First thing I run across this morning is Vicki Davis’ very clever video called “Technology Fear Factor.” She expresses most of the message with a combination of IM speak spelling via a tatooed finger pointing to keys on a computer keyboard. Well it’s probably not real tatoos. Very clever and very true.
Also, through her video, I discovered TeacherTube. It appears to be an independent entity, a moderated education-oriented version of YouTube. It does look and act a lot like YouTube, so my initial impression was that it was a subset. But evidently not. My search of Technorati indicates that I am a bit late to this party, but plan to upload some stuff soon.
Also, I’ve not had time yet to mention Steve Hargadon’s School2.0 social network. He’s using Ning, a social network builder, and there already seems to be a highly active Library20 network. I’m not sure how helpful these will be. Do we all really need a new place to go. It’s what I like about blogs, podcasts, and RSS, that the network is so organic and so boundaryless. It follows us around.
Still, this may be very useful as an anchor to attach resources and conversations to. I’ve already joined both, and also TeacherTube.
Here’s why I think a social network, like Ning, could make a big difference. Yes, the blogosphere provides a fair amount of conversation and connectivity… but:
1. You have to learn to set up a blog
2. You have to learn to use RSS feeds
3. You have to figure out a way to connect with and to others who have the same interests
4. The blogosphere becomes an echo-chamber/selective-few-voices medium because of the limits of voices that can be subscribed to–note Will Richardson saying he is tuning out most of those voices and only listening to a few. To be heard in that environment is not easy.
Even for the technically savvy, this is not an easy way to get into the dialog.
Here’s what something like Ning offers:
1. Instant connection to others
2. Low initial technical understanding to do so
3. Quick access to the dialog of the community without RSS needed
4. RSS capable, once comfortable
5. Individual blogging built in, super easy to post and experiment
6. Socially-engaging
Seems to me this is why there are 700+ people in the Library 2.0 social network that can be mobilized and communicated with in an instant–while the blogosphere provides a much less coherent group. And I think a coherent group, that is inviting and easy, is needed for educational technologists using collaborative web tools in the classroom.
Since School 2.0 seems to be too theoretical, I switched to Classroom 2.0. The network is http://classroom20.ning.com.
Am I making sense?
5.
http://classroom20.ning.com
No tatoos! Just a ball point pen and my fingers! (I had a little help from some students! We came across some cool pics on Flickr that got us talking about the web being a combination of human and computer and how that could go in a video.)
So, I went home with lots of things written on my fingers. At first the students were laughing but theory thought the end product was cool. It is also good because we use so much digital storytelling, I like to always model what I’m teaching.
I think we need to keep telling the story in the appropriate ways to our audience that gravitates to our niche of the blogosphere!
One thing you do exceptionally well is to share with us newbies (that was me a little over a year a go) and help us see the transformational potential in our classrooms — my room is a great place to be and as my students say truly the “coolest place”on campus!
Thank you for being a vision caster!
We appreciate your notice of TeacherTube and are honored that you’ve joined us. We are definitely an independent entity–just my husband, his brother, and me. My husband, Jason, and I are 14 year veterans of public education. Adam is Jason’s much younger, digital native, brother and takes care of the techie side of things. My husband had an idea to create a safer place for teachers and learners to visit and utilize current technologies for learning. He wantd to create a place that would attract the best and brightest educators and let them become the community that drives the evolution of the site. We especially welcome your input as you have travelled around the world and have such a grasp of what is needed to improve teaching and learning now and in the future.
On another note, I must tell you I attended your 21st Century Literacy workshop at my regional service center and it opened my eyes to so much. I learned about RSS for the first time — the next day I downloaded the free RSS reader and subscribed to your and other educational blogs; and our elementary school published our first school-wide anthology using Lulu.com! We are currently working on our second anthology, which will include a poem from each of our K-6 grade students!