My Final EDES Curtain: I Did It My Way

As I face my last EDES blog, I experience déjà vu. I am Billy Crystal in Throw Mama from the Train. I struggle to get past my first line: "The night was humid/moist/wet/damp." No matter how I try, the words that would sound intelligent at least to my own ears seem to elude me. In the previous blog, I was stymied by the question: What's next? I couldn't think of a thing to say. Today, I am approaching my final reflection from the opposite end of the continuum; I have too much to say and no idea where to begin. It feels like a jumble of emotionalisms. At any rate, I will Risk It and jump right in:

To try is to risk failure.

The person, who risks nothing,
Does nothing,
Has nothing and is nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But they simply cannot learn,
Feel, change, grow, love or live.

Risks must be taken because
The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

You LEARN from the TRYING; you WIN from the DOING.

So, here goes....

Reflections on the Learning Process

I began my serious sojourn into the blogosphere when I began the EDES course. Although I had set up a couple of blogs in a previous July residency, the experience was simply meant to be introductory. There was no time allotted for exploration, experimentation, and skill building. As an instructor of English writing skills at the post secondary level, I never really thought of the blog as another writing genre. I thought it was simply a venue for someone’s ramblings on any number of topics with limited opportunity for interactivity. Thus, for all intents and purposes, I began blogging very much the newbie with an attitude.

In the words of Edward Said, "Beginning is not only a kind of action. It is also a frame of mind, a kind of work, an attitude, a consciousness." When learning occurs, initial attitudes tend to change. Mine did.

In the EDES course, we learned by doing; and indeed, my learnings were many and varied. I began by creating my own Weblog using Google's Blogger. My first blog was simply a response to an assignment. Since then I began to understand Richardson's (2009) distinctions between posting and blogging and the stages that most beginning bloggers go through (p. 31). In my first post, I was not journaling an account of chronological activities, I did not provide any links to relevant sites with annotations, nor did I provide analytic, synthesizing, or reflective comments on literature, material, or other blogs that I had read. My command of Blogger features was limited. My post consisted mainly of text except for my profile that included a photo of myself, and I had added a couple of family photos. I tried to incorporate tags. However, the spacing between paragraphs showed I had not used the Edit HTML feature. I immediately began to hear about the need for a hook, that blogs were written to be read by others, so they had to attract readers, and they had to be reader friendly. I had taught some journalism and newspaper writing, so I understood headlines. They tell the news story in a nutshell, but I had overlooked the fact that blogs are also written for an audience, so titles must catch a reader’s interest. Given the number of blogs out there, a writer needs to gain a competitive edge.

As my learning went on, I tried to concentrate on headlines that hooked and content that engaged the would-be reader. Thus, my next two blogs were purely textual. I played with the spacing between paragraphs, but I had not yet experimented with the Edit HTML feature. I did include links and tags, and I started to receive comments from my classmates and prof. Now, that was a new experience. I began to master photo sharing through Flickr and Picnik. I remember struggling to add a video to my blog only to have my classmates report they were unable to view it. By the end of our exploration of video sharing sites, I did conquer HTML well enough to embed YouTube videos. I had also learned to link to resource material. I was beginning to really enjoy this blogging business. This was approximately the time I learned that I could link only to open source material available on the Internet, but any data I had found in my College library databases was licensed; therefore, viewers would not have access without appropriate userids and passwords. Again thank you to my classmates for pointing this out. Good lesson learned. I began to include APA style Reference lists (5th ed.) knowing full well that we were on the brink of the release of APA (6th ed.). I continued to agonize over the hook. By this time, I realized that besides the headline, the hook included an opening sentence or two. These should be Search Engine friendly. Here is where tags, taxonomies, keywords factored in. I was beginning to learn the lingo. But I wondered if I would ever truly master all of this? It was time to focus on my classmates’ work to see how they were approaching the blog. I also explored the work of professional bloggers: MasterMaq, Copyblogger, ProBlogger, and Larry Ferlazzo. I was learning a lot! However, it dawned on me that besides knowing the theory cognitively, I would have to demonstrate my learnings through my blogs. I was also working to show analytic and critical thinking, to synthesize, and to consider the implications of my statements and discoveries. In other words, I was aiming to extend my work beyond simple blogging in the hopes of achieving real blogging (Richardson, 2009, p. 31). I immediately fell in love with Animoto, Voicethread, and Mashups. I began to envisage ways to share some of my new skills with my College colleagues. These multimedia applications might be the best place to get them “hooked” on Web 2.0. At one point in this course, I remember recounting the way in which a number of my co-workers had overcome their aversion to DOS. It was through email. People got hooked on email even if it simply meant that all they used it for initially was to share jokes.

