J Black's Blog (12)

Woke up early this morning and started some curriculum work on my Web 2.0 technologies class. After spending some time looking at the ISTE NETS*S, I thought I'd jot down a few ideas for what "Creativity and Innovation 1. a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products or processes" might look like if taught/explored more in the classroom. Here is my resulting brainstorm session. Ideally, I'd like to do this for all the NETS*S, but even better yet, would be to get some collaboration… Continue

was moved after watching Diane Sawyer's last coverage of Randy Pausch. As I get ready to start the new academic year, I continue to mull over his words about brick walls and obstacles that loom in our way. They are words worth sharing with our students - not once, but weekly. Read More

I really don't know much about 3-D worlds, virtual reality, and such, but I'm taking my plunge. About three weeks ago I received an email invitation reading,

"On August 4th, 2008, and again on August 6th, Alliance Library System, in cooperation with LearningTimes, will offer a one-day conference exploring the possibilities of using virtual worlds to teach literature and to promote its appreciation for people of all ages. The conference, entitled "Stepping into Literature: Bringing New Life… Continue

I've had to learn to make web pages the hard way -- first by hand coding HTML, then later by learning the nuances of several HTML editors. Several other teachers have asked me how to go about creating one and, until now, I'd have to sigh and say, "well first you have to learn a program like DreamWeaver or FrontPage, and then you have to have a server or rent space on a server to put your website on". That's a big learning curve for someone who just wants to post daily assignments or keep a list… Continue

Sometimes ya just gotta take a break. Technically, I can’t say May was a break, though I failed to get anything up on my blog. But all teachers know that May is absolutely crazy, and so no more needs to be said. June, however, has been my respite, and it’s felt good to just step back for a while and rest. Read More.

Everybody probably goes about becoming a blogger and becoming a teacher of blogging a bit differently. For me, here's how it went. Read More

I've been wanting to get this done for some time now and am chipping away at my goal. I am attempting to make a series of online movies that can be used by both educators and students who are new to blogging. Watch for new tutorials over the next few weeks. Enjoy -- I hope they are helpful to anyone just starting out. Read More

I've been waiting on Adobe to toss its hat in the ring. Finally, it's been tossed. About six months ago, Adobe started promising an online photo editor totally web-based, and totally free. In the mean time, I've had my students...read more

It's spring time here in the Rockies as well as spring break. With a cup of home-made Verona coffee in hand this morning, I put on my favorite blue jean jacket ... read more

It's been awhile since I've last posted. Much has happened. Early March I experienced a fair amount of disillusionment that brought my personal posting to a halt. My efforts to quietly lead the way in Web 2.0 technologies in my little corner of the world seemed pointless early March. Why? Read More

Since this is round two of teaching my semester long "Web 2.0 Technologies" class, I've found myself making some changes in the curriculum and, whenever possible, "tweaking it" where necessary. This semester, my students are catching on to concepts so much quicker .... read more

So, is Web 2.0 a big deal? Is it necessary for education, as an institution, to blend these newly emerging technologies into existing curriculums and goals so that we really are providing a 21st century education for our young people? If the answer is "no" - that this is only a tech fad to be ignored read more