After doing some thesis research, some tips I can share for now is that for a class blog, do not split into smaller groups. The students want to hear more voices and make comments on more than just a few people’s posts. Perhaps add another class to the blog. For example, add a similar writing class like two 191s here at SCSU or two classes that are studying the same novel or book. The students will welcome the interaction with students who are studying the same things.
Keep the guidelines simple. Ask for timely comments and for 2-3 sentences in their comments. Assign each student a specific week to make a post; they need the deadline. For grading, look at timeliness, length, and if they included thoughts about others’ comments or the post. Grading takes a long time if more criteria is given.
T
he biggest tip, I can give you, is to refer to the blog in the face-to-face discussion during regular class time. This encourages the shy people to speak up because they have already had time to think about the topic. It also allows people to clarify what they meant in their writing.
Individual blogs can substitute for the journal writing that I have done in the past. The blog will allow me to have a time stamp (helpful for grading) and a record of what the student has written. I would use the blog as the rough draft and ask my students to revise one entry. Individual blogs will give my students a safe place to write and more ownership of their online writing, but I have noticed it is a lonely place so I would like to have a class blog as well.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
A Good Read
I just finished reading the book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. The short chapters are entertaining and stimulating. Foster gave examples of literature and explained how they were connected. Talk about remediation in literature!
As much as I like the computer and other technologies, I still like to read a book. I still want my students to read from books. (Did you know that one of the Twitter creators doesn't own a television? He says he doesn't have time to watch TV because he prefers to read!) For me, reading is as engaging as working on the computer. I can take a book and see on my porch; if the electricity is off, I am still entertained.
If I were teaching a class of college-bound high school students or a freshman level literature class, I would use this book as a textbook. (I will probably lend this book to my friend who teaches high school seniors and see what she thinks.) The short chapters would make this easy to use in a classroom and cover a wide range of ideas in literature.
I encourage you to check this book out. It is, as the advertising says, "A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines". You can find it at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
As much as I like the computer and other technologies, I still like to read a book. I still want my students to read from books. (Did you know that one of the Twitter creators doesn't own a television? He says he doesn't have time to watch TV because he prefers to read!) For me, reading is as engaging as working on the computer. I can take a book and see on my porch; if the electricity is off, I am still entertained.
If I were teaching a class of college-bound high school students or a freshman level literature class, I would use this book as a textbook. (I will probably lend this book to my friend who teaches high school seniors and see what she thinks.) The short chapters would make this easy to use in a classroom and cover a wide range of ideas in literature.
I encourage you to check this book out. It is, as the advertising says, "A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines". You can find it at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
Monday, May 4, 2009
One more technology I would like to try - AdobeConnect
If I were teaching next semester on campus, I would have tried a technology called AdobeConnect. The Mulitmedia Services at SCSU describes the technology like this:
Adobe Connect is an online Web Conferencing and collaboration tool. It provides multimedia capabilities that can be used for many activities such as group work, online office hours and interactive classes.
Here is the link: http://huskynet.stcloudstate.edu/multimedia/default.asp
My understanding is that instructors can request a "room" where there is a whiteboard, audio/visual box, and online chat component. All participants have the capability of having audio, if they have a headset and microphone. Or just the instructor could have the microphone and be the only speaker. I think there is a webcam capability as well.
Susan Montag used this technology in her supplemental 191 classes so I saw how it worked. She had her students do research on a collaborative paper in a computer lab the first time they used it. They were able to chat online (like MOO) and send each other links to research they found. I was intrigued by how engaged and active the students were when doing research together.
Montag presented a PowerPoint about the assignment so the students could refer to that on the whiteboard. She was going to use this technology again outside of the computer lab; I think she was going to add the audio component then. I would have liked to be a part of the class to see how it went with the students.
Our class did not meet f2f for part of the semester. Though I enjoyed MOOing, I am wondering what the experience would have been like if we had had an audio component as well as a whiteboard feature. Web conferencing is popular in business; my husband often takes web classes for continuing education credits.
Though I still want physically to see my students, I could also having one day or one time where my students and I conference on the Web. When they are working on a project together or on a large project, it would be good to answer questions that the entire group has. It would save me on repeating myself in several emails!
Adobe Connect is an online Web Conferencing and collaboration tool. It provides multimedia capabilities that can be used for many activities such as group work, online office hours and interactive classes.
Here is the link: http://huskynet.stcloudstate.edu/multimedia/default.asp
My understanding is that instructors can request a "room" where there is a whiteboard, audio/visual box, and online chat component. All participants have the capability of having audio, if they have a headset and microphone. Or just the instructor could have the microphone and be the only speaker. I think there is a webcam capability as well.
Susan Montag used this technology in her supplemental 191 classes so I saw how it worked. She had her students do research on a collaborative paper in a computer lab the first time they used it. They were able to chat online (like MOO) and send each other links to research they found. I was intrigued by how engaged and active the students were when doing research together.
Montag presented a PowerPoint about the assignment so the students could refer to that on the whiteboard. She was going to use this technology again outside of the computer lab; I think she was going to add the audio component then. I would have liked to be a part of the class to see how it went with the students.
Our class did not meet f2f for part of the semester. Though I enjoyed MOOing, I am wondering what the experience would have been like if we had had an audio component as well as a whiteboard feature. Web conferencing is popular in business; my husband often takes web classes for continuing education credits.
Though I still want physically to see my students, I could also having one day or one time where my students and I conference on the Web. When they are working on a project together or on a large project, it would be good to answer questions that the entire group has. It would save me on repeating myself in several emails!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Grading Blog Entries
At the start of the semester, I wrote some criteria for my students to follow as they wrote in the class blog. I wanted them to write thoughtful answers of some length. I wanted them to be organized and to develope their thoughts. I wanted them to engage in conversation by referring to other students' comments. I put a minimum length (100 words) and asked for only a few grammar errors.
Now at the end of the semester, as I am grading, I have a difficult time grading them on content. When reading their entries, I think they have done a good job being articulate and thoughtful, so I grade on promptness and length. Most of my students get 8, 9, or all 10 points.
When I taught 9th and 10th grade, I had my students write in journals using spiral notebooks. They had to write 5 sentences for every prompt I put up on the overhead. At the end of the semester, they usually had written 30 entries. When I graded, I just counted the sentences (and they had to be sentences, not fragments!) and the number of entries. It was too hard to grade for content.
I think it is difficult to grade content when the assignment is to write a short entry. It is hard to develope much depth when a person is only writing around 100 words. For me, the blog was a good way to practice writing for other readers. Rewarding the students for their participation this semester was enough for me. Maybe in the future I will try separate blogs for each student; perhaps content could be graded in that scenario.
Now at the end of the semester, as I am grading, I have a difficult time grading them on content. When reading their entries, I think they have done a good job being articulate and thoughtful, so I grade on promptness and length. Most of my students get 8, 9, or all 10 points.
When I taught 9th and 10th grade, I had my students write in journals using spiral notebooks. They had to write 5 sentences for every prompt I put up on the overhead. At the end of the semester, they usually had written 30 entries. When I graded, I just counted the sentences (and they had to be sentences, not fragments!) and the number of entries. It was too hard to grade for content.
I think it is difficult to grade content when the assignment is to write a short entry. It is hard to develope much depth when a person is only writing around 100 words. For me, the blog was a good way to practice writing for other readers. Rewarding the students for their participation this semester was enough for me. Maybe in the future I will try separate blogs for each student; perhaps content could be graded in that scenario.
Posting YouTubes as Content
I have reading blogs all semester now. One popular entry is linking or embedding a YouTube in their blog. Now I have no problem with YouTubes; many of them are funny, and some have valuable scholarly information. I think it would be fun to make a video for one of my lectures and post it online. It would be a good way to get content into my students' heads!
My problem is that when a YouTube is posted, the author often makes little or no comment about the YouTube. Saying "this is funny" or "watch this one!" is unsatisfactory for me. I want to know why the person posted it. Why did they think it was funny and worthy of a post?
