The internet paradox: Connector or segregator?

The following reflection is on the TED Talks video below by Ethan Zuckerman, Talking to global voices (19:45 m).

 

Zuckerman's talk is very interesting for me as it calls for not only reflection on our role as global citizens, but action.  I was disheartened when scrolling through the comments to see that a quite hostile discussion had been started about race.  It is no secret that the U.S. was founded on racist principles, by white males in the possession of property.  Racism and all forms of discrimination continue to oppress people living all over the globe.  This being said, I feel that Zuckerman's intent is to expose the empty rhetoric of this digital era.  Terms such as "democracy", "diversity", "multiculturalism", and "globalization" fill the media, especially regarding education.  In theory, all of these ideals are based on equality; however, in practice they often elicit social injustice.  Zuckerman proposes that the anticipated, utopian function of the internet as a "connector" has essentially been reversed.  In other words, the internet is further solidifying boundaries, in turn perpetuating social misconceptions and inequalities.  These thoughts raise a series of questions, of which I am not sure of the answers.  Why do we function in such a limited manner on the internet?  As the behavior is a global trend, is it a result of human nature and psychology or is it social ideologies, politics, economics etc?  I wish I could answer these questions, but I think my time would be better spent identifying how Zuckerman's talk relates to education.

The most important point that I took from this talk is being an active member of the global world, creating and crossing 'bridges'.  If we as teachers are just using the internet to meet a professional evaluation requirement or state standard, we are cheating our students from understanding the power that can come from using the internet.  As Zuckerman warns, the internet has the potential to perpetuate social structures and hierarchies.  Therefore, we must raise students' awareness of how they can connect in a meaningful way on a global scale; resources, such as ePals, may assist this effort.  Even if we can just ignite a genuine interest among students to learn from/with people who are different from they are, they will be more prepared as global citizens.  It is only natural that we will search for information and talk with people who align with our personal interests.  However, we need to continuously encourage ourselves, our peers, and our students to leave our comfort zones and engage in new, thought-provoking conversation.  Being a global citizen is not a passive role; it comes laden with responsibilities and challenges.  But who ever said equality was going to be easy?  All we can do is be aware and informed -- ever-teaching, ever-learning, and ever-sharing.

Q: Can't afford a field trip to Ghana? | A: ePals.

Our classrooms should reflect the recent trend of globalization by fostering multiculturalism and diversity.  However, the manner in which we approach this with our students is crucial as it is a very complex topic that is subject to various interpretations and manifestations.  In the U.S., celebrating "Día de los muertes" for Hispanic heritage and spending a month on the significant roles of African Americans does not constitute multicultural education (MCE).  The ideals of multicultural education, which should be rooted in equality, need to be embedded within and woven throughout learning and interactions.  A tool that teachers can use to avoid implementing watered-down or politically-tainted conceptions of MCE is ePals, which connects classrooms across the world.  We all know that field trips are in short supply and if we teach in a poor district, the majority of the students can not afford to travel within their own city, let alone nationally or internationally.  ePals deconstructs the social, economic, and political barriers that prevent students and teachers from learning about and experiencing different cultures in an authentic and meaningful way.


Here are some features worth highlighting:

1. The site offers services and resources for students, teachers, and parents.
2. Teacher sign-up is FREE and you receive 30 student accounts with your membership.
3. Teacher resources:
• a forum
• Cyberbullying resources
• Smithsonian Museum: provides 'explorations' for students.
• Common Sense Media: posts information on internet safety and use.
• International Baccalaureate: offers engaging lesson ideas that encourage creativity.
• International Reading Association: a non-profit that provides podcasts, articles, lesson plans, and booklists.
• Skill Builders Library: contains lesson plans that include computer, digital literacy, and communication/writing objectives.
• Training Resources: professional development. 
4. Student 'Explorations':
• ONEDROP: a social awareness project on our water supply that incorporates social arts and popular education.
• Biodiversity: take virtual field trips!
• Black History: provided by the Smithsonian.
• eFilm: very engaging films about culture. 
• Digital Storytelling: create, share, and read.
5. Most impressively, teachers and students can connect, communicate, and collaborate from overseas! There are several project ideas from other classes for a jump start.

