Choosing a wiki

It is time to create my first wiki!

I've decided a wiki is the best way to showcase the links, resources, and artifacts for my independent inquiry on eMentoring tools. But with nearly one hundred different free, web-based programs for generating wikis, choosing the right one can be a daunting task.

In this post, I will share a little of what I know about wikis in general, and then I will share the process I followed for selecting the right wiki program for my project on eMentoring.

First, a little background on wikis.

Simply put, a wiki is an interactive, editable web site built around a specific topic. The best wikis grow and thrive within a collaborative community of users who share an interest in the topic.

Perhaps the most famous example of a wiki is the international online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. But there are many examples of small-scale wikis, too. Of course, the scalability, utility, and constructivist nature of wikis have led to their widespread adoption across many content areas in education. For example, the International Collaborative Literature Project is a wiki shared between two classrooms, one in Israel and the other in Canada.

The Classroom 2.0 wiki is a great resource for educators to share resources and links about web-based technologies in education. It has a section specifically about wikis. (Now we are talking about "wikis within a wiki." Hope this isn't getting too confusing!) Visit this page and watch the embedded video titled "Wikis in Plain English." After watching the instructive video, scroll down to view an exhaustive list of potential uses for wikis in the classroom. This page also features links to specific wiki applications, examples of classroom wikis, articles and research on wikis, and many other resources.

Now, how to choose from the many free wiki applications currently available online?

Well, I started by reading the archived discussion on wikis at my favorite network for technology educators, Classroom 2.0. In this forum, teachers from all corners of the globe share their likes and dislikes about the various wiki platforms. These are invaluable, in-the-trenches insights from real folks who have already experienced the ins and outs of wikis in educational contexts.

The three most popular wiki applications discussed in the Classroom 2.0 forum are PBwiki, Wetpaint, and Wikispaces. These applications tend to meet educators' needs in terms of cost (free), privacy and security settings, and utility/ease of use.

I also noticed from the discussion that as teachers grow more comfortable with the wiki concept, they are beginning to demand more artistic control over the design and appearance of pages. Consequently, many teachers favor Wetpaint, which allows users to choose templates and font colors. Even those who love Wikispaces indicate a desire for more graphic design capability. (But others say they prefer Wikispaces clean, simple lines.)

All three applications -- PBwiki, Wetpaint, and Wikispaces -- offer features to customize and "brand" pages, and all three allow users to embed videos and other multimedia files. Wikispaces recently released a customizable widget feature.

To sum up, much of what drives wiki choice is educator personality (a preference for simplicity over artistic control, for example) followed by the intended audience. Do you plan to use the wiki to collaborate with colleagues, or is it intended to foster collaboration within a class of fourth graders?

Next, I visited WikiMatrix.

WikiMatrix allows visitors to compare multiple wikis and identify the best wiki application to fit their needs. At this writing, it is possible to compare 97 different wikis on the matrix, so unless you arrive with a few applications already in mind, I highly advise you use the handy WikiMatrix Choice Wizard. The wizard performs an instant needs assessment after you click your responses to a short list of questions.

It took me less than five minutes to complete the wizard. In the process, I not only narrowed the list down from 97 to 19 wikis, but I also learned a lot about the basic considerations and motivations that go into the creation of wikis. This was a powerful exercise!

I also felt vindicated to see that PBwiki, Wetpaint, and Wikispaces made the short list spat out by the wizard.

After completing the wizard, it is possible to click a button to generate a comparison matrix. The matrix enables you to judge the apps on a number of different criteria such as costs, intended audience, bandwidth requirements, topic restrictions, and security features. The matrix contains loads of information but is not very easy on the eyes; be prepared to do a lot of horizontal scrolling if you want to compare more than six or seven apps at a time.

I was in no mood to look at 19 wiki apps, so I generated a smaller matrix focusing on PBwiki, Wetpaint, and Wikispaces.