Just when I thought I knew all there was to know about Web 2.0, we explored social bookmarking, virtual libraries, and social networking sites. As Louis L'Amour says, "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning." I explored Facebook, My Space, Twitter and even eHarmony and PlentyOfFish. At about this time, I had the opportunity to meet Mack D. Male--MasterMaq--via Elluminate. He is very knowledgeable and comfortable moving back and forth between Web 2.0 applications. He convinced me of the power of the media and the importance of the blog as the pivotal application. He showed us how well blogs and Twitter work in combination. He also encouraged us to write about things we felt passionate about. When I did that, I noticed I got more comments from readers and higher marks. What must I still work on? In all honesty, I would have to say “Everything.” Communication is such an inexact science; in fact, it is the arena that first taught me that learning is lifelong. It is difficult to reach everyone with the same degree of success using one communicative approach.

Learning Highlights/Classmates' Input

If I were to provide a commentary of my learnings highlights throughout this course, I would point out that the EDES course exemplified induction into research-led, inquiry-based learning (McGowan, 2005). I would also point out work ethic. This was a heavy course; I really had to focus to keep up.

At the onset, I remember trying to keep up with Dan's early postings. He jolted me out of any state of inertia or procrastination I may have lapsed into. I enjoyed comparing notes with Heather our superwoman--working, capping project, EDES class. My blogging, like hers, will remain a work in progress. I also shared commonality with both Heather and Gerta in that we all work in higher education. Some of our collective perceptions were notable, quotable, and comparable. I continue to work on my blogging hooks; sometimes I come up with better ones than I do at other times. Shirley's opening anecdotes and analogies very quickly caught my attention. I tried to mimic her approach in openning a number of my blogs. I achieved varying degrees of success. I would like to find my Voice in the blogosphere as Ruth has. In Columbia University’s Newsletter, Oh (n.d.) states that faculty have become a trusted voice in the blogosphere. They are the "go to" people. This is the Voice I would like to establish for myself—a trusted one. I am working to engage in an educational blogging community beginning with my EDES classmates. Ruth has encouraged me to reach beyond our safe little EDES class; in fact, she pointed out that I had a follower or two from outside of our class. She suggests that I begin commenting on other bloggers’ work. I have yet to do this. I have occasionally referred to classmates’ thoughts in my own blog or discussion. YouTube says we should build blogging communities, and to do so this is one of the things we should do. I have admired the thinking of every one of my classmates. Tara, Debbie, like everyone else's, one of the things I found to be most helpful were the links each of you provided in his or her blogs. It would have been impossible for me to find all of them on my own especially within the timelines we were given. I found Carol's testimonials regarding the ease of use of Diigo and PageFlakes helpful. I did not have to find time to experiment with these on my own. I have learned much from the work and role modeling of my classmates. I must say that I’ve become a connoisseur of exceptional writing styles, use of graphics and collection of various Web 2.0 application, Voice, access to impressive resources and links that I would not have come up with myself in this short a time span. In all honesty, I am already becoming nostalgic. Whereas, this has been a heavy course, I know that I will miss the learning and the community. Hopefully, we will all stay in contact through our blogs or perhaps Facebook. Hey, everyone, did I actually put that in writing?

And to our profs: Thank you to Joanne for the trailfires. They gave us such a good start in learning about each Web 2.0 application. Jenn, you were always upfront with us regarding the intensity of this course and the heavy workload. Indeed, these realities mean that this course is definitely not for the faint of heart. But actually, I think it's been a great teaching ploy! Your strategy for this summer course was pure genius. The course asked us, as students, to confront the issue of digital technology and information overload; thus the course itself gave us a first hand experience in this regard.

Learning Lowlights/Intimidation Factors

As far as learning goes, the EDES course in itself presented no lowlights as long as timely learning did occur. There were, however, intimidating factors. I confess, fear was the biggest factor. What if I was unable to master skills well enough to meet deadlines. When I dabbled in blogging and other Web 2.0 applications before, I was a member of a face-to-face group. A professor, tech expert, or tech-savvy classmate was there to help us walk through an e-process or setup. In this course, I faced my computer at home, alone, in isolation, without a manual, without a tech expert to provide "how to" demonstations and textual interpretations. What if I couldn't figure out how to accomplish a task or how to use a digital tool? Then what? As a result, what if I were to miss a due time or date? I knew I was so close to the end of my Master's requirements, and yet at times I felt so far from it. I had enrolled in this EDES course because it presented skills that I really felt I could benefit from. But what if I couldn't master them? Today, I am thinking of John Heywood's words, "A hard beginning maketh a good ending." I think I have arrived.

Integrating Technology at Work

Looking back, I cannot believe how much I have learned and how eager I am to experiment with and apply my Web 2.0 skills at my workplace with staff and students: blogging, photosharing, videosharing, social bookmarking, podcasting, virtual library visitations, wiki collaborations, social networking and Twittering.

