Parting Thoughts....

With respect to wikis....
There is really not more to say.  It's a powerful tool that empowers people to work collaboratively virtually.  Whether your team members are in the cubicle next door, or 18 time zones away, wikis make collaboration easier. 

There are many excellent examples of how wikis are being used in education.  I encourage you to google wikis and education, and then start clicking around.  There are wikis that can serve as resources, wikis that demonstrate how educators are using wikis.  And in some cases, groups choose to use a wiki instead of a website because all members can keep the wiki's information current, instead of relying on a webslave to make the updates. 

As for the end of our class...
 It's hard to believe the semester is already over.  I've been exposed to a lot of new and exciting technologies that I never knew existed!   It's my plan to try to incorporate several in my work and personal life: blogging, digital storytelling, wikis, iTunes U, Ning, LinkedIn, and MAYBE Twitter.  Maybe.

It's exciting and encouraging to see how new teachers like Jilian are trying to integrate some of these new technologies to empower students.  And I'm confident that ID'ers like Stephen will figure out how to make DL more effective and less isolating.  

Of the four online classes I've taken as part of IDDE, this has been the most engaging.  The subject matter lends itself to being engaging.  And I appreciated that Jing applied our feedback by setting up our brunch meeting, and by commenting more in the forums. 

It's been a pleasure learning with all of you, and I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Cheers,
Stacey

I digress - my planned DL experiences

Just a quick note of reflection....

I think I will take two online classes this summer through Villanova University.  Unfortunately our class will be long over, so  I won't be able to share my analysis of this experience. 

One class will be an intro to SixSigma type class.  I've experienced SixSigma front end analysis methodology, but I'd like to learn this process for future front end analysis work.  Since many corporations are familiar with SixSigma and that vocabulary, it will be handy to have this tool ready if needed.

The other is Project Management, with a goal of certification.  I've done my version of PM over the years, and I took the PM course offered through IDDE.  I am comfortable with the politics involved in being a project manager, so it might come in handy to be certified as a PM.  I'm actually pretty good and effective in getting things done through the efforts of cross functional teams.  [so keep that in mind if any of you need a PM for your projects]

While I'm not a fan of distance learning, I think learning these two subjects as DL courses should be fine given my purpose and my previous experience.  Had I never lead projects, then the PM course might be challenging.  And since my ultimate goal is NOT to apply SixSigma as a quality assurance tool, I should be okay learning this at a distance as well. 

I'm hopeful.

Real Life Wiki Use

My partner Jilian and I switched to using a wiki to finish writing our project.  At first we used Google docs, but found their approach limiting, and trying to format a document exported from Google docs is burdensome.   The wicki allowed us to post documents and to edit both the report and project documents easily.  And with the change notification enabled, I received messages showing the changes that Jilian made to the document each time she edited and saved her changes.  I didn't need to visit the wiki to see what she was doing. 

Here is our wiki if you'd like to see how we've chose to use this wiki -  611wiki.wikispaces.com 
This link will take you to the the Project page of our wiki.  To visit the Report page of the wiki, click the Report link on the right.  You'll have to scroll past the advertising to see the page listing in the right most column.  [you have to pay money to make the advertising disappear]

I've also set up a wiki for work, but I have yet to get my colleagues to consider using it.  There is one person in the office who sees the benefit, but I haven't convinced her to use it just yet.  One of the challenges we face in our office is that we sometimes work collaboratively on tasks, and we don't know what has (or hasn't) been done.   I think the wiki will work well when have to plan another event or project with people who are not in the office.

More Wiki ideas for the classroom

Here's a site that provides some useful information about wikis.   Among the wiki information it provides, the site gives ideas of how wikis can be used in an educational setting.  The site is called Wiki Ideas. 

And if you are interested in exploring wikis that are being used by other schools, teachers or classroom, all you need to do is google "wikis education" and you'll get lots of listing for actual educational wikis.  And there are websites that list links to educational wikis around the world. 

eBook Readers, aka Kindle

The NY Times published an article that reviews the various ebook readers that are available, or will soon become available.    Here's the link to the article for those of you who are interested: "Something to Read", by Danielle Belopotosky, December 2, 2009.

Wikis in the Classroom

Wikis are all about community and collaboration.  The wiki was created to allow a group of people working on a project to easily store and edit information in one central area.  All members see the same information.  All members have the ability to directly edit and add information. 