Blogs remind me of journals. Before computers, many authors wrote in journals as a great place to jot down ideas, write a paragraph to be used later, doodle, record their thoughts and make observations of the events and world around them. Blogs can serve those purposes as well. While an author may have written down a poem that struck them, they most always commented on why the poem was important to them. They commented on what the poem meant.
When I use blogs as a graded activity in my class, one of my stipulations would be that my students comment on the YouTube when they post it. I don't think they should get credit for someone's content. They need to write their own content or reaction to the material. This stipulation would not just be for YouTubes, not also for outside poetry or pictures. If a student is writing on a blog, then they need to write and not just stick something in the blog like it is a bulletin board.
My problem is that when a YouTube is posted, the author often makes little or no comment about the YouTube. Saying "this is funny" or "watch this one!" is unsatisfactory for me. I want to know why the person posted it. Why did they think it was funny and worthy of a post?
Blogs remind me of journals. Before computers, many authors wrote in journals as a great place to jot down ideas, write a paragraph to be used later, doodle, record their thoughts and make observations of the events and world around them. Blogs can serve those purposes as well. While an author may have written down a poem that struck them, they most always commented on why the poem was important to them. They commented on what the poem meant.
When I use blogs as a graded activity in my class, one of my stipulations would be that my students comment on the YouTube when they post it. I don't think they should get credit for someone's content. They need to write their own content or reaction to the material. This stipulation would not just be for YouTubes, not also for outside poetry or pictures. If a student is writing on a blog, then they need to write and not just stick something in the blog like it is a bulletin board.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Can we really live without technology?
There's a virus creeping through our class. Dr. Kilborn's computer crashed from a malfunctioning CD-ROM. Cody's computer is on the fritz with a video card problem. And my car broke its head gaskets last night. It is in the repair shop until Thursday. I cannot get home without my car! I live 75 miles away. So can I live without technology? No...
I am hoping this virus does not spread to anyone's machines; life is much more difficult when the machines you depend on do not operate. My husband came late last night so we spent the night in a motel. Cable television is not very entertaining after midnight; I'm glad I do not subscribe to it at home. My husband drove back to Alexandria and is driving here again; I taught my 191 class today so there was not enough time to go home with him. Spending the day on campus was okay; I updated my students' grades and corrected papers. But I do not want to live like this. It will be nice to get my car back and return to normal life. Life without technology is just a hassle.
Maybe there is not a virus. I think that bad things happen in threes. Dr. Kilborn, Cody, me; maybe the curse on this class is over.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Only 5 blog entries left...
As a student, I do the tasks the instructor assigns and meet the deadlines for those assignments. I like to get As so I put forth my best effort. I know without the deadlines I would re-write, tinker, and tweak for a long time and perhaps never finish the task. Just ask my children about their photo albums. Or my husband about the boxes of teaching materials I have been meaning to clean out. I student taught a long time ago; I still have some worksheets on ditto paper.
As a teacher, I know my students need deadlines and that they work right up until the deadline. I do not really mind unless the work is incredibly sloppy. (Then I am annoyed and grade the paper with as little effort as the student gave it when writing it. ) I also know my students need grades to motivate them to work hard. I am pragmatic; I understand how the system works.
But sometimes I wish I could just do the task for the sake of learning - to not be pressured by deadlines and grades. That seems like a luxury. I would like to tweak my webpage more, but I know I must finish it tonight. No more time for playing...
I think I am going to keep this blog going. I am wondering how often I will write on it after the deadline and grade pressure is gone. I like having some place to write my thoughts; typing on a computer is easier than handwriting like I used to do. Posting on a blog is an easy to review all my writings. I can understand why people are attactive to a blog journal.
As a teacher, I know my students need deadlines and that they work right up until the deadline. I do not really mind unless the work is incredibly sloppy. (Then I am annoyed and grade the paper with as little effort as the student gave it when writing it. ) I also know my students need grades to motivate them to work hard. I am pragmatic; I understand how the system works.
But sometimes I wish I could just do the task for the sake of learning - to not be pressured by deadlines and grades. That seems like a luxury. I would like to tweak my webpage more, but I know I must finish it tonight. No more time for playing...
I think I am going to keep this blog going. I am wondering how often I will write on it after the deadline and grade pressure is gone. I like having some place to write my thoughts; typing on a computer is easier than handwriting like I used to do. Posting on a blog is an easy to review all my writings. I can understand why people are attactive to a blog journal.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Webpages are the way to go!
Yesterday I showed my almost completed webpage to my English 191 class. There was an instant "ooh" factor. I was rather surprized as these students are on the web all the time. I had one student come up and click through the page. I asked them to write down their thoughts, but hardly anyone did. Instead they were so intrigued that they just told me what they thought.
They liked having the current class schedule and assignment up as text on a page. One girl expressed her wish that this page should have been available all semester; she does not like going to D2L and finding the schedule and assignment list. They liked all the links to the other pages and resources. They want the pdf files to show up as separate windows rather than having to push the back browser button. I intend to follow that suggestion.
They told me they did not need the word "doorway"; they would click on the underlined words or links to see those pages. Some of them would click on the pictures, but they noted that not all pictures on the webpages have links so they are not in the habit of clicking on pictures. Once they knew the picture worked, they would use the picture link. But they agreed that text and pictures both could be linked to the same page.
They liked the colors, pictures, layout, and easy navigation of the webpage. They wanted to use the webpage rather than D2L. If I were teaching next fall, I would definitely use this page instead of D2L. On the first day of class, I would include my URL and ask them to bookmark or favorite on their computers. I could see my students were ready to interact with this website so I am convinced that webpages as a teaching tool are the way to go.
They liked having the current class schedule and assignment up as text on a page. One girl expressed her wish that this page should have been available all semester; she does not like going to D2L and finding the schedule and assignment list. They liked all the links to the other pages and resources. They want the pdf files to show up as separate windows rather than having to push the back browser button. I intend to follow that suggestion.
They told me they did not need the word "doorway"; they would click on the underlined words or links to see those pages. Some of them would click on the pictures, but they noted that not all pictures on the webpages have links so they are not in the habit of clicking on pictures. Once they knew the picture worked, they would use the picture link. But they agreed that text and pictures both could be linked to the same page.
They liked the colors, pictures, layout, and easy navigation of the webpage. They wanted to use the webpage rather than D2L. If I were teaching next fall, I would definitely use this page instead of D2L. On the first day of class, I would include my URL and ask them to bookmark or favorite on their computers. I could see my students were ready to interact with this website so I am convinced that webpages as a teaching tool are the way to go.
K.I.S.S. with PowerPoints
Keep it simple, stupid. This is the message my students sent me yesterday about my Teachnology PowerPoint. I know students are tired of looking at Powerpoints; the high school teachers use this technology all the time. My students are no longer amazed at crazy fonts, wild colors, lots of pictures or graphics or even whirly animations. Nor are they engaged when the PowerPoint has subtle messages or layered meanings. They are just confused.
While my students watched my PowerPoint, I asked them to write down any thoughts they had. They did say they liked the metaphor when I compared writing to painters or woodcarvers. They liked the pictures, though there were too many of them sometimes on one slide. They liked the idea of explaining the objectives of the course with the PowerPoint over just getting a white piece of paper and having to read them. They did understand my basis message of these are the technologies we will be using in class, but they did not think that pencils and paper were technologies.
When I watched their faces as the PowerPoint was being presented, I could see their confusion or disinterest. As an instructor I hate to be boring. So I am disappointed that this PowerPoint was ineffective. I learned that the basic layout is what my students or audience wants: a heading, one or maybe two pictures, and text on the side. The PowerPoint can only be ten or less slides unless the PowerPoint is paused and the students do an activity. What has been a cool, hip technology for me has become worn out technology for them. In the future I will use the KISS approach with my PowerPoints.
