The 21st century presents challenges to teachers and students alike. One challenge is making school relevant to students. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has a framework for combining student outcomes with twenty-first century standards, assessments, curriculum, instruction, professional development and learning environments for today’s students.
The link to this framework is
http://www.p21.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=120
The mission of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills states that there is a gap between what students learn in school and what they need in the workplace. The framework seeks to align the classroom better with the real world. The range of skills is broad and incorporates many areas that would be beneficial for students to learn. The skills are a partnership between business, community, government, and education. The framework seeks to show students the value of what they are learning and promotes collaborative environments to prepare them for the working environment. By utilizing project learning, students learn to work together and learn from each other. The framework is not all about collaboration though. It attempts to combine the 3 Rs and 4 Cs. The 3 Rs are actually ten subject areas, and the 4 Cs are critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration; and creativity and innovation.
Searching with Google
Searching
Finding information on Google requires skill in searching. Advanced search features can help narrow the search to specific words, dates, domains, formats and more. I recently discovered that a person can search for specific file formats, such as PowerPoints or pdfs. I also found out about related searches, wonder wheel, and the timeline that are on the left side of a Google search result page. Also, that is where you will find many great ways to limit or focus your search by selecting more under the heading Everything.
The following video explains more search tips that may be new to some of you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtirDMfcOKE
If you are reluctant to have students use Google, you can even create a custom search engine to focus on safe sites. This can be found at http://www.google.com/cse/
Evaluating Websites
When you search Google for research information, it is necessary to evaluate the websites for reliability and bias. The steps for evaluating Google websites are:
1. First check the domain. Reliable domains are .gov, .edu, and .mil.
2. Check who is putting out the information. Determine the purpose of the website. (Make sure the website is not a hoax.)
3. Determine if there is a bias to the information.
4. See when the page was last updated.
5. Check to see if any links are provided to determine reliability of sources.
The following tutorial is helpful in understanding how to evaluate websites: http://library.albany.edu/usered/webeval/
Finding information on Google requires skill in searching. Advanced search features can help narrow the search to specific words, dates, domains, formats and more. I recently discovered that a person can search for specific file formats, such as PowerPoints or pdfs. I also found out about related searches, wonder wheel, and the timeline that are on the left side of a Google search result page. Also, that is where you will find many great ways to limit or focus your search by selecting more under the heading Everything.
The following video explains more search tips that may be new to some of you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtirDMfcOKE
If you are reluctant to have students use Google, you can even create a custom search engine to focus on safe sites. This can be found at http://www.google.com/cse/
Evaluating Websites
When you search Google for research information, it is necessary to evaluate the websites for reliability and bias. The steps for evaluating Google websites are:
1. First check the domain. Reliable domains are .gov, .edu, and .mil.
2. Check who is putting out the information. Determine the purpose of the website. (Make sure the website is not a hoax.)
3. Determine if there is a bias to the information.
4. See when the page was last updated.
5. Check to see if any links are provided to determine reliability of sources.
The following tutorial is helpful in understanding how to evaluate websites: http://library.albany.edu/usered/webeval/
Online Bookmarks
Having a web-based bookmarking system is convenient for accessing your bookmarks from any computer, whether you are at work or at home. Gone are the days of frustration over trying to remember sites you have used or which computer you saved the sites to. Currently, there are various online bookmarking sites available. These include:
1. http://delicious.com/
Delicious is easy to use and allows you to store your sites and add keywords or tags to them to organize them. It is easy to search for other sites with the same tags, so it can be used as a type of search engine also.
2. http://www.diigo.com/
Diigo is also easy to use. It has great features, such as sticky notes and highlighting. If you bookmark an article, you can pull it up and put sticky notes on it and highlight passages. It can also be shared, so a group could collaborate on it.
3. http://www.ikeepbookmarks.com/
This site was not as easy to use and kept giving me error messages. However, once you actually sign up, you do not have to install anything as you do with Delicious and Diigo. You can share and search within this site, so it has useful features.