In the classroom, a teacher can use wikis in a variety of ways:

• As a workspace were student teams can work on a team assignment. 
• The teacher could assign a research project to the class, and have students post their research results to the wiki
• Students use a wiki to create an on-going vocabulary list, or list of definitions for technical terms (like we in IDDE are encouraged to do).  As classmates discover different definitions for various terms, these definitions can be added to the wiki.
• A class can use a wiki to collect and organize resources on a variety of sources.  For example, in this class, when we discussed social networking, several classmates named social networking sites that they have used.  A list of social networking sites could cataloged in a wiki, and students can add comments about experiences with these sites.
• In a creative writing class, the teacher could assign a theme or topic and have the students post their writing to the wiki.  Then each student could read and reflect on each other's writing.
• Language learners can work together to translate a passage into another language.

These are just a few ways one could use wikis as part of a curriculum.

Thoughts about my Kindle

I love my Kindle! 

I took it on my trip last week.  Before leaving I downloaded 6 books and one magazine. It was great not having to worry about a stack of books.  I love this convenience.  The Kindle is compact and lightweight, weighing less that one paperback book. 

The reading area is six inches by six inches.  It displays black type on a soft white background.  To my delight, I had no eye strain, even after 3 straight hours of reading on the plain.  Eye strain was a concern because I often suffer eye strain trying to read things on the computer.  It felt like I was reading more rapidly because I didn't have to pause to turn the page.  "Page Turning" is accomplished by pushing a page forward or page back button. The new "page" appears instantly.

Learning how to use the Kindle was easy.  Aside from reading, you can make notes, look up words in the dictionary that is included on the device, shop for more Kindle books.  The Kindle also has a voice reading feature, but I didn't try this feature.

The cost of books are mostly $9.99.  A few are less expensive.  Not all books are available as a Kindle e-book, but there are about 200,000 books.  Because I can purchase books for $9.99, I am willing to read some books that I might not necessarily read because I can buy them for less than the price of a physical copy.  (of course I could wait until the book hits the library, but I like to buy books)  I would probably not buy a book that I could purchase for less than $10, unless I want the convenience of the Kindle.  I would only buy books in which I don't plan to make notes.  So I wouldn't purchase textbooks on a Kindle since I like to mark up my textbooks. 

The only negative is that the device seems a little frail.  I haven't dropped it yet.  Because of its frail quality, I don't think the Kindle would be suitable for kids in lieu of school books.  They would be too easily broken.

Also, since highlighting and make notes directly on the pages of a book is not possilble, students might find it difficult to study with a Kindle. 

Lastly, since kids are already using computers, e-books could be made available for computers thus reducing the need for another device for students to keep track of. 

By the way, if you have an iPhone or a Touch, you can download a free Kindle reader app, which allows you to buy and ready Kindle e-books.   There's another free app called Stanza, and you can read free ebook that were created by the Guttenberg Project.  These books tend to be the classics.
-- Stacey

Nothing to do with wikis - Kindle

Yeah, I know I've been deliquent in keeping up with my blog.  And so when I finally do write, my entry has nothing to do with my wiki topic. 

Today I got a Kindle e-book reader.  Reading on a Kindle causes less eye-strain than my computer.  It's easy to use, and so incredibly thin and light.  I've only read using the Kindle.  Kindle allows you to make notes, surf the web (I think), and to let you listen to the book being read to you.  Haven't tried those features.  I'll let you know how the work. 

I wonder if students can get e-textbooks on Kindle?  It would be heaven to not have to carry 40 lbs of book around.  The Kindle is not robust, so the current version would not be good for kids.  A ruggedized e-book reader needs to be created, and text book publishers need to publish e-text versions.  I suppose you could read these ebooks/etexts on a computer, too.  Think of all the paper and money one could save! 

I'll keep you informed.

Kinds of Wikis

Wikis are collaborative.  A wiki is a tool that can be used by a group that not only wants to accomplish something, but also wants its members to add to and edit the collection of ideas and data. 

There are basically four categories of wikis:

• Content-focused wikis
• Process-focused wikis
• Community-focused wikis
• Ease-of-use wikis

Content wikis focus on specific kind of content: cooking, poodles breeding, travel.

Process wikis are used to work in collaboration on a project (which was the original reason the wiki was created.

Community wikis allow a community to gather and share information.  A community can be a city, a neighborhood association, an association (i.e., of fundraising professionals), or a group (i.e, of stay-at-home moms or home-schoolers).

Ease-of-use wikis are wikis that are used to solve problems, or to serve as websites or to share information with its members. (I'll admit that this category is a little vague.)

