Education Matters - February 2010
Students Working Together Online...Dig Diigo
By J. Michael Hutchinson, Social Studies and Science Teacher, Salem Middle, jhutchinson@wcpss.net
Teachers around the county know that the students occupying the desks in their classrooms are very comfortable and willing to navigate in an online world. I know that if I want to get my students excited about a project, I only have to say we are going to the computer lab. Teachers are realizing the power that the online world and students in front of computers have on learning – just try to get some time booked in your computer lab as proof of that.
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Michael Hutchison helps his students use Diigo. |
So we all know that getting kids jazzed about a computer project is fairly easy. We know that using a computer is a skill that students need to master, and that the computer is a very valuable tool when addressing some of the basic reading, writing and editing skills that all teachers should be championing with their students. But when you look at most of the instruction and projects put forth by teachers, you see a large group of students working in a room on a solo project with little or no collaboration with peers. I say it is time to get kids working together online, helping to build both their academic skills as well as their collaboration skills at the same time.
Recently, I was introduced to a free online shared bookmarking and annotation tool called Diigo (www.Diigo.com/education). At first I was as skeptical as you probably are now, saying first, “What is shared bookmarking?” then, “How in the world can I use this in a classroom setting?” After just a little time familiarizing myself with Diigo's education section, I started to see how this tool could get my students not only reading online content, but interacting with that content in a powerful, meaningful and collaborative way.
Diigo first allows the user the ability to bookmark a website to a shared group page. I have set up a class group, and now my students can log in to Diigo, and with a simple activation of a tool called the Diigolet, they can bookmark any website to the shared group page.
This shared bookmarking tool allows the teacher to bookmark websites that are meaningful for the students, and it allows students to share web articles they find important with our class group. Every time an article or website is bookmarked, Diigo allows the user to tag or categorize the page to be bookmarked. This allows the user to find the page again with relative ease and give the student user the practice of assigning a label for the article.
The ability to share articles of importance within a class community is a powerful tool. Students can access Diigo at home or in school and every student can get involved sharing websites and articles they feel can bring something to the class discussion. For just this tool, Diigo would be worthy of your time, but Diigo is so much more than just a shared bookmarking site.
As teachers, we know that students are always, and at all levels, in need of meaningful reading practice. Reading out of a text does not allow students to interact with the text without some sort of paper intervention. Reading off of a worksheet or handout can be written on, but space is limited, and just say the word “worksheet” to a class of middle schoolers, and you can ride that wave of groans like a champion surfer.
Now, take that same article, and put it up on the computer. It is now in living color. Video and audio feeds are active. With the help of that little tool called the Diigolet, your students can interact with the text in a compelling new way.
Once the Diigolet is activated, students are able to highlight interesting sections from the text, and share that highlight with all of the users. Not only can students highlight important lines in the text, but they are also able to add comments by using a sticky note tool. That comment can be seen by all of the users in your group, and sticky note comments can also be commented on, allowing threads of conversation to develop over an important line of text.
Diigo is a tool worth your time. Think about the skills that annotation pushes, and then add the ability to question, challenge and simply communicate with classmates. Your biggest challenges will be the willingness to get into the site and become familiar with its workings – and getting time booked in your computer labs. Honestly, if you can do those things, you, too, can have students interacting positively around a text in an online word that they are very comfortable being in.
''Make Wikispaces your Place,'' Commented the VoiceThread
By Jan Healy, Media Coordinator, Green Hope High, jhealy@wcpss.net
“Are you looking for an easy-to-use tool for online presentation and commentary? Something that supports not only text, but also images, audio and video? VoiceThread could be the solution. Join our presentation as Green Hope High School teachers share their experiences with Web 2.0, specifically using Wikispaces as our foundation for housing VoiceThread projects.”
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Jan Healy views a VoiceThread presentation. |
This was the Green Hope presentation description for last year’s North Carolina Technology in Education Society Conference held at the Raleigh Convention Center. We came a long way from hearing about VoiceThread in September to presenting at a state conference in March.
