It's about 7:15 on Saturday morning. Half an hour ago I sent an e-mail on the school e-mail system to some of my peers including my boss and friend (I hope still a friend) Erin. The e-mail was strictly informational and not urgent; something I'd intended to do all week.
Ten minutes later I get an e-mail back from Erin about I must not sleep in. Oh shucks did I do it again? Two weeks ago I sent "mass texts" to friends saying "Happy Valentine's Day" at about 7 AM on a Saturday. The next Monday, Alison (another good (former?) friend said, "I gotta a bone to pick with you. Nice thought, but at 7 on a Saturday! I awake to Happy V-day from you!"
Being a slow learner, I will finally now reflect. What is the etiquette with all this new tech? I have made a poor assumption - generalizing from my own behavior. I plug in my cell out in the kitchen to recharge about 10 every evening. Because I am "polite", I have my cell on low ring and vibrate for calls and vibrate only for texts. My cell does NOT interrupt "everyone in the room". So I consider myself "digitally polite".
Perhaps not so eh? WHEN do I call, when do I text, when do I send e-mails and at some point when do I tweet? (I'm not a Tweeter yet. More later.)
I know on a land line, not to call before 7 AM, unless it is an emergency. Of course, 7 is not firm - it varies by person and by day. Sam's always up by 6 and add an hour on the weekend and 2 hours on New Year's Day.
That was with last century's technology. Our phones (land lines) rang at one level - loud enough to be heard in any room. We seldom shut them off. They were meant to wake us up - if it rang it was (better be) urgent. It was most impolite to call before 7!
What is the new etiquette? I don't call on my cell before before 7 unless urgent. So what about texts and e-mails. Do I need to change my behavior? Alison said she has her phone at bedside. I haven't talked to Erin yet. (I hope she'll talk to me. I did a really dumb thing of immediately e-mailing back "sorry if I awakened you". I suspect it arrive just about the time she was back to sleep. Gene THINK!)
I need to adjust. Almost the only land line calls I get are from solicitors. I am awakened by my land line for wrong numbers; haven't had an emergency call for years thankfully. If someone wanted/needed to wake me, what would they do. Increasingly fewer folk even have my land line; I am totally inaccessible to many from 10 PM to 6 AM.
My work; my adjustments. Do I want to to be inaccessible to many from 10 to 6. What types of incoming messages do I want to awaken me? Do I really need to be interrupted from my important sleep? On the flip side, how do make sure I'm not interrupting others unintentionally. I really do want to be polite; I want to practice digital etiquette.
How can technology help me? I can set my home thermostat to turn down at night by a couple of degrees to save fuel. Can I set my cell to only ring for live incoming calls from 10 to 6? Not sure. I am sure sure that I don't want to be awakened by my 4 AM nuisance e-mails!
As I compose this, I am multi-tasking. Yeah, listening to NPR. Two items of note; I'll try to add links to this or a next blog.
The first a segment with Daniel Schoor, newsman - must be in his eighties - almost a Walter Cronkite. The segment was on Twitter. It was wonderful. They were tweeting during the 10 minute segment. In response to the tweet "Why do you use Twitter?", one response was "I tweet for the same reason that I read, to know that I am not alone". Pretty heady; pretty scary. To almost equate tweeting and reading; I considered being deeply offended. This new techy opportunities are powerful; they provide the ability to connect and create.
As I noted previously, I'm not a tweeter (yet). The NPR Twitter segment further piqued my interest. Mr. Schoor got signed up during the segment. The second segment was on Algebra; a wonderful interview with Scott Devlin - the Math Guy. He said Algebra is important because you can't do a spreadsheet without it. Now that is a guy and a comment I love! Algebra with some relevance! Links to stories to read and/or listen. Signing off for now. Sorry Al; sorry Erin. I am learning.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Researching Blogs - Part 4
Miss Baker's Biology Class is the home page for a HS biology class with numerous links. Extreme Biology is one of those links - a class blog. It won the Edublog 2008 best class blog. The Edublog site provides a wealth of examples of blogs (and wikis and other web 2.0 tools) in education. Since 2004, Edublog has recognized high quality uses of technology in education. In 2008, awards were given in 16 categorizes (not unlike the Oscars which are on tonight, you can view all the nominations too!)
