10
Oct

How can visual imagery support your curricular content?

By yamaguru 1 Comment
Categories: COETAIL Assignment
Tags: , , ,

What is a Rock?

rock

Creative Commons: aeu04117

I used to think that a good PowerPoint presentation mirrored what you were saying to your audience – exactly. What I was saying should be on the screen so that my audience had 2 feeds … visual and audio. I even taught my students to do this … and got wordy, jumbled presentations that were easy to assess (just print and read) but made me question if they were really good presentation tools …

My thinking has changed. After attending a very inspiring presentation by Garr Reynolds last year, I started to think more critically about what I was teaching regarding presentations, and it’s effectiveness for my students. Was I teaching to assess easily, OR to give students a strategy/tool which they could use when necessary? Looking at his Presentation Tips makes you go deeper and really analyze what you are doing. The delivery is of course important, but I have become much more interested in the slides I develop, and how they can almost be treated like a work of art which is intended to make your audience want to know more. Good slides also encourage your audience to inquire about whatever you are presenting on, making personal connections and wondering about where you are headed.

I find Garr Reynolds’ guidelines really useful:

  1. Keep it simple … please.
  2. Limit bullet points & text .. there is nothing like a screen full of words to keep your audience tuned in.
  3. Limit transitions & animations … and really ask yourself what they do for your slideshow. I know they are fun to include, but do you REALLY need them? This is a tough one, as it is often the first thing kids want to play with and embed within their presentations … and high on their priority list.
  4. Use high quality graphics … we have all seen them – those really blurry images on a slide that just make you want to stand up and shout.
  5. Have a visual theme … and avoid pre-made templates …
  6. Use appropriate charts … again, purpose?
  7. Use color well … hard for someone like me who has NO sense of fashion.
  8. Choose your fonts carefully … and consistently
  9. Use video and/or audio when appropriate … again, purpose?
  10. Use the Slide Sorter view to check the flow of your presentation … something I don’t do now, but probably should. I gives you a nice overview of what you are doing for your audience.

I think the example below is a great model of what we can do with a slideshow presentation.

ISB Impressions

View more presentations from David Willows.

With this in mind, I have taken the image above (of a rock) and developed a short slideshow (using PowerPoint) to introduce our first FOSS science unit for the year – Earth Materials. My goal is to have images and key text points initiate thoughts and discussion at the start of this unit.

Here is what I created and uploaded to SlideShare:

Rocks&Minerals

View more presentations from ISB.

I will let you know how it goes!


04
Oct

Visual Literacy: Effective Communicators and Creators (SUNY EDC 604)

By yamaguru 2 Comments
Categories: COETAIL Assignment
Tags: , , , , ,

IMG_6157

Well, course number 3 of COETAIL has officially kicked off. To begin, we have been asked to write a reflective blog post on how the courses to date in this program have changed our teaching for the new year.

I didn’t know where to start actually. One of the things I have enjoyed about this course the most is how practical it is. I read about/hear/discuss new ideas during the classes, and apply them to my teaching the next day. Here are a few examples …

1) Classroom Blog

This was completely new to me last year … well, using it consistently anyways. I had played around with it for a while, but last year was the first time I gave it a real concentrated effort. The purpose was simple – a communication tool between home and school, as well as a way for students to “build and maintain a learning community.” They loved going home and checking the blog. It became a part of our classroom routine, and was used by every single student. Check it out … last year’s blog

This year I am trying to build on this, integrating widgets and at a later point, make students more involved in maintaining the blog. My goal is to have 2 students each week take responsibility for a blog entry … leading towards the intermediate years when they will likely have their own blog. I also plan to make my posts shorter, more frequent, and try to get more parents checking in, more often. Room 210 is open to anyone!

2) Integrate, but make it relevant and meaningful

You can see it on the students’ faces when they see the laptop carts sitting there, waiting to be used. They love technology. But, I have also come to realize that it has to be utilized in the right context, with a clear sense of purpose, for true learning to occur. I want students to understand why we are integrating technology into our learning, and how this can come into play in the future. I don’t want it to take over the lesson, but rather use it in a way that makes learning fun and real.

