Just overwhelmed with stuff to do and feeling the need to get in here but can't find the time. One more day 'til break, then off to Georgia. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing next week. Seems like others are taking a little hiatus too.
posted by Will Richardson3:09 PM Link
The other day, Pat said in his weblog that there are "lots, lots more" people out there using content management systems in their schools...I wish I could find them. And I wish I could remember to ask Pat where they are!
Great article on weblogs as viral marketing. A lot of possible applications here to the dissemination of news.
And another pretty interesting article on blogging which confirms what I've been saying all along: "As the media giants become more heavily invested in the web, the amount of content they are producing has grown to the point where it is difficult and time-consuming for an average person to sift through it all. Enter the blogger.". Which is why blogs like this one and Chris's and Pat's and Sarah's and Terry's all serve such a cool purpose. We are the early adapters, the ones who really have the opportunity to do some very interesting and thought-breaking things. I'm really hoping we can bring our collective experiences together in ways that bring positive changes to the classroom. That would be very, very fun.
posted by Will Richardson1:05 PM Link
What a week...two days (W, Th) at the Columbia Press Association conference looking at and learning about yearbooks...160 pages to get out the door yesterday...two student magazines in the works...freelance stories to read and respond to...I think crunch time has arrived!
Also a week for "bumps": Some nice words from Chris...I don't know how others feel, but recognition definitely motivates me. I love the feeling of having something to contribute, and I'm looking forward to getting more focused on all of this again once my "book" is done in a couple of weeks. And Pat has some connection to these here parts...maybe I even taught his cousins! Fun to be making some edublogging friends.
posted by Will Richardson4:59 AM Link
Lloyd has some interesting things to say about weblogging and writing, in particular: “Among many other things, writing a daily weblog is different from writing a daily private journal in that hypertextuality defines this medium. It's a simple but profound fact: never before in the history of the human species and of human civilizations has writing of this sort—hypertextual communication, for lack of a more elegant and pithier phrase—been possible. Ever.
That’s one of the appeals for me too, the instant connection to someone else’s space or thoughts. I just can’t imagine that in the near future we’re not going to require our students to produce hypertext research essays and papers as more and more valuable and useful content goes online. I wonder if it’s not possible right now for a high school student to do 90% of what he or she needs in terms of written research on the web. And now with weblogs to facilitate the process, what’s stopping us? I think it would be worth taking a serious look at in a composition or creative writing class. Maybe even as an assignment for Media class.
Lloyd also writes about Chris and his efforts to separate different writing into different weblogs: ”Mostly a challenge of having to separate out or compartmentalize various things about one's life; and to constantly have to make distinctions about which writing belongs where. Maybe for Chris it might mean the distinction between 'professional' and 'personal,' or that between 'worklife' and 'artlife.' But for me, I don't think I'd be able to make that distinction, or if I tried to, wouldn't be able to sustain it.”
I struggle with the same issue, because many times there are things of a more personal nature that I would like to get down in my space. Problem is I don’t know if it’s “appropriate” for my “audience”, and I don’t really know how much I want to share publicly. I put in a picture of the kids last week and felt kind of unsure about it. Yet, I do feel motivated by the idea that people are reading what I write. So my “professional” topics elbow out the “personal” ones, since I feel some strange sense of duty to it and to “them”. Weird. But it helps me understand what it might/must be like for my students too.
posted by Will Richardson12:21 PM Link
Some weblog analysis from Sarah via Hector: "The course weblog enabled us to explore ways of collaborating, as a class, in ongoing deliberations of writing and film via online asynchronous discussions, in smaller groups, and with professionals in the outside world; of dynamically publishing multi-media class exercises, discussions, and oral presentations with streaming video; and ways of modeling good writing and responding to writing through teacher postings.
We have evaluated the short-term results in three ways: student grades, student evaluations of their own work and of the technology, and the number of Ward Prize nominations from this class (an annual award given to the top essay written by a first-year student). All three tabulations indicate the remarkably positive impact of the weblog technology on students' critical and creative thinking, their analytical writing skills, and their intellectual confidence and independence.
