02.04.08

NCLB - told the way it is

Posted in future paradigms tagged , , , at 9:14 pm by sbetts

I try not to rant too often in my blogging, but Wes Fryer said exactly what I was thinking during the State of the Union.

Starting with this paragraph:

NCLB has nothing to do with empowering parents. Instead, it is all about discrediting teachers and schools, and encouraging parents to distrust public schools and the educators which serve children within them. It is, of course, absolutely true our schools are filled with “boys and girls with dreams.” Sadly, the fear-dominated environment encouraged by high-stakes accountability achieves the OPPOSITE effect of providing “a decent education” for our students.

you must read the rest.

01.25.08

MySQL bought by Sun

Posted in future paradigms tagged , , , at 3:44 pm by sbetts

Just saw an article in Informationweek.com (from january) that Sun Microsystems has acquirted MySQL.  I hope that their commitment to open source continues as they make use of the wide-spread data base.  I know we use it for many of our open source apps.  — for $800 in cash and another $200 million in options…………..

11.01.07

Essential Learning Functions

Posted in future paradigms, web2.0 at 3:02 pm by sbetts

I am always searching for something to support what I intrinsically know - technology is a necessary tool essential to learning today. Comments on these:

 

Here’s an overview of eight essential— and enduring—learning functions to guide your project planning.

1. Ubiquity

Although ubiquity is not a learning function per se, it is an overarching and desirable quality of tools that support project-based learning. Anytime- anywhere access to information, Web-based productivity tools, and multiple communications options are especially suited to project-based learning.

Examples: portable computing devices, mobile phones, wireless Internet, Web-based mail and instant messaging, portable productivity with Web 2.0 applications

2. Deep Learning

Go beyond “filtered” information where meaning is made by others and help students find and make sense of “raw” information on the Web. Higher-order thinking is engaged when students have to analyze primary sources and digitized artifacts. They take learning deeper when they are asked to navigate, sort, organize, analyze, and make graphical representations in order to learn and express learning. Learners can interpret and make visual displays of the data they mine or collect with Web-based tools such as spreadsheets, relational data-bases, and chart and graph creators.

Examples: digitized versions of primary sources such as the American Memories Project (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem), or rich databases of real-time data, such as Worldometers (http://www.worldometers.info), with tickers continually updating data about world population, carbon emissions, hunger, and more

3. Making Things Visible and Discussable

A picture is worth a thousand words, and making thoughts and ideas visible and sharable is the first step in getting the conversation going. Digital tools help students conceptualize with mind maps; see things that are too big or too small or too fast or too slow for the naked eye; examine history through digital artifacts; express ideas through photography and multimedia; and conceptualize with graphical representations, modeling, animation and digital art.

Examples: Google Earth and other Web-based mapping sites, Web cams, photo-sharing sites, visual manipulatives, and modeling software

4. Expressing Ourselves, Sharing Ideas,Building Community

As the World Wide Web evolves from an information medium into a social medium, opportunities for expression continue to grow. Students using MySpace and instant messaging are accustomed to these forms of personal interaction. Imagine thparallels in school and ways students can use the Web to express their ideas and build society around shared interests.

Examples: class Web sites, blogs, wikis, and virtual worlds such as Second Life; tagging Web content and sharing tags with others

5. Collaboration

Tools abound that help us learn and teach together. Use exchange services to find experts or fellow learners. Use shared Web applications to plan and write together. Plan virtual experiences that allow learners to “meet” across distances. Use survey tools to take the pulse of the community.

Examples: wikis, Google Docs & Spreadsheets, podcasts and webinars, voice-over Internet protocol services (e.g., Skype), survey tools

6. Research

Internet research puts information literacy to the test. Quality directories, search engines with filtering, a variety of bookmark tagging tools, and citation engines help students make sense of and organize what they need from the ever-expanding Web.

Examples: ASK for Kids (http://www.askforkids.com), social bookmarking (e.g., Del.icio.us, http://www.del.icio.us.com), Citation Machine (http://citationmachine.net)

7. Project Management

Projects require students to manage time, work, sources, feedback from others, drafts, and products. A simple folder on the district server or a workspace in the school’s learning management system may suffice, but consider Web-based homepages or desktops that give students a space to work and associated tools (calendars, to-do lists) to help them plan and organize. They can get to their homepage from anywhere at any time.

Examples: Netvibes (http://www.netvibes.com), Protopage (http://www.protopage.com), Google IG (http://www.google.com/ig)

8. Reflection and Iteration

Deep learning happens when you examine your ideas from all sides and from other points of view. Reconsidering and reshaping ideas to bring them to high polish is the difference between yeoman and masterful work. Tools that support reflection and iterative development give learners the opportunity to shape and revise their work, and expose it to the critical feedback of others.

Examples: blogs (http://www.blogger.com, http://www.livejournal.com, many other free blog services) and wikis (http://www.wikispaces.com)

This is an excerpt from Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss in their upcom-ing book Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age, to be published by ISTE in November 2007

09.05.07

Educate not Block

Posted in future paradigms at 1:44 pm by sbetts

I was just taking a 5 minute free time to check out some of my “back reading” when I came across an article in Sept. 2007 eSchool News about students’ web safety.

