Blogs, Blogging for PD and RSS

Learning Process

I’ve Got the Whole World (WideWeb) in My Hands…


I officially entered the blogosphere…wait, is this a new sphere of the earth? I suppose in some ways it is. Anyway, I officially entered into this sphere a mere 12 weeks ago. What a strange place. People are blogging like crazy here. Everywhere I look. How could I not have discovered this place sooner?

This new sphere has had a profound influence on me. It has led me to really kick into gear and activate my life long learning. Through reading the blogs of my classmates and other teacher-librarians and professionals, I have really developed professionally…and of course that’s why they call it Professional Development.
Having all of this information at my fingertips was overwhelming at first. I felt like I was consuming so much info that my brain would burst. Then a few weeks went by and somewhere along the way something happened. I wasn't sure if my brain expanded or what but I started becoming more comfortable in the blogosphere. I realize now that my new friend, RSS, was the one to thank. I decided it wasn't such a strange place to be after all. I could live here.

Wikipedia defines the blogosphere as being "made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions."

I am lucky enough to be a member of this community. And my friend RSS ensures that I stay connected with my other community members.
If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting RSS, let me introduce you.
Here is a basic tutorial introduction to RSS feeds and aggregators.

Initially I chose to use Bloglines as my RSS feed but then I started using iGoogle and liked the accessibility of Google Reader. I decided to keep both so that I could try them and see which works better for me. I found that Bloglines is better for selecting your feeds with their Top 1000 feeds option and recommendations (see my sidebar for my blogroll). However, once you have an idea of which feeds you want, Google Reader can be accessed directly on your iGoogle page.

I have assumed you already know what a blog is since you are reading one right now. But just in case check out Blogs in Plain English. Let's also turn to one of our favourite bloggers for his thoughts on this. Will Richardson's book "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms", defines a weB LOG (blog) as "an easily created, easily updateable Website that allows an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection... They are comprised of reflections and conversations... Blogs engage readers with ideas and questions and links. They ask readers to think and respond. They demand interaction" (p. 17-18).
Oh Will, you have a way with words.
One day I will be just as well-spoken...yes, one day.



Personal Learning

In his post Blogging for Personal Learning, Tony Karrer points out that "regular blogging encourages reflective practice--you're more likely to actively engage with what you're reading and experiencing as fodder for blog posts, which increases your own understanding and improves your thinking on what you're learning."

I think this is why my growth as a learner has developed so much through this process. Not only am I reading the wealth of information coming through Google Reader, trailfires, articles, etc., but I am sythesizing my knowledge. I am thinking about what I read and responding to it. I find that I have mostly been reading other blogs for professional learning. However, I really enjoy reading everything about Web 2.0 and this knowledge has enhanced my personal learning as well.

I really value what my blog has done for my personal learning. I have been trying to develop a stronger blog voice and make my blog more appealing. Wouldn't want to lose you now! I know I still have a ways to go and this is a progression I want to continue. Suggestions welcome.

I did turn to some other writers for their ideas on this. Some of their articles include:

101 Steps to Becoming a Better Blogger (LifeHack.org)

10 ways to become a better blogger (Deb Shinder)

Are You Getting Off Track With Your Readers? (James Chartrand)

The Oscar the Grouch Guide to Building a More Remarkable Blog (Sonia Simone)
Apparently if most successful bloggers were a Sesame Street character, they’d be Oscar the Grouch. He does his own thing, he lives the way he wants to live, and he’s not particularly interested in what anyone else has to say about it. Guess I'm too nice.


What else has blogging done for me? According to research that Richardson studied, blogs:
- promote critical and analytical thinking
- are a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking to promote analogical thinking
- are a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information
- combine the best of solitary reflection and social interaction
(p. 20)

Best of all, my mom follows my blog. Now we have more to talk about in our mother-daughter chats. Also she reads about the tools I have been learning about and wants me to teach her some of them. Her favourite so far has been Animoto.


