I’m currently working on my first podcasting project with my 5th graders. They are researching famous scientists/inventors. I will be posting these to my new Fall River Technology blog (publicly opened last week and still in the baby stage). I will be presenting them in true podcast form ~ available for subscription in RSS format~ coming soon!

I am also currently using Twitter with a third grade class as a communication tool with parents. 

Oh and by the way…I now use a Delicious account with all my students 1st ~ 5th. Check it out. 

Also, I am working on having 3rd, 4th, 5th graders develop personal websites (unpublished due to personal information and safety issues). Students will use iWeb to do this. They are going to be including projects they complete throughout the year.

I will be sharing all of this new information at a parent meeting on Monday. 

All of this would not have been possible with out Cyber Camp! You guys ROCK! I hope all is going well with each of you. I am excited to hear everything that is going on.

Hey Bud & Jerry, I will see you Monday, but feel free to stop by any time and see what we are doing! I’m looking forward to visiting with you about next steps.

Despite a few sound glitches, the conversation with the authors went fine. One part of the conversation that I really liked was  the changing idea of  professional practice, that many educational professionals are having an “internal shift” of what is needed in this area and they are creating that change themselves rather than waiting for their district or administration to begin the change. Hmmm… interesting.

Well, that’s it for now. See you tomorrow at the final day of CyberCamp!

WOW!  Thanks to Bud and Kent for trying out www.chatterous.com with me.  We just worked out some bugs (like how to text in and not have your number show up).  I’m very excited about the possibilities for using this in class!  I think with a little discussion about expectations and responsible use, kids will find this to be a great tool. 

WOW!  I’m also excited about continuing my work on all aspects of my project.   I hope to have a chance to talk to Mrya more about layering a website and Dennis about blocking the ability to copy (a student’s photo) on the website.  I’m also going to put together some “How To” documents (for example, How to make a Google account) because I know it would have been helpful to my students last month when we were trying out blogging. 

 WOW!  I couldn’t resist The character at the top of this post is my WOW (World Of Warcraft) character.  (She’s a level 70 Blood Elf Destruction Warlock, pictured here with her minion ) 

 During a conversation today, I was questioned once again about the intent of my project. I was once again questioned extensively about the legalities and about the purpose of it. I was probed about why I was doing this and would it really help the students. Why was I putting so much time into something that really wasn’t necessary? (ever get the feeling of deja vu?) Would you really be able to pull this off or will it just be another unfinished project on the shelf (could I put it on shelfari?)

I’m not sure why this conversation effected me so, but it did. I felt like no matter what walls I knocked down 15 more popped up. After letting go of the initial frustration and clearing my thoughts, this conversation has done a couple of things. 

1. It has strengthened my resolve. I will find a way to do this because I hate being told that I can’t or shouldn’t something that I know could be valuable.

2. It has shown me that I will need to find a better way to present this to the parents and public (non-educators). I will need to show people the value behind the project.

3. It has helped me to find a new way to look at the problems that still lay ahead for me. 

I plan to forge ahead and exhaust every avenue with this project.

Thanks to all you cyber-campers that have supported me and continue to support me in my pioneering (pathfinding) efforts. 

It has been an incredible week of learning and discovery. I feel that I am being pushed to my limits and beyond and that is a good thing. I am a part of unique community that is on the cutting edge in our district. Keep moving forward! 

See you  all on Monday! 

I am starting to get over the fact that my video is amateurish. (Maybe that will prevent legal action!) I often comment to my students that I don’t expect perfection from them on the first try, so maybe I’ll follow my own wisdom.

I am planning on continue on with my project and seeing it through. Then I can go back and reflect, correct and improve.

Thanks to everyone for my stars and wishes. The stars brought me back to the path and the wishes will help me move forward in the right direction.

I think all of us can relate to this quote! I think we also need to keep this quote in mind as we struggle with our projects, family lives, aching heads (So much info, so little time!), tech glitches, ad infinitum.

As promised in yesterday’s blogpost, I pondered some of the questions on page 57 of our text Reinventing Project Based Learning.  Here goes with just a few thoughts along with core concepts on my project. As per the comment in our text, I have tried to distill down to the essential:

What does it mean to be a digital citizen?—Online life is impacting all of us, but most particularly, our students.

How to access, evaluate, and use information?—This is the essence of what librarians do and seek to do with students.

What is literacy?  How do you achieve it? Maintain it? 

 —–Small steps……I’ll get there!