The Tree House

Although its been on my mind for a few weeks, tonight, inspired by both Stephen Heppel and Oly Bray, I actually set up my first wiki for us in the classroom.  I plan to use it with a new S3 chemistry class.  I want to leave it quite flexible to start with and see what the kids make of it.  I am hoping that the kids will post (this will be part of their homework) thoughts about what they have done in the topic, what they have learned, any questons they have, links they have found usefull….. like most first attempts it will probably fail, but at least I am giving it a go!  I want to get them contributing and sharing with each other, and a wiki seems like a good way of doing it. (just glanced at the clock and now realise why my wife was giving me grief half an hour ago!  Time to go, but updates soon!)

In the region where I work web filtering is done at a school level.  Having spoken to colleagues in other regions I see this as a real strength.  Today, an email was sent to the conference for ICT coordinators suggesting a site to block with the reasons for doing so.  You guessed it!  Bebo!  Given the recent debate here and elsewhere in blogosphere, and that the region had sent me to an in-service event highlighting the benefits of Web 2.0, I thought it only fair to revisit the debate about what to block and what not to block.  I was also interested to note that today Fiona posted a comment to the original post To bebo or not to bebo backing up the case for blocking the site in schools. (PS: No new students at my school on Bebo)

I was showing one of my nieces a piece of software (Game Maker) earlier that I in turn learned through the students at my school.  She is the same age as some of my students and it got me thinking again about how best to sever these youngsters with respect to their ICT education.
Every year the pupils we get into Secondary (S1) have skills which are better than the previous year’s intake.  Over the last 3 years this has led to us changing our S1 curriculum 3 times!  We have now moved over to an assessment system that is based on an (open-ended) portfolio of work produced, rather than solely overtaking certain skills or competencies. One of the portfolio areas relates to “programming”.  The students can submit any work which is relevant, and we make some suggestions of how they could overtake this area.  One way they can do this is by using “Game Maker”.  It was a brave step to include this as it was a piece of software that I had never used. 
I was happy to do this however because I got to the point, a good few years ago, of realising that I did not have to be an expert in the software to “teach” the kids how to use it.  “I am not an expert in gamer maker but an expert in learning.” 
For some staff who teach ICT this is just too radical!  If we are going to help the youngsters to fly higher and further than we do (or did), then we must stop limiting them with the limits of our own experience and skills.  While it might scare us a little, we should give the youngsters more control in terms of what happens within our/their ICT lessons.
So what is our role (as “teachers”) in the ICT classroom?  I am still wrestling with how best to help the kids “fly higher and further”.  I once heard Alan November say (paraphrase)… ”Teachers, get out of the way and let the kids learn.”  I think that as long as I can recognise some truth in this, I will still have something to share with the kids!

There is a widespread hypothesis — Six degrees of separation — holding that any two people in the world are separated by a chain of no more than six acquaintances.  I think that blogging may have the potential to reduce this!

I met David Muir at a masterclass workshop.  I got a link from his bloglines to the history teacher.  This looked interesting so I too subscribed in my bloglines. On this blog this morning was a link to an article in the washinton post about teachers blogging.  This in turn made reference to a number of teachers blogs.  The one by David Warlick caught my eye

“I have an idea, I put it on my blog,” said David Warlick, of 2 Cents Worth ( http://davidwarlick.com/2cents ), who teaches teachers around the country how to use blogs. “I learn something as a result. This last year has been the most incredible learning year of my life because of this ongoing conversation of ideas through blogging.”

Every time I come across someone with some interesting ideas, I add them to my bloglines - the next time they say something, I am notified, and in a sense, have moved to n-1 degrees of separation.  I guess that I am becoming hooked on social networking in the same way that teenagers are with Bebo!

 They say that the best way to get hooked on gambling is to win big when you first start out.  I guess I am becoming hooked on blogging!  