How does all of this fit in with my personal inquiry question? As I’ve said in previous discussions and blog, I know exactly which Web 2.0 applications I will be applying in each of my courses. Having worked my way through Web 2.0, I am convinced that the blog is really the place to start and that it functions as a great base or offshoot for all of the other applications. However, to hook my students in either English or Computer classes, a variety of program areas ranging from Human Services, to Health Care, to Business, to Trades, to Learning and Employment Foundations, I may be starting with other relevant tools such as Flickr, Animoto, and Voicethread. I no longer see academic integrity and plagiarism as bigger problems than they were before my introduction to Web 2.0. I do see, however, that my role in teaching proper documentation skills will continue to be very important.

Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow: Technology 4Me

When I think about my co-workers, I am still toying with a move to Instructional Design. I think I could really utilize and develop my Web 2.0 skills further. I also think I would be in a strategic position to encourage and school my colleagues in these skill sets. For myself, in the immediate sense, I want to explore and possibly subscribe to Diigo, PageFlakes, and Zemanta. I intend to continue exploring sites that suggest ways to make a blog more successful such as those stated in the following: ProBlogger, Northeastern University, Copyblogger, Garrett, Blogging with Success, and Wordpress. Beyond these immediate strategies, I will continue exploring the blogosphere, I will try to continue following my classmates blogs, I will continue to sign up for every tech training program my College offers. I believe that one of the main implications for my own future thinking, working, and networking, professional development is keeping up with change. The EDES course gave me an opportunity to bring myself somewhat up-to-speed on Web 2.0, but there is so much left to learn. Technology will continue to change. That is a fact. I cannot be left behind especially not if I intend to remain an educator in good standing. As Mack D. Male (2009) pointed out, if he were a student today, he would expect his teachers/instructors to be knowledgeable in multiple ICT applications--or at least aware of what's out there. Keeping up is the main implication. My rural, northern College is in the process of capitalizing on technology for online and distance learning. Electronic resources and virtual libraries help put rural adult learners on a par with their urban counterparts who always had greater access to sizeable library resources. Rural colleges are working diligently to lobby government resources to help finance supernet, greater bandwidth, and other forms of affordable high speed Internet to rural homes. Many of our students, whether or not they emanate from remote locations are avid users of mobile phones, texting, and photo-taking. Many are also avid users of social networking, Facebook in particular. Some aspects of netiquette, appropriate disclosure, common sense reputation-building remains to be taught and learned. I hope to help make overall inroads in our students' and faculty's ethical use of technology for learning, as well as to encourage and facilitate sharing of resources and collaborative learning.

The curtain is about to fall on my sojourn into Web 2.0 through the EDES course. But I know that each time a door closes, a new one opens up. Like the words in the Elvis Presley/Frank Sinatra song, I definitely did EDES my way; at times my performance was laudable; at other times, it felt dismal. But the learning throughout was immeasurable and the EDES learning community was exemplary and for that I am truly grateful. Ralph Bellamy says that, "Everything ends. But there are always new beginnings."

References

McGowan, U. (2005). Academic integrity: An awareness and development issue for students and staff. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 2(3a), 48-57. Retrieved August 15, 2009, from http://jutlp.uow.edu.au/2005_v02_i03a/pdf/mcgowan_005.pdf

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Chaossphere or Chaosfear: What to Do Next?

Chaossphere is one of the latest buzzwords to hit the blogosphere. It is represented by eight arrows set in a radial pattern. The concept, as it relates to technology, is still new and under dispute in Wikipedia. The basic idea holds that there is a glut of information out there for us to consume; there are multitudinous digital tools and applications to choose from; we struggle to answer a series of questions. Where do we go from here? What should we do next? How should we do it? Where do we start? How do we integrate technology into education? The best definition I could find says that the chaossphere symbol is purposely generic and any-directional to represent the vastness and flexibility of chaos rather than to indicate fearsome disorder. However, to me the concept is still somewhat frightening and suggestive of the decision I am attempting to make in light of our Blog #11 assignment: What's next? What Web 2.0 tool should I introduce my co-workers to first?

The Indecisive Second Born

I once read a psychology study that found second born children to be easy going, but indecisive. I am that second born child. Facing my EDES 501 Blog #11 decision, I feel like the contestant in Let's Make a Deal facing Host Monty Hall. I worry that I will choose the door with the goat behind it rather than the Ferrai. What if I try to interest my co-workers in a Web 2.0 tool, but they are not inspired? What if nothing I try to do makes a difference? Despite my fears, I decided to take the risk. From all that I had experienced in EDES 501, from the reviews of Richardson (2009) and the resources posted under Trailfires, MasterMaq, Jenn's great instruction, my classmates' enthusiasm, blogs, and feedback--Carol, Dan, Debbie, Gerta, Heather, Ruth, Shirley, and Tara--I was thoroughly convinced. The blog it is! OK, which door shall I open?

