After more than two years blogging on Blogger, I finally clicked on "Next Blog". I had always been curious but had never taken the time to check it out. I had heard horror stories of kids in school clicking on it and getting some inappropriate content, and I guess I figured that I wasn't all that intereted in what I might find. But tonight I clicked on it, and I was really amazed by what I found.
The first blog I got was in Chinese. I am not sure what it was about, but it had pictures of food and a few words in English. I thought that was pretty cool, so I clicked again and got a blog in Russian. And the third time I clicked, I got one in Portuguese. Finally on the fourth click I got one in English -- on Permaculture, of all things. The fifth one was in Spanish.
All of this got me wondering about the percentage of blogs that are not written in English. I know I have read about this before, but I don't remember what I read. I could see asking my students (adults) to do a little investigation on the subject. They could do informal research by starting at my blog and clicking "Next Blog" say ten times. For each blog they come to, they could be asked to write like an annotated bibliography in which they tell what language it is written in and, to the best of the student's ability to figure it out from photos or other clues if he/she can't read that langauge, tell what the focus of the blog seems to be.
This project could serve several purposes. It would give students a chance to do independent research. It would give them a reason to read a number of blogs, and it would give them the opporrtunity to write. Of all of these, though, I think I am most interested in the blog reading they would do. I have yet to really get my students to read blogs. This would be one way to give them a chance to see what is out there. From there, then, it might be easier to ask them to find a certain number of blogs on a topic they are interested in and read them regularly.
Too bad I may not have students to try this with next semester.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
7 virtues of blogging
Kathy Sierra has posted a link to her slides from a recent conference presentation. They are, as usual, great. She talks about seven virtues of blogging if you want to develop a global microbrand. Even though I am not trying to establish a global anything, the advice is good. The virtues that really struck me were Be Generous and Show Respect. Kathy says, in part:
the fact that anyone comes to our blog at all is incredible. We must be grateful and try to give something of value in return.
and
Don’t post for quantity, post for quality. If you don’t have something that you believe is worth the reader’s time, think twice about posting.
If I were following that second piece of advice, I probably wouldn’t be posting right now! But these, and the other five virtues, are things I try to keep in mind as I blog.
But I would like to modify Kathy’s list a bit to make it more applicable to the way I blog. Here goes:
- Be Grateful - Appreciate the fact that readers have taken time to read and comment on your blog. Take time to let you know you appreciate them and their ideas. One way to do this is to return the compliment and comment on their blogs.
- Be Humble - Make sure you give credit where credit is due. Acknowledge those who have influenced your thinking. Remember that you can learn something from almost everyone.
- Be Patient - Accept the fact that your blogging is going to be a process. Most of us, at least, have to grow into it. Don’t look at the well-established blogs and think you have to be like them, as good as they are right now.
- Be Brave - Talk about the things that interest you — even if no one else seems to be interested in them right now. You may discover other people who are truly interested in the same things and visit your blog precisely because you are talking about a particular topic.
- Show Respect - Remember that diversity is what makes the world beautiful. Just as we wouldn’t want to live in a world with only one type and color of flower, we shouldn’t want to live in a world with only one set of ideas. We should all feel free to express our opinions, but we should always remember to do so in a respectful manner. Don’t get involved in name-calling or ridiculing others.
- Be Motivating - We can all use a little help from our friends from time to time. Don’t spend all your blogging time complaining or criticizing. Try to offer possible solutions to the problem — or at least ideas as to why the problem exists. Leave your readers with something positive.
- Be Generous - Support new bloggers by reading them, commenting, and then linking to them in your blog, too. It costs you nothing but a little time, and it could really help someone who is just starting out.
I think we could each explain these virtues in different ways. I would be interested in knowing how you would define them.
Note: Starting with this post, I am cross-posting on Random Thoughts and Moving Along, my WordPress blog. I am fairly certain that I want to combine the two blogs, and I really like WordPress better than Blogger anymore. I will let you know when/if I decide to stop posting here entirely.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Check out "Their Space"
Derek has an interesting post in which he talks about a publication called Their Space, which is available for download here.
The document makes a point that I think is a valuable one. It says:
I found the document interesting. I hope you'll read it.
Update: There is a podcast available here.
The document makes a point that I think is a valuable one. It says:
If digital media in schools is to move beyond the ICTThis seems to support what Miguel worte about a few days ago when he said we should introduce 1:1 laptop initiatives with faculty and administration rather than with the students. I wrote about this before.
suite and become truly embedded across the curriculum then all
teachers need to feel empowered to use it creatively. School leaders
need to build up support and professional development to ensure
that all staff feel empowered to use the technologies that resonate
with their students.
I found the document interesting. I hope you'll read it.
Update: There is a podcast available here.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Start at the top
Miguel has hit on one place where the trickle-down theory really might work. He proposes starting a 1:1 laptop initiative with teachers and administration long before trying it with students. He says,
This goes back to the concern I and many others have about new tools being misused to just do the same old same old in the classroom. In a teacher's defense, though, it is hard to do otherwise without being really comfortable with technology and using it regularly in your own life. That comfort and regular use would come as a school district institutes a 1:1 plan for teachers and administrators and they, as Miguel says,
Read Miguel's post. It's another good one.
The change in district perspective is what important and that that perspective is communicated and adopted by parents, teachers, administrators. That perspective has to be that we're going to learn differently and everyone is a part of that learning process. Teaching differently will come over time as we learn more.This seems so logical to me. Starting with the students -- before teachers and administration and parents are on board -- doesn't have much of a chance of succeeding. But if we, the adults, change the way we view education and technology, we will be much more likely to create substantive change in our teaching and our students' learning.
This goes back to the concern I and many others have about new tools being misused to just do the same old same old in the classroom. In a teacher's defense, though, it is hard to do otherwise without being really comfortable with technology and using it regularly in your own life. That comfort and regular use would come as a school district institutes a 1:1 plan for teachers and administrators and they, as Miguel says,
then change the way everything is accessed and how the "system" works. Go electronic on everything as much as possible.Miguel talks about the need for a comprehensive plan to make sure all this happens, and I am sure that would make it easier and more efficient. But sometimes I think plans -- too many plans, at least -- can take the joy out of anything. And I also don't think we need to wait for plans, really. I think we can create change by creating a tipping point in each school. If nothing else, that may encourage institutions to develop a plan faster than they would have otherwise.
Read Miguel's post. It's another good one.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Time to reflect
I have been trying to go back and look at posts that I have clipped in Bloglines the last few days, and I ran across this one by Anne Davis in which she reports on a TRLD Conference speech by Ellin Oliver Keene about giving students time to think and teaching them about thinking. I was struck by the obviousness of this, the simplicity of it. And yet, looking at my own classroom, I wonder how much I do it.
I know that I feel a tremendous amount of pressure to have something "happening" in my classroom all the time. It has to be something we can all see for it to be real, too. Reflection doesn't seem to fit the bill. And yet I know it is important. Obviously, this refelction could take the form of journaling, but sometimes that just doesn't seem appropriate.
I was told once that there wasn't much sense in me sitting with my students in the computer lab as they worked on different activities. The feeling was that there should be more direct instruction going on. And yet, if I don't see where students have questions, how do I know what to teach them?
I wonder sometimes if this isn't somehow connected to our discomfort with silence. We seem to feel a need to fill the void silence creates rather than appreciating its value in our lives.
Wherever I end up in my next job, I want to build time for reflection into it. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
I know that I feel a tremendous amount of pressure to have something "happening" in my classroom all the time. It has to be something we can all see for it to be real, too. Reflection doesn't seem to fit the bill. And yet I know it is important. Obviously, this refelction could take the form of journaling, but sometimes that just doesn't seem appropriate.
I was told once that there wasn't much sense in me sitting with my students in the computer lab as they worked on different activities. The feeling was that there should be more direct instruction going on. And yet, if I don't see where students have questions, how do I know what to teach them?
I wonder sometimes if this isn't somehow connected to our discomfort with silence. We seem to feel a need to fill the void silence creates rather than appreciating its value in our lives.
Wherever I end up in my next job, I want to build time for reflection into it. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
New Beginnings Ahead
Last week I received some news that I had been expecting, but it came as a shock at the same time. The decision has been made to close our ESL program at the end of the semester. That means that after six years here, after taking an idea on paper and turning it into a successful ESL program, I will be unemployed.
As I said this was not really a surprise. Other big programs in our area and across the country have closed, so it was only a matter of time before ours disappeared, too. Our enrollment has been on the decline for the last two years at least, and it no longer pays the salaries of myself and my colleague.
And it has been a very good six years for me. I have learned so much about myself, about teaching, and about establishing a program like this. I have had the support of the institution to make conference presentations both in this country and abroad. I have developed as a professional in ways that I could never have imagined six years ago.
And now it is time to move on. At this point in time, there is no clear plan. I am applying for jobs both locally and elsewhere in the country. I think it may be time to reinvent myself a bit. Since ESL programs have been cutting back for awhile now, I am looking at different kinds of positions at community colleges right now. It is exciting -- and a bit sad at the same time. I know there is something else out there for me; I just have to find it!
As I said this was not really a surprise. Other big programs in our area and across the country have closed, so it was only a matter of time before ours disappeared, too. Our enrollment has been on the decline for the last two years at least, and it no longer pays the salaries of myself and my colleague.
And it has been a very good six years for me. I have learned so much about myself, about teaching, and about establishing a program like this. I have had the support of the institution to make conference presentations both in this country and abroad. I have developed as a professional in ways that I could never have imagined six years ago.
And now it is time to move on. At this point in time, there is no clear plan. I am applying for jobs both locally and elsewhere in the country. I think it may be time to reinvent myself a bit. Since ESL programs have been cutting back for awhile now, I am looking at different kinds of positions at community colleges right now. It is exciting -- and a bit sad at the same time. I know there is something else out there for me; I just have to find it!
Monday, March 05, 2007
My student's blog part 4?
I forget how many times I have posted about my student's blog, but I am happy to report that comments are now up and running on his blog. The comments that were made earlier and which he received in email messages seem to have vanished, though. Oh well...
I was really pleased with how quickly James Farmer responded to my questions. If you aren't using edublogs/uniblogs/learnerblogs/eslblogs, you might want to check them out. I especially like them for younger learners and ESL students.
I was really pleased with how quickly James Farmer responded to my questions. If you aren't using edublogs/uniblogs/learnerblogs/eslblogs, you might want to check them out. I especially like them for younger learners and ESL students.
Locked out of my own blog
I tried to post on Saturday, but I was locked out of my blog. It was suspected of being a spam blog. It wasn't until about 30 minutes ago (Monday afternoon) that I was able to log in and post and have my posts appear on the blog. I could only blog about it on my other blog until now.
I have been toying with the idea of migrating this blog to WordPress. I am seriously thinking about it now. I will let you know if I decide to do it.
I have already migrated my portfolio blog to WordPress and deleted the Blogger portfolio. It went really smoothly. (Thanks for the link, Aaron!) I know there are some things that don't work in WordPress as well as they do in Blogger (embedding video, for instance), but I am not all that likely to need to do that. I remember back in the early days of this blog, Nathan pointed out that not everyone can access embedded audio and video, so I try not to do it.
Anyway, I'm back!
I have been toying with the idea of migrating this blog to WordPress. I am seriously thinking about it now. I will let you know if I decide to do it.