While my students watched my PowerPoint, I asked them to write down any thoughts they had. They did say they liked the metaphor when I compared writing to painters or woodcarvers. They liked the pictures, though there were too many of them sometimes on one slide. They liked the idea of explaining the objectives of the course with the PowerPoint over just getting a white piece of paper and having to read them. They did understand my basis message of these are the technologies we will be using in class, but they did not think that pencils and paper were technologies.
When I watched their faces as the PowerPoint was being presented, I could see their confusion or disinterest. As an instructor I hate to be boring. So I am disappointed that this PowerPoint was ineffective. I learned that the basic layout is what my students or audience wants: a heading, one or maybe two pictures, and text on the side. The PowerPoint can only be ten or less slides unless the PowerPoint is paused and the students do an activity. What has been a cool, hip technology for me has become worn out technology for them. In the future I will use the KISS approach with my PowerPoints.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Adding Pictures to My Posting
I am experimenting with my blog tonight by adding a picture with my text. One of the questions I asked my students on D2L last week is if they thought it was easier to tell a story using words only or pictures only. It is a good question because they have to choose one way or the other. They have to write an explanation of why they like words better or pictures better. They also must reply to another student's comment so there can be some lively comments between the students as they explain which format is better. I thought adding a picture to my blog would liven up my text-heavy blog. I also changed the color of my text. I chose green because it is still easy to read, but it also matchs my picture. An astute person might also notice that "green" is a common term for my subject matter. I think adding pictures and changing the font color will add some interest to my readers. This posting feels more web-like now. About this picture:
My husband and I were offered practice day passes to the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA. Attending the Masters has been on my "bucket list" (or list of things I want to do before I die), so I was excited to take advantage of this opportunity. One of the reasons I teach school is so I can golf all summer long. I have been following golf tournaments on television for many years, but it is not the same as being there.
Dreaming about Dreamweaver
I have taught in at least seven different public school systems. Every time I move to another district, I have to redo my syllabus or class expectations. I am grateful for computers as now I just have to cut, copy, and paste the pertinent and relevant parts for each new position. It's much easier than when I had to literally cut text apart and tape it down in a new location or when I had to retype the whole page. (I am not a fast typist so I really avoid retyping.) I find this task asone of my biggest annoyances when I change jobs.
On the drive tonight, I was thinking that having a webpage for my students would be so helpful; I would not have to redo my teaching philosophy, personal information, grading rubrics, grammar tips, late assignment penalties, etc. Of course, I would have to add the course syllabus, class schedules, deadlines, and such, but I have to change those specifics each semester anyway. A webpage could follow me more easily than the current handouts I have in Word documents. The time I spend creating it would not have to be duplicated. I could easily switch background and font colors to match the current school's colors. I would be more willing to invest the time in a good introduction of myself if I thought I would not have to update it for every new position.
Parents and prospective students could visit the webpage and learn more about me; this might alleviate anxiety and questions. Though I do not mind meeting parents and students, I do get tired of answering the same questions over and over again. It would be nice to send them to my webpage as a resource of information tehy need. Of course, I would have a link to my email so I could respond to them.
Yeah, I am thinking a personal teaching webpage might just be the ticket as I embark into the world of being an adjunct English instructor.
On the drive tonight, I was thinking that having a webpage for my students would be so helpful; I would not have to redo my teaching philosophy, personal information, grading rubrics, grammar tips, late assignment penalties, etc. Of course, I would have to add the course syllabus, class schedules, deadlines, and such, but I have to change those specifics each semester anyway. A webpage could follow me more easily than the current handouts I have in Word documents. The time I spend creating it would not have to be duplicated. I could easily switch background and font colors to match the current school's colors. I would be more willing to invest the time in a good introduction of myself if I thought I would not have to update it for every new position.
Parents and prospective students could visit the webpage and learn more about me; this might alleviate anxiety and questions. Though I do not mind meeting parents and students, I do get tired of answering the same questions over and over again. It would be nice to send them to my webpage as a resource of information tehy need. Of course, I would have a link to my email so I could respond to them.
Yeah, I am thinking a personal teaching webpage might just be the ticket as I embark into the world of being an adjunct English instructor.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Blogging with the Entire Class
For my English 191 class, I did not set up small groups for the class blogging activity. I wanted all of my students to be able to read entries from every member of the class. With twenty plus students, this means that the postings can have twenty or more comments. With each student writing about 2-3 sentences or a paragraph, this means that there is 2-3 pages of text to read for each posting. If more than one student posts a week, then there is a considerable amount of reading to be done. This reading is on top of required readings for face-to-face class discussions and 1-2 pages of required writing. Plus there are four major papers of 3-4 pages in length. My students have plenty to do for my class.
When I read the blog comments, I can tell some of the students have read the other students' comments. But there is no way to document if they have read the comments or not, as Blogger.com does not this documentation function like D2L does. I am not sure that I care if I know if they have read each other's work. I cannot tell if they do the required class readings either unless they mention some aspect when they are talking or writing. My students are always reading text messages, Facebook entries, and other favorite websites. So I do not think it is too much to expect them to read all the comments, but I do not want to have to quiz them about their reading. Of course I read all the comments and find it fun to read what everyone is thinking and saying. At the college level, it is their choice if they want to learn or not. But I hope that my students will enjoy this blogging activity and learn from their classmates.
When I read the blog comments, I can tell some of the students have read the other students' comments. But there is no way to document if they have read the comments or not, as Blogger.com does not this documentation function like D2L does. I am not sure that I care if I know if they have read each other's work. I cannot tell if they do the required class readings either unless they mention some aspect when they are talking or writing. My students are always reading text messages, Facebook entries, and other favorite websites. So I do not think it is too much to expect them to read all the comments, but I do not want to have to quiz them about their reading. Of course I read all the comments and find it fun to read what everyone is thinking and saying. At the college level, it is their choice if they want to learn or not. But I hope that my students will enjoy this blogging activity and learn from their classmates.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Real World Distractions
Katherine Ann Olson was killed after answering an ad on Craigslist for a nanny position. I was the matron of honor for her parents' wedding so I knew Katherine since she was just a twinkle in her father's eyes. The trial for her killer took place these past two weeks, and I have been following it closely. Now that a guilty verdict has been reached, I feel some relief for my friends, but I mostly feel sad that it even happened.
My youngest son attends NDSU in Fargo. My husband has two brothers & families living there along with his 91-yr-old mother. The flooding situation has been distracting me from my school work as I check on what their status is. My husband's mother was evacuated to Fergus Falls so I visited her twice in her new location reassuring her that she would go back to Eventide soon. I made her a copy of a photo album so she could show the staff her family. She was only allowed to evacuate with her walker and three outfits. My son was been sandbagging every day; he will be glad to go school where it is mentally exhausting, but not physically exhausting. My husband's brothers are safe, but they did clean out their basements just in case.
I am talking about these distractions because, as teachers, we often hear excuses from our students on why they did not do their assignments or papers. Some of the excuses are certainly lame: my dog ate my paper, my grandma died, I forgot. Some of the excuses are more plausible: my computer crashed, my car was stuck in the snow, I was sick. But some of the excuses are serious: my father died (verified by student services), I was in the hospital, there was a fire in my parents' home. I do think, at times, the real world distracts us from our scholarly endeavors. It is difficult to concentrate when life intrudes so rudely with a murder trial and major flooding.
Since I know how these events has distracted me, I know that my students have difficult times as well. I want to be able to give them a break on turning in late work. Of course this puts pressure on me at the end of the semester to correct all the late work, but I guess I am too compassionate to be a hard-ass. I do not think I am gullible, but I am sympathetic. Or perhaps I am just a soft touch. So be it.