I have been able to utilize my RSS feeds for some personal and social reasons:

I am an avid reader of books and now I have instant access to book news, reviews and author interviews at guardian.co.uk

I also have the National Geographic News site fed to me daily which my stepson loves. Almost everyday I am asked a "Did you know...?" question.

As you can see, iTunes Top Songs is also on my blog list. As we speak, my partner is downloading songs onto my mp4 player using this list.

Dictionary.com's Word of the Day is another. My favourite word of the month so far is hoi polloi (which means the common people or the masses) mostly because I like the sound of it. I think the hoi polloi can benefit from blogging!

Getting instant weather and news updates also comes in handy.




Professional Development (PD)

Throughout this process of blogging I have been able to display my learning in a whole new way. It's nice to be able to look back at postings and have them all together in one place.
Having my Google Reader subscriptions flowing in each day has also been valuable to me. Let me reminisce...



A few of the fabulous things I've learned from other bloggers:

Being a librarian entering into this digital realm, I have wondered whether books will be a thing of the past. Stephen Abram's Will Books Survive? cleared this up. It helped me realize the both real books and e-books will co-exist together happily.

Stephen also eased my mind by pointing out the ways technology actually boosts our social lives rather than making us anti-social.

Will Richardson has taught me so many things. A smorgasbord of information. Some of these things include how to best implement many Web 2.0 tools (eg. #Gr8t Tweets), the importance of life long learning(eg. Teachers as Learners), curriculum/policy development (eg. Don’t, Don’t, Don’t vs. Do, Do, Do) and assessment practices (eg. On Common Standards).

Several bloggers have allowed me to see that the world is changing and that teachers and librarians need to adapt their teaching to account for this shift toward digital literacy.

They've also highlighted great articles (eg. Who Owns Your Lesson Plans? Blue Skunk Blog), videos (Where There's a Widget There's a Way, The Unquiet Librarian), and podcasts (Open Libraries, Stephen's Lighthouse). Lots to think about.
These bloggers have helped me to see the importance of web-based learning and have inspired me to consider best teaching practices (eg. Qualities of an Effective Teacher, 2 Cents Worth.)



PROS OF BLOGS

- Blogs enable educators to have Personal Learning Networks.

- Provides a venue for communication with students, parents, colleagues, administration, other classrooms and the community.

Duffy and Axel (2006) outline some other educational uses of blogs:

- Staff Collaboration:

• reflection on teaching experiences and teaching resources

• technology-related tips for other colleagues

- Organization:

• keep track of dates, events, assignments, questions/answers and resources

- Pedagogy:

• comments based on literature readings and student responses

• a collaborative space for students to critique and discuss

• an online gallery space for review of works, writings, etc. in progress, making use especially of the commenting feature

• teachers commenting on their students’ blogs to encourage reactions, reflections and ideas

• acts as a portfolio of student work

Will Richardson suggests using blogs to teach journalism and are great for dealing with the issues of plagiarism, fair use and copyright.

If you are convinced and want to start blogging with your students, here are some resources:

- Introduce this video to show staff how students can benefit from blogging: Why Let Our Students Blog?

- Using Blogs With Students

- Reading and Writing with Blogs - includes Six Instructional
Characteristics of a Blog, Literary Activities, and Blogs in the Classroom



PROS OF RSS

- Keep track of favourite websites by having them all in one convenient place.

- Allows educators to have needed materials sent to them consistently. No more weeding through the internet for a particular topic or revisiting sites over and over.

- Students can be notified of updates from websites that are relevant to their assignments or research topics.

- Teachers are instantly updated with all of the new postings from student blogs. Saves time and energy. Similarly, students can subscribe to the feeds of their teacher and their peers. Just like we have done in this course. I find it so much easier to comment on the blogs of my fellow classmates when I can see them all in my feed.

- The article RSS: The Next Killer App For Education gives examples of how RSS can be useful for teachers.


CONS OF BLOGS/RSS

- Privacy concerns - to get around this ensure that only first names of students are used on blogs.

- Accessibility - not all schools have efficient computer access. Also some have many restricted or blocked sites.




As long as you are cautious about privacy and have accessibility, why on Earth would you not consider blogging with your students? Bring them into this new sphere!