In the final analysis I chose Wikispaces for my project because of teacher testimonials regarding technical support and responsiveness as well as the fact it was created specifically for small interest groups and educational settings. In the long run, I want to create a web site that educators with varying levels of techno savvy will feel comfortable accessing, reading, and possibly editing. What Wikispaces lacks in visual appeal (compared to Wetpaint), it makes up for in terms of ease of use.

And that's what I think.

technorati tags: instructional technology web2.0 collaboration wikis

Choosing a wiki

Education informatics and the teacher/learner

It's been more than a week since Clarence Fisher delivered his K-12 Online Conference keynote about web-based tools and their potential impact on relationships, pedagogy, curriculum, and information access in the classroom.

Arguing that "technology is not about skills, it's about connections," Fisher concludes his presentation by calling for reform of technology assessments that are too narrowly focused on the acquisition and demonstration of skills. Fisher says that what is needed instead is a tool for generating "education informatics." This application would allow teachers to track students' actions and activities on the Internet and to monitor and assess their progress as they build out virtual networks.

I’ve been thinking on this for several days. Now, as I am currently immersed in the Professional Learning Networks strand of the K-12 Online Conference, the concept of education informatics is growing more relevant and urgent.

By all accounts, the old model of "sit and get" professional development delivered by high-priced outside experts is on the way out. Like student learning, teacher professional development has the potential to become more personalized and self-directed within the new Web landscape.

And, as with students, education informatics for teachers could provide invaluable feedback and transparency about the breadth and depth of their online learning.

In my community the local school system recently reduced the number of systemwide professional development days and tripled the number of hours (from 6 to 18) that teachers must document unscheduled inservice learning. There is a tremendous opportunity here for teachers to set aside time for unstructured experimentation with the many cutting-edge, web-based tools and receive credit for their effort!

But how many of our administrators are equipped or even willing to acknowledge learning pursued via wikis, webcasts, chats, forum discussions, and so on? I think documentation and accountability would be huge issues to overcome, unless they had access to a state-of-the-art technology assessment such as Fisher describes.

If teachers are to be the models of lifelong learning, we must be willing to allow others to examine that learning under the microscope of education informatics.

And that's what I think.

technorati tags: teachers teacherLearner informatics education informatics k12online07 k12online07c101 professional development

Education informatics and the teacher/learner

The Internet is ageless

So, if you read my last post about ethnocentrism, you will notice a curmudgeonly commenter. That's my mom.

This post is for her.

Mom says, "I don’t think there are too many [senior citizens] out there who are 'hip' to the wide range of fabulous things you can do on a computer."

Perhaps not too many, but there are some. I conducted a universal blog search, knowing if I could find one good blog by an older person, all I would have to do is scan the blogroll to find more. (Rule #1 for blog newbies: start small, scan blogrolls, and slowly build out your network. A "blogroll" is simply a list of favorite blogs, typically located in a sidebar.)

As I suspected, there are some "hip" seniors out there:

• "Elderblogger" Ronni Bennett is a retired news producer who now writes the nationally recognized Time Goes By blog about all things related to aging.


• On Bennett's blogroll I found My Mom's Blog, the virtual home of "Thoroughly Modern" Millie Gardner Garfield, one of the oldest blog authors in the United States. My Mom's Blog is a repository of remembrances and reflections with occasional discussion about the impact of technology on life, written from the distinct vantage point of an octogenarian. In her Oct. 20 post, for example, she ponders Communication Yesterday and Today. As a public service (of sorts) Millie and her videographer son have archived a collection of I Can't Open It home videos, billed as "ethnographic research into the problematic design of consumer products from an elder video blogger's point of view." Delightful.


• How do I trust Millie Gardner's Garfield's claim to be one of the oldest blog authors in the United States? Well, her blog links to The Ageless Project, a fascinating site that aims to prove the diversity and agelessness of the social and participatory web. From the home page: "If you have a personal, non-commercial website (that's original) and don't mind sharing your date of birth, you might help us prove the point." Anyone may submit their site to be considered for inclusion.


