Thing #7

A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove, and edit content.  Wikipedia, the online open-community encyclopedia, is probably the largest and most well-known of these knowledge sharing tools. 
Some of the benefits of a wiki:

• Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
• Tracking tools allow you to easily keep up on what has been changed and by whom.
• Earlier versions of a page can be rolled back and viewed when needed.
• Users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content.
• Multiple pages can be added to one wiki.

For another explanation of wikis, watch the video below:



Use of wikis in a classroom environment is exploding.  In fact, I have heard some say using wikis with a classroom group is becoming more prevalent than using blogs.  Below are some wikis that are used in classrooms; browse through them and see what you find that might apply to your situation.
BHS English 10
5th grade classroom
2nd grade wiki
Arbor Heights Elementary School
8th grade US History

Wikispaces, one of the most popular hosting sites for wikis, has a Wikispaces for Educators where you can create a wiki for free with no advertisments included as long as you are using it for educational purposes.  Go there and create a wiki if you are interested but at least explore what Wikispaces has to offer.

To complete Thing #7, after you have watched the brief video and explored the educational wikis as well as the Wikispaces site, create a new blog post.  Using Thing #7 as your subject or heading, explain any use you see for wikis in a classroom environment.  How might wikis be more or less beneficial than blogs or GoogleDocs?  Do you see yourself using wikis with parents and/or students?

Thing #6

With this Thing, we are really stepping into the world of Web 2.0 tools.  This week we will be exploring an application called Diigo.  First, watch the video below from the Diigo website for a tutorial on how it all works.  (It's a six minute video, so hang in there.)


Diigo V4: Research ~ annotate, archive, organize from diigobuzz on Vimeo.

Remember, this is a video tutorial only on the Research aspect of Diigo.  You can also share and collaborate on Diigo, but we're not going to focus on those two parts.  Once you've watched the video, go to Diigo and create an account for yourself (don't worry, it's free).  Then go to "My Library" and add the Diigo Toolbar or the Diigolet button to your favorites bar (if you choose to add the Diigolet button you won't have to worry about downloading anything on the school computers).  Note that once you've created an account, you can apply for a free educator upgrade which allows you to create a group for your class.

To complete Thing #6, create an account for yourself on Diigo and then play around with it.  Look at some websites and try highlighting parts of pages or adding sticky notes.  Then, with Thing #6 as your subject or heading, create a new post on your blog explaining your reaction to Diigo.  Is it something you could see yourself using either on your own or in a classroom situation?  What might be the benefits or disadvantages to using an application like this?  (And don't forget to keep adding ideas to the Idea Sheet as you have them!  I'm hoping that can be a useful document for all of us at the end of this experience.)

Thing #5

For this thing, we are going to look at another feature of a Google account.  (If you haven't already created a Google account, be sure and do that first.) 

At the top of the Google search page, you should see a list of other options (Web, Images, Video, etc.).  At the end is the "more" option.  Click on that, then click on "even more" at the bottom of the list.  That will take you to a list of Google products.  The sixth on the list is "Custom Search."  Click on that.

Creating a custom search through Google allows you to select the websites your users have access to when they conduct a search.  Below is a definition of a custom search from the Google Custom Search FAQ page.

What is a Custom Search Engine?

A Custom Search Engine is a tailored search experience, built using Google's core search technology, that prioritizes or restricts search results based on websites and pages you specify. Your Custom Search Engine can be tailored to reflect your point of view or area of expertise. With a Custom Search Engine, you can:

• Apply your website's look and feel to the search results page.
• Provide search refinements within results pages to make it easier for searchers to find the information they're looking for.
• Add sites to your search engine's index as you surf the web.
• Invite friends and trusted users to co-edit and contribute to your search engine.
• Make money from your Custom Search Engine by participating in Google's AdSense program.

Once you've defined your search engine index, Google will give you a simple piece of code for a search box to place on your site or blog. You'll then have the option to choose various customization options to make the look and feel and functionality of your search engine your own.

Think about what kind of custom search you would like to create.  It might be a custom search for your students with websites focusing on a particular topic or just websites you know will be appropriate for them, a custom search for you professionally with websites you often visit, or a custom search for you personally with websites you search for fun.  Before completing Thing #5, make a list of the websites and their URLs you would like to include in your custom search.  Once you have that list, you're ready to go.  Remember, you can always go back and add websites to your custom search.

To complete Thing #5, create a custom search for yourself.  To do that, click on the "Create a Custom Search" button on the custom search page and follow the steps.  It can be professional or personal.  Then create a new post on your blog, and using Thing #5 as your subject or heading, record your impressions of creating a custom search and whether or not you see use for a custom search tool in your particular situation (classroom, grade level, etc.).  (If you're feeling adventurous, you can add your custom search bar to your blog post, but that's not required since it requires copying and pasting html code.  Let me know if you'd like to do that but aren't sure how!)
Don't forget...to continue adding ideas as you have them about how we can use these Web 2.0 tools on the Idea Sheet.
Just for fun...Another website that serves this same function is Rollyo.  Go there and explore the differences.  Do you find Rollyo easier or more difficult than Google Custom Search to use?  What benefits or disadvantages do you find with one versus the other?

Thing #4

For the next two things, we're going to take a look at some of the amazing things Google has to offer us (did you know it is so much more than just a search engine?).  If you do not already have a Google account, you'll need one for this thing and thing #5.  Many of you created Google accounts when you became followers of the 13 things blog, but just in case you joined some other way, in the upper right hand corner of the Google home page is a "sign in" link.  Use it and create an account if you haven't already done so.

One neat feature of a Google account is the ability to use GoogleDocs.  In essence, instead of storing your documents on your computer's hard drive, you are storing them on a server somewhere so that you can have access to them wherever you are.  That means you can also share them so that if you are working on a project with multiple people, all members of the group can revise the same document.  Watch the video below for an explanation of how GoogleDocs works.



