Thursday-Friday Combo Post - Facebook 4 Education

I was extremely busy yesterday, so I did not get a chance to post a Think Twice Thursday Post.  Since today is normally my Friday Focus post time, I thought I would combine the two. 

It has been a busy month in the area of Facebook and education and not in a positive light.  Story after story of students using Facebook to slander and defame a teacher's character.  Stories of a teacher using Facebook to rant about the behavior of students in class.  You can view these articles on my Articles Page.

Let's "face" it, Facebook is a Social Networking site.  That is its main intention.  That is not the issue though.  The issue is educating students, teachers, schools, and districts about using Facebook in a manner that promotes positive relationships between students and teachers, students and their school, schools and their community, and districts and their community.  The image of Facebook as it relates to education must be changed for Facebook to be a successful tool in education.

Several school districts, if not all, have school web pages.  Every school has parent-teacher conferences.  Every school offers meetings for parents and students to attend.  Every school has athletic, band, drama, and other events at their school.  Every school has fundraisers, important announcements and information that parents need.  The problem sometimes is getting that information to parents in a timely manner, and ensuring that it gets to every parent.  The problem is providing an easily accessible area for such communication and relationship building outside of the school building.

Facebook can provide AN answer, not THE answer to improving those relationships.  I was always told that if you can't get someone to come to where you are, then you got to go where they are.  And where are our students, parents, and community members?  Facebook.  Ask the average student the first website they go to when they get online: Facebook.  In 5-10 years (and probably today or sooner) ask the average parent the first website they visit when they log on the Internet: Facebook.

With all the negative press about Facebook though, it is hard to get districts, schools, administrators, teachers, and parents to buy into the idea of using Facebook for Education.  There has to be a way to promote the positive aspects of using Facebook in Education.  I know that Facebook is being used in Education, but those can be tough to find.  Well, hopefully I have created a possible solution or way to do that. 

All the negative press got me thinking about a way to promote the use of Facebook in education around the world.  So I created a Wiki.  A Wiki for educators, parents, administrators, schools, and districts to share how they are positively using Facebook.  Facebook 4 Education provides a website to post links, stories, articles, videos, examples of Facebook use, and Fan Pages related to education.

Think Twice about how you can or are using Facebook in education and share that information on the Facebook 4 Education Wiki.  Focus on sharing your successes of using Facebook.  Focus on helping improve the image of Facebook in education.  Help curtail the image that the media is portraying of Facebook in education.

Wiki Wednesday #6 - Voicethread 4 Education

My experience with using Voicethread is very limited.  In fact I have not had the pleasure of using the software at all, although I have heard a lot of wonderful things about it.  While looking around some Wiki's, I came across Voicethread 4 Education.  It greatly improved my knowledge about what Voicethread is and how it works.

What I like about this wiki is its organization.  Very often you will find Wikis (since it is visitor submissions) that are scattered and hard to follow.  This Wiki is well maintained and has an easy to follow set up without many distractions.  First thing of interest is the Classroom Partner option.  A chart with other educators using Voicethread so that you can learn from each other.  A Voicethread PLN.

Want to include your own Voicethread, the creator Colette Cassinelli (Who is available to follow on Twitter) has done a great job of explaining the process for adding Voicethreads.  Another way to help keep the Wiki organized.  Another great organized feature is the sidebar.  You can find samples and resources organized by grade level.  Within the pages are both links to Voicethreads as well as embeded Voicethreads.  There are also sections related to Administration, college, library, Special Education, ESL/ELL/EFL.

A very important page to visit will be Best Practices.  A great way to learn about how to use Voicethread.  This is the page that I visited first.  Lesson ideas and a presentation with ways to use Voicethread in the classroom.  Voicethread is free and educator accounts are encouraged if going to use the software.  You can get more information about Ed.Voicethread on the Resources Page.

Let this Wiki be your home page for Voicethread information.

Flixtime

I know we are all fans of Animoto and many of us use PhotoPeach, well now there is another option.  Flixtime allows you to upload photos, video, and add text, then choose a tune and you are ready to share your film.  It claims 3 quick steps and 3 minutes.  You can create 60 second videos for free.  It appears that it also takes care of all the transitions for you as well.  I did not see an option for education, so if it is going to compete with Animoto for Education, they are going to have to provide an option.  For more information I suggest that you watch the Demo video on the front page.  Sign up is easy and no email verification is required.

Once you create an account and start creating a new video, you can Add a Cover, Insert a Title, Description, and choose the resolution.  You can upload your own photos, or even choose some from their database (a feature other sites do not have).  Text is limited on each photo and will only go between photos, not directly on them.  You get a Main Title and a Sub Title.  It is fairly easy to organize your film.  A Negative is that in the time it took me to write this paragraph, a photo never loaded...so it seems kind of slow.  Could be the firewall at my school though.

Try it out for yourself.

