Wikis & RSS Feeds

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                Throughout school there has always been a negative connotation connected to using Wikipedia and wikis in general.  When doing research projects the first thing we were told was to stay away from Wikipedia, and that it does not count as a resource.  This always confused me because I knew that Wikipedia was written and edited by anyone, but it was constantly being edited and checked for inaccuracies by everyone.  “When mistakes occur or vandals strike, the collaborative efforts of the groups set it straight, usually very quickly.  U of B Professor Alex Halavais tested this by creating 13 errors on various posts on Wikipedia, all of which were fixed within a couple of hours.” (Richardson, p.56) How many other resources can you say that about?  None. Of course they are edited initially, but they are not updated or added to at any time. 

                I love the idea of creating wikis of our own in class.  Students are given the power to put the information out there on a topic for all to see, and then see their work edited and added to.  That seems like a very engaging and rewarding process.  This also gets the students engaged in each other’s work.  Many times teachers have their students do a research project and then present in front of the class, but how many student are actually listening and taking in all the information?   By having them read and respond or edit each other’s wikis they are required to take in the information in order to give feedback. I think I would be backed up by administration to create wikis, but probably not to allow students to use wikis as resources…maybe this will change in the future when people open their eyes to the potential of wikis in school.  I have never created mine own wiki, but I look forward to trying it out, and then use it with my classes!

-> I love this quote… “Please grant me to serenity to accept the pages I cannot edit, The courage to edit the pages I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. –The wiki prayer.” (Richardson, p.69) Very clever.

-Chapter 4: Wikis, Easy Collaboration for All  
               

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I have been eager to get to the topics of RSS because I had no clue what it was or the possibilities of using it.  I realize the potential of RSS saving a lot of wasted time when going from web page to web page.  “The content comes to you instead of you going to get it, hence Really Simple Syndication.” (Richardson, p.71) I have seen the icon for RSS on many websites, but was never quite sure what it was used for until reading this chapter.  While reading I tried to think of websites that I visit a lot that I might want to add to an “aggregator” on “Google Reader.”  I feel like if you add too many sites or topics to the aggregator it might become too overwhelming and confusing for some people to handle.  If I used this with students I would definitely want to stress the importance of organizing the information correctly and limiting what they send to the aggregator to worthwhile sources.  I liked that Richardson included a checklist for how to make sure websites are worthwhile, which I would share with my students. (p. 74)  I don’t read too many magazines, but RSS would allow me to browse different magazine sites and see which ones perk my interest to send to my aggregator, ALL for FREE!

                As a teacher, I really like the idea of using RSS feeds to check on students blogs and work on the internet.  Instead of having to go to each blog individually, the blogs updated can be sent to the aggregator.  This would save a lot of time and would allow me to be notified when the student is updating their information.  Students could even add an RSS feed into their weblogs.  So that anyone who viewed their blog could also see the updated information from websites they “subscribe” to.  Although this is all unknown territory for me I am excited to try it out for myself.

  -Chapter 5: RSS, the New Killer App for Educators
 

                This article focused on a study done with students in a sixth grade class using wikis to produce new types of literacy.  I really liked that the author shared the potential of using wikis in the class, but also the struggles that came up while using them as well.  We have to use these new literacies smartly.  Like any other tool we use with students we can’t just plop it in their lap and expect them to learn from it and make it all worthwhile. There are going to be glitches and setbacks in learning because it is new to them.  The author write of the outcome of the wikis produced in the class, “the teacher and I were disappointed because students produced “e-literature”’ with small chunks of mostly clichéd writing interrupted by seemingly random collections of pictures with a few hyperlinks.”  (p. 214) Students need to be pushed to a deeper level of thinking because they are so used to using digital language with friends.  The students in this class were to write a story on their wiki in a way that was “radical” after they were inspired by the picture books that were read in class.  I think it was a bit much for the teacher to expect students to just go out and add links to other classmate’s stories to add to their own and links to other pages to bring the story in a different direction.  That is such a new way of thinking that even I would be hesitant to try because I am used to writing a linear story. Wikis will allow students to explore writing in a totally different way, but we have to be patient with them along the process and give them lots of practice.