4. https://www.google.com/bookmarks/
The Google bookmark site is not as diverse as the others. That is why I like to use it to bookmark sites I frequently use. Because you do not share it nor make it public, it is much simpler than the other sites, which are social bookmarking sites.
1. http://delicious.com/
Delicious is easy to use and allows you to store your sites and add keywords or tags to them to organize them. It is easy to search for other sites with the same tags, so it can be used as a type of search engine also.
2. http://www.diigo.com/
Diigo is also easy to use. It has great features, such as sticky notes and highlighting. If you bookmark an article, you can pull it up and put sticky notes on it and highlight passages. It can also be shared, so a group could collaborate on it.
3. http://www.ikeepbookmarks.com/
This site was not as easy to use and kept giving me error messages. However, once you actually sign up, you do not have to install anything as you do with Delicious and Diigo. You can share and search within this site, so it has useful features.
4. https://www.google.com/bookmarks/
The Google bookmark site is not as diverse as the others. That is why I like to use it to bookmark sites I frequently use. Because you do not share it nor make it public, it is much simpler than the other sites, which are social bookmarking sites.
Google Docs
I could not get along without my Google Docs account, both professionally and personally. I first used Google Presentation in the spring of 2008 as a collaborative tool for a group project for my first master’s class. Since that time I have accumulated 100 items in my Google Docs account. Because it is web-based, I often type in it since I can then work on it at home or at school.
As a school librarian, I push Google Docs and Google Presentation for student use, especially when they have to collaborate with others on a project. Since it is a free online word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program for creating, storing, collaborating, and sharing, it is very useful in an educational setting. When students collaborate in Google Docs, the teacher is able to see exactly what each student has done by checking the revision history. The website Google for Educators has many helpful ideas for using Google. http://www.google.com/educators/index.html .
Check out the following pdf. which explain many uses of Google Docs in the classroom:http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.google.com/en/us/educators/learning_materials/necc_docs_spreadsheets.pdf
Professionally, the librarian in another building in my district collaborated with me to rewrite our school library manual using Google Docs. Also, my library aide and I share a budget spreadsheet and lists of books sent to our alternative school.
Personally, I have used it to help my son run for the North Dakota State Legislature. I showed him Google spreadsheet. He then set up spreadsheets for the campaign budget, addresses, and yard signs and shared them with various people.
Another personal collaborative use is for my daughter’s upcoming wedding. She created her address list as a spreadsheet and then shared it with my husband and me and with her future in-laws. Since we all live in different states, this was an easy way to get the invitation list. She also used Google Docs for nine other wedding items including her wedding budget and RSVP list.
As a school librarian, I push Google Docs and Google Presentation for student use, especially when they have to collaborate with others on a project. Since it is a free online word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program for creating, storing, collaborating, and sharing, it is very useful in an educational setting. When students collaborate in Google Docs, the teacher is able to see exactly what each student has done by checking the revision history. The website Google for Educators has many helpful ideas for using Google. http://www.google.com/educators/index.html .
Check out the following pdf. which explain many uses of Google Docs in the classroom:http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.google.com/en/us/educators/learning_materials/necc_docs_spreadsheets.pdf
Professionally, the librarian in another building in my district collaborated with me to rewrite our school library manual using Google Docs. Also, my library aide and I share a budget spreadsheet and lists of books sent to our alternative school.
Personally, I have used it to help my son run for the North Dakota State Legislature. I showed him Google spreadsheet. He then set up spreadsheets for the campaign budget, addresses, and yard signs and shared them with various people.
Another personal collaborative use is for my daughter’s upcoming wedding. She created her address list as a spreadsheet and then shared it with my husband and me and with her future in-laws. Since we all live in different states, this was an easy way to get the invitation list. She also used Google Docs for nine other wedding items including her wedding budget and RSVP list.
Online Resources for Teaching
I recently spent two days attending a Google Workshop for Educators in Minot. There are many amazing and useful free tools in Google that educators can use to enhance their teaching. Here are a few that I will share with my high school staff. However, these tools can be used for any age group.