My youngest son attends NDSU in Fargo. My husband has two brothers & families living there along with his 91-yr-old mother. The flooding situation has been distracting me from my school work as I check on what their status is. My husband's mother was evacuated to Fergus Falls so I visited her twice in her new location reassuring her that she would go back to Eventide soon. I made her a copy of a photo album so she could show the staff her family. She was only allowed to evacuate with her walker and three outfits. My son was been sandbagging every day; he will be glad to go school where it is mentally exhausting, but not physically exhausting. My husband's brothers are safe, but they did clean out their basements just in case.
I am talking about these distractions because, as teachers, we often hear excuses from our students on why they did not do their assignments or papers. Some of the excuses are certainly lame: my dog ate my paper, my grandma died, I forgot. Some of the excuses are more plausible: my computer crashed, my car was stuck in the snow, I was sick. But some of the excuses are serious: my father died (verified by student services), I was in the hospital, there was a fire in my parents' home. I do think, at times, the real world distracts us from our scholarly endeavors. It is difficult to concentrate when life intrudes so rudely with a murder trial and major flooding.
Since I know how these events has distracted me, I know that my students have difficult times as well. I want to be able to give them a break on turning in late work. Of course this puts pressure on me at the end of the semester to correct all the late work, but I guess I am too compassionate to be a hard-ass. I do not think I am gullible, but I am sympathetic. Or perhaps I am just a soft touch. So be it.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Blog as Box Essay
I forgot to mention tonight that I think blogs could qualify as box essays. Sirc said, “producing a record of short fabulous textual realities, a kind of a kind of street-derived genre of drive-by criticism, blips of unfinished text” (124). My blog certainly qualifies as blips of unfinished text. Another quote: "text as open-ended, unscrewed-down box"(120). Do you ever finish a blog? I think a person just keeps adding to it. Duchamp called the boxes: " text is a collection of interesting powerful statements; artist’s notebook; readers can shuffle the “cards” or pieces of text to create their own vision" (116). Many bloggers would definitely consider their blogs to be their notebooks where they collect their ideas and thoughts without organizing them into any fashion.
Benjamin speaks of the “childlike” element (121) when making a box. Blogs have a playful feel about them. A blogger can post pictures, videos, and quotes, and write intriguing titles. Bloggers can add gadgets like polls, games, or quirky news of the day to enhance their blog.
The best part of the blog, like Facebook, is that it keeps a record of thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Blogs are a place to throw a bunch of ideas together. When the writer looks back, they can sort through and select the idea, metaphor, juxaposition, or thought that fits into the current composition they are writing.
A blog is a web box where ideas can patiently wait until it is their turn to be presented.
Benjamin speaks of the “childlike” element (121) when making a box. Blogs have a playful feel about them. A blogger can post pictures, videos, and quotes, and write intriguing titles. Bloggers can add gadgets like polls, games, or quirky news of the day to enhance their blog.
The best part of the blog, like Facebook, is that it keeps a record of thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Blogs are a place to throw a bunch of ideas together. When the writer looks back, they can sort through and select the idea, metaphor, juxaposition, or thought that fits into the current composition they are writing.
A blog is a web box where ideas can patiently wait until it is their turn to be presented.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Mosaic of Family Pictures
I have been studying genealogy for over twenty years; it is my passion. At Christmas time I made a calendar of extended family birthdays and anniversaries to send to my aunts and their cousins. On the front cover I put a photograph of the last family reunion, but on the back cover I made a mosaic of headshots of fifty family members. I used older black and white and newer color photos; I tried to place them randomly.
After our class on visual literacy and discussion about photo essays, I looked at the back cover of the family calendar. I realized that because I had deliberately tried to place the photos randomly I had created a theme or message. No brothers' or sisters' headshots were by each other. No spouses' photos were close to each other either. No children's photos were by their parents. By working hard to not create groupings, I had portrayed the idea that the entire group was a family. There were no small units in this large photo essay. No one was connected to anyone else except as a member of the larger unit.
A photo essay would be a good assignment for my students to do so they could see how connections can be made even when someone is trying NOT to have any connections. One of the hardest tasks for my students is finding connections in their reading and putting connections into their writing. Giving my students a collection of photos and asking them to make a photo essay would be good practice for them to learn how to make connections. Creating a mosaic would really get them thinking.
After our class on visual literacy and discussion about photo essays, I looked at the back cover of the family calendar. I realized that because I had deliberately tried to place the photos randomly I had created a theme or message. No brothers' or sisters' headshots were by each other. No spouses' photos were close to each other either. No children's photos were by their parents. By working hard to not create groupings, I had portrayed the idea that the entire group was a family. There were no small units in this large photo essay. No one was connected to anyone else except as a member of the larger unit.
A photo essay would be a good assignment for my students to do so they could see how connections can be made even when someone is trying NOT to have any connections. One of the hardest tasks for my students is finding connections in their reading and putting connections into their writing. Giving my students a collection of photos and asking them to make a photo essay would be good practice for them to learn how to make connections. Creating a mosaic would really get them thinking.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Not Everyone "gets" Grammar
In the MOO last Monday, I eluded to my philosophy of teaching grammar. I want to expound on my philosophy here because I do not want to give the wrong impression. I love grammar; I understand how to explain grammar. Naturally when people understand and like something, they want to tell others. So I like to teach grammar concepts and skills.
When I started teaching, I had eighth graders. It was the perfect age to teach grammar too. They liked worksheets and rules and games. Grammar was fun for them and me. When I returned to the classroom after raising children for several years, I taught 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. (very small school district) During my first year, I could see the progress that students make each year. The instructor before me had not taught grammar which showed up in my students' writings. So I taught grammar, capitalization, punctuation. After all they all had to pass a basic skills writing test. All my students did so well on the writing test that the school district was thrilled with their new success and me. I felt vindicated for teaching grammar.
During my second year, however, I discovered that many of my students did not retain the grammar skills that I had taught the year before. So I refreshed their memories and taught them some new skills. Since I had the students all year, I could see that the grammar I taught was still be retained (or used) from one semester to the next. Did they not care? I decided this was not the answer after talking to some sincere students. They just didn't "get" grammar no matter how many different ways and times I explained it. (specifically comma rules!) It was discouraging. I left that school district when they cut my position to part-time; it wasn't worth the drive any more.
Besides the teaching experience, I have two sons who are into math and computers. They cannot spell to save their souls. My husband and I are both English majors and excellent spellers. We bought spelling computer games and practiced words with both of the boys. We read to them and pointed out words. One day I asked my oldest son about a note he had written. There was one spelling error so I asked him to find it. He pointed to SIX words that were spelled correctly and never did point to the one misspellling. That taught me that, while he was an intelligent and conscientious student, he would never be able to spell well. He just didn't "get" spellling.
From these two experiences, I have learned that not everyone can be the grammarian that I am. I still teach grammar; I am still enthusiastic about it. But I recognize that I can encourage good usage without being punitive about it. So I nudge, encourage, reward, and compliment my students when they do use good grammar. I point out their grammar flaws so they can recognize them, but their grade does not reflect poor usage. I tell my students that I know not everyone is as crazy about grammar as I am, that I realize they may have talents in other avenues, and that I want them to do their best. Yes, I focus on grammar. Yes, I have high standards. I also recognize that not everyone will "get "grammar like me and that they are still good writers.
When I started teaching, I had eighth graders. It was the perfect age to teach grammar too. They liked worksheets and rules and games. Grammar was fun for them and me. When I returned to the classroom after raising children for several years, I taught 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. (very small school district) During my first year, I could see the progress that students make each year. The instructor before me had not taught grammar which showed up in my students' writings. So I taught grammar, capitalization, punctuation. After all they all had to pass a basic skills writing test. All my students did so well on the writing test that the school district was thrilled with their new success and me. I felt vindicated for teaching grammar.
