Unit+5

**Background/Rationale:** Wikis, Nings, Elluminate, Digital portfolios Many of our students are regular users of social networks. Our schools block these websites in the name of safety. This leaves a disconnect between how students communicate out of school and what we ask of them in school. It is important to look at the attraction and benefits of these social networks in our students’ lives and then attempt to achieve these benefits by creating "safe" social network zones for our classrooms that replicate the experiences and benefits of the Facebook and MySpace sites among others. What are the attractions of social networks? Sharing with people that are important to the student, posting personal facts and experiences, photos and video, discussing topics, and becoming members or a shared cause or group with others are all benefits of social networks. These elements help students to build a personal online identity and help them communicate to others who they are. How can we capture these elements to support our curriculum? An important 21st century skill is collaboration. Giving students space to present what they have learned and to work with others to build a body of knowledge on a common subject and discuss or reflect on this learning adds great power to learning. This unit will explore Wikis, Nings, groups and digital portfolios as methods to incorporate social learning to curriculum. **Wikis** are collaboratively built websites. They are very simple to setup and allow editing permissions to anyone the creator chooses. They can be open or protected. Wikis offer discussion functionality and the insertion of images, video and gadgets or widgets (mini-programs) without having to know programming. The difference between a wiki and blog is that a blog in a two sided conversation - posting and responses from others. Wikis allow a group to collaboratively create a body of information. While working together, they can discuss and peer edit, producing a stronger final product. Wikified research papers (allowing students to insert video, speeches and images to their research) can prove deeper knowledge than their text only counterparts. **Nings** are similar to Facebook or similar social networking sites. They offer members a personal page to show off information about themselves and interests, images, video etc. Members can begin discussions that other member can respond to. Ning usage is changing from free to a fee based model. This will affect their uses in education. There are open source models that replicate the Ning experience. While creating a new Ning right now may be costly, joining a ning as a teacher resource can be a great space to collaborate and learn. Free Ning-like alternatives are posted below. **Groups** offered from Google, Yahoo and others sites are built around specific interests. It is helpful to explore and join groups of similar content or age level teachers. There may not be a lot of high school chemistry teachers using technology in your school but finding a group online will allow you to share ideas, resources and ask for help when you need it from those in a similar situation. **Online meeting tools** like Skype, Adobe Connect and others offer real time discussions that are great ways to breakdown class walls and encourage students to interact with others from other states or countries. Elluminate offers a meeting format that adds an online whiteboard for slide display, audio or text discussion. These and similar tools offer great ways to gain information and let students present information to others any where in the world. **Digital portfolios** are great ways to capture the social media experience while allowing students to present their work artifact in a digital format such as a web site or CD. Reflection on learning and giving others the opportunity to comment and question is an important feature of these portfolios. Students growth and proof of learning are presented in an easily accessed format. No longer is their work only to please a teacher, it is showing the world what they know. **Learner Outcomes** **At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to:** 1. Explore then create an educational wiki with full navigation, discussion and media insertion for curricular support and evaluate the use of wiki for instruction. (Activity 1) 2. Identify and analyze various social media features that can benefit learning (Activity 2) 3. Explore and evaluate various education related nings and groups and share with peers on a group generated form and discuss benefits (Activity 3) 4. Create a proposal for a student portfolio project. Discuss the importance of the reflective process to learning (Activity 4) **Readings and Research:** · Leelefever, L. (2007, May 27). YouTube - Wikis in Plain English. //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [] · Siemens, G. (n.d.). OPSOA by George Siemens on Prezi. //Prezi - The zooming presentation editor//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [] · Wikis in the Classroom. (n.d.). //The Department of Education//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [] **Wikitextbooks** · [|http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Introduction_to_Physical_Science#Temporary] **Ning Resources** · Arena, C. (2008, June 17). The True Value of Ning? « The Journey. //The Journey//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [] · Transformation Applications in Education / Elluminate - Wikibooks, collection of open-content textbooks. (n.d.). //Wikibooks.org//. Retrieved May 1, 2010, from [] **Education nings** [] [] [] [] [] [|http://flatclassroomproject.