Our journey began in fall 2008 at a high school media PLT meeting when Kerri Brown Parker, media coordinator at Millbrook High, introduced this Web 2.0 application. I excitedly returned to Green Hope eager to introduce our teachers to this free resource.
Fortuitously, one of our best media users, Debbie Kramer, brought her English classes to the media center to research topics associated with Ancient Greece. In the past, students presented their research findings using PowerPoint. When Ms. Kramer commented on how boring some of the presentations were in the past, I immediately suggested we collaborate.
As before, students completed their research and prepared their PowerPoint presentations, but then went a step further. They uploaded their PowerPoints to VoiceThread where they narrated their presentations. Each slide was limited to 15 printed words per slide, so students did not simply read their slides. The majority of the research information was orally presented through VoiceThread.
Finally, in order to facilitate learning and whole class participation, Ms. Kramer’s students were required to access the other students’ presentations, as loaded on Wikispaces, and make constructive comments to the creator. Ms. Kramer found that not only was the assignment more enjoyable and interesting, but also it was easier to grade since she could view and listen to them from home on Wikispaces.
What is a VoiceThread? A VoiceThread looks similar to a PowerPoint presentation since images can be uploaded and viewed by turning slide pages or by having it play automatically. But the real power of the tool comes from allowing other people to comment on the content within the VoiceThread. Comments can be typed, recorded by microphone or video, uploaded as audio, or even recorded by phone. Presenters can even draw on the slide while talking to illustrate a point.
When someone makes a comment in a VoiceThread, an icon representing that person is placed next to the presentation. As more comments are made, more icons appear. All comments can be moderated or deleted by the account owner. We quickly learned that the easiest method for teachers to view, grade, and share with the class was to use Wikispaces to house the VoiceThread presentations, thus combining PowerPoint Presentation, VoiceThread, and Wikispaces.
Adding comments to VoiceThread generates greater audience interest and comprehension. Listening to a variety of different remarks encouraged discussion of the material and helped the students become better at presentations. The students were impressed with the quality of other students’ work, which created a more collaborative environment.
Listen to what our teachers say about their experiences with VoiceThread:
“VoiceThread has allowed me to actively engage students in their research of other cultures. The students love making their own VoiceThread unique by using music, sound effects, and even other students’ background comments. For shy students, VoiceThread has been an excellent way to present the required material without having to endure being the center of attention. I love using VoiceThead because it is very easy to use, and it makes a professional-looking presentation.”
--Debbie Kramer, World Literature Teacher
“My students really enjoyed both creating and commenting on their presentations via VoiceThread. Doing the projects via VoiceThread and then organizing them on Wikispaces allowed the students to comment outside of class, which allowed me to cover more material.”
--Elizabeth Martin, Social Studies Teacher
“VoiceThread has changed the way we can use pictures in a Social Studies class. The students can now give their voice to the pictures instead of just looking at them on a projector. That is just one of many things that VoiceThread can be used for!”
--Nick Miller, Social Studies Teacher
To view our sample VoiceThreads, go to: http://makewikispacesyourplace.wikispaces.com/
Prepared for the Future
By Del Burns, Superintendent
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Del Burns |
Frequently, when the vision of the Wake County Public School System is discussed, the focus falls on the first part of the phrase: every student will graduate on time. The second part, however, is equally important. Diplomas are only meaningful if the students who hold them had academic experiences leaving them truly prepared for the future.
Technology is deeply tied into the concept of being prepared for the future. The pace of technological change has increased rapidly over the years. This year's graduates were born in 1992, a year when AT&T tried to sell consumers a video telephone for $1,500. Today, we and our students can use webcams and communications software to converse with anyone else around the world for little or no cost. This means that we must not only prepare our graduates for the technology they will encounter in today's workplace, but also teach them how to adapt to tomorrow's technological changes: the ones we cannot yet imagine.
It's about more than computer skills. It's also about developing a way of thinking about the uses and applications of technology and how they impact the way we gather information and communicate with each other. Issues of privacy, safety, source reliability, and acceptable use all arise, and this is an area in which our students sometimes have us at a disadvantage. They are able to access technologies and social media services at home that we as educators are slower to adopt – necessarily, in many cases, because it takes time to understand how and whether they can be integrated into the classroom without distracting from learning.
