Chapter 10/What It All Means

"The walls of the classroom are literally made irrelevant by the creation of communities of learners that span oceans, races, genders, and generations" pg 148  For education purposes the potential for teaching and learning in the blogosphere using the Read/Write Web is enormous and exciting.  But first we must learn and teach a new literacy as the author states "For more than a hundred years we have defined being literate as being able to read and write.  And although those core abilities are still central to learning, they are no longer enough to ensure understanding" pg 148 (I think our superintendent would agree!)
Reading the "Big Shifts 1-10" gave me a clearer understanding of why this new way of learning will soon be changing how we "do school" and the potential as a educator and learner is so fabulously exciting...no other time in history have been able to connect with so many...could knocking down the walls of the classroom also help us knock down the walls to bigotry, racism, and hatred?  Doesn't the path to peace begin with open communication and understanding? The potential is great! Not just for the classroom but for the world at large....we are becoming one people, one country, united by shared communication; on longer divided by borders of ignorance. 

Chapter 9/Social Networks

Using social networking sites students are participating in "self-directed, peer-based learning" where they are using the internet not just to connect with peers but also with those who have the same interests and passions the author states "complicates what we do as educators a great deal!" pg 132  Facebook is here to stay...and as the author suggest we best get to know how it operates so that we will be speaking the same language or that we are all on the same page, students, teachers, administrators and parents.......Richardson's stresses  that we have a responsibility to engage in a discussion on how to best model social networking usage...and stop putting our heads in the sand as if it isn't important or that it has no place in schools.. "no teacher should be denied exploration of a technology that with good pedagogy could be a valuable learning tool for students, or, more importantly, could provide important context for learning"..pg 134 Having said that, he continues to say that first we should just explore the potential use in our personal lives before bringing it into the classroom...I have friends who are in both camps..those who use facebook and those who don't...those who don't, won't because of the fear of "Big Brother" watching or the potential for becoming a cyber-victim.  But our kids are using these sites and it is up to us adults to watch over them and protect them. We can only do that if we ourselves become comfortable with how it all works.  Then we can explore ways to use the social connection sites to help our students and to make learning more exciting...

Chapter 8/Podcasting,Videoand Screencasting and live Streaming

"Self-produced homemade entertainment!" So were those who were around when "talkies came to the big screen and then entertainment came directly into the home in a box called television just as amazed at the potential as we are today with the possibilities of now creating our own entertainment using the internet? And the potential use in the classroom  is going to make for great learning experiences.  I believe I read earlier in the book that learning has primarily taken place in isolation, individual students consuming information, now the world has opened to learning through making connections with others who want to learn the same things...and sharing what you learn with others...through podcasting and RSS the world is soon becoming the classroom of the future (or is it our bedrooms?)
Again Richardson has shared many good ideas and examples of how schools are using these broadcasting tools, Teachers in all disciplines should be excited of the potential use of these tools in the classrooms; however, for those of us new to all of this technology it is still overwhelming how to go about getting started...I was pleased to see that the recommendations given are user friendly such as checking out Podomatic.com which should be a good place to start.  Gosh, after radio broadcasting comes making our own movies right in the classroom...or live streaming but I am stopping here with the caution of the author pg. 129 "it's just another reason why we have to get our brains around these shifts and be able to teach our kids the ethics and sensibilities to make good choices regarding these powerful technologies".....kids are using these tools, lets make sure they are using them appropriately for their own safety!

Chapter 7/ Fun with Flickr

As I mentioned a few posts back, it is essential that teachers become comfortable and knowledgeable with these webtools before asking our students to do so.  And the author restated the same on page 102 "take the time to become familiar with the potential and the risks of (Flickr) before you bring it into your classroom..and reading the next few pages it does appear as if Flickr is the site most protected with built in safeguards and appropriateness...I still have concerns that something may get past and pose some potential harm...especially with photos of students.....(is that just me being me ; the worrying type?)...But the potential usage in the classroom to create outstanding visuals and presentations using photography and video may well be worth the worry.....the creative aspect of using Flickr in the classroom has some amazing possibilities....so Flicker and Flip away! Learning is becoming a living, breathing techocolor amazing thing!!
The technical aspects of reading these chapters has me somewhat dazed...but I do realize that this course is just an introduction and I am not expected to become an expert overnight....I am looking forward to just taking the book along with my computer and playing the day away!!!

