Lesson Implementation Plan

While attending a Discovery Educators workshop last fall, I was introduced to an excellent teacher resource called "Discovery Streaming". With it, I have been finding content relevant video clips that I embed into Powerpoint presentations and show to my students. I use Powerpoint to compliment my lectures because I think that the digital component is particularly attractive to this generation of students, and I think helps appeal to a variety of learning styles, both visual and auditory. I really like incorporating the video clips from Discovery Streaming because they are generally short (the length can be edited) and they serve to help to break up the monotony of the notes.

In the midst of playing around with Discovery Streaming, I came across a link within the site called Teacher Center, which has an "assignment builder" feature. This tool allows the teacher to create a web-based assignment that automatically incorporates teacher-selected links to Discovery Streaming resources, such as video clips and websites. Ultimately, the assignment can be printed, saved as an MS Word document, or accessed as an HTML from a link provided by Discovery Streaming.

The assignment I created through Discovery Streaming's assignment builder is a technologically-enhanced adaptation of a project I developed two years ago for my Integrated Science class. Before, I would distribute hard-copies of newspaper articles to my students, and have them read about the debate over Pluto's classification as a planet in our solar system. With Discovery Streaming's assignment builder, the students now have access to a variety of articles online, as well as relevant video clips. Better still, the entire assignment completely self-contained and can be accessed from any internet-capable device, so students do not necessarily have to be at school to complete their work. The assignment can be extended by adding a writing component, such as a persuasive essay, or can be the lead-in to a class-wide debate.

To view the assignment online, click Pluto: Planet or Not?

Chapter 3: Tools

I really appreciate the section in Chapter 3 about Web 2.0 tools. In spite of the fact that I have spent the past few months intensively familiarizing myself with modern technology jargon, Chapter 3 (specifically pages 55-70) serves as a very helpful resource in clarifying and classifying some of the most recurrent Web 2.0 terminology. I consider myself fairly comfortable in recognizing the subtle differences, for example, between a wiki and a ning, or a blog and a social-networking site like FaceBook. However, I doubt that I would be able to identify and describe these differences with as much coherence to someone who has less experience with mainstream internet applications.

As an analogy, during a lecture about gas laws in my chemistry class, I asked the students to explain to me the concept of temperature. Their initial look of confidence soon faded as they realized that such an everyday concept did not have such an easy explanation. Certainly they were all familiar with the word “temperature”, and they all had experience with it -- they knew that they could use a thermometer to take the temperature of something, and that they had felt the relative temperature between something hot and something cold. But when I asked them to explain to me what a thermometer really measures, they balked. When thinking about the real science behind temperature, all of the sudden it became not so obvious what caused a thermometer to read differently when placed in a glass of warm water versus a glass of cold water.

That is the beauty of Chapter 3 in Web 2.0: new tools, new schools; these terms that sound so familiar, but become somewhat nebulous when you are asked to explain them, or compare them to each other, are defined and described with excellent clarity. Additionally, the book provides loads of example websites for each different Web 2.0 category. As someone who hopes to motivate his colleagues to get on board for the digital education revolution, Chapter 3 of this book will come in handy as a reference tool for both myself and my fellow tech-savvy teachers.

In case you’re still on the edge of your seat about the temperature story, temperature is the measure of kinetic energy (motion) of the molecules of a substance.

Chapter 9: New Schools

This chapter really nails progressive thinking as an overarching theme. These days, too much of the thinking we do, and the changes we make, are all reactionary. Technology in the classroom is an excellent present-day example. Only now, finally, are we recognizing the global society’s dependence on technology. As a direct result, actions are being taken, and efforts are being made to implement change; i.e. more computers in schools, programs teaching/promoting digital literacy, curriculum-centered applied technology. For as much I appreciate these efforts, and concur with their necessity, I also feel as though the focus itself may be a bit misguided, or perhaps is left too open to misinterpretation. I think technology needs to be taught -- to both teachers and students alike -- for the sake of developing familiarity, comfortability, and technological fluency amongst its users. Just as in my classroom, I am less concerned about students knowing (things like facts), and much more concerned about students understanding (things like concepts). For example, knowing and reciting Newton’s Three Laws of Motion is, for all intents and purposes, useless. On the other hand, understanding the laws of motion, and being able to apply the concepts to a real-life situation is far more valuable. Likewise, it is beneficial to introduce technology to teachers/students, moreso as an investment, with the hopes that their relationship with technology grows and expands.

The Raven About Web 2.0 class is a perfect example of this. From a short-term perspective, the 23 “things” provide an opportunity to explore and become familiar with a wide variety of Web 2.0 tools. Educators can then incorporate these tools into their curricula as they see fit. Hopefully though, the educator’s connection with technology does not end with the 23 things. From a long-term perspective, exposure to and experience with the 23 things establishes a working relationship between technology and the educator, and he/she will continue to pursue and incorporate newer, more progressive technologies long after the original Web 2.0 tools have become outdated and obsolete.