I have already migrated my portfolio blog to WordPress and deleted the Blogger portfolio. It went really smoothly. (Thanks for the link, Aaron!) I know there are some things that don't work in WordPress as well as they do in Blogger (embedding video, for instance), but I am not all that likely to need to do that. I remember back in the early days of this blog, Nathan pointed out that not everyone can access embedded audio and video, so I try not to do it.
Anyway, I'm back!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Update on my student's blog
Well, we checked everything today, and there is still a problem with comments on my student's blog. I have contacted people at eslblogs, and I hope that when they are finished with a database upgrade, things will be better. In the meantime, please feel free to comment on his blog but know that your comments may not/probably won't show up on the blog itself. He is getting comments emailed to him, though, so he will know what you are saying.
He was, by the way, quite happy that people had read his blog and commented. So thanks from both of us!
As an aside, I talked to him about moving his blog to WordPress, but he would prefer to stay where he is. As I have said before, he is a little afraid of blogs, so I didn't push him on it. He is so happy with this project so far -- in spite of the problems -- that I don't want to mess with it.
He was, by the way, quite happy that people had read his blog and commented. So thanks from both of us!
As an aside, I talked to him about moving his blog to WordPress, but he would prefer to stay where he is. As I have said before, he is a little afraid of blogs, so I didn't push him on it. He is so happy with this project so far -- in spite of the problems -- that I don't want to mess with it.
Friday, February 23, 2007
More on my student blog problems
Well, there is still a problem with my student's blog. When we try to comment on it, he receives the comments in his email, but they don't show up on his blog. We are continuing to work on it.
He was very excited, though, to read the emailed comments that he got. This is the first time I have seen him excited about blogging. Thanks to those of you who tried to comment. I'll let you know when the problem is taken care of and your comments will show up as they should!
He was very excited, though, to read the emailed comments that he got. This is the first time I have seen him excited about blogging. Thanks to those of you who tried to comment. I'll let you know when the problem is taken care of and your comments will show up as they should!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Too many blogs?
I am torn. In this year's EVO session, I began a new blog in WordPress, and I have fallen in love with it. WordPress, that is; not my blog. I hate to just abandon that blog, but I am not sure I can maintain two "public" blogs. I am looking for a focus for the other one that would make it viable and still leave me with stuff to write about here.
I am going to try to get back into regular postings here while i am looking for a direction for the other blog. We'll see how well I manage to do that and what I come up with for the other blog. Wish me luck!
I am going to try to get back into regular postings here while i am looking for a direction for the other blog. We'll see how well I manage to do that and what I come up with for the other blog. Wish me luck!
Monday, February 19, 2007
My student's blog
Unfortunately there is a problem with comments on my student's blog. I thought we got it set up to accept comments without moderation, but apparently there is some kind of problem. As we are on break for Mardi Gras, I will have to wait until Thursday to see what I can do about this.
Thanks to all who have tried to comment. I'll let you know when/if we get it cleared up.
Thanks to all who have tried to comment. I'll let you know when/if we get it cleared up.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
My student's blog
Well, my one reading student has gotten his blog up and running. I think we still have some commenting issues, but we are working on them. He has chosen tor ead and write about poverty. If you would like to stop by and take a look and maybe comment, I'd appreciate it.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Learning from the best
If you haven't read Kathy's post Marketing should be education, education should be marketing, you should. She says:
If ever there were two groups who ought to trade places--and especially research -- it's teachers and marketers.
Teachers could learn a lot from marketers, They are really good at motivating people, at getting them to do something, Wouldn't we love to be able to do it as well in the classroom? As she says:
Marketers know what turns the brain on (currently, not last week). Teachers need that more than ever today....
Marketers know how to motivate someone almost instantly. Teachers could sure use that....Marketers know how to get--and keep--attention. I know some teachers who'd give a kidney for that research.
And, of course, we teachers have a great deal of knowledge that we can share, too.
Teachers know the importance of honesty and integrity. The good teachers care. ...
Teachers know how to help people think on a deeper level, to get beyond the surface level of understanding. In old-school advertising, only the most superficial attributes were used ("This product will make your neighbors envious!") Clearly, those days are dwindling.
Teachers help people think about thinking. In fear-based (or any emotion-based) marketing campaign (especially politics!), thinking was inhibited. But people can't learn and improve without thinking, so any marketing approach based on helping users get better needs to use emotions to enhance thinking, not prevent it.
Teachers know how to help people through the rough spots...
The real issue, of course, is the money at the disposal of marketers to allow them to know us so well. Education doesn't have that kind of money at its disposal.
But I think we, as teachers, can learn a lot without access to all that money. All we have to do is look around us and see where and how our students spend their time and money. Once we know that (and it isn't that difficult to discover!) we can begin to find ways to incorporate those things in our teaching and in our classrooms. Of course, it isn't quite that simple, but it isn't as hard as we might think it is. It requires that we truly want to reach our students and that we be willing to change the way we do things.
Because when it comes to learning about our students, we can learn more from them than we can from a marketer. And the process of trying to discover what it is that excites them and then trying to figure out how it can be incorporated into the classroom and into our pedagogical framework is a real adventure. The trip is fun in and of itself and the payoff is great.
Listening to and learning from our students is, indeed, learning from the best.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Change is hard.
Some people embrace change and others do not. And most of us, I guess, embrace it in some areas and not in others.
There have been a lot of changes at school technology-wise lately. For some of us it is easier than for others. One thing that I think is smart is that the tech guys are getting a few people on board with one or more of the different open source programs we are going to be using before springing them on everyone. It has been helpful, for instance, for me to be able to assure some of the office staff that they will be able to use OpenOffice without any problems, And someone else can tell us how convenient Zimbra is. There is a small group of "experts" who can take some of the pressure off the IT guys. But this is a stressful time for a lot of people.
The changes that are planned are good ones, I think. On both ethical and financial grounds I applaud the move to open source that has slowly been taking place on our campus. We've been using Moodle for over a year now, and we are running Linux servers. There is a long way to go still, and not everyone is as excited about it as I am, but I think this time next year few people will even remember what the fuss was all about.
There have been a lot of changes at school technology-wise lately. For some of us it is easier than for others. One thing that I think is smart is that the tech guys are getting a few people on board with one or more of the different open source programs we are going to be using before springing them on everyone. It has been helpful, for instance, for me to be able to assure some of the office staff that they will be able to use OpenOffice without any problems, And someone else can tell us how convenient Zimbra is. There is a small group of "experts" who can take some of the pressure off the IT guys. But this is a stressful time for a lot of people.
The changes that are planned are good ones, I think. On both ethical and financial grounds I applaud the move to open source that has slowly been taking place on our campus. We've been using Moodle for over a year now, and we are running Linux servers. There is a long way to go still, and not everyone is as excited about it as I am, but I think this time next year few people will even remember what the fuss was all about.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Let's define blogging - again
There has been a lot of discussion the past couple days about anonymity in blogging. There was the infamous Houston Chronicle article that referred to Bud Hunt and Vicki Davis as anonymous bloggers. Then there were posts on Bud's blog and a number of others. (I know you have seen them all!)
Then there is the post over at Assorted Stuff about blogging being a personality disorder. (If you haven't read the post, I should tell you that this isn't Tim's belief but rather that of someone who wrote a book about blogging.)
To me the issues are connected. What is blogging, really? I go back to old "definitions" by Will Richardson and Anne Davis. I believe blogging is more than writing online. It involves reflection and, usually at least, reading, as well as writing. Blogging is not journaling or venting. As Will says,
If we take Will's definition of blogging, then there seems to be no reason to blog anonymously. If I am writing about things that I don't want my name associated with, then I shouldn't be writing about them in a public forum. And I am probably not really blogging.
I know I am preaching to the choir here (assuming anyone is listening), but I needed to clarify this for myself again. And I needed to look at my blogs again to make sure I would not appear to be blogging anonymously. Because I am proud of most of what I have written over these last two years. I am not hiding from the real world in my blog but am trying to make sense of it in my own way. That, to me, is blogging.
Then there is the post over at Assorted Stuff about blogging being a personality disorder. (If you haven't read the post, I should tell you that this isn't Tim's belief but rather that of someone who wrote a book about blogging.)
To me the issues are connected. What is blogging, really? I go back to old "definitions" by Will Richardson and Anne Davis. I believe blogging is more than writing online. It involves reflection and, usually at least, reading, as well as writing. Blogging is not journaling or venting. As Will says,
Blogging is not just writing in a blog. I don't think journaling is blogging because it's, well, journaling. Blogging is much more than that. To me the process starts with reading what other people have written and editing that content for depth and relevance and accuracy. It's making connections about that content to other ideas to clarify what's important about it. It's adding personal reflection to give it context because only in knowing how the blogger experiences what she is writing about can I as a reader decide whether her ideas are worth my time. And, finally, it's linking back to that content so that the ideas can be traced to their genesis.
If we take Will's definition of blogging, then there seems to be no reason to blog anonymously. If I am writing about things that I don't want my name associated with, then I shouldn't be writing about them in a public forum. And I am probably not really blogging.
I know I am preaching to the choir here (assuming anyone is listening), but I needed to clarify this for myself again. And I needed to look at my blogs again to make sure I would not appear to be blogging anonymously. Because I am proud of most of what I have written over these last two years. I am not hiding from the real world in my blog but am trying to make sense of it in my own way. That, to me, is blogging.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Is it working?
In reading through some old posts I had clipped but not done anything with, I ran across this one from blogessor about what we mean when we say something works. This is something that I have been thinking about a lot lately.
I have put a ton of work into developing my courses this semester. I am having students blog and we are using a wiki and reading and writing a lot in both my reading and writing classes. Now, a week into the semester, I would have to say that these things don't seem to be working the way I wish they were. My student (Yes, at the moment, ther is only one in each of thse classes. Of course, at the moment there is only one in the whole ESL program, but that is another story for another day.) isn't embracing the tools as I had hoped he would. He has blogged on a class blog before, so this isn't an entirely new experience for him. He has done webquests before, which is basically what we are starting with on the wiki. So what is the problem? Why isn't he more excited?
I don't think we can decide whether or not something works based on students' initial response to it. But I wonder sometimes how long we continue an activity before we decide it isn't working. If I wait all semester to give this student a chance to really try out the wiki and personal blogging and he never "gets" it, am I doing him a disservice?
The worst thing about having real small classes is that there is no momentum built. If this student doesn't immediately buy into the blog and the wiki, there is no one to pull hm along into it, to serve as an example, to build enthusiasm for it.
And I will admit, it seems a little odd to be using these social tools in a situation where there is no built-in audience. What is the purpose of doing this online rather than on paper? I know that my purpose is structuring the course this way was to increase my students' computer literacy and to generate a different energy in the class by doing something different. The computer literacy goal is still valid, and my student will improve his ability to use a computer and to function online. But the energy thing is going to be harder to achieve.
Obviously, I will have to wait until the end of the semester to really evaluate all this. But I can't help asking myself on an almost daily basis whether or not it is really working.
I have put a ton of work into developing my courses this semester. I am having students blog and we are using a wiki and reading and writing a lot in both my reading and writing classes. Now, a week into the semester, I would have to say that these things don't seem to be working the way I wish they were. My student (Yes, at the moment, ther is only one in each of thse classes. Of course, at the moment there is only one in the whole ESL program, but that is another story for another day.) isn't embracing the tools as I had hoped he would. He has blogged on a class blog before, so this isn't an entirely new experience for him. He has done webquests before, which is basically what we are starting with on the wiki. So what is the problem? Why isn't he more excited?
