I’ve created a new Manila Web log at ideaforest.net where I can rant and rave about whatever is on my mind. Here is the XML feed if anyone is interested. I know there has been much discussion about personal posts and voice, and I’ve been struggling with using this space for sharing my angst about life. So…we’ll give this a shot.
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This post by George has cleared up almost all of my questions about Open Education and the significance of what they are trying to do. I haven’t seen a better primer on the subject.
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Greg organized this thread on his site and I’ve been interested in others’ take on this. What’s jumping out at me is that one solution is to allow a choice of making individual posts available just to members or open to everyone. Doesn’t seem like it would be too hard to present different content to vetted members, perhaps just the teacher and the students in the class, where all can watch all that messy drafting and discussion take place. Only final drafts would then be “published” for all to see.

Charlie kind of echoes this on Kairos when he says:

Also, one thing I might add to this discussion is that perhaps students could have protected blogging sites where they share their texts, but not to the rest of the Internet. Yet, have all of that writing building towards a final, public webzine project. Would this work?

I like the webzine idea, but I also still like the personal student space where he or she can make the choice as to what the public gets to see. Stephen Downes captures it when he says:

Trust me, nothing teaches you to write well, to write quickly, when you know that 25,000 people will read your words the next day. But that said, I think it should be the choice of the student - and it seems to me that the same digital rights we use to manage professional works can also be employed by students to manage the public - or private - nature of their work online.

So, is it time to go to the Manila Dev Group and see what they can do?

On a side note, I’ve also been struck by the need for a better way to follow these threads as they pop up on various Web logs…really does illustrate the need for Trackback or some similar tool for aggregating these discussions. Hector Vila at Middlebury pointed to a really interesting analysis of how Web log discussions evolve done by Tom Coates, one that is worth a second and third read (for me at least) to fully get the importance of what he’s articulating. Hector refers to the post in the context of getting his own students to do more cross posting in their Web logs. He says:

Usually courses have a “motherBlog,”; these function as KM tools from which everything is generated, including discussions. If we turn to the student blogs, then, and in turn view their discussions, we see that there are none: they are not talkin’ cross-blogs! They are not engaging each other, from their blogs, referring to blogs!

I’ve been kicking that around in my brain, too, ways to get students to interact in their spaces, and it’s something I want to write more about. I do think that creating working groups has helped that, but they’re still not cross-posting on their own, only when directed.

Anyway, Tom does an excellent job of showing how these discussions evolve, from initial idea to individual “voting” on other Web logs to a “major response” which then shifts the discussion or propels it forward. It’s generating some sketchy idea in my head where my journalism students post something of note with analysis about their beat topic and then they spend a day jumping around, commenting on threads. I don’t like it being so forced, and the logistics of following such threads without an aggregator tool or Trackback seem difficult. Still, it would be nice if students could value more the synthesis of ideas that comes from posting to or posting about each other’s ideas. Maybe it lies in making their spaces a bit more personal, or restructuring their spaces to support more personal thought separate from academic endeavors. (That echoes another thread that’s been bouncing around lately too about combining the personal with the “scholarly” in these spaces.)

As always, much to think about…

Looks like I’m going to be able to hook up with Tim and finally meet Joe this weekend in NYC, and we’ll all be making a visit to Joe’s digs on Monday. I know I’ve said this before but despite all that can be accomplished through these asynchronous conversations, nothing beats a few hours (or days) of face to face to really get a handle on what people are doing and get some ideas flowing. Maybe we can blog from Joe’s!

UPDATE: Looks like this will be happening later in the week…
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I’ve been struggling with this whole “what is going to make Web logs use successful” question for a while as the idea is getting more an more interest here. The bottom line, I believe is acceptance by classroom teachers as a useful technology. To me, it all starts from there. I think potential users need to know the technology is easy to use, works as advertised, and enhances the educational experience of their students. Absent widespread adoption, it’s a tough sell to try something new on a district level for “managing our knowledge.” But I think there are enough models out there to at least whet their appetites and pilot some uses.

From a KM standpoint, Jim McGee finishes off a nice wrapup of Web logs as KM with this:

Weblogs are interesting in organizational KM settings because weblogs are technologically simple and socially complex, which makes them a much better match to the KM problems that matter. One thing that we need to do next is to work backwards from the answer - weblogs - to the problem - what do organizations need to do effective knowledge management. We need to avoid the mistakes of other KM software vendors and not assume that the connection is self-evident.

As usual, this has me thinking. I’ve just been appointed to “champion” the KM/Internal Communications topic at our annual “Critical Issues” gathering next month. That’s when the administrative team sits down to talk about the solutions to the issues that we feel are most important (and this came in at the top of the list.) As such, I need to develop a problem statement, so Jim’s observations are once again distinctly relevant. What exactly are our needs in KM?

