Updates for April 30, 2007 April 30, 2007
Posted by Matthew Woolums in updates.add a comment
I’ve updated a couple of sections today. Under the Tools section, I added a link to the Open Education Database list of 80 Open Education Resource (OER) Tools for Publishing and Development Initiatives.
http://oedb.org/library/features/80-oer-tools
Under the Associations section, I added a link to the Global Education Collaborative, a social networking site for K-20 educators interested in promoting global awareness.
http://globaleducation.ning.com/
I also added Lucy Gray’s Archive to the link collections in the blogroll. Lucy Gray is a Middle school computer science teacher and Apple Distinguished Educator. You can find out more from her blog, A Teacher’s Life. I find her links to be very helpful.
http://www.furl.net/members/elemenous#2007-04-27
A Whole New Mind April 28, 2007
Posted by Matthew Woolums in Book Review.add a comment
Just finished reading through Daniel Pink’s “A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future” Riverhead Books, the Berkley Publishing Group, ISBN 1-57322-308-5 or in paperback ISBN 1-59448-171-7. It presents a compelling case for moving beyond the left-brained standardized test world most of us live in, to a perspective that respects the creative, the transcendent. Education is stuck in the left-brain dominance of accountability, high stakes testing and more currently the drive to make decisions based on accumulations of data. It wasn’t that long ago that we were talking about the whole child, and this book reminds me that whole-brain thinking is a worthwhile goal.
After making the case for right-brain thinking, Daniel Pink goes on to describe six senses that comprise the right-brain world view. Each sense, design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning, seem to have a correlation to Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences. The book is structured so that each sense comes with portfolio or collection of examples and recommendations on how to activate that sense.
If you are interested in brain research, and the future of education and the role of technology, this book is certainly worth your time.
Who Watches the Watchers? April 26, 2007
Posted by Matthew Woolums in Articles/Videos.add a comment
CNET News is reporting that filter software maker Websense has offered to buy rival filter software maker SurfControl. Direct link to the report is listed below.
This sort of consolidation makes me wonder about the future of school-based Internet filters. Due to many government regulations tied to funding, filters are a common part of the Internet landscape in schools, but what happens when there if there is only one voice that determines what that filter should be? Is that a potentially dangerous development?
On a more practical side, what happens if the buyout goes through, and the large amount of debt eventually sinks the company? If large numbers of schools and districts rely on a product that goes out of business, where does that leave them for compliance?
http://news.com.com/2110-7350_3-6179677.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news
Magic Bus April 26, 2007
Posted by Matthew Woolums in Articles/Videos.add a comment
I was thinking to myself the other day that school busses should be wired for Internet access. Some commuter city busses are, so why not a school bus? Turns out someone else already had the idea. eSchool News online is reporting that school busses are getting wired. Read more from the link below. Any other places we need to have access?
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryRSS.cfm?ArticleID=7026
Podcasts and Language Acquisition April 20, 2007
Posted by Matthew Woolums in Articles/Videos.add a comment
I’m attending an Apple in Education seminar on podcasting with language acquisition as a focus. Below are a few observations from the session.
There are many terrific ideas, one in particular which I’ve always believed in, is the idea that when students are put in the role of teaching (in this case, producing content,) their level of understanding is significantly enhanced.
For many teachers in the room, this is their first ever experience with an iPod, let alone podcasting. The ideas are pouring from everyone as the potential for the use of this type of technology is explored. I’m encouraged by how involved everyone is.
ESLPOD is the home of the English as a Second Language Podcast. this site includes podcast learning guides, a teacher’s page, online access to hear or download the podcasts, and links to listen to the podcasts in iTunes.
Scripting is an essential part of the learning experience for podcasts in the classroom.
Civil Discourse or Censorship? April 9, 2007
Posted by Matthew Woolums in Articles/Videos, Opinion.add a comment
If you haven’t noticed, there is a growing discussion about the role of civility in blogs. Netiquette has always been a part of the Internet. Early adopters who cry foul over having their comments removed from a public blog would also complain about a new person in a community who wasn’t conforming to the social norms of that online community.
I think there is a place for teaching our students the importance of Netiquette. First of all, part of what we do is help students understand what behavior is and is not okay when interacting with others. Secondly, because everything on the Internet has a way of coming back to you, even after attempts to delete it, all individuals should carefully consider their digital legacy.
Suggested codes of conduct for bloggers (see links below) include items like ‘be responsible for your own words,’ ’speak up against misbehavior,’ and ‘take divisive arguments offline.’ I would like to suggest that one item missing from the proposed blogger codes of conduct is to respect copyright. Bloggers should not represent the work of other’s as their own.
Where do you stand on the issue? Is all speech protected? Is there a place in the classrooms to inculcate a value of civility?
Below are a few links that discuss the issue of online civility.
Tim O’Reilly’s O’Reilly Radar > Call for a Blogger’s Code of Conduct
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/03/call_for_a_blog_1.html
Talk:Blogger’s Code of Conduct
http://blogging.wikia.com/wiki/Blogger%27s_Code_of_Conduct
BlogHer > What are Your Community Guidelines
http://blogher.org/community-guidelines
iPods for Michigan students? April 6, 2007
Posted by Matthew Woolums in Articles/Videos.add a comment
C|NetNews.com is reporting on a proposed budget in the state of Michigan that includes a proposal to purchase a digital music player for every student. There is a lot of discussion these days about the use of iPods in education, but are we ready for every student to need one? Do you use iPods in your classroom? What do you use them for besides listening to music, or watching small screen videos?
http://news.com.com/2061-10801_3-6174170.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news
