One of the weaknesses in implementing many popular instructional tactics (e.g., problem-based learning, project-based learning, argumentation activities, WebQuests) is getting from an understanding of the tactic to a specific activity for classroom implementation that is relevant to a curriculum need. This is why resources such as Newsela paired texts provides such a valuable starting point for educators.
Newsela, an online service focused on the developing reading skills, offers a service suited to this educational goal. Among the resources offered are paired texts. Newsela locates two online sources related to a current topic. Each pair of texts is associated brief background comments, discussion topics and a writing prompt.
Consideration of whether or not technology hardware will serve educational ends as a production device as well as a consumption device has often been a flash point. Most recently, this topic has again focused on the iPad with some early tablet adopters now making the decision to move toward hardware with keyboards. It is obviously possible to write on a tablet, but the practicality of doing without a keyboard has come into question. Ease of use may encourage too much consumption and not enough production.
The promise of using technology to involve more of us as producers has existed for some time. With the introduction of more opportunities for online sharing, we knew something different was possible. This was a heady time with the promise of changes to commerce, politics, and education. It seemed worthy of a new label. Most would point to Tim O’Reilly’s term “Web 2.0”. As an alternative I liked the use of “Read/Write” web. Henry Jenkin’s “participatory web” also creates the right tone.
I think we are now backing away from this vision. The long tail is shrinking because of apathy and tools that offer content linking as a substitute for production. Content generation has given way to Facebook and Twitter linking. There are fewer bloggers and a substitution of Twitter discovery for the use of RSS. This trend has given rise to the development of Nuzzel which basically counts the number of times those you follow on Twitter link to the same address. If the individuals noting the value of a particular page in their tweets did not immediately get your attention, perhaps the Nuzzel totals will. For me, the value of Nuzzel is not the list generated from those I follow, but the lists generated by other users which tap into a different group.
I wish the educators who are big into promoting coding, but do not code themselves or who argue that generative student projects are valuable, but do not generate content themselves would think about this situation. Educators should have more to say about their practice.
Posted inUncategorized|Comments Off on The shortening of the long tail
Google just released a new social media service – Google Spaces. I am reluctant to go all in on Google products because I have been burned too many times. I find services interesting, put in my time developing something, and then the service is abandoned. This the Google way and Google users should know this pattern, but there is also the issue of promoting a Google service and then finding you have advocated that others spend their time before it is clear Google is really serious.
So, again, this service looks interesting and worth a look. My first paragraph should offer fair warning. If you would like to check out a simple resource, here is a link for a simple space I have created requesting input on experience with formatting for Kindle publication. You do not have to be interested in the topic to take a look.
My initial interpretation is that Spaces offers a way to generate a conversation around a topic. If my interpretation is accurate there should be some value in this approach. My immediate reaction is that this could be an improvement on the popular Twitter chat which I see as hampered by the limited commenting that Twitter allows.
As I understand the present situation, Spaces is not a Google for Education app. I would guess this will change as the services seem well suited to posting questions, content for discussion. This will likely change.
Here is what I am missing about what Google is thinking. When you create a Space you invite access. These are the options. Why Facebook? Why not use Circles which I thought was a very interesting and useful approach to controlling access? Sending a link has limitations when it comes to controlling access. The link can be easily shared without consent of the personal creating the Space.
My Spring class has just concluded. One of the final issues we consider is that of equity issues related to technology use. A subcategory of this topic large gender difference in “interest” in computer science (coding).
On a descriptive level, this equity gap is easy to demonstrate. The stats on participating in AP programming courses, attrition from a college CS major, graduate program enrollment, etc. demonstrate the size of the gap. Explanations and remedies (if this is even the appropriate term) are far more difficult.
I thought this post from the Google blog was informative and shared it with the students I work with. The focus is very much on the culture in which programmers work and how this culture is perceived. The approach taken by Carnegie Mellon is highlighted. CMU enrolls 40% females in contrast to the average 14%.
Writing to learn is a theme I have long championed. Actually, I have moved to “Authoring to learn” and “Tutoring to learn” as ways to expand the dated notion of writing to learn to include multiple media and the known advantages to the tutor and tutee of explaining and interacting to learn. Technology offers so many opportunities when externalizing what a learner knows and is willing to learn through authoring and tutoring.
Here is a recent Edutopia article describing the learning benefits of “low-stakes writing” as ways to implement writing to learn. Interpret these ideas within my authoring and tutoring to learn and see if the combination offers insights into potential technology-based projects.
I probably make more use of Google docs and Evernote than any other apps. The announcement that the two could now be integrated seemed like a good thing for me. I must say I am a bit disappointed because the integration allows you to open docs within an Evernote note, but not the other way around. The potential of working from notes and snippets to a written product is appealing, but I use docs and Evernote in the opposite way. I write in docs and collect and organize resources in Evernote. The direction of sharing goes the wrong way for my approach.
The integration adds the Google docs symbol to the menubar for an Evernote note.
The Google drive icon opens a window allowing a Drive file to be accessed.
Perhaps you integrate content in Evernote. If so, this method combining Evernote and Docs may be helpful.
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