Podcasting with a Magic Wand

Oh, no! Gotta get my magic wand out. Seems funny enough, I subbed (Substitute Taught) this week for a coach and I noticed that the main problem with podcasting was me. To podcast, teachers are going to have to lead. We will have to start by creating the content we want the students to have.

And, who has time for that? So, I think that the teachers' will have to make time to make on-line content educational. This is the "dang-it" side of the Internet. See, it was easy before, because if the textbook was bad it is the editors/authors fault, if the workbook did not help... Who wrote the workbook? Etc.

Web 2.0 leaves the blame squarely at our door, if the content is bad or hard to understand. It is our fault, if the content is missing? Our fault again.

Week's Reflection: Wiki Week

I liked starting a wiki, though between my blog, wiki, and e-Portfolio I am starting to see that on-line resources can be very addictive. I also know that I am a bit of a perfectionist; so, I will need to work on making my on-line time count!

I want to build a wiki that I can invite the class to post lesson plans and teaching strategies that have worked for them. I see two things hindering this idea: 1) Districts now purchase prewritten curriculum and 2) many teachers may not be interested in using on-line tools. However, I think that as new teachers and "young-at-heart" teachers continue to interact, we can build wiki's that help us all. Especially, when librarians, media specialists and others want to join us.

I was intrigued by Notemesh, a collaborative writing tool, allows students to post notes from class lectures, and use them as a wiki. This is very interesting, then your friends look up your classes by checking your profile.

E-Portfolios: Report Cards without Borders!

I found myself very tied to how we can develop capacity for self-assessment, and promoting learning goals and shared understanding of criteria by which they are assessed. I know why, too. I found that in my time in school, I was clueless. I never knew if I was doing the job correctly or not. My Dad was the king of "keep up with it yourself." He would color-code, everything, and tell me to ask for this and record that. Dad always said, "If they hand back everything graded, then you can always know your average."

My only problem was that I was a mess! So, I am excited to put control of assessment in the students' hand. The same thing is true of my portfolio! I think that the portfolio is great! I have several ideas how I can market myself with it, and later I can use the site to teach students!

I told my wife that I am a "glass-house" kinda guy; I like everything as simple and transparent as I kind get them. Assessment for Learning and E-Portfolios both add transparency to learning and teaching. Also, it challenges us to develop critical information and social network literacies that our students will know or need us to teach them, before they leave grade school.

I thought the MAPing activity was excellent, a lot of the information in this class is things that my teacher said to me, but it was a five minute stop off during a hour long lecture about research. So, MAPing is great, I like being able to put a powerful tool to use while I study and write. The best part of the "Tree Octopus" hoax was the photographs! As a teen I might have started out sceptical, but the photos would have sold me. (I know I am gullible.)

The De.ilico.us was excellent! I am already combing through it to build a library of helps and resources for me and my future students! I also write so I am building bundles for that as well.

OH! I really like the Wordle.net I have sent little word art projects to my relatives, etc. I think my friends are going to be glad when this class ends, because I am all over facebook espousing the need for Del.icio.us accounts and etc.

Cade

I like Wordle.net it was fun to build.