Thing 23

I am glad to have had the opportunity to participate in this program. With a decent amount of background on the Web 2.0 tools, I found the technical side of the course to be fairly simple. The implications their use, however, are not so simple.

The video in Thing 23 really got me thinking. All of the gadgets and tools that are available that use the XML code are still just tools. We still have to make good decisions about content, about learning styles, about assessment and evaluation, and about instruction. We still have to remember that on the other side of the code there are actual people reading (hopefully) and responding (even more hopefully) to what we put "out there." It comes with a great deal of new responsibility - we must protect students from inappropriate content, but we also have to acknowledge that we will be consumed by the technology if we don't get out in front of it. By that I mean that, while we don't necessarily have to be early adopters and "lead the charge", we have to be aware of what is going on in the Flat World and prepare our students for the challenges that await them.

My views have not changed - I entered the course because I felt that we were falling behind in our use and knowledge of these tools, and I still believe that is true. I have a better understanding of the big picture thanks to this experience, and I still have some thinking to do about what I have learned. My participation in this course has strengthened my resolve on some level to continue to fight the fight, to try to convince those in a position of leadership to support these sorts of advancements in education, to take risks, and to provide our students with the opportunities that we ought to provide them.

Thing 22

http://23thingsartsboy.wikispaces.com/Home+Page

Wikispaces, PBWorks, or any of the collaborative spaces that are available through the Web 2.0 are powerful options for those who do not have the ability or resources to create a full-blown web-site with all of the bells and whistles. I have a great sense of the potential of their use, but also a realistic understanding of the reality - their strength lies in the level of participation of their members. For a wiki to be truly valuable as a learning or instructional tool, all of the participants must be vested in the topic or discussions that take place therein. The ramifications of this are that students must be required to participate, and teachers must somehow be compelled to "try it." I continue to be frustrated by those teachers with whom I work who aren't even willing to try. They don't even respond to e-mail - how can I expect a positive result when I spend the time creating a wikispace for their professional use? That being said, I enjoy creating and using this particular tool, and hope to see greater use in the future - maybe before I retire.

The difference between a blog and a wiki? Blog is designed to be more one-sided - author to reader, with comments. This is a simplified explanation, but I think it is accurate. Wikispaces is designed for many people to contribute content, edit, comment, revise, and move forward with whatever project they are planning.

Thing 21

I spent a bit of time looking at the Westwood Schools online space, managed by CoolCatTeacher (username.) There are lots of tools - calendar, personal student pages, an archive, lessons, homework, schedule, assignments, etc. - but it didn't include a great deal of collaboration. There was a discussion page - apparently there were some inappropriate posts that had to be monitored and deleted, and some of the threads made reference to sharing this wiki with the administration - most likely to get approval. The space was created in 2005, so it was truly cutting edge at that time, but I think the overall point of a collaborative space was missed. It really served as a more of a website than anything. It was surprising to find student photos and full names on the student pages - I surely would not allow that in a school wiki.

I created a wiki space this year for use by our art and music teachers - but it has been a real struggle to get people to use the tool. E-mail exchange is still the preferred method of collaboration, not to mention the fact that there are some liability concerns from the central technology office. If the teachers would contribute and make it a worthwhile use of technology and time, I'd be more than willing to fight. We'll wait and see for now.

Thing 20

Exploration of the Educational Podcast Network was very simple. It has a clean, uncluttered interface and I was instantly able to find what I was looking for. The category box on the left-hand side showed the available podcast organized by content area, which made it very easy to find several podcasts in the area of music technology.


Conversely, I found Podcast Alley to be less user-friendly. The interface was much more cluttered, including many ads that I didn't see on EPN, and nothing really caught my eye - it was a chore to take in all that there was to see and to make sense of it all. I did like the top ten podcasts listed on the right, and I can see that there is a robust forum section that appears to be well-maintained - these sorts of features often end up being useless because no one gives them the maintenance they require.

I think the reason that I would vote for iTunes as my favorite is likely because I am already so familiar with the software. The search function is very strong, and I was able to easily sync my new subscription (The Onion - news satire - great stuff) to my iPhone. I can see getting hooked on certain podcasts and establishing a routine of listening and downloading.

Thing 19

The most interesting podcasts I found from the given lists were those from the "Podcasts By Students" category. I'm so impressed with those teachers who make technology integration a priority in their classrooms. I'm also impressed with those who insist on a high quality production, because that invariably involves something artistic - music, images, script writing, comic bits, i.e. - to include in the final product, as well as a decent understanding of the technical aspects (sound levels, graphics, editing, etc) of creating a podcast. I love the integration of the arts and technology in the Eagan High School Honors Chemistry Podcasts - I loved the commercials for the elements ("Barnes and Noble Chemicals" - nice. . . )

I decided to do some exploring in my area of interest - music technology - and discovered Dr. James Frankel's podcasting page. I have seen him speak (Michigan Music Conference) a couple of times and knew that he recorded his sessions, but didn't realize that he was podcasting them. I now have materials that I can direct my teachers to regarding music and technology. One of the first things that I will ask them to listen to is his session on copyright - he is something of an expert on copyright as it relates to music education. He also has practical strategies that can be used to create and sustain a music technology lab - something I've long wanted to do. He has a wealth of knowledge on all things related to music education and technology, and I intend to spend some time with his podcasts, many of which are simply recordings of his presentations at state music conferences.

Thing 18

Music Technology and Web 2.0
Created by Katie Wardrobe

Music Technology And Web2 0

View more presentations from Katie Wardrobe.

The presentation above includes some online music resources with which I am not familiar - I was very excited to find something new that I could immediately share with my teachers, who could then apply them to the classroom as desired. Included were some performance/improv/compositional tools - this is very cool because composition and improvisation are the benchmarks that music teachers tend to pay the least attention to.

Slideshare is one of the most useful Web 2.0 tools that I can think of to introduce teachers to - they can see an immediate benefit due to the ability to use the slideshows in the classroom. The ability to search by category or topic can help the user find exactly what they need, and make use of it in any way they would like.

Thing 17

Give a review of the tool you explored - what worked, what didn't work, how might it be used in your personal or professional life?

So I checked out 30 Boxes and realized that I had absolutely no intention of creating another calendar in my life - my multiple Outlook calendars would just have to be sufficient. LibraryThing sounded interesting, because I do like to read when I have the time, and I'm always interested in finding recommendations from people who have similar tastes.

What I didn't realize was that, compared to most of the people on LibraryThing, I don't read AT ALL. Nada. These people are absolutely insane about reading, and their libraries. There were people who had almost 50,000 titles in their library. 50,000 titles. Yes, I am aware that this is extreme, but 50,000?

Then I remembered the tag thing, and realized the power of the site. It could be a powerful resource for teachers, if one was able to take the time to catalog a personal/professional library, and make it available to others in the district. I different version of our existing library accessible online. It has possibilities, though I'm not sure if the time investment would pay off in the future - how is it better than what currently exists? Tags, reviews, and comments, I suppose. You would definitely have to weigh the time investment versus the rewards.