Wikis - A Living Collaboration

“... whose purpose is the sharing of the creative process and product by many” (The Source for Learning, 2010)

First encounters with wikis

In researching about wikis, this statement rang true for me.  Although my experience working with wikis is limited, I have had the pleasure of working on a collaborative project with fellow graduate students.  Even though we were at opposite ends of the country, we were able to work together to create a space online where new teacher-librarians may seek advice on Managing Personnel and Volunteers in the Library.

Although much credit must be given to Tammy (for doing things such as setting up the wiki and designing the colourful front page), we were able to customize the wiki to meet our needs, adding features such as links and images.  Personally, I was confident in “adding” information but was much more reluctant to “edit” the work of the others.  Even in face-to-face encounters, I much prefer to propose suggestions for changes and leave it in the hands of others to make the final decision.

I have since then created my own wiki entitled “Global Citizenship”.  My intention here was to create a space where fellow elementary teachers may contribute ideas in preparation for learning and celebrating learning about global citizenship.  Again, using the platform of PB Works, I organized the pages to reflect the research that I had found up until that point.  By adding the names of my colleagues as members, they will be able to make additions/changes as they see appropriate.

New Learning

During an online class discussion, I can recall a classmate inquiring as to why I used PBWorks as opposed to Wikispaces to develop my wiki.  Essentially, I used it because I was familiar and comfortable with it.  But with this question, I then asked myself, “does WIkispaces offer something different or unique?”  I decided to use this opportunity to find out.

At a quick glance, you notice that Wikispaces offers both a free basic service to everyone and a free service for educators featuring things such as no advertising and no usage limit.  Jumping at the prospect of creating a wiki for use with my students, I proceeded to sign up.  Although this process was fairly straight forward, when I tried to modify the website address (had a change of heart), I could not seem to and ended up deleting this account and starting again.  Within my settings, I liked that I was able to adjust permissions so that only students could edit pages or take part in discussions.  I had the choice of allowing the public to view the wiki or not.  From the Home Page, it was simply a matter of clicking “Edit” and I was on my way... adding/editing pages and content, links, images and video clips, and adjusting the appearance of the wiki.  When finished, I realized the navigation bar listing the pages was not in the order I had wanted.  The help menu addressed this issue and provided step-by-step instructions on editing the navigation bar.  Le voila!   Not a “fait accompli”, but in the spirit of wikis, a work in progress. 

On a more personal note

In the midst of working on this assignment, I was contemplating attending a school-board initiated meeting with fellow FSL teachers.  Normally I am only too glad to get together but because this meeting will take place at the end of November (facing both report cards and the final week of this course), I decided not to attend.  But then it dawned on me.  I realized that much of what we want to address (sharing of ideas, resources, adaptations to programs) could be accomplished through the creation of a wiki!  I have been receiving several emails in the past few weeks from the French Ped. Consultant, highlighting recommended websites... why not include these links on a wiki where teachers may refer to them at any time?  I realize the face-to-face contact would be missing, but we would be saving thousands of dollars and could essentially arrive at the same place... and may continue to collaborate long after the proposed session!

Creating wikis to collaborate with others to find out more about personal interests is also an intriguing idea.  I love gardening but am restricted by such a short, cool growing season.  Why not create a wiki that invites others to share their knowledge about plants that grow well in northern climates?  And with my family being so spread out, I also like the idea of creating a “family album’” wiki where we may all contribute photos or videos and highlights of special events.

Wikis in education

In browsing for ideas on how wikis are used in education, I came across another nice feature that Wikispaces provides.   Their Educational Wiki invites educators to share wikis that they have created for use in their schools.  Some examples include Our Dinosaur Wiki, developed by a Grade 1/2 class; BookLead Wiki, created by Joyce Valenze highlighting resources for promoting reading; and Holes, a wiki which presents an analysis of the novel by Louis Sachar by Grade 5 students, and some activities revolved around its theme.  But it was only when I explored the site suggested by Will Richardson, Wikijunior, that I came up with an idea that I could integrate into my classroom. 

