EduBlog Insights

—–

I’m busy working with my Wrinkles group - last day. I will see them for a special awards luncheon tomorrow. (I have special awards for them!) We’re all a bundle of mixed emotions. Why are endings so hard?

I just had to take time out and tell you go go over and read Emily, Derrick and Jennifers “Where Art Thou Music and Art?” Respond if you get a chance. I love their title and I like the title they gave their mutual post - Taking Away the Spotlight. Hey, we need to give them the spotlight! This is what it’s all about with the kids - getting them to think, write, care, and be proactive about issues that matter. I’m soaring again…… Back to the kids….

Oh yes, SuperThinker - special ceremony will be held tomorrow, right before the luncheon. They will be sworn to secrecy. They are on pins and needles!

On Intel’s Innovation Odyssey they featured the story, Capturing the Moment Students from Brooklyn International High share the results of their multimedia projects with the City University of New York (CUNY) Arts Consortium. Students’ topics this year have ranged from the history of the Brooklyn Bridge to soccer as a force for world peace.

Chris Wilson said ”It’s a dream environment for teaching the arts,” He is originally from New Zealand. He is also a composer and performer in addition to being a 20-year teaching veteran. “You get to hear amazing stuff at this school,” he says, with student artists influenced by their varied home cultures as well as the urban beat of New York. The school music room becomes a cross-cultural intersection.

He had 20 students and 5 cameras tell the story about the Brooklyn Bridge. Wilson said each group made an informational video about some aspect of the bridge, such as bridge history, architecture, connection to the city, transportation role, and so forth.

This paragraph from the story is what makes this great story even more special.

It took the encouragement of a colleague to get Wilson started using digital equipment. Humanities teacher Joe Luft has long been an advocate of integrating technology into the classroom. (See An Innovation Odyssey Day 312 to read about Luft’s weblog projects.) “Joe opened me up,” Wilson says, and soon he was signing up for professional development workshops about technology. When the school received its first digital video cameras, Wilson and Luft decided to collaborate on a project involving the Brooklyn Bridge.

Now I know that Joe is busy getting his new school up and going but I sure do miss his blogging voice. It was nice to read how his influence continues. I’m not surprised.

I’m still a managing editor on all of my student weblogs, including the ones from last year. A message came in on Lucy’s blog, one of my NewsQuest students from last year. I still find this part of weblogs amazing.

Lucy’s post from 2/27/03:

T.J. Lathe

One day T.J. Lathe and a couple of other missionaries were on a missionary trip in Honduras. As they were going to a hospital that another mission group had bulit to talk to some people they noticed that they had to cross a swinging bridge. Well, the view was so beautiful that they wanted to take some pictures to remember the scenary. So as they were taking some pictures the swinging bridge collapsed and some people were injured. T.J. Lathe was not only injured……he was killed. At my chuch, Grace Fellowship, we were all mourning his death. But,…..we were also very, very, very glad to know that he was in heaven and that he had met his creator. The family has a good time remembering the memories and are very happy to know that they will see him in Heaven some day!!! The pastor of Grace Fellowship was interviewed. I am happy to know this and also his family said that T.J. Leigh died doing what he wanted to do…..spread the news about God!! Signing out, Lucy U.:)

This reply to Lucy’s story arrived on May 19, 2004

Hi Lucy,

I was looking on the internet and I saw this website talking about T.J. Lathe. Well…. T.J. was my dad and i miss him a lot. What you wrote about him really makes me feel happy and very proud of you. My dad was a good man and he died in the mission field which was where his heart was at. This does not discourage me from going into the mission field now because I know it is what he would still be doing if he were alive. Thank you for your comments about him they really mean a lot to me.

Sincerely,

Joel Lathe

The voices continue…..

—–

I’ve been working all yesterday and today on some final projects for my Wrinkles group. I finish up with them this week - sniff, sniff….

I’m putting together their ABC Blook - yes blook, Derrick coined that name for our weblog ABC book. I like it!

I’m also making some CDs for them of their weblogs, pictures, etc. and in the process enjoyed reading their last assignment on the Idioms Are Fun blog. I asked them to have some fun with idioms and weblogs by creating their own sentences. Topic - weblogs, what else!  They had fun and I thought you might enjoy reading their work.

Jerry……

On Thursdays I can’t wait to get to the group it seems like I have ants in my pants. When we are working on our weblogs we are working at the drop of a hat. Sometimes when I’m thinking of a story to write I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place. Well its been nice to you. See Ya Later!

P.S. Remember to be mouse potatoes to get the job done!

Derrick……

Every Thursday morning, I feel like I am just floating on air when I go down the coridor. I get tickled pink when Mrs. Davis gives us an assignment. We get on the double once we down in the computer lab so we get done for the day. We get homework though but she doesn’t like nitty-gritty homework.

Today was a sight for sore eyes when I saw that Dane and Lindsey posting to our stories and web sites. I had tenterhooks because I wanted to know if they were going to post all the time to us. Then on the spur of the moment I had to ask Mrs. Davis if they were going to post to us for a little bit. When she said they were I was tickled pink.

