The participants were excited about blogging. Great questions about the format of a blog and how to find them. Their comments included:
“We are being brought into the 21st century.”
“It is an exciting way for knowledge to be disseminated.”
“Can’t wait to design our own blogs!”

We also talked about Google Reader as a way to monitor blogs and other web pages without having to check each site individually…or to use to introduce one’s self to new ideas easily…by monitoring someone else’s Google Reader.

Unfortunately, they did experience some of the downside of Web 2.0 technology…a few sites were blocked and TeacherTube videos were buffering…both effects of things going on inside our district. But these little bumps did not seem to dampen their overall enthusiasm for the activity.

FYI: Other blogging class posts 1 2 3

P.S. Can someone please explain to me why all of my photos that I post appear so dark on district computers, but just fine at home or other out-the-district locations?

[this post was originally created 10-25-07 but technical difficulties prevented it from being posted until now]

This is just too much fun…and your creations can be saved, printed, emailed…
I sure hope it opens in the district!

And if you want to try your hand at the online version of the traditional Etch-A-Sketch, draw away! (arrow keys make the difference)

I currently do not have wiki examples, but will!

I welcome any additions that show the kinds of things students are doing out there. I know there so many more great examples that are behind the walls we collectively find necessary to use in order to get the privilege of having students participate…some day, those efforts will be available freely. I have faith!

A Vision of Students Today has been making the rounds of some of the blogs I follow…a series of statements from a college class put together to give you a picture of the “average” college student. The statement that jumped out at me…”I will read 8 books this year” followed by “I will read 2300 web pages” and “128 Facebook profiles.” Some commentors at the site find the statistics depressing (or worse, stupid)…I find them intriguing and perfect evidence in understanding why the way we teach,and present info to assist students in learning MUST change!
Yes, I know the video is unavailable at school, but do yourself a favor and check it out away from school or let me give you the downloaded file! Read about the statistic details and background.

Another Michael Wesch video that I came across while looking at the one above is Information Revolution…another presentation on how information storage and retrieval has changed. Makes the “cataloger” side of my brain a tad nervous in some respects, because I don’t totally agree with the theme that information no longer needs to “organized”! I simply think the organization format has changed!
Anyway, it is worth a look if you are still struggling with understanding the Web 2.0 changes or are having trouble convincing others of the value of the changes.
[Personal note: I loved the cataloged card marked up with black marker! Brought back wonderful memories! --ha, bet I have hooked a couple of you into looking for this little detail.]

In doing my blog reading this week, one of best statements I have come across since I started this adventure was featured by David Warlick at 2¢ Worth...he got it from one of the participants at the K-12 Online Conference.

ANIMOTO
http://animoto.com/play/a462c2d1fe46475b480b18b8b6e7f6e3
this link is the movie I made to learn the process using the only batch of pictures I had handy…hence the reason for it only being 26 seconds long.
If it doesn’t play because of a password issue, try one of theirs…I saw a cool little movie about skateboarding in the preview pane. It is a simple 1 – 2 – 3 process.

Of course, at this moment, I am not sure it will be available inside my school district…guess I will find out tomorrow.

All the interesting techniques with the pictures, Animoto did that…it does ask you to highlight a few of the pictures for extra punch…and you can choose one of their music files…not too many to my taste, but, hey…it’s free!! and it does all the work for you…so I am not complaining! (You can use your own music file–be sure you are not violating copyright!)

Go have some fun…it is E-A-S-Y.

P.S. It took me longer to create this post than it did my little movie…of course typing can be a bit of a problem when your space bar all of a sudden decides to stick! o, brother…technology is fickle, isn’t it?

————————————————————–
They are looking at samples of blogs and getting a sense of what blogs contain and what bloggers write about.

At the beginning of class, because they are a new group pf students, we popcorned out what comes to mind when you say the word “LIBRARY.” Their answers included…resource, book, books, information, technology, FUN, interactive, access, reading…. What are your thoughts?

One of the students brought up a very important question? What do you do if parents of your students do not want their picture on the web? (we had been viewing the video from the elementary school’s student blogs). I suggested doing audio podcasts only in the beginning or making blogging an after school elective! What suggestions can you give this person for her concern?

The students are looking at different types of blogs and noting the similarities and differences found in blogs. I will post some of their findings at a later date.

I had fun…I hope they did too (and I hope they learned a little something about blogs as well!)

[Please go here to my "mirror blog" to use their comments about the experience]

An of course, many of us digital immigrants can remember first hand all the hulabaloo there was over the Kennedy-Nixon televised debate and the “famous” shadow problem. And how we all were riveted to the TV during those terrible days in November only 3 years later.

So why were “we” so shocked that blogs and other web pages were important elements in the last campaign or two and that this go-round’s candidates are also busy creating digital videos that show up on YouTube or the nearest cell phone!

Why would we expect them not to use the latest (and greatest?) methods of communicating to reach as many voters as possible with their plans for our country’s future?

So…why can’t “we” accept that it is  JUST as necessary for our schools to use these tools  in educating  as many students as possible for our country’s future…and theirs!

There is a pdf time line available as well. And their A CentenniAL Blog covers interesting things about library hisitory.

Although I have spent all of my professional library career in the school setting, I was a child of the public library and many of the things portrayed here are nice reminders (and funny reminders as well) of many happy hours on both sides of the check out desk in the public and school libraries of my life!

Enjoy!

The leaders in the blogging world and some other bloggers I found responding to the call can better list the reasons why and the advantages of this change in educational thought.
My contribution to this plan is this…I will provide the links to these important thoughts
Doug Johnson
Scott McCleod
Carolyn Foote
Chris Lehmann, a principal who may not have been writing today directly for this purpose, but had some relevant thoughts for all of us proposing these changes nevertheless including:

“…I do think that the educators in my aggregator can change the world. But I think we all have to understand that a) change is slower than we’d want, and b) to change the world, we have to be as close to the ideal versions of ourselves as we can. We have to be passionate and dedicated and smart and inclusive and tireless and humble. We have to be better tomorrow at being who we are than we are today. Our ideas and work can change the world and make a difference, but only if we are willing to constantly change ourselves….”

Coordinator’s Office, a blogger since 2004
Jeanette Johnson, a principal who speaks from the other side and lists things for US to be sure and consider!

… and I will kindly ask anyone in an administrative position who happens to read my blog for whatever reason

…to PLEASE take a few moments to read what these learned and well-versed folks have proposed for the benefit of all our students.

…and to please think about how they, in their various positions of administrative authority, can bring about the necessary changes to allow this type of learning to take place in our schools.

…and to ask questions and to ask for samples and to look for these types of learning opportunities that might already be going on in their sphere of influence.

I promise you will not have to read much, look far, or be afraid. Good “stuff” is happening!

Technorati tag: schooltechleadership

Thanks to my colleague FM for passing along this link.
You can also review information from this previous post.