Future courses will take weblog use another step: incorporating individual student weblogs and creating a weblog zine for "final" publication of work from the course. This kind of dynamic, organic evolution of computer technology in the classroom indicates a promising future student-teacher-technologist collaboration across the disciplines. A technology used to create community and for exchanges of information, now is a dynamic and vital tool that elevates student work, and is compelling us to think in new ways."
Some really good ideas here. I love the idea of a weblog zine for a final publication...why hadn't I seen that before as the perfect exit outcome for my J1 and even J2 kids? Media too. And another point to highlight is the modeling of good writing and responding to good writing through teacher postings. That's something that I need to explore more, though it's tough since what I teach is not technically considered "composition". Creative writing and expos teachers should jump on this, I swear.
I'm thinking that at some point I'm going to sift through these months of notes and bring together a list of potential applications and uses of weblogs as a kind of quick reference for teachers (and for me.)
Started fooling around with p-machine, but it's going to be more difficult than I hoped, I think. The developer is really into helping since he wants the product to take off. And even the altmuslim.com guy has offered his support. It would be nice to have the time to focus on it. Swamped, to say the least. Yearbook deadlines upon us. Too many stories to read and respond to. Too much editing to do. Mercy. I hope when the workload lifts that I'll still have the energy for it.
posted by Will Richardson4:46 AM Link
Pat has a cool way of kind of summarizing what people in his writing project are writing in their weblogs. He's obviously doing a lot of reading and connecting. I think it's a great way to build community, too; I think I've started to rely on the class weblogs to do that. It might be interesting, however, at some point, to open up their own personal spaces to the group. Remember the motivation of audience.
posted by Will Richardson8:21 AM Link
Here it is! This is what I'm thinking when I write about easily updatable, interactive, news sites...Feature story at the top...sections below...comment threads...registered members...pics, searches...just think of the school website like this! Or the school paper! Or a classroom paper! This is what I want...powered by pmachine.
posted by Will Richardson9:02 AM Link
Delving a little deeper into the Writing Across the Arts site at Middlebury and I really like the idea of threaded discussions with professionals in the field. Here is a good example. The instructor obviously solicits participation from contacts, hooks them into the weblog, and then lets her students interact, ask questions, etc. Such a great idea. I wonder how hard it would be to schedule "guest bloggers" to spend some time interacting with my kids? Maybe I could even have them do it at certain times, kind of like Blog IM (which is what my J2 kids are into anyway.) Another cool application that reiterates the potential of blogs in the classroom. (Why not an "Ask the Principal" thread? Ask the Mayor? Editor? etc.)
posted by Will Richardson5:18 AM Link
Spent some time surfing around looking for classroom sites on the Internet and could find surprisingly few that are current or regularly updated. And that really amazes me. Even when I talk to my colleagues about Internet use, here at one of the most wired schools in the country, here where we offer technology training consistently through the year, most of them have little to offer the conversation. They either don't see the need, don't have the time, or feel overwhelmed by the technology. Sure, most know how to use the 'Net for research, and they teach basic search skills and citing and things like that. But they never seriously use it for the vast resource that it is. It's pretty frustrating, but from the looks of things, it doesn't seem unique.
This is such a strange time to be a teacher, because when it comes to technology, our kids know more than most of us do. Many of us are students, and our students are our teachers. Kids are so comfortable with the technology and they can manipulate it and push it to meet their needs. They have no fear of it. Teachers do. And to be honest, you do need some skill and understanding to produce a website, even though it's getting easier by the hour.
And now we have weblogs, which make it easier still. Yes, it takes time to do this. It takes time to make the page, to update the links and homework assignments, to read what others are writing, to write with the idea of publishing. But who says that all teachers have to use it to the extent that I do? Who says that we have to do more than provide students with some space to write and get feedback? Who says we can't start very small and work our way up as our understanding of the potential and the technology allow. I can't imagine being a writing teacher and NOT wanting to do this. A principal and NOT wanting to carry on conversations with staff and students in this form. School newspapers NOT wanting to become more current and interesting and interactive in this format.