As part of an assignment for an Inquiry-based Learning course, I developed a project focusing on the Changes in Behaviours of the Wildlife of our Region.  In preparation for this project, I had planned to have the students research the characteristics and habits of these animals.  Working in small groups to conduct research, the students could then collaborate to develop a wiki that presents their new knowledge.  By allowing the public to view the wiki, parents could be privy to this learning process as well.  The wiki may be found at:

http://www.exploringandlearning.wikispaces.com/

Considering the students have not had any prior experience working with wikis, it would be prudent to both teach and model various aspects of their use.  As with an inquiry project based on literature circles (Moreillon, 2009), a teacher and teacher-librarian co-taught wiki etiquette, principles and elements of design, fair use of multimedia products and challenges of distributing wiki work on the Web (p. 25).  They also provided the students with “... a number of sites to find suitable copyright-free images” (p. 27) and EasyBib, a site to generate citations for bibliographies.  In this process of creating and developing a wiki, the students will develop critical literacy skills, as well as skills in working with Information and Communication Technology, communicating and collaborating and producing media works .  As pointed out in Web 2.0 for Schools (Davies & Merchant, 2009), “this process can widen students’ repertoires as readers and writers, also showing them the value of editing and refining” (p. 101).

Granted all of these ideas helps one become more proficient in working with wikis (and other Web 2.0 tools), I am reassured by the words of Harris (2006) who says,

the heart of the concept, though, is not about the tools, but rather the communities and the conversations that they make possible (para. 17).

References

David, J & Merchant, G. (2009).  Web 2.0 for Schools:  Learning and Social Participation. New York, NY:  Peter Lang Publishing

Harris, C. (Jan. 2006).  School library 2.0.  School Library Journal.  Retrieved online at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6330755.html

Moreillo, J. (2009).  Learning and teaching in wanda wiki wonderland:  literature circles in the cigital commons.  Teacher Librarian, 37(2). pp. 23-28.

The Source for Learning (2010).  Teachers First.  Retrieved online at http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/

Podcasting 101

... and that’s our show for today! This is Tanya and Monty, signing off from the playroom in my basement.

Thoughts of podcasting or “broadcasting on demand” bring back memories from my childhood. Visions of my friend and I sitting at the table in the basement, writing scripts and setting up an imaginary “studio” where we mimicked news broadcasters (and famous celebrities) came flooding back. What fun we had! And to think that the children of today can in fact create their own “radio shows” that can be heard all over the world... amazing!

What do I know about podcasting?


Although I had heard the term podcast referred to in casual discussions amongst staff, my initial encounters using the tool only occurred last year when preparing for my Masters’ introductory course. My professor posted a link to a presentation given by Dr. Ross Todd, the Director at the Centre for International Scholarship in School Libraries. Anxious to hear what he had to say (as I had read some of his material) and to demonstrate my eagerness to try something new, I followed both the Power Point presentation and the podcast. Aside from the valuable information provided, the podcast element of the presentation brought Dr. Todd to life... listening to him speak, adding his personal comments, and just hearing the inflections in his voice... made it the next best thing to being there. Likewise when my professor shares podcasts, her voice adds a human touch... something I miss when there is only the written word.

How else is podcasting being used?

After reviewing several podcasts created by both children (as young as four years old) and adults, I was impressed with the wide variety of content, ideas, tone (whether it be formal or casual) and the special effects used. First there’s the idea of Just One More Book, a podcast broadcasted from a local coffee shop, which promotes and celebrates literacy and children’s books - how wonderful that the entire family engages in discussions together. There’s Karen’s Mashups that provides excerpts from popular educational podcasts. And then there’s Ace Kids, a “radio show” type of project, where students present an assortment of information ranging from school events to work produced. By simply previewing several different podcasts, it’s quite evident that with a little bit of imagination, wonderful experiences may be shared and educational skills may be developed.

How does one create a podcast?

