Wanderings…

I really don’t expect (or particularly want) my teachers to read this blog.  They already think I am weird – why give them even more cause to question my sanity?

I DO wish they would read the blog I have designed specifically for them.  Latest Links.

Perhaps if the blog came in an old, familiar paper format?  Well – as Apple says (ad nauseum) – “There’s an app for that.”

From the most useful blog I have even found …

Free Technology for Teachers – Turn your blog into a newsletter with RSS to PDF

Through the wizardry of Web 2.0, your blog (or at least 2 printed pages of it) instantly morphs into a newsletter that can be printed and distributed to teachers.

I suspect that I will not use it myself.  I am a die-hard.  If I want my teachers to use blogs and other Web 2.0 tools, I will have to send them to the actual blog. So – I will continue to write the blog posts and then send the links to teachers via email.

Besides, if I were to use this tool, I would have to actually type in actual web addresses – not just hyperlinked titles. You just can’t click on that darned old-timey paper!

I have a dream.  Someday all teachers will actually understand (and use!) RSS feeds.  I know.  Crazy librarian talk. 

Grolier has stopped printing Americana & New Book of Knowledge etc, and is now publishing only the online version.  I assume World Book and Britannica are continuing the print version along with the online version – at least for awhile.

If the “traditional” publishers want to compete with Wikipedia – are they planning to broaden their coverage?  For instance, our 9th graders do research on young adult authors every year.  MANY  of those authors have not reached the level of “fame” etc. to merit inclusion in World Book, Americana et al.  Wikipedia is often the only place I can send kids to do the broad, general, beginning research that I would like them all to start with before getting into author reference sets, whole biographies etc.

So – here are my questions….

1.  Do the traditional encyclopedias plan to put online ONLY what they can feasibly publish in a print encyclopedia?

OR

2.  Are they going to take advantage of the limitless storage of the web to broaden both the scope and depth of their coverage?

Believe me – I COMPLETELY understand the drawbacks of Wikipedia.  However, as cautious as I am about Wikipedia, I am questioning the value of continuing our subscriptions to the traditional encyclopedias, if I don’t see a significant change in their business plans.

Thoughts?

Chris Potter (my partner in Web 2.0 Geekdom) just sent me this video – The Networked Student.  Naturally – it’s blocked at school.

It is how we both want to teach.  What’s holding us back?  The content filter, aka “Bess the Barking Dog”.  I’d actually like to use a synonym that would add some satisfying alliteration to that phrase.  Oh well.  Keep it PG.

Yes – it is frustrating.  But it is not totally insurmountable.  To quote & paraphrase from my reply to his email

We CAN’T throw up our hands and say “if I can’t use Delicious (Wikispaces, Blogger etc etc), then I am taking my toys and going home.”  We HAVE to make compromises to get a little of what we want – and hopefully get a little more another day.

Student Accountability – We do not do nearly enough with holding kids accountable.  We simply block things to make  our lives easier.  As teachers in charge of such a project, we would have to craft a realy tight “acceptable use policy” for collaborative projects.  There would need to be specific, swift and significant consequences to violation of the policy.  We would have to do memorable teaching about the ramifications of signing such a contract and what all the parts of it mean.  Then – “violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Hopefully Paul Newman will not charge me for the title of this post – a take-off of his famous line in Cool Hand Luke.

I was shocked to read Will Richardson’s post today. I’m glad that he does not ascribe to the new AP pricing rules for quoting – or I would owe him money:

$12.50 for Five Words

That’s what it’s going to cost you to excerpt in your blog any content published by the Associated Press under it’s new pricing structure.

With a little more searching, I did discover a discount for educators. We would only owe $7.50 for quoting 5-25 words. 

What’s next? Charging students to use quotations from AP in their research papers? Might happen if any of said research papers should end up on the web.

Come on – figure out a way to make the web and web 2.0 part of your business plan. How are you going to police the Internet? Isn’t it better to figure out how to gain from your reputation as an authoritative source? I would think that bloggers quoting and linking to your sources would create a buzz, bringing more business your way. Get creative and realize that “You’d better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone.” How much do you think I should pay Bob Dylan for using that quote?

I am so happy that Anne-Marie Gordon has decided to start a blog. I greatly value her knowledge and perspective.

Today – she blogs about Twitter – a web 2.0 app that I felt safe ignoring – until now. Darn. It really does have an educational use after all. Twittering in Outer Space

No wonder space aliens are portrayed with giant brains. People of the future are just going to need more brain space to keep up. What’s the next step after “twittering” – the Vulcan Mind Meld?