High School goes High Tech

Tanya ChiassonSt. Thomas More High School English Dept.

originally presented at the Diocese of Lafayette English In-Service on March 12,

2007revamped & redelivered to the English/History

Departments on May 9, 2007

Today’s Agenda Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 Web 2.0 in the classroom Web 2.0 in the classroom (without Web 2.0

accessibility) Reasons to use this technology Emerging technologies Where to learn what to do next

Web 1.0 HTML knowledge and/or

web authoring software needed

Read only Very few published

content Information gathering/

research Online Encyclopedias The Library of Congress:

American Memory Lesson plans

Web 2.0 No computer science

degree required Read/write Anyone can publish,

content Video, audio, blogs,

wikis, etc. Social collaboration –

can edit material and make it relevant and meaningful

Go2Web2.0.net a sampling of web 2.0 technologies

Web 2.0 in the classroom Flickr images = use

as writing prompts "The Orphan Boy and h

is Dog“ - Story adapted from a T'boli tale by Laura Simms

Shootout on Haifa Street

Preview site or choose pictures ahead of time

Web 2.0 in the classroom YouTube or

TeacherTube = create video tutorials; collaborative projects; post to your school website or blog Ex. of MS Word 2007

tutorial by students in a blog

coolcatteacher blog Technology Fear Factor Preview site or choose

videos ahead of time

Web 2.0 in the classroom Podcasts

Video podcasts = create online lectures; weekly school-wide news program; tutorials

Audio podcasts = create studycasts; audio of lectures and tests; class-created synopsis of novels, field trips, and interviews

Grammar Girl's Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing Eric Langhorst's Speaking of History podcast and blog

Web 2.0 ideas in/out the classroom Debate

Record a student class debate and send to a professional in the field being debated

Feedback makes the project real – community connection

Ex. Have a debate/trial assessed by a Lawyer’s Association

Novel Discussions/Blogs Post discussion questions for students or have a school-

wide exchange of ideas, possibly nation-wide Conversation vs. lecture...I have a mind...I have an

opinion. It counts. Just like yours. Ex. Novel Discussions Ex. Guerrilla Season Blog

Web 2.0 ideas in/out the classroom Blogs or Wikis to teach self/others

EduBlog Insights – comments, reflections, & occasional brainstorms

Flatplanet – collaboration wiki between 2 Catholic high schools on current environmental issues with a Catholic response

Student created study aids/review – you host, they post Discussion Boards

Pose questions to students; teach appropriate formal replies; teach valuable college skills (Blackboard, Moodle, WebCT)

Ex. Emily Dickinson literary criticism discussion thread using Turnitin.com

Screenshot of discussion thread within Turnitin.com

Meet them where they are without leaving the classroom Social Networking

profiles (Facebook or MySpace) = analyze a character by creating a profile for him/her

Teach appropriate behaviors, even morals with this lesson

Ex. Holden Personal Profile

Meet them where they are without leaving the classroom Instant or Text Messaging

= created conversations with/between literary characters, authors, or people in history Ex.

Romantic Instant Messaging – students created conversations between Romantic/ Transcendentalist authors about a current topic

Ex. Text Message format: What would __ say to

__?

Submitted topics: Corruption of Poetry:

Rap Evils of Asian Magic:

Drugs Emily Dickinson IM

conversation between PoetryFan and EnglishNerd

Drugs and Poe’s Nervousness

A Woman as President?

Example of IM student workCorruption of Poetry: Rap Emerson (C): Greetings, colleagues. I have invited you all to this meeting via the

new “IM,” also known as instant messaging to discuss the destruction and corruption of poetry in the new pop culture known as “rap.” I would like to hear your arguments on this topic at hand.

Thoreau (T): Kewl deal, I have only heard a select few different rap songs, but I believe the rap music industry has totally destroyed the art of poetry. As you know, I believe in simplicity and living with only bare necessities and these “rappers” live lives of detail and unnecessary excess. Some of these unnecessary things include “bling,” extreme car details with huge rims and big lifts, and houses some of them probably could not afford.

Hawthorne (W): I personally am fascinated with the dark nature of the rap songs that I have heard. Many rap songs discuss the evil things in the present day society such as murder, theft, and thug life. These evils truly fascinate me.

Poe (K): Ralph, I am going to have to side with Nathaniel on this issue. As you can tell from my writings, I am unhealthily enthralled by the dark nature of the world. The fact that this “rap” music powerfully brings out sin and evil in so many ways will of course turn some people away. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to the evolution of rap music and disagree with you that it is “corruption” to poetry.

Emerson (C): Well I personally believe that the whole rap community has lost itself from the great natural pleasures of life. The extensive use of drugs and violence used as primary themes so commonly in rap music that it is sickening to me; thus, my interpretation as rap corrupting our so beloved poetry.

Example of IM student workA Woman as President? Poe: Such bleak news have I heard. Thoreau: “What hearest ear of ear?” (Let Such Pure Hate Still

Underprop) Poe: The mysterious people of this United States are pondering a

woman as president of this dark country. Thoreau: My dear friend, this news is like a burst of wind rustling

in the trees. Poe: Thou cannot be serious. This news has “filled me with

fantastic terrors never felt before.” (Raven) Thoreau: Why would a woman president give you such fret? Poe: I implore you to consider the disaster this would cause.

Have you ever seen a wrench with any sense? They are the weaker sex, good only for cooking and rearing children.

Thoreau: I have seen women as sturdy oaks that can withstand any storm. Tis true they have a way with children, but this will only help. You know many of the politicians are but children who have not bloomed.

Why use these technologies? Learning can happen anywhere at any

time (absent students) Multiple learning styles are addressed and

met (auditory, visual, kinesthetic) Fosters

creation of content connection with community (experts) and with

each other discussion and collaboration “real life” relevancy and meaning

Focus is on outcome not technology

Emerging Technologies Open source textbooks

MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/index.htm

CA Open Source Textbook Project http://www.opensourcetext.org/index.htm

WikiBooks – Rhetoric and Composition http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Rhetoric_and_Compositio

n

Emerging Technologies Slideshare

A place to share & discover slideshows Can imbed in wikis, blogs, etc. http://www.slideshare.net/

Skype A place to begin conversations https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/home

Access these sites at home first as content is not appropriate for all

Audio files for all – especially auditory learners Librivox

http://librivox.org/ Gutenberg

http://www.gutenberg.org LiteralSystems

http://literalsystems.org/abooks/index.php LoudLit

http://www.loudlit.org

What do I do now? Start small – I start with one new project per year

or semester

Share, share, share

Don’t give up!

Talk to your Technology Coordinator for tips and ask for equipment…then ask again and again…or borrow it from your students!

Places to go... Create your own

free blog at Blogger or wiki at wikispaces

Learn the steps of podcasting at Podcast For Free

Sign up for popular RSS feeds from blogs, wikis, podcasts, or zines you find and like

Read technology magazines like Edutopia and Technology & Learning

Use a content listserv NCTE NCSS

You can do this!

Thank you for attending this session

Contact information Tanya Chiasson St. Thomas More tanyachiasson@stmcougars.com tanya_chiasson@hotmail.com 337-988-3700 ext. 274 (STM) You can find this presentation on my

newest wiki http://chiassonenglish.wikispaces.com/Handouts or referenced on my newest blog: http://www.speakingofliterature.blogspot.com/

Farewell in my student’s words Hawthorne (Be): Well, I g2g fix my

scaffold before the sun rises. Poe (M): Ttyl, me2. The Raven just flew

in and wants to chillax before the fated hour.

Thoreau (W): G2g, Big Brother is monitoring my actions. You know, the Patriot Act.