Posted on July 7, 2008 by digitalsandbox
Co-Creating may become one of the most powerful engines of change and innovations that the education world will experience. Co-Creating with other educators across the nation is like tapping a knowledge pool of similar interest, a reservoir of creativity that may emerge through an enthusiastic wealth of talent producing warehouses of digital curriculum. It will not be an easy change and many tough challenges lie ahead to offset the standardized models of the existing rigors of traditional education.
There is nothing wrong with mass co-creating, yet some see it as moving away from traditional practices of “drill and be drilled” forms of learning. The problems are even more alarming when educators become facilitators of learning that moves distinctly away from mass customization; limiting flexibility and relying on elements of creative thought. After all it was the Wright brothers who decided to fly after mashing together ideas about bicycles and creating new ideas about propulsion and wing designs. True co-creating does entail deeper knowledge of existing technology. Technology that is currently not prevalent in American schools, at least from the digital natives’ point of view.
These cries for change are now beginning to take hold as the business world is for the first time recognizing a new workplace; a workplace where individuals use the network to drive company decisions and collaborate daily in a new Web 2.0 environment. These new initiatives are beginning to emerge nationally recognizing that there is a digital divide between real world business practices and general education career preparations of the work force of tomorrow.
The new workforces of the Lego workers are now being recognized for their co-creating ideas, workers that generate the remixing of multiple concepts on a large collaborative scale, creating new mashup products.Is it possible that the real world is moving everyday closer to global collaboration and the self contained classrooms of today are shifting in another direction? A direction of isolation, building the Great Wall of China and containing all knowledge, rigorous curriculum to specified outcomes, measured and assessed to a world where these measurements may no longer be important in determining success in the workforce.
Has the term collaboration changed from working well with others to the mixing of ideas for the recreation of deeper meanings of the disciplines? In this new of world of digital natives who will monitor exactness? Who will control the truest forms of knowledge for others to repeat the same paths of learning? Who will be the valedictorians of their class as individuals climb the latter to earn their rights to prestigious degrees of higher learning? All of these questions will be pondered as the world becomes flat. In fact the gap between the development and use of technology is like crossing the grate digital divide of leaving all children behind. Are we now standing on the other side of the great digital divide looking for ways to bridge the gap? And is it to late to cross over?
View: I Am A Digital Native
Slide Share: Digital Tools for Digital Kids
Download Video: Posted by kingismike at TeacherTube.com.
Filed under: Co Creating, Creativity and Technology, Digital Tools, Technology Integration, Technology and Teaching, Uncategorized, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Education | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 7, 2008 by digitalsandbox
Co-Creating may become one of the most powerful engines of change and innovations that the education world will experience. Co-Creating with other educators across the nation is like tapping a knowledge pool of similar interest, a reservoir of creativity that may emerge through an enthusiastic wealth of talent producing warehouses of digital curriculum. It will not be an easy change and many tough challenges lie ahead to offset the standardized models of the existing rigors of traditional education.
There is nothing wrong with mass co-creating, yet some see it as moving away from traditional practices of “drill and be drilled” forms of learning. The problems are even more alarming when educators become facilitators of learning that moves distinctly away from mass customization; limiting flexibility and relying on elements of creative thought. After all it was the Wright brothers who decided to fly after mashing together ideas about bicycles and creating new ideas about propulsion and wing designs. True co-creating does entail deeper knowledge of existing technology. Technology that is currently not prevalent in American schools, at least from the digital natives’ point of view.
These cries for change are now beginning to take hold as the business world is for the first time recognizing a new workplace; a workplace where individuals use the network to drive company decisions and collaborate daily in a new Web 2.0 environment. These new initiatives are beginning to emerge nationally recognizing that there is a digital divide between real world business practices and general education career preparations of the work force of tomorrow.
The new workforces of the Lego workers are now being recognized for their co-creating ideas, workers that generate the remixing of multiple concepts on a large collaborative scale, creating new mashup products.Is it possible that the real world is moving everyday closer to global collaboration and the self contained classrooms of today are shifting in another direction? A direction of isolation, building the Great Wall of China and containing all knowledge, rigorous curriculum to specified outcomes, measured and assessed to a world where these measurements may no longer be important in determining success in the workforce.
Has the term collaboration changed from working well with others to the mixing of ideas for the recreation of deeper meanings of the disciplines? In this new of world of digital natives who will monitor exactness? Who will control the truest forms of knowledge for others to repeat the same paths of learning? Who will be the valedictorians of their class as individuals climb the latter to earn their rights to prestigious degrees of higher learning? All of these questions will be pondered as the world becomes flat. In fact the gap between the development and use of technology is like crossing the grate digital divide of leaving all children behind. Are we now standing on the other side of the great digital divide looking for ways to bridge the gap? And is it to late to cross over?
See Also Slide Share Presentation: Digital Tools for Digital Kids
View: I Am A Digital Native
Download Video: Posted by kingismike at TeacherTube.com.