  -“Radical Change and Wikis: Teaching New Literacies”

  

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                I agree with the idea that the internet provides us with such a VAST amount of information that we do not use it to our full advantage because it would just take too long.  “We are bombarded with so much information these days that any content that isn’t right in our faces will likely be missed.” (Farkas, p. 34)  We might feel more “plugged” in if we start using RSS feeds to update us on sites that interest us or that we can use for professional development. 

                NewLits.org seems like a very beneficial site to begin follow because it helps educate teachers on new literacies that exist.  This wiki allows anyone to add information, podcasts, videos, pictures, or ideas on new literacies they have found.  We learn about new literacies while “engaging” in new literacies.  We must practice using things like RSS feeds and wikis before we can have our students use them effectively in our classrooms. (http://newlits.wikispaces.com/)

  -“Keeping Up, 2.0 Style” & “Wikis, Digital Literacies, and Professional Growth”

Social Networking and Social Bookmarking

                 The greatest advantage of using social networking in the classroom is the ability to connect with people from all over the world at any time.

Twitter is one social sensation that I have not dabbled in yet.  I now see the potential of using it in a classroom, and hope that in the future more districts open their eyes to the potential of this and other new technology.  I think part of the problem is that with new technology comes more work on the part of the “administrator,”  and a lot of administrators do not want to be responsible for the possible problems that might come up when using social networking in the classroom.  But the truth is there is potential problems that could occur anytime during teaching, and it is how we as teachers and administrators address the issues that will really matter, and have a lasting effect on other students.  Twitter allows teachers to post questions for students to view and quickly respond to.  This can also be done in a discussion board, but why not use something different that students use in their everyday life.  Teaching is all about trying to reach out to your students and finding out their favorite way to learn, so why not try something like Twitter to catch their interest.  I know a teacher that actively has students use edmodo.com, which is mentioned in this chapter.

      Social Bookmarking is not something that I am familiar with or have ever tried, but it sounds like a very useful tool for research.  Delicious.com and Diigo.com both allow us to save our favorite websites and also put tags on them, which in turn allows us to find more resources with the same tags and also to allow others to search for the website we just found.  “By being able to apply many tags to one particular link, we get the added potential of seeing how others might interpret or use resources that we share.” (p.91)  I love the option on Diigo that allows you to save the page and then highlight and add notes that will also be saved for future use.  As an English concentration teacher I would love to be able to have a student’s writing on a blog that I can highlight and add notes to.  Then the student can get on at any time to get feedback to improve on or get feedback on their writing!  During a research project the teacher could be actively involved in helping the students’ research by using these social bookmarking sites.  You can set up a class account where students can help each other, and if they find a page useful for someone else they can just tag that person’s name to it.  These sites might actually be a start to making researching less mundane and anti-social.

- Chapter 6: The Social Web, Learning Together

               

I liked that Richardson points out that social network is used in two ways: “friendship-based ways” and “interest-based ways.”  The purpose of being conscious of sites like Facebook and Ning is that they are growing rapidly in our society, and they have no signs of going away, so as teachers why not use them to educate as well.  “Facebook has become an important online space in our kids’ lives, a space that, once again, no one is teaching them how to leverage for learning.” (p. 133) Now I totally agree that Facebook should not be used as a social connection between students and teachers because that is bordering on inappropriate behavior with a student.  So be safe and don’t friend students because it is not worth the risk.   “Make it clear to your classes that your use of Facebook in “interest-based” not “friendship-based.” (p.136) I like the idea of setting up a limited or private page for a class where they can post related pictures, videos, or ideas.  The example that Richardson brought up got me very excited because using this technique will allow the quiet students in class to have the courage to speak their mind.  I LOVE that.  Ning also sounds like a great site to try because it is more “interest-based” and helps a class become a tighter community, helping each other learn.  I was wondering though why Richardson was so adamant about not clicking the “add Apps” button.  Was it just because he doesn’t want a Ning to become too clustered and confusing?  If you are a teacher that can lay down the ground rules and have trust in your class to use a social network to learn then try it.  It is all about building a classroom that is mature and willing to try learning in a different way they might relate more to.  (This maturity level has time to grow because you can’t use most sites until students are 13 or older anyways)

-Chapter 9: Social Networks, Facebook, Ning, Connections, and Communities

               

