Independence Now

Allow me to write for a moment or so about something that has been bugging me for the past few weeks.  It’s something that Felicia mentions in this blog post and something that was reinforced when I read this.  And it’s something that I’ve definitely touched upon before.

I am petrified that technology is actually helping us to create dependent learners.

There.  I said it.  Disagree with me, please!  Tell me I’m wrong because I want to be.

We are using the internet to help children get answers, not find them, as Felicia writes.  Isn’t that also what we’re asked to do in the digital story project?  Dependent learners are given a list of resources that hold their hand through the process.  Independent learners are given an objective or a task and then they do it.  Oh, you don’t know how to use iMovie?  Figure it out by trial-and-error and playing around with it for yourself.  That, I think, is why my generation and the generations that have followed find tech so intuitive.  We figured it out for ourselves.  Nobody taught us.  Our parents, by contrast, have to be told how to do something and they don’t actually LEARN it – they LEARN to ask us.  I SAY NO! What my mom needs to learn is how to find the answer…NOT GET THE ANSWER! Instead of calling me or my brother, she needs to take on the inquiry task herself.  If she did, she would be much more likely to remember the answer…even if it takes longer to FIND it than to GET it.  If you can’t figure out how to do something on iMovie, then find a tutorial yourself.  Ask the internet yourself. 

Like I said, this was reinforced when I read this.  Did anyone else notice that about HALF the sites were no longer available?  That’s the internet for you, folks!  That’s why it’s important not to be GIVEN resources, but to be comfortable FINDING them.  There will always be something to replace what goes missing, but if you can’t find it, it won’t help you.  So I say, instead of telling your fourth-graders to get answers on a certain website, give them an objective/task (webquest) and have them do independent research.  Not only are they discovering content, they are learning how to learn.  That’s as authentic and independent as it gets.  And then they won’t shut down when their go-to website does.

Ciao!

Google Reader

I LOVE Google Reader.  It is soo helpful!  Instead of going to twenty separate blogs, I go to ONE site.  I read what I want and/or what's new.  It's all in one place!  I check the reader about weekly to respond to interesting posts.

I've subscribed to all of our classmates' blogs.  I haven't subscribed to anybody else's yet -- I simply don't have time to read blogs.  I have a bookmark folder on my computer of blogs I love (I'm talking Top Ten status) that I can look at when I do have time.  Mozilla lets me open them simultaneously in tabs and then I just mess around according to my mood!

Where does blogging fall on your priority list?  How often do you check?  What are some blogs that you recommend?

Ciao!

Ning

How can we improve the effectiveness of our cross-campus Ning?

• I personally love controversial topics and that's surely a way to get people to respond.
• Anything where people to get to talk about themselves (like the travel topic)
• Hot topics in the world today (I posted a forum about Joseph Kony)
• Maybe somebody gutsy could post one of those video blogs instead of typing a response?
• Reading/doing something together and then responding (glorified, inter-state class discussion)

Think these ideas could work?  What other ideas could we try?

Ciao!

Slideshare/Pinterest

Yup, I'm obsessed with Pinterest.

For those of you who are unsure what it's all about, check this out:

PinterestMy friend recommended it to me and I just jumped right in.  I was HOOKED.  I'm all about most of the things that are popular up there:  education, fitness, cooking, organization, and humor. What did you think of Slideshare?  I found it not-so user friendly.  Most of the videos were in other languages and they all seemed to be geared towards business.Anyway, did you find this video helpful at all if you're new to Pinterest?Ciao!  

VoiceThread

VoiceThread seems pretty straightforward, but once you browse around a little, you can see how creative people are with it! Of course, some attempts fall flat.

One that doesn't, however, is this social justice poetry slam.

This science project is also worth sharing.  As a writing tutor, I'm in love with this tool because, essentially, it's a visual paper.  Instead of having each subtopic written in paragraph form, the students research their topic and organize by pictures.  Duh!  They're much more likely to stick to relevant facts this way.  It's so easy to get caught up in writing and include tons of extraneous information that isn't pertinent to the point of the paragraph.

What are some VoiceThreads that you thought were unique?

Ciao!

Skyping with Aviva Dunsinger & Wikispaces

Most helpful information?

World Math Day.  I love that her students are so excited about math.  I’ve found that turning anything into a competition motivates children, and competing against another classroom would also create solidarity within the classroom.  It also presents a way to connect with students worldwide and expose children to other cultures.  Awesome!

 

What was most helpful for you?

Interesting tidbits?

Children think they are nicer to each other online than they are on the playground.  Surprising when you think about high schoolers who use the anonymity as an excuse for tragic cruelty, isn’t it?  I hope that as educators promote digital citizenship and instill these values in children at young ages, cyber bullying will disappear entirely.  What do you think, wishful thinking or probable outcome?

As Associate Director at a sleep-away summer camp (where cell phones are PROHIBITED), I was shocked to hear that these students would rather play inside with their tablets than play outside.  Our campers force their parents to drive across town borders to hand deliver their camper applications, because the mail takes too long and camp might fill up.  They LOVE camp!  A place where they sleep outside on Wednesday nights, where they are outside 12 hours of the day, and where even iPods are frowned upon.  How can we promote technology AND an appreciation for the outdoors simultaneously?

 

EDUC584 Projects

I’m totally excited about this.  I think it’s a great resource, and I think the idea is great for our own classrooms too.  Students helping, teaching, and mentoring each other – heartwarming just thinking about it!

Ciao!