Final Reflection

Final Reflection

Heidi Hopp

EDL 575 and EDL 755                                                                 

Fall 2011

                                                               

Looking Back:

During the last three months I have learned a lot about Web 2.0 technology, as well as how technology impacts the culture of learning for our twenty first century students.  I admit that when I took the online survey relating to how much I knew about computers and technology in September, I wasn’t able to check a lot of the boxes.  Now, even though I am still not a pro, I can honestly say that I have been exposed to more technology and have grown more comfortable with it.  Since I work with younger students, I quickly realized that not all of the technology we learned about could be implemented into my first grade classroom.  However, being introduced to the new technologies has been beneficial for me because now I am more aware of the possibilities that exist.

What I learned from the hands-on practice:

I was glad that our first class addressed wikis and blogs.  I had some previous experiences with both prior to the start of our class and felt comfortable learning more about them.  For me, the greatest value with using a wiki is the ability to collaborate and share information, with the updates being instantly visible to the users.  I also learned about the importance of being cautious while editing on a wiki.  The blog is useful to publish information that you would like to share with others.  I enjoyed reading classmates’ blogs to learn about their thoughts on issues we covered in class.

I most enjoyed learning about Google Sites.  Creating the “Getting to Know You” survey is a useful tool that I plan to use in the future.  I also like how the sidebar has all of the components of the site listed and easy to see.  Previously, I had used a classroom web page, but I think the Google Site is much more practical and organized for me.  Google Docs are still something that I am getting comfortable with.  These take the place of e-mail attachments, making it easy to share and collaborate with others.  Since these are used often within our district e-mails, it is a goal of mine to create more of these and use them when communicating with others.

Using Diigo was something that I had never tried before.  I enjoyed looking for sites, bookmarking them, and tagging them with key words.  I can see the benefit of using it if you are researching a topic and want to find out what is out there.  However, I still find myself just browsing the Internet to find what I am looking for and forgetting that there is another way to look for useful websites that other people have tagged. 

Screencast-O-Matic is a tool that I think I will use in my classroom as a tutorial for my students.  Once the message has been captured and uploaded to YouTube, it can be replayed as many times as necessary.  Being able to record my voice and use the yellow highlighting circle will help focus students’ attention on what is being taught.

I was very excited to learn more about Prezi.  When my family was at my niece and nephew’s birthday parties, I asked my other nieces if they had ever heard about Prezi, and of course they said they had.  When I asked them about it, they said that you could zoom in and zoom out to show pictures and text.  They were right, but I didn’t realize that it could be organized into slides and be shown in a presentation format.  Zooming in, zooming out, rotating pictures and text makes the information appear in a fun and creative way.  I think this tool would be a great way to introduce new topics, as well as review concepts that have been covered before. 

Learning Experiences:

Overall, I enjoyed the format of the learning experiences.  I found that many times I was challenged and wanted to learn more about the technology itself, as well as how I might be able to use it in my classroom.  It was helpful for me to hear about the class topic in class, as well as having the instructions set up for me to be able to practice more on my own at home.  Since many of the topics were new to me, I needed that extra time and practice to feel more comfortable and confident.

I appreciated the opportunity to work with a small group of other first grade teachers to create our online learning materials for our plant unit.  It was beneficial to toss around ideas and help each other out when necessary. 

What I learned from the textbook readings:

After reading our three textbooks, I realized some key ideas that I was aware of, but never really thought about in depth prior to our class.  First, I realized that technology goes way back.  It just appeared in forms different from what we think of as technology today, such as the invention of clay tablets or the printing press.  Second, I realized that with new technological advances, there come questions that we need to live with and answer, such as how will we use the technology?  Will we sacrifice our environment just to be more comfortable or to have something more convenient?  Third, I realized that technology is changing the way we read, perceive and take in information.  Breaking tasks apart, reading shorter snippets of information, and working for shorter periods of time are all changes that I have noticed in myself and in my students.  I also learned that with the use of technology we have the means, motive, and opportunity to use our surplus of free time in various ways.  People today can quickly and easily collaborate and share information.  Keeping these ideas in mind will help to drive my instruction and integrate technology whenever possible.