Although this article that I chose for my classmates to read was short it has good information for a teacher who is interested in beginning to use Twitter in the classroom.  I like the idea of having instant feedback or discussion about a topic, and students will love the fact that they are “pushing the boundaries” and using Twitter in their class.  I really want to try the collective writing assignment that was discussed in the article.  What a fun way to get kids to write creatively, and it is a collaborative effort of every student in the class. Also get students more involved in a book read in class by having them follow the author’s tweets.  I would have loved to do that in school.  My favorite part of this article was the social action idea that it brought up.  “Have each student in a social students or civics class choose an organization to follow for one month.” (p.23)  They can involve themselves in the community and actually feel like that matter in society and it all began with following a tweet.  I will definitely consider using this idea in any class I teach.

- “Tweacher (n): The Twitter Enhanced Teacher”

               

This article brought up the positive and negative attitudes that go with using social networking in schools.  Although I see the point in the negative comments I would have to disagree with them and side more with Will Richardson on the issue.  There are things that can go wrong when using social networking, but to lessen the problems a teacher needs to prep a class for the assignment, and even make them and their parents sign an agreement.  Many times you will need administrative support and many times you will not get that unless you present a valid and educational reason for wanting to use these websites.  I don’t understand why teachers are so afraid of social networking techniques when it is happening so often in people’s homes.  It is not going to go away and we can’t pretend it is not there.  It is best to bring in all types of new technologies into the mix for a differentiated instruction involving; photos, google earth, twitter, and social bookmarking. 

                Since I am an Elementary teacher and a lot of times these sites are only available to students 13 and older, I really liked the idea of using Voicethread in the classroom to create stories with the little ones.  “The free service allows users to leave voice comments about pictures or video, and enables users to draw on the screen as they comment.” (p.19)  I can see students having a great time using this and getting a lot out of it.  It can also be a way for students to create their own writing and then use voicethread to present it to the class without actually having to stand in front of the class and recite.  My opinion on these new technologies I similar to this; “If you don’t take that golden opportunity to teach students about the responsibility of using these things, you lose a teachable moment.” (p.19)  Students will be more likely remember new information if they experience in ways that are authentic and interesting to them.

- “Social Networking Goes to School”

Weblogs

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Hey check it out I am blogging right now!

I gained a lot of insight to not only what you can find on blogs, but also great ways to use weblogs in a classroom.  I like that this chapter pointed out the difference between what was considered a blog and what wasn’t.  For example, it said that journaling was not considered blogging.   Therefore telling your every move of the day is left more for Twitter and Facebook, which fall under social networking, not blogging.  I have heard some people refer to Facebook as a blog, so I like the verification.  I agree that the instant gratification and communication is what makes blogging so unique.  There is a sense of pride in writing when someone writes back to your post with a personal comment or question.  It allows writing and reflection to become purposeful for students.  Both reading and writing is involved in the blogging process, which covers a lot of groups in the literacy world.  The students are reading other blogs and comments, while also analyzing and creating and throwing their own opinion into their blog. -Chapter 2: Weblogs: Pedagogy & Practice 

When it comes to learning how to blog it really depends on the software or program you choose to use.  So far in my blogging experience I have only used blogger.com as a means to blogging, and both instances were for classes here at Lemoyne.  I have not had the opportunity to check out or use EDU blogs, but would like to at some point.  The book explains how to use blogger in depth, and even includes graphics for the beginner blogger. When I used it for the first time I was not really taught how, but instead was left to my own devices to learn.  The way I learn how to use new technology is to play around with all its options.  Last semester my blog took FOREVER to complete because I got carried away with all that I could do and add to my blog.  I added pictures, video clips, sparkling and moving graphics, and an option to feed fish at the bottom.  This semester I hope to add extra things, but hopefully this time it will not take as long because I know exactly what to do.  I really like being able to personalize my blog with the backgrounds and colors, and although this may not be very educational it shows off the personality of a student.  I think that this blog process will be even easier to access and use as the years pass on.

