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Invitation

Please feel free to edit the conversation with answers and solutions. Simply click Edit at the top right of the page and enter teacher as the password. You can insert text, in much the same way that you would with a word processor. However it is a very primitive word processor. You will see, at the bottom of the page, techniques for formatting your messages.

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Cracking the 'Native' Information Experience

Here is the transcript of your backchannel conversation for . This is a wiki page. As such, you can edit this page and insert text into the transcript, contining the conversation, as I have done. To edit, click the EDIT link at the top of the page. The password is teacher.

You can indent your comments by inserting --> at the beginning text. Many HTML codes can also be inserted. Other formatting features can also be found at the bottom of the edit page.


what's going on

kruggel - 18 Aug 2011 - 10:54:24

I am certainly looking forward to reading your conversation

Clovis Muddybluster - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:43:54

So far, so good!

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:44:04

Can't wait to learn new information!

Rose Warrell - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:44:34

Hi

Quela - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:44:42

likin the presentation

terry Garner - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:44:45

CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING CREATIVE TO SAY...:)

GRACE CAMPOS - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:44:59

- like the format

Barb - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:45:54

Technology is So Cool

Sarah Pelayo - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:46:10
Technology is so cool, because it enables you to exchange knowledge and ideas in context with what I'm sharing. It empowers you as a learner. - dfw

Yeah!

Jolene - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:46:25

Yeah!

Jolene - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:46:37

Think how much we could engage our kids if we allowed cellphone use in class.

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:46:53
Yeah! But I'd like to rephrase a bit. "Think how much we could engage our kids if we could give them more voice in their own learning, enabling them to provide feedback, exchange ideas, and build knowledge in context with the curriculum." Again, it's about empowering learning.
It is probably because of my particular philosophical bent on education, but sometimes what I see in educational technologies empowers the teacher, enables the teacher to do a better job at teaching -- and this isn't bad. But I think we need to make a concerted effort to empower learning. That "engages" the kids. - dfw

- like the format

Barb - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:46:58

what is secondlife)

suzette miller - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:47:11

Not bad. Interesting

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:47:15

interesting

deanna - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:47:27

Not much. What to fIx for dinner

Candace - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:47:38

Would be fun Amber

Sarah Pelayo - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:47:40

Yeah!

Jolene - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:48:21

Wow!

laurie copmann - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:48:43

I want this.

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:48:46

where do you get second life?

tyna - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:49:30
Go to the Second Life web site to set up an account: http://secondlife.com/ - dfw

Don't our students already have a hard enough time leaving the virtual world behind to live in the real world? What is the advantage of VR?

smart boy - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:49:42
I agree with you. The purpose of virtual worlds, in my opinion, is not that they engage the kids. We shouldn't utilize VW just because it's like a video game. What I like most about VWs is that they are sandboxes. The power is that it becomes a place where learners can build with what they've learned, and "work" the information. Building interactive objects in SL is entirely about algebra. It's using algorithms to make numbers behave they way you want them to. - dfw

Interes ting to see that all those folks who are usually texting are actually knitterchatting instead.

Julie Plocher - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:49:49

online

Sarah Pelayo - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:49:56

Secondlife.com

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:50:02

maybe the virtual is becoming the actual

Julie Plocher - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:50:55
It's an interesting observation. I don't think is one or the other. It's actually both. We've been reading for a long time. Isn't reading a novel kinda like being in a virtual world. It's purely intellectual, and that certainly won't go away. But consider that much business, professional development, and other activities are happening in Second Life, because it gets people together in an immersive and potent way. - dfw

filckr is blocked in our school due to pornography

smart boy - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:51:32
I'm not surprised, though one could probably argue whether it's porn. But many schools open it up, and there are ways to control it for your learners. But I see it as a great tool for teachers to use to find digital resources to use in instruction. Perhaps it could be opened up to teachers. - dfw

how will I use this with my students

Barb - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:52:07

Good question barb. I am wondering the same

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:53:15
If you're talking about Knitter Chat, there are lots of ways. I would typically not often open it up for general discussion like I have with you. One could use it like a clicker, but ask students to submit qualitative information. You might use it to have students assess each other's presentations. Lots of ways.
''I should say here that Knitter Chat is not publicly available. It is a person experiment and in constant beta. I recommend the following free tools for your consideration:

this could get rid of sidebar conversations

tyna - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:54:37
Or, let's be honest, it could facilitate them. One of the things that I like about Knitter Chat is that the transcript goes public. Imagine if the parents of your students could read the conversations they're engaged in inside your classrooms. - dfw

I think this I scary to some teachers.

