Last posting, I discussed the servers we have available throughout the district that allows our teachers and students to not only save and back up their documents; but also, to collaborate and share with each other as they work together to produce documents, PowerPoints, spreadsheet, and more.
Web2.0 has made the art of collaboration so easy it is limited only by the imagination of the people involved. That is where I want to focus you attention in this posting. Awareness only is my goal for this post. The web is exploding constantly with new tools and ways to write, collaborate, and publish for a distinct or worldwide audience. Our students are already doing this on a daily basis; without our help and supervision, on such sites as MySpace and Facebook. We have an obligation to instruct them on Internet Safety and the repercussions of putting too much personal information out there. (We will discuss that another day.)
I work with ten very talented people who assist with technology professional development every summer. We meet periodically throughout the year to prepare the trainings, and even they have found the sheer number of new tools amazing. When I say new tools I mean blogs, such as you are reading here, wikis, Ning, Voicethread, GoogleDocs, Deli.cio.us, etc. As your interest peeks over these unfamiliar terms know that we are planning professional development to assist you in implementing any you feel would benefit your instruction. Our team has selected one from each type we feel is easy to master and utilize. Remember there are many similar products. For example with blogs alone you have WordPress, Blogger, Blog.com, and Edublogger just to mention a few. If you attend training but find you prefer another similar product that is your call. Our goal in training is to make you familiar with the tool; and how it can benefit your instruction; and increase student achievement/interest in class.
With each of the above mentioned tools students become active participants in learning, writing, editing, revising, and publishing. But, back to my group that meets during the year. You would have thought I had a room full of ten year olds with all the excitement in the room as we were working in GoogleDocs at our last meeting. They were editing and revising on computers across the room from each other, in real time, with changes and updates happening immediately. The looks on their faces as they realized what can develop from these tools was priceless. Imagine the faces of our students as they collaborate across the classroom, across the district, and one day across the world…working in real time…together with other students (they may never met)…engaged and learning specific academic skills using technology as the tool!
That is powerful collaboration!!
Categories: Technology Integration · Web2.0
The next several postings will center around collaboration as a way of doing business. This applies to teachers when working teacher:teacher or teacher:student. It also applies to students whether working teacher:student or student:student. Being able to work collaboratively is a 21st century skill; that we as a district must develop in our students. The focus of this particular posting with be using the servers we have throughout the district.
Let me start by describing what an account looks like on our servers. When an individual logs onto a server they have a “home directory” or a group of folders stored under their name. When you put a document or file in one of these folders it is like putting it in the bank vault. It can be retrieved anytime from anywhere. Most of the folders here can only be accessed by you. You are the sole owner, and only you can go inside your folder to retrieve, edit, delete your files. There is one folder that is different. The PUBLIC folder is just that. Any file you place in your public folder can be accessed by anyone else who can log onto the server. So…if you wanted to give me a file that I could use in my classroom you might put it in your public folder. I would log onto the server, navigate to your public folder and drag a copy (only a copy, I cannot change your file) to my desktop for my use. If I want to share a document or file with you I can put it in your pubic folder but I must “drop” it inside the DROP BOX within your PUBLIC FOLDER.
The second option for you to share with another person is for you to drag a copy of the file to their dropbox inside their public folder and give it to them that way. Just like this exchange of files or collaboration works among teachers; it will also work from teacher:student and student:student. Every building in our district has a student server or “communicator”. All students and teachers should have accounts on that server. If you find that a student or teacher is not on the server you sould contact that person in your building who adds those accounts. If in doubt speak to your building tc, media specialist, or administrator
Think about this…you give an assignment. Instead of passing it out on paper, you place the assignment in your public folder – outside your drop box. Your students go to your public folder and retrieve it, bringing it down to their desktop on their computer and then go to work. Class ends for the day, but they are not finished…what to do? Easy, they put their work in their document folder on the server so that they can have access to it again tomorrow in class, or in the library, or wherever they have computer access within the school. Each day they work on their assignment. When they believe they are finished they drop their assignment into an assigned peer’s drop box for editing! Once edited that peer returns the assignment to the original student’s drop box. Now the student has an opportunity to revise their product. Once it is finished and in publish form they then “submit” their work to you, the teacher, by placing their work inside your drop box.
Is that collaboration, or what!
As a teacher you have two servers at your disposal. One is the school server or “communicator” the other is the www2.cmcss.net server located at central office. The file structure is identical on both servers and you may backup to either or both. Just remember you have access to the www2.cmcss.net server 24/7 from anywhere in the world.
Regardless, you should back up your files periodically on your computer for safekeeping and our servers are there for you to use for that purpose.
Categories: Technology Integration · Web2.0