If you look at only one link in my post, make it this one. This is a YouTube video of the history of war from WWII to the present told through the foods of the country. Interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-yldqNkGfo
1. Google Earth
Google Earth is a free download available from Google. Within Google Earth are many useful tools to go along with different curricular areas. Below is a site with a slide show of possible uses.
http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/GeogP/gearthplan/
Another site that I know the language arts department will use is Google Lit Trips.
http://www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/Home.html
One trip correlates with The Odyssey, which grade nine teaches. The trip will take you to the Google Earth view of the various settings of The Odyssey and show actual photographs of places. It traces the entire voyage. That is just one example. Other lit trips that correlate with my school curriculum include Night and The Grapes of Wrath. There are also many uses for history, for example, taking students to actual battlefields. The uses are endless, and you can find many more by Googling Google Earth lessons. However, I warn you that once you get in, you will be jumping all over the world looking at places. It is fun.
2. Picasa
Picasa is a free web-based application that you can use to organize, edit, and share photos. It also allows you to create slideshows with captions. The program offers simple editing tools, such as getting rid of red eye, changing color settings, changing tones, for example to sepia tones, writing captions, and zooming in. Teachers through elementary students would be able to use this. Uses would include using photos and slide shows for projects and reports and sharing these. Students can create collages from original photos or free access photos from the web. These can be used in any class including social studies, language arts, and art. What makes Picasa better than Google Presentation is the ability to edit and enhance the photos. The first site below has ideas for uses of Picasa. A good link on this site is Picasa (and Photo Story) in Education. Because this is free and web-based it is an alternative to I-movie.
http://picasained.wikispaces.com/
3. YouTube
YouTube is a great 21st century tool, both as a resource for teachers and as a tool for students. Below is a nice article with an overview of YouTube in the classroom.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/dyck/dyck016.shtml
Many videos are educational lessons. Below is a link to educational videos on YouTube. I have looked at many videos to help me prepare lessons I teach to sophomores on evaluating websites in Google searches. My husband frequently uses lessons in speech class. It is another tool for presenting lessons.
http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/100-best-youtube-videos-for-teachers/
Another good article for how to use YouTube is below. The article lists safe ways to use YouTube videos in class.
http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/you-tube-in-the-classroom-ways-you-can-say-yes/
Check out all the videos in TeacherTube. As you find wonderful videos, you can create an account in YouTube to save your favorites. If you want to show a portion of a video, here is a link that shows you how to do that.
http://www.tubechop.com/
If you want students to access YouTube, there is a safety feature you can activate. Here is a link to a YouTube video on the safety feature.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWO5f7IsKY8
High school students love to post their own videos in YouTube. That is a way to create web-based videos without worrying about compatibility issues. Also, if you want student videos posted but made private, on May 12 an unlisted video feature was started in YouTube. This would be great for school assignments. Here is a link on how to create unlisted videos.
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=181547
If you look at only one link in my post, make it this one. This is a YouTube video of the history of war from WWII to the present told through the foods of the country. Interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-yldqNkGfo
1. Google Earth
Google Earth is a free download available from Google. Within Google Earth are many useful tools to go along with different curricular areas. Below is a site with a slide show of possible uses.
http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/GeogP/gearthplan/
Another site that I know the language arts department will use is Google Lit Trips.
http://www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/Home.html
One trip correlates with The Odyssey, which grade nine teaches. The trip will take you to the Google Earth view of the various settings of The Odyssey and show actual photographs of places. It traces the entire voyage. That is just one example. Other lit trips that correlate with my school curriculum include Night and The Grapes of Wrath. There are also many uses for history, for example, taking students to actual battlefields. The uses are endless, and you can find many more by Googling Google Earth lessons. However, I warn you that once you get in, you will be jumping all over the world looking at places. It is fun.
