Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech

Having a week off to go on a golf trip is nothing to complain about this awaited me:

Why do I feel compelled to read through these carefully? I had 3 newspapers waiting for me that I simply tossed in the garbage. Being that it was Easter break for all teachers, my inbox only had a few dozen messages, few of which I felt obligated to respond to until tomorrow. But the newsreader, is more important to me then any other source of information I use. I’m afraid I’ll miss something. This tells me how critical this is to my learning and interests. I kind of knew this already but I can’t remember taking a week break from my newsreader before. The fact that Google Reader uses the “100+”  measurement is a bit deceiving. I’m sure this will take me the evening to go through….so I better get at it.

Technorati Tags: rss, googlereader, professionaldevelopment

It’s interesting how you pull certain ideas, phrases from content that aren’t perhaps the main idea. I guess that’s part of constructivstism and connectivism (still haven’t totally got those concepts firm in my mind).

Will’s recent reflection on Social Computing and subsequent comments, challenged his thinking. While the gist of his latest discussion focuses on considering “big picture” thinking, the phrase

“pushed me to think”

caught my attention.

I spend a great deal of energy and time pushing others to think and considering new ideas and ways to make learning more relevant and authentic. Often I think I’m like most with strong beliefs in that I’m less likely to consider alternative thinking. I do appreciate people who open up my world and thinking and these folks are found online and off. Three big areas in which I’m being challenged are:

1. Social Networking for kids
2. CyberBulling
3. Assessment Practices

1. Social Networking…My basic belief regarding social networking and its implication for students and teachers is that everything has potential. Recent discussions about Twitter and Ning elevate the discussion to question their value.

2. CyberBulling…I still waffle on this one. My post summarizes my view but I still struggle with the amount of emphasis this issue deserves. I’ll continue to read and ponder the ideas and accept the challenges. I know that we’ll have to develop some plan for our division but I hope its focus is not in creating fear and trepidation but rather thoughtful, rationale understanding.

3. Assessment Practices…developing best practice around assessment has been a focus for me and our school division for the past several years. This discussion on final exams, serves to stimulate ideas on just one small aspect of this issue. Again, my ideas are there but I certainly am interested and value those who disagree.

I just these things help me to see I don’t really operate in an echo chamber but am truly beginning to open the walls of my learning and hopefully classrooms.

*took this photo on a drive this winter and have been looking a post to use it with..

I switched over to Google Reader from Bloglines about 2 months ago and am basically pleased. I’ve noticed recently that my feed has no formatting in Google Reader. Bloglines as well, so I guess it’s a feed issue rather than the reader. My posts look brutal and here I go to such lengths to pretty them up.

I tried deactivating plugins but didn’t see any change. I notice that Bloglines keeps my PodPress player in the feed. D’Arcy, Rob, Allan or any other feed experts, do you have any advice?

It reminds me of a classic Seinfeld exchange:

JERRY: Oh… You mean… shrinkage.
GEORGE: Yes. Significant shrinkage.
JERRY: So you feel you were short changed.
GEORGE: Yes! I mean, if she thinks that’s me she’s under a complete misapprehension.

I feel I’m being short changed.

Technorati Tags: feeds, feedburner, rss, newsreader, googlereader, bloglines, seinfeld

Haven’t done a podcast with just me yakkin’ for a while. Tried using GCast on Steve D.’s recommendation. Not sure it’s for me as it wants to build a player for me rather than just give me an mp3 file I can embed with my own built in player. So thumbs down to GCast, unless their helpdesk lets me know how to link directly to the mp3.

Update1: They did email me back but apparently I needed to complete another step using Garageband.com
Update2: Did that, but they link has a weird identifier that won’t work in PodPress
Update3: Final email states the identifier is needed so I can’t use GCast as I had hoped….Steve, you’ll have to do a bit more selling for me to buy in.
Update4:After 6 days, I uploaded it to good old internetarchive and stick with what works.
This is a brief podcast on some of my recent frustrations on ideas of assessment and accountability.
Time:8:56
Size:6.4 MB

 

 Frustrations with Assessment: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1584)

Anyone who has read my blog regularly knows how I feel about Google Earth. It is all that and more. I spent an hour today listening to Hall Davidson and learned a few more tricks to add to the toolbox.