Looking ahead with applications to the classroom:

I think it is important to accept that new technological advances will be a constant thread in our society.  Realizing this fact, as a teacher, I need to decide which technological tools will benefit my first grade students the most.  I realized that some of the topics we were learning about could not be used by my students, such as creating and updating a blog or wiki.  However, some could be used by parents, such as the class Google Site.  After our technology courses I am more comfortable with technology, but by no means am an expert.  I am making it a goal of mine to include more technology in my classroom.  Updating my Google Site, using Voice Threads, and creating Prezi presentations are a few activities that I feel will be most beneficial for my young students.  Trying to stay current, learning with colleagues, and sharing new information about technology will help me reach my goal of using more technology in everyday life.

Cognitive Surplus Review

Shirky’s Cognitive Surplus

Heidi Hopp

November 2011

Shirky begins his examination of our abundance of free time by painting a picture of a drunken city of London in the 1720s.  People were coming to the city looking for work.  The gin drinking helped ease people and transition them from a rural to an urban industrial society (Shirky, 2010, p. 1-2).  He further draws a parallel to what is happening in our society today.  People are still getting “drunk,” but not by alcohol.  Instead, we have become addicted to the technology available to us today, and we choose to spend a good deal of our free time with technology.  How we spend our available free time in a way that is enjoyable to us is what becomes known throughout Shirky’s book as “cognitive surplus.”  What is our “gin” today?  We have moved from sitcoms, to the Internet, and to other forms of social media that are commonly found across homes, schools, and businesses worldwide. 

Why are people spending more of their free time with social media tools?  According to Shirky, we need to have means, motive, and opportunity to do so.  He discusses each area in the next chapters of his book. 

The “means” are quite obvious and readily available.  Shirky (2010) calls media “…the connective tissue of society” (p. 54).  People want to reach out and communicate with each other.  They want to stay in touch with others and keep up with the latest news and information.  Whether it is via a computer, an iPhone, an iPad, or an iPod, people want to participate and be informed.  You can find the Internet in almost all homes and people viewing websites or checking emails daily.  Anyone who wants to have their voice heard can.  According to Shirky (2010), “Publishing used to be something we had to ask permission to do…” (p. 46).  Now if you have something to share, you can do it easily and cheaply.

The “motive” to participate has a personal, intrinsic value.  Humans have “…the desire to be autonomous (to determine what we do and how we do it) and the desire to be competent (to be good at what we do)” (Shirky, 2010, p. 75).  Deci’s Soma puzzle experiment proved that some of the participants worked to figure out solutions to the puzzle just because they wanted to get better at it and gain new skills, often working through their breaks (Shirky, 2010, p. 72).  After reading this section of the chapter, I wondered how we can instill that sense of intrinsic, inner motivation in our students.  Is this something that can be taught in school, or is it something that should be addressed mostly at home?  Certainly it is modeled at school, but I’m not convinced that the ideas carry through.  I work with several students with behavior issues who work for rewards and shopping.  Is this an effective motivator that changes and shapes their behavior for the better?  I’m not certain that I could say one way or the other.

Social motivations can be felt “…only when we are part of a group.”  These motivations focus around “connectedness or membership” as well as “sharing and generosity” (Shirky, 2010, p. 78).  Sometimes we want to know that there is another person out there in this world who is going through something similar to what we are experiencing.  It is comforting to know that information, and it makes us feel better.  Shirky (2010) describes Katherine Stone’s observations about the website Meetup.com where women who are suffering from postpartum depression can go online and share their experiences and realize that there is support, there are other people like them, and there is hope that they will overcome this and feel well again (p. 79). 

"Opportunity" must be present as well if we are to make sense and use of cognitive surplus.  Shirky (2010) argues that opportunities need to be “…communal; we must combine our surplus free time if it is to be useful, and we can do that only when we’re given the right opportunities” (p. 97).  The phrase, “Many hands make light the work.” ran through my mind as I was reading this section of the chapter.  Take for instance the million dollars the Grobanites rose by pooling their efforts and resources together (Shirky, 2010, p. 98).  An individual or small group effort would not have come close to what this large group did.

I was fascinated with Shirky’s aspect on how generations differ.  It was after this section that I said to myself, “That’s it, that’s why I have noticed differences in my students and even older family members.”  Shirky (2010) makes two valid points.  First, generations are different.  Second, the opportunities offered to generations differ (p. 121).  It was at this point that I thought about my grandma.  She was always quick to say things sure were different when she was growing up.  Indeed they were.  But what she didn’t take into consideration were the opportunities presented to her.  They were different as well.  She didn’t use the Internet, iPad, or even a cell phone.  But maybe she would have if these opportunities had been made available to her while she was growing up.  It was at this point in the book that I realized that similar differences exist between my students and me.  I grew up being primarily a consumer of knowledge, not an active participant or an author.  This may explain why I am a little more cautious and guarded online when it comes to openly sharing things about my own personal life.  My fourteen year old niece, on the other hand, is much more open and less guarded.  She has over 240 “friends” on Facebook.  I can’t help but wonder if these are true friends or just acquaintances. 