Filed under: Technology Integration | Tagged: Technology and Teaching, Technology Integration, Web 2.0 and Education | No Comments »
Posted on April 17, 2008 by digitalsandbox
Luckily, the nation’s schools do not seem to be filled with cyber criminals although this does not mean that students will not be creative. To offset the negative impact of student creativity, teachers should make every effort to educate their students on the importance of cyber ethics and safety. As schools begin to utilize online learning, the development of lessons in cyber ethics and cyber security will become necessary. These lessons should emphasize the students’ role in protecting themselves, as well as their role in protecting the school’s reputation and equipment. The lessons can be designed in a cause and effect format that allows them to see these problems as relevant to their lives. To demonstrate how these lessons can be developed, I will provided four sample mini-lessons, in the areas of cyber security and cyber ethics, that can be easily integrated into the curriculum. They were created using a simple and easy to follow format, that includes a rational, an activity description and an activity script for each mini-lessons.
Lessons on cyber ethics can include a wide variety of topics, ranging from issues of legality to questions of courtesy. For instance, students should be exposed to lessons that emphasize consequences of copyright, plagiarism and hacking violations online. Through proper activity design and instruction, students will learn to understand that if too many unauthorized games are downloaded to the network or software changes are made without permission, the system may be overwhelmed. As a result, the network and Internet services may not be available for them to use for research the following day. On the same note, students may be more likely to follow copyright guidelines and regulations if they too have spent time creating original work for the Internet. Through appropriately designed lessons or activities, teachers can illustrate how easily someone is able to violate another’s work. Educators agree teachers should make the online and offline worlds appear seamless if these types of lessons are to be effective. The most important factor in developing cyber ethic lessons is to teach students that the rules and laws on the Internet are the same as rules in the classroom and laws in society.
Join the discussion at: http://copyright1.pbwiki.com/
Filed under: Copyright, Cyber Ethics, Internet Safety, Technology Resources, Technology and Teaching | No Comments »
Posted on April 15, 2008 by digitalsandbox
Since the invention of the printing press, there has been an ongoing debate on how copyright laws should protect individuals who produce, and wish to protect, their original work. Now, with emerging technology and the information highway, policy developers are finding it again necessary to reshape these laws to fit the copyright needs of today and, ideally, the future. In education alone, policy developers are facing challenges regarding copyright that did not exist 20 years ago, such as distance learning and software sharing remixing digital media and mashups. In these and other areas, policy developers must strike a balance between protecting the creators of original work and allowing the public to use the works in an appropriate and legal manner. Educators should be involved in the development of copyright policies. School administrators, with assistance from the school’s legal advisors, must protect the school’s right to use selected copyrighted materials for educational purposes. Additionally, school administrators must serve as advocates for copyright laws that protect the school from liability when a student or staff member is using computer resources inappropriately on school property.
The use of technology in the school, especially the Internet, has dramatically changed the way educators gather information. This fact makes restructuring copyright regulations a necessary component for cyber security. Until the last two decades, written information mainly was distributed through textbooks and publications under the watchful eye of a publishing company. The people within these textbook companies had great influence on copyright policies; therefore, the publishers made copyright policy arrangements with the district at the time of purchase. However, today, educators and learners can often obtain educational materials directly from the creator, especially through use of the Internet. While this increases access to educational resources, it also can make people less likely to abide by copyright laws and regulations. Because of this, schools now are faced with a new copyright problem which can only be remedied by developing and enforcing a copyright policy. School administrators and media specialist must outline and define how copyright issues will be applied within the school setting. As the first step in developing a copyright policy, it is recommended to first research present copyright laws as they apply to new technologies, as well as establishing a method of communicating these policies, such as a copyright handbook. Over the next few weeks the Digital Sandbox will be developing copyright information to help school librarians, teachers, policy makers and administrators with helpful tips on designing technology-based copyright policy suggestions.
Filed under: Copyright, Creative Commons, Mashups, Remixing Media | No Comments »
Posted on April 7, 2008 by digitalsandbox
Avatars can be used by classroom teachers when designing interactive lessons as a way of interacting with students. Most avatars are known as “bots” and are powered by Natural Language Processing. Some avatars like Crazy Talk allows users to record natural voice overs along with secondary sound recordingd like music. Avatars like MASH (Microsoft Agent Scripting Helper) allows the user to program several characters within a single lesson narrative. When incorporating avitars into a lesson they can be used to define terms, give directions to an activity or reinforced content. Avatars can also be intergrated into a PowerPoint presentation as they are incorporated into an interactive whiteboard lesson.
- For more information on Avatars and lesson design go to Avatars.