This is important, because preparing our students for the future encompasses far more than technology. The Framework for 21st-Century Learning describes student outcomes encompassing not only technology but also learning and innovation skills, life and career skills, and, of course, mastery of core subjects. The move toward a Future-Ready Core of instruction for North Carolina high school students addresses the need for a rigorous core curriculum that will provide a strong foundation for all graduates regardless of their immediate career plans.
Becoming technology- and information-literate goes hand in hand with these other aspects of learning and teaching. The pace of technological change, the limitations of funding, and the complex, interrelated nature of public education mean that we will always be challenged to ensure that our own knowledge and application of technology remain relevant to our students and help them engage with the Standard Course of Study. The same systematic approach we have taken to provide a consistent curriculum and collaborative work environment will help us overcome those challenges. Your teamwork has been the key to helping us better prepare our students for the future – and that extends to technology in the Wake County Public School System as well.
Technology in the Classroom at Conn Active Learning and Technology Magnet
By Michael Murphy, Technology Facilitator, Conn Elementary, mmurphy4@wcpss.net
What is technology? How do we as classroom teachers and/or technology teachers use technology in the classroom? The bigger question might be how the students’ view of technology differs from the teacher’s view.
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Michael Murphy |
As the technology facilitator/contact at Conn Active Learning and Technology Magnet Elementary School, my job extends beyond making sure everything is running properly; contacting the help desk, replacing ink cartridges and teaching groups in the computer lab. I also provide support to teachers as they integrate technology into class lessons to make it part of the curriculum.
I am sure some of us remember a time when technology consisted of using an overhead projector, listening center, or Aver Media to show an image or video from the computer. There was only one C.O.W. (computer on wheels) in the building, and you were lucky to have two computers in the classroom.
In the last 10-15 years, technology has changed throughout the world around us and in the classroom. Online high school classes are taught via video conferencing and college classes are taken online without ever stepping into a classroom. The use of social networking sites such as Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, wikis and blogs is a preferred way to share ideas, pictures and videos.
Elementary students today are digital natives. They don’t view a lot of the things we do as technology – it is just their way of life. They grow up at home and in school surrounded by computers, iPods, cell phones… and it has become their learning style. However, students use these tools for entertainment purposes more than for educational purposes.
At Conn Elementary School, I assist teachers and staff in using technology to increase student achievement, help them evaluate Web 2.0 tools, and master 21st Century Skills.
One of the more popular technologies in our classrooms is the interactive white board. Conn has both SMART boards and mimios. Teachers engage students through math, social studies, language arts and science (module) lessons using the interactive white boards.
In an effort to increase writing for learning in the classroom, teachers use social networking sites. Teachers in third through fifth grades use Blackboard to have students answer and post questions. The students respond to each other to gain a better understanding of the content and defend their position. Students really enjoy reading and responding to their classmates’ work.
We have also used wikis and blogs in grades K-5 to help students communicate and present their work outside the classroom. Students get involved with adding content and having discussions. Students upload data as a means to lead discussions. Their eagerness to engage with these social networking sites is contagious.
Creating videos is a great way to make learning come alive. Flip video cameras help show students’ mastery of content as they create music videos and paper slides about what they have learned. Teachers make in-house videos to review content that has been presented in class. This is a different way to allow students a chance to be creative and include core content.
Uploading our videos to iPods enables the student to watch without using a computer. iPods can be used to help students with anything from reading content (phonics, site words, reading stories for fluency, etc.) to practicing math flash cards.
Our media specialist also gets into the technology craze by creating flip movies and photo story videos that are uploaded to Fizz for ease of watching. The movies range from supporting the classroom lessons that students independently work on in the media center or in their classroom to introducing new and exciting events that are happening in the media center.
No matter what type of technology you have for the classroom, it must engage students and help with the learning process. We are constantly looking for new ways to make our teaching easier and more fun, but at the same time keeping learning for the students exciting, and engaging students in technology that supports the curriculum.
