An Overview of Wikis

Aloha!

Welcome to the online world of Wikis. The name wiki comes from the Hawaiian word for “quick”. A wiki’s purpose is to bring quick answers, solutions or information on anything and everything. The wiki is attributed to Ward Cunningham who in 1995 wanted to create the “simplest database that would work”. What makes wikis so different from other websites, search engines and online dictionaries is that a wiki has numerous contributors. Since wikis have numerous editors, wikis may seem non-reliable. Anybody can edit the information so there may be people who will report false information or even change correct information. But there are page editors constantly checking the pages for accuracy. A contributor may be blocked from adding or editing information if needed. That being said, it is important to not only use wikis as a sole source. Especially for students, using another more “reliable” source is important.

Let’s talk about wikis in Education. Some teachers have reported that they have better success when wikis are narrowly focused for a definite period of time. Let’s take, for example, a group writing project with a deadline. It is also helpful to construct wiki problems that offer multiple solutions, which ensures continued dialog and collaborating to solve the problem among students. Other teachers state that they contribute to the wiki that the students are using, only to help guide when absolute necessary. An interesting example of students using a wiki is the “Sunflower” example, which can be found on this website.
On the same website there are also more examples of wikis for you to check out.

Here are some differences we have found between wikis and regular websites:

WIKIS
*open editing
*simple text formatting language
*earlier versions stored in database
*easy to create new pages
*low security
*equal user rules
*multiple anonymous authorship
*communal, collaborative
*pages considered always in progress


CONVENTIONAL WEBPAGES:
*limited editing
*conventiona HTML
*earlier versions are not automatically saved
*harder to create new pages
*high security
*hierarchial user roles
*limited known authorship
*individual
*pages considered finished


All in all, wikis are great for quick information on any topic. You will likely get similar facts and different opinions, but you will always find some form of answer. The most widely-known wiki is wikipedia.com, which many people use on a daily basis for information on various countries, wars, people, and terms. It is a good source to go to for getting ideas about a topic before researching it further.

Digital Cameras In The Classroom

What is the best way to use digital cameras? Today, digital cameras are used for a wide variety of tasks. Most of us probably have cameras to take pictures of our families and friends, but there is now a whole new educational purpose for this form of technology. Now, digital cameras are even being used in school. In the article "Quick! Get The (Digital) Camera!" in Education World, Craig Nansen, a real technology coordinator for a public school, shares his story about the use of digital photography in the classroom.

In the article, Craig shares how digital photography was used in his school. Teachers in his school use digital photography in the classroom by taking pictures of students, their projects, activities, events, and field trips. On a field trip a student can take multiple digital photos. Later, the digital photos can be combined to make a slide show or movie. Also, at Craig's school, students wanted to put a web page together about the area that they live in which was a very historical place. Students wanted to make a web page with some of the town's historical background so they got pictures from the past from newspapers, scanned them, and created the web page. The photos allowed the students to experience a brief flash back of the area that they live in.

*Other ways to use digital cameras in the classroom (both from the article and ideas that we came up with):

-Write a class novel and illustrate it with live-action photos of your students

-Take pictures of each child's eyes, nose, feet, or mouth only. It would be really fun for kids to do. To integrate this activity into the lesson plans, perhaps the students could photograph animals or other elements relevant to the topic in the same way they were photographed.

-Document the growth of classroom plants or animals with daily or weekly photos.

-Take a photograph of each student at the beginning and end of the school year. Kids would get a kick out of this as every kid waits for the day they are older.

-Have students go on a photographic scavenger hunt, taking pictures of the objects they find rather than retrieving the objects themselves. Maybe students could do something like this if they are on a field trip like a museum or at an arts complex.

-Turn "student of the week" into "employee of the week" by hanging the students picture on the wall in addition to special weekly privileges

-Take pictures of the children and post them on their cubby or desk, so they have an idea of where they sit or where their things are

-Take a picture of a few things (ie cake, pizza, hotdog, phone) then have the students relate and/or categorize the pictures -Capture events such as a fire department coming to school to teach about fire safety (one of our group members actually got to take the pictures for a teacher while doing evaluations)

*Quick digital camera tips:

-purchase inexpensive cameras for student use and a good more expensive camera for teacher use

-let students work with the images - - cropping, editing, ect.

-consider having pictures printed locally at a one hour photo center - - it's cheaper

-have at least one computer set up with Photoshop Elements

*Concerns when using digital cameras:

-Students must give permission to be photographed (privacy issue)

-Damage to the camera, so teach students how to handle the camera since digital cameras can be "relatively expensive"

-Make sure you discuss appropriate pictures, sometimes students get silly when in front of a camera

*Good things about digital cameras:

-Don't have to get film developed! or pay for film

-Can instantly delete pictures

-Instantly download them to the computer

-Can use them for observation and documentation (science fair projects)

-Not all students can draw or paint so photography is another way to be artistic with school projects

-Students love to take pictures!

-Digital cameras give another perspective on things: "Looking through the eye of a lens gives another perspective that is so important when looking for the 'big picture' or zooming in on a detail. Both viewpoints can be a starting point to draw conclusions, test a hypothesis, or creatively interpret what we see." Digital photography has not only opened more doors to activities, but it has also expanded the ways a teacher can evaluate students. Pictures allow a teacher to see how active or constructive a student was while working.