Also, because it was mentioned in Chapter 9 (pg. 187), I thought I’d put in my two cents: unlimited broadband access across the United States is long overdue.

Chapter 7: Online Safety and Security

The “Acceptable Use” internet agreement that the Anchorage School District requires that every student sign is wholly ineffective. Well, from the district’s standpoint, it is very effective in absolving them from any kind of legal responsibility, if a student were to breach the contract. But with very few exceptions, the students who sign these internet-use agreements neither know what the agreement says, nor what they are agreeing to. Furthermore, the internet-use agreement does nothing to gauge or raise the students’ awareness of online threats. With technology being such an integral part of society, and the internet serving as our primary source for information, it is vital that students be informed about potential internet dangers, and accordingly, legal matters concerning the internet such as copyright laws.

I am of the very strong opinion that schools need to place a much heavier emphasis on not only incorporating technology in the classroom, but teaching technology as well. Inevitably, all things scholastic will at some point become digital. This is evidenced already by the number of online classes available at every level of education. Textbooks, lessons, assignments -- they can, and will, all be done electronically. In light of this, it is imperative that some curriculum time be set aside to introduce students to the technology they will be using. Accordingly, students must then be educated about online safety and security. With time being devoted to using the technology itself, time too, must be devoted to teaching things like cyber-safety, copyright law, appropriate use, etc.

The biggest impediment that I can foresee is that as educational technology is further incorporated into the classroom, either the school day/year is going to require an extension, or existing curricula are necessarily going to need to be replaced. While there will likely be a public outcry against lengthening the amount of time in the classroom, school districts nationwide will no doubt struggle to decide which areas of current educational model are outdated and need to take a backseat to technology.

Chapter 1: New World, New Web, New Skills

I think the American educational institution is in need of some direction. Students from the United States are repeatedly being outperformed by students from countries all over the world, and I think this is due, at least in part, to the fact that there is no real agreement as to the purpose of education. Ironically, wholesale decisions about our national education system are made by bureaucrats who are themselves far removed from the classroom. Regardless of their personal philosophies, educators are urged, and in some cases mandated, to teach rote facts that are easily quantifiable by standardized tests. In order to teach effectively, one must not only know what and how to teach, but must also address why it is being taught. Is the purpose of education to train students to regurgitate facts on a series of multiple-choice tests, or it is to equip them with the skills necessary to both function in contemporary society, as well as further advance and progress that society into the future? At the very least, I agree with the authors of Web 2.0: new tools, new schools in that “education has to focus on the skills and abilities that students will need if the next generation is to remain competitive in the changing world” (pg. 9).

In the face of the discovery of the Kuiper Belt object known then as 2003 UB 313, in August 2006 the scientific community had to come to grips with the fact that no one had ever really developed an agreed-upon working definition for the word “planet”. As a result, debates that had raged for centuries about the classification of certain objects in our solar system at last had to be officially addressed. The advancement of technology in the field of astronomy and astrophysics forced the astronomy community to sit down and definitively decide on a list of characteristics that would classify an object as a “planet”. The most notable outcome is the reclassification (some would argue “demotion”) of Pluto to “plutoid” status -- Pluto is now otherwise referred to as a “dwarf planet”.

Similar to this, our nation -- everyone from government officials and teachers, to parents and students -- needs to be in agreement as to the purpose of education. Regardless of whether or not the powers that be still dictate what teachers must teach, at least everyone will be aware of why it is being taught.

Week 9: Thing TWENTY THREE

Creative Commons. Cool idea. I really like the concept of adapting muddled copyright laws and putting ownership back in the hands of the creator. In addition to exploring the site, I also checked out a YouTube video that further explains, in a little bit more straightforward fashion, what Creative Commons is.

The nice thing about Creative Commons is that it is progressive, and it very necessarily centers around the fact that technology and global networking almost demand the sharing of resources, creations, and publications. The website is very user-friendly, making it extremely easy to obtain a Creative Commons license.

A Fair(y) Use Tale is very well done, and a clever way to put copyright laws in a relevant, lucid context. I'm also glad that the author/editor of the video was able to find an outlet for his wildly extensive knowledge of Disney films.

*****

As for my feelings about this course -- I'll try to be both concise and thorough.

This is my fourth year as a certified teacher, and in that time, I have taken what I would consider to be an ambitious amount of professional-development credits. With that experience, I can confidently say that Raven About Web 2.0 is one of, if not the most useful class that I have taken. First of all, the curriculum content is spot-on. Technology is no longer an important part of the educational system; it is an integral part. This course presents an extensive amount of information, but does so in a very casual way. Because the course is for the most part self-guided, I was free to explore each of the different "things" at my own pace, and therefore was allowed to invest more time in the "things" that I felt would benefit me most. At the same time, even if I came across a "thing" that wasnt necessarily something for which I could find an immediate classroom or personal application, in order to accurately reflect on it, I still needed to explore it in at least some detail, giving me some a valuable amount of familiarity with it.

