Thing 23- I MADE IT!

I am a changed person. In one of my graduate classes we studied our current educational system- its structure, forms of assessment, ideologies. It was crystal clear that students who were able to succeed in such a system were typically rule followers, able to conform, thrived in orderly environments. The students who didn't learn in this setting were deemed "failures" when in fact, their learning styles were only addressed in classes such as art, PE, music, etc. and not in the academic classrooms. It so many cases, this cycle continues today. The idea of Web 2.0 really allows students the opportunity to experience learning in their own, most productive manner. Students can jump right over the lower levels of Bloom's taxonomic levels because they will be experiencing their learning in a way that suits their brain naturally. They can jump right up to the higher levels of thinking without stumbling over the comprehension of material presented in a way that is inconsistent with the way their brain functions.

Before 23 things, I looked at the use of technology in the classroom as an extra thing, a bonus. I now view it as essential in facilitating the learning of my students. The videos in Thing 16 was the climax of my paradigm shift. The challenge- reworking my curriculum so that I can make it happen.

My plans:
I've worked on a few things for Bermuda Triangle and have more stewing in my head regarding presentation and projects. Over the next year as I prepare for my units, my goal will be to incorporate a Web 2.0 tool into each unit. Additionally, I will share these ideas with my colleagues who happen to be very receptive to innovation.

Obviously Web 2.0 is fluid, so I have bookmarked the 23 Things page on delicious and will continually check it to see what is new. Each "Thing" is presented in a way that doesn't intimidate me, so I feel comfortable checking it frequently. I plan to show a few of my favorite colleagues this incredible resource!

Take aways: collaboration, flexibility, fluidity, higher level thinking, reaching all students, convenience, ever-changing, socially oriented

Thank you for the amazing opportunity!

Thing 22- Online video

Online video is essential in instruction! Students LOVE it for multiple reasons- different voice, presentation format, creativity, it's cool, and on and on... I have used TeacherTube and YouTube in my classes in a few different ways. TeacherTube is easy to navigate and is specifically oriented toward instruction. Students like the change of pace in hearing a different voice and seeing a visual example. I have also used this in teaching grammar- Grammar Rocks is on both TeacherTube and YouTube. Until recently, YouTube has been blocked from our server at school but the teacher computers have been enabled. I use YouTube for timely/current event videos most recently for Veteran's Day. This "Thing" introduced me to SchoolTube and this site seeems to provide a platform for student projects and presentations. I watched one that a student created explaining direct and indirect objects. It was awesome! This goes back to Thing 16 which enables students to express themselves in a way which they find applicable and creative.

Thing 21- Twitter

My first thought is "Who cares what I'm doing?" People (including me) are so nosy! Using twitter for school would be a major stretch for me, but I could see lots of personal uses. I have been anti-facebook for some time now because I just don't want to have something else to manage all the time. Twitter seems a little less time-consuming and I could easily use it with my new iPhone. With my phone I get unlimited data, but not phone minutes, so it could save me that way. However, texting seems to do the job. I think my main problem is that I can barely update my own brain, much less the rest of the world.

Thing 20- Bookmarking with del.icio.us

http://delicious.com/sarahhelferich
The bookmarks I selected all have to do with an upcoming research project that I assign in my language arts classes. Students have to research the theories explaining the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. I plan to use my bookmarks as a starting point for students to complete the on-line portion of their research. I found this "Thing" extremely beneficial. I can see endless uses with social bookmarking for my professional resources, instructional resources, and personal resources. I initially wanted to organize the bookmarks with files, but realized that the tags are what can really help me sort what topics I wish to use. I also found it really useful, but kind of creepy, that I could view other people's bookmarks. Maybe someone out there does a Bermuda Triangle research project with their middle school students and could just look at my list, copy it, and use it! (I was secretly hoping one already existed for me to use...) How efficient!

Thing 19- Intro to Social Bookmarking

This must be an invaluable resource for those already using social bookmarking. The first group I thought of is the Literacy Coaches Network. This would be a great way to communicate in and around the toolkit. Also, I can see departments working together across districts, teachers working across teams, school improvement teams working together across the community. As I described in an earlier post, it is like you are working with people on the same team without having to get together to meet. It is another resource at your disposal!

