How Safe are Social Networking Sites?

Apparently less dangerous than we have been lead to believe!

I'm a little behind on my blog reading or I would have shared this much sooner. In his blog, Moving at the Speed of Creativity, Wes Fryer, in his post "Study encourages a less hyped view of social networking risks," writes about a recent study that "busts" some of the media induced myths about online predators and Internet safety. Wes does a quick review of the myths and includes links to the article and more.

I won't spend your time with a complete "regurge" - check out his post. It's worth the read if for no other reason than balance.

Thanks!
Lee Anne

What Should You Know About Social Bookmarking?

• You should know that it makes your "favorites" accessible from any computer.
• You should know that it allows for much more organizational control over your saved sites.
• You should know that it allows you to share your bookmarked sites with others.
• You should know that it is incredibly easy to use.
• You should know that it is an efficient way to manage the voluminous information you encounter daily.
• You should know that it is a class offered on the Eighth Floor.
• You should know that it will be offered next on March 27th from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.

Want to know more? Following are links to articles, etc. that will get you started.

7 Things You Should Know About . . . Social Bookmarking
Web 2.0 Wiki Page on Social Bookmarking
Common Craft Video on Social Bookmarking
Delicious - Effective Social Bookmarking
My own Delicious Account - Click on the tags to the right to get more specific.

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

Twitter in Plain English

I ran across this new video and had to share. Lee and Sachi LeFever have come up with another video in plain English: Twitter in Plain English. Twitter might be described as a cross between blogging and instant messaging. Check it out.






Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

What do you think is the future of education?

According to Steve Hargadon, Web 2.0 is the future of education. Yeah, I kind of looked twice, too. Really? Web 2.0? Blogs, wikis, podcasting, all that? But you know me, I'm a devoted Web 2.0 enthusiast - so of course, I read the article.

He discusses 10 compelling trends. But even more fun is that he goes on to discuss what they look like in education and what we should/could be doing. Here's a tasty morsel:

I believe that the read/write Web, or what we are calling Web 2.0, will culturally, socially, intellectually, and politically have a greater impact than the advent of the printing press. I believe that we cannot even begin to imagine the changes that are going to take place as the two-way nature of the Internet begins to flower, and that even those of us who have spent time imagining this future will be astounded by what happens. I'm going to identify ten trends in this regard that I think have particular importance for education and learning, and then discuss seven steps I think educators can take to make a difference during this time.

Have a look at the post. What do you think? Will the Read/Write Web have a greater impact than the advent of the printing press?

Just Sharin'
Lee Anne

Google has a Blog for YOU

Hey HEY Hey!

Did you know? Google has a blog for educators with ideas to help teachers and students thrive in the 21st century. It's called the Infinite Thinking Machine. Sure wish I had thought of that name. I suppose if I were that clever I would be working for Google - vicious circle.

Thanks!
Lee Anne

Can a Blog be a Primary Source?

I subscribe to several blogs, and I try my best to read them with some dedication. Some of the blogs I read are written by past students, and one in particular, by a recent Eighth Floor scholar and graduate of the Online Learning Series, Dana Sterling. Her blog is called, SterlingLikeSilver, http://sterlinglikesilver.blogspot.com/. So, okay, great blog, and it’s just like her: smart, energetic, and insightful.

In a recent post, We're only as good as our sources, Dana discusses the idea of blogging – more specifically, what is it and its value. Her discussion has to do with blogs and their place in journalism. For example,

“There are some stories that are best told via TV. But. As a viewer, I didn't want Diane Sawyer to show me what happened after the tsunami in Indonesia. I wanted the reporter to step out of the frame and let the people that were actually there when it happened speak to me. I didn't want Ms. Sawyer's over-interpreted version of the event, or her emotional response. I wanted her sources.”

In the world of education, this becomes an even bigger question than that of style or palatability. I think Dana is taking us here - certainly challenging us to think about it. Right now, not in the future, now, educators are tasked with being AND helping our students become critical filters of information. (Explore this “filter” idea more in Will Richardson’s post “A Publish Then Filter World”). There are a lot of new resources out there, and not all of them come from “traditional” sources. How do we deal with that?