Jennifer…..

Every Thursday morning I am so tickled pink that I don’t want to miss the boat! I know that there is more than one way to skin a cat in weblogs. I hope that everyone in the Wrinkles group will chomp at the bit to do their very best writing!

Cristian

Every Thursday Ms.Davis wants us proofread our papers and dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. I can’t wait to get here on Thursday so I can be on the cutting edge of technology.

Luz…..

I thought of some idioms to add to my first post. Well, here goes!
I feel on top of the world because Amber’s picture was posted . And it is a verry cool picture, too. I like all the ears that you put around it!!

Emily…..

OHHHH!!! I’m on the warpath now! Well it all started today when I started blogging. I just typed a loooooooong story. When I was done, I felt like I was on top of the world. One more thing I had to do, click the post button. Then BOOM!
It erases my work! And that only happens one in a blue moon! Ohhh! I’m as mad as a wet hen!!!
Then on the otherhand, I once had a story that I wrote put all over the blogging world. I felt like I was on Cloud 9.

Emily, one of my Wrinkles students, has written episode 2 about SuperThinker! I love the part in the story where the Wrinkles group corners Mr. E (Elementarystudentscan’tblog)! It’s a must read!

Hooray! Sarah’s blogging again! She’s one year into grad school - congrats Sarah! Her blog will be full of many topics this time. Find her at [day in the life]. Welcome back, Sarah! Your voice has been missed!

The building of a community through weblogs is exhilirating. It’s truly the best way to learn. We get to connect in so many ways. We connect over similar interests. We connect over links. We connect over agreements and disagreements and it’s great. It’s being transported to a much wider community than ever before possible but we’re learning with the additional help of another’s eyes and words. We get another’s viewpoint. We get pointed to additional sources and resources that we may never have encounted before. These learning experiences are re-defining how I learn. I love it. I want to pass this on to the kids. It is the writing and the learning, and yes, the blogging. We’ve got to figure out how to keep this focused on those elements for the kids. Where do we start? How do we get others on board? No small task but we can do it!

I’m learning with Radio Jim and Will right now. They are blogging the I-Law (Internet Law Program) conference in Boston. I find it fascinating. I get to go through my blogger friends. I’m delving into areas I would have hestitated to take on, on my own, in the past. It’s the voices, the mix, the back and forth, the view here, the view there. It’s also having those trusted voices in the mix, those voices you’ve come to know and respect. I’m really in awe of the powerful learning that can take place. 

Today I’m soaring! I’m working with the Wrinkles group and Jacqueline asked me to come read one of her comments that she had written to me on her blog. I have to share…

Mrs.Davis I got some real important news for you! Today Mrs.Mateling told us that Emily and I were the only ones who got the highest grade in the State Writing Test. I was real shocked when Mrs.Mateling told me that, but the first person I though of was of you. If it wasn’t for you I would of not got level 6 in the writing test. I really appreciate what you have done for me!

Wow!  I told Jacqueline that she had made my day! Jacqueline is one of our ESL students. I am so proud of her! I think I need to turn my blog over to her. (I just love doing that!)

I was shocked when Mrs. Davis said I could write on her blog. I don’t know what to say but here goes. In the beginning I didn’t like weblogging because I didn’t know what to write about. I liked being able to write about anything I wanted. I could do that on the weblogs. I hope I will keep blogging in middle school and after because I really like it. It has helped me improve my writing and I love getting comments from people. I think that the first step for being a good writer is to read. I love to read and I read a lot. Maybe one day I will become a writer or an illustrator.

Jacqueline

Jacqueline has got it right - the first step for being a good writer is to read. Words of wisdom from a great, little weblogger! This whole group is wonderful! I will miss them a whole bunch!!!  Hmmmmm, how can I use weblogs to keep in touch. An idea is forming…………..

<via> The Blog Herald

The Online Journalism Review features Scholars Discover Weblogs Pass Test as Mode of Communication. Mark Glaser states, “Blogologists” assemble at our virtual roundtable to discuss how blogs are changing academia, politics and traditional journalism. They see them as being important, but school is still our on whether they are journalism.”

“Alex Halavais studied the group dynamic at Slashdot and the way bloggers followed the news. Kaye Trammell studied the political content of celebrity blogs. Jill Walker is studing timestamps on blogs and our modern obsession with time. And Cori Dauber studies blogs and writes a feisty one.”

The article includes good write-ups of the A-ha” moments each of these bloggers experienced most surprising things they’ve found in their study of blogs, how they have changed academinc study and if weblogs are a form of journalism.

 I like Halaviais’ thought that weblogs disrupt exisitng hierarchies that break down communication among scholars. He elaborates on that. I think that’s a good thing. Perhaps we should think some more about that in the K-12 realm.

I liked this question: “How do you picture the blogosphere changing over the next few years and beyond?”

Halavais said, “I think we are looking at the penny press of the 21st century, and that just as that technology co-evolved with new structures of industry, culture, and government, the Weblog will usher in a new form of mass interaction, a new way of being.”

There’s much more - it’s a must read.