Twitter

PROCESS OF LEARNING ABOUT TWITTER

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet! Remember that old Rockin Robin song?
Well I searched for it and someone else has made a Twitter version, shucks.
Why not listen to it as you read my post:





Why should I Twitter? It seems like a cheesy tool where people tell each other what they are doing every minute of the day.
Is that not a waste of time?

My Twitter account is fairly new to me. Well I suppose it is new to most people as it was only invented 3 years ago. As I said in my last blog posting, it is the #3 site for social networking…3 years to make it to #3 ain’t bad.

If you want to follow me, I am loriwilliams77. I signed up to Twitter for the purposes of this course. To be honest, I'm not sure I will use it much after this course but I appreciate being introduced to it. I will be able to say I've tried it and can relate to my students who use it. Before I make a decision, though, I should give it a fair chance…

Twitter is a popular microblogging tool or form of communication in which users can describe their current status in short instant messages via mobile phones, email or the Web.
Our course trailfire this week, comprised of 14 different sources (articles, blogs, wikis, videos), provided me with a great overview of Twitter and how it can be used. I particularly liked the conciseness of Mack D. Male’s slideshare Twitter 101. Mack happened to be the 985th person in the world on Twitter. Can you beat that?
Like many others, he uses the Tweetdeck application to put contacts into groups for easier management. He suggests that newbies get familiar with the lingo of Twitter. I am now familiar with many of the terms, and was blown away by the number of Twitter words there are. Here are some of the words Mack suggested people learn and how I would define them:

tweet: the post of 140 words or less that you make on Twitter.

retweet: to post a message again.

twoosh: a perfect post of 140 words - “swoosh!”

hashtags: topic with a hash symbol (”#”) at the start to identify it. (eg. #edchat). For more info, check out How to get the most out of hashtags.

tweetups: meet-ups between Twitter users (yes, it's true.)

I also became familiar with Twitter for Beginners and The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter.
Okay, so maybe it’s not a COMPLETE waste of time…

From following some brilliant people like David Warlick and Joyce Valenza, I have noticed that they aren’t usually tweeting about what they are doing. Instead of telling the world they are eating lunch or brushing their teeth, they are usually sharing what is on their mind or providing links to great sites. This led me to think that instead of asking the question, “What are you doing?,” the little box where you type your update should ask the question, “What are you thinking?” or “What has your attention?”

In the article Why we twitter: understanding microblogging usage and communities, the authors discuss that "people use microblogging to talk about their daily activities and to seek or share information."

Now that we know what all the tweet is about, let's take a look at the implications it has for us personally and professionally.







PERSONAL USES


The words of Mack Male rang in my ears: "Follow local people."

Research led me to Twellow, the Twitter Yellow Pages. Then, as Mastermaq suggested, I began my search for local people.
I’m now following some local educators and Web 2.0 tool enthusiasts as well as the City of Nanaimo which tweets about upcoming local events and other local info. I am also a follower of our local newspaper, the Nanaimo Daily News, which gives regular local news updates.


Who knows, I may even end up at a tweetup one day. Ok, so that is probably not going to happen. But, you never know.

Then I uncovered a little Twitter nugget called Twiggit. Twiggit is "an automated service that lets your friends on twitter know what articles you digg." I picked up on the strange spelling of 'dig' and pursued this. I signed up at the Digg site. Here, I can search for articles by topic. If I find one that I like and want others to see, I can click ‘share’ and the link to the article is posted as a tweet. Cool!
My first attempt at this I found this article that I dugg and shared it:
Twitter Marriage Proposal: Bloggers In Love: http://digg.com/d3hY6g?t
Now this Twitter tool I like. A lot.
Usually other people are telling me what the latest news is. Now I can tell them. And I don't even have to turn on the TV.