To the ladies of Raven About Web 2.0 thank you first of all, for offering this course (and extending the inviation to classroom teachers), but also for your diligent and thoughtful input on each of the blog posts.

Week 9: Thing TWENTY TWO

I like the idea of ebooks, in that they are a very convenient, if not green way of obtaining literature. Ebooks allow readers the luxury of accessing a myriad of titles using nothing more than an internet-compatible computer. From an ecological standpoint, ebooks save on printing, paper, and shipping costs, which considerably reduces production costs, and electronic access translates into reduced automobile emissions by eliminating the need to drive to the public library or the bookstore.

An immediate drawback that I can think of, is that ebooks are, to some extent, less portable (or more cumbersome) than traditional books. Ebooks can be accessed online, which would require that one has a laptop with an internet connection, or, because the ebooks can be downloaded, one might only need a laptop and a sufficient power source. Alternatively, the ebooks can be downloaded and printed, which to me seems more taxing than simply buying the actual book. In any case, having an ebook is not quite the same as being able to crack open a traditional book on the subway, under a shady tree, or during a long flight on the airplane.

Librivox is a brilliant tool. While I have some reservations about people becoming too dependent on being read to, as opposed to reading for themselves, I certainly think that audio ebooks have a niche. Personally, despite never really taking long, independent drives in the car, I love the idea of being able to download an audio ebook and listening to it during a long drive or flight.

I decided to go out on a limb and search on both World Ebook Fair and Librivox for some of the more, shall we say thoroughly written books that came to mind. Interestingly enough, neither site had A People's History of the United States of America (Howard Zinn) or Guns, Germs, and Steel (Jared Diamond), but both sites contained The Three Musketeers (Alexandre Dumas) and Democracy in America (Alexis de Tocqueville).

Week 9: Thing TWENTY ONE

I think I first stumbled upon podcasts about two years ago. At the time, I didnt even have an iPod, and podcasts became my sole reason for downloading iTunes. Let me rattle off a list of the podcasts that I subscribe to, and then I will explain the educational tie-in:

• Ask A Ninja - I dont have a fascination with ninjas, but this is the type of humor that I personally find side-splitting.
• Cash Cab - the podcast version of the Discovery Channel TV gameshow. I'm a trivia geek.
• How Stuff Works - Stuff you should know.
• NOVA Science NOW - Bascially audio excerpts from the TV series.
• NPR: Thistlepod - My link to contemporary Celtic music.
• NPR: Wait, Wait, Dont Tell Me - "The podcast version of the NPR newsquiz".
• Stuff Mom Never Told You - Not that my mom didnt do a good job preparing me for the real world -- but there's just so much to cover.....

For the most part, these podcasts are used for my entertainment, but the NOVA podcast specifcally, has tremendous practical application in my classes. Odds are, most of the topics covered in the NOVA podcasts, at some point or another directly correlate with a concept that I teach in either my Integrated Science or Chemistry classes. And to fully ensure my place in the "Nerdery", I download the NOVA podcasts to my iPod and play them when I am driving back and forth to work. For the sake of symmetry, I also subscribed to the NOVA Science Now RSS feed.

Week 9: Thing TWENTY

To further cater to the limited attention span of my D-Gen (digital generation) students, I've begun to incorporate short, content-relevant video clips into my lessons. Being that YouTube is unequivically blocked by our district, TeacherTube has become my go-to site for videos. As a side note, I often use a site called Zamzar to convert web videos into .mov files and play them for my class, rather than stream them -- because streaming during the schoolday is a big NO-NO.

A video that my class particularly enjoyed was that of a high school teacher demonstrating the sublimation of dry ice. I used this video during the chemistry unit of my Integrated Science class when we were discussing the transitions of states of matter.

Another video that I found on TeacherTube was one that was designed to heighten awareness of cyber-safety, targeted especially for teenagers, called "Think Before You Post" (this one is the second in a series of two PSA's). I considered posting this video on my blog, but, in spite of the fact that it is less than one minute long, I refrained, as I didnt want to considerably slow down the loading time of my blog page.

One more cool side note, spurred from the above sentence. If you have a blog, and are at all concerened/curious about the time it takes your page to load, check out Stopwatch site, by Numion. All you need to do is enter the URL of your blog (or any URL, for that matter), and it calculates how long it takes for the page to load. This is a good way to tell if you've got too many accoutrements on your page.

Week 8: Thing NINETEEN POINT ONE

Whoa. Immediately I found something that I really like about the articles listed in the "search results". First of all, EBSCO provides an icon right next to the title of the article that indicates the completeness link's content (i.e. whether it lists an abstract, or the full-text version of the article). Moreover, by simply holding the cursor over the icon, it automatically displays a bibliographic listing of the article with the abstract included.

I was able to set up an alert very easily by simply following the step-by-step instructions from EBSCO support. An additional feature, which I found to be very technologically current was the option to subscribe to journals as RSS feeds. I subscribed to Science-- a favorite publication of mine that I don't already receive as a hard copy -- requesting daily updates for one month, with the intent to modify it for later updates if the feature proves to be useful.

