Week 4 Blog Posting # 8 - Reflection on Blogging glstrom

The obvious attraction to Web 2.0 is the freedom to explore, share and create that it provides. I have enjoyed the discovery of the various sites, though with so many from which to choose will admit to being overwhelmed from the get go. I loved using google docs and watching each member contribute to the team creation. I also enjoyed dancing about in Second Life, though can see that there would need to be some type of plan in mind in order to get anything productive accomplished, but maybe that is not the point. As I said the ability to share, create, and critique in a safe atmosphere is invaluable, especially to anyone involved in the arts whether writing scripts, short stories, sharing photos, videos or animations to discover what others feel about their work. It also takes some of the pressure off the teacher to be the sole judge of a students portfolio, and provides valuable feedback and ideas for improvement the instructor may have never imagined.

As with any tool, it should be part of a teachers tool box, not the only one they use. I can see where it would take a lot of effort to keep students from straying too far off the path (though as I said, discovery and exploration are important). It could also suffer from predictability or lead to mass confusion if not incorporated with interactions with other people to help guide the process. Obviously I would want to keep students from viewing inappropriate sights, sounds or words so there is an element of risk involved whenever entering the world wide web. This is also provides teachable moments as long as the teacher is aware and adept when confronted with a potentially difficult situation. I have no doubt that the use of technology to teach is here, and it is our task to use it to the best of our ability so students can take advantage of all the amazing possibilities Web 2.0 provides.

Week 4 - Blog Posting #7 - Second Life glstrom

I couldn’t agree more with Albert Bandura’s social networking theory that we learn form our interactions with others, in fact I believe that is how some people learn most effectively. Observation, imitation and behavior modeling are powerful methods of learning certain skills, and second life is an environment where this can take place on many levels. In case someone wonders if someone is just wandering about aimlessly in this world is should be known that with direction and planning their can be ample opportunity for developing important skills such as collaboration and communication within this second life platform.

I appreciated the video (xxArete2xx (2007, May 29) Education in Second Life: Explore the Possibilities [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMGR9q43dag) as it gave many examples for all types of teachers to use while integrating SL into their curriculum. Having directed dozens of plays and musicals over the years I can also see the benefit to being able to experience vicariously the feeling of performing in front of a crowd, seeing the globe theater and hearing the words of Shakespeare performed in a virtual world. Providing a safe place to experiment, explore, learn and grow, SL can help students experience the world in a unique way. This being said, there is nothing that can compare to the memorable experience of seeing artwork in person (or at least a photo or video representation would be a more accurate depiction of paintings, sculpture, etc), standing in front of the Mona Lisa, Sistine Chapel, Arc de Triumph, etc. Nor does SL replace the experience of actually being on stage in front of a dozen or hundreds of people. It certainly is a great addition to reading from a text and perfect to use in conjunction with the actual experience, whatever it may be. It also may be as close as some may come to that reality, or give them the desire to create these worlds themselves, encourage them to take some chances, and explore new worlds. To me that is what education is all about, giving them the confidence and desire to find out what else is out there simply by exploring the possibilities.

Blog posting #6 Communities of Practice

Ok, I hate to belabor the point, but being a photographer and photography instructor I must confess to overwhelming joy in seeing the following (amazingly in print, not a photo though would be happy to illustrate :) rule. So next time students are tuning out, remember the t shirt, " I do not have ADD, I am bored (or ignoring you)" and try not to take offense but remember the following

Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things. Kids are just a bit less tactful in letting you know this, and obviously have tools to help alleviate this (unless laptops and phones have been taken away). We may help teach them to be a bit more tolerant and polite when expressing their disinterest, thus imparting a valuable life lesson as they continue their educational journey, but ultimately we need to make sure the material we are presenting is done so in a variety of media, something we are truly interested in, and a shared experience.

• What we pay attention to is profoundly influenced by memory. Our previous experience predicts where we should pay attention. Culture matters too. Whether in school or in business, these differences can greatly effect how an audience perceives a given presentation.

in other words, have I seen, heard, sensed this before? Is it safe to tune out since I have experienced this previously?

• We pay attention to things like emotions, threats and sex. Regardless of who you are, the brain pays a great deal of attention to these.
• Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.
• We are incredible at remembering pictures. Hear a piece of information, and three days later you'll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you'll remember 65%. Pictures beat text as well, in part because reading is so inefficient for us. Our brain sees words as lots of tiny pictures, and we have to identify certain features in the letters to be able to read them. That takes time.

I do not believe there would be much of an attraction to social networking sites if there were not photos, graphics, and videos. I am in fact a bit amazed at the attraction of Twitter given the fact that it is mostly text based information, though often links to take us to pages rich in graphic content. Mostly we want, value and need to be part of a community and to share part of ourselves with others. That human fact has not changed, and now we have the tools to do so in the most amazingly efficient and creative ways. I look forward to what people have to share and how it may bring others together in ways we have yet to realize.

