Thing Twelve – Other Search Engines
Quite frankly, I am not sure how I would use a lot of these engines, but they are awfully cool. MusicPlasma and Kartoo in particular are very cool and I would like to explore them more. I spent about fifteen minutes on MusicPlasma just trying to get from Slayer to Simon and Garfunkel (success, by the way). I feel like there should be a use for these graphic organizers, but I can’t quite figure out what it would be yet.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Thing Eleven
Thing Eleven – All about Google
I realize that I am of the generation that grew up while computers were becoming a household item and that I am supposed to love all things technology, but I don’t “love” Google. I like it. It is useful in many cases and frustrating in others. I do not like the ability for web sites to buy their way up the search results ladder. I do like that Google keeps a cached version of each page as it was when it was first submitted. I do not like that Google has seemingly no filter about sites it will accommodate. I do like that I can do a quick search for nearly any restaurant I can think of, and in about five seconds, I am on their site.
In my personally life, I use Google frequently. It is nice to have all of that information at your fingertips. However, I almost never use it when I am doing any kind of academic research, as I cannot trust the results I get from Google. I also caution my students about using Google and only just allowed them to start using it (I had only allowed subscription databases to this point). To use it though, the have to fill out a sheet that asks them questions attempting to authenticate the found site for each site they use. Already, in two days, I have had four students find sites they thought were objective scientifically based only to find that they were actually run by a biased group with some kind of persuasive agenda. I am glad that this happened though, as they and their classmates realize that there are many sites that aren’t to be trusted.
I realize that I am of the generation that grew up while computers were becoming a household item and that I am supposed to love all things technology, but I don’t “love” Google. I like it. It is useful in many cases and frustrating in others. I do not like the ability for web sites to buy their way up the search results ladder. I do like that Google keeps a cached version of each page as it was when it was first submitted. I do not like that Google has seemingly no filter about sites it will accommodate. I do like that I can do a quick search for nearly any restaurant I can think of, and in about five seconds, I am on their site.
In my personally life, I use Google frequently. It is nice to have all of that information at your fingertips. However, I almost never use it when I am doing any kind of academic research, as I cannot trust the results I get from Google. I also caution my students about using Google and only just allowed them to start using it (I had only allowed subscription databases to this point). To use it though, the have to fill out a sheet that asks them questions attempting to authenticate the found site for each site they use. Already, in two days, I have had four students find sites they thought were objective scientifically based only to find that they were actually run by a biased group with some kind of persuasive agenda. I am glad that this happened though, as they and their classmates realize that there are many sites that aren’t to be trusted.
Thing Nine
Thing Nine – United Streaming
United Streaming has been frustrating for me. First, it has been more trouble than helpful. What I mean by this is that I have spent an exorbitant amount of time trying to find things that would be useful and helpful to a lesson. When I finally did find one (a pretty lame one on grammar, but I figured I’d give it a shot), I couldn’t actually get it to work in front of the class. Frustrating, to say the least. I’ll give it another go, I think, but I don’t’ know how useful it’s going to be to me. Navigating to find things that are useful seems like it should be much easier than it actually is.
United Streaming has been frustrating for me. First, it has been more trouble than helpful. What I mean by this is that I have spent an exorbitant amount of time trying to find things that would be useful and helpful to a lesson. When I finally did find one (a pretty lame one on grammar, but I figured I’d give it a shot), I couldn’t actually get it to work in front of the class. Frustrating, to say the least. I’ll give it another go, I think, but I don’t’ know how useful it’s going to be to me. Navigating to find things that are useful seems like it should be much easier than it actually is.