Funny you would suggest exploring the "automotive repair" link from the Digital Pipeline. My first (and only, up to this point) experience with the Digital Pipeline came as a suggestion over email from my school librarian. Mere days after nearly dismantling my driver-side door beyond repair, I was notified of this site, which is phenomenally detailed and thorough in its content. It would be too exhaustive to list all of the features offered by the auto repair reference center, but suffice it to say, it would require a very specific circumstance for the website not to have the information you need. As a side note, I still was unable to fix my car door, but it was due largely to my mechanical ineptitude and not because of insufficient information on the website.

Week 8: Thing NINETEEN

I think the biggest impact that setting up a Libary Thing account had on me was that it made me realize how few books I have been reading lately. After some reflection, I consoled myself with the fact that I havent given up on reading altogether, instead these days I find myself reading more out of science journals and online articles. On the other hand, there is so much to be gained by reading actual books -- written compositions with some substance and depth -- rather than mere blurbs, like online articles. So by creating an online collection of my favorite books, I have been reinspired to make a visit to the local library.

I like the idea of using Libary Thing, particularly for a class blog where the teacher could showcase the book(s) he/she is reading, perhaps thereby inspiring the students to pick up a book and read. Likewise, teachers could post curriculum books to inform parents, or any other blog visitor for that matter, about what their class is currently reading.

All of the books I posted show a fair amount of popularity among other Libary Thing readers, except for one, The Alphabet of Manliness, which I would hardly consider an "intellectual read". The feature I really enjoy is social data, which is an icon that can be accessed under the "Your Library" tab when logged in to your personal account. Social data offers numerical figures such as the number of members who have read the same books as you, as well as reviews, popularity, and average member ratings of the books. Additionally, Libary Thing compiles a list of recommended readings based on your own personal catalog.

Week 8: Thing EIGHTEEN

I opted to register with Google Docs rather than Zoho Writer, for no other reason than because I already have an existing Google account. I like Google Docs for the fact that it permits the user to create documents that are readily transferable and allows for easy sharing and collaboration. In fact, on the same day that I was creating my own Google Doc, I was invited to use the application to collaborate on a group document for a presentation I am giving at the upcoming Alaska Society for Technology in Education (ASTE) conference. The document was originally created as a loose agenda for the presentation, and then it evolved into something of a discussion board. In this regard, I got to experience firsthand the usefulness of Google Docs.

As mentioned above, I created a document in Google Docs; it is a rubric for an activity I do with my Integrated Science classes called the Periodic Table of Fruits. First of all, one of the most impressive things about Google Docs is its versatility. Documents are not the only items that can be created in Google Docs -- other options include presentations (like Powerpoint), spreadsheets (like Excel), and questionnaire-type forms. The features that I like about Google Docs are that many of the tools in the toolbar resemble that of Microsoft Word. I also like the fact that the document can be created from scratch, or uploaded from either your computer or from the internet. One of the most convenient features is having the ability to convert the document to HTML, email it, or post to it a URL for sharing.

For all of its convenience and simplicity, Google Docs does have some drawbacks. When uploading a document, many of the existing formatting features are lost. Likewise, for as many features that Google Docs has which parallel Microsoft Word, Google Docs offers a very limited toolbar. I felt as though I couldn't create a document with quite as much creativity as I am used to.

Week 7, Thing SEVENTEEN

I found the Raven About Web 2.0 Curriculum Wiki to be a terrific resource because it basically consolidated the lesson plans and curriculum ideas from this course into one well-organized location. The sandbox is a great way to peruse a myriad of fresh, innovative ideas as to how other educators are using the tools and applications targeted specifically in this course.

Because the Raven About Web 2.0 Curriculum Wiki was so helpful to me, I felt compelled to contribute my own idea, so I added to the Online Applications and Tools section of the wiki by posting my lesson plan for using Voicethread, as mentioned in my blog (Week 5, Thing TWELVE). .

Week 7: Thing SIXTEEN

Wikis, to me, are the hallmark of Web 2.0. While the World Wide Web was originally used as a one-way conduit for information, Web 2.0 has extended the application of the internet to include two-way (or one might even argue multi-directional) sharing and collaboration of information. Where the original Web was very static, Web 2.0 tools make the internet, and all of the information it includes, very much dynamic and alive.

The first wiki I checked out was that of Westwood Schools, a college preparatory academy. The school's wiki was created as part of a classroom project and is a separate entity from the school's official web page (though they are linked to each other). Having browsed through it, I think that the wiki, as I mentioned above, is useful for group collaboration and sharing information. I don't necessarily think that the wiki is the best tool for posting or disseminating information. For example, in a classroom setting, I think a wiki is a great idea because it can allow students to provide each other with feedback, as well as bridge the distance-gap for group work when students are at home after school. Posting information, I think, is better suited for a standard webpage, because it doesnt allow for unnecessary two-way chatter and/or site vandalism. That is one thing in particular that I noticed about Westwood Schools' wiki; the majority of the posts were from students and had no real educational context at all. Along the same lines, wikis, unlike standard webpages, are high-maintenance, as they need to be closely monitored.

