Final+Examination

** EDU 653 Final Examination **
As I began my work for EDU 653, I had a good introduction to different resources that I could use in the classroom from previous courses. When I started reading //Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts// by Will Richardson for the first week of the course, I knew that I would be learning even more about previous concepts and loads of new resources. The introduction to the book that went along with week 1 of EDU 653 set the tone for the journey that I was about to partake in. Over the next 7 weeks, I learned about Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, RSS feeds, Social Bookmarking, Twitter, Screencasting, and social networks such as Facebook and Ning. Each one of these useful tools has its positives and negatives within the classroom. They can all be adapted to fit each teacher's personal situation, but all appear to have a permanent place in education.


 * __Blogs__** seem to have unlimited potential in the classroom. I have known about blogs for close to 5 years, but really had no clue to the extent they can be used. I never followed anyones blogs outside of my favorite sports teams, and never cared to engage them in discussion. In fact, Richardson lists some examples of blogging/not blogging on page 31 and I believe that I have never really followed a real blog until EDU 653. Because of the deep levels of knowledge that can be expressed through a blog, I have started to become an active reader of many blogs, from the many bloggers on @http://www.edutopia.com to a political humor blog at @http://thewashingtonroast.com/

Blogs can be used in variety of manners and are extremely easy to manage. It is because of this that I can see myself implementing them in my classroom. Each year my students have to follow current events. With the presidential election occurring in November, I want to focus on this at the beginning of the year. On her blog, JBlack gave me an excellent idea for this. @http://web20intheclassroom.blogspot.com/2008/10/ways-to-use-blogs-in-your-classroom-and.html Students will each create a blog where they will follow the election. Most of the information they get on the election will come from the internet, so they, too, should express themselves on the internet.With this, I plan to use Richardson's suggestion on page 53 and remove the "next blog" link to prevent students from reaching an inappropriate blog.

One of the issues that I expect to encounter this year is that of the content on the students' blogs. Each student is encouraged to think on their own. Yet because it is through the school, their opinions could create some issues. Students need to learn how to express themselves without being offensive to anyone. This is an important skill for students to learn. Educase lists this as a concern in "7 Things You Should Know About Blogs". Also, I will be sure to have parents complete an acceptable use form to make suer they are aware of this resource.The following is an example of what I will be using. media type="custom" key="20553646" The first exposure I had to __**wikis**__ was through Wikipedia. On my breaks from writing my term papers in undergraduate school, I could easily get sidetracked looking up information here. I never knew of the possibilities of using wikis in the classroom until last year, as a fellow teacher had a student teacher who was familiar with them. Wikis are great sources of information where anyone who has an account is able to add their insight and knowledge. It is because of this that I want to use wikis in my classroom.

I think that wikis are an excellent tool. It is incredible how easy it is to add information. At the same time, as the administrator of the wiki, I will have the opportunity to edit the entries by the students. I can change if incorrect, or I can simply delete if they are not necessary. Also, because I will be able to invite the students, I do not have to worry about outsiders editing the wiki. This is a great security feature. At the same time, this could be taken as a negative. The constant monitoring could grow tiresome as "7 Things" suggests.I want to try to use wikis for vocabulary for each unit, as well as questions for each unit. Students have the ability to use it as a studying tool, but I will also use it as a formative assessment.

Going back to my time spent on Wikipedia, I learned a lot of things. In fact, I still do. I think it is a very powerful resource if used properly. From the following Web 2.0 video, I like the idea of using it as a tool to develop a plan of action. Also, Wikipedia has increased its requirement of references this would be a great place to start looking for references.The last important aspect from the following video is that you will be exposed to many different terms regarding any given target and will extensively expand your research.

media type="youtube" key="DBbKDcu_wfg" height="360" width="640" __**Podcasting**__ has always been a foreign entity to me. I had heard of them, but never really understood what they were. I would hear about a podcast, and knew that it had something to do with iTunes. I would hear about a podcast as recently as May and still think of iTunes. My thoughts were that they were something solely for people who had their own "radio" station to put up their most recent broadcast. I now know that iTunes is not needed, and it goes way beyond someone who is uploading a broadcast.

The positives to working with podcasts seem to be very extensive. For the teachers, students, and administrators, podcasts can take learning an the educational experience to a whole new level. There are a few uses of podcasts that I want to try and incorporate for next year. A few ideas that I have for the school as a whole come from //5 Classroom Uses for Podcasts PLUS Real Life Examples at// http://blog.simplek12.com/education/5-classroom-uses-for-podcasts-plus-real-life-examples I think that using podcasts for subplans is a great idea, and I think that using podcasts for announcements is a great idea as well. For the announcements, it could easily be a student driven program. It is their school. They should be the ones in charge.

With my ideas for podcasting, I am a little worried about the bandwidth and accessibility of my podcast to substitutes. The bandwidth problem, as suggested in the "7 Things" article, can be an issue, but I think with time it will be okay. Another issue is that of time. When you record yourself, it is important to speak properly and accurately. You can't just hit the backspace button. This is also true of screencasting which I will get to later. It is a skill that needs to be developed, both for me and my students.

