This page contains my reflections from some of the speakers at the K-12 2007 Online Conference

I) “..if all my classes did this..”

If you heard a student state that they “would like school if all my classes did this..”, most of us, as educators, would be enticed to examine the efforts that caused this statement to be stated. We all want our students to be involved in their classes with excitement and enthusiasm. And if the student who made this statement was an “at risk of not graduating” student in their senior year of High School, you would be even more intrigued.

If this is the case for you, I would suggest that you listen to the podcast by Wendy Wolfe. The link is located on the K-12 Online Conference wiki site (2007) and you can arrive there by clicking on this link: http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=175

Ms Wolfe, as well as being a college professor, is a twelve year senior high teacher of social studies who came upon an unique method of capturing a student’s attention and opening up their creative minds. Her main method involves using cartoons as the medium for students to express their thoughts. But not just any cartoon, but a couple of programs that she found online that anyone can access. One was ToonDoo as well as a couple more (see the site).

Students can create a three pane cartoon online to express the area of study that they are engaged in. This type of thought encompasses the following: knowing the entire subject matter; condensing the subject matter into a concise medium; keeping the aforementioned medium simple enough for anyone to understand the meaning; and allowing for acceptance from others including peers, instructors, and the community.

This type of online animation creation allows for all students to participate, not just those with artistic abilities. The program has backgrounds, and objects in which the creator combines to create the final cartoon. I would imagine that the students need to learn about story boards and other organizational methods when creating the cartoons. In fact, this leads me to the next phase of Ms. Wolfe’s online conference message: Graphic Organizers.

Ms. Wolfe uses other online programs such as Gliffy ( http://www.gliffy.com ) . This program is a free web based program and can create flow charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, mind maps, floor plans, etc. This program uses a basic drag and drop format to create the project. You can also e-mail a gliffy file to another student to work together. You can save the gliffy as an object, or within a power point.

Many of Ms. Wolfe’s students stated during her 1st quarter survey that they liked their Gliffy projects the most, especially the boys.

The next tool that Ms. Wolfe examines is Zoho (http://www.zoho.com) This is an online office suite that is free for students to use. Unlike Microsoft Office, the entire program is web based. This will allow for students to do their projects online and allowing others to view their projects.

Ms. Wolfe also examined podcasts through cell phones and computers. If this interest you, check it out as well.

I was taken in by the ToonDoo. Check it out.

If you would like to learn more, please click on the url at the top of this post and examine the podcast in either audio or video.

II) Learn to Blog: Blog to Learn

New to blogging? Not sure what it is? Want to learn more? Well, Anne Davis has a simple, step by step presentation for the novice teacher to learn the principles of blogging as well as the uses for a blog within the classroom.

Ms. Davis is a presentator at the 2007 K-12 Online Conference and her presentation can be heard at http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=176 Ms. Davis is currently serving at the Georgia State University as an Informational Systems Training Specialist and has over 20 years in the elementary classroom. She knows what it takes for teachers to try something new and what they need in their training.

Ms. Davis suggests using a free blogging tool called Blogmeister located at : http://www.blogmeister.com

She uses a three step process to present blogging to teachers.

1. Webquest: Blogging: It’s Elementary!
2. SlideShareShow: Learn to Blog.
3. BlogMeister Class Blog: Learn to Blog

If a teacher clicks on the two links under each catagory, they receive information regarding the topic. Each builds on the other. But what I liked the most is that a beginner teacher only saw 6 sections that they would have to learn. It does not overwhelm them. As a trainer of middle school staff myself, I know how this is seen as a blessing by many teachers who are not, shall we say, very technology savvy.

The sections are short and get to the point. After the basic, there are examples, and then the BlogMeister site where they can build their own blog.

I actually gave this site to a couple of my own teachers to try out and let me know how they like it. I hope to get a response in the upcoming future.

III) Professional Learning Networks “Creating PLE’s with TLC” by Brandi Caldwell

Ms. Caldwell examines the Professional Learning Environment in regards to using online tools to establish knowledge and gather information from others.

Ms. Caldwell is an Elementary teacher in the small town of Springville, Alabama. She is a nationally board certified teacher and has taught English for over 11 years. She is a presenter at the 2007 K-12 Online Conference and her url at the conference is: http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=187

Ms. Caldwell begins with the expectation of not accepting boundaries. Be the boundaries your classroom; your school; your school district; your state; or even your country. She begins by using Christopher Columbus as an example. If he had not taken the challenge to explore past what was known to the world, when would the new world have been discovered and by whom.

With this in mind, Ms. Caldwell looked at her own colleagues to see what they thought were the major obstacles in networking with other educators. The answers were quite common. You had money; time off; travel; substitutes; being by yourself; and unwilling colleagues. Her solution is as follows:

• Use Online Colleagues
  • Local
    • e-mail
    • public folders
    • shared folders online
    • blogs for departments and also the entire school
  • Out of Area
  • • use online folders
  • • use blogs and wikies
  • • use other persons blogs
      • Use RSS and Social Bookmarking

• • Both
    • Online Office Suites that allow for multiple collaborators
      • This allows for you to use people in other parts of the world to expand on your subject.
  • • • You can achieve the following with this method:
        • Save time and energy
        • The information can be long lasting
        • The information can be collaborative
      • Online Social Networking
        • Use tools like Skype and Vroom to bring other parts of the world to your classroom and visa versa

If you want to expand your classroom into the world, this is a great video to see and to explore.

IV Obstacles to Opportunities
“Pushing the Envelope or How to Integrate Web 2.0 Tools on a Shoestring”
by Lisa Durff

Ms Durff is a teacher and media center specialist at a private, Christian school in Hagerstown, Maryland.

While finances are tight, Ms. Durff is a creative mind who, while knowing the value of technology integration, also understands the overall budget picture of a private school.

While some private have an excess of funds, most do not. I also work part time in a Christian school in Ashburn, Virginia which has approx. 500 students. Funds are tight there as well.

Ms. Durff explains the usage of many free applications to allow schools without the funding of a larger public school district, to keep the students within the Web 2.0 structure.  Class Blogmaster, Teacher Tube, Flash meeting, Note Star, and Utube were some of the free tools she demonstrated and explained.

This videocast will help those without much money to keep up in the digital age.