Here's an interesting education wiki that provides curricula to K-12 educators: www.curriki.org

Here is how Curriki.org describes themselves:

"Curriki, a play on the words 'curriculum' and 'wiki', is a not-for-profit organization that is building the first and only Internet site for Open Source Curriculum (OSC), which will provide universal access to free curricula and instructional materials for grades K-12.

'We are focusing initially on developing an online repository for K-12 curricula in the areas of mathematics, science, technology, reading and language arts, and languages. We want this repository to attract everyone from educators, students and parents, to programmers, instructional designers, authors and public officials throughout the world to contribute or freely access quality learning materials."


And I'll close by introducing the wiki I just created tonight: 611wiki.wikispaces.com 
 Go check it out!  Feel free to make a page. It was incredibly easy. To create a new page click on New Page on the left.  Click Edit to create your page.  Add you content. Then save.  If you want to add content to my page, do so.

What's a Wiki?

Back in 1994, Ward Cunningham, the father of the wiki,  needed a collaborative work environment that would allow all the members of his project team to post  content in a single spot, would allow members to easily edit the content, and would allow all members to see the edits.   He created a wiki: "a collection of webpages that anyone can edit" (Woods and Thoeny, 2007).  These pages can be linked together.  The interface is easy so that ANYONE can edit the pages without having to understand how to write in html code.  There is no webslave to change wiki content.

Wikis encourage collaboration.  Members are encouraged to add new pages to capture their content, and to edit existing pages.  Wikis encourage work-in-progress. 

The most famous wiki is Wikipedia.  Members can add content and edit any page in Wikipedia.

For a quick tutorial on wikis and how they work take a look at the "Wikis in Plain English" video on Youtube.com.

As for the name "wiki".... Ward called his creation WikiWikiWeb.  "WikiWiki" is Hawaiian for "quick".  WikiWikiWeb eventually was shortened to "wiki", and name was used to name the wiki concept.

Reference

Woods, D., & Thoeny, P. (2007) Wikis for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing.

New Topic: Wiki Wiki Wiki

I love that word, "wiki".  I want to learn more about wikis and to understand how people use them in an educational environment. 

Closing Thoughts about iTunes University

Apple, a long time supporter of educational technology in the classroom, created iTunes University (iTunes U) as place on the iTunes Store website where educators can list links to educational podcasts and can control access to them if needed.  Educators must apply to Apple to list podcasts in iTunes U, and once accepted, there is no charge to list or use iTunes U.  Educators must create and store their podcasts on their the own websites, and they list RSS feed links at iTunes U.

Learners must use iTunes software to listen to the podcasts downloaded through iTunes U.   Apple already has the majority market share of the mobile listening device market, so many people already have iTunes software on their computers.  Learners do not need to own an iPod to listen to podcasts downloaded from iTunes or iTunes U.  They can listen on any computer platform that has installed free iTunes software.
 
Since educators must create their podcast themselves, really the discussion centers around the use of podcasting technology in education.  Does podcasting result in knowledge transfer?  The answer is, "it depends."  There seems to be a lack of information on the impact of podcasting on education, most likely because the use of podcasting as an educational tool is still relatively new.  Comments from educators who have experimented with podcasting in the classroom indicate that, when used to engage students, podcasting does seem to result in improved learning results.   Requiring students to engage with podcasts -- whether through listent and notetaking or student podcast creation -- seems to result in knowledge transfer.  Podcasting can be used to engage learners to apply the what they have learned in the creation of podcasting  -- and students enjoy creating work that can be shared by classmates and the world. 

This means that simply setting up a microphone or video camera and pushing play to record a lecture or seminar, while the easier to do, will not induce much learning.  Educators will have to invest extra time to think how to engage learners in the use of podcasting technology.  If they do this, they will probably be happy with the results.

ITunes U -- Examples of Podcast Applications

This posts provides a link to a wiki that provides links to student podcasts and will guide you to a couple of iTunes U podcasts that provide examples of how educators have chosen to use podcasting in their curricula.

If you are interested in listening to some podcasts created by students, then you should visit the The Moving Forward Wiki .  The page of this wiki provides links to websites that contain student created and recorded podcasts.  Some of the links may no longer work, but many do, so don't be discouraged.

It took a while, but I also found two sets of podcasts on iTunes University that discuss how some educators have chosen to use podcasting technology in the classroom.  To listen to these podcasts, you'll have to  iTunes software installed on you computer.  If you don't have it, you'll have to download it. Here is a link to the Apple Store to get the free download.   Once you have the software installed, you can listen to or watch the podcasts on your computer.