Interesting quote from Dan Gillmor via TheTwoWayWeb: ""Using the Web for a 'write' medium as well as a 'read' one - that's the interesting technical part for me ... Journalism is turning into a conversation. It's making my job easier." I really like that, that conversation part. That's what journalism should be, a back and forth exchange between provider and consumer. Weblogs have the potential to let us all share what we know, add our own spin, correct and refine what the media gives us. It helps me think about what I read and make sense of it, and share that sense if I so choose. Imagine journalism at the high school level that allows students to join the conversation at the gut level. Writing, thinking, communicating...community?
From Design for Community via Sarah: ""Weblogs are inherently social creatures, just like the people that create them. If you step back and view them from afar, you can see why they're so effective. They form communities, almost by accident." But first you have to create the space.
posted by Will Richardson4:05 AM Link
Another one of those "I've got an audience" jolts as I found a mention of this weblog at Cetis (the centre for educational technology interoperability standards) under the heading of "some of the most useful 'blogs for anyone interested in standards in educational technology." (Blush.) And some other really relevant weblogs listed that I will need to check out. I feel like this is growing, ever so slowly. Ok, so now I think I keep this thing going a little while longer ;) Audience is a great thing.
Here is an agenda for a Weblog workshop posted by Chris for the Bay Area Writers Project. Very cool what he and Pat are doing out there. Ironically, today I got the announcement for summer teacher seminars through the Academy, and I think I'm going to offer a class on weblogs. Let's see what happens.
posted by Will Richardson7:24 AM Link
Here may be one solution to my commenting issues in the blog...now all I have to do is find out if I can run it on our server.
posted by Will Richardson3:28 AM Link
A couple of days ago, Sarah asked about community building in the weblog, and I told her about what's happening in J1. They really have gone beyond what I expected...posting primarily from home, after hours, weekends...and I'm starting to think that the weblog has had a positive effect in the way that they approach the class. They are thinking about ideas and stories. Like I said to Sarah, if I can now move it toward a more focused discussion of curriculum, I would really be in heaven. But I've purposely let it take it's own direction, posting infrequently with some stories to read or questions to answer if they like. I'm not sure I want to get in there more. And I'm still struck by the difference in the two blogs...one filled with developed thoughts, the other with more of an IM conversation. One I feel is adding to the experience, the other possibly detracting.
Sarah responded: "Wow, there's some exciting stuff going on in your classroom! It sounds like your kids have really developed some sense of ownership of the class blog, even without it being an integral part of the curriculum material. What sorts of subjects are the kids talking about, what generates the most excitement? How often do you jump into their conversations? It may be that having a space where they can express themselves freely is all that it takes to start growing the community! There's a class blog here at Middlebury (Writing Across the Arts) that has developed an active sense of community, and I think that's due in [large] part to the way the teacher has gotten involved. The students are responsible for leading certain discussions, then the teacher comments, highlights, and weaves them together in her class updates on the front page of the weblog. That seems like a great way to share good writing and participation, and to give the other students something to aspire to... And the teacher's passionate and involved commentaries are a model for her students as well. Great stuff.
She's right...the instructor is doing some neat things in terms of responding to her student's posts in their weblogs. (Though for the life of me I can't understand why Manilla doesn't have a more user friendly interface.) Here's one in particular. Maybe I should ask my kids to invite me into their own personal weblogs so that I can carry on a conversation with them there. Maybe they should invite each other. (I haven't given them access to each other's personal space, though they could find it without too much trouble.) Maybe I should point to good stuff happening in other people's blogs from the class homepage. That certainly would provide the opportunity to build community. Would have to have a notifying option, however, because otherwise it would be really time consuming. (Check if p-machine does this.)And it's easier when you only meet your students a couple of times a week. I've got kids every day for 45 days, that's it. Makes it a bit more time intensive I think.
All of this is one of the reasons I'm doubting making yearbook a class...the time I have now frees me up to be such a better teacher. I don't know what I would do with a full load. I know the days are longer, but it's only for 135 days out of the year. The rest I'm off or done at 2:50 if I want to be. The time has allowed me to grow and think and plan and experiment so much. It's given me such a great deal of energy and focus...look a this weblog! It's one of my proudest accomplishments. And I am still so into this whole idea. In one way, I can't wait for yearbook to be over so I can focus on this. In another, I know I'm going to miss the kids.