Thing Eight
Thing Eight – Dribbling Lessons for Information Literacy
Yesterday, we began our research unit and I used a number of “dribbling” lessons together to create a packet of material from which to jump off of. I ended up using the teacher guide to plagiarism proof assignments in a slightly different way. Since they were nearly all good ideas anyway, I read over all sixteen of them with my students and had them rank the top five most important to them if they were creating their own assignment. Overwhelmingly, number two was the top vote getter, telling me that students want choice and some control over what they are doing. One that surprised me by making the top five, at number four, was that they want to stress higher level thinking skills and creativity. They know that means more work for them, but they want that anyway. To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised by the results.
The rest of the dribbling exercises will be used throughout the week in an attempt to slowly come up with what Doug Johnson calls level three or four questions. For me and for the students, I explain them as being questions that make the subject personal (level three) or a matter of policy change (level four). Also, I decided to make this an I-search paper instead of traditional research. This is for multiple reasons. First, it will give the students the ownership and choice they asked for (They are also able to pick any topic they like as long as they can make a level three or four questions for it). Second, it will make it virtually impossible for them to effectively plagiarize. Third, it focuses more on the process than the product, which is the point, by my estimation. Personally, I am ready for this assignment to fail as I have never done anything like it before, though I think the level of investment I’ve seen in the students so far is promising that it may succeed. Perhaps, I just mean that I am not setting expectations as to how the final product will turn out.
Yesterday, we began our research unit and I used a number of “dribbling” lessons together to create a packet of material from which to jump off of. I ended up using the teacher guide to plagiarism proof assignments in a slightly different way. Since they were nearly all good ideas anyway, I read over all sixteen of them with my students and had them rank the top five most important to them if they were creating their own assignment. Overwhelmingly, number two was the top vote getter, telling me that students want choice and some control over what they are doing. One that surprised me by making the top five, at number four, was that they want to stress higher level thinking skills and creativity. They know that means more work for them, but they want that anyway. To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised by the results.
The rest of the dribbling exercises will be used throughout the week in an attempt to slowly come up with what Doug Johnson calls level three or four questions. For me and for the students, I explain them as being questions that make the subject personal (level three) or a matter of policy change (level four). Also, I decided to make this an I-search paper instead of traditional research. This is for multiple reasons. First, it will give the students the ownership and choice they asked for (They are also able to pick any topic they like as long as they can make a level three or four questions for it). Second, it will make it virtually impossible for them to effectively plagiarize. Third, it focuses more on the process than the product, which is the point, by my estimation. Personally, I am ready for this assignment to fail as I have never done anything like it before, though I think the level of investment I’ve seen in the students so far is promising that it may succeed. Perhaps, I just mean that I am not setting expectations as to how the final product will turn out.
Thing Seven
Thing Seven – Get to Know the Research Project Calculator (RPC)
About a month ago, I started a research project with the students. Yesterday, the day after Spring Break, I finally introduced the RPC to them. I gave them an extra three weeks to gather information. This was a judgment call based primarily on few of my students having done any sort of authentic research based assignment. I wanted to give them room to try, fail and try again as needed without rushing them with deadlines. To this end, I allowed them to select their own due date for their project (essay) within larger parameters that I set. There is some (minor) extra-credit incentive for turning the project in sooner rather than later, but I wanted the students to have time to do their authentic research.
Generally speaking, the RPC was a huge hit. The students love having the steps laid out for them, assistance at each step if I am unavailable for some reason and the e-mail reminders. As a whole, they felt as if any tool that can assist them in their organization is a good one. We were unable to get all e-mail accounts to work though, which was odd. Still, it was a small hitch in what was otherwise a very successful day.
About a month ago, I started a research project with the students. Yesterday, the day after Spring Break, I finally introduced the RPC to them. I gave them an extra three weeks to gather information. This was a judgment call based primarily on few of my students having done any sort of authentic research based assignment. I wanted to give them room to try, fail and try again as needed without rushing them with deadlines. To this end, I allowed them to select their own due date for their project (essay) within larger parameters that I set. There is some (minor) extra-credit incentive for turning the project in sooner rather than later, but I wanted the students to have time to do their authentic research.