I don't think we can decide whether or not something works based on students' initial response to it. But I wonder sometimes how long we continue an activity before we decide it isn't working. If I wait all semester to give this student a chance to really try out the wiki and personal blogging and he never "gets" it, am I doing him a disservice?
The worst thing about having real small classes is that there is no momentum built. If this student doesn't immediately buy into the blog and the wiki, there is no one to pull hm along into it, to serve as an example, to build enthusiasm for it.
And I will admit, it seems a little odd to be using these social tools in a situation where there is no built-in audience. What is the purpose of doing this online rather than on paper? I know that my purpose is structuring the course this way was to increase my students' computer literacy and to generate a different energy in the class by doing something different. The computer literacy goal is still valid, and my student will improve his ability to use a computer and to function online. But the energy thing is going to be harder to achieve.
Obviously, I will have to wait until the end of the semester to really evaluate all this. But I can't help asking myself on an almost daily basis whether or not it is really working.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Blogging Birthdays
Bud's post on his blog's second birthday got me thinking about this blog. When I went and looked back, I discovered that I actually have just (by 2 days!) started my third year of Random Thoughts. It doesn't seem possible! In some ways, I don't remember not blogging, and in others it seems like just yesterday that I was trying to figure it all out, trying to believe that I had something to say.
In some ways I feel like the parent who can't wait for their first child to walk and talk and then spends a number of years not being so sure it was a good thing after all! I keep writing, keep finding things to say -- not that they are always profound or even interesting, but I keep finding words to put out there. Sorry for inflicting some of these past two years on you. Thank you all for stopping by from time to time to take a look.
In some ways I feel like the parent who can't wait for their first child to walk and talk and then spends a number of years not being so sure it was a good thing after all! I keep writing, keep finding things to say -- not that they are always profound or even interesting, but I keep finding words to put out there. Sorry for inflicting some of these past two years on you. Thank you all for stopping by from time to time to take a look.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
I made my husband cry
My husband, who has been running Ubuntu on a computer we bought as a closeout in 2001, had been complaining that he needed a new computer. I finally decided that we needed to do more than talk about it, so I got him one for his birthday tomorrow. I got him an Acer Power1000 desktop. It is tiny, fast and runs Ubuntu 6.10 like a champ.
But then yesterday I saw Miguel's post about the Linutop. I showed it to my husband, and he cried! It is smaller and certainly does everything he wants. We can't wait to see how much it is going to sell for!
By the way, I got a new Acer 5102 laptop that is now running Linux as well. Acer is selling units with Linux on them overseas, I heard. They may be my new brand of choice. (My son has an Acer laptop, too. He isn't careful with it, and it seems to be doing great. He runs Windows, of course.)
But then yesterday I saw Miguel's post about the Linutop. I showed it to my husband, and he cried! It is smaller and certainly does everything he wants. We can't wait to see how much it is going to sell for!
By the way, I got a new Acer 5102 laptop that is now running Linux as well. Acer is selling units with Linux on them overseas, I heard. They may be my new brand of choice. (My son has an Acer laptop, too. He isn't careful with it, and it seems to be doing great. He runs Windows, of course.)
Friday, January 19, 2007
Apologies
Well, another EVO session is upon us, and I am in one called "Webpublishing in Open Participatory Environments". Of course, it involved setting up another blog, so I there now trying to get it going.
I wasn't real happy about starting another blog, but I think it will be OK. If I were more organized, I would try to separate the posts out in some way -- posting certain kinds of things on one and other oens on the other. Actually, I already do that -- or am trying to --posting tech stuff to my blog Using Technology at School.
For the time being, though, I will be writing in both places, so if you are interested in checking the other blog out, it is called Moving Along.
By the way, the new one is on wordpress.com/. So far I really like it!
I wasn't real happy about starting another blog, but I think it will be OK. If I were more organized, I would try to separate the posts out in some way -- posting certain kinds of things on one and other oens on the other. Actually, I already do that -- or am trying to --posting tech stuff to my blog Using Technology at School.
For the time being, though, I will be writing in both places, so if you are interested in checking the other blog out, it is called Moving Along.
By the way, the new one is on wordpress.com/. So far I really like it!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Cluster Maps
After Miguel's post about Cluster Maps, I decided that it was time to add one to my blog. I know, I am really late to do this! But I never saw a need before. What made me decide to do it is thinking about having my students set up blogs next week. If I want them to be excited about blogging, I have to let them see that their blogs have an audience outside of St. Benedict, LA. So I will have them add maps to theirs -- and hope that some of you will stop by from tme to time to encourage them.
I'll let you know when they are up and running.
I'll let you know when they are up and running.
Transition complete!
Well, today for the first time I was "allowed" to move my blog to the new Blogger. Because I am a member of a group blog, I hadn't been able to move over yet. I am not sure if/how this will really impact me, but it is interesting. Let's see if it makes me a better blogger!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Getting my students blogging again
2 points – link, thoughtful response
1 point – link, poor response OR thoughtful response and no link
0 points – no post
30 points - Explanation shows evidence of thought . Grammar and spelling mistakes are minimal. Links all work.25 points – Elements are all there, but one of them is weak.
20 points – Lacks one of the elements required for 30 points.
15 points – One element is missing and one element is weak.
10 points – Lacks two of the elements required for 30 points.
5 points - Two elements are missing and the other one is weak.
The "Best Posts" post is intended to help them make some sense of tying it all together. Also, I wanted to make blogging valuable enough grade-wise that they would be "inspired" to do it.
I am also giving extra credit for responding to comments on their blogs. I wold like to give credit for commenting on blogs of others outside our class, but I am not sure how to do that. Guess I will leave it for another time. If I actually get this going the way I want it to go, I will be real happy!
The Best Posts idea is one I got from Dennis Jerz . I commented on his rubric a couple years ago and revisited it yesterday. I wrote about it back in 2005. At the time I thought the rubric was too specific, but I have come to see that my students want to know exactly what I am looking for - specially in an online environment where they are not as sure of themselves yet.
I'm excited! Now if I can only get my students excited about it!
Blogged with Flock
Friday, January 05, 2007
Why my students should blog
I have been going back and forth on the question of whether or not I want my students to blog. I had decided that I would have them blog this coming semester but as my new course plans developed, I saw lots of wikis and not much of blogs on the horizon. So I was interested to read Ewan's post today. He refers to Dave Winer's view that blogs are about finding your voice. And that statement, while so very obvious, makes all the difference in my mind. When I look at blogs that way, I know that my students should blog. So once again, I make the commitment to myself to use blogs in my classes this semester because they can do something that the wiki assignments I am so carefully preparing cannot: they can help my students find and strengthen their own voices.
As a writing teacher, I know the value of finding your voice. I have had my students journal for a long time. But somehow or other I hadn't made the switch to having them blog for the same reason. My blogging assignments had been more just that -- assignments. Students didn't necessarily buy into them. I think I need to work more on this.
What comes to mind right now as I am writing this is that I need to start having my reading students blog. I can set them up with a Bloglines account to follow blogs on topics that they are interested in. They can read and report on news articles or basically anything else they want to. This is something that will encourage them to read in English, so it ties into my course goals. The students in that class are the ones who blogged last spring with some degree of success, so the idea will not be totally new to them.
The next problem, of course, is how to evaluate their blogging. I really don't want to evaluate it. I could do a simple post count and give points that way. I guess I need to think about this part of it more.
As a writing teacher, I know the value of finding your voice. I have had my students journal for a long time. But somehow or other I hadn't made the switch to having them blog for the same reason. My blogging assignments had been more just that -- assignments. Students didn't necessarily buy into them. I think I need to work more on this.
What comes to mind right now as I am writing this is that I need to start having my reading students blog. I can set them up with a Bloglines account to follow blogs on topics that they are interested in. They can read and report on news articles or basically anything else they want to. This is something that will encourage them to read in English, so it ties into my course goals. The students in that class are the ones who blogged last spring with some degree of success, so the idea will not be totally new to them.
The next problem, of course, is how to evaluate their blogging. I really don't want to evaluate it. I could do a simple post count and give points that way. I guess I need to think about this part of it more.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Flock
D'Arcy is trying out Flock again, so I thought I would, too. It installed really easily and seems to be pretty nice. I wonder if I will use its social features, though. I am going to try it out for awhile and see. If any of you use Flock and would like to share your experiences with it, I would love to read your thoughts.
Just a reminder...
TESOL Electronic Village Online 2007 is now open for registration. Topics include Digital Gaming and Language Learning, ESL/EFL Student Video Production, and Web Publishing in Open
Participatory Environments
You can get more information and register by going to http://evo07sessions.pbwiki.com/.
Hope to see some of you there!
Participatory Environments
You can get more information and register by going to http://evo07sessions.pbwiki.com/.
Hope to see some of you there!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Bet you didn't know...
Jo tagged me (the first time I have ever been tagged!!! Thanks, Jo!), so here I am to tell you five things you may not know about me.
1. Day after tomorrow my husband and I will be celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary! He got to pick the date and thought New Years Eve was one he would remember. * See note below.
2. Until coming to Louisiana in 2001, I had not lived more than 2 years at a time in the same place since I got married in 1971. We have lived in Illinois (several times), Wisconsin, Missouri and South Carolina in the USA. We have also lived in El Salvador, Mexico (twice), Honduras, China, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guyana.
3. Until I was 30 years old, I was so shy I couldn't talk to anyone without a great deal of agony. I am still pretty quiet and don't enjoy parties or large groups. I also hate talking on the telephone.
4. I have a totally different personality in Spanish than I do in English. I much prefer myself in Spanish.
5. I have been a Baha'i since 1971. I accepted the Faith the first time I heard about it.
I can't imagine that any of this is really of much interest to anyone, but now you know.
And now I would like to tag Angie, and Lesley. Is there anyone left who hasn't already been tagged? If so, consider yourself tagged! You're it!
* Update: Well, I guess you know you have been married a long time when you don't even remember how long it has been. Actually, this will only be our 35th anniversary.
1. Day after tomorrow my husband and I will be celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary! He got to pick the date and thought New Years Eve was one he would remember. * See note below.
2. Until coming to Louisiana in 2001, I had not lived more than 2 years at a time in the same place since I got married in 1971. We have lived in Illinois (several times), Wisconsin, Missouri and South Carolina in the USA. We have also lived in El Salvador, Mexico (twice), Honduras, China, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guyana.
3. Until I was 30 years old, I was so shy I couldn't talk to anyone without a great deal of agony. I am still pretty quiet and don't enjoy parties or large groups. I also hate talking on the telephone.
4. I have a totally different personality in Spanish than I do in English. I much prefer myself in Spanish.
5. I have been a Baha'i since 1971. I accepted the Faith the first time I heard about it.
I can't imagine that any of this is really of much interest to anyone, but now you know.
And now I would like to tag Angie, and Lesley. Is there anyone left who hasn't already been tagged? If so, consider yourself tagged! You're it!