2. Picasa
Picasa is a free web-based application that you can use to organize, edit, and share photos. It also allows you to create slideshows with captions. The program offers simple editing tools, such as getting rid of red eye, changing color settings, changing tones, for example to sepia tones, writing captions, and zooming in. Teachers through elementary students would be able to use this. Uses would include using photos and slide shows for projects and reports and sharing these. Students can create collages from original photos or free access photos from the web. These can be used in any class including social studies, language arts, and art. What makes Picasa better than Google Presentation is the ability to edit and enhance the photos. The first site below has ideas for uses of Picasa. A good link on this site is Picasa (and Photo Story) in Education. Because this is free and web-based it is an alternative to I-movie.
http://picasained.wikispaces.com/
3. YouTube
YouTube is a great 21st century tool, both as a resource for teachers and as a tool for students. Below is a nice article with an overview of YouTube in the classroom.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/dyck/dyck016.shtml
Many videos are educational lessons. Below is a link to educational videos on YouTube. I have looked at many videos to help me prepare lessons I teach to sophomores on evaluating websites in Google searches. My husband frequently uses lessons in speech class. It is another tool for presenting lessons.
http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/100-best-youtube-videos-for-teachers/
Another good article for how to use YouTube is below. The article lists safe ways to use YouTube videos in class.
http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/you-tube-in-the-classroom-ways-you-can-say-yes/
Check out all the videos in TeacherTube. As you find wonderful videos, you can create an account in YouTube to save your favorites. If you want to show a portion of a video, here is a link that shows you how to do that.
http://www.tubechop.com/
If you want students to access YouTube, there is a safety feature you can activate. Here is a link to a YouTube video on the safety feature.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWO5f7IsKY8
High school students love to post their own videos in YouTube. That is a way to create web-based videos without worrying about compatibility issues. Also, if you want student videos posted but made private, on May 12 an unlisted video feature was started in YouTube. This would be great for school assignments. Here is a link on how to create unlisted videos.
http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=181547
Hotlists, Multimedia Scrapbooks, Treasure Hunts, and Subject Samplers
These are my personal reflections on Web 2.0 teaching strategies.
A. Hotlists
1. Paper lists would not be my choice because of the potential for loss and inaccessibility.
2. Bookmarks would not be my choice either for sharing with students although I could create bookmarks in a bookmarking site. If students need a password, they may forget it.
3. Links from a school page would be my choice because of accessibility
I currently have a short list of links on my school library web page. Other links students use for resources are already listed on the district student page. The problem with using my web page for links is that it is so far in the school district pages that many students do not use it. On my own web page I have links to the statewide databases, the school online catalog, and the Minot Public Library catalog. However, the library is no longer just about books; it is about finding information. That means having links for students to use. Future links I am considering are links to citation help and other resources for research, such as fact checking sites and government sites. In addition, I would like to create lists of free images that students could use that would not be copyrighted. These lists work best when linked from the district page to the library pages. I also like to create links to help teachers. A couple years ago I collaborated with the biology department and found a number of websites the students could use for the animal adaptation unit. The biology teacher put the links on her home page, which students were accustomed to using for research help. However, one problem with links is that you must constantly check them to ensure that they are still working.
B. Multimedia Scrapbook
As the library media specialist I do not use multimedia scrapbooks myself; however, teachers may use different versions of them. Because of that I need to be aware of the uses so that I am able to help students when they are in the library working on the assignment. I have helped students with Glogster, but most students use Keynote or Google Presentation and incorporate sound, video, and images. In the past couple years assignments from various teachers have included making brochures, producing a personal scrapbook, creating a poetry poster using Glogster, creating a CD cover with music, and various presentation assignments. I help students with various aspects of uploading images or embedding videos or transitional elements. As the library media specialist my concern is how to teach students to use noncopyrighted material for their nonprint use in an ethical manner. Also, I am a trouble-shooter and help students with their use of technology.
C. Treasure Hunt
I do not have personal experience with the treasure hunt. At the secondary level students do use a form of the treasure hunt in current events. The current events teachers will have a series of questions for students to answer and direct them to specific websites, usually news sources, for their answers. I do know that these are time-consuming for the current events teachers because the topic is constantly changing and the treasure hunt is not often used again. information. I am not sure if these treasure hunts end with a “big question” or not. I have seen some treasure hunts online that are the Internet equivalent of filling in the blanks on a worksheet. I do not think that merely answering a series of questions is a higher level thinking activity. Synthesizing the information is the important factor.
