Remote Access

RSS in the Classroom

An RSS feed is like a window on the world, a lens through which we view a place, a person, or a situation. For these reasons it is very important when we are assigning feeds to students as required reading to closely consider why we are doing so. A major goal I have for students in my classroom is that they become more informed of different nations, cultures, and ways of living around the globe. Teaching young teenagers in a small community, my classroom is for some of them their first real contact with people from around the world so I need to be very careful about the impressions they form.

For example, most of my students would have very limited knowledge of life in Asia or Africa. They know bits and pieces about poverty and difficulties gleaned from glancing at tv commercials or picked up from friends or magazines, but that is mainly it. When I begin to require them to read blogs like Nata Village or Afrigadget, it gives them a deeper understanding of what these places are like from real sources of information. These choices of reading material that I have brought into my classroom are probably more important than any novel or other piece of writing they will work with in my room as they will spend much more time with them, often having to read something for months before I will allow them to remove a specific source from their feeds if they wish.

Also important with RSS in classrooms is the number and topics of feeds that are being used in a classroom. What topics are important enough that I want my kids to read about them on a regular basis? When I was stuck with print resources, I often had little choice. I was given certain novels in my classroom and I had access to a limited amount of magazines or newspapers that I could get information from to share with my class. But now with RSS, we can design a set of feeds on almost any topic. If I want them to be immersed in issues from Africa or Asia, we can find a number of quality feeds to work with. If we need blogs and sources about technology, or space, or scientific issues, we can find those as well. I locate a few base sources of information, the students find others and then I can put all of these feeds together onto a single iGoogle tab which I share with the class. Free information from authentic sources that is constantly updated on any topic of our choice.

It is always interesting to have students find blogs that may be conflicting in their views of a certain topic. When we looked at global warming earlier this year, students found dozens of different sources of information, many of them speaking passionately either about their belief in this issue or against it. I had people read both and then the debates raged before we came to some understanding as a class about our beliefs. Many students were very surprised to see the differences of opinions that were being raised and this gave them another window on how opinions form. Some of my students are also not impressed with me when I refuse to give them answers to questions like these as I want them to form their own opinions which I also ask them to defend based on evidence they have read.

Finding and organizing feeds and making time available to use them in classrooms mean changing our relationship with the information available to our students and as the model of access changes and our ability to bring in multiple points of view from around the globe expands, I'm left with many questions about helping students to see the world in new ways.

Image: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/78/211122147_2b36ba2003.jpg

Tags: RSS, classroom, afrigadget, nata village, igoogle

Who Knows Who?

Today I found a very cool little online application called tweetwheel. Just put in your twitter name and it maps the relationships of 100 people in your network. A hard to follow graphic at first glance, if you simply mouse over anyone's name, the connections light up allowing you to see who is connected to who.

What else was interesting to look through was the strong solid connections between people in my network and the points of difference. People like Dean Shareski, Sharon Peters and Darren Draper and I have many points of connection. But when I look at other parts of my network, I see that I am the only person I know following Make Magazine, Slashdot and Reuters.

This is the same type of mapping application I'd like to see available for teachers in classrooms. I'd love to be able to map the connections between kids in classrooms, to see the relationships and the developments. How many kids are working where? We are missing out on information we sorely need.

Tags: DeanShareski, Darren Draper, Sharon Peters, tweetwheel

Creating with Technology

I've owned a house for twelve years. Living in a small community with an overheated economy, if you want any work done around your place, this means a wait of approximately a year if you need a carpenter or any other type of skilled trades work done. This means that if you need something done, you need to figure out how to do it yourself. Having a father - in - law who could build a boat from 5 toothpicks and some tree sap of course helps as well. But I've learned a lot, and given the patience (which, after dealing with junior high kids all day is sometimes in short supply) I can build or fix almost anything I need to.