One idea I had while browsing the site was for a lesson on human rights.  I started watching an eFilm about children with disabilities in Varanasi, India and could not stop.  The video highlighted the isolation of children with disabilities living there and a center that had opened to provide both health-related and educational services.  This film could be used to learn about stereotypes, civil rights, discrimination, and equality.  Students could interview teachers for students with disabilities to learn about the rights and services that students are provided in schools, make comparisons, and perhaps spend time working with students with disabilities to experience daily tasks from their point of view.  I would say that empathy and tolerance would be the ultimate goals for this type of lesson.

DIYO :: Digital Story.

                                                                                         Try our slideshow maker at Animoto.


While experimenting with Animoto, a digital story-telling tool, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to use.  The only downfall is that you are limited to a thirty-second video, if you are using the free membership.

I decided to create a video about idioms in English, which is not quite a narrative story, but can still be useful.  I thought a video would be a good way to introduce or reinforce idioms, as the images reinforce the nonsense of their literal meanings.  I tried to chose idioms that are common in everyday speech, music, etc. ['pull some strings', 'take the high road', 'couch potato', and 'apple of my eye'].  While I have a whole list of idioms that I would like to have visualized, I think this video offers a short, yet clear 'picture' of the phrases.  Some images help illustrate the figurative meaning, while others are just absurd.  I want the images to spark interest, add humor, and create meaning for the students.

Here a few ideas I had for using it in the classroom:

1. Give the students the list of idioms and ask them to identify whether or not they have heard it before, what they think it might mean, and to use it in a sentence [if they can].  Then present the video.  After viewing, see if the students can draw new meaning from the idioms and create a sentence and/or quick dialogue using the phrases.

2.  After presenting a lesson on idioms, ask the students to extend this video by assigning images to different phrases.  Students can use a program like Animoto or draw images in sequence, depending on their preference.  This video would serve as a model.

3.  Present a lesson on idioms. Show the video to the students.  Then, ask the students to select one of the idioms from the video and create a comparison between the literal and actual meaning using a combination of images, videos, oral explanations, dialogues, etc. 

book + flickr = bookr

http://www.pimpampum.net/files/imagecache/normal/captura/16_bookr_01.jpg

Continuing along in the same vein as the previous post, digital storytelling, this post shares a web resource, bookr, that teachers and students can use to create, write, illustrate, recreate and share stories.  Bookr is limited in the sense that are no video or audio capabilities, but it is linked with flickr, the photo sharing website.  It uses Creative Commons licensed photos to promote legal and ethical sharing.  It is simple to use and can facilitate language learning from fundamental phonics to figurative language.  I created my own bookr, My Daily Routine, which is geared for beginners.

Here are some purposes for the use of my bookr in the classroom with ELLs [connected to the ISTE | NETS Student Standards]:

VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR: It uses daily vocabulary that students will be exposed to immediately, as well as captures how most children [in the U.S] get ready in the morning.  If you are working with students with disabilities, this could be a life-skills tool.  Students might compare and contrast how they get ready in the morning using a Venn diagram or other graphic organizers.  For extension activities, students can create their own book about their morning routine or continue the teacher's book to write about the rest of the morning [getting on the bus, going to school, etc.].  Depending on ability, it can be scaffolded with a template, created by the teacher.  The students can 'recycle' the template to complete their own bookr.

This book also uses sequence and simple sentence structure.  Sequence transition words could become integrated into a lesson surrounding this book, as well as nouns, verbs, subject and predicate.  I think it is always important to integrate some grammar or language focus in lessons.  

ISTE | NETS: Students are able to use their own creativity to design and sequence a book about their daily routine. Students will become more familiar with technology operations and concepts, like using flickr, Creative Commons, and photo tags.  

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For more advanced learners you can also connect bookr to:

STORY STRUCTURE | GENRE:  Students practice writing in a specific genre and/or following a specific format.

LITERARY DEVICES & TECHNIQUES:  Students use images to visualize the meaning of figurative languages, such as metaphors. 

POETRY & IMAGERY:  Students can illustrate a poem using photos to capture it's meaning and imagery.

What is digital storytelling?

  "the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories."

-The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling

"the practice of combining narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video,

to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component."

-7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling

"a short, first person video-narrative created by combining recorded voice, 

still and moving images, and music or other sounds." 

-Center for Digital Storytelling

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by  digistorytellin

While the definitions listed above are slightly different, they each offer a description that references the art of telling stories through technology. 7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling points out "the oral tradition of knowledge transfer and exchange has served as the basis for education since humans began teaching one another,and digital stories build on this model by incorporating rich, dynamic media".  Digital storytelling just offers an alternative means for expression that can incorporate written, spoken, and visual language in the same space.  I think digital storytelling could especially benefit ELLs as they can support, supplement and enhance their stories with audio and visual elements.  Therefore, they have the opportunity to develop both written and oral language skills in a creative way.