3) You Tube

I used to fear the thought of using this in the classroom … I now welcome it, but in moderation. I also believe it to be a very meaningful step in educating students about online usage, and how to be responsible and mature when operating online. I even upload videos now for my blog. I guess the more I have used it, the more useful it seems.

4) Smart board technology

I love it. Before this year, I had heard of Smart boards, but had no idea how amazing they are. I now use my Smart board every day for all sorts of lessons … and the kids help me learn along the way. It’s interactive, fun, and allows me to plan my lessons, while creating ways to involve students within the mini-lesson component. I can’t imagine life without it now!

5) Creative Commons

Again, something I had never heard of. It doesn’t have an endless supply of images, but at least what you are using, when cited properly, is legal. Again, a nice link to what we should be teaching in our classrooms.

6) RSS feeds …

I love them. I don’t always have the time to read everything, but it helps someone who has strayed away from newspapers keep in touch with what is going on around the world … in many ways. I probably have around 20 subscriptions in total at this point, organized into 4 folders, and some I visit every day, whereas others maybe once a month or so. It allows me to build a PLN which I can access when I want. My most frequent feed … Football – Mail Online although I discovered a new one which I can’t wait to have a look around … My Several Worlds. Nice, now that we are living in S.E Asia, and I love to travel!

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I know there was lots more that I was exposed to, and still a lot of learning ahead.

26
Apr

Collaboration 101

By yamaguru 0 Comments
Categories: Collaboration
Tags: , , , , ,

Are we preparing students for a world of Mass Collaboration?

I think many of us are trying, but there are lots of hurdles to overcome. Teaching in an inquiry-based, PYP school, a large part of our learning is done collaboratively. F2f, this is a good starting point, but what lies ahead for our students?

A Vision of Students Today begins by emphasizing that we are still forcing students to learn the way we did, and for many of us, that is a while ago. Information is limited, linear and outdated. As constraining as classrooms can be, collaboration (and mass collaboration using tools like Google Docs) is the future. We need to be able to work with others, and online tools encourage us to set up PLNs and expand our working, studying & gaming environments. I guess this is one of the main reasons I feel very fortunate to be working in a IBO PYP authorized school, which focuses on student-centered, inquiry-based, collaborative learning. We try to involve the students in all aspects of their learning, and collaboration and interaction is at the core of our teaching and learning. I realize that many schools are going this direction, but when I compare it to what I grew up with, a BIG difference. You now see students very involved in their learning, and loving it.

Mass Collaboration Could Change Way Companies Operate talks about how companies are slowly moving away from relying only on employees housed within their office space, to posting queries, questions, and tasks to online communities for potential solutions. This opens their workspace up to the world, and significantly reduces costs for the company. Isn’t it our responsibility to prepare our students for “what’s ahead?” Surely we need to incorporate this into our classroom.

I turned to one of my favorite mass collaboration sites (Wikipedia) for a definition of what mass collaboration is. I like this … it is clear, simple and straight-forward.

Mass collaboration is a form of collective action that occurs when large numbers of people work independently on a single project, often modular in its nature. Such projects typically take place on the internet using social software and computer-supported collaboration tools such as wiki technologies …

This term, I have had the chance to explore the idea of “mass collaboration” in more practical terms. First, a team of teachers from ISB (Bangkok) and I are working on a student-friendly AUP using Google Docs. We have looked at a few different Acceptable Use Policies from other schools, combined with ISB’s existing AUP, and are now in the process of adapting the language so that students in Gr 3-5 will understand it, and adopt it. This has been really a powerful experience, as at different times of the day, one of us will jump online and make changes to our working document. Quite often, we include notes within the policy and color-code changes. I always look forward to seeing what work the others have done. However, one question I have with efforts like this is at what point do we consider it complete? Who makes the final decision? There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen, but no-one to deliver the meal when it is done. Obviously, some sort of moderator, administrator or “captain” is needed to complete projects collaborated online. Someone needs the final say.