-Chapter 3: Weblogs: Let’s Get Started
 

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                I like that this article pointed out the fact that blogs can become dull and boring for students if they are not used in the correct, most beneficial way.  The teacher in the article decided to ask her students for suggestions on how to use the blog in more thoughtful ways.  By letting students make choices in their own learning they feel like their work is justified, and not just a product of their teacher’s desire.  Just like any “tool” we are given as educators we need to use the tool along with guidance and assessment to make sure the “tool” is helping students to learn. The four blogs to use in an elementary classroom are the classroom news blog, mirror blogs, showcase blogs, and literature response blogs.   I liked this way of categorizing the different ways we can utilize this tool with students, and each one has its own positive qualities.  In my Children’s Literature class we used a literature response log in which we had to find 30 children’s book and summarize and reflect on each one.  It became monotonous, but in the end it will be beneficial to use when selecting worthwhile books for the classroom.  Our goal with blogs is to try to reach a “higher order of thinking.”  Students can be directed towards what to discuss and reflect on to reach this higher level because sometimes students just aren’t at that level yet without some help.  Questioning is a great way to get discussions going to reach the deeper thinking that we all crave from our students.

- HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking     

“One way to enrich a students’ engagement with literature is by developing a depth of knowledge about the author.”  (p. 174) It is a wonderful idea to have students explore an author’s blog of the book they are studying.  I always love knowing about the author because then I could try to figure out why things were written a certain way or what opinions they had on their own story.  A blog gives us the opportunity to find out this information, and that has never been available before.  I remember sitting in class and the teacher saying, “one meaning of the story might be this, or it could be this, but we will never know exactly because we didn’t write it.” It almost gets rid of this “unknown” feeling because we can explore an author’s blog to try to find the answers. 

- Teaching with Authors’ Blogs: Connections, Collaboration, Creativity

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A New Literacies Perspective

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Technology and the web are really becoming an essential part of our world… and education.  The pace at which the web is changing and transforming is incredible.  It began as just an information tool and now has become an interactive means to presenting ideas, opinions, pictures, videos, and more.  It is disappointing, as a teacher, that schools are not using technology and the web to its full potential.  There are the issues of web safety that schools need to watch out for, but sheltering them from most of the resources out there on the web is just going to hinder their progress in this 21^st century, fast-paced world.  Not to mention the fact that they are all using these resources at home without the filters.  It is our responsibility as educators to keep up-to-date with where our world is going, and this includes giving them opportunities to interact with the web in ways that will allow them to be successful when they are out of school. Before we can teach students to utilize these new technologies, we first have to feel comfortable using them.  Teachers are as much new learners to this area as students are, if not more.
-Chapter 1: The Read/Write Web


     As 21^st century educators we need to be ready for some big shifts in teaching that will happen because of the new technologies and web based instruction.  We need to take a step back as “teachers” and “enforcers” and realize we are no longer the “know-all” and “be-all” of learning/content.  There is now a whole world out there on the web for students to go and find their own information whenever they want it.  They don’t have to rely solely on their teachers for answers, but they do have to instead become critical learners.  I was always sure to tell students to analyze their textbooks when reading and look for areas of omission and inaccuracy.  I would definitely want to continue this when teaching them to find accurate information on the web, where anyone can publish facts or ideas.  I think the most important thing to take out of this is, to be a great educator you must be willing to accept change and new ideas in order to be effective to your students.  “If we fail to graduate students who are not able to create, sustain, and participate in these networks in safe, ethical, and effective ways, we’ve done them a disservice.” (Richardson, p.149).
-Chapter 2: What it all Means


      I view “new literacies” as new ways that students are going to have to read, write, listen, and speak using more than just books.  That includes being about to work with websites, blogs, podcasts, presentation media, etc.  For our students to become successful in this competition-centered world they need to feel comfortable using these “new literacies” and realize that they are constantly changing.  We can’t be afraid of the unknown because it is where our world is going.  “Employers now seek individuals who know how to read, write, and communicate on the internet to solve problems.” (Leu, Zawilinski, Castek, Banerjee, Housand, Liu, and O’Neil, p.40) Let’s give our students a fighting chance to achieve in society. 
 -Article: “What is New about the New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension?”

Conclusion:

      I know that it is not easy to veer away from what we are 
used to and what we grew up learning, but it is a necessity to keep up with new technologies.   I still get emotional about the fact that soon we probably will not need paper books to read because of the new technology coming out to read books electronically.  I think we need to be able to feel and turn the pages of a book to really experience it, but in this new world maybe that is not really the case.  We need to have the willingness to accept and embrace the change because if not the world will move on without you.