• For more ideas about seniors and the blogosphere, read Senior citizen bloggers defy stereotypes from USA Today. The article quotes the Oldest Living Blogger as well as Gardner Garfield and Joe Jennett, creator of the Ageless Project.

To sum up, this week I welcome Millie Gardner Garfield and Arthus to my blogroll.

Millie is "82 years young," and Arthus (a pseudonym) is a 14-year-old in New England who is making a splash in edtech circles with his blog, Newly Ancient.

The Internet is truly ageless. What do you think?

technorati tags: blogs senior citizens internet

The Internet is ageless

Media Education Week: coming soon

I am passionate about media education and media literacy. Although, of late, I've happily drifted down this path of web-based social and participatory software, I have not lost sight of this passion.

It started, I guess, when I was a student journalist, first in high school and then later in college, where I minored in journalism. It continued as I advised student publications for three years in the early 90s at a high school in Texas.

And it blew wide open over two recent summers when I completed coursework in Dr. David Considine's media literacy strand within the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University.

And today, when educators, technologists, parents, and those in mainstream society decry a lack of information literacy, digital citizenship, and ethics among users of the new web, my mind always returns to the overarching principles and paradigms of media education.

I've posted about the connection between media literacy and social software before. I invite you to read and comment!

So, in the coming days I hope to devote some space at ThinkTime to celebrate the second annual Media Education Week, Nov. 5-9.

Although the event is sponsored by the Canadian-based Media Awareness Network and is intended to raise awareness within Canadian homes and schools, media education has universal value.

In the United States we have some excellent organizations and resources to advance the practice of media education. Their web site is undergoing a redesign and may not be easily navigable, but the Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA) sponsors the National Media Education Conference (NMEC) each year.

For online resources, try the Center for Media Literacy (CML), which hosts a vast archive of free and downloadable classroom materials and readings on every aspect of media education, from faith-based studies to health and body-awareness issues to student-produced media.

Why not watch this CML slideshow illustrating the five core concepts of media education and tell me what you think?

technorati tags: Media Awareness Week Media Awareness Network media media literacy information literacy media education

Media Education Week: coming soon

Pardon my ethnocentrism!

I think it's time to have my ethnocentrism surgically removed. It is getting in the way of my ability to communicate effectively!

Actually, I've recently had two pleasantly humbling experiences that serve to remind what it means to be a digital citizen in this postmodern world. My new virtual stomping grounds are truly global. (Click on the link for an explanation of the English idiom. You see, I'm learning!)

First, I experienced some confusion playing with the Tapped In calendar. (Tapped In is an international online community for learning and networking between educators and their students.) I had the calendar open in two windows in my browser, and for some inexplicable reason the same event appeared to be on two different days, depending on which window I viewed. So, I shot off an email to the event facilitator asking her to clarify the date. The facilitator explained that the date depended on where I lived. It is on Thursday for those who live in my time zone; it is on Friday for her, as she lives in Australia.

Lesson: always check to see if the time converter at the top of the Tapped In calendar is set to your time zone!

Along those same lines, my new favorite web gizmo is the time converter at WorldTimeServer.com, which is integrated into the K-12 Online Conference schedule. I love how each time I open the time converter to check on a conference event, a different international location appears in the drop-down menu -- Lesotho; Bahia, Brazil; Novgorod, Russia; and so on. It's fun to scroll through the menu looking for East Tennessee among all the world locales.

My next encounter occurred only yesterday when a new contact at the Ning in Education network asked me to clarify a reference I made to a friend in Georgia. You see, he is based in Istanbul and has friends in Georgia, Eastern Europe. To which "Georgia" was I referring?

Oh. My.

It's good to be jolted out of my U.S-centered stupor! Now, on to learning all those pesky international spellings!

And that's what I think.

technorati tags: globalism ethnocentrism networking communication teacherLearner edublogs postmodernism information literacy

Pardon my ethnocentrism!