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Blog posting #5 Social Media

I have really enjoyed discovering the many useful, positive ways people are using web 2.0 technology. I must admit it is a bit overwhelming as I try to understand what it means to me and how I can incorporate it in my life, my teaching and my photography. Then again, I also feel there is nothing more important than actual human connections to balance all of this out, so try not to become overwhelmed in it all. I find a walk in the woods, reading an actual newspaper and talking in person (not blogging, phoning, emailing, ichatting or texting) really helps bring me balance. I also try to appreciate that when interacting with others and remember computers and smartphones are tools for interaction and sharing, not replacements.

Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses. Gordon Brown reminds us of this important fact while showing us photos of Kim in Vietnam, Tiananmen Square protest or most recently Neda from Iran moved people to do something about a situation they found unjust. "What we see unlocks the bonds to become a community....to believe in something bigger than ourselves to solve a problem" You could add any number of images to his list, and they are burned in our minds forever. We remember them because they cause emotion, make us feel and make us think. Luckily we are living in an age where we do not have to sit on the sidelines feeling badly about events going on halfway around the world. We can give our time, our talent, our resources or simply our attention to a situation to perhaps increase awareness and in the end help right a wrong or shed light on an injustice so it may be turned back.

A collaborative culture fulfills three basic human needs in an organization: an element of control, meaning in a situation, and positive support. (Edmonson, 2008). I do appreciate the idea of collaborative culture to promote a more humane, connected and caring world. I am not impressed if some guy uses it to find more gold unless he is sharing it with others to help end the suffering that surrounds us each and every day. Why don't you find some water while your at it mr happy camper? One day we will realize (perhaps it is already happening) that accumulating material things and acquiring personal wealth are not worthy goals, and I am perfectly content that for now web 2.0 is focused upon bringing people together to share ideas freely and form a connection that they may find positive, memorable and personally rewarding.

Week 2 - Blog Posting #3 - Media Literacy

My apologies for missing this blog post as it is a subject near and dear to my heart. Having participated in theater in middle and high school as well as directing dozens of shows over my 23 year teaching career I have understood the importance of play and performance from the very start. I would not be the person I am having not had the experience and terror of stepping on stage, singing, acting, falling (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not :0 and in the end looking at my cast mates and appreciating the tremendous power of coming together to tell a story and entertain family friends and complete strangers. The wonderful thing about theater is as much as I enjoy technology and all it can do, you do not need it to tell your story. While lighting , sets, costumes, props, sound fx etc all help set the mood and enhance the production, it all comes down to the actors and actresses to be someone we care about. How you get to that point takes a lot of practice, trust, and the ability for the director to cast well and let go when the time comes. I have always contended that time in school should be memorable to be worthwhile, and can honestly say that time spent onstage is just that, something you remember forever, good or bad, and that is what makes it important. You give without expecting anything back, and you know during the curtain call is your story was told well and the experience was fun and ultimately a worthwhile use of precious time and talent. Years later students will come back and thank you for believing in them and encouraging them to do something they never believed they could, be they a doctor, lawyer, waitress, or teacher. Truly the rewards of teaching are not monetary but memories. The following quotes are to reinforce what I have known for a while, and I am happy to be in such good company.

"In the 20th century, literacy meant the ability to read, write and present cogent arguments on paper. In the 21st century, literacy is going to extend well beyond that and into what could be termed, a language of screens." (Barish, 2002)

In a collaborative or participatory culture, literacy means community involvement. Most all of the new literacy skills involve collaboration and communication. We don't have to contribute, but we must feel free to contribute and that our contributions will be valuable.

According the Henry Jerkins (2008) these skills are

Play
By playing, we problem solve though experimenting. Play is very similar to the scientific process where we make our own discoveries and then apply them. We try on new roles, find our self-image, and explore our environment. We are able to practice our new skills though trial and error by playing in this new environment and not effect the real world. Our attention is directed towards a task and play is fun. There is a goal or purpose to playing games.

Performance
We can discover our social roles though new media and ourselves. We learn to blend in with others who may be quite different and live in another part of the world. We can project our selves into an avatar and create our own environments. This makes us feel immersed into the game. We can play at being someone else. This helps us reflect on this new experience and see it though a different lens. This often leads us to discover more knowledge relating to this new experience. We often role-play in real life to evaluate a situation or even a design. By doing this we can examine a problem from different perspectives.

Week 2 - Blog Posting #4 -21st Century Skills & Lifelong Learning GLStrom

I found the blog assignment for this week to be so relevant and meaningful to where I am in the world of education at the present time. I also find it such a large, multi-faceted issue that it is difficult to know where to begin in response. I will start by commenting on the following statement and offer some ideas. Not sure if I should credit Dr. .Siegel or the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, but it pretty well sums up where we are currently.