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A few quick ideas for incorporating digital storytelling in the classroom with ELLs:

All About Me Book.  A traditional activity for beginning of the year introductions can be transformed into a multidimensional lesson on technology, using simple commands and key technology vocabulary.  Integrate language structures and content vocabulary for a second-level of engagement.  Modify for ability levels, of course.

Book Publishing.  I have had the opportunity to be in a classroom for an end of the year book publishing project. Although I think this is a great activity that allows for differentiation and authentic assessment, one word seems to come to mind when I look back, chaos.  Digital storytelling removes the cutting, pasting, sewing, and not to mention, a million questions.  While some students may prefer the traditional paper method, others may rather work online.  Personally, I think a choice should be presented to students.

Collaborative Stories.  Students can co-author a book.  The story can have a prompt/theme or students can have complete freedom when writing.  Students can plan the story together or each complete a separate section, adding onto the previous work of their group members.  A fun activity that allows for collaboration and student-driven learning. For a list of writing prompts [for more advanced speakers] check out this writing prompts list that I stumbled upon today.

thoughts on twitter.

I am new to Twitter.  In fact, the only reason I signed up for an account is because of the requirement for the graduate class I am taking on technology.  Up until recently I did not see the point, as I do not have a smart phone and can't post witty, strange, interesting, spontaneous thoughts as they pop into my head.  Also, I felt as if I waste enough time reading through status updates on Facebook.  After reading the TeachPaperless post, Twimpact: Twitter's impact on my week, I must admit the introduction which states, "They say it’s just a way for people attracted to the Me Generation ethos to transmit their self-centered Facebook musings to a wider audience" could not have more accurately summed up my sentiments toward Twitter.

Since I have joined the Twitter community and read-up on the topic, I am becoming more open to the possibilities and opportunities that micro-blogging can present.  On a more global scale, the article How Twitter will revolutionise academic research and teaching says, "For higher education, social media is part of a process of democratisation. Its effective use can lead to an ethical shift towards active efforts for engaging new audiences and widening participation beyond the Ivory Tower's walls".  These implications are HUGE.  The democratization of information production, distribution, access, publication, ownership, etc. challenges the perception of knowledge.  I could not help but relate this quote to the theory of Connectivism, which I mentioned in a previous post.  We are all engaging in this construction, re-construction, and deconstruction of knowledge by commenting, posting, tweeting, re-tweeting, etc.

If you continue reading Twimpact: Twitter's impact on my week, you find that benefits of using Twitter from a teacher's perspective are really incredible.  With tight resources and funds, this teacher has found a way to pursue professional development, uncover authentic classroom resources, and bring speakers to her classroom -- all for free and from her Twitter account!  Field trips are becoming obsolete as the funds are not available.  This teacher's solution, if you can't take the students to Peru, why not bring Peru to your classroom?  I had never thought this would be possible.  Not only can Twitter significantly reduce cost, it also reduces time.  By dedicating only a few minutes to Twitter a day you can browse hundreds of Tweets to find ones that will meet your needs/interests as en educator.  Twitter is like one communal education bulletin board, everyone has access to post and read.  So would you use your school's bulletin board with posters for events that have probably already occurred or are sold-out or sign-in to Twitter?

As overwhelming as hopping on my Twitter page can be, with millions of Tweets staring back at me, I would say it's worth it.  With how fast information is released, it only makes sense to join.  After investigating the benefits of Twitter, I am excited to be a member of the community.

Image from: http://eastcountymagazine.org/sites/default/files/education%20funding_5.JPG

Social Networking for ESL/EFL Teachers

As information regarding technology is anything but stagnant, we need to stay connected.  Here is the link to a social networking website for ESL/EFL teachers:  EFL Classroom 2.0.

This site has several sources of information, tools, and opportunities specifically geared for ESL/EFL teachers who want to connect with other professionals in the field.  Here is a list to highlight some of the features/tools that I found useful.

• My Page: create your own space to share, post, and comment.
• Translator: when hard-copies are in short supply, which is often the case.
• Discussion Board: share, network, and trouble-shoot.
• Voice Thread: online collaborative learning tool. threads for ELLs.
• Videos: from music to informational videos.
• Tarheel Reader: alphabet books online. great for a SMARTBoard or Promethean Board.
• World News: teach language through current events.
• Powerpoint Presentations: take advantage of shared resources to save time.
• Couch Surfing: plan on teaching abroad? connect with teachers around the world.
• Professional Development Links: blogs, training resources, etc.
• Podcasts: stay up-to-date and help yourself to unlimited information.