Another shot at mass collaboration, on a small scale, is involving a wiki in this year’s Gr 5 PYP Exhibition. This has been a little more difficult, as not all of the staff (and students) are ready to jump on board with the idea of working collaboratively online. Paper and pencil are still favored because they are familiar and easier. Hardware, software, and time are all limitations which we need to factor into our daily schedules. When planning an activity, computers do often take longer and can be a distraction to students. However, spending time now to establish proper online habits and develop skills necessary to work in groups, both f2f and online, is important. I like the idea of assigning tasks which they can work on together, and a wiki is perfect for this. I have assigned each group (of 15) their own page, and we are now in the process of exploring what their page can be used for (the purpose), and how they can work on it online. I (along with some teacher-mentors) plan to comment and interact with them online, giving regular feedback on what they are doing and encouraging them to use their space more and more. Hopefully, this catches on and they see the benefits of working collaboratively online. I think this is a really useful first introduction to the idea of mass collaboration.

One more final note – Wikijunior. What a great idea. It isn’t perfect and needs work … but again the potential is incredible. What a powerful tool for students to contribute to something like an online book. I can see this really motivating to many students. Become knowledgeable on a topic and then use your understanding to contribute to a collaborative, online, student-friendly, resource. Very powerful. One question though … is it moderated? Who checks their information? Is it enough to rely on students to check students?

So, are we preparing students for a world of mass collaboration? I like to think we are trying. Mass collaboration needs a slow introduction, so that acceptable use and the appropriate skills develop at the same time. The worst thing we can do is throw them in head first, with a sink or swim attitude. Let’s start simple, and scaffold their learning like we do with anything else. Challenge them to think “outside of the box” and be responsible for being “effective collaborators”. Make them realize the benefits of working with others. This has huge potential.

25
Apr

The Web …

By yamaguru 0 Comments
Categories: Web 2.0
Tags: ,

What makes the web so powerful?

I guess the power of the web lies within how much we depend on it now, for literally everything we do. But to start, I had to ask myself what is the difference between the web, and Web 2.0 … a chance to do a little more personal inquiry. I have heard the term Web 2.0 many, many times, and just kind of assumed it was a “new and improved internet”….

Well, to get some answers my first stop was … Wikipedia. A great example of a Web 2.0 tool. They (and I mean they) define Web 2.0 as:

“Web 2.0” refers to a perceived second generation of web development and design, that facilitates communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and applications; such as social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies.

So, I am beginning to get a better idea of what this whole concept is all about … communication, sharing of information, and collaboration. It’s really about bringing people together who share similar interests or skills, and building on that to develop a community of learners … a PLN (Personal Learning Network). With the number of internet users, I would say that this is a pretty powerful tool.

Another really useful tool that has grown on me a lot in the past few months is YouTube. This was a logical second stop. Web 2.0 … The Machine in Us/ing Us is great at outlining in simple terms what the internet is all about now: “Web 2.0 is linking people … people sharing, trading and collaborating.” I like the way they mention that “we’ll need to rethink a few things – copyright, authorship, identity, ethics, aesthetics, rhetorics, governance, privacy, love, family, ourselves…” Obviously, it isn’t perfect and in fact there are many risks/factors involved in using this tool effectively and safely.

Web 2.0 by Jeff Utech gives us another angle at how we use the world wide web more and more these days. And it is always changing. This was from 2006, and we are now talking about Web 3.0. What lies ahead?

Well, this article from Wired discusses the development of the internet, where it is headed, and the impact it has on our lives. It was really surprising looking back at the original aim of the internet – for research, not commercial use. I wonder what the balance is today … Below are a few other interesting bits from the article, dated 2005 :

- the total number of web pages now exceeds 600 billion, or 100 per person

- right now, 50 million auctions are racing through eBay

- half a million folks make a living through internet auctions

- 1.4 billion online auctions every year … a global flea market

- 3 billion user feedback comments help police internet activity

- a new blog every 2 seconds (although I read somewhere else that this is now every half a second)

- last year, eBay sold $11 billion worth of vehicles

- netizens (a new term for me)

And finally, a summary of Web 2.0 (and 3.0?) …

“as with blogging and BitTorrent, prosumers produce and consume at once. The producers are the audience, the act of making is the act of watching, and every link is both a point of departure and a destination.”