The sample AP World History wiki is a model example of how a wiki can be used for a classroom project. The assignment, based around the Holocaust, divides each class into small groups of students who represent a family from various regions/religions/ethnicities. The wiki is employed as a means of allowing the different groups to post and share information about their research and the development of their respective families. From what I could tell, much of the project was carried out online via the wiki.

After exploring both wikis and nings, I think my personal preference leans towards nings, simply because they are a bit more focused and exclusive, in that the site facilitator can be selective about who contributes and what is posted, rather than hosting a free-for-all that is a wiki.

Week 6: Thing FIFTEEN

I really enjoyed Rick Anderson's article, "Away from the 'icebergs'" because, while it warned of the impending possibility of libraries fading into obsolescence, it also identified some necessary changes/adaptations that libraries can make in order to maintain their very functional role in society. I think that all too many people are unable to fully appreciate the value of a library because they do not fully understand the vast number of resources it really offers. I'd say most people envision libraries as "big buildings full of books". With this mindset, the demise of libraries is inevitable as information of all kinds goes digital and becomes easily and instantly accessible from the World Wide Web. Likewise, as the demand for books in print rapidly diminishes, so does the need for libraries.

What people fail to understand is that a library isn't so much a "big building full of books" as it is a "big building full of information". And it is not the primary role of the librarian to supervise the books, so much as it is for them to be able to efficiently access this information. After all, no one goes to the library and asks the librarian to teach them to read -- people go to the library and ask the librarian to find a book or resource for them. It follows then, that as books in print fall by the wayside, the role of the librarian does not necessarily go with it.

For librarians to maintain their usefulness, they simply need to adapt with the changing times. For much the same reason that the Raven About Web 2.0 course was designed, librarians need to continue to possess the skill-set of being able to effectively access information. This no longer necessarily means having an intimate familiarity with the Dewey Decimal System, but instead it now means becoming fluent in useful, contemporary technological applications in an increasingly digital world.

I think the Raven About Web 2.0 course is providing an invaluable, and extremely necessary, resource for librarians and teachers alike. Our society is, and will continue to become more and more technologically dependent. The Digital Train is leaving the station, and it is time for educators of all disciplines to either get on board, or get left behind.

Week 6: Thing FOURTEEN

At first, I had a very difficult time executing the initial task, which was to do a "keyword search for 'School Library Learning 2.0' in Blog posts, in tags and in the Blog Directory". For me, this proved exceedingly difficult because it required a bit more intuition than merely typing "School Library Learning 2.0" in the search bar. Turns out, to access the variety of search possibilities, one has to click on the "advanced" link to the immediate right of the search bar.

When searching for School Library Learning 2.0 using the "keyword" search, Technorati yields 226 results, the first ten of which were nothing that I recognized. It seems that the keyword search breaks down and searches for each individual keyword, such as "School" and "Library" and "Learning" and "2.0".

When searching using "tags", on the other hand, "School Library Learning 2.0" turned up a variety of sites, the majority of which were blogs based around a course like Raven About Web 2.0.

I also "claimed" my blog with Technorati, so I'll now be monitoring it carefully to see how many visitors it attracts as it competes for attention against 63 million (and counting...) other blogs. Interestingly enough, it doesn't appear that my blog will have much success, as I was completely unable to locate it using Technorati's general search bar. I'm thinking my blog page is going to require some "authority" before any is able to access via the search bar.

Speaking of authority, I decided to check out the absolute most popular site listed on Technorati, a blog called Boing Boing. To be honest, I wasn't altogether impressed by the blog. As far as I could tell, it didn't have anything that really set it apart from any other individual or group blog. The one really cool thing about the blog, though, was that its primary contributing writer is the same guy who has become the wildly popular YouTube meme, the Tokyo Stormtrooper.

Even though I am fairly new to them, I can certainly see the immediate convenience of "tags". However, due to my relative unfamiliarity with tags, I also find them somewhat limiting. For example, when I claimed my blog with Technorati, I was given the option of listing tags related to my blog. I was able to think of only six words, two of which are my blog's title. So unless someone is searching specifically for "vacuous" or "digressions", odds are, my blog won't be showing up much in anyone's search results.

Week 6: Thing THIRTEEN

As far as bookmarks go, I am manically organized. Each bookmark is meticulously labeled and placed into an appropriate folder, wherein they are listed based on usage frequency. While del.icio.us offers this same sort of organization, the real draw for me was the fact that the site allows you to access your bookmarks from any internet-capable device. Since my daughter was born two summers ago, I have made a very pointed effort to practice a "separation of work and state". As such, in spite of the fact that I have a laptop computer, I keep it at school so I can limit the temptation/possibility of doing schoolwork while I am at home with the family.

