Twitter... Good or Bad?

Recently a fellow educator whom I follow posted this very question is Twitter a good thing or a bad thing? Immediately it got me thinking as well as several other educators thinking. Personally, I have been very impressed by how educators have been passing ideas through Twitter, questions have been asked and answered, people from great distances have been able to collaborate to improve instruction, and without Twitter my blog would be tough to maintain because most of the time I receive an interesting article that leads me to an idea or have a question to bounce off other educators and I get the help I need. How can this be a bad thing? But as we just saw in the news a teacher being let go for comments about students, and another educator points out that Twitter can lead to aimless surfing and wasting time (not the proper use). 

What it comes down to is the fact that just as we as educators must teach appropriate use to our students we must also show the same respect for the Internet. We must realize how important it is to be a digital citizen, that everything we say can be seen and used against us, and unless we have the time we must use the device for the specific goal we need to achieve. Being a leader is to lead by example and not just words.

The Innovative Educator provides Eight Reasons An Innovative Educator Uses Twitter. The article provides evidence that supports the fact that when used appropriately Twitter is a great benefit to educators.

My favorite reasons sited are:

1. It is a great way to let those interested that you updated your web-page or blog. For example, letting parents know that the classroom web-site is updated for their viewing pleasure.
2. Instant Profesional Development and answers to pressing questions. When your are networked with people in the same field you can rely on a wealth of knowledge. 
3. Read, Read, Read! When a fellow educator comes across some interesting reading it can be tweeted and now is available for your learning. 
4. Conversation is promoted and a great sharing of ideas can occur. 
5. People can collaborate anywhere at anytime. This leads to some "way out of the box" thinking.  

Proper Commenting... Keeping Discussions Alive.

Agreement... Argument... Rebuttal... Support... Opinion... all aspects of writing that we have our students accomplish every year. But when it comes to blogging we can provide to students with genuine experiences that are not coming out of a book. We must teach and continue to promote proper commenting on bogs to ensure this skill keeps blogs alive and more interesting for everyone.

• It is important that students realize that these activities are no different that any other writing assignment and grammar, spelling, and content will be graded.

•  Any comment not meeting predetermined standards will be declined from being published. In the beginning there will be students writing "that was cool" or  "Hi teacher" ect...  But as you begin to teach the students what makes a good comment and the quality of the blog begins to promote open ended questions, opinions, or argument you will see a vast improvement.     

• This process takes time and takes a dedicated teacher to go through all the comments, to add feedback, and to be patient as students go through this trial and error process. 

• This link is to classroom 2.0... this is a open discussion from educators on how to perfect this process. There is no perfect science to get children to comment perfectly but neither is teaching a child to write. What this blog does is help support each other, share successes, failures, and good techniques to make this process more beneficial for both the teacher and learner. Ps. The comments left are examples of good posts. 

I KNEW THEY HAD TO BE OUT THERE...

Facebook may be the foremost "social networking" site in everyones mind, but these sites provide an educational twist to the social network. I knew that they had to be out there and once again they are FREE!!! Thanks to Twitter and having educational contacts I found this list from Technology and Education:Box of Tricks.

Edmodo

Edmondo is a social networking site specifically designed with teachers and students in mind. It has all the common features that you would find on Facebook. Edmundo also keeps track of assignments set by the teacher, has an online grade book, and organizes documents and media to be launched online. 

Posterous groups

Posterous is blogging platform that allows you to enter posts the traditional way or through email that the site converts into a blog. Audio and media files can also be embedded adding a level of class to a traditional blog. You will also find a group feature that can make a public or private network allowing the group to update the blog again either traditionally or simply trough and email. This is an excellent tool for group work. 

Diigo

Similar to Delicious, Diigo allows students and teachers to social bookmark sites of interest. This site is specifically designed for classroom functions that is why I included on this post. You can also transfer links from Delicious to Diigo, directions to do this can be found on the start page of Diigo. 

iPad and Education- A possible solution to going green and getting results.

Imagine a classroom where textbooks, resources, and interactive lessons could be found in palms of your hands. That classroom is become more and more of a reality. Paperless classrooms are becoming more common, teachers are feeling the pressure to provide exciting and interactive lessons that provide deep meaning and understanding, and technology is providing resources to help. There are many exciting new devices on the market for example, the Asus Eee PC T91MT, but the most exciting device that I have found and currently work with is the Apple iPad. 

Needs: 

• Web browsing
• Paperless alternative to textbooks 
• Ability to access videos on demand
• Notes can be taken right on the screen they are researching from.
• Beautiful presentations can be created 

Bonuses:

• Apps- there are countless applications that can be used (most are free) with students to promote a complete understanding. Some if these seem like games, the students don't know any better and yet they are completely engaged in what they are learning.    
• Interactive hands on interface- students get to used their hands they are up close and personal with the work assigned.  
• Finger tip dictionary- should a student not understand a word while reading they simply highlight the word and touch the dictionary button and up pops a complete definition. 
• Continuous updates- Apple is fantastic at updating all it's devices so that everyone is up to date at all times (again this is also free)   

Drawbacks:

• Cost- clearly the biggest drawback of this device in the realm of education. 
• Memory- as the memory increase so to does the cost and even at 64 gigs a lot of people may argue that this device simply lacks in the memory department.  