//ning//.com] [] **Ning creators** free [] [|http://www.spruz.com] [] Fee - [] **Group resources** [|http://groups.google.com/] search and scroll down [] [] [] **Online meeting /communication** · 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom | Teaching Degree.org. (n.d.). //Teaching Degree.org: The Best Online Teaching Degrees//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [] · Marotta. (n.d.). Technology PD / Skype in Education. //Technology PD//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [] **Meeting tools** free [|http://skype.com] [] [] fee-based [] [] [] **Digital Portfolios** · Barrett, H. (2010, April 28). Dr. Helen Barrett's Electronic Portfolios. //Dr. Helen Barrett's Electronic Portfolios//. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from [|http://electronicportfolios.org/] · Barrett, H. (n.d.). EPortfolios with Google Docs. //EPortfolios with Google Docs//. Retrieved April 28, 2010, from [|http://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioapps/overview/examples] · Barrett, H. (2010, November 1). Balancing the Two Faces of ePortfolios. //blip.tv (since 2005)//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [|http://blip.tv/file/3142511] ·   · DiMarco (ed), John. Web Portfolio Design and Applications. IGI Global. © 2006. Books24x7. http://common.books24x7.com.dml.regis.edu/book/id_12637/book.asp (accessed May 2, 2010) **NOTE: See instructions on accessing Books24x7 in the syllabus Required Course Materials section.** · McKenzie, J. (n.d.). Creating Digital Portfolios. //Technology Related Books, Videos and Online Learning Products//. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from [|http://fnopress.com/portfolio/portf.html] **Reflective Practice** · Self Assessment in Portfolios. (n.d.). //McRel.org//. Retrieved May 1, 2010, from [|http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr2port.htm] || · Smith, M. (n.d.). reflection @ the informal education homepage. //contents @ the informal education homepage//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [] **Reflective Practice** · Self Assessment in Portfolios. (n.d.). //McRel.org//. Retrieved May 1, 2010, from [|http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr2port.htm] · Smith, M. (n.d.). reflection @ the informal education homepage. //contents @ the informal education homepage//. Retrieved May 2, 2010, from [] **Learning Activities** **Activity 1: Create a Wiki Project** Context: In this activity you will create a wiki that will support your curricular area or classroom or intended area of instruction. Watch the wiki video [] to gain general understanding what a wiki can do. **This project will become an artifact for your final portfolio** · Choose Wikispaces or PBwikis to create your free wiki. · Set a color scheme for your site. · Your navigation must include your home page and 3 linked pages. //(An example might be US History with links to the Civil War, reconstruction..)// · Post at least two sample discussion questions to support learning on each page. · Create consistent styles on your site for headers, text. · Embed images, video or other gadgets into your wiki pages to support content. · Decide if this will stand as a resource to students on a subject topic or become a place where students build their own knowledge on a subject area and make this apparent in your first page instructions. · Post your wiki URL to the discussion forum labeled “Create a Wiki” and share what you find interesting, valuable, and challenging about using wikis and how you envision using them in your classrooms. · Comment on your classmates wiki creations. **Assessment** For information on how you will be evaluated, please see the Create a Wiki Grading Criteria **Activity 2: Discussion - Social Media Uses** Step 1: Analyze and discuss how you use Social Media in your personal life. · What elements do you use and value in social media sites? · Can these elements be used in different settings to support learning? Step 2: Analyze what you do (or a friend if you don't use any social media) on a social media site and the offerings there. · How are these activities valuable to learning? Step 3: Post your analysis in the discussion forum for this activity. Review your colleagues’ responses and REPLY to two or more of their responses **Assessment** Refer to the Discussion Rubric in the Course Resources folder for more information on how you will be evaluated. **Activity 3: Project - Create a class resource of valuable Nings and Internet groups** Nings are a wonderful tool for both professional development and curriculum applications. Since Nings are becoming fee based its application in the classroom may be curtailed but will still be a powerful tool for professional development. For this assignment you will help to create a list of Ning sites that can benefit the entire class. Step 1: Your instructor will create a Google spreadsheet and share it with the class. Each student will research various nings and groups that relate to both technology and chosen field of education. Step 2: Please post the URL of at least two sites with a brief description of what you perceive the benefits to be. **Assessment** For information on how you will be evaluated, please see the Create a Wiki Grading Criteria **Activity 4: Discussion - Digital Portfolios** After reading about digital portfolios and reflective self-evaluation of work, create a proposal for a digital poftfolio project. Share ideas about what you would include in your class instructions for a student portfolio: 1. Include four proposed artifact items - names and summary of contents (projects from your content area) 2. Reflection question(s) that you would pose to students for each portfolio item. 3. Discuss the value of portfolio uses. **Assessment** Refer to the Discussion Rubric in the Course Resources folder for more information on how you will be evaluated.
 * Learning Topic 5: Media and social networking**
 * **Wikis**