“Culture” is the final piece that Shirky takes a look at.  He argues that, “Knowledge is the most combinable thing we humans have, but taking advantage of it requires special conditions.”  These special conditions include, “…the size of the community, the cost of sharing that knowledge, the clarity of what gets shared, and the cultural norms of the recipients” (Shirky, 2010, p. 140).  In other words, the more people that have knowledge means more sharing will go on with very little, if any expense.  One such area where people turn to each other to share their personal experiences is in the area of medicine.  Websites such as patientslikeme.com convey this sense of caring.  Here people can openly share their life stories and offer support to each other (Shirky, 2010, p. 155).  A few years ago my mom was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.  Looking back I wonder if she wouldn’t have benefitted from visiting such a site and reading about what other people were going through.  I often tried to offer her support and listen to how she was feeling, but it was rough.  I wished that she had somebody to talk to who truly understood what she was experiencing.  It has become evident that we have the ability to share our resources and knowledge.  Whether it is for personal, communal, public or even civic reasons, our ability to pool, collaborate, and share is becoming more and more common (Shirky, 2010, p. 173).

After reading our third book, I stopped and thought about the important ties all three books have.  Nye’s book, Technology Matters, leaves us asking several important questions about technology.  Carr’s book, The Shallows, examines what the Internet is doing to our brains.  Shirky’s book, Cognitive Surplus, looks at how we spend our abundance of free time.  All three books have something in common; the choice is ours with how we use the technological tools and opportunities that we have today.  The raw materials of free time and social tools aren’t enough.  Shirky (2010) states that, “The fusing of means, motive, and opportunity creates our cognitive surplus out of the raw material of free time” (p. 184).  Shirky leaves us with the notion that we will be “looking for the mouse.”  We have the means, the motive, and the opportunity to pool together our cognitive surplus and to be connected.  The question is what will we do with it? 

References:

Carr, N. (2010). The shallows:  What the internet is doing to our brains. New York, NY:  W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Nye, D. E. (2007). Technology matters:  Questions to live with. Cambridge, MA:  MIT Press.

Shirky, C. (2010). Cognitive surplus:  Creativity and generosity in a connected age. New York, NY:  The Penguin Press.

Reflection on Carr

Reflection on Carr’s The Shallows:  What the Internet is Doing to our Brains

Heidi Hopp

October 2011

As I began reading Carr’s book, I could easily relate to his description of his lack of concentration and ability to focus while reading.  His mind was scattered and distracted, often forcing himself to focus his attention back on the text he was supposed to be reading (Carr, 2010, p. 5-6).  After I was a few pages into the book, I stopped and thought, “Wait a minute, that’s me, too!”  I find myself feeling a pull to my computer when I am away from it and a sense of needed connectedness when I am in front of it.  I also feel like my mind drifts away when I am reading, or I get the feeling that I should be doing something else.  In his book, The Shallows, Carr points to the Internet as the reason for this lack of linear, deep thinking that seems to be disappearing from society.  He fully examines what effect the Internet is having on our brains and our learning.

Carr begins his journey by studying the scientific aspects of the brain and its connections.  It was once believed by scientists that our brains formed connections early on and once we were an adult, no more connections could be made.  Contrary research describes how our brains are “plastic” and are ever-changing in response to our experiences and our environment (Carr, 2010, p. 20-21).  As humans, we seek patterns and repetition.  The Internet does just that for us.  We click, we get information.  The more we click, the more we want.  “The Net also provides a high-speed system for delivering responses and rewards- “positive reinforcements,” in psychological terms- which encourage the repetition of both physical and mental actions” (Carr, 2010, p. 117).  There is some evidence that supports the belief that due to our constant tuning into the Internet, our brains are becoming rewired (Carr, 2010, p. 32).  This may help support what I am seeing within my own students today.  I have noticed that when I give them a choice and put a written book in front of them to read on their own or an ipad that can read a story to them, they often choose the latter.  It might be that they don’t want to or like to read, or it might be the fact that the ipad is more engaging and offers more opportunities for interactivity.  I think it is important to deliver instruction in a balanced way:  some with technology and some without.

