One more thought on wikis...

I joined the wikis for both DPS and the DPS media coordinators, but have probably done something wrong since I don't see other posts from fellow challengers.  I do see how it can be helpful to have these spaces for discussion and collaboration.  No problem joining the larger group, but I didn't know who managed the wiki for media coordinators and wasn't sure who to push for quick acceptance of my request to join.  It all worked out.  One question:  does the word wiki sound like it should be a tropical drink with an umbrella to anyone else?  "Waiter, I'd like a pineapple wiki served on the lanai?"

Oops!

In giving the information for the challenge, I see that I didn't actually complete all the requirements for the second challenge.  I had explored Ms. Harrison's blog (here) and commented on the fact that we both enjoy mysteries.  She has been reading the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear about a woman in Britain after WWII.  They are well written and give a good glimpse of a country that has been at war and is trying to return to "normal" when people are wounded by actions of war and the economy is not especially strong.

I have been reading mysteries by a new to me author called Julie A. Hyzy.  She does a series about a woman who is a chef at the White House.  I like it because of the stories of preparing food that is intricately prepped and served.  She includes recipes, but I haven't gotten around to any of them.  Ms. Hyzy also wrote a couple books about Grace Wheaton, (Grace Under Pressure and Grace Interrupted) about a woman who returns home to become the curator at a local mansion.  Hyzy's writing style is fun and light and made for perfect summer reading.  It would be a great "beach read" if I weren't married to a redhead who burns too much to go to the beach!

Almost done and still learning!

Today I almost completed my fifth and final task for the DPS Technology Challenge.  We had to collaborate and I did something I always warned the kids about--I went to Wikipedia and edited a post!  In my first years at HHS, I told kids they should never use Wikipedia because it isn't trustworthy since someone "like you or I" could go on and make changes.  That was my assignment--to look at a topic I knew something about and add information or edit a mistake.  (I am not so adamant about not using Wikipedia anymore.)

What do I know that much about? I wondered.  I read the entire post about Idaho, looking to see if they listed the state song (or at least the state song I had to learn in 4th grade.)  I mean, it's Idaho.  How many people write and read about it, right?  Sadly, "Here We Have Idaho" was listed in the state emblems at the bottom of the entry. (See me if you want to hear the first verse and chorus.  What I learned in 4th grade stays in my mind even though I can barely remember what I learned today!)   I was stuck.  Then I saw the list of famous Idahoans.  Ernest Hemingway's name was given since he lived in Ketchum, Idaho, but they didn't show his granddaughter, Margaux.  I had to make sure she did live in Idaho (not using a Wikipedia site for accuracy's sake), create a Wikipedia account and then edit the H's.

Not as easy as it sounds, actually.  Creating the account was fine, but the edit button was strange so I added Margaux in the K's by mistake.  She only stayed there for several minutes while I figured out how to delete my post and add her to the H's using all the same symbols so that her name would look like everyone else's on the list.

Ahh, the power of wikis!  No entry may be safe from my computer.  I will probably use my powers for good, but that little bit of Loki that is in me needs to come out sometimes!  Read everything that is shared for good sense and accuracy, my friends.  You've been warned!

Photos without penalties

I just learned about a thing called 'creative commons.'  It allows people, with the author's permission, to take created works (in this case photos) and use them without breaking copyright laws.  What is copyright?  It is why you shouldn't cut and paste pictures off of Google Images.  The law says that the images made by others are their property and you can't copy them (even for a school project) without getting the author's OK.  It is a hard rule to follow and was made more difficult by the easy access provided by the internet.  creative commons asks people to give their permission for use of their work (photos in this case) with more limited restrictions, including no restriction at all.  See me for more info--got to get this post done tonight since I have waited too late to try to finish this challenge.

I have created a type of powerpoint that could be used in a classroom--I was thinking of perhaps an ESL classroom where soccer is of interest and there might be a need to talk about the meaning of a few words.  I have asked the kids to put the pictures in order but it really isn't clear what the order is--this could just be a way of starting the discussion.  I have also asked them to write a title for each slide.  This is where the teacher could introduce terms/concepts that are being taught and what they mean here and in the kids' native countries.  For example, the picture of the older man is clearly the coach of one of the teams.  The title of that slide could be "Coach."  It could also be "Wisdom," "Age," etc.  The photo with 3 players in the air could be literal "Jumping for the ball" or something more figurative such as "The Dance of the Greatest Sport."  Teachers could discuss the tone of the pictures--why do we know that a fight is about to break out?  Click here to view the slideshow.

This could be adopted for almost any subject and could be as narrow or in depth as the teacher needs it to be.  Creative commons and Flickr make it very easy to put these together.

Cool Technology

In my ever present search to find new technology for our students, I was given the challenge to create a movie.  This is a very rough one which, I confess, I didn't put a lot of time into.  It is fun to see what can be done and I will probably spend more time later and make a more developed movie.  Might even make one without a moral about reading!  What do you think?

Click here to see my movie.

Change of topic

Mr. Unruhe at Riverside has commented on the way we supply old computers to kids when many of them have faster, better technology in their backpacks (or hidden in the palm of their hands) in the form of smartphones.  Click here to see what he has to says and my question to him.  What do you think about this?  If you respond, please just use your your first name and let us know if you have a smartphone or not.  Do you see a way to work around the problem?

Summer Reading

I have been doing a fair amount of reading this summer.  Lots of it has been good.  The concept of the book Room by Emma Donoghue grossed me out when my niece told me about it, but she assured me it was a good and quick read.  This is a story about a woman and her child who have been held captive by a man for years.  The child is 5 years old and is the result of the man's raping his captive.  The point of view is that of the boy who has never been anywhere but the small room he was born in.

This story is about a mother's love for her child and her drive to protect him as best she can.  (The author assures us the book was written before Jaycee Dugard was found.)  This book creeped me out but also made me think what life would be like for these two people.  I don't want to give away the plot line, but if you need something that keeps you reading so that you can find out what happens, this is a good book for you!