You'll see on the sidebar to the left under the Interesting Links heading two different Google documents.  One is a spreadsheet in which I am keeping track of the participants of this web 2.0 tutorial and which of the things have been completed.  If you notice I have missed something you've done as we go along, please let me know.  The other document is one in which I've made public so everyone can make revisions to it.  It is an Idea Sheet where I'd like us to add our ideas about how we might use the web 2.0 tools we experience during these 13 weeks with our students.

To get to GoogleDocs from the Google homepage, once you've signed in, click on the "more" link in the top bar, and scroll down until you get to Documents.

To complete Thing #4, first add an idea to the Idea Sheet on how you might use blogs or GoogleDocs in your classroom.  Please add your initials at the end of your idea so I know who contributed each idea (for record keeping purposes only).  Then, using Thing #4 as your heading or title, post your reflections on GoogleDocs and what benefit (or not) you think using the service might have in the classroom. 

Just for fun...zoho.com is another web-based document-creating service.  Go there and compare what you find with GoogleDocs.  Do you find one or the other easier to use?  Can you see how one or the other might be easier to use in a classroom?

Thing #3

Congratulations on creating your own blog!  Under the Blog List on the left side of this page, you'll see those of us who have created blogs so far.  Since creating and customizing a blog can be a fairly large undertaking, for this week's thing we are going to add to our blogs.
Blogs can be a great way to stay updated on each other and communicate.  One part of thing #3 will be following your colleagues' blogs.  (Some of you are already following each other!)  You'll notice I have followed all of your blogs.  When I became your follower, I began receiving notices when you updated your blog.  But blogging can be kind of intimidating when you feel like you're just talking to cyber-space.  I've learned how fun it is when someone makes a comment on your blog!  The next part of thing #3 will be to make a comment on someone else's blog.

Most importantly, I don't want us to lose sight of why we're working with these web 2.0 tools.  The big question is how a tool can positively (or negatively) affect our teaching and interactions with students.  Many teachers and administrators around the country and world are using blogs as another communication tool with the people they serve.  Take a look at the following blogs to see how other educators use blogs (I'll try to remember to have Kevin unblock the blogspot addresses that are normally blocked at school, but in the meantime, you may want to look at some of these at home):
speakingofhistory.blogspot.com (8th grade history teacher in Missouri)
woodlandrm3.blogspot.com (kindergarten classroom)
gillum.edublogs.org (5th and 6th grade classroom in California)
blog.mtlsd.org/cybrary (elementary librarian)
millersenglish10.blogspot.com (10th grade English teacher)
ghsprincipal.edublogs.org (superintendent in western New York)

To complete Thing #3, first choose at least two of your colleagues' blogs to follow.  To follow them, simply click on the Follow button like you did to become a follower of the 13 things blog.  Then make a comment on one of the blogs (not necessarily one you chose to follow).  Finally, on your own blog, making your subject or heading Thing #3, post about an educator's blog you have found you think is especially helpful for what you do with your students.

Thing #2

It is time to dive into the world of Web 2.0.  In order to keep track of your thoughts, impressions, and learnings as we go along, you will create a blog (online log).  To do that, you may use one of several free blog hosting sites.  I use Blogger for both the 13 things blog as well as the blog I have for the libraries.  You may also choose to use WordPress or Edublog (although I believe that unless you choose to pay for a subscription, Edublog includes ads on your blog).  Although I haven't used either of the other two programs, I believe they work in much the same format.

Thing #2
To create a blog for yourself, follow these steps.  (And then feel free to customize as much as you're comfortable!)
1. Create an account.  If you choose to use Blogger, you should already have an account from when you became a follower of the 13 things blog.  In that case, your email address is your user name and your password is the one you already created.  If you choose WordPress or Edublog, you will probably have to create a new account. 
2. Name your blog.  Since your blog name will be out there for all to see (although you will be able to customize some privacy settings), you may want to make the name of your blog something that doesn't completely give away your identity.  Your address (and blog name) will look like the following examples depending on which hosting site you use:
Blogger: http://(youruniquename).blogspot.com
WordPress: http://(youruniquename).wordpress.com
Edublog: http://(youruniquename).edublog.org
3. Select your template.  Each of the hosting sites have a variety of templates from which you can choose, so have fun and make your blog something you'll enjoy looking at!
4 (optional!). Customize your settings. Once you have your blog set up, you might want to go in and change some of the settings.  For example, you can prevent Blogger from listing your blog on a blog list or allowing search engines to find your blog.

To complete Thing #2, create your blog and add your first post.  Your first post can be as simple as a hello or a paragraph about what you hope to gain from this Web 2.0 experience.  Once you've done that, email me the address to your blog.  I will add your blog to the list on the 13 things blog.  In addition, IF you tell me you'd like me to do this, I will ask Kevin to unblock your blog address so you can edit your blog at school.

Thing #1

Before we begin looking at different Web 2.0 tools, we need to spend some time thinking about how Web 2.0 differs from what we traditionally think of the Internet being, and how that change can make a difference in what we think about the way we teach.

Thing #1:
Read through some of the articles and websites below (and watch the video).  What does all of this mean for us in and out of our classrooms?
First, a definition (from Wikipedia!).
Shift Happens--Now What?
Digital Kids. Analog Schools.
Moving Toward Web 2.0 in K-12 Education
Web 2.0-savvy teachers testing old assumptions
Pay Attention (a video from a school district in Utah)

To complete Thing #1, once you've read (or at least skimmed! :) ) through a couple of these, respond with a sentence or two of your thoughts regarding something in the articles or your thoughts about Web 2.0 in general by adding a comment to this post.