Exploring the SJLibraryLearning2 led me to a pretty neat site called krunchd, which, similar to del.icio.us, allows you to share a list of your favorite webpages by consolidating them into a single URL. The only difference that I can see on the outset is that unlike del.icio.us, you do not need to sign up for a krunchd account in order to share your links.

One of the most interesting sites I came across using the "Popular Tags" feature on del.icio.us was called Academic Earth, under the "education" tag. This site features video lectures by top scholars from across the globe. Lectures are categorized by subject, university, and instructor, which makes it very easy to find a lecture on any sort of topic. The instructors and universities are somewhat limited (but by no means of poor quality) to Berkeley, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, and Princeton, and there are 17 subjects from which to choose, ranging from astronomy to religion. I watched the first half of a 50-minute entry-level chemistry lecture from Professor Kristie Boering at Cal Berkeley and am considering showing portions to my chemistry classes -- in part because the material covered in the lecture is pertinent to our current unit, but I also hope to give them both an appreciation and a basis for comparison for my class versus a college-level course.

Week 5: Thing TWELVE

After spending a little time exploring Voicethread, and contributing a few comments of my own, I immediately thought of an activity that I recently did with my Integrated Science classes where Voicethread would be an ideal application.

In an attempt to better familiarize my students with useful computer applications and integrate more technology into my curriculum, I designed a very brief research assignment. At the conclusion of our astronomy unit, I generated a list of 30 astronomy-related topics that I knew to be some of the premier issues in the field today. The assignment had the students research one of the topics from the list and then create a Powerpoint slide that included: 1) a colorful background 2) three facts about the topic 3) at least one image 4) some animation. After all the students in each class were finished, I consolidated the slides, and each student presented their individual slide to the class.

With Voicethread I could have the students do this same assignment, or one similar to it, and rather than have students make Powerpoint slides, they could find an image and narrate over it. Then we could string all of the students' threads together, which would enable them to watch the presentation anytime over the web, but it would also allow them to comment on each other's threads. This way, too, I am not forfeiting the technology aspect with the class, rather I am integrating a newer, web-based application into the students' repertoire.

Week 5: Thing ELEVEN

I sampled a pretty good number of award-winning Web 2.0 sites. By no means was I able to tackle them all, and some sites I was already familiar with, but I checked out at least one site from over half of the categories. Of all the sites I looked at, there was only one that I really felt compelled to comment about. Listed under the category "Fun Stuff" by SEOmoz was a website called "One Sentence". According to the site itself, "One Sentence is about telling your story, briefly. Insignificant stories, everyday stories, or turning-point-in-your-life stories, boiled down to their bare essentials." Every word of this description is true. What I found to be misleading, at first at least, is the category under which One Sentence earned its Honorable Mention award. I read post after post on the first page, each of them successively becoming more soberingly morose.

"Of all the things I thought I would be doing on my birthday, begging my cat to just let go and die peacefully in her sleep so I wouldn't have to take her to the vet to be put down was not one of them."

"Normal has been tilted and is now my new normal ever since my husband committed suicide."

Upon further reading, the mood did lighten a bit from the string of macabre posts and , on average, became more "fun". If you're not in the mood to fish through an emotional roller coaster of posts, all of the real gems have thankfully been consolidated into one spot on the site, under the popular link.

"My cat challenged me to a game of 'Guess Where I Pooped Before You Step In It' and I lost."

*****

I became a part of a Ning that was created to facilitate communication between a small group of Alaskan educators statewide who attended the CryoConn 2009 workshop this past January. The purpose of the Ning is to erase the geographical distance between all of us, and foster not only communication, but also to allow us to share educational materials.

*****

"Sorry guys, I didn't get a chance to grade your lab reports because all of my freetime nowadays is spent playing the Travel IQ game". I'm hooked -- not to the point where it is interfering with my job, but definitely to the extent that it taunts me when I try to divert my attention from it. I think the game is wildly entertaining. I will say, though, that the degree of difficulty makes an incredible leap from levels 9 & 10 to levels 11 & 12. The last two levels are near impossible -- I mean, who knew that Christmas Island, Australia is nowhere near the continent to which it belongs, and is instead an island neighboring Jakarta, Indonesia? In any event, I'm pretty proud of the fact that I actually made it to the last level, so I took a screen shot of my score and posted it below. The bar has been set......

Week 5: Thing TEN

I used ImageChef to create a vanity plate that is personally very fitting.



The four featured templates on the ImageChef homepage didn't really appeal to me, but after a little searching, I found a link to the "full catalog" of applications. Here, the site offers over 150 different templates, wherein there are several variations of each. The options were so numerous, I found myself struggling to keep from exploring all of the possibilities.

Week 4: Thing EIGHT, Thing NINE

At first I was a little reticent to use RSS feeds. Before I fully understood their application, I was skeptical that it would actually be easier than, say, using bookmarks to rapidly navigate from site to site. I watched two different tutorial videos and settled on using Google Reader as my RSS aggregator, simply because I already have an established Google account. I know should at this point be beyond surprise when I discovered yet again, that progressive technology lives up to its name. Not only was I impressed at how accessible and organized Google Reader makes all of my RSS feeds, but I was amazed at how many websites are already tuned in to providing information in RSS format.