Just now I found out that Google Maps now offers online mashups that are incredibly easy to create.  Made this map in about a minute and easily embedded flickr images.

I’ve decided to offer some sessoins in our division for teachings interested in developing content and learning opportunities for students. I truly believe every teacher needs to be able to use this either to use existing files and resources or create their own. I’m considering 3 half days over 3 weeks to help teachers develop this for a variety of classroom purposes.

In addition, I’ll be presenting at Alan November’s Building Learning Communities this summer in Boston. Although my session is called, “Moving beyond the WoW factor…” that’s going to be tough. I’ve been using it since its inception and I still am awed.

Not sure if this is considered an Easter Egg but Dustin passed this one along.  You’ll want to click to view the larger image.

After Sunday’s treats it would seem Google just can’t help itself.

The Kathy Sierria story is to cyberbullying as 9-11 is to terrorism. It’s not that cyberbullying has never taken place but having it happen to someone as high profile as Kathy Sierra brings attention to the problem in a light many have not considered.

I’ve got two concerns about the way things are unfolding. One is the tendency of the media and even bloggers to blow this out of proportion. The other is the focus on cyberbullying as a unique, stand alone issue.

Most of us are aware cyberbullying has always taken place and will always take place. Evil exists. Many have taken this particular incident to perpetuate fear and hysteria around blogging. One reaction certainly to emerge from this is a continued push to ban or restrict the freedom many of enjoy. Some are advocating cyber cops. What is the cost of protection against cyberbullying going to be?

I look at what has become of airport security and the cost behind that and question if it’s really necessary. Those who call for zero tolerance at any cost have to be questioned. The 9-11 and Kathy Sierra incidents are the extremes. We need to keep that in perspective.

My wife told me today of a student that may be potentially entering school in the fall. This student has severe allergies that are fatal. Any whiff of scented perfumes or hair products may be fatal for the child. Is school the best place for him? Can we be sure no one enters the building with hair gel? What is the cost to insure this child is safe? I wonder where we draw the line?

The other issue I have is with focusing on cyberbullying as something unique. While we understand people may act differently online and have the ability occupy a different persona, the issues are societal. I think the best efforts of school to deal with bullying tends to be helping victims and bystanders deal with the evils of bullying. I like Tim O’Reilly’s code of conduct but as Clarence says, this is just common sense. Just as there are a variety of cancers, the goal is to cure cancer. It doesn’t matter if it’s breast cancer, lung cancer or prostate cancer. Yes, there may be preventive measures for specific cancers but the cure for all cancer is the same.

I don’t think we need to draw attention to this anymore than we should draw attention to all the other evils that exist in the world. There are quite few. Certainly those that have been impacted by evil will want to shed light on their particular issue. But without perspective, the general public are often swayed against the truth. Given the amount of data that runs through the pipes of the internet everyday, the amount of cyberbullying has to be minuscule. I joined the cyberbullying social network created by Andy Carvin but now I doubt I’ll be there much (not just because as Will and David I don’t really get it) because the tone of those networks tend to see cyber-bullying as something different than bullying. I see the differences but I don’t think they are great. While I’ve given up on privacy, I’ve not given up on defending against bullying.
So:

• let’s be sure to model good manners online and offline
• let’s stand up against bullies
• let’s be accountable for our words and actions
• But let’s consider the cost of regulations and policies that might rob us from the power and freedom we currently have online

For more on this, read Laura Moncur’s take and listen to Steve Dembo’s podcast.

I’m sure many will disagree with me and I welcome those comments.

Technorati Tags: cyberbullingy, stopcyberbullying, andycarvin, stevedembo, lauramoncur, kathysierra,