Building an argument for wiki - Classroom 2.02024-03-28T11:42:43Zhttps://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/649749:Topic:192842?commentId=649749%3AComment%3A197033&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noUsing wikis in class has comp…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-10-07:649749:Comment:1970332008-10-07T18:34:33.948ZCatherine Lagunahttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/CatherineLaguna
Using wikis in class has completely changed the way I teach. Please visit us at <a href="http://www.team8blue08.wikispaces.com">www.team8blue08.wikispaces.com</a> and see how we are building a community of learners, sharing information with our parents and friends, and creating the content of our class daily. I can't imagine teaching without our class wiki.
Using wikis in class has completely changed the way I teach. Please visit us at <a href="http://www.team8blue08.wikispaces.com">www.team8blue08.wikispaces.com</a> and see how we are building a community of learners, sharing information with our parents and friends, and creating the content of our class daily. I can't imagine teaching without our class wiki. This is the problem. "Techies…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-10-06:649749:Comment:1967522008-10-06T20:49:37.030ZSteve O'Connorhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/SteveOConnor
This is the problem. "Techies" have no business making pedagogical decisions unless they are so trained.<br />
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I wouldn't dream of telling our BOCES tech person how to configure the network (I do have knowledge in those regards--but I wouldn't do it), but she seems to think that pedagogical issues are her domain (nope--no training in pedagogy on her part). Of course, she wouldn't read a bit of what I have thrown her way!<br />
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Dave Jakes tweeted a few months ago:<br />
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"IT departments implement policy, not…
This is the problem. "Techies" have no business making pedagogical decisions unless they are so trained.<br />
<br />
I wouldn't dream of telling our BOCES tech person how to configure the network (I do have knowledge in those regards--but I wouldn't do it), but she seems to think that pedagogical issues are her domain (nope--no training in pedagogy on her part). Of course, she wouldn't read a bit of what I have thrown her way!<br />
<br />
Dave Jakes tweeted a few months ago:<br />
<br />
"IT departments implement policy, not determine it."<br />
<br />
So often the tail wags the dog in this regard. These are good points. I do p…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-10-06:649749:Comment:1965672008-10-06T12:43:40.579ZMark Fusonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/MarkFuson
These are good points. I do plan on having a sit down with our superintendent. We have a good relationship (I am also the association president) and he has respect for my opinions. Sadly, my experience so far has been that tech depts. sort of rule the roost on issues such as these, because too many administrators still do not understand web 2.0 tools.
These are good points. I do plan on having a sit down with our superintendent. We have a good relationship (I am also the association president) and he has respect for my opinions. Sadly, my experience so far has been that tech depts. sort of rule the roost on issues such as these, because too many administrators still do not understand web 2.0 tools. Thanks for the link to Zamzar…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-10-06:649749:Comment:1965652008-10-06T12:41:45.082ZMark Fusonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/MarkFuson
Thanks for the link to Zamzar. I had heard about this at the Open Minds conference in Indianapolis, but lost all my notes. I really need this because even though some of the videos I would like to use on my Moodle site are on TeacherTube, they are just too slow when embedding them.
Thanks for the link to Zamzar. I had heard about this at the Open Minds conference in Indianapolis, but lost all my notes. I really need this because even though some of the videos I would like to use on my Moodle site are on TeacherTube, they are just too slow when embedding them. And let them bounce back and…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-10-02:649749:Comment:1953022008-10-02T15:54:21.726ZMike Albrittonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/MikeAlbritton
And let them bounce back and forth. I've "hopped the fence" 5 times in 20 years. Each time I do, I gain a deeper appreciation of what education is all about. At their worst, teaching is babysitting and administering is fire fighting. At their best, they're remarkably similar: In each you first assess the needs and potential of those you're working with. Then you provide encouragement, coaching and resources so that they can exceed their own expectations and rise to yours.
And let them bounce back and forth. I've "hopped the fence" 5 times in 20 years. Each time I do, I gain a deeper appreciation of what education is all about. At their worst, teaching is babysitting and administering is fire fighting. At their best, they're remarkably similar: In each you first assess the needs and potential of those you're working with. Then you provide encouragement, coaching and resources so that they can exceed their own expectations and rise to yours. Mark,
I think you've got an…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-09-28:649749:Comment:1939842008-09-28T22:03:24.135ZJay Foglemanhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/JayFogleman
Mark,<br />
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I think you've got an uphill battle on your hands, but I would keep fighting. I have been inspired by teachers who have used wikis as publishing forums for their students, e.g. Vick Davis's FlatClassroom project, etc. I think wikis are excellent tools for project-based instruction, because student teams can publish contributions that can be organized into a class product. Others have pointed out that all student activity can be tracked so that students are held accountable for their…
Mark,<br />
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I think you've got an uphill battle on your hands, but I would keep fighting. I have been inspired by teachers who have used wikis as publishing forums for their students, e.g. Vick Davis's FlatClassroom project, etc. I think wikis are excellent tools for project-based instruction, because student teams can publish contributions that can be organized into a class product. Others have pointed out that all student activity can be tracked so that students are held accountable for their online behavior. Reading teachers' accounts of their use of wikis, I don't get the idea that this is really much of a problem. Sounds like you're the kind o…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-09-27:649749:Comment:1936562008-09-27T15:40:20.211ZNancy Boschhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/nbosch
Sounds like you're the kind of teacher I'd like to have...you're thinking about each kid as an individual and buy into "what's fair for one may not be fair for another". I wish more good teacher would leave adminstration and go back to the classroom and fewer good teachers would leave the classroom for administration. Heres a plan--any former adminstrators who were great teachers and would like to return to teaching do so at their current salary. hmmmm?