Chapter 6 The Social Web/Learning Together

Happy "Twit or Tweeting"! 
Everytime I here that this or that famous person has tweeted this or that I wondered what this tweeting thing is all about! Well, now I know, and I now realize why the last chapter on the RSS was so important!  As the author states this whole business of internet usage will provide social networks where we can "share, connect, and create with others (many others) who have the same minds, interest, and passions" pg 85 and on to page 86 where he states "Learning is a continuous conversation among many participants!"
and this continuous conversation is exploding in the land of tweeting! I can certainly understand why people enjoy this media arena! 
It was helpful that the author also gave us practical sites to check out so that our tweeting can become managable with the social bookmarking services distinguishing between Diigo and Delicious.....good tools to become familiar with if this is indeed in your future....but I had to admit when I read the sentence beginning with ..."Delicious is so Googl-esque" it made me stop and giggle a bit.....I am amazed at the new vocabulary I have developed just by taking this class! It is as if I were taking a new language class....and just with learning a new language tweeting, blogging, wiki-ing, podcasting, RSS-ing will require practice and patience!
And all I need to do is just start somewhere...La casa es muy grande!!  Happy Tweeting!

Chapter 5/RSS/The Killer App for Educatiors

Meeting RSS: just in time, because reading the last chapter certainly had me overwhelmed! Really Simple Really? The author states (pg. 72) "I've been able to track about 80 feeds of information daily from bloggers, newspaper, search engines, and more.  Over that time, I've read or skimmed literally tens of thousands of posts" really simple, really? 
I know this chapter was specifically written to expose us to the time saving app RSS to help web users collect and store thousands all the information shot our way, but how long did it take the author to "skim" that information even while using this app?  Really, simple, really?  Okay, so it is a good idea to have a "personal information filter or guide" to help us sort all of the information and keep only the useful and I am sure once I get the hang of it I will indeed appreciate all the this app can do for us but right now I am just learning to navigate into the tools and need time to venture on to the RSS for help...but I'll get there some day...gosh, being patient learning all this is really hard for me...I just keep reminding myself to go slow and easy and have fun with all of this and hopefully someday I'll know how to use it appropriately....I just remembered advice I tell my students all the time..."you have to learn something before you know it and I have to be willing to take the time to learn this new "language" before I can know how.....good advice right? 

Chapter 4 Wikis/Easy Collaboration for All

Collaboration: The key word in this chapter.  If you are a veteran teacher you can remember a time (not so long ago) when many professional development days were spent centered around the concept of collaborative learning.  It was and still is thought that students learn best when working collaboratively, retain information better when studying together, and produce higher quality work when working as a team negotiating who would contribute what to the project.  Who would have thought that a Wiki could be created where students can do just that< collaborate and learn the life skill of negotiation while at the same time feel a sense of ownership and pride in their work : "Using wikis, students are not only learning how to publish content; they are also learning how to develop and use all sorts of collaborative skills, negotiating with others to agree on correctness, meaning, relevance, and more.  In essence, students begin to teach each other." pg. 61
Easy For All: The author's enthusiasm and excitment for using these webtools in the classroom was very evident in this chapter, and he showcased many examples of exciting ways teachers are using Wikis in their practice. Truly amazing things!  However, for some of "us" the easy does not come easy.  For me personally to explore, create, and make sure students are effectively and appropriately using these tools is very time consuming especially since I am a new kid on the block (or on the internet!), but I also appreciate that for younger teachers who already have a good handle on technology these tools can open up a whole new approach to teaching and learning for students, and I know their students will be collaborating with others in a new world classroom!