P-Machine actually may have the interface that I'm looking for, and it may be versatile enough to use for a newspaper application too. I need to spend more time with it.
posted by Will Richardson6:15 AM Link
And another thing teachers can learn from weblogs...how their kids think! After reading what my J2 kids are writing, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm amazed both by the passion of their ideas and the relative lack of reality or logic behind them. It's interesting to me just how black and white their lives seem, and in some ways, how little understanding they have of their roles as citizens of the planet, not just the country. Of course that's my bias, too. And I know adolescents are egocentric by nature. I guess some of what they are writing surprises me in the scope of their egocentricity. Even more frustrating is their inablity it seems to separate content from craft when it comes to journalism They're grumbling about my choices of articles to read because they can't read analytically. Their emotions take over, and the writing and construction gets lost on them. I'm going to have to teach them how to do that meta-reading more effectifvely, I guess.
posted by Will Richardson6:07 AM Link
Pat likes my idea of creating a blog-paper (or would it be weblog-paper?). As I was replying to his ideas, I also thought how cool it would be for community members to participate in the forums too. I just love the idea of a daily high school paper! We could coordinate deadlines so that there is new content each day, some new reason to visit. Think of the greater participation, too. Kids could have their own columns, essays...all with feedback from a subscribed, known audience. I really think that's what would make it so much more interesting and immediate. When I get the time, I'm going to have to flesh out this idea, because given the right interface, and that is the key, this could be so useful to everyone. Participation, and immediate and consistent updating. What a concept!
posted by Will Richardson11:02 AM Link
Idea: Have my J1 students find stories that they like, tell why they like them, then e-mail the author with a question or two about how it was reported or how the idea came about.
posted by Will Richardson4:11 AM Link
In my JI class, we've started a pretty interesting discussion on finding "The Truth" in the messages that we get inundated with. And from the looks of the class weblog, they're hooking into the discussion. Here's another great example of what we can do with this. Mallory, in her response to a previous post about the death penalty, found two directly opposing sites as examples of her own struggle to find truth on the issue. Later, Mike continued the discussion by posting two opposing sites on the smoking issue (one ironically, thetruth.com). They're learning about things they are interested in. The weblog gives them the vehicle to explore and report. Very neat.
posted by Will Richardson4:28 AM Link
Continuing excerpts and cites on the blogging as journalism debate:
From Andrew Sullivan: "In fact, I'd argue, blogs could well be a milestone in the long history of journalism. By empowering individual writers, by reducing the costs of entry into publishing to close to zero, the blog revolution has only begun to transform the media world." "Peer-to-peer journalism, I realized, had a huge advantage over old-style journalism. It could marshall the knowledge and resources of thousands, rather than the certitudes of the few." "But if the goal of opinion journalism is not ultimately money but influence and readers, the blogs are already breathing down the old media's neck. In a bid to co-opt the trend, National Review Online recently added its own blogging section. Slate and Salon - the two major online magazines - are gradually shifting in the same direction." "In that sense, blogging is the first journalistic model that actually harnesses rather than merely exploits the true democratic nature of the web." A really excellent recap of his blogging efforts.
And Dan Gilmor: "My guiding principles in journalism are the usual ones. I believe in getting it right, being fair, shining lights on things that are hidden when they affect the public good, etc. But I have developed another guiding principle in the way I do this craft. My readers know more than I do. And if we can all take advantage of that, in the best sense of the expression, we will all be better informed. Doing the blog has helped bring me that understanding. I'm grateful for having learned what every journalist should know, and for realizing that it is not a threat that my readers know more than I do. It's a gift."
What a cool thing it would be to adapt the weblog model to the school paper. And the part that really resonates with me here is the "audience participation" part of it. In my dream world, The Lamp becomes the clearinghouse for student information, ideas, discussions, news, etc. Think of that model! News as it happens...the old paper deadlines are gone and the digital version becomes this organic, easily updatable place where students not only get information but enter the discussion. (I keep seeing "LampFilter" again.) Kids register with school web addresses to keep the posts legit. We promote it as the place where discussions about HC happen. It's moderated for appropriateness. Rules of participation apply, but the forum is the key. I just think that would be so intensely great!
