Ideas needed for High School Web 2.0 Apps Class

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Davis on August 23, 2008 at 7:14pm

Hi Lisa,
I love the cooltoolsforschool site. It is perfect for what I am doing. I love it. You know I'm always around to talk. Email me if you want to make a phone date.
Miss you.
-Liz

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Davis on August 23, 2008 at 12:57pm

Thanks for everyone's ideas so far. I have started a syllabus. you can see it here. Obviously it is a work in progress. I welcome your ideas and suggestions.
Thanks.
-Liz
P.S. Also feel free to use this as a resource for your own purposes.

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Permalink Reply by loonyhiker on August 23, 2008 at 4:26pm

Maybe you can frame it like the Flat Classrooms project - only using your students to do the projects. I like how they use the tools to make an end product.

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Permalink Reply by Mari Hobkirk on August 23, 2008 at 5:45pm

Liz -
A teacher in my district is doing this, and she wrote some great curriculum last year. Here is a link to her class site http://skillsworthlearning.com/jblack/2%20comp%20apps%20folder/comp... I'm sure Janni would love to coordinate on some stuff. Her user name on Twitter and most every thing else is jdblack64. You could also email her at jblack@jeffco.k12.co.us

If I were still in the classroom I would be wanting to coordinate. Hope this works out you and Janni would be a formidable pair!!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Davis on August 23, 2008 at 6:42pm

Thanks this is awesome. I wish I could see more than just August. I will get in touch with her.

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Permalink Reply by Steve O'Connor on August 23, 2008 at 5:56pm

Please include free and open source applications: WordPress and other blogging platforms, MediaWiki & other wiki engines, Elgg, Drupal, Pligg, Posh, rnews, CopperMine, Gallery...

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Permalink Reply by J Black on August 23, 2008 at 6:31pm

Liz -

I started just such a class two semesters ago - high school level Web 2.0 class. I'd love to share with you what I'm doing, though I am constantly changing it to reflect the changes we see in Web 2.0 as we go. Mari left my website address for you, http://skillsworthlearning.com, and there you can find a hyperlink to my class (I have to call it Computer Apps -- long story) and my contact info. Would love to work with you and pick your brain on this topic. My primary focus is to show students the immense power shift that has occurred with these tools -- from being only consumers, to being consumers AND producers of information/content. Also, I have my students look at using Web 2.0 tools for social good, and center one of their major projects around using these tools to promote awareness for a self-chosen important topic. Contact me -- let's talk. :)

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Permalink Reply by Lori Burch on August 23, 2008 at 7:41pm

I haven't done this with K-12 students but offer a similar course as PD for teachers and other staff. One of the first things they learn about is blogging and they have to create a blog to use for the course. Then for each lesson they have an assignment that often requires them to post to their blog about what they learned as well as requiring them to comment to at least 2 other classmates' blog posts on the same topic.

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Permalink Reply by Maureen Tumenas on August 23, 2008 at 9:17pm

Hi LIz
Miss seeing you on Twitter- are you on Plurk most of the time now? I did a web 2.0 project with my 8th graders last year and will continue it this year as well. I made a wiki and had them evaluate web tools for use in school. They used the tools and wrote a brief summary of how they thought it could be used in school. Some of the tools they found buggy or cumbersome- we had a 5 minute rule- if you couldn't figure out the basics in 5 minutes- find a new tool to check out...since as you know the list of new tools is endless.

I am going to focus on some basics- google notebook, google tools in general and then turn them loose to discover the tools on my list and add their own. My only assessment last year was their completion of the evaluations of the tools, but I plan to try to do more with it this year as I have started a ning for 7-9. I am thinking that this project will be ongoing and in lieu of evaluating a certain number of tools they will be evaluated on their use of tools in their work on the ning,

I did list a few applications- like jing, but generally tried to stay away from anything that had to be downloaded or installed since that causes some issues and delays in the lab and I also wanted them to be able to work on this at home as well- and some apps like skitch are platform specific.

This year I really want to try to get away from the cool tool idea and stress how this can enhance, dare I say, transform, their learning. I am working hard to get other teachers involved in using the ning and allowing the kids more freedom in how they learn.

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Davis on August 23, 2008 at 9:34pm

Hi Maureen,
I've been on Twitter a bit, probably on Plurk more, but since I just started my new job last week I haven't been on anything much. I really like your 5 minute rule. While this course is an elective, it does count as part of the GPA and the kids are held to pretty high standards in general. On the other hand, I only have 2 students enrolled in the course so far, so it will really be more like an independent study. I was thinking about a ning, but I would like these kids to set up blogs so that they can potentially keep them going even after the course is over. If the course gets larger I may end up creating a ning for it.

I agree it isn't about the "coolness" of the tool, it is how it can transform learning. I will definitely try to emphasize that.

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Permalink Reply by Maureen Tumenas on August 23, 2008 at 9:42pm

It'll be a while before I really get my kids started on their project, but I'll try to remember to let you know when and you can check out the wiki and if appropriate for your students they could join the wiki ( my kids are gr 7-9)

School starts for us on 9/2, but since we switched anitvirus programs I have been at school working on uninstalling.the old, installing the new, Hope to have time to actually get my own work done very soon!!

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Permalink Reply by Anne Baird on August 24, 2008 at 6:36am

Hi Liz
I feel like I might be about a day late as I see that lots of others have come up with some brilliant ones. (which I will be revisiting :) )
This idea is exactly what I am doing with a very small class of 12 students at my school. They are year 9/12 students. (15-16 yr old)
My unit of work initially began by asking these questions...
Essential question:
How is our world changing?
then
Unit Questions:
How does the internet influence our lives?
Why do so many people now share their lives on the internet?
How do people share on the internet?
then
Content questions
What does the term Web2.0 refer to?
What are data mash ups?
What are blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, social networks, video sharing sites and how they are used?
My aim is to have the students explore lots of Web2 applications in order to explore how their lives are influenced by the web. They will then use some of these applications to present their learning to the class or classes if we can get others to join us.

I am using a number of tools to build their understanding
This is my blog where I am writing up each lesson/ discussion point


I have set up a ning where students can meet and share ideas.

We have a wiki where the students will eventually be posting their research on different web 2 tools.
and each student has their own blog that they are using to reflect on their work.

I have also had the students create their own delicious accounts so that they can keep track of their progression around the web. We have also created a delicious network so that they can share their links with each other.
The aim is that students will research some of the web 2 tools and then using their research they will populate the wiki with the information their own research
Along the way they will write blog posts about their new learning and anything else they want to write.

What I would dearly love is to have some classes and teachers join us. Being a small rural school in Victoria Australia, I really want to create opportunities for our students that expose them to the world.
If you or any of the other teachers would care to join us, we would love it.
I am very happy to do some more planning/collaboration/ mashing of ideas to build upon what we have started.
Our ning requires you to request membership, but I'll do that if you send a request.
If you are at all interested please email me at annieb3525 (at) gmail (dot) com

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