Twitter Tuesday #7 - A Collection of Tweets

Let me start off today's post by saying that there was a lot of great education chat today via #edchat on Twitter.  If you are available at 7pm EST tonight, I suggest that you join in on the fun.  Topic focuses on the changes in 21st Century Education and 20th Century Education.  While sick I saved a collection of Tweets with valuable resources and information.  I use Instapaper to save Tweets.  It is also available on the iPhone.

1.) I am really interetsed in getting students to use Wiki's at my school...still waiting on a policy for them, but when that time comes, here is a great collection of resources for using Wiki's in the classroom.

2.) Comics in the Classroom - 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources!  I am really big on Comics and the kids love them.  Highly recommend checking this site out.

3.) From the Teacher Reboot Camp - 12 Word Cloud Resources...Something other than Wordle.  She beat me to the punch.  Planned on this for a Friday post, but why reinvent the wheel!

4.) A Huge selection of Web 2.0 resources and blog posts about each one.  Farr-Out Links to Learning.

5.) Posterize Anything - Blockposters is a site to turn anything into a wall poster for free!

6.) Want to increase fiber optic cables in your community or city?  Nomiate your community and see if Google chooses you!

7.) Here is a great social network for art teachers who are wondering how to implement Web 2.0 in their classrooms.

8.) Great list of Web 2.0 resources with screen shots of each webpage.  Addictive Tech Crisps for Education

9.) Colabopad - Interesting new Collaborative Writing Pad - Worth playing around on.

10.) Summer Workation - A place for teachers to find work during the summer.  I know I could always use some extra money.

And just for Fun...Learn Something Every Day.

Must See Monday #7 - Technology Integration...One School at a Time

Let me tell you about what is going on at my school.  I feel that the changes related to technology that we are implementing are a Must See...well, a Must Read.  I am currently working as a Technology Integration Specialist in the first year of a two year grant program to help increase and integrate the use of technology by both teachers and students.  My school is in currently in a Trimester schedule.  Each trimester I will be working with a different subject (English, Math, Social Studies, Science, and the final two trimesters are still in the works) to assist teachers with the development of lesson plans integrating technology and using technology equipment in their classroom.  Until this year, technology was rather limited in our school.  We have plenty of computer labs, but outside of teacher computer stations, teachers had very little of anything else.

The equipment includes:

1.) FLIP Camera

2.) AverMedia Document Camera

3.) SMART Airliner/ Slate

4.) Digital Camera

5.) Digital Video Camera

6.) Projector

7.) Laptop

8.) Turning Point Clicker System.

We are also using a multitude of Web 2.0 software that I have showcased through this blog.  Teachers have thoroughly enjoyed using Wordle, The Hero Factory, Glogster, Wallwisher, and some have used Prezi.  I have also worked at introducing teachers to RSS and Blogging, as well as encouraging creating a PLN on Twitter.  We have had several teachers who have really enjoyed and completely integrated Turning Point into their classroom as well.  Several have replaced paper quizzes with the software.  

Students have also been active in using Glogster as part of technology projects.  Another major project completed by students has been the creation of Webpages.  Students in English classrooms completed Book Reviews, and students in Math classrooms have completed websites explaining math concepts and math in the real world.  Students have also created cartoons and comics in their classrooms.  Comics were really successful in the math classrooms as well.  When I work with Social Studies I am hoping to implement Timeline websites.

As part of the grant, each department receives money to purchase technology equipment as long as they met the guidelines for the Grant.  Recently the English and Math teachers were able to choose some equipment they would like to have in their classroom.  The English teachers requested and have received 5 FLIP Cameras, 2 Projectors, and 5 Document Cameras.  In the math department we were able to get every teacher a projector.  We also were able to provide 3 Document Cameras and an Airliner to math teachers as well.  I have spent much of the past two weeks during the school day installing and setting up the technology equipment as well as training teachers on how to use the equipment.  It is important to note that we have more than tripled the amount of technology in our school this year alone.  

I was provided a cart with the same equipment, and I realized that trying to get teachers to schedule its use was not nearly as successful as just placing the cart in their classroom and giving them the opportunity to see how they would use it.  I realized it was difficult for teachers to plan a lesson including the technology.  They were much more successful when I provided the equipment, and they just took the lessons they had already developed for those days and integrated the technology into what they were already doing.  I had one teacher who realized she would use a Document Camera in every class!  Now I just need to get them to see the extra features of the camera that would make their teaching so much easier.

In several instances we were able to use the SMART Airliner to take an individual assignment a student would work on and make it into a classroom assignment.  In English, we placed a worksheet under the Document Camera and then passed around the Airliner for students to digitally write the answers to the questions.  It was thoroughly enjoyed by students.  It completely changed the impact of the lesson and the teachers were really pleased with the reactions of the students to using the technology.

I have been thoroughly impressed with what many teachers in my school have done with technology in their classrooms, considering it was really an afterthought to their lessons prior to this year.  Several teachers have completely bought into the program.  Several are still working to integrate technology on a regular basis, and are improving as they get adjusted to the idea.

I am sure there are other schools out there who are implementing similar programs.  What are your schools doing?  I know many teachers use technology, but what about your school, outside your classroom?  Be interesting to see what else is going on out there.