This chapter focuses on the preponderance of information on the web from literally millions of sites with more and more constantly added. This actually falls in line with my last blog about the use of social media and its' merge with the educational emphasis. The same way I would like to see social media become more streamlined in its offers so that participants can stay on task, so to social bookmarking can help. It will help bring together researchers not in the form of wikis to do collaborative tasks, but as a great alternative to doing random searches. This is a tremendous time saver and should embraced by all seeing that it literally only takes less than a minute to bookmark one site. I personally cannot think of a better way to help find and share sites with others as we attempt to make the web a most useful tool in the field of education.
Reference
Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin
Social media is great and sometimes it develops its' own niche which is great, while most times it was designed with its' own purpose. I would like to see more of that happening so people can go directly to the media that offers educational information. That would begin to split even further so that entrepreneurs have their own, biologists and mathematicians etc. will have the same. I know that some sites try to offer that especially in the form of blogs and wikis but I am talking facebook status for all the different forums. Then I won't have to plow through tons of useless and ridiculous meanderings to find the thoughts of a few that matter. I believe students and many members of the public have a lot to offer but we should have these sites operating in a more succinct manner so that users know exactly where to go in order to find particular material. I dislike plowing through hours of random chatter to find something of value. Students would be much more inclined to participate if they felt that there contribution was being respected, than just getting lost among the misgivings of mindless ramblings, but still be on a big and popular site. Education needs to be glamorized once again ad social media is the place to begin!!
There is the possibility that instagram may include private messaging in
its' services. This is according to an article in the readwrite rss
feed Instagram Reportedly Eyes Private Messaging
I guess that would be big news to those who use it. It brings a smile
to my face when I think of how many people just so want to be connected
and be a star in a world where they cannot be truly seen. Nevertheless, I won't knock it if I have not tried it ...right?
There is no doubt that this is a great resource for educators. This App creates a nice reading space for those who are looking for specific types of information on a daily basis. I also think that its' ability to search for pieces out there that may be of interest to you and let you know when it comes up.
I can even see this App working for me in the classroom as I read about its' different searches for groups, weblogs etc. The different feeds can be combined among all the students to have one workflow. Great possibilities for research and opinionated projects. It is important to identify your specific use for any tool or you may become overwhelmed.
Reference
Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin
The article was from the readwrite feed and attempted to "explore the implications of living in a connected home. There was a discussion about all the data that is being collected by the companies that installed your smart fridge and other smart appliances. The question of concern was not just about the possibility of being hacked but also; what are those companies and even the government going to do with all that data it is collecting? It listed 5 things to think about:
Don’t Confuse Users About Privacy Settings
Be Clear About Targeted Advertising
Be Wary Of Intrusive Ads
Be Responsive To Threats
Tell Me Where You Store My Data
This article also asked us to be aware of how social media has dealt with our privacy and how not to allow the same mistakes to be repeated. Be prepared and aware is what I got out of this reading. Sometimes we look for the obvious and think those are the only things that can hurt us but most times it is the unintended side effects that give you the most trouble. I try to picture myself living in a totally readwrite (connected) home and think; "what would warrant me to have such a need to be so connected?" The thing is that outside of the fascination with technology and new inventions, I really have no such desire to have my food choices and underwear preferences used to create my shopping profile.
Truth be told, I use technology as a tool to enhance the storage and delivery of information in my classroom, workshops and other learning forums. However when it come to my daily living habits, I treat that more as an adventure.
This is a piece from free technology for teachers addressing the reasons why people seem to not be able to get enough sugar. Here is the video that was attached to the article:
This article caught my eye because I look around at the kids and all they want is more and more sweet stuff. I liked the applications after the video for education asking the kids to "take a look at their personal sugar consumption habits. As I try to encourage students to lower their sugar intake or do anything for that matter to help them be healthier, I am met with either denial or strong willful resistance.
"Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms." My reaction to Chapter 4
The chapter began talking about Wikipedia, which like most other innovative technological advances, has its' own fair share of vulnerability. The site is an excellent idea and has turned out to be more useful and rewarding to its' users than not. I think the idea that there are much more constructive users than mal intentioned ones is a comforting prospect, and knowing that a team of editors constantly monitor for errors puts some fears to ease. However the possibility of fowl play and the unchecked credentials of the contributors begs the question of credibility.
On the other hand, with wikis for classroom use, I find to be very much on point with today's learning initiatives. The demands placed on schools with standardized testing and common core requirements put a strain on the teachers ability to offer the broad form of learning and interactive experiences that may have previously existed. Wikis are a great place to help promote some of those experiences without taking time from the classroom. The following is a supportive video about using wiki in the classroom:
I am always in favor of working with new ideas and technology to improve the quality of delivery, especially where I see it as filling a void or need in the intended target.
Reference
Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin
"Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms." My reaction to Chapter 2
I am always particularly drawn to the practical uses of a thing. It is all great information to me when one explains how and why a thing was created because it then enables me to structure my mind around the proper usage for that thing. The question that comes to my mind when I am introduced to any idea, activity, instrument or concept, is how can this thing be put to the most effective use.
This chapter gives me some inspiration to attempt the incorporation of webblogs into my classroom format, and also gives me some ideas of how to do it. This made me start looking up some more info about classroom blogging sites and so I wanted to share this edublog video showing ten ways to use it:
As Mr. Richardson says (pg.28) "Posting to a weblog can take many forms. I also liked that he included a discussion on "scaffolding blogging" (pg 32)because it could be an excellent forum for such a practice. Students can be thus encouraged to write material on the blogs just a little beyond their own natural level with available assistance. Feedback can be timely and assignments can be relevant across the curriculum while connecting to everyday activities.
Finally, Richardson offers a comprehensive list (pgs 39&40), of "Classroom Uses of Weblogs". I especially like these kinds of resources because all I need sometimes is a starting point, a spark to get my mind flowing.
Reference
Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Add Voice Comments to Google Documents With Kaizena
I found this document to be very informative. Actually this information is in another blog from "Free technology for teachers". As we seek to teach and do collaborative projects this tool calledKaizena comes in very handy to me and what's best is that it is both free and easy to use. They added a very helpful video to understand the process:
Now my initial reaction to this piece of technology is that when working on a collaborative project on a google document, we are sometimes stretched for time. This would be great just to leave notes by voice without over complicating the document or ( if you like typing), you could leave written comments relative to some highlighted portion of the document.
Posts
