You may think I am anti-edchat. I have been misrepresented – I am against Twitter chats.
Just because I recognize my opinions are not shared by all (not sure why), here is an informative site providing everything you might want to know about edchat (in the Twitter style).
I believe if you are willing to advocate for the purchase of certain apps you also must be critical when criticism is called for.
I am advocate of ebooks in education and we have an ebook (a textbook) in the Amazon store. We considered iBooks and Kindle books and submitted our book to Amazon because Kindle was cross platform.
I have read ebooks on many different devices and used the software supplied by several companies. My present frustration is directed at the Google Play Book reading experience. Ironically, I am using the Play Book app to read How Google Works. I purchased the book from the Play Store rather than from the other possible options because it was a little less expensive (if I remember correctly). The irony stems from reading a very positive analysis of Google success using a kludgy Google product.
When I read for “my work”, the annotation, highlighting, and any other processing capabilities provided by the reading environment are very important. It has been fashionable to all such activity “deep reading”. The Kindle experience is by far my favorite. The tools work effectively and the content generated while reading can be downloaded. I have found the Google Play experience (note I am using the app on my iPad) very frustrating. The tools seem unresponsive and the content cannot be exported. Given the options of working with different software, I would purchase the same content through another service.
Google should be good at this kind of thing, but the software has a ways to go before it serves the purpose of serious reading.
In 2008, we participated in the One Laptop Per Child “get one, give one” project. I must admit we seldom used the device, but I did happen across it when going through our stuff for our move. The OLPC project is an example of a project that generated a great amount of attention for a while and then seemed to fade from view over time. I did wonder if the project was still active.
I just happened across this post from “The Next Web” that provides a follow up. The project does still exist, but the writer says it has lost much of the initial momentum. I wonder the Chromebooks at under $250 have proven an alternative in many situations.
I do recommend a full read of the article. There are interesting trailers for a documentary video and additional content regarding the possibilities of the Internet.
Veterans of the Apple II era likely developed their interest in educational games playing Oregon Trail. I happened across this extended Atlantic piece on the game and the interest in may have developed in those who played it.
I understand the motivation of educators in different content areas to get in on STEM. Without endorsing this priority, I understand why underfunded educators grasp at all opportunities. The STEM morph into STEAM also makes sense according to this same logic. I see no more connection here than with any other content area so I understand the connections using the same rationale.
I have found one personal example. There is at least a superficial connection between my background as a biologist and my interest in photography. Of course, I see the educational opportunities in capturing and using images in many content areas, but my example of the day involves biology.
I have lived in areas of the country that make Fall a great season. Interesting things happen. It is a comfortable and rewarding time to be outside and to see what you can see.
The leaves are beginning to turn in the north of Wisconsin and anyone with a camera can capture great images.
The opportunities are everywhere, but my favorite shots tend to incorporate water.
What about the science? There are many classroom activities tied to the changing color of leaves.
Wisconsin information about tree color
Information and student activities
Minnesota leaf color information
Additional personal pictures from the same Flickr set
One of the documents I have personally found most influential is H. Jenkins “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture”. The meaning of participatory (or Web 2.0, or the ReadWrite web) seems to be slipping away. I still think content creation is a great opportunity in education. The notion of a participatory culture implies we have the opportunity to both consume and create content. At best, we seem to be drifting toward a feeling that we have contributed something when we point at something someone else has created (my basic issue with those who focus on Twitter).
Anyway, my real intent here is to note that many of the resources funded by the MacArthur foundation are available at no cost through Amazon. The “Confronting the challenges .…” resource was already available as a free pdf, but I prefer resources formatted for the Kindle so that highlighting and note taking work easily. So, go to Amazon and search for Henry Jenkins and you would be able to download the Kindle version (for the Kindle or the Kindle app) as well as other MacArthur foundation resources.
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