D. Subject Sampler
I had not heard of the subject sampler, so I did some research on it. One key element that seems to distinguish it from other strategies is its relationship to the affective domain. For example, I found a subject sampler on what it means to be an Australian and the need for a personal connection for learning to take place. I am in agreement on the correlation between personal connection and learning. In biology students research and formulate responses and opinions, many of which would be influenced by their personal connections to the subject. The research on human sexuality could be to research the different methods of birth control and then choose and support that which would be the best. Another search involved researching a topic, such as stem cell transplants, and formulating an opinion based on the information. The student’s personal connection to the topic, whether through a family member receiving a stem cell transplant or religious beliefs, would affect their answers. The teachers and the text give websites to the students, but they are free to use others also. When the students are in the library, I offer help on which databases to use for research or which websites are trustworthy.
All the strategies listed above are utilized in some manner in research at my school. As a library media specialist I use only the hotlist, but I help teachers and students with all types Internet searching, and I am involved with a variety of curricular assignments because of student use of the library’s computers for research.
Some assignments students do are aided by giving them websites to use, for example many of the biology assignments. However, other assignments, such as language arts research papers, are teaching the skill of finding information, so giving students websites then would not be beneficial to them. Either way my goals are to help students become better at finding and evaluating information and at using information ethically and to help teachers develop the resources they need to teach students. These goals can be reached by using these online strategies.
A. Hotlists
1. Paper lists would not be my choice because of the potential for loss and inaccessibility.
2. Bookmarks would not be my choice either for sharing with students although I could create bookmarks in a bookmarking site. If students need a password, they may forget it.
3. Links from a school page would be my choice because of accessibility
I currently have a short list of links on my school library web page. Other links students use for resources are already listed on the district student page. The problem with using my web page for links is that it is so far in the school district pages that many students do not use it. On my own web page I have links to the statewide databases, the school online catalog, and the Minot Public Library catalog. However, the library is no longer just about books; it is about finding information. That means having links for students to use. Future links I am considering are links to citation help and other resources for research, such as fact checking sites and government sites. In addition, I would like to create lists of free images that students could use that would not be copyrighted. These lists work best when linked from the district page to the library pages. I also like to create links to help teachers. A couple years ago I collaborated with the biology department and found a number of websites the students could use for the animal adaptation unit. The biology teacher put the links on her home page, which students were accustomed to using for research help. However, one problem with links is that you must constantly check them to ensure that they are still working.
B. Multimedia Scrapbook
As the library media specialist I do not use multimedia scrapbooks myself; however, teachers may use different versions of them. Because of that I need to be aware of the uses so that I am able to help students when they are in the library working on the assignment. I have helped students with Glogster, but most students use Keynote or Google Presentation and incorporate sound, video, and images. In the past couple years assignments from various teachers have included making brochures, producing a personal scrapbook, creating a poetry poster using Glogster, creating a CD cover with music, and various presentation assignments. I help students with various aspects of uploading images or embedding videos or transitional elements. As the library media specialist my concern is how to teach students to use noncopyrighted material for their nonprint use in an ethical manner. Also, I am a trouble-shooter and help students with their use of technology.
C. Treasure Hunt
I do not have personal experience with the treasure hunt. At the secondary level students do use a form of the treasure hunt in current events. The current events teachers will have a series of questions for students to answer and direct them to specific websites, usually news sources, for their answers. I do know that these are time-consuming for the current events teachers because the topic is constantly changing and the treasure hunt is not often used again. information. I am not sure if these treasure hunts end with a “big question” or not. I have seen some treasure hunts online that are the Internet equivalent of filling in the blanks on a worksheet. I do not think that merely answering a series of questions is a higher level thinking activity. Synthesizing the information is the important factor.