The article describes a bill in the Senate, “Protecting Children in the 21st Century”, which require eRate schools to educate about appropriate online behavior! I was excited to read that it does not state to block, but to educate. It would direct the FTC to promote a nationwide public campaign to promote safe use of the internet by children. Also part of the bill is a requirement for the Commerce Dept. to establish an Online Safety and Technology Working Group. Finally a requirement for ISPs to report child pornography.

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In my opinion this is an approvement on DOPA - your comments are welcome

07.26.07

Evolution of the Web

Posted in future paradigms at 9:18 pm by sbetts

We are starting to get a handle on the 2.0. Now along comes the Semantic Web (3.0).
Here are how some “visionaries” are describing this next step:

“Semantic Web” technology is to let computers understand the nuances and relationships in information they encounter—in a way, say, that a human knows the difference between a baseball batter and cake batter. Nova Spivack of Radar Networks

EVolution of the Web - from zdnet.com

The recent launch of Freebase.com, the first application of the semantic web engine being developed by Danny Hillis’ new company, Metaweb.
Metaweb has slurped in the contents of several of the web’s freely accessible databases, including much of wikipedia, and song tracks from musicbrainz. It then turns its users loose on not just adding more data items but making connections between them by filling out meta tags that categorize or otherwise connect the data items, using a typology that can be extended by users, wiki-style. “reminds me of 7 degrees of separation being brought together”

“a web of data that can be processed directly and indirectly by machines.” Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web.
from Altova.com
It seems even more addictive than that old Read/Write stuff….



06.29.07

Refreshed

Posted in NECC, future paradigms, necc2007 at 8:51 pm by sbetts

Back from NECC and totally refreshed. The sessions were awesome and I blogged a few. However, the bloggers Cafe and the Open Source lab took a lot of my time. It is great to be emersed in technology and to be able to discuss paradigms and visions. Next year - San Diego.

I have started a new Ning site - hope many of you will join.

http://newlearning.ning.com


05.22.07

from video to Internet Tv

Posted in future paradigms, video, web2.0 at 9:30 am by sbetts

I have been playing around with video and voice blogging on my personal site using flash videos and mp3 recordings, and I have been following postings to TeacherTube by educators around the globe. How can this get any better? How about your own internet TV channel?

Operator11 and MITV (Make Internet TV) are two ways. You can produce your own video and turn it into subscribable (RSS) media with a few clicks. I really like MITV as it takes you step by step through the internet / video process. At the end of the post I will embed their intro video for you to get an idea of their philosophy.

They also have an active WIKI open to anyone to join - if you turn into a real junkie:

  • The MITV Wiki is a library of information about publishing video on the internet.
  • This site is a supplement to the Make Internet TV video producer’s guide, which is the best starting point for most topics.

How about a weekly show about your classroom? or a student project a week? this has great potential. Here is the intro video from the MITV site:

Make Internet TV: Introduction



03.21.07

Now it’s MY space

Posted in future paradigms, web2.0 at 2:11 pm by sbetts

from eSchoolnews.com

Lawmakers who voted for a bill to force schools and libraries receiving federal funds to block access to MySpace and other social-networking web sites on their computers are among those who have created personal profiles on a special section of MySpace dedicated to the 2008 presidential election. The apparent contradiction points to the difficulty faced by lawmakers and educators as they try to protect children and teens from the dangers lurking in cyberspace–and it underscores the problems that can occur when lawmakers, many of whom have a limited understanding of internet issues, seek to legislate behavior in the Information Age.
————
Just struck me as interesting - when it benefits me……….

If DOPA was firmly in place, these would all be blocked in libraries. How do we protect our children and yet be able to use these new communication tools?

03.14.07

Nothing like the human touch?

Posted in future paradigms at 9:17 am by sbetts

During a discussion (virtual) with fellow Maine educators on technology instruction and use for young children, several questions were posed.
quote –
The questions are these: What is the balance for using computers and other tech tools with young children versus human contact and hands-on work? How important is it that kids relate in groups working with actual math manipulatives vs. the excellent virtual manipulatives that are everywhere on the web now. How important is that eye-to-eye, tactile experience working with stuff. In short, what is developmentally appropriate? Where is the balance? What is our job as educators in this regard? –

My belief is that technology is a “tool” at every level. Nothing replaces the hands-on personal touch with developing children, but technology can enhance and at times transform their learning. Your example of the toddler sitting in your lap with the computer made me smile. Here is an example of a machine replacing the book in the “mentors” hands, but the child still getting the one-on-one attention and direction from the adult. There must be a balance between the virtual and the real. Part of our mission, as educators, is to use every tool available in advancing our students to adulthood.

Any discussion?

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03.09.07

Open Content Learning

Posted in OpenSource, future paradigms at 1:23 pm by sbetts

OERcommons.org

A new online content resource center, formally launched March 9 by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), will make more than 8,000 classroom materials available to teachers, faculty, and learners worldwide, at no cost.
The content on the site has been developed by faculty at colleges and universities, including Rice, Harvard, MIT, and the University of California-Berkeley. On the site, users can gather information on topics such as art, mathematics and statistics, and science and technology, targeted to grade levels ranging from primary school to post-secondary studies.

The march continues……

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