I feel that our roots in becoming saturated in a computer rich environment stems way back from human beings needing and seeking information.  Thousands of years ago we shaped an oral culture that was passed down from generation to generation.  People relied on their memories to retell the information.  Then, slowly societies began to write more thoughts down on clay tablets, scrolls, and wax tablets.  The invention of the book came along next, and we had numerous sources and types of print to choose from (Carr, 2010, p. 59-60).  Finally, we have entered the information age with the computer at the helm.  Now we can search, click, and link using several forms of multimedia.  With each invention, we are relying less on our own minds and memories and more on what the latest and greatest technologies can do and remember for us.  This isn’t always such a great advantage.  “As the many studies of hypertext and multimedia show, our ability to learn can be severely compromised when our brains become overloaded with diverse stimuli online.  More information can mean less knowledge” (Carr, 2010, p. 214).  After reading these sentences it made me think about how we really are relying on a machine to do a lot of the grunt work that our own brains used to do.  Is this a good thing for our future generations?  Students need to be taught what to do with the information they find, as well as deciding if it is a credible resource, providing a reasonable answer to the questions they are attempting to answer.

Carr then proceeds to uncover a huge concern that he has with an increased use of the Internet.  There is the possibility that as we become more engrossed with technology we may begin to lose some of the humanness of our culture.  Weizenbaum feels that, “The great danger we face as we become more intimately involved with our computers- as we come to experience more of our lives through the disembodied symbols flickering across our screens- is that we’ll begin to lose our humanness, to sacrifice the very qualities that separate us from machines” (Carr, 2010, p. 207).  Feelings of compassion, understanding, and empathy may become emotions of the past.  It is so comforting for me to know that I have someone to go to and talk to when I am upset, hurt, angry, or just need a human being to talk to- and it is a real person, not a computer. 

Another concern is whether or not students will be able to tune out technology, even just for a little while.  “There is no Sleepy Hollow on the Internet, no peaceful spot where contemplativeness can work its restorative magic” (Carr, 2010, p. 220).  When we are online we are constantly being bombarded with information and stimuli.  There needs to be some down time, time when we aren’t glued to our computers, to allow us to think deeply and be reflective.  Will creativity suffer as students are able to access the Internet, find their quick answers, think only superficially and then move on to the next link?   

What does all of this mean for students and teachers in the 21^st century?  First, I think that we need to realize that the students we are working with today learn differently than students did in the past.  I have been teaching for fourteen years, and I can honestly say that I have noticed a difference in the way students learn, and I am not teaching the way I once did.  In the past, students were able to complete paper and pencil tasks for longer periods of time.  Now, I deliver more snippets of information, and full lessons are much shorter.  More student movement is incorporated in the activities to help sustain their attention.  It seems as though we are teaching less of our subjects with in-depth coverage, often skimming the surface of the topics we teach.  After recently looking at the common core standards for the state of Wisconsin, I would have to agree that we are expected to teach numerous topics, but never go in depth with many of them.  If information is just a click away, they seldom have to do any deep, critical thinking, only a shallow understanding is expected.  I have to wonder if this is a good thing for the students we serve?  Will we need to teach reflective, critical thinking skills or will they become a thing of the past?

I think schools have responded somewhat to the digitized age where information is less linear and more scattered.  We are in some ways, “between two technological worlds” (Carr, 2010, p. 77).  We still find books and printed resources in our classrooms, as well as an increase in the technologies.  In addition to the SMART board, I have ipads and an ELMO document camera.  In order for schools to meet the demands of technology, I feel that enough time needs to be donated to effectively train staff how to use these technologies.  It is not enough simply to drop them off at a teacher’s doorstep.  Careful planning, training, and learning about the best practices for how to implement the technology into my classroom will help everyone utilize the technologies to their maximum potential.  In my mailbox at school, I received an e school news newsletter that outlined the five traits of an effective 21^st century teacher.  According to Stansbury (2011), these teachers are able to, “anticipate the future, be a lifelong learner, foster peer relationships, teach and assess all levels of learners, and is able to discern effective vs. non-effective technology.” 

