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.

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