Chapter 6: The Social Web, Learning Together
This is perhaps where I've learned the most in the first few weeks of Multimedia.
We are currently working hard in my district to create a pathway of relevance for students in the work they are completing for us at school. When I think about the traditional classroom, it is not much different than what still remains in many of our schools. Even though I have been attempting to introduce students to the interconnectedness of the Internet, I have not come close. Why? One example, I created a Twitter account over a year ago… for what? I don’t know – seemed like the cool thing to do and didn’t log in again until I received some emails recently that a few of my friends and two strangers were following me!?!? Following me (?), I thought. Yikes! I recently revisited my Twitter account and started making meaning out of its purpose: https://twitter.com/teresaalesch. But have only posted one time. The same can be said for many of the other accounts I have created in the past year or two (I created a Delicious account but didn’t know how to use it so haven’t been back, and I’ve set up a few different Wikis but since they wouldn’t do what I told them to I broke off our love/hate relationships)… how can I help my students if I cannot help myself? Good question!
I could really identify “learning in isolation” as it relates to my usage of social web tools but even more so as it relates to our students. They write a paper or complete an assignment, turn it in, and get it back…over and over and over again (I am guilty of this more than I want to admit). Very rarely is there a connection to the whole class or a collaborative effort with peers. I do try to do this, but since I have been reading this book, it’s dawned on me that I’ve only scratched the surface. Last year, however, I created a Ning account for my English 9 class: http://knightenglish.ning.com/. I think it’s a great start, but wow, do I have a ways to go?
Before I can introduce these tools to my colleagues, I really need to understand them myself. This is definitely going to take some time, patience, and dedication on my part... dedication that extends beyond the assignments given in my Multimedia class.
June 28, 2009 at 8:36 PM
Teresa,
As I read your blog, so many of your questions and intrepidations regarding this new technology I am right there with you. I haven't done the "ning" or the "twitter" but I tried to learn del.icio.us last summer, but I don't think it is a tool you try and self teach. It is a "social" tool, so I think I need to learn about it in a "social" atmosphere to sink or swim with others. Maybe that is why I haven't been back to my account in over a year too. Hopefully Diigo will be my friend, much like the purple dinosaur so many kids know and love.
July 4, 2009 at 1:42 PM
It is about collaboration and learning together and a Ning is a great place to start. I can link to the first page, but of course, after that it is password protected. But I noticed the "If you could go anywhere" assignment. It's open-ended and also creating something authentic with an audience that really helps students.