Introductions

Please introduce yourself, let us know a little bit about you, and where you are from.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sue Shaw on February 18, 2008 at 6:24am

I hope I am in the right place! I am a middle school media specialist looking to collaborate with other secondary media specialists. I would love to know how folks are using the web tools in their media centers and with teachers. I am in Florida and our county bans use of most tools right now. Looking forward to a network upgrade county wide, so hope they revisit this important issue!
Sue

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Permalink Reply by Dave Las on February 18, 2008 at 8:52pm

I am glad to be here amongst all you progressive educators. I am sure I will learn a lot.

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Permalink Reply by Hank on February 19, 2008 at 12:48pm

Hi all,
My name is Hank, a first year teacher in the NYC public school system. This is my second career, after retiring from the corporate world. This is much more fun!
I love the use of technology and the internet in the classroom. I use the Smartboard daily. Would love to hear and share with you.
Regards
Henry

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Permalink Reply by Sue Palmer on February 21, 2008 at 2:15pm

Hi Hank

I am also a career changer having practiced law for 18 years. Teaching is a BLAST! This is a great place to get ideas and use those skills from your prior world. Welcome! If I can be of help, just let me know. I am big into podcasting and alternative approaches for "at risk" kids. I have a site which I launched a few months ago to host my podcasts, as well as in Itunes. Where did I get the idea? My prior life when I used to listen to the New York Times on my iPod because I didn't have time to read it! When some of my students were at risk of dropping out, I decided that perhaps I could create something to help them get it without taking the book home, etc.. They would never study or be caught dead bringing anything home for fear of ruining their image, etc. Amazingly, now they listen to me as well as lord knows what when they are "plugged in", and NO ONE knows. It has worked big time for me. Feel free to check it out, and most importantly, don't forget your prior world. It WILL come in handy.

Sue

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Permalink Reply by Naomi Sayegh on February 19, 2008 at 6:32pm

Hi Everyone! I'm Naomi Sayegh from Los Angeles (originally from Canada).
I'm working in the area of Service Learning, Communities of Practice.
Cheers.

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Permalink Reply by chia liang on February 19, 2008 at 7:57pm

Hi,
I'm Chia Liang, a Chinese language teacher in a primary school in Singapore. I'm also helping my school manage the IT department. Totally new to this scope of work, I'm interested in getting more of my fellow teachers to harness the strengths of Web2.0 technology and interactive technology, so that pupils could take ownership of their learning and learn more independently.

As I'm still quite new in this area, I value tips and advice you coud offer, especially in terms of pedagogy and ways we could efficiently apply and integrate this into our teaching.

Thank you.

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Permalink Reply by Bill on February 21, 2008 at 1:43pm

Hi... I'm Bill Warrick and I'm an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher at Chancellor Middle School in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

My interest is in the communication and collaboration possibilities of the "Web 2.0" tools. I am fascinated by the possibilities of networking and global ties.

Unfortunately, I live and work in a 1.0 world where the static page is king and students are passive miners of information. The fear in the school system is that any kind of dynamic, interactive contact will..... Well, I don't know what the fear is. I DO know, however, that the mere mention of contact - email, chat, blog, wiki - strikes fear into the hearts of administrators.

The irony, of course, is that the current 'tune' to which we (in the Instructional Technology realm) dance is "21st Century Skills", "21st Century Learning", "21st Century Workplace". What are these 21st Century Skills if not collaborative, interactive, and communicative?

My goal is to research the tools, play with the toys, and look for the ways in which Web 2.0 tools can enhance teaching and learning, and thus convince policy makers that not every contact is a stalker or predator and not every blog is written to incite violence and bullying.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on February 21, 2008 at 1:53pm

You should not be the lone ranger here, there are lots of teachers who are in your boat. Good luck in making headway, you'll find of lot of neat stuff here.

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Permalink Reply by Sue Palmer on February 21, 2008 at 1:54pm

It is so true that the education often starts with education of the educators. Well said. Welcome! You are in the right place!

Sue P

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Permalink Reply by chia liang on February 22, 2008 at 4:17pm

hi bill

this is so true. there's so much talk about using interactive media and web2.0. but the reality on the ground is that educators are not keeping up to this trend. the reason given usually is that there is not enough time, educators ourselves are digital immigrants and not natives like the children.

two main points i'd like to make:

1. i share your interest in exploring ways in which web 2.0 tools can enhance teaching and learning.

this is an example: in singapore, we get students to write picture compositions. students are given four pictures/drawings (much like a four pane cartoon). they are then required to write a composition (usually narrative) based on this. a group of us had animated these pictures, to help students think of the links between the pictures and also to look deeper into details when narrating, like transition, feelings, thoughts.

i'm thinking of how using vodcast can help more students access these animations.

your comments please.

2. the reluctance of educators to adopt new technologies and explore integrating them into teaching and learning actively.

how do you encourage and motivate fellow educators to use these tools available?

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Permalink Reply by RickB1 on February 21, 2008 at 7:19pm

Rick from PA. I'm an administrator interested in pushing the envelope if it motivates my kids to engage and achieve! Interested in brainstorming, learning, listening, and gleaning ideas...and sharing if asked, of course.

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Permalink Reply by Lauren Kwan on February 21, 2008 at 10:50pm

Hi! I'm Lauren Kwan, the Co-Founder of a web 2.0 online tool, www.xtimeline.com, that allows you to build and collaborate on multimedia timelines, using photos, videos, text and sound. A lot of our users are educators from around the world. I'm here to learn about the issues educators like yourselves are all facing in applying web 2.0 tools in your classrooms, schools and districts. I'm also excited to talk with everyone about different classroom 2.0 type initiatives.