There still is a little voice in the back of my head though saying be careful. I think Twitter has to be used with some degree of moderation. It is easy to get sucked into the world of having a constant flow of messages coming through your phone, email and wherever else you are connected. Personally I'm not going to connect Twitter to my phone. I think that would be too much for me. I do own a Blackberry, yes, but don't want to be sucked into the Blackberry world that some people are in. I go out for dinner and see people texting everywhere. I want to enjoy the person's company that I'm with without my phone going off constantly. So I will tweet wisely.
Also I have noticed that many people go through periods of time when they are always tweeting and then they just stop. Just like that. How long will I keep tweeting? Maybe I will stop after this course. Only time will tell. First, though, I want to know if it would ever be useful to use as a teacher or librarian.






PROFESSIONAL USES

Steve Wheeler provides a list of ways for teachers to use Twitter in the classroom in his post Teaching with Twitter. Some of these ways include tweeting in a foreign language, in role as a character or person from the past or with penpals from around the world. Also following a famous person for current events, collaborative story writing, notifications, and having students write precise summaries of chapters or articles (in 140 characters or less of course) are all great ways to use Twitter.

I like the idea of holding an opinion poll with the class where votes and ideas can instantly be gathered. Teachers could also use it to point out interesting things happening in their classroom, pose a question to the group or explain what’s coming next…tweet, tweet, tweet.

Check out Steven Anderson's favourite Tools for the Twittering Teacher.

There are also many ways that librarians can use Twitter. “For example, a library could share all kinds of news that patrons want. Short messages can tell people about events such as readings, lectures, and book sales; newly available resources; or changes in the building hours. One message a day or one a week could share a tip on finding or accessing information online or in the building. Twitter posts can link to interesting news stories about literacy or about libraries. When appropriate, the posts can link to a library's own website and blog for more in-depth information.” (Milstein 2009)

In the article 20 Ways for Librarians To Use Twitter (Cole 2009), there are even more ways outlined. The most useful of these 20 in my opinion are:

- To announce and recommend new books
- Post a book of the day
- Share studies of interest
- Link to the library’s website and to book talks
- Make connections with other librarians


If teachers want to find other educators on Twitter to follow, there is a Twitter4Teachers Wiki that lists teachers Twitter names and grades/content areas they teach. There is a page with hundreds of librarians that are currently using Twitter.

In his book, Will Richardson discusses how "following other educators on Twitter creates a 'network at my fingertips' phenomenon where people ask questions and get answers, link to great blog posts or resources, or share ideas for projects as they go through the day."

Teachers can also follow the hashtag #educhat to discuss a new educational topic each week. Read more about this on The Cool Cat Teacher Blog. Also watch the video #Edchat: Join the Movement which discusses this conversation between educators who want to connect and make a difference. Every Tuesday from 12-7 pm (ET), you can participate in the discussion by adding “#edchat” to the end of your tweet! There's a new conversation topic each week. I found a few educators from the edchat conversation and am now following them.


As always let's battle out the pros and cons and see which one wins...

CONS

- Security becomes a problem when users post shortened URLs in their posts. Because Twitter only allows 140 characters in a post, URLs pose problems for users, so they often use URL shortening services. "When you see [a shortened URL] you don't know where it's going to take you," says Ben-Itzhak in the article 'Maltweets' Pose Threat to Web 2.0 Users. Users may be directed to a site infected with malware, viruses, and other dangerous downloads. Make sure your security software is up-to-date.

- “Twitter IS a massive time drain. It IS yet another way to procrastinate, to make the hours fly by without getting work done, to battle for online status and massage your own ego. But it's also a brilliant channel for breaking news, asking questions, and attaining one step of separation from public figures you admire. No other communications channel can match its capacity for real-time, person-to-person broadcasting.” - David Pogue

- Carol Cooper-Taylor outlines some of the other “Negatives People Will Throw At You.”


PROS

- If you want to defend Twitter, Carol Cooper-Taylor's blog gives you “Some Positives to Throw Back” at the nay-sayers:

1. Easy to organize meetups.
2. Great for running an opinion poll.
3. Captures students' attention and gives them a focus.
4. Builds an instant “backchannel” in the classroom.
5. Provides news updates faster and more often than other sources.
6. Allows users to see what status messaging can do for an organization.
7. Great for collaboration and giving daily opportunities for learning.
8. Useful for professional development.
9. Easy way to connect with parents for feedback purposes.