Re-thinking a Hasty Decision

But this is where indecision set in. Perhaps I should think this through more carefully. It may be wise to first consider the technological resources available at my workplace. Before deciding on a logical Web 2.0 tool to introduce to my colleagues and staff, I need to consider the digital resources available at my College. At the main campus, we have a number of computer labs, the library information commons, an Innovation Lab, video conferencing labs, designated wireless areas, Smart Classrooms equipped with a computer and multimedia project, and some classrooms with SmartBoards. In terms of LMS and related software, we have Moodle and Elluminate, together with standard Microsoft programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access 2007. Specific program areas have additional software according to need and licensing. We also have an Instructional Design team, and also our Computer Services Department.

Let's Hear It for the Time Traveller

Before deciding "What's next?" maybe I should take a trip through time to revisit where we came from and then project to where we want to or need to go.

Over time, our technologies have changed according to need, human creativity, and inventiveness. Each time, in some ways, life got easier, richer, and more enjoyable; but it also got much faster.

Choosing a Tool from Web 2.0

What are the implications for the teaching and learning of adults? How does one keep up the momentum that we achieved in our class? How do we integrate technology into our educative environment? How do I acquaint members of my staff to Web 2.0? What tool do I start with?

Of necessity, I am going to go out on a limb here. Our blog assignment asked us to choose one tool, but in considering my colleagues and staff, I think it is necessary to "hook" people using the Web 2.0 tool of most immediate use to them, their program, or their students. Initially, I had considered beginning with the blog, and from my own experience I know why that is the best choice. However, at work immediacy is often the deciding factor.

How does all of this fit in with my personal inquiry question? As I’ve said in previous discussions and blogs, I know exactly which Web 2.0 applications are applicable to the various program areas in which I work. Thus, to hook my faculty, staff, and students in a variety of programs ranging from Human Services, to Health Care, to Business, to Trades, to Learning and Employment Foundations, I must choose a tool most applicable to each of them. Human Services programs, including Community Social Work and Educational Assistant/Early Learning and Childcare programs, would immediately benefit by blogging and producing pod/vodcasts. Most other programs would most likely be hooked on photo and video sharing and mashups. In particular, I am thinking of the Native Cultural Arts program. Instructors would be eager to help their students showcase and market their work online. I would consider starting with tools such as Flickr, Animoto, and Voicethread. These tools would be relevant and also enjoyable. When I think of Trades programs such as automotives, welding, forestry, carpentry, and natural resources, I think the graphic tools would also be accepted and applied more readily. In programs where writing has a higher emphasis, I no longer see academic integrity and plagiarism as bigger problems than they were before my introduction to Web 2.0. I do see, however, that my role in teaching proper APA style (6th ed.) documentation skills will continue to be very important and that sharing those skills with co-workers and students will also be crucial.

When I think about my co-workers, I am still toying with a move to Instructional Design. I think I could really utilize and develop my Web 2.0 skills further. I also think I would be in a strategic position to encourage and school my colleagues in these skill sets. For myself, in the immediate sense, I want to explore and possibly subscribe to Diigo, PageFlakes, and Zemanta. For myself, I intend to continue exploring sites that suggest ways to make a blog more successful such as those stated in the following:

ProBlogger, Northeastern University, Copyblogger, Garrett, Blogging with Success, and Wordpress.

Web 2.0 in Higher Education

View more presentations from markvanharmelen.

In addition multiple other links discuss the current gap that exists between higher education and Web 2.0 savvy. As educators in post secondary programs, I believe we have about one to two years in which to close the gap. Educators are expected to be leaders and facilitators of learning. As Male (2009) said, we have to be aware of and skilled at a number of Web 2.0 applications in order to win the respect of our studnets and to remain credible in 21st century education. See: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/heweb2.aspx
http://mfeldstein.com/sociallearn-bridging-the-gap-between-web-20-and-higher-education/
http://librarytwopointzero.blogspot.com/2009/05/web-20-in-higher-education.html

In my zeal to bring Web 2.0 to my College--faculty and staff--one of the biggest problems will indeed be the digital divide. However, this is not to say that some co-workers do not have access to computers and software. It is more a question of inspiring some digital immigrants to learn new digital skills. A number of employees are on the verge of retirement. Will these people be eager to push themselves to become literate in new technologies? From first hand experience, I know that some co-workers would much prefer that or actually expect that someone else should do the job for them. That will be the biggest challenge. Other co-workers are either already schooling themselves in digital skills or they are asking for training.

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Handy Web 2.0 Links

Here is link to Larry Ferlazzo's blog "The Best Collections of Web 2.0 Tools for Education" in case you missed it in my collection of blog subscriptions. Ferlazzo has included a number of excellent links to resources--some were already shared by classmates--others may not have been. At any rate, they are here in one place. Some of these resources may help you decide which Web 2.0 tool you will be most likely to initiate with your own staff.

