23things

23 Learning 2.0 Things

Week 1: Introduction - Please read these quotes and reflect. No action needs to be taken at this point... 1. "Educators are involved with information whenever they plan lessons, examine new pedagogical practices, or build resource collections. Individuals who can efficiently and effectively locate, access, and make use of information **have an advantage** in their professional work over those who do not possess these skills" (Hargittai, 2002).

"Educators who lack effective and efficient online information skills might be more likely to use existing resources rather than to seek out and adapt new resources and hence **have fewer choices** to tailor learning environments to their students’ needs" (Fitzgerald, Lovin, & Branch, 2003).  "Teachers who are proficient in online information-seeking skills also **serve as models** for their students in a world where the premium on information and the **ability to find and use it** continue to grow" (Perrault, 2007).

An information ecology is particularly applicable to our school environment at Grisham, as made apparent in Nardi and O’Day’s (1999) description of an ecology: "Information ecologies are filled with people who **learn and adapt and create**. Even when tools remain fixed for a time the craft of using tools with **expertise and creativity continues to evolve**. The social and technical aspects of an environment coevolve. People’s activities and tools adjust and are adjusted in relation to each other, always attempting and never quite achieving a perfect fit. This is part of the dynamic balance achieved in healthy ecologies—**a balance found in motion, not stillness**." (p. 53)
 * **When opening a link from this page, right click and choose "Open in a new window". This will allow you to switch between windows as needed.** ||
 * You can complete the 23 things alone, with a partner, or in a group. If you get stuck, email or call Len. ||

2. Create a [|blog] for tracking your 23 Things progress. If you already blog, you may use an existing one, although we recommend creating a new one specifically for this program. This blog program will ask you to create a Google account. This will be very helpful when you get to Thing #5! Email the link to your blog to your group leader. 3. If you'd like others to be able to follow your progress, Register your blog by pasting the link to your blog here on the Grisham Library Wiki and begin your Learning 2.0 journey.

Week 2: Blogging in the Classroom 4. Blogging gives all students a voice in the classroom. There are many ways to use blogs in education, and we have access to two very safe and secure blogging programs that can help us inspire our students to express themselves. [|Set up your own nicenet account], create classes, and start a discussion between your students and yourself!

Create a new page in your teacher web, and choose Blog as the page type.

Once you've done that, you're ready to use the blog: media type="custom" key="3663877" Warning - this video is very fast. The pause button is your friend!

Week 3: RSS & Newsreaders 5. Learn about RSS Feeds: media type="youtube" key="0klgLsSxGsU" height="344" width="425"

[|Google Reader] is a great tool for RSS feeds and other great stuff! Some Questions to consider for your new blog:


 * What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?
 * How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your work or personal life?
 * How can teachers use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?

6. Here is a [|quick guide] to getting started in Google reader. Subscribe to some blogs that interest you, both professionally and personally! Write about your experiences and their possible application to your classroom in your blog. [|This site] suggests some blogs for teachers. See if any of these tickle your fancy! Here's [|another one]!

Week 4: Photos & Images 7. [|Explore Flickr] and learn about this popular image hosting site. Register and upload a photo, or blog about an interesting photo you found on Flickr. Be sure to link to the photo, or check out Flickr's blogging tool! **Helpful hint: Most of the images on Flickr are copyright-free! This can be a valuable resource if you need images for lessons. Be sure to type in credits, at least a username and a date for each image you use!** 8. Have some Flickr fun and discover some [|Flickr mashups & 3rd party sites]. Choose one mashup or site to explore, then tell us all about it in your blog. 9. Create a [|blog post about anything technology related] that interests you this week. Here's a blog YOU can follow: [] Write about your experiences and their possible application to your classroom in your blog.

Week 5: Play Week 11. Play around with an [|online image generator]. 12. Play around with an online tool for [|creating comics]. 13. Create a [|Wordle]. Write about your experiences and their possible application to your classroom in your blog. This wordle is from the GMS Mission Statement.

Week 6: Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati 14. Learn about [|tagging and discover a Del.icio.us] (a social bookmaking site) 15. Read a perspective on [|Web 2.0, in education] and blog your thoughts.

Week 7: Helpful Tools 16. Learn how to use services ike [|Zamzar] to convert those odd file types students sometimes bring in! 17. Read about the original [|Learning 2.0 SandBox wiki.]. Add an entry to the Learning 2.0 SandBox wiki. 18. Check out this online vocabulary builder that uses current events []. Create [|your own flashcards] and embed them on your TeacherWeb page (Thanks Grady!!!) Write about your experiences and their possible application to your classroom in your blog. Week 8: Online Applications & Tools

19. Take a look at some [|online productivity (word processing, spreadsheet) tools.] 20. Explore [|any site from the Web 2.0 awards list], play with it and write a blog post about your findings. Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable audio 21. Discover [|YouTube and a few sites] that allow users to upload and share videos. 22. Podcasting: Discovery Resources: (Optional Resources for those who want to learn create podcasts)
 * To find out more about podcasts start with [|this tutorial].
 * There are many, many podcast directories and finding tools out there. Here are just three of the more popular ones that, unlike iTunes, don't require a software download:
 * [|Podcast Directory]
 * [|Podcastalley.com]
 * [|Learnoutloud.com]
 * What? You want to learn how to be a podcaster too?

Discovery Exercise:
 * [|How to podcast tutorial]


 * Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed above and see if you can find a podcast that interests you. See if you can find some interesting education related podcasts here like lesson ideas or example podcasts from other classrooms and schools.
 * Add the RSS feed for a podcast to your blog.
 * Create a blog post about your discovery process. Did you find anything useful here?

23. Wow! Congratulations!! You’ve reached the 23rd thing. Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back for completing the program.

For your last and final exercise for this program please reflect on your learning journey and post a few thoughts. Here are some questions to prompt you if you're drawing a blank ...

> > > > > And last but not least…
 * What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
 * How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
 * Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
 * What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
 * If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again chose to participate?

In closing, I want to thank each and every one of you for joining me on this journey. My greatest hope is that this not the end of our learning journey together as a staff and a school, but rather just the start of something amazing …