There certainly are advantages of using the computer and the Internet.  Today we embrace “…the benefits of speed and efficiency…” (Carr, 2010, p. 224) that the Internet offers.  However, these benefits come with a price.  We may be losing some of our humanness from our culture and some of our own intelligence because we are relying on machines to do our thinking.  Change is inevitable, and it is not a possibility to turn back time and do away with the technologies in our society.  Our brains will continue to be rerouted and rewired according to the technologies we embrace.  According to Carr (2010), “What matters in the end is not our becoming but what we become” (p. 222).  I think it is best if we “proceed with caution” as we forge ahead in the age of the Internet.

References:

Carr, N. (2010). The shallows:  What the internet is doing to our brains. New York,     NY:  W. W. Norton & Company.

Stansbury, M. (2011, September). Five characteristics of an effective 21^st- century educator. Retrieved from http://www.eschoolnews.com

Nye's Book Review: Technology Matters

Book Review of Nye’s Technology Matters:  Questions to Live With

Heidi Hopp

October 2011

Technology.  On the surface it seems as though the word is fairly simple.  David Nye proves just the opposite in his book, Technology Matters, as he explores questions about technology and what effect it has on society.  In Chapter 1, Nye attempts to “define” technology.  He begins by looking at and describing the evolution of technology.  It was once thought that only human beings could create and use tools that could be considered to be technological.  However, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee that used a twig as a tool to obtain and eat termites from a termite hill (Nye, 2007, p. 1).  It may not be the high-tech devices that we have grown accustomed to today, but it nevertheless was a tool that got the job done.  Nye continues to describe technology, but no clear, concise definition is offered.

Throughout his book, Nye provides several in-depth examples to illustrate his points.  Some of the things he looks at are whether or not technology controls us, if technology is predictable, and whether or not technology makes us more uniform or more diverse.  Nye looks at the questions from various angles and provides the reader with many scenarios and detailed research.  He asks numerous questions as he explores each area.  One thing is certain; technology plays an economic, political, and social role in our society.  A few common threads are woven throughout Nye’s book which illustrates this point.  Economically consumer “demands” for what they want often drive the market, even though it may not be best for our environment or more cheaply made (Nye, 2007, p. 212).  Politically there is much debate over how much government control should be placed on technology (Nye, 2007, p. 135).  Socially, “cultures select and shape technologies, not the other way around, and some societies have rejected or ignored even the gun or the wheel” (Nye, 2007, p. 210).  Technologies create change and differences in and among people.

I was eager to read Nye’s Chapter 6 which focuses on abundance vs. ecological crisis.  Nye (2007) states, “Visions of technological progress seem attractive in the abstract, but what do they mean in practice” (p. 88)?  He begins by studying the landscape, particularly land used for agricultural purposes.  In 1830 a farmer in the United States produced 20 bushels of wheat; while in 1890 a farmer produced 380 bushels of wheat (Nye, 2007, p. 90).  This growing trend seems to continue today, due to the technologies farmers use.  Nye does not stop here.  He also takes a look at factories.  From 1870-1890 Robert Thurston saw, “factory productivity rise almost 30 percent, while working hours dropped and real wages rose 20 percent” (Nye, 2007, p. 91).  Some minorities were not all that interested in having technological abundance.  Some preferred simplicity.  Henry David Thoreau looked at leading a more simplified and less materialistic lifestyle.  Thoreau stated that (our tools) are, “but improved means to an unimproved end” (Nye, 2007, p. 101).  This implies that one will never be satisfied because there is something bigger and better to want.  Nye concludes the chapter by looking at what the “carrying capacity” of the Earth might be.  No one really seems to know for sure.  Nye (2007) points out that “oil, gas, and coal were limited resources that would run out within a few generations” (p. 104).  However, many consumers did not seem bothered by this fact.  Take for instance in the 1980s when there was a plea for creating smaller, more fuel-efficient cars to help with the energy crisis.  People did not want to buy them.  They wanted trucks and SUVs.  In the 1920s Henry Ford discovered a similar outcome.  He wanted to make the same vehicles, but the customers wanted different styled vehicles (Nye, 2007, p. 105).  One thing is certain:  “how many people the Earth can support depends on what people want from life” (Nye, 2007, p. 108).  If we choose to put our natural resources into making a more comfortable lifestyle for ourselves, there is less for nature to use as resources.  It comes down to choosing how we want to use nature. 

