What tools do you use?

[Cindy P]

What web 2.0 tools do you use with your students and how are you using them?

[jdblack]

Just one semester ago I made the big switch. Before this time I had been teaching basic Microsoft Office via my high school computer apps class. But I began asking serious questions about whether this was really the way to go as "the web as platform" continued to grow and strengthen. So, this semester I have focused on all things Web 2.0. It was not a pretty start, as I share in my blog on transitioning to everything web 2.0. Most of my major battles revolved around our school district's cache server and how it did not allow us to immediately see updates to our blogs. But that battle is past and I have one semester under my wing. I can confidently now say I am so glad I made this transition. My students loved it and as some of them were leaving on the last day, I heard sentiments such as "oh man, I'll miss this class".

The thrust of my class was to use the Web to do greater good -- to have students look outside of their own navel-gazing atmosphere and see how they might affect the world for good. I wove this in slowly, talking in increments about how students primarily/largely use the Web and technology today for personal gratification and entertainment. Through the course of this class, I think I've been successful in showing them that Web 2.0 tools can give them a voice to be heard and to make a difference in issues they feel strongly about.

* I first introduced GMail and then iGoogle

* Next, I shared Google Docs and Spreadsheets with the students to show the idea of online storage, publication and collaboration. We did a project on the Guinea worm of Africa (my subtle guidance to get them to see the world beyond themselves). Boy, did their jaws drop when they found out they were forming a group collaborative project on a two foot worm that grows in a person's body after drinking contaminated water!

* Next we learned Blogger. Our first blog and series of posts were primarily about Web 2.0 concepts and blogging about them as we learned the ins and outs of Blogger.

* Then I had students create their own blogs; I really encouraged them to look outside of themselves and focus on something that needed talking about -- something others needed to be educated about. All students but one did this -- I was so proud of them (a total of about 54 kids). Our topics ranged from inequality in homosexual rights, to abortion, to racial discrimination of Hispanic Americans, to racial discrimination of International Soccer players, to gun control, to the dangers of drunk driving, to deforestation issues, etc.

Through out this blog students used online image editors to create blog images -- we used Splashup.com, Fotoflexer.com, and Picnik.com. When gathering information we learned about aggregation tools and RSS. Netvibes.com served us really well for this. Bubbl.us was used to create mind maps of sub-issues within their broader blog issue. Along the way we used Feedburner.com to make an RSS chicklet, Amung.us to add a visitor map to the blog, and Statcounter.com for those who wanted raw numbers visiting their site. We experimented with posting with text, posting ideas with podcasts (Audacity and Gabcast.com) and posting ideas with slideshows (Onetruemedia.com and Animoto.com). Along the way, I wove in the concepts of mashups, social bookmarking with Delicious.com and a brief stint with Twitter.

As students left on the last day, I heard many say they wanted to continue their blogs into next semester. I hope they do. I'll never forget how many students would blurt out at any one time on how many new dots they had on their visitor maps -- a real sign that authentic audiences do really motivate young writers. I have many things I feel I did right, but others I will change as semester two rolls around in a week. Overall, it was a success -- most of the students really felt like they were learning skills that were current and relevant. :)

[Cindy P]

Wow! Sounds like you really used a wide array of tools with your students. You definitely had your students attention because these were tools they either were using or wanted to learn to use- not an ancient text book. I'm assuming that you were teaching a college level course.

I know with K-12 districts, we run into various issues when using some of these tools. Did you encounter any problems within your department or fellow teachers?

[jdblack]

Actually, this is a high school computer application class, grades 9 - 12. I only use sites that are allowed thru on our district filter. And of course, we have a lesson/contract on blogging/internet safety. I have one other 'department' colleague. He is still teaching the Microsoft office approach, which is okay, because that's what some of our students need. That course will be called computer apps, and mine will be called advanced computer apps. Students can take both, if they want while in high school. I lay down some pretty strict rules from the get-go about "with power comes responsibility". I also use SychronEyes in the classroom to facilitate/monitor learning, which also helps kids know to focus on the use of their tools appropriately. I bust those that don't. I really didn't see any inappropriate use of these tools when in the classroom -- the most aggregious offense was the occational game playing on their personal homepages in Net vibes or watching a sports/music video after I taught them how to use the video search module in Netvibes. These things they get busted for, but I'm usually able to redirect them and get them back on task. I tell them there's plenty of cool things to do that are school endorsed -- leave the games and videos for home time. Other than that, no real issues or problems that I know of. Of course, though, I know to keep on the look out. These are great tools, but like all tools, people can use them for good or bad.

[Mari Hobkirk]

I really haven't used any Web 2.0 tools yet. I am planning on that sometime during Spring Semester. I'm taking the district Web 2.0 course beginning January 22, and with the help of jdblack64 I'm hoping to really make some changes this semester.