What Should Classrooms Look Like in the 21st Century?
By Gregory S. Decker Ed.D., Principal, Sanderson High, gdecker@wcpss.net
Today’s students no longer compete for future jobs within state or national markets but rather an international one. If our students are to become competitive, I strongly believe educational leaders need to provide these students with the best teachers as well as 21st Century teaching and learning environments, and technology needs to play a bigger role in this new movement.
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Sanderson Principal Greg Decker |
Today’s world is not the same as when you and I went to school. Now, 3,000 books are published daily. It is estimated that 1.5 exabytes (1.5 x 1018) of unique information will be generated worldwide in one year. It is estimated that there will be more information generated in one year than in the 5,000 previous years, and the amount of new information will double every two years. For students starting a four-year college degree, half of what they learn in their first year is outdated by their third year of school. (Source: Shift Happens video)
When faced with this information, what should schools look like? What does this do to the concept of textbooks? How do teachers and students stay current in this new world?
In attempting to find answers to these questions, I had several experiences that shaped my thoughts.
- As a young teacher, I heard an educational futurist speak. He showed us a picture of an actual classroom taken in the mid-1800s and then showed us a picture of a classroom today. The two pictures were remarkably the same. It was shocking to me, with all the changes in science, transportation, communication, and technology, that so little change was noticed in teaching and learning environments. This began my search for the tools needed to better prepare students for the 21st Century.
- As a young administrator, my superintendent entrusted me with $10 million to build a K-12 technology plan for seven schools. This experience taught me that the curriculum is the constant, and the technology is the vehicle in which to enhance learning and make it relevant, real and engaging for students. When integrating technology, there always needs to be a strong link from the technology to the curriculum objective.
- The third experience was reading a short article by Marc Prensky, (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Prensky states that people born before 1982 are digital immigrants since they have not been raised with technology tools, yet people born after 1982 are digital natives. These people were raised in a culture of technology. This phenomenon created what he called a digital divide where we have students who are digital natives and teachers who are digital immigrants. Prensky suggests that we need to close this divide for the sake of students.
- The fourth experience is being a digital immigrant parent and raising digital native children. I have observed the way my children learn, study, and communicate. It is common place for my teens, while studying, to have the computer on, texting on the cell, communicating on MySpace, IMing 12 different friends on the computer, music blasting in the background on the iPod, but they still seem to do well in their studies and in school. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average young American now spends practically every waking minute — except for the time in school — using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device. Since students now thrive in a high-technology learning environment at home, why can’t today’s classrooms better align with how students study and learn?
For the last 15 years as a principal in elementary, middle and high schools, I have been working hard to close the digital divide. In the last several years, I have worked with staff members to place technology in their hands and the students’ hands to begin to change the teaching methodology and add rigor and relevance to learning while integrating the technology with the curriculum.
It is important to note that there is no single type of 21st Century classroom. There are many different tools that can make up an interactive learning environment. Listed below are just some of the tools I feel are needed to make our students more globally competitive.
What is in the Sanderson 21st Century teaching and learning classroom?
- Teachers seem to prefer the “touch technology,” and the technology industry has begun to move in this direction. Teachers touch the white board and create changes with a touch of their finger. One touch can change colors, enlarge shapes, move items to different locations, launch different software and even access the Internet to show up on the big screen. This tool allows students to virtually see difficult problems and to understand concepts laid out in simple terms. This tool is very interactive, and students enjoy the board’s ability to create learning relevance.
- The class has a mounted digital projector. This projector is responsible for driving all visual aspects of the lesson. The projector communicates and integrates with all the tools in the room. This system also has an IP address which allows a system administrator to easily deal with preventive maintenance such as sending e-mails when the machine needs a filter changed. This communication allows for more constant reliability of equipment for students and staff.
- The rooms are also equipped with an audio enhancement system. This system is responsible for enhancing all sound in the room. The teacher wears a microphone, and the speakers are in the ceiling. The speakers integrate with all the equipment in the room such as video streaming, movies and video clips. It communicates with the media center and even the school’s public announcements. This audio enhancement system keeps important information clear and keeps students on task.