During my second year, however, I discovered that many of my students did not retain the grammar skills that I had taught the year before. So I refreshed their memories and taught them some new skills. Since I had the students all year, I could see that the grammar I taught was still be retained (or used) from one semester to the next. Did they not care? I decided this was not the answer after talking to some sincere students. They just didn't "get" grammar no matter how many different ways and times I explained it. (specifically comma rules!) It was discouraging. I left that school district when they cut my position to part-time; it wasn't worth the drive any more.
Besides the teaching experience, I have two sons who are into math and computers. They cannot spell to save their souls. My husband and I are both English majors and excellent spellers. We bought spelling computer games and practiced words with both of the boys. We read to them and pointed out words. One day I asked my oldest son about a note he had written. There was one spelling error so I asked him to find it. He pointed to SIX words that were spelled correctly and never did point to the one misspellling. That taught me that, while he was an intelligent and conscientious student, he would never be able to spell well. He just didn't "get" spellling.
From these two experiences, I have learned that not everyone can be the grammarian that I am. I still teach grammar; I am still enthusiastic about it. But I recognize that I can encourage good usage without being punitive about it. So I nudge, encourage, reward, and compliment my students when they do use good grammar. I point out their grammar flaws so they can recognize them, but their grade does not reflect poor usage. I tell my students that I know not everyone is as crazy about grammar as I am, that I realize they may have talents in other avenues, and that I want them to do their best. Yes, I focus on grammar. Yes, I have high standards. I also recognize that not everyone will "get "grammar like me and that they are still good writers.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
I Get Texting Now
I have flirted with texting for the past year. My daughter started me on this communication when she was traveling. She notified me when her planes landed, and she was safely at home again. Then I would do an occasional text to my two sons when they were at their job or classroom. Texting them seemed to be less intrusive than calling them in those environments.
This weekend I texted my younger sister asking if she was picking up my parents from the airport. We texted several times. I asked if she was attending the girls high school hockey tournament (her daughters' high school was playing), and she responded with she was ferrying her kids to their activities instead. It was a fun conversation that lasted about an hour; I watched some television while waiting for her responses. (I am hoping she was waiting in a parking lot or driveway when she texted me back.)
Today I texted my son about reformatting my parents' computer around 11 AM. Since I know he likes to sleep in on Sunday AM, I did not call. About an hour later when I was having brunch after church, he texted me back with the status of the computer (not done yet). What a nice uninstrusive way to communicate. A telephone call would have interrupted his sleep and my conversation.
I like the texting option because I had the information I needed without going to a computer. It was not disruptive to IRL; all I did was take a quick glance at my phone. I understand better why younger people are so addicted to it. It feels like a secret communication with someone in a distant place. It has a connectiveness that is not shared with the people currently around me.
My sister comments that her telephone rarely rings at her house anymore despite having four daughters. They are still communicating with friends, but now they text more than they talk. I still like to hear my sons and daughter's voices so I will keep calling. But I will also engage in a text conversation for fun.
This weekend I texted my younger sister asking if she was picking up my parents from the airport. We texted several times. I asked if she was attending the girls high school hockey tournament (her daughters' high school was playing), and she responded with she was ferrying her kids to their activities instead. It was a fun conversation that lasted about an hour; I watched some television while waiting for her responses. (I am hoping she was waiting in a parking lot or driveway when she texted me back.)
Today I texted my son about reformatting my parents' computer around 11 AM. Since I know he likes to sleep in on Sunday AM, I did not call. About an hour later when I was having brunch after church, he texted me back with the status of the computer (not done yet). What a nice uninstrusive way to communicate. A telephone call would have interrupted his sleep and my conversation.
I like the texting option because I had the information I needed without going to a computer. It was not disruptive to IRL; all I did was take a quick glance at my phone. I understand better why younger people are so addicted to it. It feels like a secret communication with someone in a distant place. It has a connectiveness that is not shared with the people currently around me.
My sister comments that her telephone rarely rings at her house anymore despite having four daughters. They are still communicating with friends, but now they text more than they talk. I still like to hear my sons and daughter's voices so I will keep calling. But I will also engage in a text conversation for fun.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Am I Just a Proofreader?
I just finished reading the rough drafts of my English 191 students' rhetorical analysis papers. I know the papers are rough drafts, but honestly can't my students at least run spelling check before they give me their papers? I dutifully circle or underline every grammar and spelling error; I will look at these rough drafts again when I grade the final drafts. And I will deduct points for laziness i.e. not bothering to fix the errors I pointed out. So annoying!
Someday a software program may be developed which can read papers for all proofreading errors. (Spell check and grammar check are not good enough to count). Even if that happens, I will still read my students' papers. I do not think technology can replace the human touch, the factor which separates human beings from machines.
I had conferences with my students last week. They appreciated the human being who cared enough to make a bunch of red ink marks on their papers. The conversation helped them understand that they had an audience. They realized they needed to clarify their writing. Most of them said that no one had ever read every single word that they wrote before. I wanted to make them realize that their writing counts. It matters what they put on the paper. They can contribute new ideas and give insight to issues. Technology cannot provide this kind of concern for their progress as writers.
I am not just a proofreader; I am a teacher, the human factor, who cares.
Someday a software program may be developed which can read papers for all proofreading errors. (Spell check and grammar check are not good enough to count). Even if that happens, I will still read my students' papers. I do not think technology can replace the human touch, the factor which separates human beings from machines.
I had conferences with my students last week. They appreciated the human being who cared enough to make a bunch of red ink marks on their papers. The conversation helped them understand that they had an audience. They realized they needed to clarify their writing. Most of them said that no one had ever read every single word that they wrote before. I wanted to make them realize that their writing counts. It matters what they put on the paper. They can contribute new ideas and give insight to issues. Technology cannot provide this kind of concern for their progress as writers.
I am not just a proofreader; I am a teacher, the human factor, who cares.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Twitter on CSpan
On Saturday I watched a question-answer discussion with Evan Williams on CSpan. Williams is one of the founders of Twitter.com. Originally they called it "twttr", but as Williams jokingly said, they bought the vowels to complete the word "twitter". Biz Stone, Williams' partner, named the technology twitter because there are short burst of conversations like birds chirping. Stone said that the phones receiving the messages make the high pitched sounds like birds.
Williams is not sure the future of Twitter, but he commented on its rapid growth. He is seeing how people are networking and forming groups around interests and work related events. He noted that the biggest Twitter event was Obama's election night.
The fact that people can send one message to a group and have that message saved on a website which others can search may be why people are attracted to Twitter. A person does not have to retype the message; they can send to many followers. I have seen groups of 20 or more people.
There is a record of the twitters so people can go back and retrieve the information sent. For example, if there is a new location or time for a church meeting, book club, or political rally, the organizer can quickly twitter the group.
Cody discussed one possible advantage of twittering in the classroom setting is that students would learn to write concisely since only 140 characters are available in a twitter. I think texting has the same advantage. Since this technology is a social networking tool, I am not certain that it can be transformed into a journal response format.
I am wondering if a twitter debate might be more effective. Having an instructor tweet a controversial question, the students could take sides and discuss via their cell phones. Their tweets would be recorded for review later. I am not sure this would be an effective method, however. When making debate points, one may need to refer to authorities.
Though Twitter has been around for 3 years, I do not think its use has been fully discovered yet. I would like to read more about it before I use it in a classroom setting.
Williams is not sure the future of Twitter, but he commented on its rapid growth. He is seeing how people are networking and forming groups around interests and work related events. He noted that the biggest Twitter event was Obama's election night.
The fact that people can send one message to a group and have that message saved on a website which others can search may be why people are attracted to Twitter. A person does not have to retype the message; they can send to many followers. I have seen groups of 20 or more people.
There is a record of the twitters so people can go back and retrieve the information sent. For example, if there is a new location or time for a church meeting, book club, or political rally, the organizer can quickly twitter the group.
Cody discussed one possible advantage of twittering in the classroom setting is that students would learn to write concisely since only 140 characters are available in a twitter. I think texting has the same advantage. Since this technology is a social networking tool, I am not certain that it can be transformed into a journal response format.