In Chapter 7 Nye challenges his readers to uncover whether we are working more, less, better, or worse?  At best, Nye suggests that who you are, what you value, and who you work for will impact your answer.  There is no doubt that working conditions have changed over the years.  A lot of the physical labor jobs have been replaced with technology (Nye, 2007, p. 109).  Some even worry that as more technology replaces more people, it will lead to more unemployment for workers (Nye, 2007, p. 118).  If you are a person who works for Wal-Mart, chances are you will be earning lower wages, while the consumer will pay a lower price for the merchandise (Nye, 2007, p. 132).  If you are a president union member working for Harley-Davidson, chances are you will share an office with the company’s president, often being included in some of the decisions made (Nye, 2007, p. 123-124).  Some argue that we work harder because of the way the company owner(s) choose to spend their profits.  Early mill owners grew to be quite wealthy, while the workers remained quite poor (Nye, 2007, p. 129).  If you are a woman, in past years you have had gender inequality issues when it comes to work and equal pay for the same jobs that men have.  Women have often held lower paying jobs and have been mere assistants to men who hold the jobs with “control” (Nye, 2007, p. 127).  What will our future hold with work and our economy?  Time will tell as the future unfolds.

In Chapter 10 Nye explores whether technology has helped us expand our consciousness or our encapsulation.  Few people would argue “that technologies have expanded our knowledge of the world” (Nye, 2007, p. 185).  However, as we continually “(re)interpret the world, we may be losing touch with other modes of understanding” (Nye, 2007, p. 185).  Nye (2007) further states that our technologies may be leading our society to “sensory overload” (p. 186).  Multi-tasking has become common in our society.  Many of us are guilty of trying to do two or more things before completing the first thing that we started.  Is this a good thing?  Nye (2007) states, “In small doses multi-tasking is a valuable ability, but in large doses it can lead to information overload” (p. 187).  Nye (2007) also speaks about “unconscious acceptance by later generations, since the machine was already there when one was born” (p. 190).  A child born today would accept the Internet, automobile, and electricity as “normal.”  However, understanding the evolution of technology and life from the ‘good old days’ may deepen one’s understanding and appreciation for the technologies offered today.  Technology seems to be intertwined with nearly every aspect of our daily lives, making it hard to escape from it, even for a little while.  Something as simple as a walk in the park has had technological impacts.  The lawn has been planted and taken care of, the plants have been planted, and fertilizers and weed killers are used to care for the park- all of which are a result of advancement in technology (Nye, 2007, p. 194). 

So, what does all of this mean for the future?  What kind of impact is technology having on our students and the world today?  The world we are living in is much faster paced.  More demands are made and less time is often available.  In my first grade students I have noticed less patience from them.  They often grow tired of waiting for an answer and want to know NOW.  I can remember as a child having to look up answers to research questions in the brand new encyclopedia set that my parents bought for us to use.  It was hard work sometimes looking up the answers, but I appreciated and learned how to find information.  Today, anything you want to know is just a click away.  I have also noticed that students don’t always know how to act socially with one another.  Will the world thrive on isolation and people only communicating with each other using their technological devices?  I hope not.  I have always been a people person and learn a lot from others around me.  My husband and I are raising three boys, and I want them to be socially aware and responsible toward others, both with and without the use of technology. 

Certainly I am not saying that we can or should live in the past.  However, I do believe that we should not “put all of our eggs in one basket” where technology is concerned.  Last year my co-teacher and I had technological difficulties with our SMART board, and we could not use it for a few days.  Did we know how to teach without it?  Yes.  Luckily we had paper versions of the books that were offered to students online.  Did our students learn without it?  I hope so.  You could, however tell that they missed the technology and had grown accustomed to learning with it.  But, being able to adapt to change is a life-long survival skill.  One question still remains for me.  Since technology is unpredictable, are we, as a society, going to keep going or is there a change in sight?

Reference:  Nye, D. E. (2007). Technology matters:  Questions to live with. Cambridge, MA:  MIT Press.

Reflection on Google Sites, Google Docs, and Diigo

Reflection on Google Sites, Google Docs, and Diigo

Heidi Hopp

What I learned:

I have navigated other people’s Google Sites, but have never created my own prior to our last class.  Creating a Google Site provides an excellent communication tool for teachers to share information with parents.  One of the biggest things that I learned is the importance of having a rough skeleton idea of what you want on your site before you begin creating it. 

The class activity of creating our own Google Site was comfortable for me.  It was similar to the wiki activities that we did.  The “edit” and “save” buttons were extremely important as changes were made.  I learned how to embed images, text, YouTube video clips, and games onto my site.  At our school we receive our weekly newsletters from the office in our email, and the information is found in a Google Doc.  I have not typically used Google Docs in my day to day work.  I learned that there is more than one form of a Google Doc.  I have used the documents before, but never the presentation, spreadsheet, forms, or drawing formats.  I especially enjoyed creating the survey and including the seven different types of questions. 