Now I understand I may not have covered everything on this topic. But I really believe that this technology shows promise and will figure prominently in the ever change landscape of education in the technological age.

 

8-9 year old students mesmerized by the iPad. 

Finally, what I want to know is what you think...

1.  Would you use it in your classroom? 
2. Is there a need for paperless classrooms?
3. Is this a viable alternative to textbooks?
4. Are there any other pros or cons I missed?

Web Tools May Make The Snow Day Obsolete

We all know the drill... The news predicts a snow storm and we patiently wait to see if we get a snow day!!! Once it becomes official we are overjoyed until sometime in spring when our scheduled days off begin to be taken away. As technology becomes more and more advanced we see University Professors turning to such things as Facebook, Podcasting, Wikispaces, and Web classrooms to continue the progress in their syllabus without losing time and adding a certain crammed feeling to their students. According to a article by USA Today's Mary Beth Marklein, a Chicago professor was able to continue his anthropology class uninterrupted despite over twenty inches of snow through YouTube videos of his lectures and e-mail communications of assignments and discussion points. Skype has been used with more frequency during times of sickness of students and with the current snow totals teachers are adapting this also for "snow day classes." With the tight time frames we all deal with as testing approaches, can we as teachers really afford losing time to the snow? Through my experience,  online classrooms work extremely well and can connect teachers and students over long distances or during times of lost class days. I understand the cost of all this and reliability issues that come up when talking about technology but soon enough I fully expect to see this enter mainstream classrooms. Ps. it is important to keep in mind that as of now these programs are FREE!!! 

    

Technology... Not just the use of a tool but a "Culture Change."

"Technology"... 
The word itself leaves an immediate impact on the person thinking about it. As education begins to completely immerse itself in the world of technology it is important as a future administrator to understand the groups of people you will come in contact with and understand your role as a leader. This topic of technology is not going away and as it continues to shape the educational landscape principals will be in charge of this transformation. 


Groups within the Technology Debate
People fall into a few different categories over the "technology" debate. These groups may be found as students, parents, or fellow educators. In any case they can be used as an asset and an important piece to this cultural change. 


The Resistance- 
The first group (the resistance) are those opposed to allowing technology to enter their lives. Whether the reason be a fear of change, a moral opposition, or not having a desire to learn the steps needed to master it. As the principal it is important to keep in mind that these folks may need a little, maybe even a lot, of help opening up to technology. It CAN be done! Get to the root of these people's issues with technology, in many cases no one ever had the patience to teach them. If you can convince this person that technology is necessary, that they can do it, and it will make their life easier, chances are they will turn around. Start small, expectations can not be all or nothing and these people must take success quickly in order not to be discouraged. This is an important group of people, if they are students they will become better prepared for the future and may feel more comfortable around peers, if they are parents they may be able to understand what drives their child, and better connect with them, and if they are teachers they will be able to better serve their students, connect with parents and administrators, and create a more current environment better suited for future learning.      

The Emerging- 
The next group (the emerging) are those who fall on varying levels of technology use. These people use technology from time to time or they have devices that they rely on but technology may not be huge part of their life. This group is more likely to be open to technology and as they use it more may become more and more aware of new movements in technology. This group has a base to learn the use of new technology quickly, they are more likely to see practical uses and embrace the new movement and when implementing a technological culture can be a stable force in promoting and helping others. As a principal, this group is important because they make up a majority of people in the realm of education. They will be helpful in determining the effectiveness of goals and if successful they will provide a strong base for future movement as a culture.  

The Enthusiasts- 
The final group (the enthusiasts) are those who use technology so much it is a natural everyday part of their lives. If it is the latest and greatest this group wants it, especially if it makes life easier. This group will emerge not only as help to educate people at all levels, but they will be the catalysts of progression. As a principal, this group is important to future success because they can pave the way in for new endeavors and provide almost a scaffold for those in the emerging group.  

The "Cultural Principal's" Role

As the Principal you are the leader of the school and must lead through example. It takes self-awareness of your own experience and comfortability with technology in order to be the catalyst of a change. "Like the business leader, the principal of the future - the Cultural Change Principal - must be attuned to the big picture, a sophisticated conceptual thinker who transforms the organization through people and teams" (Fullan, 2001).As the leader you must be clear with your expectations, set achievable expectations, and practice what you want put in action.


Expectations can make or break this process. It is important to remember that forcing a person to do something will solve nothing and will only serve to create barriers. You must help people embrace the change, provide them with resources to understand, explore, and make it their own, and also make goals that are able to be attained. This way people feel a sense of accomplishment. Goals must be revisited and altered to suit each person as an individual. Another key tool we must have is patience, this is an ongoing process that takes the commitment, perseverance, and shared values to promote lasting, and deep rooted success."The Cultural Change Principal knows the difference between being an expert in a given content innovation and being an expert in managing the process of change."


Finally, practice what you preach! Be committed to you own expectations. If you expect your teachers to use email, keep and updated webpage, and constantly strive to implement technological devices in the classroom then you must also do the same. This way everyone share in the same struggles, can help each other, and can create a coherent unified culture (teamwork), working toward common goals and progressing as a unit. Never limit a teachers creativity and exploration in the world of technology (or your own for that matter) because success can breed success and once you create a stable culture there is no limit to what your team can achieve.   
   
 The Change Leader - This is a great article about understanding change, leading a cultural change, and ensuring a lasting impact of this change.