As a science teacher, I strive to impress in my students a sense of wonderment, curiosity, and discovery. I tell them that the history of science is vitally important -- it has literally provided us with all the scientific knowledge we currently have. Even more critical though, is the future of science -- because if we were only ever satisfied learning things that have already been discovered, we as a society would never make any progress. As such, while I teach my students about scientific concepts that are pivotal from our past, I also want them to keep up with cutting-edge, contemporary scientific works. The RSS feeds are an ideal way for me to share content-related information with my students in real-time. By maintaining a site that where I can publicly share my RSS news, I can select appropriate, relevant articles for my students to view.

Just a sprinkling of the RSS sites to which I have already subscribed:

• Anchorage Daily News - a good source, I think, for the local goings-ons.
• BBC World News - current events on a more global scale
• The Onion - what good is real news if it cant be complemented by a little bit of humorous fake-news?
• Discover Magazine - cutting-edge news from the scientific community
• NASA News - more contemporary science news
• Science Teacher (blog) - musings of a science teacher; 2008 EduBlog Award nominee

My shared content from Google Reader can be accessed in the sidebar of my blog, but it can also be accessed by clicking here.

Week 3: Thing SEVEN (pt.2)

The second piece of web technology that I find particularly interesting is a Web 2.O site called "Animoto". This site is a very user-friendly application that essentially allows you to make slideshows set to music. Animoto allows you to select pictures from a variety of sources; one can choose to upload pictures from their own computer, select pix from an online photo source (like Flickr or Shutterfly), or simply choose pictures from Animoto's reserve stash. When pictures are selected and uploaded, you are then able to arrange them in any order you so desire. From there, Animoto allows you to choose the soundtrack to your slideshow. Again, there are a variety of options; you can select music from your own library on your computer, or choose from the very diverse music bank that Animoto provides. Even after the video is created, Animoto allows you to send it as an email, or as I did, upload it onto a personal page such as a blog, MySpace, Facebook, etc.

Animoto does have certain restrictions that are potential drawbacks. One of the biggest problems is that at first you are given an option to create a "video short" (30-seconds long) or a full-length video, but if you select "full-length", you are met with a screen notifying you that full-length videos cost $3. Another problem is that the animation of the slideshow is completely randomized, leaving you with no input whatsoever as to how the entrance and exit of each picture is customized. Naturally, there are far more options available when one chooses to pay for the video rather than making a 30-second short, so it is a little discouraging to have all of the potential options listed, only to be informed later that most of them are limited to paying customers.

Overall, I think Animoto is a neat tool to have available on the web, and is a slick way to make a quick and easy slideshow presentation. Beyond that, if I were going to make any kind of lengthy, serious slideshow, I would sacrifice the time and effort and use some other software like i-movie or windows movie-maker.

Week 3: Thing SEVEN (pt.1)

My school-issued computer is a PC. In fact, every computer that I have ever owned have been PC's. I wouldn't say that I necessarily want a Mac, but there are a handful of Mac-specific features that I am envious are not available for PC. Widgets, for example. As I was exploring the World Wide Web in search of all the various types of widgets that my PC and I are missing out on, I discovered something of a loophole. While widgets still are not technically PC-compatible, blogs happen to be adequate host-sites for widgets. And, thanks to Raven About Web 2.0, I happen to have a blog.

To showcase some web technology that I thought was cool, I chose a Chicago Cubs widget. This was admittedly a bit selfish because the Cubs widget has no real practical application to education -- which is why my technology showcase for this "thing" comes in two parts. There are certainly a variety of widgets that can be integrated into classroom curriculum, and numerous other widgets that may not be content-related, but defintely can serve to sharpen students' minds.

My justification for this particular widget is, in a nutshell, that I think widgets are a cool piece of web technology, and I really only have one favorite sport, and one favorite team. With the Cubs widget, I can simultaneously check my blog and find out the latest news about my Cubbies.

Week 3: Thing SIX

For this post, I chose to use a mashup of Flickr to create a satirical motivational poster. The application is called "Motivator" can be found on the webpage of Big Huge Labs. This particular application is very easy to use as it requires nothing more than selecting a photo to upload and filling in a few text prompts. The only real drawback, in my opinion, is that the site does not allow you to preview the poster before it is finalized.

Lawnmower FAIL

I really like the idea of being able to create your own motivational posters. This stems from the fact that I been surrounded by altogether too many tired, generic, serious motivational posters. The Motivator application is a very user-friendly outlet for anyone who, like me, is intrigued by the opportunity of giving the standard motivational poster a bit of a sarcastic twist.