Here is an example of a podcast I will be using in my government course: media type="file" key="electoral college.mp3" width="240" height="20"


 * __Really Simple Syndication__**, or RSS, is another resource that I have been reluctant to start using, even with seeing it all around the web. I never really cared for the idea of information that I was interested in automatically appearing on my page. I felt like there was nothing wrong with searching for the information, or simply browsing until I find something I enjoyed.Now after using RSS, there is no way I will go away from it. I will have

One of the most basic ways that I will be using RSS is to follow my students' blogs on current events. That way I will know when they have added to their blogs and I will be able to read them as they finish. Also, I think this willl be a great tool to use in my Street Law course. They are many different topics we cover and they can all be tied in to the news somehow. the only problem is figuring out how to find them. RSS is going to help tremendously with that this year. I will continue to use my RSS that I have currently set up to try and stay up to date with new information and topics regarding education in our country. Below is a screenshot of my reader and the subscriptions I have. I will say that one of the reasons I was reluctant to begin using RSS feeds still scares me a bit. By not having to look through any source of general media, and being able to skip right to what I am looking for, am I missing out on possible information? I actually wrote about this in one of my first blog entries, and it is also addressed in the "7 Things" article. This really shouldn't be as big of a problem as it is, but it does seem to keep looming its head. Another downside that is addressed in the article by Educase is that just because you find a good website does not mean it will have an RSS feed. This can be frustrating, but I will have my students bookmark this page, and revisit it the old fashioned way: when they feel like it.


 * __Social bookmarking__** is a tool that is relatively new to me. I first learned of at the beginning of EDU 653 when I set up a Delicious account to begin bookmarking websites. After I began bookmarking sites, I found out numerous things before I was exposed to in the Richardson book. To begin with, you can see who else has bookmarked the site you have. This allows to see what other sites they have bookmarked as well which can take you to many different places. I also learned of the tags that can be placed on the sites you bookmark. I have not personally started to tag websites, but it a rather amazing resource. Being able to see all the websites that come up when you type in "constitution", for example, is incredible.

Tags is actually one of the major positives to using it in my classroom. Your connections to other sites that match your interests is extremely easy. As Richardson states on page 90, "The community points the way. " (richardson, p 90) You simply need to type in what you want. This is a great way to begin looking at a given topic. I feel as though it will be a great point for me to gather resources and websites for students to use for research. At the same time, this can create a few problems that I will have to be aware of. As the "7 Things" article suggests, it is not professionals who tag these websites. Therefore, there is the possibility that a tag will not be exactly what I am looking for.

I was rather hesitant to the idea of using social bookmarks in the classroom. After watching the following video from Common Craft, I realized that it fits right in to what I want to accomplish in the classroom. It allows myself and students to use the resources throughout the web at ease. It is one of the many tools that I have learned about in EDU 653 that helps organize the expansive information available to anyone with an internet connection. media type="youtube" key="vjDdiFFZab0" height="315" width="420" 140 characters never seemed to be so influential. The first time I heard about **__Twitter__** a few years ago, it was with humor. Celebrities and those people who like themselves too much would "tweet" about the smallest things they were doing. The humor about the lack of concern when my cousin's wife ate a bologna sandwich led me to believe that Twitter would not last. I have probably never been more long about speculating whether something will become popular or not. The ability to write what you are thinking, and immediately anyone who is following see it, has allowed for communication that has never been duplicated. In fact, many of my students have started to pay more attention to their Twitter account than Facebook, which I previously though impossible. This immediate exposure to other people's thoughts and the immediate broadcast of yours has truly allowed Twitter to revolutionize communication.

As a teacher, I am quite excited to incorporate Twitter in my classroom. I plan on having a separate Twitter account for each class I have. On it, I plan on offering updates, assignment information, assessment information, and other important information to share. I plan on having my students and their parents be able to follow me. This will be an immediate form of communication. Of course, each year I will need to create a different Twitter account, as I don't think it is necessary for my followers to delete me at the end of the school year. Another way I would like to try to use Twitter for is collaboration. There are many possible avenues for this, and I want my students to get the most out of it they can. The following wiki has been set up giving examples of how to use Twitter for collaboration. http://onlinefacilitation.wikispaces.com/Twitter+Collaboration+Stories

A few of the concerns that I have about using Twitter is the ability for my students and families to access it. Not everyone will have Twitter access on their phone and, more importantly, not everyone will have access on their phones. This creates a problem. If I were to send out an update on something or give an important piece of information, what is the guarantee it will get to everyone, or that everyone will read it. This is addressed in the "7 Things" article. Because of this, I recognize that I will need to have other forms of distributing information, as well as never give out anything that is too important through Twitter.


 * __Flickr__** has many of the same positives as Social Bookmarking. Tagging is a major asset for both of these tools. In Flickr, photographers post their pictures for the world to see. With each picture comes tags. These tags can be anything. If you take pictures of the Colosseum in Rome, you can tag it with Rome, gladiator, Colosseum, stadium. Whenever anyone searches for these terms, your pictures will come up. This can also create a problem. If I had students who were doing a report on the Colosseum and searched for this, would they see only pictures of the Colosseum? No, they would see pictures of any tag of the word "colosseum". This could be the coliseum in L.A. or any other picture. If it is misspelled, this is another issue. The "7 Things" article addresses this issue.