I am wondering if a twitter debate might be more effective. Having an instructor tweet a controversial question, the students could take sides and discuss via their cell phones. Their tweets would be recorded for review later. I am not sure this would be an effective method, however. When making debate points, one may need to refer to authorities.
Though Twitter has been around for 3 years, I do not think its use has been fully discovered yet. I would like to read more about it before I use it in a classroom setting.
Blogging Fatigue
I think I am suffering from blogging fatigue. I have this class blog to maintain. I am blogging with my 191 students once a week. I blog with three small groups of supplemental 191 students. I read and comment on one of my children's friend's blog; she is spending a year in South Africa doing missionary work. I search for interesting blogs to study. Blog, blog, blog...
Sometimes I think we can overuse a technology. My high school students became so used to PowerPoints that they tuned me out when I presented one to them. I had to create fill-in-the-blank worksheets so they would write something down and not fall asleep in the dark. When my children were in junior and high school, instant messaging was the rage. Now it appears people have switched over to Facebook.
Instructors are incorporating YouTube videos into their content. It's the hip, cool thing now. I am wondering how long it will take before these mini videos will become dull. Of course, some new technology will come along, and students will flock to try it out. Will it be virtual reality? Or maybe brain implants just feeding the knowledge in without having to read it?
Sometimes I think we can overuse a technology. My high school students became so used to PowerPoints that they tuned me out when I presented one to them. I had to create fill-in-the-blank worksheets so they would write something down and not fall asleep in the dark. When my children were in junior and high school, instant messaging was the rage. Now it appears people have switched over to Facebook.
Instructors are incorporating YouTube videos into their content. It's the hip, cool thing now. I am wondering how long it will take before these mini videos will become dull. Of course, some new technology will come along, and students will flock to try it out. Will it be virtual reality? Or maybe brain implants just feeding the knowledge in without having to read it?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Boundaries: privacy and public
I like boundaries. I do not mind that my students are avid users of Facebook and not D2L. Technology can be used for both private and public reasons, for social networking and scholarship. I do not want to hear all the cell phone calls my students make nor do I want to read their text messages to friends. I do not want to check their Facebook page to see who their friends are. Students have lives away from college, and I like to respect their privacy
However, I do want to read their rough drafts and ask them to revise them on a word-processing program. I do want to use a PowerPoint to enhance a lecture on parallelism or wordinesss. I like the doc cam so I can point to a specific text in the reading. I use email to remind them of assignments and communicate changes in the lesson plan.
Of course some technologies can be used for both public and private reasons. I just think there needs to be some boundaries or parameters to distinguish between the two functions. I use the email addresses students are given by SCSU unless they ask me to email them at a different, off-campus one. I will use technology to see if they have plagiarized or paid for a paper instead of writing their own paper. Luckily, it is not my job to check on their behavior outside of the classroom. I can just be their teacher and use technology to energize their learning. They can mature on their own time.
However, I do want to read their rough drafts and ask them to revise them on a word-processing program. I do want to use a PowerPoint to enhance a lecture on parallelism or wordinesss. I like the doc cam so I can point to a specific text in the reading. I use email to remind them of assignments and communicate changes in the lesson plan.
Of course some technologies can be used for both public and private reasons. I just think there needs to be some boundaries or parameters to distinguish between the two functions. I use the email addresses students are given by SCSU unless they ask me to email them at a different, off-campus one. I will use technology to see if they have plagiarized or paid for a paper instead of writing their own paper. Luckily, it is not my job to check on their behavior outside of the classroom. I can just be their teacher and use technology to energize their learning. They can mature on their own time.
Content as a Verb
In An absolutely riveting online course: Nine principles for excellence in web-based teaching by Jim Henry and Jeff Meadows, they discuss a second principle of content as a verb. Their idea is that students are not merely presented content for reading and review, but students can contribute to the content of the course. Students learn more effectively online when they are actively engaged in dialogues with the instructor and interact with fellow classmates. The instructor is encouraged to create tasks and assignments that fulfill the course objectives, but engage the students in the learning process.
For example, if one of my course objectives is for students to write clear and concise thesis statements for a position paper, I would present some poorly written thesis statements and ask the students to comment on what they thought the paper was about. Most likely they will comment that they do not know. Then I would have the students write and post their own proposed thesis statement (one sentence) on a D2L forum or a blog. I would also post some models of good thesis statements. The students would read each other's thesis statements and make comments like the statement is too broad, too narrow for the assignment's length, not parallel, or is clear. I would also make comments on the statements to facilitate the comments. Hopefully the students would receive some good feedback as to what they need to change to make their thesis clearer.
If one of my course objectives is for students to learn to research, then I would pose a question to them like why is it important to learn to read. They would have to find an article, summarize its contents, and explain why they agree (or disagree) with the article. These 500 word responses would then be posted in the class forum. Next I would ask each student to reply to another student's response. They could add more researched material if they needed to. The class could perhaps even write a lengthy paper together in a wiki if another class objective was to learn how to collaborate with other students.
Keeping in mind that content is a verb, an action or an activity, when teaching an online course would help me stayed focused on creating tasks that engage the students rather than just spoonfeeding them the writing process.
For example, if one of my course objectives is for students to write clear and concise thesis statements for a position paper, I would present some poorly written thesis statements and ask the students to comment on what they thought the paper was about. Most likely they will comment that they do not know. Then I would have the students write and post their own proposed thesis statement (one sentence) on a D2L forum or a blog. I would also post some models of good thesis statements. The students would read each other's thesis statements and make comments like the statement is too broad, too narrow for the assignment's length, not parallel, or is clear. I would also make comments on the statements to facilitate the comments. Hopefully the students would receive some good feedback as to what they need to change to make their thesis clearer.
If one of my course objectives is for students to learn to research, then I would pose a question to them like why is it important to learn to read. They would have to find an article, summarize its contents, and explain why they agree (or disagree) with the article. These 500 word responses would then be posted in the class forum. Next I would ask each student to reply to another student's response. They could add more researched material if they needed to. The class could perhaps even write a lengthy paper together in a wiki if another class objective was to learn how to collaborate with other students.
Keeping in mind that content is a verb, an action or an activity, when teaching an online course would help me stayed focused on creating tasks that engage the students rather than just spoonfeeding them the writing process.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Email Conversations
Email technology is a great way to communicate with students, friends, and far away relatives. I only teach two days a week this semester; I have noticed an increase in emails from my students, especially when a paper is due. I feel like I am looking over their shoulder helping them tweak their papers. A friend of my son's is trying to make a living by playing professional golf. His brother emails me when and where Brett is playing so I can follow the tournaments. My second cousin just had a baby girl named Josie. I watched a video of her father playing with her. He is so in love with his new daughter.
All of these conversations are possible because of email. I can be engaged in conversations with many different types of people. Even though I have met all of these people in IRL, I feel more comfortable emailing them a quick note than picking up the phone and talking to them.
Email feels less intrusive; they can read and response when they have time and energy. When I get a phone call, I am annoyed sometimes because I am watching the end of a long movie on television and I want to see how the mystery or conflict is (re)solved. I have to run and pick up the phone before it stops ringing; sometimes I do miss it, but I feel like I have to call the person right back. Email is more leisurely; I get to set the pace.
I like having email conversations. How about you?
All of these conversations are possible because of email. I can be engaged in conversations with many different types of people. Even though I have met all of these people in IRL, I feel more comfortable emailing them a quick note than picking up the phone and talking to them.
Email feels less intrusive; they can read and response when they have time and energy. When I get a phone call, I am annoyed sometimes because I am watching the end of a long movie on television and I want to see how the mystery or conflict is (re)solved. I have to run and pick up the phone before it stops ringing; sometimes I do miss it, but I feel like I have to call the person right back. Email is more leisurely; I get to set the pace.
I like having email conversations. How about you?
