Learning, Teaching & Technology

I heard Will Richardson at NECC07 and have been reading his blog this summer. It has been interesting to read his continuing thoughts about the importance of the quality and purpose of blogs, not just blogging for blogging sake. Also, he has been questioning the format of “expert” presentations at NECC, BLC, etc. and writing about trying to build conversations and connections as part of working with teachers in groups.

I was one of many who responded to a July 17 blog entry about the difficulty of getting educators to focus on their own learning and not just the students. That was my first comment on a blog other than a class or contained group. So far, no return comments…

I could read this blog every day and have 6 new things to try!! Today he wrote about a virtual presentation he did for teachers using Skype and iSight following up with SlideShare a podcast and posting to a wiki–wow! I can almost follow how to do that, but it is a bit mindblowing.

Mike Arsenault mentioned that slideshare.net is adding podcasting to slideshows and indeed theyn now have “slidecasts” which allow to upload each one and the soundtrack will accompany the slides. I love this for kids who are using digital cameras and iPods with recorders to be able to post their work online.

I’ve been using del.icio.us for online bookmarking, but today and yesterday I expanded to much fuller “social bookmarking” by adding a network of other accounts and posting to others who have accounts. This article was helpful and one I will share with teachers as I try to help them move to this tool. Each fall we reimage teacher iBooks and it is always hard for people to lose their saved Bookmarks or have to import them each year. Not having to do that anymore may be the “hook” to get them to change and then hopefully sharing and accessing each others will help teams to collaborate.

This is my first post from the Read/Write Web Class at USM ably taught by Alice Barr. This blog will help me keep track of what I’ve done each day.

My Goal for this class is as follows:

Why? I want to offer new literacy opportunities to K-4 teachers and students in Yarmouth this year. I need to be prepared to connect with the curriculum at each grade, the varied experience levels of teachers and the learning needs of students. I want to move the emphasis from individual learning to connected, collaboration between students, classes and teachers.

What? I would like to have a proposal for each grade level ready to share in September.

How? I will work on blogs, wikis and podcasts to see what I want to do for each grade level. My project will be what I will share with teachers and students.

The collaboration continues from the conference through online blogs, webcasts, etc. so it is turning into a neverending conference.

Hopefully there will be opportunities this fall to share the ideas about creativity, innovation and expanded environments for learning that were prevalent at the conference.

I am working this summer on formats for sharing through my portfolio, team meetings, faculty meetings and various online tools. The conversation will continue at the October ACTEM conference with Will Richardson and Vicki Davis as workshop presenters on Thursday as well as a full day of session on Friday. Alice and I are presenters and we hope to have a contingent of Yarmouth K-12 educators attend.

I have accumulated quite a stack of readings and weblinks. In particular the Horizon Report 2007 which is “a research-oriented effort that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative expression within higher education.” While the report’s specific focus is on ‘higher education’ I see it as connecting to our staff development in Yarmouth as well as the K-12 preparation for our students’ futures (see p. 7 “We are seeing the convergence of many new ideas on how we work, learn and interact…). The most recent Pew Internet Users Study also has some important information about the uses of information and communications technologies by adults.

http://cathywol.edublogs.org/ is the site of this course which I designed and taught in the summer of 2007 at USM.