Moving My Professional Stuff Here

Well, It looks like it is really true that I will be going back into the classroom soon. Due to the intransigence of the government of the State of Michigan, media specialists are about to become as rare as hen's teeth in Dearborn. Due to this change, I have decided to move my comments about professional learning and digital tools to this blog, which I used for the Twenty-Three Things project. All is not gloom and doom. I have been participating in a great new SCOPE seminar about digital identity . Cindy Underhill also offered up Dave White's excellent video presentation about digital visitors vs. digital residents , which is a different way of fraiming the digital natives vs. digital immigrants discussion that appears to make more sense , as is catagorizes by type of use and function as opposed to age, whihc was never a very good marker, in my middel-aged opinion. so if you know of a school or university some where warm that needs a net saavy middle-aged person for media or technolgy work, give thwm my name.

Thing 23- What is the Take Away?

First of all, thank you 23 Things team. This was a well designed and enjoyable educational experience, thanks to your hard work.
I'm done with the assignments, but not with the course. Web 2.0 is first and foremost about community and collaboration, so I will continue to read others' blogs and comment on them, in the hopes of provoking more conversation about technology and its place in our schools. I found and learned to use several great new tech tools and I do love a good tech tool to play with. You can never get bored with your teaching and seldom bore your students if you play with every new tool that comes down the pike. Even better, you can get them to play with you and teach you their tech tricks. The new education world is just as flat as the economic world. Play is important in 21st century learning world, too.
On the downside, most administrators just cannot grasp classroom 2.0. The need to be above teachers and students and be able to have "control". The fact that their "control" is and illusion which interferes with authentic teaching and learning is not enough to get them to change. I hate to repeat a statement I heard once about a church, I think my school district is a few good funerals (or at least retirements) from doing a really super job. In the 21st century, the reality is change or die, and I think public education is facing that same challenge. We can't educate 21st century learners in 19th century factory model schools. The factory has transformed itself to survive, and schools must do the same.

Thing 22 - Downloading Video

I think this is the perfect video to conclude my RESA 23 Things experience. It is a great mashup of Web 2.0 sources of various types, which together work to give a strong message about what we need in today's classroom.

I hope all the 23 things participants take this message to heart and consider trying something new and exciting in their schools. Web 2.0 does require a certain, somewhat scary, relinquishing of control. But contrary to popular belief in some circles, kids refuse to learn from dictators. They learn much more when they have some control and choices in the learning experience. The future belongs to the creative. If we really want the best for our students, and I truly believe most educators do, we have to model risk taking and creativity. That is where their economic future lies.
By the way, I found Zamzar to be a fabulous tool. It will be the tool of the century, if it can get Youtube videos around the the Webcensorship software at school.

Thing 21 - Video Sharing

I love Youtube. I realize there are some inappropriate things there and many very silly things , as well, but once again wholesale blocking doesn't teach anyone how to choose the good stuff. It just means they watch all the stupid and raunchy stuff at home. I dabble in machinima and though I really have a long way to go, I'd like to share this presentation i made at a staff meeting with all of you.

Video sharing has so much potential. I must admit that my district has at least set up an internal videosharing site, which is certainly better than nothing. Unfortunately, these limited little chunks just make me realize what I am missing in the wider web and how great some of it could be in the classroom.

Thing 20- RSS revisited

I did subscribe to another news feed from Freep and another delicious tag feed. I spent a bit of time on clean up, but I must admit both my delicious and my Google reader accounts could use some serious attention. I guess I will add that to my long list of summer projects. In particular, as I stated a few posts ago, my tags need major work. I know that good tagging can make finding things much simpler and my mediocre tags cost me lots of lost time. So 23 lashes with a wet noodle for me, if I don't clean them up before Labor Day. Fellow 23 Things participants feel free to check out my delicious tags at http://del.icio.us/calvamom and send me nasty comments and emails if I don't get to work soon.

Thing 17 -Slideshare

I have been an avid Slideshare consumer for a while. I finally signed up for an account, but I still haven't uploaded any slides because my good presentations are on my work computer, where once again the application for RESA 23 is blocked by your favorite application and mine Websense (or Webnonsense, as it is commonly referred to here). I will create something worthwhile to add over the summer, as I have to be a taker and not give back. I did really like this presentation very much. The new web is all about people and relationships and synergy. This slideshow illustrate s that well.

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Del.icio.us - Thing 19

My del.icio.us username is calvamom. In fact, I use that name in most public web 2.o apps. I have been using the del.icio.us for several years. I have found it most useful for sharing with peers and setting up sets of web resources for teachers or classes in my school. One quick link can get them a whole set of good things at any computer with internet. The open nature which lets anyone see your tags anywhere is, in my opinion, one of its greatest strengths. It also makes it easy to find good related things by looking at who else bookmarked the resources you think are "best" in a particular subject. Those people have often found other very good things. These days (and maybe it always was) it is all about good, smart connections. I joined the Social Media Mafia group in Facebook just to make connections and pick the brains of the smart young social media guys. The added thing about social media is that you also feel an obligation to the community to share good things yourself and be a useful part of the community. At least for me, this spurs me on to work harder and smarter to locate and share good resources, so that I will get some in return. The synergy allows me to do more with less. In today's education world, that can only be a good thing.