Within 10 days of setting up my first blog, I have had comments from Alan November (Guru).  I have also been “advertised” by David Muir, suggesting that I might become recommended reading for his PGCE students, and Ewan and John have passed my name to the editor of the GTCS magazine “Teaching Scotland”.  Cheers Guys.  J
 

10 days ago I was wondering if I would have anything worth while to say to a global blog audience.  I guess I do have something to say after all (although I cant guarantee it will always be worth reading).  This has been both a humbling and an encouraging 10 days.  Working where I do has given me a real chance to explore some of the big issues of using ICT, both from a class teacher perspective, and as a manager of the schools ICT – it has been good to start sharing this with a wider audience.  The last few days have helped me realise that perhaps the purpose of my blog should be as a way of reflecting on what I see, do and think about education, and in particular the role of ICT in education.  It can be hard to find time to “reflect” on ones own work, or on the good practice of colleagues when we are all so short of time.  Hopefully by making these reflections public, they can be a catalyst for other people thoughts and creativity, and allow others (wiser or more insightful than I) to correct or steer my own thinking.  (By the way bloaty head is a medical condition found in my wifes fav. computer game - Theme Hospital)

OK Waffle over.  Here is an “Alan November Style” question for you….. 
 

Why do you blog?  What purpose?  Is it selfish or altruistic?  Who is your audience?

Have just been looking at bebo again.  I was the first person to sign up at my “school”.  There are now 3 confirmed current pupils joined.  Some at least are taking my advice.  Its strange how for some, human nature has a strangely self destructive tendency.

Bibo “Blogging”
A week a go I would never have though that my humble blog could generate as much discussion on bibo as it has (thank you to everyone who has responded to my Alan November style question, or commented on my other posts - its very encouraging)
Bibo “Bashing”
I don’t want folks to think I am having a go at Bibo itself.  A week a go when I first saw bebo I was browsing a few home pages to get a flavour for what users were posting about themselves.  I came across one users site that I felt was inappropriate.  I decided that rather than bash bibo, to others without giving them a change, I would let them know.  I got a reply last night saying that they had removed the offensive material and had warned the user.  In doing this Bibo has gone up in my estimations.  I then went and checked the users page to see what it was like now (had the user responded), to find more things of a questionable nature!  Its also worth noting that this user had information on her page that would allow her to be traced to one of about 5 addresses.
Bibo “Blocking”
In the school where I work, virtually none of the kids had heard of bibo.  That was until I told them about it.  For all that I don’t really like bebo I an still young enough to “get it”.  I control what the kids get access to and what they don’t in school, and I currently have no plans to bock bibo.  My view would therefore appear to reflect the Scandinavian approach (ref Comment by Andy Watson — March 31, 2006 @ 5:54 pm)  If the kids are going to use bibo I would rather that a proportion of their use be in school, so that I can continue to support them in using it responsibly.  I have also laid down a challenge to the kids (In relation to bibo, MSN spaces and the like).  Show to a friend, and get them to comment on how much personal info you have included.  If kids have the critical eye of someone they trust, they are more likely to “play it safe”
“Please send me a Chicken”
Apparently “abschicken” is German for “Submit”.  I have to assume that the person who developed the template I use for my Blog was German.  Perhaps that’s by I have had so many comments from Ewan? 
Um dann zu schließen, ist das die Bedeutung des Lebens., durch die Gnade, die Beziehung mit unserem Schöpfer-Gott wiederherzustellen, und seine Liebe mit anderen zu teilen! 
 

And I bet you thought an Adschciken was a hen on steroids!

Over the last few days I have been doing a little research on how familiar the kids here are with some of the web2.0 sites including bebo. (Felt a little like playing with Pandora’s box!) Hardly any of our kids had come across bebo, none flickr, no one could tell me what a wiki was (although some wondered if it was related to hickies). I did find this encouraging in some measure. Today I took the brave step of showing the kids bebo, and using the site as an aide to discus online safety (S4 5 and 6 pupils). I think the message got there for most. I took one individual from the bebo home page, and using only directory enquiries and 192.com was able to tell the kids her parents name, what they did for a living, her home phone number, and a map of her house. She also very kindly included a picture of herself to complete the package. You could see the shock on their faces. I just hope that the message sinks in, and that when they do (as they will) start to explore web 2.0 they do so forewarned about the risks of including too much personal info. The young lady on bebo - all she gave was her surname and her town.  That was all it took.

Today is the first day of PICTAL 2006.  Aberdeen Universities Online Learning & Tutoring Conference.  

When I first signed up I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but am delighted to see that web2.0 is going to make at least one appearance. Agnes Kukulska-Hulme from the Institute of Educational Technology (The Open University) will be delivering a keynote on Blending Online and Mobile Learning.  It looks like she will deal with issues relating to the hardware, but also some of the web2.0 issues we have been looking at on the master class course.  

It is also interesting to see that Aberdeen university are hosting the conference using moodle!  

Can I cope with all this inspiration?