In addition to the article found in Education World, we found these articles interesting as well:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/heinrich/papers_6.htm

http://www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam.html

http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2003/04/roll.php

Virtual Field Trips

Virtual Field Trips

Have you ever been sitting in a classroom full of disinterested students? Have you ever been bored by the drone of a teacher’s lecture? If you answered yes then you probably understand that sometimes students just wish they were somewhere else! Fortunately, virtual field trips make this wish a reality!

As we enter the twenty first century the world around us is changing rapidly. Luckily, technology now allows for diverse educational opportunities. One of these new opportunities comes in the form of virtual field trips. According to "Get Outta Class With Virtual Field Trips" published by Education World in 2006, virtual field trips are becoming more and more popular in our school system. It is not hard to see why! A virtual field trip has many benefits. Imagine allowing students at any moment to travel to Antarctica, Paris, or even through the Solar System!

Virtual Field Trips vs. Conventional Field Trips
Less Expensive / More Expensive
Less Planning / More Planning
Unlimited Destinations / Limited Destinations
Accessible at any time / Arrangements Needed
Weather is always Perfect / Weather can get in the way
Very little paperwork / Lots of paperwork

How to create a Virtual Field Trip
*Brainstorm your ideas *Develop a plan (include activities for the trip as well as equipment needed) *Connect the field trip to the curriculum *Prepare (be sure to take more pictures that actually needed) *Take your trip and collect the needed information *Build your field trip *Evaluate by testing your virtual trip for technical errors *Share your trip

Tools used to create a Virtual Field Trip
-diagrams, drawings/paintings, maps
-interviews & oral histories
-photographs
-digital camera, scan
-recordings: audio, video
-text: diaries, letters, newspapers

Awesome Virtual Field Trip Ideas
http://www.si.edu/
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/
http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/exhibits.html

With new times comes new technology. In the education system we can learn, grow, and flourish from these changes. Virtual field trips can now bring students and teachers anywhere they want to go.

Information and links courtesy of Glencoe Online and Education World

Original Articles:

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/33

Why Use a Storyboard?

Have you ever wondered what kinds of tools you can use to make your lessons more lively and organized? One option can be using storyboards. “Planning for Learning: Why Use a Storyboard” gives a simple but thorough description of storyboarding. What is a storyboard? A storyboard is a plan that maps out ideas for teaching and learning activities. It basically is a rough draft of a future course or assignment. There are simple storyboards which include flowcharts, outlines, or tables and there are more complicated storyboards which are more detailed and include text, graphics, and/or videos usually referred to as multimedia storyboards. Storyboards can display a direction or sequence for a lesson.

The direction and organization that storyboards provide can be beneficial to use in the classroom for a variety of reasons. They can be used to help a teacher “think ahead” and lets the teacher fix any problems that may arise. This way a teacher knows what his/her job will be as well as the job of the students. They create structure, sequence, and direction for lessons. Storyboards allow lessons to go more smoothly causing less stress and demand. They also fit lessons into the course objective. Storyboards are able to give out information in a structured manner.

Teachers can use storyboards for almost everything in the classroom. They can be used to plan for student activities for each lesson, estimate the time spent on each lesson, and explain objectives to be attained from each lesson. Other information to be used on storyboards include course descriptions, requirements, objectives, general resources needed for the class, outlines of course structure and lesson components. Students can also benefit from using storyboards. They help the students to stay organized, keep on task, and on schedule.

The most beneficial aspect of the article were the pictures provided and the references posted at the bottom of the article. Storyboards can be very open and can be creative. They can expand thoughts on projects and assignments. Storyboarding is a great planning tool to get organized and stay on track in the classroom.


“Planning for Learning: Why Use a Storyboard”. 2 Sept. 2007. Teaching and Learning With Technology, The Pennsylvania State University. 2007 http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/research/storyboard.shtml.

Technology in the Classroom

"You've got mail!" Everyone has heard this famous phrase in which American Online users are greeted when signing on. Technology has become a huge variable in everyday life. It is used in the work place, entertainment industries, and even at home. Now technology is branching out even further and is coming to a class room near you! The article, "Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom", published by Glencoe/McGraw Hill and written by Mollie Crie explains how technology can and will be used in the class room.The article begins by defining a blog as "a Web publishing tool that allows authors to quickly and easily self-publish text, artwork, links to other blogs or Web sites, and a whole array of other content.” The article conveys that the use of blogs in the classroom can enhance a student's education. Blogs, Crie explains, are fairly simple tools teachers can use to relay information to students. Blogs can be used by teachers to inform students, post homework, initiate discussions and answer any questions.Blogs improve classroom management and benefit students as well. This article explains how students can use blogs to "present, organize and protect their work". Through blogs students are motivated to read and write as well as participate in class. This ties in with the standpoint discussed in chapter one of our text that participation from otherwise shy students can be enhanced greatly through this technology. In addition to explaining the benefits of a blog this article exemplifies some risks to consider. One could argue that in today's world it might not be safe for students to post information for everyone to see. Blogs can be viewed by anyone and students can easily post inappropriate material. The article counters these points by stating that teachers will have to relay guidelines and explain the dangers of the internet. Although the article probably could have gone into more depth on preparing a blog, it effectively explained the basics of blogging.

Mollie Crie, Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom, October 2006, August 29 2007,ttp://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47