- Each room has a document camera. This small camera replaces the need for the old overhead projector. This document camera projects student work, pictures, maps, and even allows teachers to model at their own desks. The camera has other wonderful capabilities that enhance learning.
- The room also has its own DVD/VCR unit. This device also communicates with the media center’s media production system. Teachers burn their own DVDS and have control of all the media devices.
- One of the most popular devices is the Student Response Systems fondly known as “clickers.” Each student is given a device that allows the teacher to know which students have learned the material and which have not. This tool has the potential to drastically limit paperwork and grading and allow more time for differentiation, remediation and enrichment with higher order learning. This tool provides instant feedback when using formative assessments.
- Each classroom has access to an on-line video library. Teachers can choose from more than 10,000 resources that enhance their content. Actually seeing and experiencing the content allows the students to better understand new information.
- Wireless slates are another tool that is integrated with this system. The technology allows students to work at their desks and have all their work projected on the screen for all to see. This tool also allows the teacher great mobility in the classroom. The teacher can be at all corners of the room and still facilitate all the technology tools with a touch of a button. The tablets store lesson plans and integrate with the teacher laptops. All lessons can be quickly saved as a PDF file and sent directly to the teacher’s website, so all students can gain access to this lesson and teacher notes and use them with their homework. It is also a great application to assist those students who are sick or hospitalized.
All these rooms operate seamlessly by use of technology such as wireless, Bluetooth, infrared, and radio wave communication without a glitch. There are many types of software and tools that integrate with these technologies: PowerPoints, Blackboard, wikis, video streaming, edublogs, Twitter and more.
My experiences working to place technology tools in the hands of teachers and students in the classroom have been wonderful. Teachers have embraced these tools once they envision the positive impact on themselves and their students. Different model classrooms are in place throughout WCPSS: Pleasant Union Elementary, Joyner Elementary, Combs Elementary, Davis Drive Elementary, West Lake Middle and Sanderson High, just to name a few. By the end of the semester, Sanderson will have at least 25 classrooms operating with 21st Century teaching and learning classrooms.
There is one thing in life you can always count on, and that is change. You either choose to lead through it or get dragged by it. You make the choice!
News and Notes
Hunter Teacher Honored at the White House
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Hunter Magnet Elementary teacher Carol Wooten was congratulated by President Obama as one of the more than 100 science, math, and engineering teachers and mentors honored with the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence.
As a winner of the Teaching Award, Wooten received a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at her discretion and an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the White House awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and science agency leaders. Wooten teaches fifth-grade mathematics, science, and social studies.
WCPSS Media Specialists Lead Association
Kelly Brannock, media specialist at Wendell Elementary, has been named president of the North Carolina School Library Media Association, and Deanna Harris, media specialist at East Cary Middle, has been named president-elect.
The North Carolina School Library Media Association serves the professional needs and concerns of the school library media community in our state. Brannock and Harris are both National Board certified teacher-librarians. They recently created a blog for the organization called "Hanging Out in the Library" at http://ncslma.blogspot.com.
Teachers Earn National Board Certification
For the second year in a row, WCPSS had 197 teachers earn National Board Certification including 96 elementary teachers, 48 middle school teachers, 51 high school teachers and two special education services teachers. In addition, 52 Wake County teachers earned re-certification. WCPSS is second in the nation and number one in the state in the total number of teachers who have earned National Board Certification. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has reported that they have certified a total of 1,702 of WCPSS educators. A list of teachers earning certification in 2009 can be viewed at www.wcpss.net/news/2009_dec16_nbct/list.pdf.
Herrick named North Central Region Teacher of the Year
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Rene Herrick, Wake County’s Teacher of the Year, has been named the North Central Regional Teacher of the Year and is now one of the teachers in the running for the North Carolina Teacher of the Year.
Herrick has been teaching for five years, the last three at Combs Magnet Elementary. She has been praised for her data-driven classroom instruction and for her active involvement in the lives of her students. As Regional Teacher of the Year, Herrick will be honored in the spring at a Teacher of the Year gala.