Back to Miss Baker's blog, lots of postings, some/many by students. Many pictures and links; since her classes have a home page also, I don't think the blog is as comprehensive as some. She writes, "Hello! My name is Stacy Baker. I’m an upper (high) school biology teacher at a school in the northeast United States. I started blogging for my students in 2006. During the first year I only used the blog to post class information. In 2007 I decided to turn the blog over to my students and have been thrilled at the results. It has greatly increased student involvement and science literacy in my classroom." She also has a blog called Using Blogs in Science Education, for educators.
The Number Warrior is - you guessed it - math blog set up on wordpress. My sense is that this blog's primary function is enrichment for the students. Doesn't appear that students comment routinely. A one way blog - getting info out to the kids. Lots of puzzles and games.
The last example of blogging from the SAI training is Teaching the Civil War with Technology. It includes lots of digital resources that a college prof has put together on the Civil War. Developed as part of his dissertation I believe. There is also a Civil War wiki.
Back to Miss Baker's blog, lots of postings, some/many by students. Many pictures and links; since her classes have a home page also, I don't think the blog is as comprehensive as some. She writes, "Hello! My name is Stacy Baker. I’m an upper (high) school biology teacher at a school in the northeast United States. I started blogging for my students in 2006. During the first year I only used the blog to post class information. In 2007 I decided to turn the blog over to my students and have been thrilled at the results. It has greatly increased student involvement and science literacy in my classroom." She also has a blog called Using Blogs in Science Education, for educators.
The Number Warrior is - you guessed it - math blog set up on wordpress. My sense is that this blog's primary function is enrichment for the students. Doesn't appear that students comment routinely. A one way blog - getting info out to the kids. Lots of puzzles and games.
The last example of blogging from the SAI training is Teaching the Civil War with Technology. It includes lots of digital resources that a college prof has put together on the Civil War. Developed as part of his dissertation I believe. There is also a Civil War wiki.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Researching Blogs - Part 3
Another Class Blogmeister blog, this one from a 9th grade English class located in Michigan. Called "Exploring Learning and Communication through Writing" , this link opens to an assignment on "Blogging in Education". You can read each students essay/reflection on having blogged for a semester. On the left side column you may notice an assignment on "Myths on the Internet". Open that assignment link to read the studnets description of a myth they found by searching the internet.
Room 9 is a 2nd/3rd grade class blog. This one is a class blog with material from the teacher - not much work from students. Based on a blogspot framework, it appears this blog is usually primarily for dissemination info to the kids. You will notice numerous link to pictures, podcasts and videos. This is an "info out" approach to use; no apparent use of student postings on this one.
Room 9 is a 2nd/3rd grade class blog. This one is a class blog with material from the teacher - not much work from students. Based on a blogspot framework, it appears this blog is usually primarily for dissemination info to the kids. You will notice numerous link to pictures, podcasts and videos. This is an "info out" approach to use; no apparent use of student postings on this one.
Researching Blogs - Part 2
I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since I posted!!! Not what I planned. My goal is to post at least 3 times a week. No excuses - not yet a habit.
On to Blogs! Lauryn's blog is called "Lauryn rocks"; she is a 3rd grader. Her class "Room 12" has a blog also; both are set up on a blog service/product call Class Blogmeinster. I'm intrigued by how these blogs are interlinked. It appears a teacher can set up a class blog and blogs for each student. I can see the teacher's posted assignments and the Lauryn's responses. I can also view other students responses. I can see student comments on Lauryn's posts. Most touching was a comment from a grandparent. I sensed the grandparent lived in a different area, but could still see the granddaughter's work.
