Ann's Thing 8

Until this task I must say I had never heard of Creative Commons nor noticed “CC” on any websites. There is a huge potential here for students and teachers to use digital images, audio or video clips, and other content to further learning in the classroom without the danger of breaking copyright rules. The educator who owns one of the blogs I read for Thing 6 openly told her readers to use material from her blog. As I publish and post material on the web in my wikis and blogs, I welcome others to use the material to their greatest potential. As with the material I often find on the internet, remixing the material provides each user with a degree of personal ownership, and giving credit where credit is due, prevents the original owner from losing ownership completely.


Creative Commons provides users, my students, with alternatives to breaking copyright laws. As I shared the information from Thing 8 with my students prior to a class project, the change in their attitude about copyright laws was quite noticable. My students worked to locate digital images and video clips on the web with the CC logo. For the first time, they understood the difference in what was protected by copyright laws and what was available for their use. As we played with Flickr it was also easy for them to comprehend that as publishers, they may also want to share some photos and protect others from public use. I found, as did my students, Creative Commons the most user friendly for locating material.  Creative Commons sheds a whole new light on sharing.  Even Kermit the Frog can be successful and never break a copyright law. 

Photo Attributed to: ://www.flickr.com/photos/fernando/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Ann's Thing 6

Mrs. Kubler’s 4th Grade Reading Wiki showcased a well organized, attractive wiki which provided all students the opportunity to collaborate integrating technology tools and learning tools for reading. I particularly liked the upper tabs which provided quick access to a list of discussion topics with links to each. My students and I have struggled with the format of our classroom wiki especially with discussion questions. I would very much like to organize a wiki similar to Mrs. Kubler’s for the express purpose of reading groups. Any tips are welcome. Mr. Lindsay’s wiki on pbworks is similar to my classroom wiki, though larger and better organized. Useful, accessible, but lacks the attractive features of Kubler’s. I like the fact that his seemed to be a continual work in progress, a thing growing; whereas Mrs. Kubler’s appears to be created for the express purpose of studying Tuck Everlasting. Barnett’s wiki, FHS Wolves Den, appears to be a link to a conglomerate of teaching tools and information which is available for other teachers to use. I see a need a need for all three. If you did not check out the story timeline, this is a must! I have classroom wikis and this year they have been very useful for providing students access to curriculum and lesson plans when absent. No excuses. Besides integrating technology into the classroom, wikis are also a very proficient storage tool. They do, however, require time to play, to learn how to integrate all their useful gadgets, if you and your students are going to reap the benefits.

Thing 5: Teen News

While encouraging my students to read, reflect, and blog, I continually search for teen news articles which might grab their attention. Topix fits the bill quite well. Students scan an updated list of short informative attention getters, enabling them to quickly choose a topic, read, then reflect on their blogs.

Thing 4: Introducing Blogging in the Classroom

Jeff Utecht on The Thinking Stick shares some very useful ideas for introducing students to blogging without restricting what they can or cannot put on their own blog site. Providing access to a fifth grade classroom teacher's blog,Room 227, with additional access to student blogs, examples are available to share with students who often need models to get started. Jeff uniquely addresses the overwhelming use of widgets that students find cute for a time, and asks them to consider their own favorite websites and what exactly they find on these websites that attracts their attention and brings them back. As Jeff advocates allowing students to discover what does and does not work on their own, students retain ownership and pride in their own blogs.

Seeing the World from Each Student's Perspective

Dan Brown states all teachers need to see Where the Wild Things Are to remind us of our student’s view of the world. Can we possibly see the world from each student’s viewpoint? As a resource language arts teacher I teach only small groups and often fail to realize how things come across to all of my students. How can a regular classroom teacher possibly accomplish this feat? Recently my students began reading Cut by Patricia McCormick which I had already read and truly believed had a positive message for my students. What did I not see? I, unlike my students, knew how the book would end. One of my students did not wait until the end. He saw Callie’s action “cutting” as a means of getting attention and attempted it himself. Was he simply seeking attention? Yes. However, I am the one who failed to see Callie’s story from this student’s point of view. I should have anticipated this possible view just by knowing my students. Some intervention was obviously needed early in the story for this student. We did not stop reading. All parties involved believed it was important that he realize, just as Callie soon realizes, that he is important and we do care. Yes, I will go see Where the Wild Things Are, and I will keep my students’ viewpoint in mind when I choose my next topic.

Arkansas' Report Card

Have you looked at the state by state report card on innovation and technology? It seems Arkansas ranks high in data. I can believe that. I guess we just need to do a better job WITH that data. We seem to be doing a fairly good job working with colleges on dual classes, however, not so well preparing students for the workplace. IT is time Arkansas school leaders understand not every student goes to college. While speaking with a parent today, I indicated a need to prepare his son for transitioning into a vocational school. This parent's reply, "The only vocational schools left in Arkansas are in the prisons." What happens to the students that need vocational training? How can high schools prepare students for something that doesn't exist? As educators we cannot forget this group of students that also need a place in the workforce and the 21st century.

Thing 4: An Innate Need to Talk

In Jay William’s blog he reflects on Klosterman’s surmise that humans have an innate need to talk which is why they answer questions. I am depending on this very innate need to talk to reach my less motivated seniors. If Klosterman is correct, just maybe their desire to create their own blog or website will provide them an initiative to read and write for their own personal reasons. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a long journey that will lead to improved reading and writing skills. Of course, like us, it may also be a short lived journey cast aside as other life obstacles move up their priority list. I enjoy reading comments from peers and staying aware of new developments, however, I struggle to make blogging a daily routine. I do believe, however, that blogging may well be my best opportunity to reach these otherwise unreachable seniors, as blogging will provide each student the chance to read and respond to information of personal interest and not limit them to the imparting facts of the classroom. Who knows, maybe we can build a habit together.