5 Great Instant Messenger Aggregators Across Multiple Platforms

5 Great Instant Messenger Aggregators Across Multiple Platforms

Posted using ShareThis

So Much to Learn, So Little Time: Blogging 4PD

Using Blogs and Wikis for Professional Development

View more presentations from Dana Huff.

Richardson (2009) says that ICT and the Read/Write Web have ushered in an age of new literacies. Being literate no longer means having the ability to read, write, and do a bit of math to meet daily living needs. Today, preparing students to become productive members of society means readying them to be proficient in using a variety of web tools to gain and share information and to complete projects and tasks collaboratively. The classroom has become a place for seamless transfer of information. Today, educators do not "own" their teaching materials. They share and exchange instructional plans. For instance, my course materials are stored in our College's Moodle repository. Educators find and implement data and learning objects that go beyond the course textbook. The Internet is our library. Because so many educators are willing to post their ideas and strategies to the web, students can avail themselves of many teachers over a twenty-four hour period. Education and learning is social and collaborative and the result of such learning is generally destined for an audience that goes beyond the individual classroom. No longer is the traditional class lecture an end in itself; it is the starting point for dialogue and participative learning. The Read/Write Web encourages students to engage in research-led and inquiry-based learning. Knowing how and where to find information is more important than merely knowing a correct answer. And evaluating the reliability and validity of source material is also a key factor in the Web 2.0 world. This often means engaging with the data source to question and comment. Ultimately, mastering material, not only passing a test; and contributing ideas, not mere course completion are the goals.

Role of Educators

Richardson (2009) is a strong advocate of the blog. He urges educators to begin their journeys into the blogosphere with this tool. As leaders and facilitators of learning, educators must be proactive in schooling themselves to be aware of, comfortable with, and knowledgeable in using a wide variety of Web 2.0 applications (Male, 2009). Educators must be the role models of life-long learning, especially since technology is constantly changing, and one application is soon replaced by another. As educators, we have to accept and even embrace change. Professional Development sessions can go a long way in keeping educators abreast of up-and-coming skill sets.

Blogs and Blogging

So, how do we keep up with change? One strategy is to learn to blog and to become a member of a blogging community. In this way, educators can learn a lot from colleagues without always needing to wait to engage formally in conference settings. Interacting with fellow professionals and other experts through blogs allows us to get feedback on our thoughts through blog comments and to share ideas on what our learning needs are. Blogs also provide a venue for sharing issues and concerns and to better determine which ones might be better covered in formal training sessions.

Blogs Revisited

We have been told that the blog is the most widely adopted Web 2.0 tool; it is easy to create, easy to update, and easy to engage and interact with through the comment feature. It allows educators to maintain their status as lifelong learners; hence, ongoing professional development is within arm's reach. It allows them to emerge from their pedagogical isolation to share ideas, strategies, experiences, and even frustrations. They can seek out educative content from sources to critique, analyze, and synthesize in immediate or longer time periods. They can post their perceptions and have fellow professionals provide feedback or other solutions with which to resolve emergent teaching and learning situations. Because blogs have an archiving feature, they can function as resources in the present or over time. Blogs lend themselves to the addition of gadgets and links including blogrolls, RSS feeds, and aggregators. This brings the user closer to a one-stop shopping approach to accessing a wealth of relevant resource material. Besides giving us an opportunity to discuss ways to become better professionals, blogs also provide us with an opportunity to explore a number of ways in which they can function as a viable teaching tools to interact with students and to allow them to practice communication and online literacy skills.

RSS Feeds and Aggregators

The Richardson (2009) text, trailfires, YouTube, and the Internet are replete with definitions and lists of RSS feeds and news aggregators. RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication, but is sometimes called Rich Site Summary. RSS is a format used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—and to bring material such as full or summarized text together with publishing dates and authorship automatically to a reader's blog. My chosen RSS is Google Reader. This type of RSS feed is very beneficial to readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from their preferred websites or to aggregators that collect articles by headlines functioning as links from many sites into one place; e.g. reader's blog. Wikipedia, 24Eyes, and NewsOnFeeds provide lengthy lists of aggregators to choose from. Richardson states that one of the most difficult tasks is disciplining yourself to check your feeds regularly.

Subscriptions

I have subscribed to a number of invaluable resources: MasterMaq (Thank you Jenn), BBC Breaking News, Technorati, Copyblogger, Bloglines, Larry Ferlazzo, Problogger, Web Design Discussion, TechLearning, Canadian Journal of Education, George Siemens, Google Video, Google Reader, and Emerging Technologies in Education. In addition, I follow a number of Twitters. I have reached the point where I must purge feeds that I am really struggling to find time to read. Blogs I will not be deleting are the ones belonging to my EDES 501 classmates. How fortunate I am to be a member of this class! My classmates are a constant source of valuable leads, links, data, professionalism, and encouragement. I did check the Portage College electronic databases including ProQuest and Lois Hole, but many of the peer-reviewed resources relevant to blogging and PD are somewhat dated: 2006-2008.