Week 3: Thing FIVE

Titan parked on Poseidon's lawn
Originally uploaded by sacadouja

After exploring the Flickr site over the course of a few days, I finally decided that I would jump in with both feet and establish a Flickr account. Moreover, I then linked my Flickr account to my blog.

First and foremost, I was very impressed with the simplicity in signing up for a Flickr account, and even more impressed at how straightforward it was to link my Flickr picture to my blog. The only real problem I ran into was that I had to keep my blog posting very abbreviated while it was in Flickr in order for it to successfully post. I skirted around this issue by only typing in a few words on Flickr, and then finishing the text portion of th post in Blogger.

Whilst navigating about Flickr, I selected a picture to post and then edited it using Picnik. There were a ton of editing features in Picnik with wide range of applications -- the problem is, in order to use the majority of them, you have to upgrade from the "free" account to the "$24.95-per-year" account. As you can see, I kept the tune-ups to my picture rather simple by adding a small bit of text and some slightly rounded corners.

Week 2: Thing FOUR

Official blog registration with AKASL 2.0: COMPLETE.

Can’t say I’m thrilled at the limited options that Yahoo provides for customizing avatars. The silver lining is that my avatar’s appearance is decidedly complimentary. Despite my best efforts, I look nowhere near as youthful or trim as my av. I will say, though, the outfit is spot-on.

Week 2: Thing THREE

So this is it. My official indoctrination as a "blogger". Funny -- I dont feel any different.......

Dont get the wrong idea, I'm not a Luddite. In fact, more and more I am compelled to embrace technology. I held out for a long time -- specifically in the cellphone arena. I remember the cellphone crazy slowly gaining momentum when I was in high school. By the time I got to college cellphones had become such a widespread pandemic that it was not uncommon to see university students riding their bikes to class, concurrently steering with one hand, and talking on the cellphone with the other. This, what I considered to be very unnecessary multi-tasking, was aggravating. Especially at 7 o'clock in the morning. As a benchmark of my personal growth and acceptance of technology, I now have students who send and receive over 60 text messages -- all before the first school bell rings. I'm not saying that it is any less aggravating, I'm just saying I've developed more of a tolerance for unabashed abuse of technology.

Aside from a marginal convenience factor, I never really even wanted a cellphone. I found them pretentious. Well, not the phones themselves, but those who used them.

Needless to say, I've since come around. I have a cellphone of my own. Not a very flashy one, but certainly a functional one. It allows for both outgoing and incoming calls, as well as two-way text messaging. It also takes very grainy pictures, all of which bear a striking resemblance to the very bottom line of eye-chart hanging on the door of the doctor's office.

I still have some very sharp platforms about cellphone etiquette, but for the most part recognize functionality and incredible world-at-the-tip-of-your-fingers capability of cellphones. As for the BlueTooth headset.........dont get me started. I've sat beside vagrants on the subway who all of the sudden sound like Rhodes Scholars compared to the BlueTooth loonies aurally abusing anyone within earshot with their "private" conversations.

I used to think that anyone with a myriad of wholly disconnected thoughts that were even remotely worth listening to either wrote poetry or became a stand-up comedian. With the advent of the Web Log -- abbreviated "blog" because two syllables is far too cumbersome for the streamlined culture of 21st society -- the internet has provided a limitless outlet for empty musings. And this is mine........

Week 1: Thing ONE, Thing TWO

I am thrilled at the mere idea of the Raven About Web 2.0 course. The content of this course, and its goals, are exactly what today’s educators need in order to keep pace with our students. Technology, like it or not, is now a fundamental part of our contemporary society. The advances we have made – and continue to make – are not only staggering, but more and more weaves itself deeper into the fabric of our everyday lives. This is particularly true with each passing generation as they develop something of a dependency on technology. The truth is, our students today are basically "plugged in" to something nearly every waking hour of the say. They are connected to the world via cellphones and internet access (even some cellphones with internet access). They listen to i-pods, talk on i-phones, hang out with i-friends, and drive i-cars. To our students technology is not so much optional as it is essential. As such, we as educators need to recognize that we can better relate and better connect to our students if we establish some sort of common ground. A working knowledge, some would call it "fluency", of technology can serve as that commonality.

After watching the 7½ Habits of Lifelong Learners, I was immediately able to identify the habit that I would consider a weakness for me. Plain and simple, I am not a goal-setter (Habit 1: Begin with the end in mind). It’s not an attribute I am proud of, but it is certainly one that I am easily able to identify about myself. I don’t consider myself lazy, rather I think I have a tendency to get comfortable and complacent, and more or less let nature take its course. At the prompting of this course, I am going to make an earnest effort to change this about myself. In fact, I already drew up a learning contract where one of my goals resulting from the Raven course is to develop and effectively integrate more technology (specifically Web 2.0 tools) into my classroom curricula.

I think that I very naturally associate with Habit 3 – View problems as challenges. I am never satisfied with one solution or a single answer, and always work to explore every possible option. This is due in large part to the fact that enjoy puzzles of all sorts, and as such, any problem I come across I treat like it is a puzzle waiting to be solved.