TeacherTube

There is a new resource available for teachers called TeacherTube. It is following the premise of YouTube but provides educational content. Sounds like it may prove useful as not only a data bank for videos but also a means to promote your or your classes work.

YouTube and Education

This is the next podcast episode on Digital Campus, sponsored by The Center for History and New Media Studies and George Mason University. The podcast is dealing with how YouTube can be used in an educational setting. It also reexamines the Wikipedia debate.

A Video on Web 2.0

You may have seen this video but it is a good commentary on the state of the Web 2.0 and how it has radically changed the way we communicate.  It was created by a cultural anthropology professor at Kansas State University.

300 and Teaching with Graphic Novels

I saw the movie 300 today. I really enjoyed the movie and highly recommend it. While it is based upon Frank Miller’s graphic novel, there has been some controversy on its historical accuracy. Some believe that the movie will have many believing that the movie is actually depicting true history. This is an especially touchy topic since the Iranian government is complaining that the Ancient Persians have been given a bad image. 300 is not a historically accurate movie nor would I ever intend to project that idea but I do believe that it has potential as a teaching tool.

While this movie and the graphic novel, like many others, are not historical documents, I believe that the concept of the graphic novel can be used in the classroom. The movie nor the graphic novel should be considered historical sources but it can create discussion and interest in students. Graphic novels like 300 or Maus, which deals with the holocaust during World War II, have the potential to support our lessons and should be considered as another teaching tool.

Here is a website with some information on how to teach with graphic novels. There is also this essay on the topic.

Peace.

Is Wikipedia Bad News? Some Don’t Think So.

The following essay was written by Cathy Davidson at Duke.  She argues against Middlebury College’s decision to ban Wikipedia.  An interesting argument especially as more and more of our students initially turn to Wikipedia for their information.

Innovation and Collaboration

This TED presentation by Charles Leadbeater discusses the idea of innovation and collaboration. Leadbeater states that the idea of consumer innovation is the way of the future. The domain of creativity is expanding and allowing every day people have a voice and assist in the production of innovative ideas.

As educators, if we can promote this idea among our students, to get them to see themselves as innovators and understand the usefulness of collaboration, they will be well prepared for the “real world”.

German Philosopher and Technology

A friend of mine alerted me to this website. It discusses the German philosopher Martin Heidegger and how his ideas intertwine with technology. It includes numerous essays that discuss technology’s role in our society and the impact it plays. For those interested in technology and how it helps us understand ourselves this is right up your alley.

Peace.

A New Blog Portal

There is a new blogging resource for educators and students alike.  21Classes can either be a free or paid resource.  While you do not have to pay for the blog, it will include Google Ads and only 2 MB of space per student where as if you pay $8.25/month there are no ads and the space is increased to 25MB per student.

It looks as though this may be a useful resource in creating a more open classroom.

Web 2.0 and its Influence

I’ve been stuck in Syracuse for two days now. I came on Thursday afternoon for a AP workshop on Friday. Due to a massive snow storm my flight back to Boston on Friday evening was canceled and I was then redirected to fly out to Philly and then to Boston on Saturday. This dilemma gave me the opportunity to meet some new friends, finish the book I was reading and provide some food for thought on the use of technology.

I am currently still in Syracuse, spending my St. Patrick’s Day in the airport and using the free wireless network they provide their customers. As I sit here and patiently wait to find out if I will be finally headed back home I become aware of the influence that technology and its uses has upon our lives. I am listening to my iPod shuffle, I updated my online running log, and am able to check on the NCAA tournament and post this blog entry.

What does this mean? What does this access allow us? Does this access create a bold new frontier or another tool for procrastination?

The ability to connect and access information practically from any where in the world is a great concept. By introducing the ability to publish your voice to the world via the Web 2.0 creates a whole new environment. The fact that I am in an airport and posting while I wait proves that ideas and a level of thought can be introduced at any point to the entire world. This creates a dynamic way to reach others, whether you are an educator, a sales rep, or a doctor the ability to access and post information and the means to do so, have and will continue to change radically our perceptions of learning, communication and ideas.

This access creates a sense of self that is beyond that of the physical. Ideas and thoughts that are published can make anyone an author, anyone have a voice. This is in a sense, liberating. This ability to connect provides us not only a voice but a means for communication. I can now reach my students on multiple levels, creating ways to communicate ideas and create discussion and thought. No longer is learning confined to the classroom. For other industries, this connectivity creates a means to introduce a new product line or provide feedback on a worldwide level. The innovative uses of this new tool is what will determine the future leaders. Our ability to harness the potential of the web 2.o and incorporate it into our work will lead us to a new level of success and understanding.

While some detractors may say that the tools of the internet and the access it brings can only be used as a research tool or a means to provide another authoritative source. But on the contrary, it allows folks like you and me to have a voice, it enables the population to speak their mind and start a level of communication that may not have been previously accessible. While many of my students, and I am sure countless others out there, use these new lines of communication simply for email and Instant Messenger the potential uses and possibilities are countless and will create a much more diverse and rewarding educational and professional experience.

Now I have to figure out if my flight has been canceled and If I have to drive to Boston to pick up my car.

Peace.

Digital Campus

George Mason University and the Center for History and New Media Studies have created the Digital Campus, a podcast created to spark discussion on “how digital media and technology are affecting learning, teaching, and scholarship at colleges, universities, libraries, and museums”.

I believe you will find this useful as it may shed some light on a subject that can be hazy for some.