Tuesday, October 17, 2006

More Wikis, Podcasts, and Blogs stuff

Some articles and websites I've clipped

I've been collecting articles and websites forever, it seems, on various topics, figuring that some day I'd find some use for them. Actually, I do that with a lot of things...it's the pack rat syndrome, my dad always said, but I prefer to thing of myself as a collector. As if he had room to talk!
But I digress...
Here are some links to articles or sites that I found interesting on the various topics we'll be discussing in the workshop. I've got zillions more, but I'll just list a few lest it become totally overwhelming:

Podcasts:
20 Ideas for a better podcast (Lifehacker)
Podcast Books (Long Elementary School Podcasts via Will Richardson's blog)
Podcasts from California's Summer Reading Program

Wikis:
Ed week on Wikis (via Will Richardson's blog)
Great Deconstruction of Student Wiki Work (via Will Richardson again; you should just read his blog!!!)

Blogs
BlogSafety a forum to discuss and learn about safe blogging and social networking
Bloggers' FAQ about student blogging from the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Cool 7th Grade Science Blogs (once again via Will Richardson)

RSS
12 Things You Can Get Besides New on the Web via RSS (Lifehacker)
How to use RSS feeds (Lifehacker)

I think that's all for now - I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by the number I have clipped/bookmarked. Time to organize a little better...

Friday, October 13, 2006

More stuff to think about

In Will Richardson's book, "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms" (Corwin Press, 2006.), Will talks about the "Read/Write Web" and asks some very thought-provoking questions, one of which is "What needs to change about our curriculum when our students have the ability to reach audiences far beyond our classroom walls?"

I guess that's part of what we had in mind when we first designed this class, but we'd love to know what YOU think!

Potential Roadblocks on the Information Highway


So, class participants, as you muse on these new and emerging technologies, how do you see them fitting into what you already do? Or do you perhaps see them taking you on a detour in an entirely new direction?

We, the flagpersons on your information superhighway, want to know!

Wikis & Podcasts

Andy Carvin's Learning.Now blog has some great wiki:
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/wikis/

Also, Bob Pyke on the Web & Education discussion list (wwwedu) at Yahoo had some podcast sites for social studies:
Colonial Williamsburg podcasts: http://www.history.org/Media/podcasts.cfm
Smithsonian podcasts: http://www.smithsonian.org/podcasts/default.htm
Monticello podcasts: http://www.monticello.org/podcasts/index.html
Boston Freedom Trail podcast: http://www.boston.com/travel/boston/freedomtrail/podcast/

Actually, the Smithsonian podcasts offer science and the arts as well.
I'd also add my own personal favorite - Library of Congress. Haven't found podcasts there, but they do have webcasts that you can view. Definitely geared toward secondary level, though.