What is interesting though is how I am currently avoiding some Web 2.0 tools, such as Facebook and Twitter. I don’t really want everyone knowing how I am feeling every second of the day, or what I am up to all the time. I don’t want to post my thoughts, and check in with others. I guess I like my privacy. On the other hand, I love being connected. Tools such as my mobile phone (and texting), email, Skype and blogging are all things which I now rely on to keep in touch with family, friends and colleagues. I guess for me, it is once again all about being balanced.

What’s next? Well, Evolution Web 1.0, Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 encourages us to look ahead to the future with Web 3.0. Say what? Well, “simply speaking, the internet is a web full of appliances that communicate with each other by exchanging information.” That exchange is becoming more and more interactive, and more and more automatic. They predict that the web will become more present, but less and less visible, in the future. How powerful is this?

22
Apr

Online safety

By yamaguru 0 Comments
Categories: Cyber safety
Tags: , , ,

Who’s responsibility is it to teach students to be safe online?

Everyone’s – it has to be collaborative. The whole idea behind Web 2.0 is to connect people who share similar interests, hobbies and skills. When I look at our school’s community, I see parents, teachers, staff, peers … we all need to be aware and involved right from the start. One of the video presentations mentions that “the web mirrors all of human life” … so it makes sense that educating needs to be addressed by everyone. I guess the confusing part of all of this is – who gets involved and when/where? Do schools have the right to jump in when situations which involve students happen off campus, and don’t involve school property? Some AUPs address this, and some avoid it.

When dad banned text messaging talks about behaviors associated with text messaging, and “the idea of feeling important and connected.” We rely on technology now to stay in constant contact with family & friends (i.e. Facebook, Twitter). And living in Tokyo, I am constantly exposed to people who feel whatever message they are sending from their mobile phones is SO important that crossing a busy street, walking up stairs, getting on and off trains, and even riding a bike down a crowded sidewalk … can be done as they text away. It amazes, and often frustrates me. I wonder what younger children think of this behavior. Do they view it is appropriate usage? What are we modeling?

Then there is the issue of privacy and respect for others online. In cyberspace, we don’t have to confront others face to face, and it makes it so much easier to say things anonymously. Both case studies for this week’s f2f session looked at how easy it is to be a target, and how confusing situations can be as we hide behind technology, rather than confront the people involved. There is so much you can get away with digitally … and I guess the alarming thing for me, teaching Grade 5, is that the kids are so naive. They just are not aware that when they post their name, picture, or email address online (in a chatroom or SNS), the magnitude of their actions. Not only is their audience endless, but once you post something, you will not get it back. Remember your manners!

I would like to again refer to a really good blog post by Andrew, and what he terms the 3 i’s:

  • Interested – ask them what they are doing and who they are doing it with.
  • Informed – understand about what social networks are, what the games are, what are the benefits and what are the risks.
  • Involved – be involved in the students (or child’s) use of technology, keep them in sight and be there.

It makes a lot of sense. Teaching Grade 5, the idea of internet privacy & safety has come up in many classroom discussions, especially as I introduced a class blog this year, along with Google accounts for all of my students. Most of the students had personal email accounts, but the blog was a new idea. The concept of opening our classroom up to the world was exciting, but made me a little nervous. It however made me get involved in starting the process of educating them about cyberspace, and how easy it is to expose yourself to people who you have never met – the risks and the benefits. We have talked about it a lot, and in all of our lessons, I work in one aspect of cybersafety that is relevant to the teaching and learning going on. I like to think that I am interested, informed and involved, and that by modeling these behaviors, my students are as well.