- Mack Male hails Twitter for: being easy to make new connections, having a wealth of information posted every second, being the best source for breaking news and for allowing people to make a difference.

- Michael Hyatt gives us 12 Reasons to Start Twittering.

As you can see, there are actually many ways to use Twitter in the classroom. Who knew?
Better go tweet about this...
Stay tuned for next week when I will post my blog about blogs!



Articles:

Cole, S. 20 Ways for Librarians To Use Twitter. Library Journal (1976) v. 134 no. 11 (June 15 2009) p. 25

Milstein, S. Twitter FOR Libraries (and Librarians). Computers in Libraries, 10417915, May2009, Vol. 29, Issue 5

Social Networking

The Process of My Learning

Let's take a look at how social networking has entered into the timeline of my life...

1977: I was born
1989: The internet was invented
1992-1995: The internet became widespread
2007: I signed up for Facebook
2009: I signed up for Twitter and Ning

As you can see, it has only been a part of my life for the past two years. The recent success of social networking sites (SNS) have led to an evolution of social interaction among people. More and more of these interactions are taking place online.

The Social Media Revolution video puts things into perspective. It is amazing that Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months!

Are you connected? - The Latecomers' guide to Social Networking - discusses the basics of Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Twitter and Second Life. I had never heard of Second Life before reading this article. Turns out it is a site for adults where your avatar (for which you "can choose everything from the size of your nose to the colour of your nails" by the way) is interacting with other avatars. In this world there are malls, clubs, theatres, universities and more. I went to the main page where I was invited to shop, play, learn, explore, dance, or love. Wow, there really is a whole virtual world out there.

Still not sure what social networking is exactly? Do not fret. An in-depth definition of social networking can be found at What is Social Networking. Also check out Getting Started with Social Media – A Guide and Resource List. Wikipedia's List of Social Networking Websites has descriptions of each site, the number of registered users, and registration type (open, invite-only, age restrictions).
According to Social Media Optimization's Top Twenty Five Social Networking Sites (Feb 2009), the top 3 sites are Facebook, My Space and Twitter.

I found a couple of social network related videos that are good for a chuckle. In this Social Networking Blues video, Mike stays up all night singing about the dozens of social networking sites he surfed.
My favourite though is the very humorous Facebook Song video:


Love that tune. It's even more funny the second time you watch it.



Personal Social Networking

I am currently a member of the Facebook and Twitter social networks. I also have a social bookmarking account with Delicious as well as a Shelfari account.

My Facebook account has always been set so that only my friends can see my wall, pictures, etc. Because I have 215 "friends," I am careful what I post. The only personal information I have on there is my name and birthday. Don't see a need for people to have addresses and phone numbers, especially considering that they are giving Facebook the rights to this information. I have used Facebook regularly for the past two years. It has allowed me to keep in touch with family and friends from around the world. Most of my friends are from high school and university and I like being able to see what is happening with them. It is an easy way to send a message or show and share pictures. I have also recently started using the live chat option to catch up with people. Yes, I have been captivated by Facebook fever.

Facebook Manners and You outlines 5 Facebook Relationship Rules in a funny clip. I have a few more rules to add:

1) Don't allow inappropriate or embarrassing pictures of you to get into the Facebook world...you never know who is a friend of a friend.

2) Don't post any information of a personal nature on other people's walls.

3) Don't leave your privacy settings to default. Change them so that only friends can see your profile, personal information, status updates, and photos that you are tagged in. Allow anyone to be able to locate you in a search though.

4) Have an appropriate profile picture as this will be what everyone can see.

As for Twitter, I will be delving into that world in my next blog...stay tuned!


Professional Social Networking

TeacherLibrarianNing is an online community build for teacher-librarians and educators by Joyce Valenza. I am now a member of the Ning network.