            After reading Solomon and Schrum (2010), I also learned that a Google Doc can be an effective way for colleagues to collaborate on a project (p. 68).  People can see the changes that have been made and the most current version is right there.  No more need for saving to disks or flash drives because it is all there online.

Future Use(s):

 I have more work to do with my Google Site, but I am feeling confident that I will share the address with my students’ parents and use it as a communication tool.  I have had a “website” for parents in the past.  I prefer using the Google Site because it is much more organized and easy to find information.  Since our class, I have uploaded my picture on the About Me page.  I have included the reading and math homework expectations.  I also embedded a YouTube video clip about helping your child with reading at home.  Finally, I have embedded a Google Doc about book in the bag reading procedures.  I need to explore the class calendar, reading lists, and class photos yet.  

            One of my goals is to create and share Google Docs with my first grade team.  Instead of having everyone create the same assessment or learning activity, colleagues can share their work with each other.  I can see our team using them for Late Start meetings and tasks that we are assigned to do.  I intend to explore other forms of Google Docs to see how they could be used in my classroom.

                               

What I learned:

Prior to our last class meeting, I had never heard of Diigo.  I learned that Diigo is a social bookmarking system that uses a website, not a browser.  I admit that I do not often use bookmarks when retrieving websites.  I typically just type in the URL of a website.  Diigo has changed my mind!

After working through the class activities, I learned that Diigo is a research tool and arranges websites I choose by “tags.”  The tags are words or phrases that help pinpoint what the site is about.  If I am looking for a particular website on a specific topic, I can sort the websites in my library by their tags, and the websites that have a tag match will appear.  This is a huge organization and time saving feature of Diigo and I think something that will really be helpful as I gather and add more sites to my Diigo library.  Highlighting text and adding sticky notes was something that I enjoyed doing and learning about.  Sharing my sites with my group is what Diigo is all about. 

            I also learned that Diigo is a way to connect and collaborate with each other.  Teaching at times can feel somewhat isolated and there is little time to communicate and share ideas during the school day.  Diigo provides the opportunity to find other “friends” to share websites and build a network, either personally, professionally, or both. 

Future Use(s):

After setting up our Diigo group for our class activities, I decided to invite a colleague by email to join Diigo.  I was curious to see what her response would be.  She knew that I was taking this class, and I told her that I was learning about something new called “Diigo.”  She seemed interested after I explained that it was an organized way to share ideas and bookmarks.  I will see how it progresses from here.  There are other colleagues on my team and some might not want to join.  But, it is worth a try.  I plan to continue to follow other people’s bookmarks that have similar interests in elementary education.

Another possibility that exists is having parents of first graders using Diigo to form a network.  They can share sites about issues related to parenting.  Some may already be involved, and those who are not may want to be and will benefit from it.

 I see the benefits of collaborating and sharing with colleagues ideas from websites that have made their teaching more successful.  There is a saying in our district that a lot of people use:  “Work smarter, not harder.”  Diigo appears to be an avenue to do just that.  By having people already research and select useful websites, some of the work is already done for me.  Picking and choosing which sites to use is the fun part.  Being able to join groups and form networks will make teaching more enjoyable as we learn and help each other.

Reference:  Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2010). Web 2.0:  How-to for educators. Washington, D.C.:  ISTE.

Reflections on Wikis and Blogs

Reflection on Wikis

By:  Heidi Hopp

What I learned

            Prior to taking this class, I knew that wikis existed and people from everyday walks of life could create and use them.  But beyond that, my knowledge about them was slim.  According to Solomon & Schrum (2010), “Wikis are web pages that students can use to write, edit, and add elements, such as images and video, to create collaborative projects” (p. 135).  I set a wiki up for the Introduction to Educational Leadership class that we took with Dr. Cramer.  I wasn’t aware of the endless possibilities that existed for wikis. 

            I learned that wikis provide a tremendous opportunity for classmates to work together in a collaborative effort.  Students may work together to research and create a project, editing each other’s work.  They are held accountable and are often motivated to help and learn from each other to get the best project put together that they can.  Parents can access the wikis to stay informed about news, events, and learning happening at school.  Teachers can use them to post lesson plans and notes from meetings.  Administrators can use them to create and share agendas for meetings and take notes during the meetings. 