Connectsafely.org has developed Tips to Help Stop Cyberbullying, which outlines behaviors and actions which may result in cyber bullying, as well as strategies to combat it. The thing I like about their approach is how “child friendly” it is. This is a resource that you could easily incorporate into technology lessons, and send home so that parents are involved as well.

Again, the key is education through collaboration. We all need to be involved, and we all need to learn. Don’t shy away from something you don’t know anything about, or you are uncomfortable dealing with. Take it on, find out more about it, and challenge it. By modeling “appropriate” strategies for cybersafety, those we are trusted with educating can only benefit. For those that run into trouble, reach out. Make them aware of who they can turn to. And most of all, make everyone aware that their experiences online aren’t really that much different from real-life situations. Just because you are facing a computer monitor, you are still exposed to risk.

12
Apr

Copyright …

By yamaguru 0 Comments
Categories: copyright
Tags: , , ,

Good job you propeller head, or maybe you should go back and read the article! Your score is 38%.

OK, I didn’t read the article first, but this pretty much sums up my knowledge of copyright laws.

The essential questions for this week made me think a lot, and challenged me to expand my ideas into an area that is very gray to me, and may never completely clear up.

Do we as a global society need to rethink copyright laws?

Rethink no … constantly adapt … probably. Technology is changing so fast, and who can keep up? I imagine lawyers in any field have the same problem, and the concept of copyright is something that in the past 10 years or so has changed so much, thanks to technology. File sharing, legal and illegal downloading, email, websites, portable hard drives, media players … the list goes on and on. People want to share what they have for a variety of reasons. Whether it is against the law or not, many don’t care. Where do you draw the line?

The 5 principles of “fair” use …, look at the following situations and try to take a more liberal look at things:

(1) EMPLOYING COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN MEDIA LITERACY LESSONS

(2) EMPLOYING COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN PREPARING CURRICULUM MATERIALS

(3) SHARING MEDIA LITERACY CURRICULUM MATERIALS

(4) STUDENT USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS IN THEIR OWN ACADEMIC AND CREATIVE WORK

(5) DEVELOPING AUDIENCES FOR STUDENT WORK

For class, we have been asked to look at a few case studies in order to better understand these principles of “fair use”. I have followed each with a couple of thoughts.

Case study #1:

Has to be covered under point #2 … Employing copyrighted material in preparing curriculum materials. I would assume that they are selling the materials to different schools/districts, but because it is integrating copyrighted material into curriculum materials which are designed for learning, it is fair use. However, it is crucial to recognize your sources and use only what is necessary. You also need to justify your use of the material, and link to course objectives.

Case study #2:

Copyrighted images & music being used for student projects, but with a purpose or message … I feel point #4 covers this best … Students use of copyrighted materials in their own academic and creative work – Students strengthen media literacy skills by creating messages and using such symbolic forms as language, images, sound, music, and digital media to express and share meaning. Students were working on a project which examined “global warming” and communicated a message to it;s audience. They include(d) excerpts from copyrighted material in their own creative work for many purposes, including for comment and criticism, for illustration, to stimulate public discussion … this makes it “fair use.”

Case study #3:

Images from Flicker.com being used for student use, with “value-added” a focus … probably falls under point # 5 … Developing audiences for student work – student work that incorporates, modifies, and re-presents existing media content meets the transformativeness standard, it can be distributed to wide audiences under the doctrine of fair use. However, students need to understand the importance of how their work transformed or changed the original works, and the purpose of the changes they made (or use of the image).

Creative Commons …

Taking the gray area and adding some structure to it… check out this video created by cc

What’s our role as educators in copyright usage in schools?

We have to make our students aware that there are rules and guidelines out there, and as confusing as they are, we need to proceed with a bit of caution whenever we are using something that someone else has created. A good example of this would be the video projects we just finished in class, using iMovie. They are amazing, and I would love to upload and share them, but I hesitated a lot at first. However, when I looked at the principles of “fair use”, and the student work I was considering, I decided that it was “safe” because:

- the work was transformative, adapted to suite the purpose

- purpose was educational, and non-commercial (student projects)

… now I just need to address the idea of “privacy”, and how to approach this with the school and parents. I ask myself – What is the best way to get this work “out there” for others to see, in the right context. Any ideas …  let me know please.