Thing 18- Building Your Personal Learning Network

I checked on the Ning home page and was completely overwhelmed, so I continued down the list. I really like the MACUL PLN. It makes you feel like you are having discussions with others who are on your team. It is a great resource for finding advice or assistance when trying to experiment with various tools in Web 2.0 from a personal or professional standpoint. The collaborative atmosphere is very valuable. I also found the REMC bid list very interesting. I was even looking for a projector for a colleague as I searched the products available. If this isn't a well known resource for the purchaser at our school, it will be on Monday! The main problem that I could foresee with PLNs is time management. It seems like a lot of material to sort through when only a limited amount of time is available. The RSS feed seems like a more efficient way of sorting through information, but doesn't provide the collaboration that the PLN does. I guess each circumstance should be dealt with on an individual basis.

Thing 17- More Web 2.0 winners

In trying to find something most applicable to what I teach, I selected docstacs. After a few enlightening searches in the teachers category as well as 7th grade english, I stumbled upon white papers. Yikes! In this day and age, plagiarism is a cinch! I was shocked by the number of papers that students could download and claim as their own. I have been so naive to think that they wouldn't do such a thing, but when it is sitting out there, it has to be tempting. This provides me with even more motivation for students to create unique and decisive projects in class.

I was pleasantly surprised by the How-To guides and other useful documents provided by this award winning 2.0 tool.

Thing 16- Teach Digital

These videos forced me to look at the end product- what is the purpose of being a teacher? Is my job to prepare the students for the next grade level and to pass the next test? Or, is it to inspire and empower the students so that they may be successful in life? These videos really made me see how today's learners are so dynamic and our system of delivering instruction is so archaic. From curriculum to delivery of instruction to MEAP, I think our profession needs to take a stand just like the students in the videos. It is entirely true that we are educating students for the jobs that we were trained for. Many of those jobs will no longer exist and we haven't even come to realize what will exist when our students hit the workplace. This idea is what hit me the most. We need to be teaching our students how to be flexible, good communicators, and nurture each person's innate creativity. This new learning will change my teaching forever.

Thing 15- How to use Podcasts in Schools

I keep bringing up my 9th grade daughter, but she constantly has her headphones in her ears and we need to interrupt her "listening" to talk with her. I can definitely see the use of a podcast to supplement instruction and provide extensions to classroom activities. The typical teenager naturally uses this type of media for their enjoyment, why not make it educational?! I'd be most likely to have students help, as suggested, in finding appropriate and useful podcasts. The next step may be to share them in class, similar to the use of teacher tube, and then eventually have students responsible for accessing the information on their own. The potential for extension for students who are "gifted" or "bored" is limitless when using podcasts. The major hurdle continues to be accessibility. If it is required, then we must provide the access. This is the area that I could foresee any major issues with administration.

Thing 14- Learn About Podcasting

One podcast I have selected to use is Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. The pendulum has swung and now we are back to teaching grammar through direct instruction. To spice things up a bit, on Fridays I am going to use a grammar girl lesson and quiz to review rules with each of my classes.

Another podcast I have selected to use is Booktalks Quick and Simple by Nancy Keane. The booktalk podcast will be perfect for our school's celebration of March is Reading Month. In our daily video announcements during the month of March we include book talks and are always scrambling for titles and talkers. This list provides hundreds of booktalks already complete! (We just have to enhance the booktalk with a photo of the cover.)

Thing 13- Sharing Your Vision

I actually completed this Thing last because I wanted to create a holiday card/slideshow for friends and family. I started on ZohoShow and found it difficult to use. I ended up using Power Point and Slideshare. It ended up to be time-consuming because I created a new powerpoint but the actual embedding was a cinch.

I will be sure to use this tool with students in group projects and presentations. They can revise and add information from their homes and then I can view each product for assessment purposes or they can present to the class.

2009 In Review

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