Build as we go

In previous posts I've called out for examples of state-of-the-art web policy for schools, and I've reflected on the overall lack of response to that call.

What there is no lack of is evidence that educators around the world are creatively incorporating web technologies into their personal lives and professional practice. Just visit the K-12 Online Conference and listen to or watch a few of the sessions that have already been posted.

Clearly, the shift is happening with or without official mandate or endorsement.

A system that pro-actively anticipates the shift is preferable to one always caught reacting to it, but some reaction is certainly preferable to no reaction at all.

Regarding web policy, perhaps the answer is not "build it and they will come." Maybe it's more like, "build as we go."

So, with that in mind, I thought I would share some artifacts that a school or district might use to cobble together a web policy to support teacher- and student-created web content (rather than merely circumscribe or prescribe acceptable use of content). Here are some worthwhile resources:

• Will Richardson discusses the educational value of social networking during October 17 chat session sponsored by the National School Board Association. If you read the transcript, you will notice a question about policy from an "individual from Knoxville, TN." That's me! Richardson provided a link to a model blogging policy at Arapahoe High School in Colorado, but he underscored the importance of starting "conversations with all of the constituents in a school district" as the primary first step to effecting change.


• The Arapahoe High School Blogging Policy includes rules for safe blogging, a list of traits describing successful blog authors, and a writing sample from an actual student-authored blog. I think wording like this is essential for creating a durable and viable policy: "These guidelines are not meant to be exhaustive and do not cover every contingency. If you are ever in doubt about the appropriateness of an item - ask a parent or teacher."


• At the Generation YES Blog Sylvia Martinez has a wonderful post in which she encourages teachers to create Technology Vision Statements.


• Karl Fisch and Steve Dembo have opened up dialog about this issue at their blogs. The comments at the Fischbowl are particularly interesting.


• And here are some thoughts on the subject of computers, ethics, and schools by Howard Rheingold.

I want to thank my Classroom 2.0 friend Ian Carmichael who shared this Wallace and Gromit video clip which perfectly encapsulates the struggle of Web 2.0 teachers everywhere! Enjoy!

technorati tags: aup web publishing policy school tech leadership web2.0 instructional technology school reform

Build as we go

"Smart mobs" are great, except in school?

Cross-posted at Classroom 2.0

Today's top story from eSchool News Online is "Smart mob" tech spurs student activism by Nora Carr. The article begins with the student protests in Jena, LA, and explores how blogs, RSS, text messaging, cell phones, and wireless technology are leveling the playing field and having a democratizing effect at all levels in educational institutions.

Carr cites the work of Howard Rheingold, who coined the term "smart mobs" in a 2001 2002 book by the same title. Rheingold envisioned both the disruptive and democratizing effects of global, pervasive, wireless computing.

I was really enjoying Carr's balanced presentation of the issue. She even discusses how teachers in various academic areas might use recent events such as the Jena protests and the current presidential campaign to engage young people in a critique of these powerful technologies.

Then, oddly, she writes:

While most school leaders undoubtedly applaud anything that gets young people involved in civic affairs, most also would agree there's an appropriate time and place for such actions--and that's typically after school or on the weekends, and not on school grounds.

I am not sure how to interpret the above statement. Is it an endorsement, or is it simply a statement about the status quo? As a columnist, it's certainly Carr's prerogative to impose her viewpoint where appropriate, but in this case it just seems contradictory. How can she in one instance encourage teachers to capitalize on the "powerful learning opportunity" represented in cases like Jena and the democratic rebellion in Myanmar, and then suggest that the technologies that mobilize citizens for the greater good still have no place on school grounds or during school hours?

That just doesn't compute (sorry for the stupid pun).

It would be nice to engage in a dialogue with Carr about her story. But eSchool News Online doesn't provide any contact information for her, and the site doesn't provide a means for users to comment on stories either. Apparently the site does host discussions on certain stories for users who register for TypeKey accounts. I registered for an account but couldn't locate any threads or forums related to Carr's article.