D. Subject Sampler
I had not heard of the subject sampler, so I did some research on it. One key element that seems to distinguish it from other strategies is its relationship to the affective domain. For example, I found a subject sampler on what it means to be an Australian and the need for a personal connection for learning to take place. I am in agreement on the correlation between personal connection and learning. In biology students research and formulate responses and opinions, many of which would be influenced by their personal connections to the subject. The research on human sexuality could be to research the different methods of birth control and then choose and support that which would be the best. Another search involved researching a topic, such as stem cell transplants, and formulating an opinion based on the information. The student’s personal connection to the topic, whether through a family member receiving a stem cell transplant or religious beliefs, would affect their answers. The teachers and the text give websites to the students, but they are free to use others also. When the students are in the library, I offer help on which databases to use for research or which websites are trustworthy.
All the strategies listed above are utilized in some manner in research at my school. As a library media specialist I use only the hotlist, but I help teachers and students with all types Internet searching, and I am involved with a variety of curricular assignments because of student use of the library’s computers for research.
Some assignments students do are aided by giving them websites to use, for example many of the biology assignments. However, other assignments, such as language arts research papers, are teaching the skill of finding information, so giving students websites then would not be beneficial to them. Either way my goals are to help students become better at finding and evaluating information and at using information ethically and to help teachers develop the resources they need to teach students. These goals can be reached by using these online strategies.
Blogs in Education
Blogging is a wonderful way to collaborate online and to communicate. Additionally, having students write blogs gives authenticity to their assignments. Here are links to blogs that are educational blogs.
http://kathyschrock.net/edtechblogs.htm
http://bestonlinemastersdegrees.com/2010/top-50-education-technology-blogs/
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2010/07/web-20-classroom.html
http://web20intheclassroom.blogspot.com/2008/01/blogging-in-classroom-why-how-and-lots.html
I have mixed feelings about the use of social networking tools in an educational setting. I think a lot about today’s teenagers, education, and their personal lives and how the three affect each other.
Generation Z or the Net Generation, those born in the mid 1990s or later, have been raised with computers and the Internet. They use social media as a primary means of socialization unlike past generations where meeting somewhere or talking on the phone was a means of socialization. This means that our educational system is not keeping up with the out of school lives of its students.
There is no doubt that students will spend more time learning via the computer and that they will spend more time on social networks than any previous generation, but how do we educators use this as an advantage in education? We need to use social networking to enhance an educational experience instead of just using it for the sake of social networking. For example, using educationally protected blogs is an effective means of communicating online. Students are becoming more comfortable with sharing online than in a classroom setting. Blogs can address this strength. Skyping with someone from across the globe can be easily done. Imagine a class talking to students in a foreign country via Skype. What a great learning tool. The power of social networking in education lies in the hands of the teachers who design and monitor the lessons. The learning taking place is more important than the social network being used. The collaboration and reach of social networking sites can be a tremendous educational advantage.
http://kathyschrock.net/edtechblogs.htm
http://bestonlinemastersdegrees.com/2010/top-50-education-technology-blogs/
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2010/07/web-20-classroom.html
http://web20intheclassroom.blogspot.com/2008/01/blogging-in-classroom-why-how-and-lots.html
I have mixed feelings about the use of social networking tools in an educational setting. I think a lot about today’s teenagers, education, and their personal lives and how the three affect each other.
Generation Z or the Net Generation, those born in the mid 1990s or later, have been raised with computers and the Internet. They use social media as a primary means of socialization unlike past generations where meeting somewhere or talking on the phone was a means of socialization. This means that our educational system is not keeping up with the out of school lives of its students.
There is no doubt that students will spend more time learning via the computer and that they will spend more time on social networks than any previous generation, but how do we educators use this as an advantage in education? We need to use social networking to enhance an educational experience instead of just using it for the sake of social networking. For example, using educationally protected blogs is an effective means of communicating online. Students are becoming more comfortable with sharing online than in a classroom setting. Blogs can address this strength. Skyping with someone from across the globe can be easily done. Imagine a class talking to students in a foreign country via Skype. What a great learning tool. The power of social networking in education lies in the hands of the teachers who design and monitor the lessons. The learning taking place is more important than the social network being used. The collaboration and reach of social networking sites can be a tremendous educational advantage.
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