Sunday, February 1, 2009
New Perspective on PPT
When PowerPoint first came out, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. What a wonderful program to use for my lectures to my students! Instead of paper outline notes for them to fill in and transparencies of pictures, I could create a slideshow which could make the text dance and swirl and the pictures fade in and out. I wasn't tied to my overhead; I could walk around the classroom and give my special needs students a non-verbal cue to pay attention.
Of course, now most of us are sick of PPT; the newest has worn off. Now we want youtubes. We want sounds, voices and movement in our presentations. But videos take hours to create and I do not have the hours to spend on a 2-3 minute video.
In Dr. Barton's class, he encouraged us to just use pictures without text when we presented using PowerPoint. My first experience with this method annoyed me; I spend the whole time trying to figure out why Dr. Barton used the picture he did instead of listening to his words. When I presented my reading, I used some text and pictures explaining that I was a visual learner and needed to see the words in order to remember the content.
Last semester I created a PPT explaining the concepts of logos, ethos, and pathos - all text, no images. My students took notes and listened, but many of them did not use the concepts when they wrote their rhetorical analysis. So this semester I added some images to the PPT and broke large chunks of text into small chunks. I used an image of building blocks to illustrate deductive logic and a trivial pursuit pie playing piece to explain inductive logic. My students still took notes, but I think the concepts "clicked" in their brains better. Now they have an image to remember with the text. Perhaps I could find a song to go with this presentation. If only some clever instructor will soon post a youtube on logos, ethos, and pathosthen I can steal it :) or create a link to it.
Of course, now most of us are sick of PPT; the newest has worn off. Now we want youtubes. We want sounds, voices and movement in our presentations. But videos take hours to create and I do not have the hours to spend on a 2-3 minute video.
In Dr. Barton's class, he encouraged us to just use pictures without text when we presented using PowerPoint. My first experience with this method annoyed me; I spend the whole time trying to figure out why Dr. Barton used the picture he did instead of listening to his words. When I presented my reading, I used some text and pictures explaining that I was a visual learner and needed to see the words in order to remember the content.
Last semester I created a PPT explaining the concepts of logos, ethos, and pathos - all text, no images. My students took notes and listened, but many of them did not use the concepts when they wrote their rhetorical analysis. So this semester I added some images to the PPT and broke large chunks of text into small chunks. I used an image of building blocks to illustrate deductive logic and a trivial pursuit pie playing piece to explain inductive logic. My students still took notes, but I think the concepts "clicked" in their brains better. Now they have an image to remember with the text. Perhaps I could find a song to go with this presentation. If only some clever instructor will soon post a youtube on logos, ethos, and pathosthen I can steal it :) or create a link to it.
The Knol - experts blogging?
Since I have spent so much time on Google lately, I clicked on the words The Knol and read the following description:
The Knol site has one goal: to help you share what you know.
The Knol project is a site that hosts many knols — units of knowledge — written about various subjects. The authors of the knols can take credit for their writing, provide credentials, and elicit reviews and comments. Users can provide feedback, comments, and related information. So the Knol project is a platform for sharing information, with multiple cues that help you evaluate the quality and veracity of information.Knols are indexed by the big search engines, of course. And well-written knols become popular the same as regular web pages. The Knol site allows anyone to write and manage knols through a browser on any computer.
So what subjects can I write on?
(Almost) anything you like. You pick the subject and write it the way you see fit. We don't edit knols nor do we try to enforce any particular viewpoint – your knol should be written as you want it to be written. Of course, knols are subject to Terms of Service and Content Policy to ensure a good experience for all users and compliance with applicable laws.
Here is the link where I copied this info from: http://knol.google.com/k
The knol sounds like a blog entry rather than a wiki entry. Alleged experts write about a topic they know, but their readers can only make comments and links to their entry, and not make changes to the original text like people on wikis can do.
I am not certain the purpose for the knol. Is the desired goal to have a searchable encyclopedia written by supposed experts? Is the knol competition for wikipedia? Does the knol appeal to legitimate authors because they are given credit for their writing? I am wondering if the knol will become the next 8 track tape - a new technology that does not have sustainability.
The Knol site has one goal: to help you share what you know.
The Knol project is a site that hosts many knols — units of knowledge — written about various subjects. The authors of the knols can take credit for their writing, provide credentials, and elicit reviews and comments. Users can provide feedback, comments, and related information. So the Knol project is a platform for sharing information, with multiple cues that help you evaluate the quality and veracity of information.Knols are indexed by the big search engines, of course. And well-written knols become popular the same as regular web pages. The Knol site allows anyone to write and manage knols through a browser on any computer.
So what subjects can I write on?
(Almost) anything you like. You pick the subject and write it the way you see fit. We don't edit knols nor do we try to enforce any particular viewpoint – your knol should be written as you want it to be written. Of course, knols are subject to Terms of Service and Content Policy to ensure a good experience for all users and compliance with applicable laws.
Here is the link where I copied this info from: http://knol.google.com/k
The knol sounds like a blog entry rather than a wiki entry. Alleged experts write about a topic they know, but their readers can only make comments and links to their entry, and not make changes to the original text like people on wikis can do.
I am not certain the purpose for the knol. Is the desired goal to have a searchable encyclopedia written by supposed experts? Is the knol competition for wikipedia? Does the knol appeal to legitimate authors because they are given credit for their writing? I am wondering if the knol will become the next 8 track tape - a new technology that does not have sustainability.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The Ups and Downs of Learning New Technologies
Learning a new technology can be both frustrating and exhilarating. Setting up classroom blogs has eaten up so much time these last two weeks that I am behind on my other writing goals/activities. Looking back on the process, I am frustrated that it took so long. It's so easy to do in hindsight. I feel exhilarated that I have accomplished my task; it's like giving birth - one forgets the pain after the child is born.
Last semester I learned Dreamweaver, another frustrating, but exhilarating, experience. I spent hours transforming a text-rich paper on Nathaniel Hawthorne to an engaging webpage. Finding pictures and outside links added to the look of the page; chunking the text so it was easier to read made the text feel not so overwhelming. Once I was done with the task (and had figured out how to effectively use the program), I was excited about the results. I can see the value of having a webpage for my classes. I can link outside sources and readings, add photos and videos that inspire, and organize the class schedule, syllabi, and discussions. Having my own webpage would be a great communication tool for my students.
When I started graduate school in the fall of 2007, I had never used D2L before. It took me awhile to get used to looking for classwork, news, discussion, dropbox, and even grades online. This fall when I started teaching 191, I spent time learning how to format the content and discussions on D2L. It was well worth my time as D2L was one of my main avenues to disseminate information to my students. I did not have time to work through the gradebook system. It looked too complicated to attempt on my own. I am aware of help and training sessions, but I just did not have time to take advantage of them. (Actually I rarely use training or help, as I prefer to figure out new programs and technologies on my own.)
I do like to play with technologies, but I know I learn the best when I have a reason or purpose for learning it. I have had some training on Adobe Photoshop, but I have not had a reason to spend the time to learn how to utilize it well. When I get frustrated with that program, I just give up and return to my old Print Shop program. I would probably have less frustration with learning new technologies if I would get some training when I needed to learn the technology. On the other hand, I would not feel such exhilaration when I break through my obstacle and achieve my objective. Learning new technologies certainly has its ups and downs.
Last semester I learned Dreamweaver, another frustrating, but exhilarating, experience. I spent hours transforming a text-rich paper on Nathaniel Hawthorne to an engaging webpage. Finding pictures and outside links added to the look of the page; chunking the text so it was easier to read made the text feel not so overwhelming. Once I was done with the task (and had figured out how to effectively use the program), I was excited about the results. I can see the value of having a webpage for my classes. I can link outside sources and readings, add photos and videos that inspire, and organize the class schedule, syllabi, and discussions. Having my own webpage would be a great communication tool for my students.