* Update: Well, I guess you know you have been married a long time when you don't even remember how long it has been. Actually, this will only be our 35th anniversary.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
E-portfolios and an online presence
Graham has an interesting post over at Teaching Generation Z talking about helping some colleagues develop e-portfolios. He talks about the purpose of e-portfolios and wonders if many teachers would see a need for an e-portfolio. Then he says
I have an e-portfolio of sorts that I started almost 2 years ago. I have tried to keep it up -- at least in terms of conference presentations and such. I was actually working on it yesterday. I am not really looking for another job, but I wanted to have a portfolio as a repository of documents and information for whatever purpose might come along. I am using Blogger for this because that is what I knew about at the time. But now I am thinking that there would be many better places to house this portfolio. Guess I have to start looking at some of them.
But Graham's question is what really intrigues me. How do we get teachers to develop an online presence? Obviously, there has to be a perceived need. In my institution, there are not many people who embrace technology and even fewer who embrace the Read-Write Web. Why would they want an online presence? What would they gain from it?
I really don't know that we can get teachers to develop an online presence. I have seen websites of teachers who were required to have them, and it was obvious that the teachers didn't embrace the idea at all. It was just another hoop they jumped through. What we can do, I think, is make our own online presences so much a part of our lives that people become curious. Then, when they have some level of interest, we can show them why we have an online presence, what we et out of it. Then, I guess, they either get it or they don't. If they do, we can offer to help them. If they don't, we just move on.
And I guess another question is whether or not all teachers should have an online presence. My answer to that question would be, "YES!!!" But why? I am not sure. What I get from my online presence is intangible. I can't really explain it. Would everyone get the same things I do from it? Probably not. But what would they get out of it? What do you get out of your online presence?
Rather than worrying about whether teachers will get into e-portfolios or not, the question should be more along the lines of “How do we get teachers developing an online presence?” To me, that seems to be the genuine starting point for some many classroom teachers who need to make the mental shift from using the internet as a read-only resource to the benefits of the Read/Write web.
I have an e-portfolio of sorts that I started almost 2 years ago. I have tried to keep it up -- at least in terms of conference presentations and such. I was actually working on it yesterday. I am not really looking for another job, but I wanted to have a portfolio as a repository of documents and information for whatever purpose might come along. I am using Blogger for this because that is what I knew about at the time. But now I am thinking that there would be many better places to house this portfolio. Guess I have to start looking at some of them.
But Graham's question is what really intrigues me. How do we get teachers to develop an online presence? Obviously, there has to be a perceived need. In my institution, there are not many people who embrace technology and even fewer who embrace the Read-Write Web. Why would they want an online presence? What would they gain from it?
I really don't know that we can get teachers to develop an online presence. I have seen websites of teachers who were required to have them, and it was obvious that the teachers didn't embrace the idea at all. It was just another hoop they jumped through. What we can do, I think, is make our own online presences so much a part of our lives that people become curious. Then, when they have some level of interest, we can show them why we have an online presence, what we et out of it. Then, I guess, they either get it or they don't. If they do, we can offer to help them. If they don't, we just move on.
And I guess another question is whether or not all teachers should have an online presence. My answer to that question would be, "YES!!!" But why? I am not sure. What I get from my online presence is intangible. I can't really explain it. Would everyone get the same things I do from it? Probably not. But what would they get out of it? What do you get out of your online presence?
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Student Opinions of Teaching
I got my copies of my students' opinions of my classes. Since I have such small classes, one disgruntled student can really throw off the numbers. And this semester, apparently, I had a very disgruntled student. What really bothers me about this is that he never said anything to me. He never indicated there was a problem, and I never picked up on it in class.
Once I got past my initial knee-jerk defensive reactions, though, I realized that this explained something that had been worrying me. One of my students basically did nothing at the end of the semester. Up until then, and in previous semesters, he had been an extremely conscientious student. I was really concerned by his apparent lack of concern this time around, and I was worried that there was something wrong that I didn't know about. Turned out I was right, but at least now I know. Or at least I think I know.
And yes, since I am sure you are wondering, the opinions are submitted anonymously and I only receive summaries of the numerical part and typed versions of their comments. As I said, though, I have very small classes!
Once I got past my initial knee-jerk defensive reactions, though, I realized that this explained something that had been worrying me. One of my students basically did nothing at the end of the semester. Up until then, and in previous semesters, he had been an extremely conscientious student. I was really concerned by his apparent lack of concern this time around, and I was worried that there was something wrong that I didn't know about. Turned out I was right, but at least now I know. Or at least I think I know.
And yes, since I am sure you are wondering, the opinions are submitted anonymously and I only receive summaries of the numerical part and typed versions of their comments. As I said, though, I have very small classes!
Friday, December 22, 2006
Made it back
Well, I'm back. The trip was great. There were 90 students graduating with my daughter from Cal West. It was a nice ceremony. The mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders, and his wife, Rona Sampson, spoke at commencement. We had a few nice days there with our daughter and son-in-law and his family.
Then the adventure began. We flew Tuesday morning to Albuquerque. We took Frontier to Denver and then a second Frontier flight to... El Paso. After we took off from Denver, we flew to Albuquerque and circled for about half an hour while they tried to decide whether or not the airport was going to be able to open. They talked of flying us back to Denver but finally opted to fly to El Paso. We stayed on the plane there for over an hour while they tried to decide what to do. Eventually they gave us 2 options -- return to Denver or take a bus to Albuquerque. We opted for the bus or we might still be in Denver!
We had a great visit with our daughter and her family in Albuquerque. It was my first trip there, and I have to admit I really liked what I saw of the city.
At any rate... I'm back. Time to catch up my reading so I can have something to write about!
Then the adventure began. We flew Tuesday morning to Albuquerque. We took Frontier to Denver and then a second Frontier flight to... El Paso. After we took off from Denver, we flew to Albuquerque and circled for about half an hour while they tried to decide whether or not the airport was going to be able to open. They talked of flying us back to Denver but finally opted to fly to El Paso. We stayed on the plane there for over an hour while they tried to decide what to do. Eventually they gave us 2 options -- return to Denver or take a bus to Albuquerque. We opted for the bus or we might still be in Denver!
We had a great visit with our daughter and her family in Albuquerque. It was my first trip there, and I have to admit I really liked what I saw of the city.
At any rate... I'm back. Time to catch up my reading so I can have something to write about!
Friday, December 15, 2006
I'll be away for a few days.
Not that my posts have been so frequent that a few days' absence would be shocking to anyone, but I thought I would just officially announce that I won't be around for the next week probably. We are off to San Diego to see a daughter graduate from California Western School of Law. Then it is on to Albuquerque to see the other daughter and her family. It will be a busy week, but I am looking forward to it.
See you all when I get back!
See you all when I get back!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Great Learning Opportunity for Teachers
TESOL's CALL interest section is once again hosting its Electronic Village Online (EVO) in January and February. Registration runs Jan 1-14, and the sessions start Jan 15. This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in technology and education to learn a lot. There is no cost, and it is open to anyone who is interested. More information about the different sessions, go to the EVO 2007 wiki.
EVO 2005 was how I got started with blogging and how I learned about Moodle. EVO 2006 helped me produce a couple pretty good WebQuests for my students. I think I'll be looking at gaming and more online publishing this time around.
Anyway, I hope to see some of you there.
EVO 2005 was how I got started with blogging and how I learned about Moodle. EVO 2006 helped me produce a couple pretty good WebQuests for my students. I think I'll be looking at gaming and more online publishing this time around.
Anyway, I hope to see some of you there.
Friday, December 08, 2006
To print or not to print...
Will wrote about not owning a printer, and I had to think about my own printing habits. I still own a printer, but it hasn't really worked for several months. Well, it works, but the paper won't feed from the tray and it jams up a lot when it feeds from the manual tray. Oh, I forgot to say it is an old HP 4Plus. It is a wonderful printer that has served us well for years and years. And it still works -- sort of. I have a printer at work that I don't use much anymore, either. I just don't print much at all.
I post assignments to Moodle, and my students upload them there. I almost never print their assignments out. The only time I print them is when they are giving me a draft of a long research paper.
Even my assignments for the class I took this semester weren't printed out except for my 23-page final paper. I didn't print out the journal articles I used in the writing of the paper, either.
I hadn't really thought about how little I print until I read Will's post. I'm not really sure when this change in my printing habits took place, but it has been a while, I guess.
I wonder when I'll actually get rid of the printer and free up a lot of desk space?
I post assignments to Moodle, and my students upload them there. I almost never print their assignments out. The only time I print them is when they are giving me a draft of a long research paper.
Even my assignments for the class I took this semester weren't printed out except for my 23-page final paper. I didn't print out the journal articles I used in the writing of the paper, either.
I hadn't really thought about how little I print until I read Will's post. I'm not really sure when this change in my printing habits took place, but it has been a while, I guess.
I wonder when I'll actually get rid of the printer and free up a lot of desk space?
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Learning from Technology
Will makes the comment:
I use technology a fair amount in my classes. We use Moodle; we access the internet and do different kinds of activities; we make presentations using PowerPoint or Movie Maker. We have blogged and will again. We listen to audio online. But all that begs the question, "So what?"
As a teacher, I know that I have learned a great deal from technology. My blog and the blogs of others, as I have said before, provide me with some of the best professional development I have ever had. In using Moodle, I have had to think a lot about teaching and learning. I have struggled with deciding what should be done online and what should be done face to face in the classroom. I have reflected on my own teaching and on teaching and learning in general.
But I must also ask the question with regard to my students. What have they learned? Have they captured the spirit of the technological endeavors? Sometimes I think they have, but other times I think it is just something they go through the motions on -- like an interactive worksheet of some kind.
I took an online course this past semester, my second. This one was great; there was lots of good discussion and lots of opportunities for us to learn from each other. Do I provide that those kinds of opportunities for my students? If I provide the opportunities, do my students recognize and take advantage of them?
I still have a lot to think about and a lot to learn.
We have to stop focusing on what teachers are doing with technology and start focusing on how they are learning with it.I had to think about it for awhile, but I think I understand what he is saying: Using technology isn't enough. It isn't.
I use technology a fair amount in my classes. We use Moodle; we access the internet and do different kinds of activities; we make presentations using PowerPoint or Movie Maker. We have blogged and will again. We listen to audio online. But all that begs the question, "So what?"
As a teacher, I know that I have learned a great deal from technology. My blog and the blogs of others, as I have said before, provide me with some of the best professional development I have ever had. In using Moodle, I have had to think a lot about teaching and learning. I have struggled with deciding what should be done online and what should be done face to face in the classroom. I have reflected on my own teaching and on teaching and learning in general.
But I must also ask the question with regard to my students. What have they learned? Have they captured the spirit of the technological endeavors? Sometimes I think they have, but other times I think it is just something they go through the motions on -- like an interactive worksheet of some kind.
I took an online course this past semester, my second. This one was great; there was lots of good discussion and lots of opportunities for us to learn from each other. Do I provide that those kinds of opportunities for my students? If I provide the opportunities, do my students recognize and take advantage of them?
I still have a lot to think about and a lot to learn.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Life begins at ...
I was reading over an old post at Creating Passionate Users and ran across this quote from Doc Searls:
Another big milestone for me was 30. The change then was more personal and private but even more amazing. I literally became a different person. (I like to think a better one, too.)