            I also learned that content on wikis is saved and can be retrieved.  Teachers can monitor who is contributing and how much they are contributing.  This is a really nice feature for teachers to use to help monitor that the amount of work being completed is equally distributed and is being completed.  Edits and revisions are able to be seen immediately or after the page has been refreshed.  I learned that only one person can save revisions at a time (Solomon & Schrum, 2010).  I think it is neat that people from across the world can collaborate with each other and work together for a common cause 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

            When looking for K-12 wiki examples, I noticed that there was a wide variety of wikis available.  I really liked some of the home pages general education teachers had created.  Since e-mails are less effective when trying to coordinate classroom events and parties, I think wikis provide an opportunity for all involved to see who is doing what and who is bringing what.  Some were content or grade specific and some seemed to be limited with the information that was posted and shared.  It was interesting to see all of the ways people have constructed wikis.

Future Use of Wikis

            I started out by creating a wiki for my parents and classroom by going to http://www.wikispaces.com and setting up a wiki account.  Since I teach first grade, setting up a wiki and posting assignments and projects for my students did not seem to be age appropriate.  So, I decided to create a wiki to share information about what is happening in our school and classroom.  The address of the wiki is http://www.mrshopp.wikispaces.com.   On the wiki so far you will find my name, reading and math practice websites, and the district home page.  I plan to add my contact information, upcoming dates/events, and classroom news. 

            Just today at our late start meeting, our first grade team was meeting and trying to fill in a template with our team’s goal for the school year.  I suggested to them that we create a wiki so that everyone can see what is going on.  We can add and delete information as needed.  We ended up creating a wiki space right on the spot.  I think that my group was impressed and liked what the wiki had to offer.  We are only in the beginning stages, but we are on the right track and will be able to share information with each other instantly.

            I also plan to contact our principal to see how she would feel about creating a wiki to post and share information about our staff meetings.  It would give staff a chance to see the agenda ahead of time and add staff concerns to the meeting agenda before the meeting even starts.  This is just the beginning…the possibilities truly are endless.  An ancient African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  I think we can also say, “It takes a wiki to collaborate with others.”  Think about how much we use technology every single day.  Many of us would be lost without the ability to communicate and collaborate with others using various forms of technology.

Reflection on Blogs

By:  Heidi Hopp

What I learned

            Before reading about blogs, I knew that people could create blogs and write about topics that are of interest or importance to them, much like a personal writing journal that one used to do with paper and pen.  I also knew that blogging was becoming more and more common and was spreading rapidly.  According to Solomon & Schrum (2010), a blog is a “website developed and maintained by an individual using easy to use online software or a hosting platform with space for writing” (p. 17).   Blogs are published immediately and people can read the posts and comment on them.  I did not know that blog entries show up on the blog in reverse order.  One of the big things that people need to be aware of is that when you blog, you need to be careful that what is posted is appropriate for anyone to see. 

            I also learned that blogging is not only a social activity, but one that can be used in educational settings.  Students can research, blog, read other blogs, and learn from other blogs people post.  Blogging not only provides opportunities for higher level critical thinking skills, but also for developing communication skills with others.  Blogs are often written in a brief format, which encourages students to write about main ideas and to stick to them.  Students read each others’ blogs and this helps strengthen human relationships, as well as helping others learn. 

           

Future Use of Blogs

            I created my “blog spot” for our class by going to http://www.blogger.com.  The URL for my blog is http://hopph.blogspot.com.  I have done a test post and have updated my profile with a photo.  I have invited others to follow my blog.  At this point in time, I am not certain that I will be having students directly use the blog since I work with such a young age.  However, I was considering using a blog space for parents and other educators to share homework tips, how to provide the best help for their child at home, as well as things happening in our classroom.  Another possibility that exists is that I could write about my career as a first grade teacher in a more reflective format.  How did my career start?  Where am I now?  Where do I hope to be?  This is something new for me.  I am not used to writing publicly about my work in first grade.  It would provide an opportunity for me to build a network of colleagues with other first grade teachers.

            A colleague in our district has been sending us blogs regularly that feature a new technology strategy to try out in our own classrooms.  I will be reading and possibly posting to her blogs about how the ideas worked or didn’t work for me.  Being reflective and sharing our experiences are ways to improve our teaching craft.

Reference

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2010). Web 2.0:  How-to for educators. Washington, D.C.:

            ISTE.

This is my very first post.