Blogging 4PD

Huff''s attached video Using Blogs and Wikis for Professional Development sings the praises of technology in education. Huff contends that, in reality, technology will not replace teachers; however, teachers who can engage students online, through collaboration, and through Web 2.0 will certainly replace those who do not. The OC Adult Ed Teachers’ Network provides an excellent example of adult education instructors connecting through the blogosphere. This is a wonderful indicator for me to emulate in my own College. Furthermore, Edublogs provided another good exmple of the type of information that can be shared via the blog: 10 ways to use your edublog to teach. All of these pointers provide online ready references for educators to put to use. Thacher's PD PowerPoint presentation entitled Networking Online for Professional Development describes a number of ways that educators can enhance their performance using Web 2.0. What better way to share these perceptions than through PD-related blogs.
Long (2009) states that:

1. Professional development for new learning spaces and styles is not best undertaken by a series of ‘one off’ professional days listening to some perceived expert - although these do have their uses if the focus is right. Nor are mandatory after school CPD sessions particularly effective after what can be a gruelling day.

2. Most effective is working with teachers, in their rooms, with their students. 'Learning Leaders' (call them what you will) supporting teachers using and develop new learning and teaching styles can be really effective, working on ‘real’ work during a normal day. Usually most effective is to arrange this support working with every member of a faculty or department simultaneously. This allows real time modelling of good (and new) practice, team teaching, real time support, group work, mixed groupings, lead lessons, small group work with the whole team working, learning and gaining confidence together. This is not a one hour session – this takes some days to really embed in along with return visits. Real time evaluation and changes in approach can also be developed along with codes for students of expected behaviours and work habits. ‘Doing it to just one individual’ just is not anywhere near as effective and can be pointless.

3.Within a school then this group of teachers become leaders and the learning support goes to another faculty and develop their skills and so on. Staff from the second group can then compare notes and strategies with the first group and so the movement spreads. Approaches will vary depending on the subject and but can also really enhance cross curricular project work and make things much for interesting and enjoyable for teachers as well as students as they work in teams rather than the solitary ‘secret activity’ that so often happens. (All of this is done obviously maintaining a real focus on improving standards.) Developing this across schools then also allows other collaborations. (parags 6-8)

And think about the collaboration and support throughout thius process that can take place via the blog. Peter (2009) discusses effective teaching, quality instruction, and professional development in light of learning technologies. He says that effective teaching is:

* being prepared, and being flexible - knowing the curriculum, knowing the students and able to adapt and adopt the lesson as necessary. Technology can help organize the curriculum. Technology, specifically media, can provide a greater range of flexibility and possibilities.
* focused on learning - creates an environment that celebrates learning as the process and not only the product. Through integrated technology, the focus can be on learning and the learners. Providing technology to address specific needs.
* based on how students learn - responding to the unique perspectives and styles of the learner. Learning can be supplemented through a careful and deliberate use of technology.
* student-centered - students are the focus for learning. The ubiquitous and pervasive presence of technology in the hands of students can reshape learning, and shift the focus from teaching to learning.
* authentic - relevant, integrated experiences where knowledge is applied. Learning, as well as teaching, focuses on application, integration, and construction of new knowledge to new situations.
* improving -creating change, whether permanent or transitional. Both teaching and learning address change in the individual, change in knowledge, skills, abilities, and so much more.
* learning - a process, a continuum, a cycle. Through teaching, people learn. Through learning, people are taught.
* creating opportunities - never ending, life long. Teaching should never be a means to an end. Teaching is change, is adaptation and more.
* social change - empowering the learner. Teaching enriches the human spirit and empowers the learner and the teacher.

So much of what Peter (2009, August 4) has said can be learned, shared, nurtured, supported through professional collaboration and PD-oriented blogs. In a prior blog, Peter (2009, August 2)says the following:

Professional development ...

* is a way to meet colleagues with similar interests,
* is focused on developing teaching abilities and interests,
* provides immediate solutions to immediate problems,
* answers questions by making me think,
* improves my critical thinking skills,
* makes me more reflective about my teaching and student learning,
* is continual throughout the academic year,
* is structured,
* may be unstructured,
* may be cohort-based,
* may be small-group,
* acknowledges what I know,
* helps me identify what I need to know,
* provides content knowledge and skills,
* enables me to grow professionally,
* models best practices,
* increases my awareness of new and emerging technologies,
* engages me in the process of professional development,
* integrates technology,
* is social,
* is collaborative,
* is transparent,
* is relevant and is focused on topics for today's teaching and learning,
* can be flexible and presented in different modalities and with different medium and media,
* is current and updated,
* is fun and exciting,
* creates a sense of wonder in me as a participant and learner,
* helps me learn,
* provides me with appropriate resources for future success,
* and continues to evolve.