Three WCPSS Schools Earn RAMP
School counselors at Davis Drive Middle, Heritage Middle and Middle Creek High have worked to earn the RAMP, or Recognized ASCA Model Program, designation for their schools.
The RAMP designation, awarded to schools that align with the criteria set in the ASCA National Model, recognizes schools that are committed to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program and an exemplary educational environment. More than 250 schools have received the RAMP designation since the program's inception.
Saluting Employee Excellence
These WCPSS employees were nominated by their peers and have been honored by the Wake County Board of Education for their excellence in the workplace.
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Front row from left to right: Sheri Green, Lynne Hinton, David Soprano, Aaron Sunday and Lora Watson
Back row from left to right: Susan Robinson, Zandra Weaver, Troy Hueschen and Clifford Watson. Not pictured: Ella Dobbin.
2008-09 School Recycling Awards
The Wake County Environmental Program staff recently recognized schools for their success in the Feed-the-Bin School Recycling Program. The 2008-09 award recipients are:
- Leesville Road High for Highest Total Pounds of Recycled Paper: (28,141 pounds).
- Partnership Elementary for Highest Pounds of Recycled Paper per Student: (26.8 pounds per student).
- Morrisville Elementary for Largest Increase in Paper Recycling (from the previous school year): (from 2,556 pounds to 6,586 pounds).
- Anita Hynus, Musical Arts Teacher/Junior National Honors Society Coordinator, Martin Middle School for Outstanding Recycling Coordinator.
The program is currently in use at 157 schools. The Feed-the-Bin Program received the American Forest and Paper Associations’ School Recycling Award this past year. Wake County was selected from 120 applicants across 36 states.
Board Names Principals
The Board of Education recently named Mary Swann as principal at East Cary Middle School, Tripp Crayton principal at Wakefield High, Winston Pierce principal at Farmington Woods Elementary and retired principal Jane Currin as interim principal at Durant Road Middle.
The board also named retired assistant principal Dale Warren as a part-time assistant principal at Daniels Middle.
Tech Tips: E-mail Housekeeping 101 –Tips for Managing Your E-mail
Avoid common e-mail issues by incorporating a few simple practices into your routine.Know your quota
- WCPSS employees have an e-mail quota of 250MB.
- Your quota is displayed under your name on the left navigation bar.
Change your “sent” mail preference
- By default, Lotus Notes saves a copy of every message you send.
- Periodically delete messages stored in the “Sent” folder. - OR -
- Change the sent mail preference to “Don’t keep a copy” or to “Always prompt.”
Delete unnecessary/unused messages
- Immediately delete messages you won’t need later.
- IMPORTANT: If a message is deleted from the “All Documents” folder or the “Sent” folder, the message is deleted from every location—even if it has been saved to another folder.
- Don’t forget to periodically check your folders and also delete unused messages – they are just taking up space.
- There may be a delay between the time you delete a message and when it is reflected in your quota.
Save attachments then delete the message
- Attached files use the largest portion of your quota.
- Save the attached file to your computer, and then delete the message.
Organize your messages
- Separate messages by category and create folders for each.
- Move messages to the appropriate folder as they are received.
Empty your trash
- Deleted messages are moved to the trash but still count against your quota.
- Messages are automatically deleted from the trash after 96 hours.
- To empty your trash immediately, click the trash can icon, and then click Empty Trash above the message window.
For detailed instructions regarding your Lotus Notes e-mail, visit http://lotusinfo.wcpss.net .
WCPSS Employees Use Web 2.0 Tools to Collaborate and Communicate
By Lisa Belsha, Director Technical Communication Services, lbelsha@wcpss.net
It seems that everyone is talking about Web 2.0 but with the millions of references to the term “Web 2.0” available via Google alone, people still ask, “What is Web 2.0?”
Web 2.0 is a concept that refers to web services and applications whose focus is on offering more human collaboration and communication. Instead of an individual just visiting a website and “reading” web pages, people are interacting with them, becoming an author or editor of the web content.