Over this same time period, I've seen a true resurgence in the interest of many people in the hands on creation of new gadgets and technologies. Make and Craft magazines and the Maker Faire exploded into our culture. Their blogs and podcasts are a source of constant new ideas if you are looking to build something. As well, I've read several times about the amazing tech shop that is in San Francisco. An amazing looking place, they were recently featured on boingboing tv:

This reminds me of a discussion I had a few weeks ago with a superintendent about technology. While making divisional technology plans, he wondered about the concentration of interest there has been around technology and computers. I asked him more and he said that he felt that technology education has revolved too much around computers and not enough around construction and science type projects; even simple ones like the building of kites, rockets, and balloons with kids.

Has there been a break in technology and education?

Are we concentrating too much on information related developments and not enough on the creation of new things? Kids love building stuff. Many schools run great robotics programs and Lego Mindstorms sets are loved by students worldwide. But by far, most of these things are done after school or at lunch hours as an extracurricular group or club. Have we been biased against these types of hands on projects and this type of education because we consider it to be "vocational" and this reduces our interest in it?

In our time, there are many high paying jobs relating to the handling of data and information. But there are many other developments and changes for those who can be innovative and creative with the "stuff" of technology: switchboards and circuit boards, memory chips and processors. When I taught younger grades one thing my classroom always had in it was something I called a take apart table. I would get old appliances and computers, old VCRs and broken coffee makers and put them in this place. With a few simple tools, kids could tear these things apart and discover a few new things. But moving into older grades, I've lost this space in my classroom. Yet being small town kids, my students often come in and talk about tearing apart old snowmachines and other engines that exist in their sheds and garages, they are interested.

This might be another important way to harness technology and education.

Tags: technology, classrooms, make, craft, boingboing, lego, mindstorms

Keep writing. We’re listening.

Keep writing. We’re listening.

This is the end of one of the comments that was left for Skye, one of the students in my class, on a post that she wrote after her mom came back from having Gamma knife surgery to remove a brain tumor.

She received a number of comments last time when she posted about her mom going out that she said were a great help to her. She needed to know that people were listening and that someone was listening.

This is one of the great things about blogging with teenagers. Being a teenager is hell. We all know. We all remember it. But with a blog, you can be in a small town or a large city and no matter what your interests are; be they the geekiest hobby that sets you on the margins of your place or something more mainstream, blogging gives them a chance to find a connection with people somewhere around the world.

Keep writing. We’re listening.

This is an important message that teens need to know.

Tags: blogging, classroom, teens, peers, contact

RSS Day

Did you know that today, May 1st is not only the May Day holiday, but is also RSS day?

No worries.

I didn't either until I picked it up from Lisa Thumann on Twitter.

But it is a good point. RSS is one of the major ways that 2.0 has changed the web. Information now is able to come to us instead of us having to sort through and check out dozens of different sites each day. When I first discovered RSS, I was simply amazed at the labour I was saving.

It is estimated that only 5.4% of internet users use this technology.

Amazing. I can't imagine going back to living without it.

Each of the kids in my classroom has an RSS account. In past years we've used Bloglines, but this year I moved over to iGoogle and I've been happy there. The interface is more interesting for kids and the ability to put together a page on an issue which we can share as a class has been great. When we study something, one of the first things we usually do is to find feeds we are interested in. I add a few required sources of information that I want the kids to work with and then we are off with our own automatically updated, free, and current textbook. But it is even one better then a textbook as we can write on our blogs or leave comments directly for the authors of these blogs, interacting with the people who actually are creating the information. No textbook I've ever seen allows for that type of model.

RSS is one of the cornerstones of the new web and it is one of those small easy things to do that always changes the way that people see the web.

Tags: LisaThumann, RSS day

Twittories and Instant Collaboration

After a month long wait, yesterday I finally received my copies of the twitter story called @manyvoices. Organized by George Mayo, (who has now moved into his next project, the online literary magazine for students called Space) this story, told on twitter by ten classes from all points around the globe was an "instant project" organized via twitter and email. Although I'm certain there was a lot of organizing and work behind the scenes that I never saw for this project as I was one of ten classrooms taking part and not a project organizer, George did a masterful job of getting people organized, to work, and then leading them through an editing process.

When these slim books showed up yesterday it made this project very real and powerful to me. Not that I hadn't valued it before, but for some reason, seeing these books in paper and print brought home what we had accomplished using a tool as simple as twitter. Think about it. Ten classes worldwide organized all by email and written on a free platform. Published on demand and distributed for only a few dollars to anyone who might be interested. We have come a very long way in only a few years.