I was enlightened by a conversation with a fellow colleague, of her wonderful experiences working on a historical project with her Grade 11 students. In collaboration with CBC radio, the students developed a podcast presenting stories about our now inactive Seal Fishery. After conducting and recording interviews with seniors in the community, audio files were uploaded to the Audacity software and students worked together to edit and condense the material to create a three minute audio clip. Just as exemplified by my colleague, Richardson (2009) recommends using the Audacity program to record audio files as it is “... free, easy to use, and is a good audio-editing program as well” (p. 116).

With this information, I decided to try my hand at working with Audacity to create an audio file... and Podomatic to create a podcast...




How can podcasting help me as a learner?

Honestly, I had not considered it but podcasting is yet another excellent medium for learning. Whether it be in the field of education or other areas of interest such as music and cooking, podcasts provide a unique way of acquiring new information (and with a visual impairment, it’s a refreshing change from reading). Podcast directories such as Canada Podcasts, make finding this information easier. And once you find sites that produce podcasts on a regular basis (i.e. The Clever Sheep Podcast), you can subscribe through RSS feeds. This is definitely an area I am going to pursue.

How can I integrate this interesting tool into my classroom?

As an ELA, French and Music teacher, podcasting may help in keeping a running record of the students’ reading, speaking and performance skills.   Besides using podcasting as a final product to showcase new knowledge, "studemt podcasts can include interviews, dramatization of students' creative writing ( . . . )  and observations about the learning process." (Eash, 2006, p. 18).  Podcasts may be shared with parents  during open houses, formal interviews or on a class blog.

Seeing this would be my first attempt, however, at teaching/learning with this tool, my first hunch is to keep it simple. We (with an emphasis on I) are currently learning about the Daily 5, a program where teachers confer with small groups of students while the others work on literacy activities. To help address the Media literacy component in my Grade 5/6 class and the “listen to reading” component in the PreK – 2 class, I thought of presenting an “authentic” situation whereby the younger students were in need of some “audio” books to listen to. My students could create podcasts of themselves reading stories that may include music and imported sounds. Not only would listening to the stories help the younger children develop their attention and imagination but I’m certain they would be well entertained. From the other perspective, in preparing for the podcasts, my students may develop critical literacy skills in exploring and evaluating other podcasts whereby they “discuss the format used and the elements that were effective and ineffective”. (Lamb & Johnson, 2007, p. 61). Regarding the production aspect, they would develop skills such as reading fluency, openness to explore a new tool and take risks, and use of language specific to the resource.

How practical is this idea?

Until I get internet access in my classroom, not very practical. But once this glitch is ironed out, then I question things such as copyright. Reflecting on experiences of a fellow classmate, permission is required before reproducing copyrighted materials on the Web. Lamb & Johnson (2007) recommend “creat(ing) original works so that you do not have to worry about permission”. (p. 62). This is a viable option. Then there’s the question of “mastering” (?) the tool and finding the time to try it out, in depth, before implementing it in the classroom. As Richardon (2009) suggests, “... you need to experience what you are asking your students to do not only so you can support their technical use, but also so you understand what Web publishing really feels like” (p. 116).  I am motivated to give it a try... and am encouraging my colleague to do the same.  I think collaboration will take us much further.



References

Eash, E. (2006).  Podcasting 101 for K-12 libraries.  Computers in Libraries, 26(4), p. 16-21.

Lamb, A. & Johnson, L. (2007).  Podcasting in the school library, part 2:  creating powerful podcasts with your students.  Teacher Librarian 34(4), p. 61-64.

Richardson, W. (2009).  Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA; Corwin Press.

Bookmarking... socially?

Who knew that bookmarking could be more than for your own personal use? More than a feature on your web browser for organizing and storing links to information? Not I. But through my “first steps” in exploring social bookmarking sites, I have come to realize that bookmarking can be so much more.

As illustrated in Wikipedia, “social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to organize, store, manage and search for bookmarks of resources online”. As a creature of habit, I have always been inclined to reach for the “favourites” tab on my web browser to store important websites. I am now slowly (but surely) realizing that this needs to change. Last week, when attempting to do some research online at work (because I was unable to access the internet at home due to poor weather), I came to a standstill when I needed to retrieve a bookmark... that I had saved on my computer at home. Not only did I have to relocate but now I wasn’t able to carry on with the research as I had hoped. Very frustrating to say the least. With the online capability of a social bookmarking site, I would be able to access this information anytime, anywhere (as long as I can get internet access). And what about their other capabilities? A closer look at two social bookmarking sites has shed some light here as well.