Frustrating.

So, what do you think?

technorati tags: youth student engagement communication networking globalization convergence participatory culture Howard Rheingold RSS blogs teachers web2.0 school tech leadership citizen media youth

"Smart mobs" are great, except in school?

Are you a good community member?

As part of my ongoing investigation into web-based tools to support teacher professional development, I recently moved into my free "office space" at Tapped In. Here it is:



Tapped In is a virtual learning environment that is one part social network and one part collaborative conferencing tool with capabilities for real-time, text-based conversation (chat) as well as asynchronous discussion boards maintained by a sweeping array of public and private special interest groups. There are groups for alternative/correctional educators, math educators, and "cybrarians," to name a few.

You can browse the calendar to get a sense of which groups are most active and vital.

SRI International launched Tapped In 10 years ago so school systems and other professional development providers could train teachers online at minimal cost. There are a number of "tenant" institutions, such as Pepperdine and the University of Memphis, that lease space on the Tapped In "campus" for purposes of supporting teacher education. (The site relies heavily on the campus metaphor to help users make sense of its elaborate interface.)

Individual membership is free to anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in education. Today there are more than 20,000 international members.

After completing a simple registration process, new members may join as many Tapped In groups as they want, and they may create two groups of their own. Other membership privileges include an editable professional profile viewable by all members as well as "office space."

Jeff Cooper and David Weksler's slide presentation about Tapped In, which they presented at the 2006 National Educational Computing Conference, answered many of my questions about Tapped In, including what is the purpose of the office. They recommend the office feature for individuals who do not already have a “virtual presence” on the Internet: “Hold office hours, meet with parents, peers, etc. 'Decorate' your office to reflect and express your professional self.”

Yet, with pages at Classroom 2.0 and School Matters as well as this blog to keep up, I was a little leery about setting up yet another virtual space to look after and keep tidy.

I edited my membership profile, uploaded a photo, participated in a virtual orientation of the interface, and joined in on a lively group discussion. All were positive and meaningful experiences, done without need for an office. So why bother creating one?

Tapped In veteran and community support representative BJ Berquist shed some light on that subject in a recent online encounter. She described editing the professional profile and setting up the office as minimal first steps for "taking ownership" of one's Tapped In identity.

That phrase, "taking ownership," really got me thinking.

I've spent some time in recent weeks trying to get a handle on the moderator's role in these virtual learning communities. Some good discussion resulted at a Ning in Education forum, with moderator extraordinaire Steve Hargadon contributing some thoughts. And at the TechLearning Blog in a post titled Virtual Communities as a Canvas of Educational Reform, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach offered some helpful guidelines for what she calls the “community organizer.”

But in my quest to define the moderator's role, I had completely overlooked the minimal standards for individual membership. What are they?

And I don't mean codes of conduct, netiquette, or guidelines for appropriate use. I am talking about minimal expectations for participation and attitude to ensure each user a meaningful learning experience within the network (in addition to a safe, ethical and responsible one).

Is it possible to articulate these expectations, perhaps building upon Berquist's suggestion?

What do you think?

technorati tags: Tapped In professional development teachers networking

Are you a good community member?

The answer to: "What's the worst thing they could do, fire me?"

Teachers, read this description based on the New York City public school system:

. . . although the teachers there receive their full salaries, the stale, spartan conditions and the absence of any physical or intellectual stimulation provide a ceaseless reminder that in some respects they are guilty until proved innocent. “There is a spirit of the K.G.B. about it,” Mr. Valtchev said in an interview on Monday. “Their main strategy is to destabilize the person, reduce his self-respect. It’s extremely oppressive. It’s regimented. It’s unhappy. There’s friendship and camaraderie among us in the room, but there’s a constant atmosphere of fear. And deep depression.”