Image from: http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/social-network-by-luc-legay.jpg

A learner is like a....

                                                                                                               ...rubber band ball.

To be honest, completing the predicate for the phrase "A learner is like a..." was not an easy task, especially after reading about Connectivisim from the article, Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, a seemingly postmodern concept.  My goal was to pick something that was flexible and limitless.  While rubber band balls have physical and theoretical limitations, I feel they can offer a relatively clear analogy for a fairly complex theory [at least in my head].

The foundation for this analogy is rooted in the quote, "Computer networks, power grids, and social networks all function on the simple principle that people, groups, systems, nodes, entities can be connected to create an integrated whole. Alterations within the network have ripple effects on the whole" (Siemens, 2001).  Therefore, think of the rubber bands as new knowledge.  The ball expands as it acquires more information, a direct concept.  The knowledge becomes layered and interwoven in a complicated interrelated manner, representative of the schema or a mental network.  This messy compilation of rubber bands symbolizes the connections that we make everyday.  If new information is acquired that clashes with previous knowledge, it requires a shift in one's overall thinking.  Therefore, that knowledge or rubber band, would need to be removed, which would require the removal of a link(s) and the reconstruction of the schema.

One of the essential ideas behind Connectivism is that knowledge is growing and evolving at a rapid rate, which requires us to constantly expand and alter our way of thinking.  George Siemens states, "If I'm not continually learning, I'm becoming obsolete in my particular field or within a particular knowledge space...A network continually evolves and continually re-forms itself.  So when I talk about the network as the learning, I'm essentially referring to that construct that we as individuals make that enables us to stay current and to continue to learn" in the video  The Network is the Learning (3:14 min.).  While the conception of the network that Siemens refers to extends beyond the individual, the rubber band ball symbolizes the learner's acquisition of new information.  As the ball grows, it becomes stronger.  As we are exposed to current and relevant information, we become more powerful and are able to make greater societal contributions.

The one limitation of this analogy that I struggled with is that rubber band balls are fairly individual entities that do not connect.  Due to the crucial role that sharing plays in Connectivism, I would like to pretend for all intensive purposes that rubber band balls are interactive and have the potential to 'connect' and share bands or information.

Image from: http://iamnotagoodartist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/googly_ball.jpg

S.O.P.A. & P.I.P.A.

While browsing on my new Google Reader [a huge time-saver], I stumbled upon this post SOPA and PIPA Explained in an Infographic.  A few weeks ago, it was pretty hard to ignore the uproar over these two acts.  Despite efforts to read up on the issue, I still felt unclear about the ramifications as most articles offered vague, yet severe claims like censorship and unconstitutionality.

I found this post to provide easy-to-digest information on the topic.  The Infographic is an effective visual that explicitly outlines why these acts are unconstitutional, while the video offers an overview of past attempts at reform and of implications for the future.  If you are still curious about these proposals, I highly recommend taking a gander at this post.  As teachers and participants in online communities, I think it important for us to have a clear understanding of current policy regarding internet use for two reasons.  Firstly, we are role models for our students, so we must demonstrate how to act appropriately online.  Students need to be aware that legal issues, such as plagiarism and stealing [illegal downloading], apply online.  Secondly, we are advocates for technology, which is a role that should not be taken lightly.  Acts like SOPA and PIPA infringe on constitutional rights.  We must protect these rights by remaining informed and active, especially because the situation is predicted to worsen, according to Clay Shirky.

I do not want to spark a heated political rant, I just want to share this post and offer my opinion about why I find it meaningful for the education community.  From my understanding, these pieces of legislation will impose severe restraints and restrict everyone's ability to create, explore, and share online.  The inherent benefits of online learning and teaching are in jeopardy of being stripped away.  When considering the 'sugar-printed birthday cake' analogy offered by Shirky, the implications became increasingly real in my mind.  Will websites that share media files, like student reproductions of music/tv/film, be punished under these acts?  If so, could these laws discourage the use of technology in the classroom?

Image from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V8zIYUdaGKQ/Txu3oBI38mI/AAAAAAAAL0E/kxQD6rz1vLc/s1600/sopa-pipa-delayed-thumb-550xauto-81573.jpg