“Our education system does not work today. To be literate today involves the ability to use new technology, understanding science, having global awareness, and the ability to keep learning. When students or employees collaborate on a project, they are thinking and using their organizational skills. They take control of their learning. They become confident and proud of their accomplishments. Education needs to be flexible.” Like the t-shirt states, I am not ADD, just not listening (or am bored). Unfortunately schools are tremendously unwilling to admit that the lecture, note taking, fill in the blank on the worksheet, test, grade, move on approach to education does not teach anyone to think, does not inspire anyone to learn, nor does it impart any memorable information to be used later in life. Education is sadly anything but flexible because to be flexible means giving up a measure of control and many cannot take that risk as they fear the outcome. Perhaps thoughtful, intelligent, free and creatively thinking individuals really are something to fear if these are qualities you do not possess yourself.

Dr Ruth Reynard gets to part of the problem with what we currently do by pointing out that it is how we learned and how we process information and knowledge rather than thinking about how new students and future students think. She sums it up by stating “new technology has challenged the way in which education is delivered, but newer technologies are now challenging how people process information.” We do not need to teach students to memorize and regurgitate for test time, we need to show them ways to use the skills they already have, and make it memorable, empowering and heaven forbid, fun to learn!

Howard Rheingold points out that we should encourage students to ask questions and be critical of information sources. This of course flies in the face of the traditional all knowing teacher role of being in control of information, and quite frankly being right all the time. Crap detection, focused attention, critical thinking, something school bureaucracies tend to look out for and fear. They harken back to the good old days where schools remain places for 19th and 20th century workers to be dropped off while parents are at work. Newsflash to the out of touch elders of the school systems, expressing yourself and connecting with peers is natural, esp for teens. Participating is just a start but at least it gets them off the couch and part of the world in which they inhabit. I especially enjoyed Howard’s challenge to the digital native distinction as it implies that they all know how to use this amazing technology at their fingertips....which really is where we as educators come into the picture. gls

Week 1 - Blog Posting #2 - Learning 2.0

It amazes me that after teaching for 25 years the part of education I so disliked as a student, namely rote memorization and filling in the blanks is finally being seriously challenged and made history by technology. I have always felt that if it wasn't fun and engaging, it wasn't memorable thus not worth spending valuable time on. I very much enjoyed the videos for singing to the choir so to speak and wish every educator had access to each of them for their in service days prior to school opening. It will be like chipping away at a very large block of granite to create the future of education, but over time with enough collaborators (starting with the teachers) it will happen. I particularly enjoyed the students voices in the videos, and I have always believed that it is not ADD or laziness that effects the student but BOREDOM. The difference now is that through technology they have the power to do what human beings are inclined to do naturally, create, communicate, socialize, and seek information. Such an important distinction between memorizing the facts vs. teaching them where to find the facts, thus giving them the freedom to select their own best path to knowledge. It means admitting we do not have all the answers, and relinquishing a measure of control that educators somehow think they must maintain in order for learning to occur. Nothing could be further from the truth because that control (no cell phones, etc) crushes individuality and creativity and causes some to just tune out entirely. Teachers need to accept technology and administrators need to embrace it for all its amazing potential. Give kids a space to share, create and think, empower and engage them and learn from them.

Week 1 - Blog Posting #1 - Web 2.0

I have been completely unaware of the difference between html and xml before, though the ramifications of their use have amazed me. I have been using a computer to create with photographs and teach for 12 years now and am still thinking of it as an individual one to one experience with a tool rather than an amazing collaborative device. I enjoyed the description of the We Think video of the corporation's model being a pyramid, imposing and hard to climb vs the birdnest, empowering and community building. I believe it is going to take large corporations a while to get themselves turned around, much like a big ship changing course. They also cannot see the profit in all this sharing perhaps so are not investing much interest in the prospect of it as a business model. Either way, web 2.0 is here and dramatically changing the world we inhabit, reminding us we are what we share, not what we own. We had lost the encouragement to be creative as we filled in the blanks on our handouts to complete the course objectives and I welcome the change even if the myriad of avenues for expression is overwhelming to me right now.

On the machine is us video I appreciated the format for assembling the video as well as the message at the end that reminds us that with this freedom comes entire areas of life to rethink, commerce, privacy, copyright, etc. Should be the first item to discuss with students as they embark on using web 2.0 in their classes and their lives. Michael Wesch also wisely reminds us that while students use it for entertainment, its true power is giving them the opportunity to create, share and participate in a community. I really enjoyed his comment about empowering students to use the media, not have the media use them. Brilliant to have students create the notes for the class. Makes me wonder how many educators are still having students copying from overhead projector or blackboard, and reminds me why I enrolled in this program...to help change that. gls