At WCPSS, blogs, wikis and Blackboard are great examples of Web 2.0 tools being used by employees and students. Unlike typical websites created in programming languages using specialized software, blogs, wikis and Blackboard provide WCPSS employees and students with a quick and simple method of adding, creating and updating web content and reaching broader audiences. In addition, each tool offers a variety of customizable privacy and security options, enabling users to communicate privately with select individuals or to communicate with the entire world.
Using only basic word processing skills, any WCPSS employee or student can easily have their own blog, wiki or Blackboard course.
Currently, blogs, wikis and Blackboard are being used in several capacities at WCPSS, including:
- Group collaboration
- Document management
- Assembling online communities
- Providing a centralized knowledgebase
- Increasing learning engagement
Wikis (PBWorks):
Employees and students are using PBWorks to create their own wikis, or what PBWorks calls “workspaces,” as a tool for individuals or groups to use to collaborate on projects.
These workspaces also serve as a central location for sharing, editing, and storing information, posting media or lab schedules or classroom or department news items/announcements or as discussion boards between or among department/school employees.
“The wiki is great for students to use,” says Annette Hymel, technology specialist at Pleasant Union Elementary. “Our students use the wiki to post information that they have learned about, and we use it to post our technology projects.”
Jennifer Ouellette, a Human Resources administrator, uses their Beginning Teacher Support Program wiki in conjunction with the school level support meetings and presentations they perform routinely.
“Our team creates and edits lots of documents. Posting the presentations to the wiki allows team members to peruse the documents and offer constructive comments,” says Ouellette. “Since the wiki is available as a website, we never have to worry about forgetting our flash drives. It also allows us to access documents from home. Beginning teachers and mentors are able to follow our links to websites and resources, and after the training, teachers can continue their reflection by posting comments to the wiki like a discussion board.”
Ouellette also sees another possible way to utilize wikis – for networking. “It has always been our hope that beginning teachers, mentors and mentor coordinators would be able to share ideas with each other. Using a wiki would offer a cost-effective way for teachers to meet with each other – especially broken down by content area or geographic location,” she said.
Blogs (Edublogs):
With Edublogs, WCPSS department/school employees and students are quickly learning how easy it is to set up and begin using blogs.
While blogs at their basic core consist of a series of short essays or journals presented in reverse chronological order, the ability to set a static page as the blog’s home page and allow readers to submit comments and others the right to create pages/posts, makes using blogs ideal for departments as well as schools.
Jeff Collins, a fifth-grade teacher at Pleasant Union, shares how he is using blogs in the classroom.
“I am using student blogs in the classroom so the students can share their writing with family members and other students at any time,” Collins explains. “This has allowed me to cut down on the amount of paper and printing I use. It has increased the students' motivation to do their work well the first time.”
As noted by Hymel, two of the best things about blogs are the “Subscribe-to” widget – which automatically sends an e-mail to viewers after each post is made – and the natural archiving ability of a blog.
These two features are extremely helpful for departments whose goals include increasing peer-to-peer communication and providing ready access to standards, procedures, etc. Blogs provide departments with an additional method or tool to use to strengthen their overall communication efforts.
Blackboard
Blackboard is a comprehensive suite of tools that allows online learning, content management and community connection via the web.
Schools are using Blackboard to supplement the face-to-face teaching taking place in the classroom. Teachers use Blackboard to provide their students with class notes, homework assignments, and class calendars. Students are able to complete tests and surveys, use a discussion board to communicate with their teachers and classmates, and submit assignments.
Some schools also use Blackboard for communicating with their faculty and staff by creating a staff Blackboard site. Their sites may contain school calendars, daily announcements, faculty/staff directories, and other information that members may need to access, even from home.
Several central services departments use Blackboard to deliver training online. With the additional assessments feature, departmental staff can make sure that those participating in the course comprehend the materials.
If you would like to find out more about using wikis, blogs or Blackboard in your department or school, visit:
Edublogs – http://blogsupport.wcpss.net
PBWorks – http://wikisupport.wcpss.net
Blackboard – http://bbsupport.wcpss.net