Seeing the work and commenting on the work; "seeing thoughts/thinking" and seeing changes in the students ability to express themself. So, so much better than parents (or grandparents) just seeing the "grades", never seeing the work that generated the grade. No wonder kids confuse learning and grades! What we need is kids joyfully producing and creating, not earning grades. Blogs seem to represent a wonderway for folks to see student work! Question: Who can see Lauryn's blog? Obviously I could; cna anyone in the world look at Lauryn's work? I'm thinking about safety and internet "overexposure".
Jamin is a 6th grader; she has been blogging for 3 years also on Class Blogmeister. Here is her 2/13/09 blog post "on blogging". So far 74 hits on her post - no comments yet online. I decided to send a comment. I sent a short supportive note; in posting the comment I learned that the teacher will review comment and let it be posted (I assume if it was appropriate.) You can sense Jasmin's excitement in blogging. She has posted about 50 items over almost 2 years. It appears she started in April 2007. Scanning a few of her posts, I could see real growth in her abilty to express herself. You'll note some grammer issues (right instead of write for example). I sense the teacher must be secure; some teachers wouldn't "allow" public view of such errors - it might a reflection on the teacher, not the current level of Jasmin's writing....... Her is her post.
On to Blogs! Lauryn's blog is called "Lauryn rocks"; she is a 3rd grader. Her class "Room 12" has a blog also; both are set up on a blog service/product call Class Blogmeinster. I'm intrigued by how these blogs are interlinked. It appears a teacher can set up a class blog and blogs for each student. I can see the teacher's posted assignments and the Lauryn's responses. I can also view other students responses. I can see student comments on Lauryn's posts. Most touching was a comment from a grandparent. I sensed the grandparent lived in a different area, but could still see the granddaughter's work.
Seeing the work and commenting on the work; "seeing thoughts/thinking" and seeing changes in the students ability to express themself. So, so much better than parents (or grandparents) just seeing the "grades", never seeing the work that generated the grade. No wonder kids confuse learning and grades! What we need is kids joyfully producing and creating, not earning grades. Blogs seem to represent a wonderway for folks to see student work! Question: Who can see Lauryn's blog? Obviously I could; cna anyone in the world look at Lauryn's work? I'm thinking about safety and internet "overexposure".
Jamin is a 6th grader; she has been blogging for 3 years also on Class Blogmeister. Here is her 2/13/09 blog post "on blogging". So far 74 hits on her post - no comments yet online. I decided to send a comment. I sent a short supportive note; in posting the comment I learned that the teacher will review comment and let it be posted (I assume if it was appropriate.) You can sense Jasmin's excitement in blogging. She has posted about 50 items over almost 2 years. It appears she started in April 2007. Scanning a few of her posts, I could see real growth in her abilty to express herself. You'll note some grammer issues (right instead of write for example). I sense the teacher must be secure; some teachers wouldn't "allow" public view of such errors - it might a reflection on the teacher, not the current level of Jasmin's writing....... Her is her post.
| BLOGGING | |
| I Just Like Blogging This is my third year of blogging and I just love it. My favorite thing about blogging is that I always get to see how many people all over the word read my blog post in one day. I mean it is just so amazing. I also love just being able to right my own expressions and in my own words. One of the other things I like about blogging is that you get to talk with people all over the word. Talking To Kids All Over The World Talking to kids and teachers all over the word is the best. Why you ask. Well lets just say that when you talk to kids all over the word you are able to chat with them and tell them all about your cutler and they can tell you about theirs. You also could ask them what time it is down or up there and see what the different is from here to there. How Does It Help You Blogging is another way to teach you how to read and to spell. One way that it helps you learn to read is because when you check it you read fluently. Another way that you learn to spell is that you see your mistake and you pronounce the word | |
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Researching Blogs - Part 1
One of my commitments is to study the use of blogs in education - and then to use the blog as a vehicle for recording and sharing what I find/learn. This was prompted in part by Scott McLeod's work here in Iowa with SAI. He linked about 8 blogs from education into his workshop wiki.
I've become convinced that I have been using the web like a TV - surfing it and being stimulated. I remember some of it. forget a lot of it and don't assimilate much of it. I believe by writing (taking notes) and describing items that I explore, I will make more connections and links. I want to move beyond being amazed by the capabilities of Web2.0 to using it it enable and enhance my learning.