This past summer when taking an online course, we were encouraged to try using either Diigo or Evernote as a means to collecting links for resources. Having had heard Diigo mentioned in passing, I decided to check it out. From what I recall, the initial set up process was relatively easy and had video tutorials for getting started. With a simple download of the Diigo toolbar (including the Diigolet), I was ready to begin. Features such as highlighting and adding sticky notes to bookmarks were intriguing. I also liked that I could “tag” sites with keywords that would help in organizing and searching for specific information. But what else could Diigo offer? What about the “social” aspect of the site? Time to dig a little deeper.

The thought of sharing my bookmarks with others and accessing theirs in return had never occurred to me. But as Will Richardson explains, “what these services do that’s social is take all of the entries that are tagged the same way and connect them, and then connect all of the people who posted those links in the first place.” He carries on to say, in essence, “you’re creating your own community of researchers that is gathering relevant information for you.” Wow. Tagging has suddenly taken on new meaning! Through thoughtful labeling of the content of the resources, I am able to reach out to others that have identified similar tags.. and vice versa.

In a more controlled setting, the “Groups” feature seemed appealing in that I could share bookmarks with a specific group of people that I could invite personally. As a trial, I created a group whereby fellow teachers are invited to join and help in developing a collection of resources common to our needs and interests.



We often find ourselves wishing that we had media literacy resources to work with. Well, Media Literacy Week is in November... why not put Diigo to the test and work together to find some ideas for meeting educational aims.

And then there is Evernote. Although I was initially skeptical as to how helpful Evernote may be (due to comments made in my summer course), I wanted to find out for myself just what it was all about. From initial browsing, it seemed that downloading the program was a recommended option. Although it did take some time, and I was not able to access the bookmarking “clipper” feature, I “noted” that the main page seemed fairly easy to navigate. The notebook feature appeared elaborate (unlike Diigo that was quite basic) in that you could create lists, change font type, size, colour and more. Search options, including tagging, also seemed quite extensive. When I figured out how to bookmark sites (through a Windows 7 feature), I was pleasantly surprised to find that the actual link could be viewed to the side of the link itself. In my mind, this visual feature is a bonus. And speaking of bonuses, I also like that I am able to retrieve my information on Evernote, even if I do not have internet access (which does happen occasionally). But other than sharing information through direct email, I was not able to find a way of linking to the greater community.

So where to go from here?

With the increase in the need to find a tool that will help in the searching, organizing and managing of information, particularly for my professional learning, I firmly believe that social bookmarking tools are the answer. With the combined elements of bookmarking, note taking, and sharing, all located in one space, accessible from any computer with online access, I will be one step closer to accessing information more readily. This also leads me to think that those with mobile devices such as iPads and iPhones must find tools such as these a wonderful asset. Seeing we do not have such devices, the personal benefits may not be as significant (yet). In the meantime, I will continue to "play" with both Diigo and Evernote to see where they will take me.

As a teacher, I can see this being a valuable tool, not only for managing my own professional research and notes, but as a means to reaching out to other teachers both in my immediate surroundings and beyond. Working in a Grade 5/6 classroom, the students too may benefit from having access to a Diigo account. When researching, they may store all of their bookmarks in one place, again that may be accessed from any computer. Group accounts may also be created where they share their findings with one another. Here’s an example of two students reinforcing their benefits...



Another tool which may prove to be valuable in the classroom (both for myself and the students), is called Shelfari. Will Richardson defines it as a social bookmarking tool, " ...that allows you to create an online catalog of all of the books in your physical library, and then lets you add notes, descriptions, and, you guessed it, tags that describe what they are about.” In essence, the students may write book reviews and are able to find recommended books that suit their interests.