Finally, we were asked last Saturday to visually present the 5 principles of the code of best practice. I have attached my version.   Fair Use

Like I mentioned earlier, I feel I still have a lot to learn when it comes to copyright issues, and will continue to tread lightly.

05
Apr

Is there such a thing as privacy online?

By yamaguru 0 Comments
Categories: privacy
Tags: ,

A very good question. The ability of people to access your personal information is quite intimidating actually. Switched.com gives us this short video which talks about Facebook, among other things, and asks the question: Is it right for someone to be able to access your personal information online?

I can see both sides of the argument. Social networking sites do allow us to reach out globally and stay in contact with people we rarely see, have never met, or are part of our PLN. They also expose us to people we may not want to allow access to personal information. I had to chuckle when I watched the video called Facebook in Reality … It makes you realize that we do so much more online that we would ever imagine doing face 2 face.

Our first reading for this week, titled Don’t overestimate privacy of online information states that: Employers hiring potential employees and firing current employees based on their online social networking profiles is an issue that deserves attention, but the bigger dilemma is the lack of privacy online. Ouch. This really is something I hadn’t thought of until about a week ago … and it questions a lot of ethical ideals in my opinion. I know it is a public site, and we have the choice to sign up or not, but I am sure that there is a certain amount of trust that people have in “privacy” and their individual accounts. The article goes on to say that recent changes to facebook policies have “enable(d) Facebook the right to use content even after a person’s profile has been deleted.” I think I will be a little more careful with this account from now on.

Beware: the internet could own your future argues that privacy no longer means having control over who has access to pictures and information. Well then, who has control? Well, Facebook is again a great example of how this can go way beyond where most of us would ever expect. We likely place too much trust in the online social networks, and the secure “password protected” ccounts we set up. We need to be more aware of what it takes to maintain privacy online. I do anyways.

In Social Networks and Socializing, Andrew brings up some pretty good points, beginning with the way we classify online behaviour as unsocial. We see kids spending more time online, and think they are being anti-social. In fact, their “circle of friends” expands beyond the street they live on, and often circles the planet. The problem is, when you aren’t interacting with someone f2f, it is hard to get a feel of the relationship you have with them. I find this anyways. I kind of get to know someone online, through email, Facebook, or other social network sites, but until I meet them f2f, I don’t feel I really know them. The privacy side of things … well, most of us aren’t aware of how much we leave ourselves open to, and what others can access about us.

Finally, Andrew brings up a really great point near the end of his blog: “At a time when we need to embrace internationalism, to understand and accept different cultures and beliefs the last thing we need is reduce the circle of contact”. How true is this … the problem is … how can we best prepare students to enter this cyber-world, and provide them with the skills and knowledge to safely interact online, globally, virtually?

Andrew’s response – “As to predators, yes they exist in the virtual and the real world. We can not protect our children by wrapping them in cotton wool either virtually or really. Eventually they will be outside of the bounds of our protect and woefully ill prepared. Rather we need to educate them, establish dialogue that is open, frank and honest about the risks; build a relationship of trust where they are comfortable talking about these events if they should occur AND teach them how to avoid ever getting into at risk positions.” This is the key. Treat it like anything else by keeping the dialogue open, frank, and relevant to their learning (and lives). We can’t pretend the risks aren’t there, or that they will magically go away. We can’t say “don’t use the internet except for school use”. They just need to know what is out there, how it may affect them, and what to do (or who to turn to) when things get uncomfortable or unsafe.

One solution according to Andrew is the 3 i’s:

  • Interested – ask them what they are doing and who they are doing it with.
  • Informed – understand about what social networks are, what the games are, what are the benefits and what are the risks.
  • Involved – be involved in the students (or child’s) use of technology, keep them insight and be there.

