancy (educationally at least).
Fast forward to my journey to attain a masters in educational technology. I signed-up out of a genuine interest to advance my knowledge and competency in the area of educational technology. Learn how to create and upload a YouTube clip? Sure. Be versed in the ways of prezi and google sites? No problem. Attempt a digital storytelling video? Heckya! Craft ten page essay using Google Drive? You got it! But the buck stopped, for me at least, when it came to wikis. It was like nails on a chalk board when a professor used this modality.
It's not all because of that one isolated let-down back six or seven years ago, but rather my inability to see or happen-upon wikis of any value. Most of my digital life is spent on news websites, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, and the suite of Google Apps our district provides (Drive and sites being my favorite outside using blogger). And so, a wiki to me translated to a fancy and convoluted way to administer a course or collaborate with colleagues. I saw wikis as the darling of the digitocracy meant to make amateurs like me feel silly and stupid when dive down the rabbit hole.
However, my paradigm, begrudgingly is shifting and shifting quickly. I was gaining ground after being required in this class to not only maintain my own wiki but join the EDU 653 wiki. And then, in the second course I am taking this summer I was asked to create a PBWorks wiki page through the course. I was forcibly immersed in wikis! Then something beautiful happened, I was forced to read Chapter 4 in the Will Richardson's book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. I finished the chapter and immediately began thinking of way I could use the power of the wiki in my own classroom where I still am a fresh (maybe not young) teacher look for interesting ways to integrate useful technology into the classroom.
I think my change of heart is due in large part to having to use the wiki technology AND Mr. Richardson's artful way of explaining what exactly a wiki is and what its intended uses should be for an educator. Had this been carefully explained to me the first time - that a wiki is a mode of learning, not the goal of the learning - I may have been using wikis as often as I use YouTube, digital storytelling and Twiiter today.
As an educator I consider myself a pragmatist. I want to use what is going to work and work best for kids. Thanks to Mr. Richardson (and EDU 653 & 709) I began to see the possibilities of collaborative work. I am a huge advocate of project based learning, "hot" cognition and the like. I believe students perform best when there is something personally invested and something important (other than a grade) at stake. Wikis offer a (now) easy and logistically viable resource for student collaboration on any number of topics and projects.
I now proudly will forge ahead with an adjusted attitude about the word and the technology we call wikis. The funny thing is, just weeks before my first stab at a class wiki, our district was visited by a progressive educational technology advocate by the name of Will Richardson. During his presentation I saw Twitter for the first time, Skype for the first time and learned about this new-fangled thing called a "weblog". For whatever, I may have blacked out during his wiki presentation. Either way, here I am...a changed man.
To wiki!
Entry 2: In the Spirit of Collaboration
A response to Joshua Block's blog on Edutopia
"Creating Successful Collaborations"
In the spirit of the extolling the virtues of wikis and collaborative learning I sat down and read Mr. Josh Block's July 5, 2013 blog entry about "Creating Successful Collaborations". I am a passionate proponent of project-based learning and collaboration goes hand-in-hand with wikis. Block's article was a nice follow-up to my weekly learning objectives.
The best part of Block's blog is his listing of guidelines for successful classroom collaboration. Among them are:
1. Establishing an environment of shared leadership and ownership
2. Planning together and creating common goals
3. Communicating regularly and reevaluating
4. Valuing and Celebrating Student Work
5. Fundraising together
-Joshua Block blog on Edutopia
Block states that if you follow the guidelines you can reap powerful rewards. Collaboration is not just working and producing among the students themselves, but rather work and experiences with business owners, professors, professionals and local community members. Collaboration is about learning beyond the measured walls of a classroom and empowering students to learn via an age old method - master & apprentice(s).
I have been on the receiving end of forced collaboration whereby a guest speaker was brought to my classroom through some district-wide or guidance counselor initiative. It is a "crap-shoot" for lack of better term. I have had some really interesting speakers that engage the audience and draw in the crowd with a good story and a well-planned activity. I have also had people show up planning to speak about themselves for twenty minutes and then take question for the next thirty-five minutes. In short, I do not get overly-enthused when I get an email stating a "guest speaker" is coming to my classroom.
However, I think Josh Block's guidelines should be used by teachers has a plan and as a by-law for collaboration (either by choice or by mandate). After all, we work hard over weeks and weeks to establish trusting relationships and positive environments. Giving-up the reigns to a veritable stranger seems counter-intuitive.
Either way, collaboration should be a large part of education, especially in the teen years. First collaboration with fellow classmates and then onto broader experiences with the world at large.
I know for me, it was being sent out to shadow a local computer software business is what steered me towards education. In a setting much like NBC's "The Office" workers sat at cubicles and clammored around the water cooler during breaks. The boss - an amiable enough guy - wasn't the type of guy I could get fired-up to go work for every day. Subsequently, the collaboration worked in reverse...Instead of furthering my interest in the business world I had a self actualization moment - I liked working with people, I liked history and I liked to coach wrestling. After that, the decision to become a teacher became clear.
Had the teacher not reached out to collaborate (and follow the aforementioned guidelines) I might be sitting somewhere next to my own Dwight Shrute. Hard to imagine.
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