A great example for using Flickr in my classroom is in the Richardson book on page 104. Below is a picture of an example of this. If you click on the picture you can examine the annotations. This would be perfect for many projects that I do in my history courses. With this technology, students would be able to easily explain their models. media type="custom" key="20559856" Another great idea is to use the map feature of Flickr. This is an amazing tool. Along with the map, you can create virtual field trips. These are easily made and are wonderful tools to actually see what I am talking about in history. Another would be current events. Flickr has the ability to capture pictures with the date they were taken. If my students are following current events, it is very easy for them to find a picture of the time period in question on Flickr. These are all explained on the //Education Uses of Flickr// slideshow below.

media type="custom" key="20559812"

During my first course with Dr. Merrill at CMU, I was exposed to **__screencasting__**. When I first began teaching, I remember thinking why this technology wasn't available. When I found out that it was available, I just didn't know about it,I felt a little embarrassed but excited at the same time. I already had some ideas of how I wanted to use it, but had not idea of all the possibilities. The ability to capture your movement on the computer, as well as narrate it, opens up so many possibilities for the classroom. My first use was an explanation of an internet program that I use in my government class. I now have many other ideas for it. Here is the example I used screencasting for with the redistricting website. media type="youtube" key="ee9CvIbPRgM" height="315" width="420" I really like the ability to use screencasting to help students review what occurred in class, or to witness in case they were absent. The "7 Things" article explains the benefits of this. If a student feels like they might have missed something in the lecture, they can review it. This is very useful and even parents can witness what happens in class.

One hiccup to my use of screencasting is a lack of resources. I have not really addressed this issue, but my district has limited resources when it comes to technology. You have to have the software and the hardware to complete screencasts. This is a problem that can be overcome. On her blog posting, which I discussed recently in my own blog entry, Mary Beth Hertz discusses how to use technology with limited resources at @http://www.edutopia.org/blog/maximizing-teacher-use-shared-resources-mary-beth-hertz. One solution for this is to have everything they need completed before they access a computer. Know what they want to say, websites to visit, images, etc. This allows you accomplish more with limited time.

As I watched //The Social Network//, I was forced to think back to my freshman year in college, when __Facebook__ was initially launched. The University of Michigan was not an immediate inclusion but I joined when I could still see how many members were at each college. This was, quite simply, an entertainment website. I would spend numerous hours delaying studying to browse the individuals around campus. It was not long before it became much more.

My school currently has Facebook pages for various clubs and athletic teams. My MYIG organization has a Facebook page to help with announcements and the dates of meetings. One of the issues that has come up with Facebook is whether or not it is allowed at school. At mine, it isn't. I originally believed this was the right thing to do. After reading Richardson, I think my opinion has changed. Students continue to use Facebook and "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" (Richardson, p. 133). I feel that it is important for teachers to teach students how to use Facebook properly, and at the same time learn from it. This is definitely one of the obstacles that you have to overcome with Facebook. How can it be used properly? The answer is proper monitoring and education.

An important thing to remember is that if you use Facebook in class, it is for education. For that reason, it is important to make sure your Facebook page is not connected to your personal page. This is recommended at the Online College blog at @http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/20/100-ways-you-should-be-using-facebook-in-your-classroom/ I mentioned how I have a Facebook page for MYIG. I did not do this through my personal page. Instead I created another account to administer my new page. This has helped me avoid any possible issues with my personal page. I hope to start using Facebook as a manner of assessment. Students would be required to make a page for an interest group that they form and try to follow the basic structure of a recognized interest group.

Taking social networks to a whole new level is __Ning__. The ability to customize your social network is something that Facebook does not offer. It is an added security feature that often times allows schools to accept Ning as a tool for educational use. Because you are able to write towards members who are interested in what you're saying, you can collaborate and discuss to grow in your knowledge on an issue. (Richardson, p. 40)

A great example of a Ning website is @http://stjoeh2o.ning.com/ which is set up for interest in marine biology. The ability to do this for your classrooms allows for students to have a worldly experience where they can interact with people and students from all around the globe.

It would be rare to walk into a classroom and find more than 5 students who do not have a Facebook page. This actually creates a bit of problem for using Ning. Students have put numerous hours into developing their account on Facebook. It might be difficult for them to also have committed that much time in to a Ning account. This is addressed in the "7 Things" article. Why this creates problems is for students to get a lot out of the program, they have to develop it and add to the network. It might be difficult for them to be willing to split their time between their personal interests on Facebook and their educational interests on Ning.

As I continue my course work towards achieving my M.A. in Educational Technology, I am constantly exposed to new concepts and tools. Some of them I have heard about but have not heard of using them in the context I learn about here. When you are able to begin teaching students using the tools that they are comfortable with, you can bridge any gaps there may be. Students will be more interested in what they are doing, and they will be more prepared to enter the world. These are not just educational tools; they are the future. When students graduate from high school and beyond, these are the tools they will be using. That is why we need to help them learn how to get the most out of them.