Sounds like you're the kind of teacher I'd like to have...you're thinking about each kid as an individual and buy into "what's fair for one may not be fair for another". I wish more good teacher would leave adminstration and go back to the classroom and fewer good teachers would leave the classroom for administration. Heres a plan--any former adminstrators who were great teachers and would like to return to teaching do so at their current salary. hmmmm? See the world from your admin…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-09-27:649749:Comment:1936042008-09-27T12:25:16.337ZMike Albrittonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/MikeAlbritton
See the world from your administrators' viewpoint. What do they worry about? Students: extending for gifted ones and helping out those who struggle. Teachers: supporting the idealistic new ones before reality beats them down, and getting more from vets who are skilled but could coast if they wanted. I'm a veteran administrator cum teacher again, and after using a wiki in my classroom for only 3 weeks, I see promise on all 4 of these fronts.<br />
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Here's how for students. Wednesday I posed the…
See the world from your administrators' viewpoint. What do they worry about? Students: extending for gifted ones and helping out those who struggle. Teachers: supporting the idealistic new ones before reality beats them down, and getting more from vets who are skilled but could coast if they wanted. I'm a veteran administrator cum teacher again, and after using a wiki in my classroom for only 3 weeks, I see promise on all 4 of these fronts.<br />
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Here's how for students. Wednesday I posed the assignment, "Find 3 articles on the current financial crisis. Post each link to your page. Beneath each the link, write a 4 bullet point summary of the article and 3 questions the article raises in your mind." In class, groups comb through what individuals collected, identify the most interesting articles and most relevevant questions raised, and then whole group discussion proceeds from there. Pedro and Suzie, the dynamic duo of my class do great, as usual. So I say to them, "Wow, why don't you two comb through the best of our wiki pages and class discussion, write a letter to our US Representative explaining what you think they should consider as they work through the mess?" I notice that Amanda only did part of the assignment. In my friendly email to the parent and learning specialist I can be very precise: "Here's a link to the assignment, here's a link to the work Amanda actually accomplished, and here's a link to a well done assignment Amanda can use as a model." So the wiki allowed me to do instant up and down differnetiation, in much less time than it took me to write this description to you.<br />
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Here's how for teachers. Veterans. I'm a skilled teacher with a big classroom personality. I write lessons in my head while doing dishes or coaching kiddie league soccer. I don't have to write much down, because I'm good enough to get away with it, usually. But I'll occasionally miss a step -- and my students will suffer a little -- because I was flying by the seat of my pants. When I upload a big chunk of a unit onto my wiki, though, simply writing it down slows and disciplines me to think though each step, and I'm less likely to make ana error. Rookies. So the new guy next door struggled some last year. He's a lot smarter than me, and certainly knows more history, but he hasn't spent the last two decades in school houses, you know? The more of my assignments and support materials I poste, the more of my comments to kids he can read behind me, the better he can learn his new craft. I would say he's tucked in behind me like a running back behind a pulling guard, but that's really not accurate. Yes, I'm clearing a path for him pedagogically. But then he'll lob a comment into my class's discussion page, or post a link to an article I didn't know about, and boom, it's the rookie who is making the veteran look good. And that kind of exchange is what education is supposed to be all about. Good luck! Mike Since they have blocked the "…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-09-27:649749:Comment:1935932008-09-27T10:26:35.511ZSteve O'Connorhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/SteveOConnor
Since they have blocked the "hosted solutions," why not have them install free and open source solutions. That way your school has 100% control of the data.<br />
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Personally, I have problems with handing over data to third parties as well. You can do anything that hosted providers (with the exception of Google Docs) with free and open source software. No giving away your control over the data or access. No exposure to ads and 100% control over content.<br />
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You get your resources and the students won't…
Since they have blocked the "hosted solutions," why not have them install free and open source solutions. That way your school has 100% control of the data.<br />
<br />
Personally, I have problems with handing over data to third parties as well. You can do anything that hosted providers (with the exception of Google Docs) with free and open source software. No giving away your control over the data or access. No exposure to ads and 100% control over content.<br />
<br />
You get your resources and the students won't be able to access "non-educational" content.<br />
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Steve If I were you, I would educat…tag:www.classroom20.com,2008-09-27:649749:Comment:1935412008-09-27T01:19:12.538ZNancy Boschhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/nbosch
If I were you, I would educate myself and go to the top. Make an appointment to see the superintendent or someone else with some power. What are they going to do? Fire you? Two years ago I had to do this in my large district. Looking back it was a silly thing, flickr.com was blocked, other photo sharing sites were not. I felt flickr was guilty by association to Facebook and MySpace. In constructing my arguments I learned a lot. The tech committee (2 assoc. superintendents + tech guys) in my…
If I were you, I would educate myself and go to the top. Make an appointment to see the superintendent or someone else with some power. What are they going to do? Fire you? Two years ago I had to do this in my large district. Looking back it was a silly thing, flickr.com was blocked, other photo sharing sites were not. I felt flickr was guilty by association to Facebook and MySpace. In constructing my arguments I learned a lot. The tech committee (2 assoc. superintendents + tech guys) in my district listened to my arguments. The outcome doesn't matter because my point is this--if you feel strongly you need to fight.<br />
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Also remember to look at things from the IT guys point of view. It's easier to have strict policies and stick to them! They want to protect their machines and their network so it's easiest if they batten down the hatches. They also have to worry about meeting the criteria of the federal gov. Most of them are not teachers. Let me know how things turn out--remember "if your not part of the solution you're part of the problem"! Give em hell. (Easy for me to say, I retire soon!) :)<br />
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Did you know you can convert YouTube videos to a format that will not be blocked? I use a program called <a href="http://zamzar.com">http://zamzar.com</a>.