We have two dozen committees that never “speak” to one another. We have parents interested in our work that can’t access it. We have teachers who could use materials and ideas and opportunities for collaboration. We have students creating a whole heckuva lot of knowledge that gets lost when the day ends. We have data. We have results. We have a lot more situations like this throughout our organization. And right now, it’s so hard to get to any of that “knowledge” that it is resulting in a real lack of communication and growing frustration with that fact. I think here it’s almost a question of communicating knowledge more than managing it (although I realize they are the same thing on some levels.)

Web logs allow for inexpensive, easy creation and storage or publication of information (or knowledge) that is accessible, archivable, and searchable. Also, Web logs are flexible in terms of access and security. They are at first (and second) blush a viable solution to what is a growing problem. But only, and this is the big one, only if people use them.

What I need to keep in mind is to grow into the solution instead of implementing it. I can see the end result in my brain, but I need the patience to nurture it into fruition.

Tim is putting out the call for any Web logging teachers that might be at NECC in Seattle next month. Seems that Intel is interested in picking some brains. I’ll be there, and I’m looking forward to meeting more of our little collective.

First just let me say that Joe Luft is a better man than I, and without ever having met him I can tell that he will make New York City Schools a better place for some lucky children when he gets his first principalship. I hate to admit it, but I know I couldn’t accept the challenge he’s embarking on…my efforts to change the world take less difficult paths, though no less frustrating I’m sure. The edu-blogging community will be weaker from his departure, but rest assured we’ll all be better off with people like Joe in real change making positions. And, when he gets his own school, we’ll help him make it Web log heaven! You GO Joe!
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From just up the road at Rutgers, Barclay Barios puts together a pretty cool looking primer for Web logs in the classroom. Some of the links are a bit outdated, but it’s still a worthwhile source of info.

There’s a thread kicking around out there about the hows and whys of publishing student work to the Internet, and I’ve been thinking quite a bit about it since Greg’s posts (here and here) last week. I’ve always been the type to act first and think later when it comes to trying new things…it seems like now is the time to do some of that thinking, however.

Greg says:

Frankly, as a former writing instructor, I was mortified to see the student’s peer reviews publicly available. First, from a writing pedagogy perspective, I think you risk significantly increasing the pressure on the students, many of whom are already intimidated by sharing their work with a small group. Second, I would be concerned that it is treading dangerously close to a FERPA violation, since this is making a students work and, more importantly, the teacher’s evaluation of their work publicly availably. Thin ice!

I’ve been teaching writing for 20 years, and I’ve always struggled with being able to provide and audience for student work that was meaningful and not just manufactured in the classroom, especially with my journalists. To some extent, I think raising the bar is a good thing and that pressure is not necessarily a bad thing. Additionally, even with a wider more public audience, part of my job is to create a nurturing environment for publication in my class. I try to be sensitive to the needs and fears of my kids. Thus far, I haven’t had many if any that I have perceived to be intimidated to the point of paralysis (not that Greg is suggesting that.) I can see his point, however, that insecure writers may be more sensitive to feedback whether it is construed as constructive or otherwise. But again, in a journalism context, publishing is a necessary and integral part of the process…and the feedback they get is not the typical “the reporter got it wrong” letter to the editor type stuff. It’s coaching.

(Just as an aside, as to the FERPA issues, my reading is that it deals more with records in the “grade” sense rather than student work.)

I’m wondering how Anne and Joe and Pat and others weigh in on this issue as it certainly is a chapter in the Web logs for Educators book. How is publishing to an Internet audience different from small group or classroom publishing? Should there be a way to make some posts more private and others public? What should “policy” be in terms of getting permissions for doing this? Ethically, what are the issues involved with open publication of student work?

One interesting off shoot of the recent interest in Web logs here has been their potential in terms of articulation through the sending districts. We have four districts that feed their kids to us and it’s an ongoing struggle to try to make sure all of those students have similar skills and experiences. The supervisors in the different districts hardly ever talk to one another except for tri-annual meetings here with the department supervisors.

This week I spoke with both the Science and Social Studies supervisor groups about the concept of Web logs as learning object repositories and as ways for teachers and students to collaborate. The Social Studies group, in fact, wants to move forward and have a prototype in place for the fall. Still a lot of details to work out, but right now we’re thinking that teachers could use a template in Word and then copy and paste the results into Manila. I stressed that the process should be as easy as possible. (Any one have the new release date for the kinder gentler Manila???)

The biggest hurdle here as voiced by both groups is getting teachers to actually use it once it’s set up. At some point, I’m going to have to focus on that question as well as we move to Web log Web site. We’ve talked here about replacing the normal hallway or cafeteria duty that our teachers have with Web log duty or providing some other release time to those willing to maintain the individual sites. And I know that a key to success here will to focus on the integration of Web logs into the curriculum. If that is successful, the Web site as a whole will be successful as well. Still, it might be interesting to get a conversation going about ways to bring teachers to the table and participate in lesson archives or other such activities.