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:54:47
Many teachers fear a loss of control, and this isn't a personal criticism. You (teachers) are accountable for the learning. How do you let go, when you're responsible. But, as I mentioned, I believe that it is imperative that our children learn to teach themselves, not just learn how to be taught. It's for their future -- and for ours. - dfw

And I'm wondering what the chances are that all these online sites are blocked on our district server.

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:55:52
That's an ongoing issue. We talked briefly about your AUP, and how it is frequently updated. This is necessary, that your AUP, or IUP (Information Use Policy) be flexible -- easily adapted. - dfw

students would use it the same way we are right now...ask a question and have a disussion using Knitterchat

Smart Cookie - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:56:39

abundant does not always mean that it is complete or accurate!!

smart boy - 18 Aug 2011 - 15:56:40
Exactly! It's one reason why our notions of literacy must expand. Frankly, if one is not able approach this abundant information environment and find the information that is "appropriate" to their goals, then I might prefer that they not be able to read it. It's about exposing what is true. - dfw

well, if my attention level right now is any indication, I'm not sure it's such a great idea.

Julie Plocher - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:00:28
Ah! Yes! I suspected this. I acknowledge that you may not be spending quite as much attention to what I'm saying as you might without knitter chat. But I believe that with most of my talks, the value-added (for instance the conversation we're having right now) out weighs much of the loss of attention. It's one of the things you would consider when figuring out how to use something like this. - dfw

students r better @ using media & participating than we r, though

ZW - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:02:07
They're probably better with the technology (more intuitive) probably better at shift-tasking. But they're not better at information. We have to help them learn to be effective and responsible users of information and perhaps even more important, we have to help them learn to care. - dfw

Isn't that the truth

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:02:51

Isn't that the truth

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:02:52

That was COOL!

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:07:49

lots of great ways to utilize technology

tyna - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:08:58
Lots of great ways to utilize "information!" ;-) - dfw

Why doesn't the district unblock youtube for the teachers?

smart boy - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:09:30
We talked about that, and evidently, you're pretty strapped for bandwidth. This should not be happening, but you're not alone. The U.S. has fallen so far behind with regard to bandwidth. I think we're something like 21 in the world for average bandwidth. We shouldn't have let this happen, but we were in too big a rush to monetize it. - dfw

That text cloud was very interesting! Awesome!

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:09:57

Amen! I could used YouTube a lot!

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:10:31
You know that you can download most YouTube videos and play them from your computer. There are lots of ways. I use a web site called ClipNabber - http://clipnabber.com/ - dfw

I did a research paper a few months ago. This would helped

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:12:50

Is it possible for some things to be unblocked for teachers but blocked for students connected to their login in the district?

tyna - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:13:33
It depends on your network. But some schools can do this, have somethings available through a teacher login, that are not available with a student login. - dfw

Not sure. We need check on tbt

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:14:21

I have friends at lots of districts that have unblocked certain content for teachers!!

smart boy - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:17:03

I have friends at lots of districts that have unblocked certain content for teachers!!

smart boy - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:17:04

That would be nice. But would our tech people do it????

Amber Thompson - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:17:55

If our district were able to do that then we could have access to these websites.

tyna - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:18:59

But I can't even get them to answer I request I sent in June!

Teach - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:20:15

Education breeds understanding of the world we live in.

Jolene - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:27:49
And it can breed misunderstanding. It's like anything else. It's an infinitely powerful communication tool that can be infinitely abused. Again, another reason to expand literacy. Sometimes, today, the true is anything that people will believe. - dfw

Yes it does

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:30:44

Education breeds understanding of the world we live in.

Jolene - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:30:56

Cool! I want that book.

Teach - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:31:18

We need scratch..??

Jolene - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:33:10

We need scratch..??

Jolene - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:33:11

@Jolene I want scratch for math...

Jolene - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:34:18

too bad blogs are blocked

Julie Plocher - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:40:27

we need to have access to some of these blog sites because they would be awesome tools for teaching

tyna - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:40:39
They are awesome, because they give voice to students' learning. There are blogging tools that are classroom friendly, where you can control what gets published and what goes public. Again, I recommend Edublogs - http://edublogs.org/ - dfw

blogs are blocked!!

smart boy - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:40:49

How can we get them unblocked?

Teach - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:47:45

good question it might even require policy changes something we all should check into and keep asking after this presentation

tyna - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:49:15

14-18 minutes of attention

smart boy - 18 Aug 2011 - 16:59:51

Can we ask how to the district to unblock

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 17:01:19

The problem is the policies

Me - 18 Aug 2011 - 17:02:42
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Page last modified on August 19, 2011, at 01:17 PM EST