Obviously, the blog is the logical application with which to meet all of these goals.

How can I best describe my experience in learning about blogs, together with RSS feeds and news/blog aggregates? Since we were already required to set up blogs, RSS feeds, and aggregators, this expereince wasn't exactly new. However, now that we have experimented with blogs and blogging first hand, I feel more in tune. Adding gadgets and links to my blog is not nearly the challenge it was at the onset of this course. My bigger concern now is limiting my feeds to those which are most useful and which I am actually following. If I haven't been finding articles of interest to read, I must consider deleting them. The numbers of feeds that have accumulated do feel overwhelming.

Beyond the inclusion of the blog for a number of my English classes in particular, I intend to continue blogging. I have an opportunity to move to our Instructional Design Department. If that happens, I will most certainly attempt to engage my colleagues using the blog. As I mentioned, my other colleague in Instructional Design has already begun using Twitter. I think together, we will be able to generate an enthusiastic following in our College. Aspects of the digital divide that will prevail will most likely result from a reluctant age group stemming from the digital immigrant or baby boomer category. Some members of this group do want to use Web 2.0 features in their classes, but their belief is that "this isn't my job," and that a dedicated group of professionals should do the work; i.e., putting together podcasts, videos, mashups, wikis, blogs, etc.

More Tweets for Twitter

Having sat through Mack D. Male's most informative session last night, I have given the Twitter application further thought. I have decided that Twitter may work well to share "real time" messages with my students, but if I want to post items that students can refer to later, the blog might be the better venue since it lends itself to archiving.

Some of my key learnings from Mack D. Male's presentation last night support some of my other readings including: being aware of the power of social media; writing about things you have a passion for or enthusiasm about and that enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm in your viewers; having knowledge or at least awareness of the workings of tech applications in teaching, learning, and communication; knowing that optimal blog length is variable, but that most of the time one screen length might be enough; and understanding that the blog is beginning to morph into a website. This brings me to a useful conclusion for my personal inquiry. I toyed with using Twitter to reach my students or a wiki, but now I am sold on the blog. Blogs lend themselves to archiving; whereas, Twitter does not. Viewers can comment on my blog posting, while wikis are largely collaborative tools that lend themselves to editing and possible change. Certainly, I could always check the wiki history, but at times that could be a little cumbersome. I can link so many other sites and tools to my blog that students and other faculty and staff can access or re-visit. However, one last thing I learned is that using a combination of Web 2.0 tools is probably the best approach since each tool is useful in its own particular way. It was interesting to hear Mack D. Male agree that his best approach to accomplishment is continuous partial attention; i.e., multitasking. That is a clear statement on how many of our students functuin.

Beyond other relevant literature, Mack D. Male and Honeycutt and Herring (2009) support the notion that Twitter is a useful tool for conveying news instantaneously, but that it was not necessarily meant to provide a venue for analytic, indepth assessment of situations. It is also functional for collaboration and generation of quick responses. The idea of checking your Twitter feed is not exhausting since each post is very short, so most users are not dreading the idea of going there. Johnson (2009) notes that Twitter is useful for status reports, the intent, I believe was for business, but student progress indicators could factor in keeping with the need for confidentiality.

The PC Magazine (2009) presents useful tips for using Twitter: 10 tips for beginners and 6 tips for making it useful. What I found intersting was that people could use their camera phones to takes pictures, then they could post them in Twitter. Surely, this would make real time news even more meaningful. Thus, Twitter allows you to follow up-to-the-minute news, ask for help, promote your work, search for work, stay in contact with friends, and meet celebrities. All of this is for the most part educationally relevant.

Just as we had discussed effective headlines for our blogs, Thompson's (2009) Pistachio post provides tips for constructing Twitter-friendly headlines. Keep them short; avoid puns; use key words to optimize search engine success, use hashtags [#] to categorize tweets by content, deal with one story per tweet, provide direct links to a story rather than to a homepage, and remember, you don't have enough characters to provide subheadings. All good advice. One final point, learning Twitter lingo is a must. Once you get into it, you soon get the hang of it: twitter, tweople, twoosh, tweetup, tweetdeck, twellow, and the like. Indeed, what fun!

Is Twitter for the Birds?

When I was accepted into the EDES 501 class, I immediately ordered our textbook. As soon as it arrived, I checked to see which Web 2.0 tools we would be exploring. I saw Twitter. My sister, a high power corporate executive, was skeptical. She wondered why any intelligent person would want to subscribe to something that had you twittering and tweeting like a silly bird.