Life is about change. It doesn't have to stop. It shouldn't stop. If we're lucky and work hard, the change can be positive growth rather than just getting older. It is exciting to think about what the future may hold. I wonder what I will learn once I am 60, 70 and beyond. Life doesn't begin at any particular age; it begins again each day. As Kathy said in her post,
"Nearly all of what I'm known for I've done since I was fifty."Being past the 50 mark myself, I had to stop to think whether or not I could say the same. Not that I would even dream of putting myself in the same category as Doc, but I think that the same is pretty well true of me. In the last 6 years I have changed tremendously, grown tremendously. I have done things I would never have imagined I could / would do.
Another big milestone for me was 30. The change then was more personal and private but even more amazing. I literally became a different person. (I like to think a better one, too.)
Life is about change. It doesn't have to stop. It shouldn't stop. If we're lucky and work hard, the change can be positive growth rather than just getting older. It is exciting to think about what the future may hold. I wonder what I will learn once I am 60, 70 and beyond. Life doesn't begin at any particular age; it begins again each day. As Kathy said in her post,
It's never too late to be creative. It's never too late to make a difference. ... And remember the quote from the 90-something woman who, when asked about her regrets said, "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken up the violin at 60. I'd have been playing for almost 40 years by now..."
Monday, November 20, 2006
My students and technology
My friend Angie commented on my last post, and I started to comment on her comment. Then I decided that I was writing enough to warrant a whole post.
My students usually have very limited understanding of technology. Part of what I do is teach them how to create PowerPoints, how to use library databases, etc. I take this part of my job very seriously. We are using Moodle this year to do hybrid or blended classes because it is important that they learn how to do more with computers than email and games. I feel good about the fact that my students leave me with the computer skills and experience they need to succeed in their other classes.
I try to give my students options; tomorrow one student will be showing us a movie he made. But another is creating his first PowerPoint. I encourage them to stretch themselves and their technological expertise. And they never cease to amaze me.
Angie talks about consulting the students about how to achieve the goals of the class . That is something I don't do enough of. I would like to try to change that this next semester. My students, even though they are adults, are not used to making any decisions or having any real input into their education. This sometimes makes it difficult for them to think about it deeply. And that is my biggest frustration. I have been doing a lot of "writing as thinking" with them this semester in an attempt to get them to go a little deeper, but it has not been tremendously successful. That does not mean, though, that I should give up on it.
I would like to get them excited about writing, and I think technology could help us do that. But not if the basic assignments are not exciting. I would like to experiment with having them produce alternatives to the research paper, for instance. Maybe a wiki. Maybe a blog. Maybe webtexts that are written for the Internet rather than print. The important thing is that the students learn how to do the research, how to think critically about the information they find, and how to write about it. The format doesn't matter. Could I offer a variety of options? Could each student do something different? Why not? I am the only thing keeping us from doing it that way. Am I up to it? Why not?
My students usually have very limited understanding of technology. Part of what I do is teach them how to create PowerPoints, how to use library databases, etc. I take this part of my job very seriously. We are using Moodle this year to do hybrid or blended classes because it is important that they learn how to do more with computers than email and games. I feel good about the fact that my students leave me with the computer skills and experience they need to succeed in their other classes.
I try to give my students options; tomorrow one student will be showing us a movie he made. But another is creating his first PowerPoint. I encourage them to stretch themselves and their technological expertise. And they never cease to amaze me.
Angie talks about consulting the students about how to achieve the goals of the class . That is something I don't do enough of. I would like to try to change that this next semester. My students, even though they are adults, are not used to making any decisions or having any real input into their education. This sometimes makes it difficult for them to think about it deeply. And that is my biggest frustration. I have been doing a lot of "writing as thinking" with them this semester in an attempt to get them to go a little deeper, but it has not been tremendously successful. That does not mean, though, that I should give up on it.
I would like to get them excited about writing, and I think technology could help us do that. But not if the basic assignments are not exciting. I would like to experiment with having them produce alternatives to the research paper, for instance. Maybe a wiki. Maybe a blog. Maybe webtexts that are written for the Internet rather than print. The important thing is that the students learn how to do the research, how to think critically about the information they find, and how to write about it. The format doesn't matter. Could I offer a variety of options? Could each student do something different? Why not? I am the only thing keeping us from doing it that way. Am I up to it? Why not?
Sunday, November 19, 2006
No, I guess we still don't get it.
Clarence has once again pointed out just how little we get it. He says, in part:
At any rate, I am thinking again about the next semester. What can I do differently? Not for entertainment value but for learning. Not old things in new guises.
If you haven't read his post, check it out.
First of all, we still don't get it. We are still trying to appropriate the literacy practices of youth culture, and co-opt them for our own means. We use hip - hop to teach grammar. We use blogs to nitpick the ultra fine points of novels and to teach grammar. We don't honour the literacy practices of the people in our classrooms for what they are. To many teachers, they are not legitimate on their own. ...The more I think about my use of new technologies, the less sure I am of myself. I don't want to do the same old thing in new ways. We need to truly revolutionize education to meet the needs of our students today. But how? It is hard for me to think so far out of the box. But at the same time, as an older experienced teacher, I can be creative, take chances.Second, we still crave control. We are willing to give kids the experience of blogging, if they are responding to a list of prompts. We are willing to use video if the videos are a series of X number of shots, each lasting no longer then X number of seconds. ... Are we still doing old things in new ways? 5 paragraph essays in video form?
At any rate, I am thinking again about the next semester. What can I do differently? Not for entertainment value but for learning. Not old things in new guises.
If you haven't read his post, check it out.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Blogging next semester
I've been thinking about next semester and have decided to try blogging again with my writing students. I plan to have students write their early drafts of papers and post them to Moodle and then, when they are satisfied with them, they will post them to the blog.
When I do that, I know that I have to build an audience for them. Since I will probably only have two students in that class, we almost can't be our own audience! If there is no audience and there are no comments, there is no reason to blog. I guess I will make an appeal to anyone who happens by here to go there (wherever 'there" is) to read my students' blogs.
So be prepared to be invited and encouraged to comment on my students' posts next semester. Don't say you weren't warned!
When I do that, I know that I have to build an audience for them. Since I will probably only have two students in that class, we almost can't be our own audience! If there is no audience and there are no comments, there is no reason to blog. I guess I will make an appeal to anyone who happens by here to go there (wherever 'there" is) to read my students' blogs.
So be prepared to be invited and encouraged to comment on my students' posts next semester. Don't say you weren't warned!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Adult Literacy Education Wiki
For more than I year now I have known about the Adult Literacy Education Wiki, but it was only recently as I have gotten to be more comfortable with wikis that I have taken a real interest in it.
The wiki is a great resource for anyone in the US or probably Canada (and maybe other countries as well) who is interested in literacy at almost any level. The wiki is divided into a number of topic areas including Basic Literacy, Classroom Practices that Work, Professional Development, Technology and Young Adult Literacy.
I am currently the topic leader for the ESOL area. I am not sure yet exactly what that means, but I guess I will find out.
I would encourage any of you who are interested in literacy in any way to check this wiki out. It is filled with good information.
The wiki is a great resource for anyone in the US or probably Canada (and maybe other countries as well) who is interested in literacy at almost any level. The wiki is divided into a number of topic areas including Basic Literacy, Classroom Practices that Work, Professional Development, Technology and Young Adult Literacy.
I am currently the topic leader for the ESOL area. I am not sure yet exactly what that means, but I guess I will find out.
I would encourage any of you who are interested in literacy in any way to check this wiki out. It is filled with good information.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Another presentation fraught with problems
Yesterday I made a presentation at the LaTESOL conference in Baton Rouge, LA. I wanted to show the participants some of the cool tools that are available online. It started off well. I had set up a wiki with links to a lot of things and wanted us to look at the ones they were most interested in. I could access the wiki fine, but we were unable to access all the sites. It wasn't that they were blocked -- just a connection problem of some sort.
We talked about many of the tools and I was able to answer many of their questions even though I wasn't able to actually show them the tools. So on the whole, I was pretty content. I felt a little stupid every time a new site didn't open, but they seemed to take it in stride.
It is so much nicer to do an internet based presentation than a typical "slide show". But when they don't work, it is a problem. I had most of the presentation in an OpenOffice Presentation, but I didn't want to do it that way. I couldn't have individualized the program nearly as well. But I have to think about how I an do this in the future. I don't want another technology problem in a presentation on technology -- It's hard to win converts that way!
We talked about many of the tools and I was able to answer many of their questions even though I wasn't able to actually show them the tools. So on the whole, I was pretty content. I felt a little stupid every time a new site didn't open, but they seemed to take it in stride.
It is so much nicer to do an internet based presentation than a typical "slide show". But when they don't work, it is a problem. I had most of the presentation in an OpenOffice Presentation, but I didn't want to do it that way. I couldn't have individualized the program nearly as well. But I have to think about how I an do this in the future. I don't want another technology problem in a presentation on technology -- It's hard to win converts that way!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
JotSpot
A year or so ago Bud got me interested in JotSpot, a wiki site. I started a wiki there but never really did much with it. Now I probably never will. Google has just acquired it to add to its "stable". As they did with Writely, you cannot get a new account there until the migration to Google's system is complete. You can, however, sign up to be put on the waiting list here. If you want to, that is.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Google Docs
Joanna asked what I thought of Google Docs. I have to admit that I really find it hard to make myself use it. I have always disliked the big Microsoft conglomeration of tools that can be accessed through one simple log-in. I feel the same way about Google. I am not convinced that I wan't them controlling my online life any more than I wanted Microsoft to do it.
I am planning to really look seriously at ZohoWriter and ThinkFree and any other smaller word processors I can find before I try to sue one with my students. It seems like there are new tools out there on an almost daily basis.
The only problem is that all these little companies are hoping to go the route of Writely and be gobbled up by some big company someday. I don't think you can pick one of these and expect to use them forever. I guess you might have to be happy if you can make it through to the end of the semester before you have to look for a replacement.
I am planning to really look seriously at ZohoWriter and ThinkFree and any other smaller word processors I can find before I try to sue one with my students. It seems like there are new tools out there on an almost daily basis.
The only problem is that all these little companies are hoping to go the route of Writely and be gobbled up by some big company someday. I don't think you can pick one of these and expect to use them forever. I guess you might have to be happy if you can make it through to the end of the semester before you have to look for a replacement.
My presentation
Well, I went to the conference prepared for anything -- and it was a good idea. We couldn't find a computer lab that we could actually use, so I was either going to borrow a LCD projector or just going to have people gather around my laptop to see the presentation that is below. It ended up, though, that we found a lab we could use and we worked from this outline. We didn't get through all of it, of course, but I tried to address their main concerns, which seemed to center around publishing student work. All in all, it went well.
Friday, October 20, 2006
I can't keep up!
Things are changing so fast that I officially can't keep up! I was preparing a presentation for tomorrow on technology and writing for the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project. We weren't sure if I would be doing it in a computer lab where the participants would sit at their own computers and follow along as I did things or if I would need to do it as a PowerPoint presentation, so I prepared a PowerPoint to use in case I don't have Internet access.
I got it all done -- and then Writely officially became Google Docs. So I updated the URLs and made other little changes.
Then I heard that I will probably have Internet access, so I had to figure out the best way to cover all the same ground as I had in my PowerPoint (actually, OpenOffice Impress) presentation. I decided the easiest way would probably to put it all in a wiki. So I finally sat down and more or less figured out how to work with wikis. So now I have the links and everything there.