A great read. If you haven’t read the entire article already, please check it out …

28
Mar

Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants … Digital Footprints?

By yamaguru 0 Comments
Categories: digital footprints
Tags: ,

I took a look at the focus for this course (COETAIL course #2 – 21st Century Literacy Ideas, Questions, and Issues), and it has not only peaked my interest, but also made me realize how ignorant I am towards the footprints I leave behind when I jump online. Privacy, internet security and how this impacts our teaching are all things that we need to keep in mind, especially as we model behaviors and make our students more aware of what awaits them in cyberspace. Blogging and email are the obvious ones to begin with, but where do we go from here with elementary age students? More on this later …

For me, this week gave me a chance for some personal inquiry.

1) I am a digital immigrant and laugh at how I used computers 10 years ago … and before that I avoided them altogether. Now I spend usually an hour or two a day on them for various things, from emailing and blogging to watching TV and surfing the net. Security is something I need to be more aware of, especially with my love of online shopping (thank you amazon.com). How safe is a Wi-fi connection that others can access? Does a Wi-fi connection which is password-protected make things safer? If my Mac laptop (school issued) is without anti-virus software, am I asking for trouble, or has my school technician looked after this? I feel like I need to do some serious research into all of these questions.

2) Cookies. Another new idea for me. I have heard of them, and seen them cleared from your browser’s history… but not sure why or how. Does it protect us, hurt us, or make us work harder when surfing. Digital Footprints gives us a little insight into how this whole idea works.

I decided to try to erase my footprints … well some of them anyways. With Firefox, I went to Tools –> Clear Private Data –> and then just selected the items I wanted to focus on. Cookies was there of course, and I made sure that this box was ticked.

The essential question for this week is:

When and where should we be teaching students about their digital footprint?

This is a great question, since up until about a week ago, I had never heard of this concept at all. It makes sense, and we need to think carefully of the best way to begin this process in a relevant, meaningful manner. What is a good starting point for our students?  As digital natives, are we being naive or paranoid (see Your Digital Dossier)? Anyways, some thoughts on the readings for this week …

Your online reputation can hurt your job search

I never thought of this when I was being interviewed this winter at the Search Bangkok Job Fair. The idea that someone would search Google and blogs for personal information about me is … weird. But probably very effective. Your footprints on Facebook, photo sites, blogs and other social networking sites could be a huge factor in whether or not you are are even considered for a job. They can take you out of the running before you even get started. Fortunately, when I searched Google, nothing came up. Facebook is another story …

On the flip side, if you promote yourself through social network sites, this can have a very positive effect as well. The article outlines ways to positively promote yourself digitally, from blogging your skills (online CV) to setting up your profile online (social networking sites) and linking it to your blog. Make links positive and easy to access. Obviously, the best way to do this is to start young and protect your image online. This is where we come in as educators. The video Cyberbullying – Bulletin Board is a great reminder for all of us.

Protect Your Digital Footprint

The one thing that really hit home from this article was the statement: Unlike footprints in the snow or sand, your digital footprint out there in cyberspace can last forever. What a thought. Doesn’t this make it clear that we need to start educating students at a young age, as soon as they are ready to use the internet and understand the importance of internet safety. It is just like telling them “don’t talk to strangers” … they will understand. Start with basics, and keep the language simple. Respect, safety & privacy are terms which can be understood at a very young age.

Taking a look at ISB’s AUP for the elementary school, there are some clear links to the idea of digital footprints and internet safety. It could be better. The statement “Students are responsible for appropriate behavior when using the school’s computers, networks, and Internet access just as they are in a classroom or on a school playground” is a good one, and may make things more relevant to young learners. However, the “respect myself” section would benefit if it addressed the idea of privacy online.  I also wonder though if there is a “kid friendly” version of this policy. This may be something I tackle with my class of fifth graders …

A very good focus for the first week of our second course. Lots of learning ahead …

01
Mar

Final Reflection …

By yamaguru 1 Comment
Categories: reflection
Tags: , , ,

It’s done. I have been feeling really behind for the last couple of weeks, but I dug in and caught up.