As with many of the other tools I have explored, privacy is an issue of concern. Atlhough the social bookmarking tools I investigated have the option of private viewing, opening the doors beyond our small community would help us gain insight and perspective, and help us learn from others... in my mind, the true meaning behind bookmarking “socially”.

Adventures in Videosharing

In order to share videos, one must take videos... but much like my experiences taking photographs, it has been quite some time since I last recorded a video. When our daughter was young, there seemed to be ample opportunities to capture those precious moments. Transferring the footage to VHS tapes allowed us to share these special moments with family. But as she grew older, and as technology changed, we stopped... I don’t think I’ve ever used the video capabilities on my digital camera. But with the video sharing possibilities of today, grandparents must be thrilled that they are able to watch their grandchildren grow right in front of their eyes!

Exploring Various Video Sharing Tools

As stated in Wikipedia, YouTube is a

video-sharing website on which users can upload, share and view videos

But because YouTube was often blocked in our school and was known to have some contentious content, I had not considered Davies and Merchant's perspective of YouTube as a “... free space that could be fruitful for learning”. That is until this past summer when I was taking the Inquiry-based Learning course. As part of an assignment, I decided to create a wiki which provided ideas in developing a project revolving around Global Citizenship. Catered to the elementary level, as a launch to the inquiry, I contemplated reading a picture book or viewing a video with the premise, “You Can Make a Difference”.



By simply conducting a search within YouTube, I was able to find a variety of compelling footage that would arouse the students’ interest. And as Davies and Merchant point out, another

... really useful facility for teachers is the ability to embed a video into another site...

Not only can we search and find clips that are appropriate for our needs, but we are also able to collect and store these finds in one “easy-to-access” location.

Using a more critical eye when browsing the site this time around, not only did I notice advertising clips pop up with each video but I also stumbled across several comments that, in my opinion, were quite inappropriate. I was curious as to whether Teacher Tube, another video sharing site, was set up in a similar manner. It also embeds advertising and allows for comments, but seems to cater more specifically to teacher and student created videos. Previewing some of the clips, I realized that not all videos had been recorded as videos but had been created using photo clips and were put into a slideshow type format. Watching all of these clips propelled me to want to make a video of my own. Seeing I did not have any recent video footage, I decided to enlist the help of a colleague who I had heard speak of some recent video footage she had recorded. I downloaded the video clips on my computer but wanted to explore combining the clips into one video. As recommended on Flickr, I decided to try Movie Maker 2.1, a tool for creating, editing and sharing videos.

Movie Maker was fairly easy to use, providing interesting features that enabled me to get creative with such things as transitions and visual effects. Integrating text into the storyboard was a little trickier but once discovered, was quite manageable. Sharing the video, on the other hand, is still a work in progress. Although attempts failed to upload my video onto Flickr, I was able to save it onto Mydeo, a video hosting provider. (I had hoped that the “increase light” feature would brighten the clips a bit more... they’re still quite dark. Sound effects are good though!).


www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XID=3102&CID=308850


Future Use

Although I was initially fearful at the prospect of producing a video, I was encouraged by Richardson's words,

while quality is important, what’s critical are the writing, producing, and publishing skills that students learn in the process

My video is still very much “amateurish”, but I can see the overwhelming potential (and enjoyment) students may gain from taking part in such a project! I will certainly look for opportunities where students may embark on such a challenge.

As for the sharing aspect of the videos (and photographs for that matter) that are generated in the classroom, I would feel more comfortable posting them on Flickr, where we may limit the viewers to staff, parents and community members only. With no technician either in our school or at the board level, I still feel very leery having students participating online and would want to take every precaution I could.

In the past, I have taken video footage of class performances, particularly in French. Thinking about the last time I shared footage with colleagues at another school (I dragged the video camera and all with me), I now know better and will simply transfer the video to a video sharing site and may access it from any computer!

Although I will be less inclined to use YouTube as a tool for sharing videos, I value its potential for providing educational footage that inspires, raises questions, promotes discussion and provides information. Although some of the content may be inappropriate, students may also be taught “how to read the content critically, be aware of how one represents oneself and remain safe online”.