David is doing some thinking about his Web logging experience as well. I think he stole this from my brain:

“I like writing about personal issues. I like writing about work issues and projects. I like linking and thinking about the general educational technology issues. This last though is beginning to feel like a less productive use of my time and I’m trying to think through what I want to do next.”

Maybe not for the same reasons, but it’s another shared experience Web log moment that makes me feel a little better about my own struggles.

UPDATE: George is wrestling with all of this too…
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The point where I have to take a serious look at the privacy issues surrounding my students’ Web logs has arrived as we’ve begun to rewrite our AUP to include aspects of student publishing. The nuance between teachers publishing student work on the Internet and students publishing their own work is an important one as to me, at least, there is a higher degree of ownership when content decisions are being made by the author. But, of course, it also opens up some potential problem areas that deal with appropriateness, correctness, etc.

In having students publish and write in their Web logs the way I do, I have found that I have to trust them to be appropriate, and I have to be ok with imperfections. It’s just not possible for me to read every word before it is posted. Even with just one class of 24 students, the output is pretty intense. So far, they have acted very responsibly with this opportunity. (But these are pretty responsible kids…last week when I was out on Friday, a sub never showed up. They never told anyone, just went through class and actually worked. I yelled but smiled on Monday…) Mistakes and proofreading errors are common, however, and I deal with that as well as I can. (It would be nice if Manila got a spell check…)

The venerable State of New Jersey has other hoops to jump through, however, including mandatory permissions for the identification of students by name and other personal information. To be honest, I’m not sure what CIPA and COPPA policy is on this. (Any pointers anyone?) Now, I don’t have a problem with my students’ sites in terms of making them compliant. The new issue that is arising is the use of other students’ names in the stories that my own kids are writing. Absent a check of each student’s level of ID permission, I have no idea whose name is allowed to be published on the Internet and whose name can’t.

None of the potential solutions are great. I could zip up access to their sites, which neither I nor my students want. Or, I could have them go back and edit out any names, use initials or pseudonyms or whatever, but somehow that seems like it would detract from the quality of the work. (That’s more my issue than theirs.) We’ll see…

All of this will impact how the new Web site will work as well. If we have teachers posting content, they’ll have to be aware of the “rules” and procedures for identifying students. The whole process is so cumbersome right now that we’ve got some brainwork ahead of us to make it easier on everyone. Just something else to add to the list.

School is winding down on what has been a very intense, productive and exhilirating year, one that I will not soon forget. And I’m feeling it in a number of ways, most decidedly by a pull to get back in touch with my kids again and spend more time playing than sitting in front of a computer. I really marvel at the people who can continuously carve out the necessary hours every day to write and comment and continue the discussion. And it is great discussion and thinking that’s moving at such a fast pace that it’s getting really hard to keep up with. I have learned a lot. But let’s face it, there are, many more important things out there than Web logs. And I think I need to take back some of that perspective.

This has been brewing for quite some time, but when I went to a speech by Bill Clinton last night, I was really pushed in my thinking about this complex world in which we live. His world view is one of integration and interdependence, and there is much to be done to make this a better place for my kids. Love him or hate him, what I took away from it was this sentiment: there is no time to check your brain at the door and not become a part of the conversation.

I still want to be a part of this Web log conversation, and I will. But I also want to throw my energies into other areas that are capturing my attention, namely the environment, the dissapearance of the media in this country, and getting rid of what I truly believe is a dangerous group of leaders who are threatening our way of life in many, many ways. With two young children who I don’t spend nearly enough time with, a self-employed wife, a new job, a garden, a renewed passion for running and more, I’m having to choose my priorities. I wish I could do it all, but I can’t, so in case anyone cares, don’t be surprised if posts here become more sporadic. I’ll still report on my successes and failures, and I hope to continue to expand my thinking on how and why Web logs could be great things in my classroom. But I need to take a step back and reasses. Wish me luck.

Just so much good stuff out there that I’m trying to get to but can’t seem to carve out time for and it’s frustrating. I swear, I know I’ve said this before, but just reading relevant Web logs could be a full time job these days, and I don’t know if my SharpReader is making my life easier or more difficult. It’s an obvious problem with easy access to information…overload.

Two posts I NEED to get to are Jim McGee’s link filled guides to Weblogs in Learning Settings and Web logs as KM. That ought to take a few hours. Then there is the whole thread at Kairos on collaborative texts. And then there is the excellent post on Wikis in the classroom at Ed Tech Dev. There goes the weekend.

Title links to the peer responses given to one of my students on her first story. It’s a long scroll, but I think it’s a good example of the kind of flexibility that Web logs offer when it comes to giving feedback and having it all in one place for the author to muse over. The next step is for her to reflect on that feedback, come up with a list of specific changes, and create a plan for revision. One thing I realized with this example is that with the four responses, the author has a great deal of material that she can use for improving her writing, material that I think would have been lost had it come in the form of oral feedback or even separate sheets of paper. I still find this very cool, the idea that now my students can converse and assist each other in an easily documented and archived way. I’ve been very pleased by the way the groups have been working to date.
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