Then I read some posts to a literacy list I subscribe to, and I heard about Quick Topic, which allows you to add a discussion board to a website. So I set one up for the presentation to allow participants to introduce themselves and express their questions and interests. So if, as it now looks, each participant will have access to a computer, they will be able to post their introduction and tell what they hope to get from the presentation. After reading these, I will be able to shape the direction of the presentation. Of course, if no one expresses interest in or curiosity about anything, I can always go back to the prepared information.
I am almost afraid to check my Bloglines account again until after tomorrow morning because I don't want to get any more great ideas for my presentation! But I can't believe how much I have learned this week as I seriously began to put all this together!
I got it all done -- and then Writely officially became Google Docs. So I updated the URLs and made other little changes.
Then I heard that I will probably have Internet access, so I had to figure out the best way to cover all the same ground as I had in my PowerPoint (actually, OpenOffice Impress) presentation. I decided the easiest way would probably to put it all in a wiki. So I finally sat down and more or less figured out how to work with wikis. So now I have the links and everything there.
Then I read some posts to a literacy list I subscribe to, and I heard about Quick Topic, which allows you to add a discussion board to a website. So I set one up for the presentation to allow participants to introduce themselves and express their questions and interests. So if, as it now looks, each participant will have access to a computer, they will be able to post their introduction and tell what they hope to get from the presentation. After reading these, I will be able to shape the direction of the presentation. Of course, if no one expresses interest in or curiosity about anything, I can always go back to the prepared information.
I am almost afraid to check my Bloglines account again until after tomorrow morning because I don't want to get any more great ideas for my presentation! But I can't believe how much I have learned this week as I seriously began to put all this together!
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
A good question
Nathan posted a great comment on my previous post and asked a good question:
Any thoughts?
If we take away the "because it's convenient for the teacher" criterion, what else -- besides blog-or-not -- goes up for negotiation?
Any thoughts?
Monday, October 09, 2006
Rethinking blogging... again
Joanna posted a response to my reflection on the semester that got me thinking. She said that she had decided not to blog with her students now since there are so many other options out there, like Writely.
I wonder if there isn't some wisdom in that. Blogging is, at its best anyway, a personal endeavor as the result of a personal commitment. Who was is it a year or so ago who said that blogging shouldn't be something students had to do but rather something they did because they wanted to? Is that true?
I wonder what it would be like, if it would be possible to offer students a variety of outlets for their work and let them choose the one(s) they wanted to use. If a student wanted to blog, he could. If he only wanted to post inside Moodle, he could. If another wanted to use Writely, she could. Would there be any value in that? I know it would be a nightmare to try to evaluate student work if it were spread over too many different repositories - unless you have as few students as I do. But would there be value in allowing students that kind of freedom?
I wonder if there isn't some wisdom in that. Blogging is, at its best anyway, a personal endeavor as the result of a personal commitment. Who was is it a year or so ago who said that blogging shouldn't be something students had to do but rather something they did because they wanted to? Is that true?
I wonder what it would be like, if it would be possible to offer students a variety of outlets for their work and let them choose the one(s) they wanted to use. If a student wanted to blog, he could. If he only wanted to post inside Moodle, he could. If another wanted to use Writely, she could. Would there be any value in that? I know it would be a nightmare to try to evaluate student work if it were spread over too many different repositories - unless you have as few students as I do. But would there be value in allowing students that kind of freedom?
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Write to My Blog
Joanna blogged about Write to My Blog and, being totally captivated by neat little applications and websites, I had to try it.
A while back I had written that I didn't think I would have a reason to type something up outside my blog and then post it to the blog, but I think it might have value. Let's see how this works!
Reflection on the semester so far
This semester has been the most interesting one I have had for awhile. The main reason for this, I think, is the fact that we decided to make the ESL courses "blended", with have the class hours done face to face and the other half done online using Moodle. I have been really fascinated by the use of technology in my classes for several years now, so this has been an exciting step.
So far it seems to be working quite well. My students seem to think they are being overworked, but they always had that opinion. What I see is that they are becoming more responsible for themselves and their learning. The transition hasn't always been easy, but for the most part it hasn't been bad.
Even before decided to put the classes online, I had decided not to use blogs with my students this semester. I wrote about that here. I am very glad that I made that decision. I have used Moodle's forum feature extensively with both my reading and my writing students. (That's like BlackBoard's Discussion Board, for those who don't know.) It has taken time, but they are learning to reply to each others' posts. They are having discussions that, increasingly, don't involve me. I am so excited by this fact that I am thinking about incorporating blogs again in the spring. Part of it, I know, is that my doing the work of putting the classes on Moodle, I have spent more time thinking on creating good assignments. That was part of the problem before; my assignments weren't quite right considering the responses I was hoping to get. Now my assignments lend themselves more to discussion. I have not made any definite decisions about this yet, of course, but I see it as a distinct possibility. I just need to think more about what I think they would gain by blogging rather than using a forum. I want to be clear about the reasons for switching before I do it.
So all in all, I am pretty happy with how things are going. The students also seem to be happy. We are off to a good start.
So far it seems to be working quite well. My students seem to think they are being overworked, but they always had that opinion. What I see is that they are becoming more responsible for themselves and their learning. The transition hasn't always been easy, but for the most part it hasn't been bad.
Even before decided to put the classes online, I had decided not to use blogs with my students this semester. I wrote about that here. I am very glad that I made that decision. I have used Moodle's forum feature extensively with both my reading and my writing students. (That's like BlackBoard's Discussion Board, for those who don't know.) It has taken time, but they are learning to reply to each others' posts. They are having discussions that, increasingly, don't involve me. I am so excited by this fact that I am thinking about incorporating blogs again in the spring. Part of it, I know, is that my doing the work of putting the classes on Moodle, I have spent more time thinking on creating good assignments. That was part of the problem before; my assignments weren't quite right considering the responses I was hoping to get. Now my assignments lend themselves more to discussion. I have not made any definite decisions about this yet, of course, but I see it as a distinct possibility. I just need to think more about what I think they would gain by blogging rather than using a forum. I want to be clear about the reasons for switching before I do it.
So all in all, I am pretty happy with how things are going. The students also seem to be happy. We are off to a good start.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Work space
Kathy Sierra's post on the importance of the space in which we work got me thinking. I looked around my office and was appalled! But then I said, "Well, you don't spend that much time here, so maybe it's OK." And then I thought about where I usually work when I am at home. Not much better. Between the two places, I spend a considerable amount of time each day working in less than inspiring surroundings.
Then I thought back to where we lived before Katrina, a dilapidated old house with a great front porch overlooking the river. Now there was a place to work! It was so peaceful and inspiring and yet so full of life at the same time that I think I actually could get more done in less time.
The question, of course, is what am I going to do about this. Kathy went out and bought an old Airstream and converted it into her office. It looks beautiful. But that doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. I think I really need to do something, though.
Then I thought back to where we lived before Katrina, a dilapidated old house with a great front porch overlooking the river. Now there was a place to work! It was so peaceful and inspiring and yet so full of life at the same time that I think I actually could get more done in less time.
The question, of course, is what am I going to do about this. Kathy went out and bought an old Airstream and converted it into her office. It looks beautiful. But that doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. I think I really need to do something, though.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Did you read it? Where?
Within the last week or so, I am sure I read a post or an article somewhere that talked about academic writing (in English) being a foreign language. Did anyone else see it? It's one of those things I should have furled or something, but didn't. And now I need it for a paper I am writing! I would appreciate any help you might be able to give me.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Writing Project weekend
I have just returned from a 2-day retreat with our local Writing Project site, the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project. It was great to get away, spend time with my writing friends and make plans for the coming year.
I urge any US teacher who might read this post to check out their local Writing Project site. If you don't know where the nearest site is, check out the National Writing Project website for a list of sites by state. You don't have to be an English teacher, and it doesn't matter if you teach Kindergarten of graduate students; the Writing Project has something for you!
I urge any US teacher who might read this post to check out their local Writing Project site. If you don't know where the nearest site is, check out the National Writing Project website for a list of sites by state. You don't have to be an English teacher, and it doesn't matter if you teach Kindergarten of graduate students; the Writing Project has something for you!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Beginners welcome
Vicky has an interesting post about the power of a newbie. She refers to a comment she had received from a beginner who had felt insecure about blogging her beginner experiences. Vicky quotes from one of her previous posts:
Another important point in this discussion, I think, is that we are all beginners at something. So people who have been blogging for awhile may be scuffling to learn about wikis and people who have been podcasting "forever" are looking at some next thing. Once you get involved in this technology and what it can do for you and your classes, you have begun a never-ending process of exploration and learning.
So, like Vicky, I encourage anyone who is even remotely interested to join the discussion. We are all learning from each other, no matter how new or how experienced. That's the beauty of it: not that there are a large number of experts to lead us through the process but that we are all in it together, helping each other out when we can.
When you are a newbie, you have something that tech-experts do not have: the perspective of a new user.
Another important point in this discussion, I think, is that we are all beginners at something. So people who have been blogging for awhile may be scuffling to learn about wikis and people who have been podcasting "forever" are looking at some next thing. Once you get involved in this technology and what it can do for you and your classes, you have begun a never-ending process of exploration and learning.
So, like Vicky, I encourage anyone who is even remotely interested to join the discussion. We are all learning from each other, no matter how new or how experienced. That's the beauty of it: not that there are a large number of experts to lead us through the process but that we are all in it together, helping each other out when we can.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Student Responsibility
As you are probably aware, I am doing my ESL courses as blended courses this semester. It is going better than it might but it hasn't been real easy getting the students to this point.
One thing that I have really noticed is that this is forcing students to be more responsible. It has allowed me to see how I held their hands for way too long, I think. Now, they complete the assignments or they don't. It isn't like they can come to class and fake it; the forum post is there or it isn't. Also, they have to manage their time themselves. I am not doling the work out in bite-sized chunks -- although it is in bite-sized chunks on Moodle. But there are lots of different chunks out there at the same time. It is helping them learn to prioritize and juggle a number of tasks at once.
I hadn't really thought about this aspect of blended courses, but I am real happy about it.
One thing that I have really noticed is that this is forcing students to be more responsible. It has allowed me to see how I held their hands for way too long, I think. Now, they complete the assignments or they don't. It isn't like they can come to class and fake it; the forum post is there or it isn't. Also, they have to manage their time themselves. I am not doling the work out in bite-sized chunks -- although it is in bite-sized chunks on Moodle. But there are lots of different chunks out there at the same time. It is helping them learn to prioritize and juggle a number of tasks at once.
I hadn't really thought about this aspect of blended courses, but I am real happy about it.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Provocative Teaching
A friend of mine likes to say that teachers must be seductive. She means it in only the best way, of course: that we must draw our students into the subject matter, into learning itself. So when I read Kathy Sierra today, I understood where she was coming from when she said we should Be Provocative.
Kathy, as always, has some great ideas. If we want to be provocative, she thinks we should:
Kathy, as always, has some great ideas. If we want to be provocative, she thinks we should:
* Be VisualThere is nothing really shocking or new on the list. It actually just sounds like good teaching practice, to me. But how often do I really do these things? Something to think about...