This also has me thinking more about instant collaboration projects such as this one. Organized using twitter and email, more formal information communicated using a wiki and in a very short time, global collaborations emerge. The comment challenge currently being organized is the same type of project. Twitter, email, a wiki and collaboration grows. After my post yesterday on the student comment challenge, I am very glad to see that two more people have signed up. So far my class, Jody Hayes in New Zealand, and Shaun Fletcher, a fellow Canadian, are on board and we are looking for more. While these types of projects are often shorter in duration and less indepth then something lasting longer, I am wondering if they are also the difference between a lumbering multinational and an agile, fast moving start up. Projects that focus on the project, adding layers upon layers face a challenge in coming years. The knowledge and the understanding is different between instant collaborations and longer term projects, but for middle school and elementary students, the goals may be more related to collaboration, tool use and demonstrating the possibilities of using the web to work with others, there is a lot of value to dig into with these types of work.

Tags: GeorgeMayo, @manyvoices, Space, Shaun Fletcher, Jody Hayes

Student Comment Challenge

Commenting is an art that needs to be practiced, reflected upon and learned. Good commenting practices make for good blog citizens.

Kim Cofino and Sue Waters have begun the comment challenge for us as educators. The purpose is to get all of us commenting and thinking more, battling the twitch speed fo twitter with reflection and thought.

They have also started the comment challenge for students. I think this 30 day challenge is a great way to have students practice and reflect on their commenting practices. I added a few ideas to the student activities section of the wiki:

- Simply challenge students to leave the most comments for others in their class (give them comment starters so you don't end up with a bunch of "hi lols")
- Challenge them to leave the most comments on the blogs of students from others classes
- Challenge students to leave the longest comments
- Challenge students to leave comments for students in as many different places as possible (give each student a map or keep a classroom map that you can put push pins in
- Get students to find several (3-4?) students in other classes and work intensely with just these people, leaving repeated comments for them, beginning more indepth conversations
- Have students save all of their comments in one place (a google doc?) and at the end of the 30 days, have them evaluate how their comments have changed or improved, having them pick their best ones - a comment portfolio!

I've also added my name to the student groups page and so far (sniff!) I'm alone. So who else is interested in getting classes connected for this last portion of the year?

P.S. - I also think that this would be a great way to connect classes close to the beginning of the school year.

Tags: kimcofino, sue waters, comment challenge, education, blogs

Community and the Commons

As usual, David Jakes has me thinking. His post on the Tragedy of the Commons (which has 59 comments on it as of this publishing!) has led me to take some time to consider classrooms and how knowledge is constructed and shared; who makes it, who benefits, and how a knowledge economy and ecology functions in a classroom. David's post first explains the tragedy of the commons:

"Basically, it’s about the exploitation of a commonly shared resource. When all who share the resource play by the rules and share equally all benefit, while the resource generally remains intact and capable of sustaining future use. However, given human nature, a single member (or more) may eventually consume more of his/her share of the resource, prompting all to be more aggressive and utilize more, in an escalating pattern of consumption. Gradually, through this process the resource, or “The Commons,” is destroyed."

Physical resources are finite and can be used up. When all of the fish from a lake have been overused and overfished, outside resources need to be brought in to bear on the problem in order to solve it. If caught in time, if the resource has not been overused to a tipping point, there is still hope. When dealing with physical resources such as pastureland or a watersystem, the danger is immediately apparent. Greed ruins it for everyone.

But what about with resources that are not physical such as information or knowledge? Does the same danger apply?  I think it does.

Knowledge in a classroom is a communal resource. Together and over time, students gather and aggregate information, repackaging, repurposing, and rereleasing it for others in their network in many different ways. They may also create completely new information or create new resources which benefits everyone in the classroom or in their learning network. But just as with a physical resource, it must be used wisely. It must be shared freely and used freely. If only some members of a network  are contributing and creating, and others mainly consuming, this strikes an imbalance in the information ecology of the classroom. A careful balancing act must be recognised and struck by the teacher to manage an information commons they are supporting and helping to emerge.