I teach Computer Science, Web Design, and Computer Applications. Students in recent years have been bored to death in a traditional Computer Apps course, because that is what they've been teaching at the middle school. So I made a move to no longer off that particular course, and funnel students into either Computer Science or Web Design.

In Computer Science I have spent the better part of the last year focusing on developing curriculum that used Game Development to introduce programming. I really think this is going to pay off next year. Students have really enjoyed this topic. I want to introduce some of the Web 2.0 tools in here, and actually had 3 students participate in the Google Open Source Project just before Winter Holiday.

Web Design class is probably where I will focus on adding the Web 2.0 tools however. At the moment this seems like the best place. I'm a newbie to all of this, and feel a little like I'm trying to catch up. I know that's not really the case, I'm light years ahead of most in my school.

So that's where I'm at and where I'm headed.

[Cindy P]

It sounds like you're off to a good start. The desire to want to use newer more innovative tools is half the battle. A good resource for learning about some of the latest and best tools in education is through Edtechtalk. They have several weekly webcasts and downloadable podcasts. I've been listening to them for about a year and have learned more than I ever imagined. It's a great resource.

Another resource that is good from programming is Scratch . It's a neat little programming application that is offered free from MIT.

Best of luck!

[Mari Hobkirk]

I've heard of Scratch. I've been using Alice, and Game Maker. I think they provide the same result. I'm also hoping to attend the University of Denver - Teacher Game Institute this summer. I believe they are using Greenfoot.

I'll check out Edtechtalk. Thanks

[jdblack]

Cindy, I really agree that Edtechtalk is a wonderful resouce. Just from listening to one podcast, a teacher can pick up on about three to five really great sites to check out. I am impressed with them, and also that you can catch WOW2 there, as well.

Thanks for the heads up on Scratch -- I'll have to look into it. By the way, Mari is doing some great things in her classroom, as she's showed them to me. I think she does a great job on many things, but especially turning students on to programming via gaming! :) I have a lot to learn from her in this area. Keep up the great work, Mari!

[Cindy P]

Sorry is has taken me so long to reply to your tweet. It was lost in the jumble.

Let me give you a little background regarding my district. I'm in a VERY small school district in a rural area in NC. When I start talking about things like Blogs, Wikis, Google Docs, RSS, and Twitter I get looked at like I'm from another planet - and that is from within my dept. (the tech dept). I'm trying to educate folks, but I'm stretched so thin that I don't get to cover as much of that as I wish I could. My supervisor sees the usefulness of such tools, but I to provide hard evidence to our network administrator when it comes to opening up sites.

We've had "control" issues over technology for a long time. Six years ago, the web administrator didn't want teachers to create web pages because they couldn't control the content.

When teachers wanted to start blogging there were issues with the "questionable" content on other Blogger sites. It took a while for them to have access and we've since tried to find alternative sources, which has helped to calm some of the nervousness. I can't get them to host their own yet.

Social networking sites are strictly taboo. I can't access this Ning or my Twitter at school. So are outside email sources such as Gmail, Yahoomail, etc.

The most surprising one I ran into was a recent question over granting access to Google Docs. I had used the word processing part, but was surprised to find the spreadsheet and presentation modes were blocked. I had to pull a couple of other folks in to help me convince them it was ok to allow access.

There are sites that are open. I can easily get to Skype, Ustream, and Yugma (I had to prove how useful a tool that one was because it was considered to be desktop sharing.)

It all boils down to educating the masses.

[jdblack]

Wow. Yes, I take it you've experienced some control issues. Now I see where you're coming from. I shall promptly stop feeling sorry for myself because they won't let me use Skype in my district, then. Came across an interesting comment regarding the light and dark sides of the Internet's openness and how it applies to us as educators and as innovators.

"My observations have been that most of the “closed” or wall garden approaches have been done to protect schools not kids. I agree that modeling is essential. Most teachers have no clue about how to live and interact in a digital world. They don’t produce content or share in social networking. Because they don’t participate, they have a hard time engaging in the important conversations about this and therefore often choose to opt for tightly controlled, closed environments."
Dean Shareski , January 3, 2008 in response to the post "Social Networking and Security for Kids"

Also echoing this sentiment is Doug Johnson, in his post titled, "A Proposal for Banning Pencils". He writes, "My experience is that the more familiar educators are with a new technology, the less likely they are to restrict its use by students. When we old-timers experience technology's benefit ourselves, the more we understand its benefit to students."

In two days I go to make a presentation on blogging to neighboring high school teachers. My main premise? As Johnson asserts, if we will spend the time to experience technology's benefit, we will begin encouraging and letting students use it more and more. As Johnson starts his post, I end with the same Latin refrain.

Ex abusu non arguitur in usum.The abuse of a thing is no argument against its use.

[steven hall]

Google: Blogger, Docs, Spreadsheets and increasingly Presentation. Also Wikispaces. And now after reading your posts, I will check out and probably incorporate Yugma. Thanks!