* Be Different--Break Patterns and Expectations
* Change Things Regularly
* Inspire Curiosity
* Pose a Challenge
* Be Fun
Thursday, September 07, 2006
A neat little tool
Thanks to Darren, I discovered Folder Marker. It's a nifty little program that lets you change to color of your folder or your folder icons. Now, that may not seem like much, but I have a tendency to have a million folders in My Documents, and this really makes it easier for me to see at a glance what I have where.
If you are a pack rat like me, you might want to check it out!
If you are a pack rat like me, you might want to check it out!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Up and running wirelessly in Ubuntu
After installing Ubuntu a few weeks ago, I have had nothing but problems computer-wise. They had nothing to do with Ubuntu - just bad luck on my part. I ended up having to reformat my hard drive and reinstall Windows (where the problem occurred) a week ago. I decided to reinstall Ubuntu today, and I made up my mind I would get the wireless running. Well, to make a long story short, I am working in Ubuntu and am connected wirelessly. Hurrah! I was beginning to doubt it would ever happen, but it did. So now I can explore Ubuntu more and, hopefully, get to the point where I can get rid of Windows entirely. But for now, I am happy just to be where I am!
Off and running again
Well, the semester is off and running again, and I hope my blogging is, too.
I am teaching two courses half online and half face-to-face this semester. They account for a total of 16 hours of instruction each week. It has been interesting to see the students adapt to this new structure. They think they are working twice as hard because of all the things to do on Moodle, but they don't see that they have 4 hours of "class time" to do it in! Guess that means they are normal students, doesn't it? There is going to be a period of adjustment, but I think this is going to end up being a better way to do the courses. We'll see, though.
In addition to teaching three courses and sitting in on a math class my advanced students are taking, I am also taking a course this semester. It is on language and literacy. We just read a book by Mike Rose called Lives on the Boundary. Rose believes strongly in the importance of the individual, of the human being in the educational process. It's an excellent book and an easy read.
Well, I think anyone who reads this for their patience. I hope to be around a lot more regularly again!
I am teaching two courses half online and half face-to-face this semester. They account for a total of 16 hours of instruction each week. It has been interesting to see the students adapt to this new structure. They think they are working twice as hard because of all the things to do on Moodle, but they don't see that they have 4 hours of "class time" to do it in! Guess that means they are normal students, doesn't it? There is going to be a period of adjustment, but I think this is going to end up being a better way to do the courses. We'll see, though.
In addition to teaching three courses and sitting in on a math class my advanced students are taking, I am also taking a course this semester. It is on language and literacy. We just read a book by Mike Rose called Lives on the Boundary. Rose believes strongly in the importance of the individual, of the human being in the educational process. It's an excellent book and an easy read.
Well, I think anyone who reads this for their patience. I hope to be around a lot more regularly again!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Alive and well and swamped
In case anyone noticed, I have been a little more absent than usual lately. Call it the last minute push to get ready for the semester, teaching courses I have taught before but with materials that were brand new to me. Then imagine, the day before classes are to start, discovering you have to scrap most of that and start all over again. That has been the story of the last couple weeks of my life.
I will be back once I am more than a couple days ahead of the students!
I will be back once I am more than a couple days ahead of the students!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Writely is open again!
Thanks to a post over at Assorted Stuff, I learned that Writely is open for new users again. A quick glance at it didn't show up anything that looked different from its pre-Google days. If you haven't' checked Writely out before, now would be a good time!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Fall, 2006
At the present time I am not planning to have my students blog this semester. I have mixed feelings about it. I think it would be cool to have a successful blogging project with my students, but I don't know that I have really had one.
I know a lot of it is that I never quite got the blogging assignments right. For this semester I think I have decent assignments. One is even "stolen" from The Year of the Hangman Book Blog. So why not do it as a blog myself? I don't know.
This semester I am focusing on using Moodle more. What would have been blog assignments will be discussion forum assignments. I hope that once my students become more accustomed to writing online on a regular basis and get the idea of commenting on each others' posts to the forum, they will have an easier transition to blogging. I also want them to take their online writing more seriously and do a better job of it.
Am I giving up too soon? Making excuses? Making a mistake?
I think that I am in some ways. And I am disappointed in myself.
I know a lot of it is that I never quite got the blogging assignments right. For this semester I think I have decent assignments. One is even "stolen" from The Year of the Hangman Book Blog. So why not do it as a blog myself? I don't know.
This semester I am focusing on using Moodle more. What would have been blog assignments will be discussion forum assignments. I hope that once my students become more accustomed to writing online on a regular basis and get the idea of commenting on each others' posts to the forum, they will have an easier transition to blogging. I also want them to take their online writing more seriously and do a better job of it.
Am I giving up too soon? Making excuses? Making a mistake?
I think that I am in some ways. And I am disappointed in myself.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Switching to Ubuntu
My husband has used Linux for a number of years and Ubuntu for the last couple. I have always said I wanted to do the same, but there was always some restriction on that -- like, I'll do it when the warranty on my computer runs out or when the semester is over or something. Well, I finally took the leap last weekend. Actually, I am dual booting Ubuntu and Windows until I get my wireless card working in Ubuntu. (I have one of those cards that doesn't like to work with Linux, but many people have gotten it to work, so it is just a question of time before I get it going.)
So what? Why post about this at all? This morning I was reading Miguel Guhlin's blog this morning and came across this post. Richard Stallman's comment, which forms the basis of Miguel's post, really made me think.
I have a long way to go before I reach that level of putting my money where my mouth is, I'm afraid. These little reminders are good for me!
So what? Why post about this at all? This morning I was reading Miguel Guhlin's blog this morning and came across this post. Richard Stallman's comment, which forms the basis of Miguel's post, really made me think.
I have a long way to go before I reach that level of putting my money where my mouth is, I'm afraid. These little reminders are good for me!
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Remember Pearlington
The Blogathon for Pearlington is underway. Check it out!
As we approach the one year anniversary of Katrina, there is much to be grateful for but also much to regret. Our 87 year old friend finally was able to move back into her condo 10 days ago. In the 11 months since the storm, she had lived in Illinois, Florida, 2 apartments in the New Orleans area, and her daughter's house here in St. Tammany Parish after she gave notice at her last apartment and then found she couldn't move into the condo yet -- despite promises to the contrary. She is one of the lucky ones; she has financial resources. Others are in much less pleasant circumstances.
If you haven't yet, please donate money or time or effort for Pearlington or anywhere else along the Gulf Coast that was hit by and still struggles with the effects of Katrina.
As we approach the one year anniversary of Katrina, there is much to be grateful for but also much to regret. Our 87 year old friend finally was able to move back into her condo 10 days ago. In the 11 months since the storm, she had lived in Illinois, Florida, 2 apartments in the New Orleans area, and her daughter's house here in St. Tammany Parish after she gave notice at her last apartment and then found she couldn't move into the condo yet -- despite promises to the contrary. She is one of the lucky ones; she has financial resources. Others are in much less pleasant circumstances.
If you haven't yet, please donate money or time or effort for Pearlington or anywhere else along the Gulf Coast that was hit by and still struggles with the effects of Katrina.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Test your personality
Haven't done any online tests lately, so when I ran across a couple on Miguel's site, I had to try them. I won't tell you which President I am most like because I refuse to believe it. But my personality came up just as I expected it to: I am a Nurturer.
Actually, this is interesting because last semester I sat in on a Psychology class with my students, and we did official personality tests and I came up with the same type.
| You Are An ISFJ |
The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal. A good listener, you excell at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist. |
Actually, this is interesting because last semester I sat in on a Psychology class with my students, and we did official personality tests and I came up with the same type.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Advice on wikis, please!
I am going to be using a wiki this fall. It is a new venture for me. It seems like it will be easy, but I am afraid I might be kidding myself. I want to use the wiki well, and I am not sure what I need to know or remember. Any suggestions?
In one class students will be reading a variety of material about the Civil War. I want them to post it to the wiki so the information that each gathers from individual reading will be available to all. In this case I guess I am using it for notetaking. Students will be able to get information from it to complete their final project: a "magazine" about the Civil War from the point of view of either the North or the South, depending on which group they are in. While students will be put in North/South groups about halfway through the unit, they will do initial readings about both the North and the South.
In another class, a writing class, we are going to be looking at famous documents and speeches from US history and then writing about them. I am basing this course loosely on an MIT Open Courseware course called American Classics. I am not exactly sure how I will be using the wiki with this class, but I imagine it will be for notetaking, too.
I am excited about this, but I am not sure how it is going to work. My initial blogging attempts were less than successful, and I hope to do better with wikis. I appreciate any help anyone might be able and willing to offer.
In one class students will be reading a variety of material about the Civil War. I want them to post it to the wiki so the information that each gathers from individual reading will be available to all. In this case I guess I am using it for notetaking. Students will be able to get information from it to complete their final project: a "magazine" about the Civil War from the point of view of either the North or the South, depending on which group they are in. While students will be put in North/South groups about halfway through the unit, they will do initial readings about both the North and the South.
In another class, a writing class, we are going to be looking at famous documents and speeches from US history and then writing about them. I am basing this course loosely on an MIT Open Courseware course called American Classics. I am not exactly sure how I will be using the wiki with this class, but I imagine it will be for notetaking, too.
I am excited about this, but I am not sure how it is going to work. My initial blogging attempts were less than successful, and I hope to do better with wikis. I appreciate any help anyone might be able and willing to offer.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Blogathon for Katrina Relief
Joanna and Sharon have a great idea for raising money to help Pearlington, Mississippi recover from Katrina. They are going to be blogging for 24 hours. And you are invited to help by blogging or donating money or both. Check it out here.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Choosing literature for ESL
I am in the process of getting ready to write the final paper for a course I am taking this summer on young adult literature. I think I want to write it on evaluating YA lit for use in college level ESL classes. So I am sending out a plea to those of you who teach ESL at the college level or teach adults in other settings: Have you ever used YA lit with your adult students? How did you decide which books to use? How were the books received by the students? What books would you recommend and why?
If you don't teach adults but are an adult yourself, have you ever read YA literature? Why? What was your reaction to the book?
If you teach young adults, which books that you use with your students do you think would be appropriate to use with adults?
I really appreciate any insights you might be able to give me. Thanks!
If you don't teach adults but are an adult yourself, have you ever read YA literature? Why? What was your reaction to the book?
If you teach young adults, which books that you use with your students do you think would be appropriate to use with adults?
I really appreciate any insights you might be able to give me. Thanks!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The best of times and the worst of times
Seeing your name in Stephen Downes' Old Daily definitely qualifies as a high point! I was shocked, to say the least, to see that he was referencing a post by Jo McLeay about my Creative Commons license post.
But why, oh why did I forget to run spell check on the post that was going to be seen by lots more people than usual?
But why, oh why did I forget to run spell check on the post that was going to be seen by lots more people than usual?
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Writing with online word processors
I am writing an article on online word processors for my state LaTESOL newsletter, and I decided to check out some of the features of Writely that I hadn't played with before. Posting to my blog is one of them. I am anxious to see how this works.
If you have ever used Writely, ThinkFree, Zoho Writer or Writeboard, I would love to hear your experiences.
I am not really sure why I would want to write my posts in an online word processor and then post them to my blog. I am not sure I see the reason for the extra step. But for people who work and rework their posts (like Miguel) I guess I can see it.
These tools are more important to me as another way for writers to collaborate. If we're not connecting with them, what's the point?