In any network, some people contribute more new ideas and original content, while others consume and build upon what the first group has made. Giving them the freedome to do these things allows students to be individuals. But for teachers interested in creating spaces where there is some balance in the community and the knowledge it holds in common, this is an important idea to consider. The entire concept of a healthy information network and community in classrooms is a challenge. How does this change our role? What structures can we bring in to our classrooms to help this develop? What tools do we have available to us to measure the health of our communities? The importance of "community" and all that brings with it (helping others, being present for others when needed, rising to a challenge, chipping in to help out) is just as vital for knowledge based spaces as for those based on natural resources. A challenge for us as educators in this time.

 Image: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/117/276344173_0232998484.jpg

Tags: DavidJakes, community, commons, knowledge

News About Skye's Mom

Thanks to all who left comments for Skye, a student in my class whose mother recently discovered that she had a brain tumor (this is after beating cancer once already by the way).

Here is the most recent post from Skye:

-

(picture of my mom)(The thing in front of her face is NOT a mustache. Repeat: Not a mustache!!)    

 I have very good news about my mom. It is the 27th of April and my mom got back yesterday. Last week she went to Winnipeg for her surgery and didn’t get back until Saturday. She came back with 4 holes in her head but she was fine. We are still waiting to hear the results if they got it or not. Other than that we are thinking very positive about it. When she went into the surgery it was about 5am in the morning and when she got out it was about 1pm. Just to let you know she is doing good and is not all that sick anymore. If you have any more questions leave a comment and I can send them to my mom. All of the people who have sent me a comment on the blog about the surgery; thanks for all of your support and prayers. My mom also says thanks too!!=D

The Studio and The Master Learner

One of the most important things I've learned experimenting in my classroom is about ideas of studio. I've written about studio a number of times but now I'm thinking more about my role in this space. I started off wondering about professions where studios or studio like settings are common:

- artists
- designers
- architects

The themes of creativity and the concept of flex and flow in work schedules, creation and personal space are important. Flexible spaces that fit the individual or the team. Spaces that can change when needed. Time schedules that shift around personal needs help establish some of the atmosphere. The design of the space is important and something that is often sorely lacking in classrooms; including my own. I'm not sure how to tackle this. Laws state that students must be supervised at all times so creating any kind of learning space that is individual or personal is difficult.

The role of the person who is the leader in a studio is something that needs exploring. Studios often have "masters" who are in charge of "apprentices." The master directs the activity that is going on, offers help, direction, and critique. Apprentices in a studio have both rights and responsibilities. While supervised and directed, they are given the freedom to try out new ideas and experiment. In fact, they are encouraged to do these things.

So how does the role of being a master learner in a studio mesh with that of a teacher?

Often it doesn't. Or, it doesn't mesh with people's expectations of what being a teacher means in their experience. In my mind, being a master means being a learner. Each day and every day needs to be approached with an open mind and expectations of change and discovery. Being a master learner means allowing kids to explore, to sometimes fail, and often times to surprise me with their discoveries and their work. It means being open to new directions and new thoughts that might take us to places I had never thought of before. I struggle with finding a balance between directing activity and letting it emerge and flow. I aim in the direction of provincially mandated outcomes and strive to provide the direction that gets us there, but I'm also willing to miss. I believe that as a master learner I should promote questions and ideas, and even answers occasionally, but I often struggle with this as well.

I think there are advantages in small schools like my own where I have my kids basically all day. Our schedules change and flex as needed. We can talk, explore, experiment, and then enter intense periods of creation; long stretches of time where my role becomes mentor, guide, and point - of - first - critique. Working in large groups, small group tutorials or seminars and as individuals are all points that we can work across over a day or a week. Finding the balance between all of these combinations for kids as they need them is the challenge. Sometimes we are loud and boisterous. On other occasions we are completely silent, with everyone working individually. I find there is great value in being able to read the mood of my classroom as a whole.

I believe that the idea of a classroom being a creative studio holds a lot of potential for the type of learning we'd like to happen for our time. As teachers, we  have much to learn about them and about the people who can lead one of these spaces effectively.

Tags: studio, learning