I found this chapter extremely helpful...but I think I said that about all the chapters! :-) What I like the best was Buzzeo's definition of Web 2.0. Very succinct and direct. I also liked her discussion of digital natives on page 118. We all know our students are techno-savy, but her line, "They may be digital natives, but their knowledge is surface level, and they desperately need training in real thinking skills." I know we say this over and over again, it was nice to have validation.
I thought the sample projects were great, and already have plans to incorporate a couple into my plans for next year. The orientation Wiki on page 120 had great merrit. I also want to do more with my website and student reviews...maybe a wiki or blog is the way to do it. I tried a blog years ago and it did not fly, maybe now that blogging is more main stream it would work better?
This is our last chapter for this discussion. I have to say I think this book was probably one of the most helpful professional books I have ever read...really! So many good ideas, I am excited about my collaboration log for next year, using Data Mentor, integrating some Web 2.0 technologies...etc. I will send Garry Stone my extra copy of this book!
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How grateful I am for our district support for new technologies! … the administration and tech support staff don’t need to be convinced of the value of these tools. Reading the chapter I was reminded that some school librarians are still having to fight that battle.
ReplyDeleteThe quote on p. 118 from Steve Hargadon’s blog was a powerful reminder that we do have much to teach our students - the skills of sorting through “an overabundance of information” and after they learn the skill of “how to protect themselves from inappropriate content … we have to teach them to create appropriate content.” Probably most challenging is teaching them the “real thinking skills” that are essential for success in higher education and our economically competitive environment. [Loved Buzzeo’s cheerleading – “we’ll be magnificent!”
The chapter as always calls me to depth of professional performance. One goal for my summer is greater familiarity with tools like voicethread and animoto which will allow me to encourage response to literature [and many other projects] in new ways for our building. Sorry I didn’t know more about voicethread before now, as it would have been a perfect venue for our ESL teacher and students to use with their country reports instead of PowerPoint and script for their presentations. Like Kathy, I appreciated the idea of orienting students to the library through an interactive or creative tool… Should it be a wiki, or is animoto or voicethread the way to go? Which of these tools will I want to use when doing my faculty “orientation” next September?
Thanks, Toni Buzzeo, for all the wonderful encouragement and for raising the bar for all of us. The book is a winner!!
Green highlighter all over this one! Really wanted to sink my teeth into this chapter. I'm in the middle of a mental discussion on what stays, what goes in my classes for next year. That's for another discussion which I will bend your ears over.
ReplyDeleteMore later....still pondering....
I have to admit that I need to read this chapter a third time - think part of my brain shuts down when processing the words "new" or "technologies"
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I am also in midst of thinking about next year and need to get up to speed on a few tools. Then again, I thank my lucky stars that I work at a level where flannel is still sometimes the best choice!