Last thing/s (Thing 23)

At the risk of sounding like a cop-out, I feel that I've been perpetually trying to evaluate the content of the 23 Things, and I am not sure how much I've left to say...

I guess the first thing the course has done is open my eyes to the dizzying possibilities of Web 2.0, and the relative ease-of-use of many of them. This in itself has helped me to think differently about the possibilities of education, and schooling in particular. I particular like the "social" aspect of Web 2.0, as I believe the whole point of school is to be a learning community. In my context, with limited resources, Web 2.0 means far more is available than I would once have thought...as long as we have the technology to support it.

I am still uncertain about how to think about the merits of Web 2.0, as impressive as they seem. One man in the "Changing to Learn" clip commented on how we are witnessing "the death of education," which seems somewhat outrageous to me. My main question is what becomes of teachers and mentors in Web 2.0. I happen to think the role of the teacher is something more than a conduit of information, or that teaching is much more like coaching. I also think there is great value in having someone else decide what things one is to learn. After all, who of us in this course would have simply "chosen"--on our own, to learn about these "23 things?"

Thus, I'll be most keen to see if and how a teacher-student relationship works in the world of Web 2.0, and if at some point I'll need to unplug...or to completely reimagine the way I understand teaching and learning.

Videos (Things 22)

It's no surprise that You Tube is controversial. Not only is it often a great "time-waster," but a good deal of the content is dodgy. It's appeal, however, is undeniable.

As far as appeal, I can see SchoolTube having much more for students than TeacherTube, from what I've seen thus far. I doubt students would go to TeacherTube unless required to do so, and maybe not even then. Teacher Tube, and even TED, has more for teachers than for the average student.

The real appeal of School Tube, I think, is motivational. I've seen many unmotivated students who really "show up" for a video project, even if it's only shown in class. What generally happens is that it then gets shown to other students, other teachers, other classes, family members, etc. If a video can be a valid form of assessment (and I think it can, with some guidelines), SchoolTube (or YouTube) could be a great asset toward motivation, and ultimately learning.

Twittering (Thing 21)

Whether or not Twitter is of educational use, it's certainly a fascinating thing.
I suspect it takes the place of "chatting" for more than a few; it's a bit like virtual small talk, or like a water-cooler conversation, spread across the hours and the miles. It's brevity makes it non-threatening to access and contribute, and also lends itself to being succinctly insightful or inane. Which is probably why many have a love/hate relationship with it (or Facebook, etc.)

If properly focused around topics of relevance, I think Twitter (or something similar) could really be helpful to educators. For the hundreds of things within our roles which require feedback, a tool like Twitter could actually make it happen, as it demands brevity. The amount of feedback would almost certainly increase...

Of course, this does not ensure the quality of the feedback. Do we really communicate without true dialogue...the give-and-take, question-and-answer of conversation? I suppose this remains to be seen...

Delicious bookmarks (Thing 20)

I see at least two potential helpful uses for this application. The first would be in terms of my own learning and development. If I can create a virtual media center, of sorts, to help with my own learning and preparation, that would be really useful. Instead of always trying to make everything from scratch (gradebooks, lesson plans, etc.), I may be able to use something out there that would both save me time, and be better quality. I could also be able to quickly catch up on news and developments...almost like getting a daily "briefing."

The second use for this would be to create a place for students to continue their learning. If they would be able to use my bookmarks to find more information or help on what we cover in class or their own learning, it may also save them time and lead to a better product. It could also be a way to guide (or protect) their on-line research (or prevent multiple projects with wikipedia as the main source!)

For those interested in my short list of resources, see "riccer's" bookmarks in del.icio.us.

Social bookmarking (Thing 19)

Feels a bit like the cart before the horse...as I've yet to start "social bookmarking." ("social" definitely seems to be the defining characteristic of Web 2.0...although I still wonder how "social" it really is...)

I'm keen to get started, however, as this may get me closer to the tool or application I'm after...one that will synthesize and streamline life, work, on-line resources and interests, etc.
My brother (who's much more in the world of computers than I am) were discussing this very thing last night...and his take is that we still haven't "arrived" at synthesis yet...so this year's best or favorite tools will likely become obsolete within a few years. He's probably right.

In the meantime, however, we can tag, which seems helpful and relatively painless. I especially like the fact that social bookmarking sites are not limited to one computer. This should be very helpful to me, especially as we will likely soon be moving to a place with a fairly high rate of crime, and concerns about having laptops stolen, etc.

I understand all the emphasis on good tagging, as being thoughtful on the front end will make using social bookmarking much easier and more helpful in the long run. Being logical and balanced in tagging will also, hopefully, make us more helpful to others (and less of a target?)
who see and view our tags.

Personal Learning Networks (Thing 18)

I have to admit, I'm beginning to have a little trouble keeping this all straight...blogs vs. wikis vs. feed readers vs. personal learning networks, etc.
There seems to be more than a bit of overlap, and I'm trying to decide which ones will ultimately be most helpful.

Personal Learning Networks, at first glance, seem to be one of the better options for professional development. In some ways, it could be a way to extend those "staff room" discussions to a wider audience, and get some real help for real questions. Another advantage would be solicit helpful resources, on a certain topic, without necessary knowing of their existance. It's like your subconcious mind doing a google search on your behalf...

I suppose the problems with a PLN are not unlike that of any social network (or social institution). How to keep the communication relevant and edifying, how to determine what is good and what is bogus, how to understand--really--what is being said, and why.

More Web 2.0 (Thing 17)

I did poke around the top sites quite a bit, but I have to admit right now I'm completely captivated by last.fm...a music site which compiles favorites, plays them, and also gives recommendations. I could listen to this one for hours.

I am really not sure about the merits of this site for school, except perhaps to find common ground with my students. I have found that knowing some of their music goes a long way (in a short time) to connecting with them. Perhaps I could even get them listening to some good (slightly older?) music, rather than some of the redundant, flash-in-the-pan stuff on the pop charts (notice: I said "some":)