If you are a classroom teacher, did you experience the same shock of recognition I did? Something like, "I don't know who this Mr. Valtchev is, but he could be talking about my school, especially around mid-October!"

All jokes aside, this is not one disgruntled teacher's skewed perception of his work environment. The above excerpt is from a shocking first-hand report about New York's "reassignment centers," windowless rooms around the city where teachers are literally detained -- some for more than 180 days -- pending disciplinary hearings. It was written by Columbia University professor and journalist Samuel G. Freedman, and he's no slouch.

Now, go read the entire column, and then, well, I don't know what you should do. Channel your rage into a therapeutic blog post? Hug your union rep? Or, just take a second to reflect on your own school climate? I dunno.

I'm feeling a little like the Rev. Martin Niemoller, myself.

Thanks to Gary Stager for pointing to Freedman's amazing account, which appeared in the Oct. 10 edition of the Times. Every once in a while Mr. Stager has a doozy of a post that keeps me subscribing to his blog. I welcome his frequent jolts of wicked cynicism. They balance out my mostly golly-gee-wilikers sense of awe, especially in regard to instructional technology of late.

Graphic: Corridor in the Asylum by Vincent van Gogh (1889; Black chalk and gouache on pink Ingres paper), from WikiMedia Commons

The answer to: "What's the worst thing they could do, fire me?"

Will better school policy provide "traction"?

Cross-posted at Classroom 2.0

It has been almost a month since I posted a call at ThinkTime for educators and educational technologists to share examples of progressive policies that embrace web-based tools for content sharing, creation, and collaboration.

Realizing ThinkTime is not as high-traffic as some other "super-hubs" in the edublogosphere, I also posted my question at Classroom 2.0.

And I've been tracking comments on other blogs, such as Think42.com where Steve Dembo issued a similar call, also in September.

To date, the response has been zero, zilch, nada. Why is that?

I'm so confused. There are threads all over the blogosphere about Internet filters, censorship, and CIPA. (See recent dust-ups at blogs by Wesley Fryer, Doug Johnson, and Kurt Paccio.) But where are the parallel discussions about the need for proactive, systemic policies that embrace, or at least acknowledge, the changing information landscape?

To extend David Warlick's flight metaphor from the K-12 Online Preconference Keynote, is our focus on filters essentially because they equate a grounding of aircraft? Without access to web content and the web-based tools that empower sharing and creation of content, educators and students can't take flight much less contemplate detours, lay-overs, and emergency landings.

I get the problem of filters. I really do.

I have firsthand experience with blocked web sites in the classroom context. I resented the administrative process to remove a block from an educationally valid site. But, in truth -- and please don't mistake me for an apologist here -- my system was reasonably responsive. I never once lacked access to Internet content I needed for instruction (provided instruction was planned several days in advance).

Yet, that was prior to 2005 -- before my interest in interactive self-publishing sites and social networks.

Now, in 2007, the best that I can gather from my teacher and librarian friends is spotty, inconsistent blockage of blogs, wikis, and networking tools persists in our county. Enough to stifle creativity and production? Maybe, but that is only part of the problem.

You see, in my community we have a layer of system-wide web publishing policy that also acts as a "blocker," of sorts. The filter blocks access to content; current policy as stated in the procedures handbook for web pages blocks administrators, teachers, and students from creating content. I may be interpreting the procedures incorrectly, but they seem only to address teacher- and student-generated web content on officially sanctioned web pages hosted on local servers.

So, provided teachers, librarians, and administrative leaders are vigilant about requesting access to appropriate sites, it is possible to operate under the flawed filter. But who is evaluating the web publishing procedures? Who is advocating that these procedures be refined to be a more accurate reflection of the new web landscape?

There is hope. Some folks in my community are willing to consider a new approach, but they want to see models.

I am begging for some outside perspective here!

I have considered the possibility that some educational systems and institutions have acceptable use policies (AUPs) that encompass both the access and creation of web content. I actually would love for that to be the case, as I am in no way advocating adding another layer of policy upon policy.

