T3 and Sequoyah

Podcasting can be very interesting for educators, but it can become time-consuming and maybe even dangerous.  By saying dangerous, I mean that I think it would be a huge error to believe that podcasting could somehow substitute for the face-to-face interaction found in a classroom, and some that dive deep into technology could make that mistake.  Education is based on relationships that cannot be acquired from a machine.  Podcasting, wikis, blogs and everything else related to technology should only be considered as materials that supplement not supplant the true nature of teaching.

Flickr is a great resource for finding photos to use.  Whenever I am given guidelines that ask for a search, I try to pick something that might be a little different that what might be found in a normal search of educationally related themes.  I chose Mount Everest, and came across and image by Joe Hastings.  It was one taken from an angle that I had never seen before, and I thought it was an interesting photo.  Even more interesting was Mr. Hasting’s description of himself as a drifter.  All I could think of was him being a wealthy individual with enough time on his hands to call himself a drifter.  I don’t think that anyone that is a true drifter would define himself/herself that way….

I have not actually noticed the CC logo when viewing websites, but I will certainly be more aware and look for it as I view websites.  I think that Creative Commons is great but more images need to be available and more individuals need to be aware of copyright laws.  I wonder, at times, if educators understand how risky this area is.  I have never seen an educator use copyrighted images for malicious, profit-seeking purposes, but I have seen educators use copyrighted material.  Many have.  It is like asking if anyone has ever jaywalked.  Most have, and without consequences; however, the consequences do exist, and they can be deadly – literally for jaywalking and finacial and career-wise for violating copyright law.

I believe that there may be a wiki in my future, but like Vicki Davis, I can see how easy it would be to become exhausted because like all good teaching, no matter the format or materials used, doing it well requires planning and continual effort.  One thing that I noticed in evaluating the other blogs is that a blog is only as good as the effort that is put into its creation and continual support.  For example, I looked at the Holocaust Wiki Project expecting a tremendous amount of commentary and did not see what I thought would be enough.  On the other hand, The Discovery Utopia wiki, one that appears mostly run by students, was very interesting and impressive.  This has implications for the classroom educator in that student enthusiasm can often drive a project like this if the educator is willing to lead the charge.

My experiences so far have been positive with Web 2.0 and RSS.  I have installed Mozilla on my personal PC and am learning to use it effectively along with RSS, blogging, etc….  I often read multiple news web sites, so I know that RSS can assist me with getting the most up to date information.  I have also been interested in learning more about blogs (as well as subscribing to those I find interesting), and the steps in these activities have open those avenues for me.  It is going to take time, however, to get adjusted to these new devices.  I will need time to practice, but as I stated in my earlier blog, Play will allow me to make the connections necessary to become better at these activities.

Today I found David Warlick’s “Purpose of Education” quite interesting.  While I certainly agree with his argument that the purpose of education is to make the world a better place, I would also disagree that by using standards and policy as a part of the educational process, we are somehow treating children as cogs.  Many in the field fail to see that the two can be successfully intertwined and instead view them as polar opposites.  I would postulate (quite simply here), that education does make the world a better place, but policy and standards ensures that everyone is granted access to that education and that better place.

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?feed=rss

I agree with Mark’s assessment of the importance of SSR in classrooms; however, one thing that I do disagree with is him disallowing those blogs to be read everyday.  In his work Building Background Knowledge, Marzano stated that any SSR should occur daily, and should allow students to read what interests them.  Marzano failed to see the blogs as a potential source, so Mark has done well to see these 21st Century devices as a resource; however, like Marzano, I believe that to get children reading, you need to let them read.

  http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/mahlness/2007/02/is-this-ssr-20.html

I believe that Web 2.0 and the training received from the T3 grant is going to change the way many teachers go about delivering instruction.  Additionally, these individuals will already be ahead as other teachers begin to see the benefits of using all of the different applications possible.  At Sequoyah, the T3 teachers have already redelivered some of their training to the staff, and the benefits have been outstanding.

As I stated in the introduction session to the 7 1/2 Habits of Effective Lifelong Learners, Play is the most important habit.  I see Play as an opportunity for conceptional understanding to be developed through experiences.  These experiences also allow any faulse preconceptions to be corrected and adjusted.  In defining Play, I do not necessarily see it as one might in the simplest definition.  Rather, I take a broader view and see it as something someone does that is not (or the opposite of) work.

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