Filed under: Avatars, Creativity and Technology, Education and Media, Learning, Technology Integration, Technology Resources, Technology and Learning, Technology and Teaching, Technology based Lesson Design | No Comments »
Posted on April 5, 2008 by digitalsandbox
The Digital Sandbox is now sponsoring a new blog entitled Educational Leadership. Educational Leadership is designed to define the roles of leadership and how these roles affect organizational decision making. The primary focus will be to develop definitions around the essential elements of leadership within the dynamics of the school setting and how leadership becomes a pivotal force in effecting the learning outcome of the school. The blog explores the essential elements of leadership and demonstrates how these elements can be adapted to influence the school improvement process.
Filed under: Educational Leadership | 2 Comments »
Posted on March 30, 2008 by digitalsandbox
Today more than ever teacher assessment designers across the country need to form evaluation processes that reflect a progressive view of teaching. The reflective view of teaching will encourage teachers to strive in creating learning environments that are built on current best practices. Teacher evaluation process must venture out to capture and introduce new forms of mentoring, collaboration and collegiality.
To achieve the goal of providing support for professional standards new techniques in assessment should be visited and traditional assessment practices discarded. This Wiki is designed to promote new methods for assessing professional practices through Cognitive Coaching as well as the process to achieve higher standards of instructional performance. The new strategies and tools for gathering information and the process for teacher involvement will be the key that opens new doors of Cognitive Coaching.
Filed under: Instructional Supervision, Professional Development | No Comments »
Posted on March 28, 2008 by digitalsandbox
Video podcasts enable students and teachers to share information with anyone anytime. If a student is absent, she can download the podcast of the recorded lesson. It can be a tool for teachers or administrators to communicate curriculum, assignments and other information with parents and the community. Teachers can record book talks, vocabulary or foreign language lessons, international pen pal letters (podcast pals!), music performance, interviews, debates. Video podcasting can be a publishing tool for student oral presentations. Audio podcasts can be used in all these ways as well. It also allows people to leave a journal. The initials “RSS” are variously used to refer to the following standards:
- Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)
- Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91, RSS 1.0)
- RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0)
RSS formats are specified in XML (a generic specification for data formats). RSS delivers its information as an XML file called an “RSS feed,” “webfeed,” “RSS stream,” or “RSS channel”.
Resources for Podcasting
Listen To The Three Little Pigs PodCast:Three Little Pigs PodCast (The narrative is an overview of the science of PodCasting and its potentials for educational integration)
Filed under: Creativity and Technology, Digital Tools, E-Learning, Education and Media, Learning, Media and Education, Podcasting, Professional Development, Social Networking, Technology Integration, Technology and Teaching, Web 2.0 Tools | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 16, 2008 by digitalsandbox
The emergence of social networking tools will have an impact on the world by shifting the illusions of individual perceptions on how we as a society will learn together. In the current world we have been taught that there are no consequences for our actions and that it is acceptable to displace blame. We have been taught to break apart our problems and the results have become a fragmented world. Web 2.0 has given individuals the ability to expand the capacity to create new patterns of thinking that are nurtured in collaborative learning. What fundamentally distinguishes Web 2.0 from traditional Web 1.0 read only web is the potential to expand collaboratively on basic disciplines.
Today a new age is evolving, a newly formed conceptual age; an age and time when people collaborate to expand disciplines. A discipline is a developmental path for acquiring certain skills or competencies. In the past we have individually mastered our own proficiencies as we explored our world from one perspective, our own. Now with collaboration technologies individuals are enlightened by becoming aware of individual perspective by exposing ones own knowledge to the outside world. Being myopic with a bit of stigmatism is not a bad way to view the world as it provides a benchmark to an individual’s singular perception. A perception as it is seen through a shattered mirror. The fragmentation of the mirror is in the reflection and how the pieces fit together is in the collaboration of shared thoughts by others. It is in the shared thoughts that our vision clears which makes Web 2.0 both a telescope for new ideas and a microscope for harvesting knowledge.
Read full article with tools, definitions and resources at Web 2.0.
Filed under: Professional Development, Social Networking, Technology Integration, Technology Resources, Technology and Learning, Technology and Teaching, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Education, Web 2.0 Tools | No Comments »
Posted on March 12, 2008 by digitalsandbox
What Is a Digital Story?
Each of us has the ability to tell stories, from ancient times until the present man has told stories to cultivate and document history. Today with the emergence of the digital age, story telling is taking on a new form of storytelling, called digital storytelling. Digital story telling combines the conversion of written narrative to digital voiceovers that is aided by computer tools. By taking a written story and then converting into a digital sound narrative provides a means for expressive creativity. Additionally, digital narratives can be overlaid to both digital pictures and background music to give the digital story depth of expression and mood. An example of a digital story with the emotion of time and expression can be found at Daniel Meadows site entitled “Scissors.”
Filed under: Creativity and Technology, Digital Stories, Digital Storytelling, Digital Tools, Education and Media, Learning, Oklahoma Digital Story, Professional Development, Technology Integration, Technology Resources, Technology and Teaching | 2 Comments »