But what I fear is more likely the case is an overall lack of intentionality or conscious policy making regarding the read/write web.

Thus, we have situations like this, described to me in an email from a librarian friend who works in a school system here in the Southeast U.S.:

We go by the official AU policy . . . . And as you noted, there is really nothing about blogs, wikis, social networks, etc. I think our district shies away from getting too detailed because they don't want to open a can of worms. I am just speculating it, but sometimes I think they take this approach in hopes that if they don't draw attention to it, then they don't have to deal with it. I do know "Wordpress" is the officially approved blog host by curriculum, but there is nothing in writing about this -- it is just what has trickled down to us, and I truly doubt most teachers know this.

In his keynote posted on Oct. 8, Warlick describes three brand-new conditions converging on our classrooms: info-savvy students, a new information landscape, and an unpredictable future. He warns, "We've tried to ignore them, we've tried to contain them, and to even block them out. But the best thing we can do is to realize that these three converging conditions can actually become new boundaries off of which we can gain traction."

Warlick uses the metaphor of airplanes, which travel in invisible but established flightpaths and which still need runways for take offs and landings.

I am starting to wonder how we can pilot the aircrafts without flight manifests and air traffic controllers. How long is this under-the-radar, ask-forgiveness-not-permission way of doing things going to persist?

How desirable is it, really, to Build this Plane While It's Flying?

What do you think?

technorati tags: AUP school reform k12online07 k12online07pc school tech leadership web2.0 instructional technology web publishing policy

Graphic: Photograph of Icarus and Daedalus by Charles Paul Landon, from WikiMediaCommons

Will better school policy provide "traction"?

A refined focus for Fall '07 independent study

It's easy to dwell in the instant “wow factor” while neglecting to answer questions about how Web 2.0 will transform teaching and learning or even why the transformation is needed. Some, like education technologist and theorist George Siemens, are calling for more practical discussions that emphasize wise and effective implementation.

In his Connectivism Blog, named after the learning theory he pioneered, Siemens writes:

. . . we are seeking a window dressing solution when it is the house that needs to be renovated. If we present blogs and wikis as ways to improve education, our aspirations are noble. If we present them as ways to fundamentally alter the system to align it with the knowledge needs of the next generation, then we are fighting for real change. . . . Forget blogs...think open dialogue. Forget wikis...think collaboration. Forget podcasts...think democracy of voice. Forget RSS/aggregation... think personal networks. Forget any of the tools...and think instead of the fundamental restructuring of how knowledge is created, disseminated, shared, and validated. But to create real change, we need to move our conversation beyond simply the tools and our jargon.

The name of the post is: It's not about tools. It's about change. I like that.

As outlined previously here in this blog, I am undertaking an independent study of how to foster, support, and grow learning communities for new and novice teachers using the latest generation of web-based tools.

As I conduct my inquiry, I wish to be held accountable to the standard outlined by Siemens.

What do you think?

technorati tags: connectivism collaboration communication school reform instructional technology web2.0 networking

A refined focus for Fall '07 independent study

Update on eMentoring tools

I am knee deep in my assessment of eMentoring tools. So far I've explored the Ning platform and the Tapped In web site. These explorations, combined with feedback from some helpful folks and my own background reading, have led me to reconsider and reshape my rubric for assessing eMentoring tools that I posted a few weeks ago.

First of all, issues common to traditional software assessments -- licensing, cost, system requirements, usability -- seem to fade in importance when the focus is on web-based tools. It's still good to consider these factors (and I am), but here is the kicker: start up is amazingly accessible and affordable with this new generation of tools. It's an important aspect of what drives the phenomenon that some call "Web 2.0."

As concerns for installation, hardware upgrades, and user manuals recede into the background, the users (in this case, teachers representing all levels of technical expertise, from non-existent to superior) can really focus on the features that best ensure collaboration and innovation.