The course has been an excellent experience for me, and I would first of all like to thank Kim and Jeff for all of their time, effort and energy. Working with a group this size, and a handful of them aren’t even there in Bangkok, is pretty admirable. The tracking and assessment of all these blogs … well, let’s just say that I don’t read probably 10 % of my RSS stuff coming in every day. I don’t know how they do it.

This experience has challenged me in many ways. Being one of the distance students (from Tokyo) has been exciting, but tough. The f2f sessions just aren’t the same when you are staring at your monitor and can hear every second question or so. The screen goes blank or freezes every once in a while, and you get up to go get another cup of coffee. The sessions are pretty disjointed actually, but I sincerely appreciate both of you for your efforts at broadcasting the live f2f sessions. Just being able to listen in made me want to be there even more.

New ideas & old ideas. The last couple of readings especially (the Horizon Report 2009 + Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom) made me take a look at my use of technology, as did the final project we just completed. I like some of the old ways of doing things though. I still email all the time, and will admit to messing around with new technology, but hanging on to the old.

Some new skills/ideas I am thinking of adopting:

- RSS readers (set up now, but need to continue using to see how committed I am to it)

- glogster (new to me, and something that I am very interested in learning more about)

- You Tube

- Voice Thread

- Skype (for connecting with other classrooms around the world – Around The World With 80 Schools)

The final project was very interesting for me. First, it introduced me to Understanding by Design, an instructional design model I have been dancing with for the past year or so. Well, the book has been on my shelf anyways … It is a model which is very similar to the IBO PYP Unit of Inquiry model, which I have been working with for the last 6 years. So, this project was a nice change for me, but somewhat familiar. I tore apart a Unit of Inquiry we covered earlier in the year, and tweaked it to make it (hopefully) better, with technology embedded not just in the product (as a presentation tool), but throughout the process as well. I am actually pretty excited with this unit now, and think it would engage my current group of students much more than the way we did it earlier this year.

But for me, it is all about balance. I need to balance my life with the requirements technology places on us. It is pressure, no matter which way you look at it. Luckily, I love to learn and picking up a new gadget is exciting for me, just like experimenting with a new OS is. Plus, I will always be committed to helping my students succeed, with whatever they are doing, so whatever preparation and planning that takes, I am game.

Thanks again, and I look forward to the second course.

28
Feb

Adopt & Adapt – What are the Implications for Teaching & Learning

By yamaguru 2 Comments
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: , ,

Technology Adoption …

Dabbling

I dabbled for a long time, and many teachers get stuck here due to time, priorities, and just plain old intimidation.

Doing old things in old ways

Hanging on to what we have, and what we are comfortable with. Who can blame you? It works, doesn’t it?

Doing old things in new ways

This stage reminded me of the “messing around” stage of the Living and Learning with New Media article. We may look at this type of activity as a waste of time … where is the educational value? As many of us are resistant to change, we are not willing to have a go with new applications and ideas. I am slowly trying to edge into this category, but definitely find myself embedded in “old ways to do old things.” I can’t help it. And to keep up with how fast technology is expanding/changing, I would have to spend a LOT more time online than I do now. Family and lifestyle commitments keep me in balance. In school, it is a hardware issue, as well as time management. The curriculum has to be covered, and sometimes technology can slow you down, especially if your school isn’t set up to support the demands of technology today.

Doing new things in new ways

Is what we are doing new? Or are we doing the same thing, but with different tools? This video gives us a good look @ where we have come from. Different playing field, but same game.

So let’s hang on a second and take a deep breath. Why do we always push forward so fast and embrace the “next best ” thing (please see Have We Come Too Far). What is wrong with what we have? I know we need to support our students and prepare them for the future, but I also say let’s enjoy the moment and let technology breath a little. Maybe I put too much value on f2f interaction … but I still prefer speaking to someone in person, or picking up a good book, than Skyping or online gaming/chatting/networking. Especially with a Guinness in hand …

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