The first set of podcast are from Abilene Christian University.  To find it in iTune, search: Abilene Christian University Potential in Podcasting Pedagogy.  This will take to the ABC's page iTunes page for Potential in Podcasting Pedagogy.  There are four podcasts.  Each is an interview with a professor at the university who explains how they use the technology.  One professor uses it to summarize class material and to answer questions have about the material that week.  Another professor uses it to create supplemental material for each week's class.   Another professor creates podcasted critiques of the writing assignments submitted by students.  And the other professor has students record their creative writing assignments as podcasts (including the addition of music).

The second set of podcasts comes from Penn State University.  To find this series search: Pennsylvania State University Foreign Languages Podcasting Studio.  Four podcasts will be listed, but the two of interest are "Podcasting Applications"  and "Foreign Language Podcasting Initiatives".  "Podcasting Applications" is a PowerPoint presentation with an audio voice-over, explaining the benefits of podcasting for use in teaching foreign languages.  "Foreign Language Podcasting Initiatives" explores some of the ways some foreign language instructors have used podcasting in the classroom.

What I liked about these iTunes U podcasts is that the speakers describe student reactions to the use of podcasting in instruction.   Students seem to appreciate the extra work that instructor put into creating the podcasts.   They seem much more engaged in the class because the technology is used.

Educators using iTunes U

That Apple created a category in the iTunes Store called iTunes U and generosly allows educators to house feeds to their educational podcast at no charge is fabulous, however, the discussion is really about use of podcasts, and/or mobile devices as a learning tool.  How do educators use this technology? How can learners use this technology?

Here is a link to a paper that summarizes how some early adopting colleges and universities chose to make use of iPods, podcasts, and iTunes U.  Several of the schools in this paper gave students iPods to use so that students could access lectures outside of the classroom.  As I noted in an early post, students who listen to lecture podcasts AND take notes score higher on exams than students who only attend lectures and take notes. 

Another use of podcasting is to have student create the podcasts.  One teacher found that by having students work in teams to create podcasts of lectures and review notes increased students understanding of the material.  Here's a link to an article that examines this. 

iTunes U: Content

There so much content!  Over 200,000 podcasts from around the world.  The best thing to do is check it out for yourself.  You'll need iTunes software to access iTunes U.  It's free.  And you don't have to have an iPod to access the podcasts.  You can listen to or view the podcasts on your computer if you don't have have an Apple mobile device.  Here's a link to the Apple site to download iTunes.

You can take classes offered by many universities from around the world, in a variety of different languages without leaving your home.  You can attend seminars and workshops without paying the fees.  Want to improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills?  Interested in learning about Vermeer's painting "The Milk Maid" that is housed at New York's Metropolitan Museum?  Want to virtually VISIT the Met?  Want to learn about educational technology from the state of Ohio's ed tech conference, University of South Florida, Penn State?  I could go on.  It's worth a visit. 

One thing to note is that if you find a podcast series that interests you, iTunes will provide a link to the site that houses the podcast series so that you can visit that website for more details.  iTunes will also provide links to other similar content that other subscribers also visit or download. 

So, whatever subject interests you, iTunes or iTunes U probably has a podcast.  If you're the self-motivated learner, there are NO EXCUSES.  There's something on iTunes that can help you in your quest for knowledge.

How does iTunes University work?

Sorry for the silence.  Got a little backed up at work, but I'm back.

Okay so, let's back up a little and start the discussion about how iTunes University (iTunes U) works.

We'll start with iTunes.
The term "iTunes" is a can be used to refer to two things:  1) the software that resides on a computer (Mac or PC) that allow one to manage music, videos, podcasts; and 2) the iTunes Store server through which one can access music, videos and podcasts. iTunes software is free to download.  Content at the iTunes Store (on the iTunes server) can be free or purchase; can be available to the public, or  limited to a member group (i.e., students enrolled in a course at a school).

What are podcasts?
Here is a link to a youtube video that explains Podcasting in Plain English.  Basically, a podcast is typically an audio program (but can have video) that you can download and store on your computer or iPod or MP3 player, and you can listen to it at anytime. 

Anyone can make a podcast.  Many radio programs (NPR and the BBC radio broadcasts) and TV shows (Bill Maher and Bill Moyer make podcast versions of their TV shows) offer podcast versions of their programs that you can download for free and then listen whenever it is convenient. 

To learn how to create a podcast you can search the web.  Here are a couple of links that explain how to do this:
Keith Bowers Youtube video gives a overview of how to make a podcast.
Corey Dietz at about.com explains how to create your own podcast.