Generally speaking, the RPC was a huge hit. The students love having the steps laid out for them, assistance at each step if I am unavailable for some reason and the e-mail reminders. As a whole, they felt as if any tool that can assist them in their organization is a good one. We were unable to get all e-mail accounts to work though, which was odd. Still, it was a small hitch in what was otherwise a very successful day.
Thing Two
Thing Four – Get to Know Your Public Library
I felt like something of a hypocrite asking the students to become acquainted with the public library when I didn’t even have a card myself. So, I went to both the Minneapolis and St. Paul libraries and signed up at each. Incidentally, the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis is absolutely breathtaking. You should all go if you haven’t yet.
I ended up checking out several books from the library. They were mostly plays I am considering directing at school in the future. It was great to have all of these plays at my fingertips compared to Barnes and Noble (what has basically become my library since there is coffee as well as comfortable chairs there – though, to be fair, the Central Library has both of these amenities as well).
I have found that my students fall into one of two categories: One. The have no idea what a library could be used for, are scared of it and feel like getting a library card must be the equivalent of climbing Everest using toothpicks. Two. Use it all the time and are savvy at all of the options that libraries give one. I ended up offering extra-credit to any student who could show me a library card, and I would say about 15 of my 120 students brought them in.
I felt like something of a hypocrite asking the students to become acquainted with the public library when I didn’t even have a card myself. So, I went to both the Minneapolis and St. Paul libraries and signed up at each. Incidentally, the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis is absolutely breathtaking. You should all go if you haven’t yet.
I ended up checking out several books from the library. They were mostly plays I am considering directing at school in the future. It was great to have all of these plays at my fingertips compared to Barnes and Noble (what has basically become my library since there is coffee as well as comfortable chairs there – though, to be fair, the Central Library has both of these amenities as well).
I have found that my students fall into one of two categories: One. The have no idea what a library could be used for, are scared of it and feel like getting a library card must be the equivalent of climbing Everest using toothpicks. Two. Use it all the time and are savvy at all of the options that libraries give one. I ended up offering extra-credit to any student who could show me a library card, and I would say about 15 of my 120 students brought them in.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Thing Twenty-One
Thing Twenty-One - YouTube and More
I have used YouTube for years (I'd guess four, maybe more), but it was usually just to view a funny home video I had heard about or a music video or the like. I never thought to use YouTube in the classroom, which is good because apparently it was only recently allowed as a viewable site from school computers. Now, however, I see something on T.V. I like and think could be useful in the classroom and instead of having to TiVo or record on VHS (I don't have a DVD burner hooked up to a television), I can simply bring up the streaming video in my classroom and pipe it over my LCD projector. I've only done this once so far, but it worked out well.
Oops, now that I think about it, that wasn't from over YouTube, but rather the site that owns the rights to the show. I am certain, however, that I could have gotten the same thing from YouTube.
I checked out some of the videos on TeacherTube and Yahoo! for Teachers and, while they are interesting, I am not sure how I would bring them into my classroom. That said, there are, I'm sure thousands more videos to view and something would be bound to work.
I have used YouTube for years (I'd guess four, maybe more), but it was usually just to view a funny home video I had heard about or a music video or the like. I never thought to use YouTube in the classroom, which is good because apparently it was only recently allowed as a viewable site from school computers. Now, however, I see something on T.V. I like and think could be useful in the classroom and instead of having to TiVo or record on VHS (I don't have a DVD burner hooked up to a television), I can simply bring up the streaming video in my classroom and pipe it over my LCD projector. I've only done this once so far, but it worked out well.
Oops, now that I think about it, that wasn't from over YouTube, but rather the site that owns the rights to the show. I am certain, however, that I could have gotten the same thing from YouTube.
I checked out some of the videos on TeacherTube and Yahoo! for Teachers and, while they are interesting, I am not sure how I would bring them into my classroom. That said, there are, I'm sure thousands more videos to view and something would be bound to work.
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