At work the next day, I visited a colleague who is a member of the Instructional Design team at my College. She is an avid Twitterer. Her claim to fame? She says she helped Ashton Kutcher attain his first million followers. Well, that didn’t really go a long way to put me in mind of professional uses for Twitter. Furthermore, I kept thinking of my sister’s comments about silly birds. Then I analyzed her negative depiction of birds as being “silly.” Hmmm.
To begin with, there is the age old metaphor about the wise old owl:

A wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he saw, the less he spoke
The less he spoke, the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

I thought of the North American Eagle. In many of our First Nations cultures, the Eagle is a symbol of sacred status, gifted in the role of leadership among birds. In 1782, the Eagle was chosen to be the national emblem of the USA because of its long life, great strength, piercing vision, and majestic looks. Then again, there is Richard Bach’s (1970) story about Jonathan Livingston Seagull, who is bored by the daily wrangling over food. He has a passion for flying, so he pushes himself to learn and practice that skill. His nonconformity leads to expulsion from the flock, but even as an outcast, he continues to learn and rise closer to heaven. One more outstanding feathered friend that proves birds aren’t silly creatures to be ignored is the Disney character, Tweety Bird:

So, who was wiser there? Was it Sylvester, the cat, or Tweety, the bird? So then, the concept of the birdbrain as a stupid person with a short attention span has no credibility. Like the Twitter application, the wise old owl learned to use fewer words—keeping tweets down to 140 characters or less—and “wisely” to listen more. The powerful Eagle and Jonathan Livingston Seagull learn to soar in peaceful solitude above the mundane daily activities to see life’s “big picture.” And our beloved Tweety Bird is never at a loss in dealing with the conniving Sylvester. He sees through the cat’s devious, scheming antics. All right, let’s go on to Twitter and Tweet.

I paid my College colleague another visit. “Teach me,” I said, “Teach me how to use Twitter.” She proceeded to do just that. I became her instant follower; in fact, I helped her move up the ranks to one of the top 45 spots [people] in educational technology being followed. Her job at our College requires her to devote one day per week to researching new technologies that we may want to use. She has uncovered a myriad of relevant links. Besides her, I immediately began to follow Larry Ferlazzo in both his edublog and Twitter accounts. I have since added Will Richardson’s accounts. I have bookmarked quite a number of sites in Google Reader. I must make a point of adding those to my blog for ready reference. In looking at my list, I am having a difficult time remembering/determining which sites are blogs and which are Twitter accounts; sometimes one creator had both. At any rate, I am also following: ClearBlogging, Copyblogger, George Siemens, MasterMaq (see Twitter 101 in my sidebar), Go2Web2.0, TechCrunch, ReadWriteWeb, Wikispaces Blog, Problogger, CommonCraft, the blogs of all my classmates, and Joanne’s trailfires.

I researched Twitter to determine why it is so popular. Obviously, it is simple to use and it provides a quick connect to other people. Whereas, teenagers might use Twitter to follow celebrities and to get the latest news—gossip—from their friends, it is a great application for mobile texting and instant messaging. Beyond the SNS uses, Twitter allows users of all ages to conduct searches, get “real time” news of the day from anywhere in the world, and to engage in business, politics, and education. Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as 140 character tweets. Twitter allows connectability to other social networks & other user apps, feeds, etc. It lends itself to conversation and collaboration. Teaching and learning research skills in libraries using Twitter is also a popular notion. I can see us adopting this practice at my College. TechLearning lists a number of ways that make Twitter a good resource for learning: it is an instant resource for multiple ideas; it provides news that is local, national, or international; it allows for sharing of reflective practice among educators; it is useful for gaining instant feedback; it is a great medium for professional development.

How then do I propose to use Twitter for my own work and needs. I have already begun to interact with my colleague at work. I believe there will be opportunities to add other professionals to this following including our librarians, and most likely the entire Instructional Design team. In addition, there are a number of other Moodle savvy instructors who will most likely want to participate. Sessions in using Web 2.0 will make for great professional development activities. I know that our VP Academic is very much pushing the elearning envelope and this is a good thing for our distance and remote learners once supernet is made available more widely throughtout the North.

I am thinking that Twitter might be the application to get my students to follow me for quick information tips on course-related matters. Students may prefer to use Twitter to quickly share course and program updates with each other rather than Facebook, which they may prefer to retain for more socially-oriented discourse. I need to get my own Twitter account up-to-date and better organized to get the best use from it on my students' behalf. I have already collected excellent resources, but unless I categorize them properly, much of that information will remain untapped. I still wonder about the extent to which I should put Web 2.0 applications to use if I know that access to technology is still an issue for some of our students. Students do have access during the school day, but, excited as I am, I had better begin slowly and I had better be somewhat careful not to assign too much online technology-based homework, at least not until I determine the extent of the digital divide class-by-class.