On to Blogs - I'm going to jump around a little. McLeod's "example 5" is Mr Mundorf's Class. He teaches 5th grade on Macro Island (Florida?). It is set up on edublogs. This blog's layout is 2 column - a main center column and the right "skinny" column. The right column is filled with enhanced features of the blog and add in widgets. If we go to the bottom - scroll down - we find "previous entries". I "clicked" back about 5 times and found the first entry - September 2006. It is easy to see the evolution of the Blog. The early posts were short and primarily narrative, sometimes with links. Overtime posts become much more colorful (pictures, embedded videos, etc.). His first posts were frequently "You Decide" - dilemmas for kids to write about. Yes you can read the student's comments.
Scroll down the right column just below the personalized clock (face is a cross-section of an ornage - most appropriate eh?) - is a blog roll - about 20 blog links are listed. It appears that these links are both ones students might use and some that seem to be more for the teacher (or teacher readers of the blog) One that caught my eye was "Speaking of History....", this blog is hosted on blogspot. This 8th grade American History teacher was Teacher of the year in Missouri in the 07-08. The blog has 250 to 300 posts since 2005. He uses lots of podcasts; his last post included Podcast #175. Lots of blog links here too. One of the widgets in the right column is realtime veiwers - a vendor called FJ FEEDJIT lets you see "who" has recently looked at the blog and here they accessed it from (I got to it from Mr. Mundorf's blog). This blog has perhaps 40 to 50 blogs listed. This blog has fewer commnets compared to the Mr Mundorf's. Perhaps students are writing about the material in their own blogs. Lots of audio and video links in this one.
Thoughts: Many resources and links - items for students to use. Some examples of how students are using the material. Can see maturity over time of the blogs - how to use plus widgets and blog capabilities I assume. This is just a start on blogs. More later.
I've become convinced that I have been using the web like a TV - surfing it and being stimulated. I remember some of it. forget a lot of it and don't assimilate much of it. I believe by writing (taking notes) and describing items that I explore, I will make more connections and links. I want to move beyond being amazed by the capabilities of Web2.0 to using it it enable and enhance my learning.
On to Blogs - I'm going to jump around a little. McLeod's "example 5" is Mr Mundorf's Class. He teaches 5th grade on Macro Island (Florida?). It is set up on edublogs. This blog's layout is 2 column - a main center column and the right "skinny" column. The right column is filled with enhanced features of the blog and add in widgets. If we go to the bottom - scroll down - we find "previous entries". I "clicked" back about 5 times and found the first entry - September 2006. It is easy to see the evolution of the Blog. The early posts were short and primarily narrative, sometimes with links. Overtime posts become much more colorful (pictures, embedded videos, etc.). His first posts were frequently "You Decide" - dilemmas for kids to write about. Yes you can read the student's comments.
Scroll down the right column just below the personalized clock (face is a cross-section of an ornage - most appropriate eh?) - is a blog roll - about 20 blog links are listed. It appears that these links are both ones students might use and some that seem to be more for the teacher (or teacher readers of the blog) One that caught my eye was "Speaking of History....", this blog is hosted on blogspot. This 8th grade American History teacher was Teacher of the year in Missouri in the 07-08. The blog has 250 to 300 posts since 2005. He uses lots of podcasts; his last post included Podcast #175. Lots of blog links here too. One of the widgets in the right column is realtime veiwers - a vendor called FJ FEEDJIT lets you see "who" has recently looked at the blog and here they accessed it from (I got to it from Mr. Mundorf's blog). This blog has perhaps 40 to 50 blogs listed. This blog has fewer commnets compared to the Mr Mundorf's. Perhaps students are writing about the material in their own blogs. Lots of audio and video links in this one.
Thoughts: Many resources and links - items for students to use. Some examples of how students are using the material. Can see maturity over time of the blogs - how to use plus widgets and blog capabilities I assume. This is just a start on blogs. More later.
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