This is really exciting!

So, on the one hand, we have these tremendous platforms for creating virtual "hubs" or learning communities to support mentors and novice teachers. A school community might choose Ning, Tapped In, or one of the many course management, blog, or wiki applications currently available online.

Or, a school might elect for a combination of these.

On the other hand, each platform includes a variety of user features. It is this menu of customizable components or "accessories," if you will, that will figure most prominently in the choice of platform.

A post by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach at the TechLearning Blog titled Virtual Communities as a Canvas for Educational Reform includes a number of helpful tips, tricks, and questions to guide a physical community in their virtual journey. I used her list of questions along with some input from Sarah Stewart to tweak my rubric. Sarah reminded me that user features must be judged by the degree to which they foster collaboration and relationship-building and by how well they enhance the moderator's role. (Nussbaum-Beach provides an excellent description of how virtual communities live or die by the quality of the facilitator/moderator.)

As I mentioned before, all the other factors for reviewing software are still up for consideration, but I've fleshed out a more thorough checklist for user features. Here is that checklist:

• demos or online tutorials for new users


• secure login, privacy settings, and passwords


• user-generated content and interactivity (reviews, forums, chats, discussion threads, blog posts, file uploading and sharing, etc.)


• link sharing


• file uploading and sharing (documents, movies, photos, slideshows, etc.)


• archives for webcasts, chats, discussions, etc.


• search by categories, keywords, or tags


• customizable layouts, themes, and templates


• member profiles


• polling or surveying capability


• voice capability for synchronous events


• support for multiple languages

When a community of educators, bound together by a common interest or passion (such as nurturing the next generation of teachers), decides "to go virtual," they should think long and hard about what they want to be able to do, see, create, and share online. Then, they should select the tool (or tools) that will allow them to accessorize their virtual home accordingly.

What do you think?

technorati tags: mentoring ementoring professional development teachers communication collaboration school reform instructional technology web2.0

Update on eMentoring tools

My first VoiceThread project

I have been watching and listening with great interest as teachers and other tech enthusiasts have been posting creations made with VoiceThread. I first encountered VoiceThread at Ddraig Goch's blog. More recently, there has been a lot of sharing of success stories in the Classroom 2.0 forum.

As a language arts teacher, I am especially interested in how individuals with little or no technical expertise can use this free, web-based application to seamlessly integrate words and images into beautiful little multimedia presentations.

And the creators promise that teachers and students will always enjoy free access to VoiceThread in the classroom. (A new souped-up version is set to premiere on October 10.)

VoiceThread is a compelling tool for the English teacher. A thoughtful lesson that incorporates VoiceThread draws on all the language arts skills -- reading, writing, listening, speaking, and representing.

Every semester my students conducted PowerPoint-supported book talks; it seems a VoiceThread book talk would have greater reach and impact. First, the students' voices are permanently embedded in the slideshow for repeated viewings over time. Second, rather than rely on ready-made templates, students would have to carefully select or create their own digital images. Third, a more rigorous writing component is possible if students are required to script and rehearse their commentaries prior to recording. (I've always been bothered by the way PowerPoint reduces thought to the proverbial three bullet points.)

Moreover, students who share books in common can leave comments, reactions, and insights on each other's VoiceThreads.

Wesley Fryer has posted a number of projects that demonstrate VoiceThread's value in the English classroom as well as its tremendous interdisciplinary potential. Check out his Great Book Stories project as well as his VoiceThread about the Shanghai Cricket Market.

My first VoiceThread is more modest, but I am excited nonetheless because my son, who just turned two, also joined in the action. Here is my first little VoiceThread demo, celebrating Henry's second birthday.

So, what do you think? (For reasons beyond my level of comprehension, VoiceThreads cannot be embedded in blogs hosted by Wordpress.com. So, you will have to go offsite to view my project. Sorry!)

technorati tags: instructional technology web2.0 voicethread

My first VoiceThread project