If you have ever used Writely, ThinkFree, Zoho Writer or Writeboard, I would love to hear your experiences.
I am not really sure why I would want to write my posts in an online word processor and then post them to my blog. I am not sure I see the reason for the extra step. But for people who work and rework their posts (like Miguel) I guess I can see it.
These tools are more important to me as another way for writers to collaborate. If we're not connecting with them, what's the point?
Just a thought
Reading Stephen Downes Half an Hour, I came across this line that I just wanted to share.
What else is there to say?
You cannot incite a revolution. You have to be the revolution. There is no other way.
What else is there to say?
Friday, July 07, 2006
Copyright issues
Jim over at Blogging Pedagogy has a post about selling course materials and comments on the fact that he has added a Creative Commons license to the blog. This is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. I can't believe that something I have written is copyrighted just because I have written it. But it is. I can't find the sites where I originally read about it, but Wikipedia has an article about it here.
Anyway, I decided to add a Creative Commons license to this blog. Not because I am worried about anyone stealing anything they find here but rather because I want to make a statement. I believe in Creative Commons licensing. I believe in sharing our thoughts and ideas and our words.
As far as I am concerned, this license doesn't change anything here on the blog. But I want to make it official.
Anyway, I decided to add a Creative Commons license to this blog. Not because I am worried about anyone stealing anything they find here but rather because I want to make a statement. I believe in Creative Commons licensing. I believe in sharing our thoughts and ideas and our words.
As far as I am concerned, this license doesn't change anything here on the blog. But I want to make it official.
Grammar with a little help from some Legos
Dennis Jerz has created a presentation unlike any I have ever thought of doing: active and passive sentences with a little help from a Lego man! Check it out here on his blog!
Monday, July 03, 2006
A cool resource
I have just been playing around with a cool resource at ESL Activities.com - a BINGO card maker for vocabulary words. You can insert up to 25 words and their definitions and it will create the cards and allow you to print the BINGO cards, print flashcards with the words and their meanings, and print a call card for the instructor to use. You can print from 1-99 BINGO cards, and the words are scrambled so they are not in the same position on all the cards.
Now, most of you may not be interested in this, but it will be really great for those of you who could use it. Check it out! They also have a crossword generator, but I haven't checked it out yet.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Digital natives and immigrants
There is a great post over at Assorted Stuff about this divide between digital natives and digital immigrants. He feels that the idea of the divide is actually hurting the discussion about using technology in schools. He says:
Personally, I am committed to trying to stayinformed as I can. I don't want to be one of those people who always throws up his or her hands and says, "I'm too old for that!" It is actually fun to learn about the newest technology and its applications in the classroom.
Unless you really think you are too old to learn, why should age be an excuse for not at least becoming acquainted with what's going on out there?
For example, I'’ve noticed that too many people who are supposed to be instructional leaders seem to be trying to use the concept as a crutch, as an excuse for why they can'’t understand a specific piece of technology (or don'’t want to try).He concludes with:
It'’s time for all educators to stop invoking the digital immigrant tag to write off their lack of understanding.I think that he is right on the money with this. My son may have all music on his MP3 player while I still listen to CDs, but I understand about iPods and similar players. My grandchildren may pick up some new technology more easily than I do. That does not, however, mean that I cannot pick it up. I may choose not to use a particular technology in my own life, but I need to know about it if I am in the classroom because it will all be part of my students' lives.
Personally, I am committed to trying to stayinformed as I can. I don't want to be one of those people who always throws up his or her hands and says, "I'm too old for that!" It is actually fun to learn about the newest technology and its applications in the classroom.
Unless you really think you are too old to learn, why should age be an excuse for not at least becoming acquainted with what's going on out there?
Monday, June 19, 2006
Gliffy
I know everyone else has already talked about Gliffy, but I wanted to add to the discussion. I have been using it to create graphics for lessons, and I am really impressed. The most recent one was on using clues in the textbook (pictures, tables, headings, etc.) to help you prepare for the actual reading. This graphic is one of the ones I included in the lesson. It isn't spectacular or anything, but I like it!
Check Gliffy out if you haven't. It is really cool!
Friday, June 16, 2006
Another benefit of blogging
I am taking my first online course this summer. I have designed online courses but never taken one before. (I know! Shame on me!) I am really enjoying the experience.
What I have noticed is that I am one of only 3 students in the course who is commenting on the posts of other students on the discussion board. The instructor continuously asks us to do that, but it isn't happening much.
Without a doubt it is easy for me to do because of blogging. Read what others write and comment on it -- What could be more natural?
What I have noticed is that I am one of only 3 students in the course who is commenting on the posts of other students on the discussion board. The instructor continuously asks us to do that, but it isn't happening much.
Without a doubt it is easy for me to do because of blogging. Read what others write and comment on it -- What could be more natural?
Friday, June 09, 2006
Here's an odd one, for you...
Before posting it, I ran spell check on my last post. The only word it didn't like was "Blogger". Does that strike anyone else as odd?
A question about blog sites
A friend of mine is looking for a place to set up a blog. She is a Catholic religious (a nun to most of us), and she wants to set a blog up to talk about her ministry. She is looking for as family-friendly a site as possible. I showed her my blog, and she liked the looks of Blogger. She is worried, though, that it might be blocked in some schools. (Any site with the word "blog" in it was blocked by our server until last year, and we don't know that the Catholic schools around here would let it through even now.) Would any of you have any suggestions for free blog sites that might fit her needs? I would really appreciate any advice you might be able to give us.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Electronic editing and other related topics
Miguel has a great post where he asks for input on the question of electronic editing vs. hard copy editing. I couldn't resist commenting there, and I decided to carry the conversation over here, as well.
Let me reface this by saying that I am 55 for two more months. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a member of the net generation. Heck, my children aren't even! What I am going to say may sound odd for someone my age, but that's the way it is.
Ten years ago I was in grad school. I hadn't written papers on anything but an old manual typewriter until that time. I always hand wrote everything, edited profusely and then typed it up and turned it in. That is how I started grad school. Before the first semester was out, I discovered that I wasn't going to be able to do it that way if I wanted to get everything done. I struggled until I learned to compose and edit electronically, bypassing paper until it was time to print and turn it in. Once I learned, though, it was just as easy to be ruthless with my writing on the computer as on a piece of paper. I have been extremely grateful for that training ever since then.
As an educator, I write papers, reports, proposal, memos, and many other types of documents. As a person, I blog and write letters and emails. I do all of those things exclusively on the computer. I have even pretty much stopped journaling on paper, moving the reflective parts of that to my blog and most of the rest to the recycle bin. Do I feel bad about this? No. Do I think I have compromised my standards somehow? No. Is my writing any worse because I am not editing ruthlessly? No; it is actually better because I am writing so much more.
But how can I work with students on their papers without hard copies? I almost always "mark up" their papers electronically. It is easier for me than hanging on to a zillion pieces of paper. If the students email the paper to me, I make comments and email the paper back. Last semester, I did not receive a single hard copy paper from my writing students. It was all turned in on Moodle.
What I like to do with my students is use one of the collaborative writing sites like Writely to actually sit down and have a conference with the student while we are each looking at the paper on our own computer screens. I can indicate where I think there is a problem and the student can attempt a change and I can give him instant feedback. Some of our best classes have been a group of us sitting at computers, with me going from paper to paper marking things up and them trying to fix the errors before I get back to them. It makes editing and revision much less boring.
I think teachers need to give serious thought to who their students are. It is the teachers who are hung up on hard copies, not the students. We have to give up trying to teach the students we were and, instead, teach the students we have.
Let me reface this by saying that I am 55 for two more months. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a member of the net generation. Heck, my children aren't even! What I am going to say may sound odd for someone my age, but that's the way it is.
Ten years ago I was in grad school. I hadn't written papers on anything but an old manual typewriter until that time. I always hand wrote everything, edited profusely and then typed it up and turned it in. That is how I started grad school. Before the first semester was out, I discovered that I wasn't going to be able to do it that way if I wanted to get everything done. I struggled until I learned to compose and edit electronically, bypassing paper until it was time to print and turn it in. Once I learned, though, it was just as easy to be ruthless with my writing on the computer as on a piece of paper. I have been extremely grateful for that training ever since then.
As an educator, I write papers, reports, proposal, memos, and many other types of documents. As a person, I blog and write letters and emails. I do all of those things exclusively on the computer. I have even pretty much stopped journaling on paper, moving the reflective parts of that to my blog and most of the rest to the recycle bin. Do I feel bad about this? No. Do I think I have compromised my standards somehow? No. Is my writing any worse because I am not editing ruthlessly? No; it is actually better because I am writing so much more.
But how can I work with students on their papers without hard copies? I almost always "mark up" their papers electronically. It is easier for me than hanging on to a zillion pieces of paper. If the students email the paper to me, I make comments and email the paper back. Last semester, I did not receive a single hard copy paper from my writing students. It was all turned in on Moodle.
What I like to do with my students is use one of the collaborative writing sites like Writely to actually sit down and have a conference with the student while we are each looking at the paper on our own computer screens. I can indicate where I think there is a problem and the student can attempt a change and I can give him instant feedback. Some of our best classes have been a group of us sitting at computers, with me going from paper to paper marking things up and them trying to fix the errors before I get back to them. It makes editing and revision much less boring.
I think teachers need to give serious thought to who their students are. It is the teachers who are hung up on hard copies, not the students. We have to give up trying to teach the students we were and, instead, teach the students we have.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Fighting against technology in the classroom
A great post over at Assorted Stuff about the debate over technology in college classrooms. He says:
I think this is actually a much more revolutionary idea than it might appear on the surface. As a student, I sat through too many lectures that were merely an outline of the chapter than we were supposed to have read. In grad school I even had a professor who read the book to us! Why should students pay attention if there is nothing new offered in a lecture?
There is a need to rethink education at all levels. I don't think we can really force laptops and wifi out of our classrooms. I don't even think we should. But we need to see if there isn't a way we can use the technology to our advantage.
And we need to think about what we do as instructors. I need to ask myself, "Did my students learn something today that they couldn't have gotten anywhere else?" The answer won't always be yes,I'm sure, but it should be at least some of the time!
A growing number of schools are turning off wifi in classrooms or even banning laptops from classrooms in an attempt to persuade students to pay attention to whatever it is the professor is talking about.and then goes on to quote Ken Fisher at Ars Technica, who wrote:
While calls to make education "more interesting" are commonly offered as the solution to what ails the classroom full of web surfers, such demagoguery falls flat on its face the minute one remembers that students' interests are as broad if not broader than the collegiate curriculum itself. ...
The bigger question is, if Joe Baccalaureate got through Econ 101 with an "A" while spending his time manicuring his rotisserie-style fantasy baseball team in lecture, what was the lecture for to begin with?
I think this is actually a much more revolutionary idea than it might appear on the surface. As a student, I sat through too many lectures that were merely an outline of the chapter than we were supposed to have read. In grad school I even had a professor who read the book to us! Why should students pay attention if there is nothing new offered in a lecture?
There is a need to rethink education at all levels. I don't think we can really force laptops and wifi out of our classrooms. I don't even think we should. But we need to see if there isn't a way we can use the technology to our advantage.
And we need to think about what we do as instructors. I need to ask myself, "Did my students learn something today that they couldn't have gotten anywhere else?" The answer won't always be yes,I'm sure, but it should be at least some of the time!
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