Listing your podcast on iTunes.
Once you have you iTunes loaded on your computer and have created a podcast, the next step is to submit your podcast feed to iTunes.  You don't upload your podcast to iTunes, instead, you submit an RSS feed to iTunes that points to the location where your podcast is saved.  When someone wants to listen to or download your podcast, iTunes goes to location where the podcast is stored, and downloads to the requestor's computer or iPod.  Here is a link to Apple that explains in great detail how to make and submit a podcast to iTunes.

To listen to podcasts using iTunes, you need either a computer or iPod/iPhone.  A non-Apple device (an MP3 player) won't work.

So what is iTunes University?
Think of iTunes U as section on at the iTunes Store that lists podcasts from institutions of higher learning.  iTunes U is not limited to colleges and universities, however.  I will explore who posts on iTunes U in another post.



 

Podcasting in Plain English

Since iTunes U lists podcasts, this Podcasting in Plain English tutorial might be useful.  I love the "... in Plain English" series. 

Podcasting is very simple, and it can be a versatile educational tool.  Teachers can really use podcasts and podcasting to reinforce lessons, or to supplement lessons with real life applications or different perspectives.

Podcasting...door to new possibilities

K-12 teachers are learning how podcasts -- either podcasts already posted at iTunes U, or podcasts that they or their students create -- offer a new world of possibilities to increase the effectiveness of their instruction.  Educators can use iTunes to locate supplemental materials from universities, public TV or radio, museums, or other schools (and their students) that engage students.  Other teachers create podcasts of their lectures or review material and post them to iTunes U for their students to download.  Others encourage students to create podcasts on various topics which can be posted at iTunes U and made available to people around the world.  

An online article by Maya Payne Smart that summarizes the use of and appeal of iTunes U in the K-12 environment -- In One Ear: iTunes U Puts iPods to Good Use.

Can iTunes U replace professors?

Okay, so naturally I think to myself, "can I really educate myself by listening to podcasts of lectures?"

Researchers Dani McKinney, Jennifer L. Dyck and Elise S. Luber, in the Department of Psychology at SUNY in Fredonia, NY, wondered the same thing. So they did a study. The title of their report is called, "iTunes University and the classroom: Can podcasts replace Professors?" Here's a link to that study (I'm not allowed to post the pdf on blogger.com):

www.fredonia.edu/department/psychology/pdf/CAE1263.pdf

McKinney, Dyck and Elise wanted to know the impact of exposure to subject matter via classroom lecture versus via podcast using a ipod or mp3 player. They divided college students into two groups. Both groups were given the same Powerpoint presentation, but one group received the accompanying lecture by the professor in the classroom, and the other group received the lecture via podcast on their ipod/mp3 player. One month later both groups were tested on the material. The podcast group performed significantly better.

Note taking played an important role in the transference of knowledge in this study. The lecture group were exposed to the classroom lecture once, and were allowed to take notes and interact with professors during that time. The podcast group did not have access to the professor to ask questions, but they could listen to the podcast as many times as they liked as they took notes. The study results showed that the ability to listen to the podcast multiple times combined with note taking increased the transference of knowledge. Students who did not take notes in either group did not receive high scores.

So, this study doesn't mean teachers will be replaced by podcasts, but it does show that providing student access to podcasts of lectures so that they can supplement their note taking will most likely increase the amount of the content they will learn.

ITunes U: The end of classroom learning?

On March 30, 2007, Apple announce the launch of iTunes U, "a dedicated area within the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) featuring free content such as course lectures, language lessons, lab demonstrations, sports highlights and campus tours provided by top US colleges and universities including Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Duke University and MIT." (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/05/30itunesu.html) The idea is to provide free access to educational media to students, teachers, or anyone interested in expanding their horizons (learning something new).

iTunes U is a free service accessed through itunes.com, that allows educators to post media in the AAC, MP3, MPEG-4 or PDF format for access by their students or the world. Access to content can be restricted to only a course's registered students, or open to anyone in the world. Downloaded media can be played on a computer, an MP3 player, an iPod, or iPhone.

For a short video introduction to iTunes U visit the iTunes section of the www.apple.com/education/moble-learning website, about mid-way do the page.

iTunes U offers approximately 200,000 audio and video files from colleges and universities around the world -- Oxford, Princeton, Yale, Cambridge, MIT. But one can also find content from museums and PBS (Public Broadcast Stations), as well as state education organizations. And the range is topics is amazing.

But does access to classroom lectures and a wide variety of educational materials mean that face-to-face classroom learning will no longer needed?

Welcome to my IDE611 Blog

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