In the blog Social Networking: The Ning’s the Thing, there is a discussion around how teachers can use a Ning to connect with students in a private social network. Some of these ways include:

• Discussion forums with literature circles or peer writing groups
• Set up student book clubs
• Create digital book reports
• Writing of journals and reading logs
• Sharing information with students and parents

Also check out the Reasons You Must Use Ning. And if that doesn't sell you, talk to David Deubelbeiss.

Facebook can also be used for professional reasons. I am a 'fan' of our District Resource Centre's Facebook page, DRC 68. Their goal is "to serve educators in SD68 by finding the resources, support and information they need to make success for each child a reality." I use it to see what new teaching resources we have available and to find out about professional learning opportunities.

Librarian's will want to consider how they may implement this tool in their library. Here are some ways: Ten Social Networking Tips for Libraries.

In a study by Christine Greenhow, she finds that social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have more educational potential than you might think. The kind of skills students are developing on social networking sites, says Greenhow, "are the very same 21st century skills that educators have identified as important for the next generation of knowledge workers — empathy, appreciation for diversity of viewpoints, and an ability to multitask and collaborate with peers on complex projects."
In the article Old Communication, New Literacies: Social Network Sites as Social Learning Resources by Christine Greenhow and Beth Robelia, they further discuss these benefits: “SNSs facilitated emotional support, helped maintain relationships, and provided a platform for self-presentation. Second, students used their online social network to fulfill essential social learning functions. Third, within their SNS, students engaged in a complex array of communicative and creative endeavors. In several instances, students' use of social network sites demonstrated the new literacy practices currently being discussed within education reform efforts.”
Will Richardson also agrees that social networks have a positive influence on learning.


PROS: Why use social network sites?

- An easy way of communicating with your friends, family, or colleagues.

- Instead of planning to meet in a certain place contacts can meet online.

- Builds community among people connected together by common interests and purposes.

- Can share links to websites of interest

- Allows users to become more involved in the Web 2.0 world.
As Stephen Abram wrote in Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and Librarian 2.0: Preparing for a 2.0 World, "Web 2.0 is about the more human aspects of interactivity. It’s about conversations, interpersonal networking, personalization, and individualism."


CONS: Why not?

- Privacy issues i.e. identity theft and fraud - be weary of how much personal information you are putting out there. Set your profiles to private.

- The video Privacy on Social Networks from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada discusses the risk of social network sites trading our personal information for monetary value. Read the regulations of the SNS site so you are aware what personal info you are giving them the right to.

- Some people believe the sites are unsafe and are to blame for problems such as bullying. Some even go as far to say that they promote sexual solicitation and harassment. However, I would strongly disagree.
There have been many studies done, including
How Risky Are Social Networking Sites? A Comparison of Places Online Where Youth Sexual Solicitation and Harassment Occurs. The conclusions of these studies usually find that SNS's are not to blame: "Broad claims of victimization risk, at least defined as unwanted sexual solicitation or harassment, associated with social networking sites do not seem justified. Prevention efforts may have a greater impact if they focus on the psychosocial problems of youth instead of a specific Internet application, including funding for online youth outreach programs, school antibullying programs, and online mental health services."

I do have a 12-year old who is not yet allowed to have his own Facebook account because we believe he is too young. Facebook does have an age restriction of 13 and up, although many children just don't type in the year they were born. For children who are too young to use Facebook, there are alternatives. Will Richardson's blog Social Networking for Kids…Young Kids led me to a USA Today article called Safer Cyber-Playrooms which discusses kid-friendly social networking sites such as Neopets, Club Penguin, Webkinz World, Disney and Nickelodeon.

Also there have been issues with other students in our son's school being bullied on Facebook. However, I am not blaming the site for the bullying. The bully needs to take responsibility for that. That child should be the one who is not allowed on there as he or she is obviously not mature enough for this type of social interaction.
We need to be educating our children and students how to use the sites safely and respectfully before they begin using them. We need to improve their awareness and help them establish acceptable vs. unacceptable behaviour.

























comic courtesy of the
University of Calgary wiki - click the link for Facebook history, statistics, information, and comparison to MySpace.



Doesn't it make more sense to educate rather than confiscate?



“Social media is here to stay. Now we just have to evolve with it.” - Danah Boyd