When I started graduate school in the fall of 2007, I had never used D2L before. It took me awhile to get used to looking for classwork, news, discussion, dropbox, and even grades online. This fall when I started teaching 191, I spent time learning how to format the content and discussions on D2L. It was well worth my time as D2L was one of my main avenues to disseminate information to my students. I did not have time to work through the gradebook system. It looked too complicated to attempt on my own. I am aware of help and training sessions, but I just did not have time to take advantage of them. (Actually I rarely use training or help, as I prefer to figure out new programs and technologies on my own.)
I do like to play with technologies, but I know I learn the best when I have a reason or purpose for learning it. I have had some training on Adobe Photoshop, but I have not had a reason to spend the time to learn how to utilize it well. When I get frustrated with that program, I just give up and return to my old Print Shop program. I would probably have less frustration with learning new technologies if I would get some training when I needed to learn the technology. On the other hand, I would not feel such exhilaration when I break through my obstacle and achieve my objective. Learning new technologies certainly has its ups and downs.
Some success on classroom blogs
After some badgering and threatening of poor grades, most of my 191 students have accepted invitations to be on the blog and have made comments. One student has posted a good question for the others to comment on. Yeah! Since I only see my students twice a week, it is hard to reinforce the blog activity in class. I am hoping that now that most of the students are connected that they will develop the habit of checking the blog. Last semester I ran two D2L discussions. The students ignored the assignment until I strongly encouraged them (yes, I was close to yelling!) to do the assignment. It really helped to post their grades; that is an effective big stick.
I added some news, weather, and quote of the day to spruce up the look of the blog. I want to embed a youtube video as one of the posts. Having the ability to add pictures and videos is one of the advantages of blogs over D2L. I do not want the blog to be drudgery for the students; I want to entice them to visit the blog so they can get their peers' opinions and ideas. Maybe I should add the air hockey and mini golf games to the blog!
I added some news, weather, and quote of the day to spruce up the look of the blog. I want to embed a youtube video as one of the posts. Having the ability to add pictures and videos is one of the advantages of blogs over D2L. I do not want the blog to be drudgery for the students; I want to entice them to visit the blog so they can get their peers' opinions and ideas. Maybe I should add the air hockey and mini golf games to the blog!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Setting Up a Blog for Class Discussion
I have spent the last two weeks reading and experimenting with setting a blog for the research portion of my thesis. It turns out that it is a very easy process. On Google's Blogger.com, all an instructor has to do is set up a Google account, format the look of the blog, decide on the settings, make an initial post, and invite the students to the blog. Students can accept the invitation and instantly then make a comment or post on the blog. If they do not have to make a Google account, when they try to accept the invite, then Blogger.com takes them through a five-minute process. They only have to type in four boxes: username, password, retype password, and verification word which is a slightly skewed nonsense word.
The process seems so simple now that I have done it. Though I had read sections of David Warlick's book, Classroom Blogging, and read the Help section on Google, the procedures seemed complicated. My students also struggled with making a Google account and accepting the invitation. I have spent hours emailing them with ideas for them to try. I spent classtime having them use my laptop to get a Google account. Some of the problems were that the graphics make it appear that a person have to create a blog in order to get a Google account. That is not so. By reading carefully, an account can be made without creating a blog.
Now that I have experiment and discovered many pitfalls, I have written some clearer instructions so next time I want to set up a blog for class discussion, it will be a breeze!
The process seems so simple now that I have done it. Though I had read sections of David Warlick's book, Classroom Blogging, and read the Help section on Google, the procedures seemed complicated. My students also struggled with making a Google account and accepting the invitation. I have spent hours emailing them with ideas for them to try. I spent classtime having them use my laptop to get a Google account. Some of the problems were that the graphics make it appear that a person have to create a blog in order to get a Google account. That is not so. By reading carefully, an account can be made without creating a blog.
Now that I have experiment and discovered many pitfalls, I have written some clearer instructions so next time I want to set up a blog for class discussion, it will be a breeze!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Audio Learners
On Monday, I have an eye examination. The doctor dilated my eyes; I had to wear sunglasses for hours. I wasn't able to do anything on the computer, not even play Spider. So I listened to the television instead. Guessing the questions on Jeopardy is harder than I thought when I could only hear the question and not see the question. I am a very visual learner; I actually find pictures and sounds distracting when I am trying to read and concentrate. A nice quiet library or sunny reading spot in my house is the perfect place for me to do my classroom reading and writing.
This experience of trying to be an audio participant made me think of the different ways or mediums in which people learn. When I helped with the high school marching band, I met some terrific audio learners. They could remember speeches, lectures, and all kinds of music. After hearing just a few notes of music, they could identify what piece of music it was from. Amazing! They could recite parts of famous speeches they had heard. Some of them were involved with theatre productions, so this talent came in handy.
When I am teaching, I am aware of these two kinds of learners. I try to write out clear instructions, but I also read aloud or discuss the instructions. If I had an instructor who only gave directions orally, I would definitely miss parts of the directions. I know some of the band students would not read directions, so they need to hear the directions. [I posted signs and instructions on putting away their uniforms which were not often read!]
Though audio and visual learners are not the only types of learners, I think they are the primary types for our present school system, especially at the four-year college level. I think it is prudent to remember these types of learners as we instructors write syllabi and assignment sheets. It is not enough to just give the sheets of paper. Discussing our expectations is important, too. Of course, that thought leads to how does an instructor discuss in an online classroom. More later.
This experience of trying to be an audio participant made me think of the different ways or mediums in which people learn. When I helped with the high school marching band, I met some terrific audio learners. They could remember speeches, lectures, and all kinds of music. After hearing just a few notes of music, they could identify what piece of music it was from. Amazing! They could recite parts of famous speeches they had heard. Some of them were involved with theatre productions, so this talent came in handy.
When I am teaching, I am aware of these two kinds of learners. I try to write out clear instructions, but I also read aloud or discuss the instructions. If I had an instructor who only gave directions orally, I would definitely miss parts of the directions. I know some of the band students would not read directions, so they need to hear the directions. [I posted signs and instructions on putting away their uniforms which were not often read!]
Though audio and visual learners are not the only types of learners, I think they are the primary types for our present school system, especially at the four-year college level. I think it is prudent to remember these types of learners as we instructors write syllabi and assignment sheets. It is not enough to just give the sheets of paper. Discussing our expectations is important, too. Of course, that thought leads to how does an instructor discuss in an online classroom. More later.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Initial Thoughts on using technology for teaching
When I teach, technology is a tool, not just bells and whistles. I cannot understand why an instructor would use technology to be popular or entertaining for students. I use technology to add some variety to the learning process; a chalk board or whiteboard can serve the same function as the doc cam. The doc cam is also like the old overhead projectors (except that it does not get so hot sometimes that it burns my hand). The advantage of the doc cam that I had not had before is its ability to project textbooks (no transparencies). But, back to my point, I have used these machines/tools to give the students something else to look at besides me. These technologies add interest to my lesson. It gets pretty tedious to listen to a professor read from his yellowed notes for over an hour.
Also technologies allow me to give students a chance to experience the text like listening to Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his "I have a Dream" speech or watching a video on the Katrina hurricane. Some students learn better by doing so technology like the Internet or D2L discussion allows them to be active in their learning.
I am excited to learn more about the technologies presented in class and how to be utilize them. I want to know what other instructors have tried so I do not have to reinvent the wheel - so to speak. I also look forward to the class discussions; other perspectives from instructors remind me what I may have forgotten.
Also technologies allow me to give students a chance to experience the text like listening to Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his "I have a Dream" speech or watching a video on the Katrina hurricane. Some students learn better by doing so technology like the Internet or D2L discussion allows them to be active in their learning.
I am excited to learn more about the technologies presented in class and how to be utilize them. I want to know what other instructors have tried so I do not have to reinvent the wheel - so to speak. I also look forward to the class discussions; other perspectives from instructors remind me what I may have forgotten.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