So, here’s an essential question: How DO you deal with these non-traditional sources? Would you allow or even encourage your students to use a blog as a primary source? What about a secondary source? What are your “filters”?

Thanks!
Lee Anne

VoiceThread - The Educator's Version

Have you ever experienced love at first sight? It happened for me last summer as I was searching for digital storytelling tools. I introduced you back then to my special new Web 2.0 tool, VoiceThread. (Click HERE to view that post.) My love for this tool may be meant to last! VoiceThread continues to expand and become more education friendly. They have created a version for educators and students only.

For more details, view this VoiceThread by clicking on the play button in the center of the screen just below.




I'm not saying it is a perfect love, but they sure are keeping me interested!

VoiceThread is one of the tools we explore in our Eighth Floor class, Digital Picture Projects for the Classroom.

We are offering this class twice this semester:
Digital Picture Projects 2/21/2008 TH 8:30-11:30 (still time to enroll!)
Digital Picture Projects 3/11/2008 T 8:30-11:30

*Click here to see our full list of Spring 2008 classes.

Take some time to browse the VoiceThreads that have already been created. The possibilities are simply endless. Feel free to leave a comment sharing your ideas or impressions.

Thanks!
Lee Anne

Bring the Eighth Floor Directly to YOU

Good news!

You can now rely on your email to keep up with the Eighth Floor blog. No longer is it necessary to set up complicated RSS feeds in order to be notified of new posts to our blog. You can subscribe in a matter of seconds. No kidding!

Here's how:

Click on this link and type your email address. http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=166000&loc=en_US

Now, each time we post to the Eighth Floor Blog, you will get an email notifying you. Please feel free to share our blog with others!

Thanks!
Lee Anne

Leave Scott a comment and tell him thanks for working his geek-magic!

Tips for Better Google Searches

It's Friday, so I have been blog reading. I came across one blog post that was about tips for better Google Searching Tricks in Joan Vinall-Cox's blog, WebToolsForLearners. I just couldn't NOT share this.

I've heard of most of these; in fact, I bet we all have been introduced to these at one time. But, who can remember them. It's kind of like learning a new, healthy habit. Kinda.

FYI - She links to the LifeHacker blog which focuses on tips, tricks, and downloads for getting things done.

Thanks!
Lee Anne

What About Blogs? (8th Floor Class - Feb 7, 2008)

What About Blogs?
As a collaborative and constructive tool, blogs have found their place in education. As educators, we are using them as learning tools not only for our students, but for ourselves.

Blogs in Plain English



Lee LeFever of the Common Craft Show

So What’s a Blog?
Let the 6 & 7 year olds from Room 9 at Nelson Central School educate you about what they think a blog is and why they love using them!



Let’s Talk About Blogs
How is a blog different from a website?
What does it mean to blog, be a blogger?
Why do you think you or your students might be attracted to this as a form of expression?
The first step to being a good blogger is to be a good blog ____________?

Education Professional Development Blogs
Weblogg-ed - A blog by Will Richardson
Moving at the Speed of Creativity - A blog by Wesley Fryer
Blog of Proximal Development - a blog by Konrad
Blogs about Educational Blogging - a wiki by Support Blogging.com


Classroom/Student Blogs
Arthus - NewlyAncient (high school student blog)
The Good Habits Blog (blog for students)
Mrs Cassidy's Classroom Blog (elementary)
Blogical Minds (This is a blog created to explore what happens when 5th graders blog and converse about literacies in class and beyond)

Check out the following education/safety focused postings and articles:
MySpace Education
Change Agency
BlogSafety.com
Blogs, Fair Use, and Paying to Play

Blogging Tips and Tricks:
Web Blog Basics Blogs - Anatomy
Blogs for Learning
Evaluating Blogging
Blogging Best Practices
Top 10 Blog Writing Tips
___________________________________________________________________

QUESTION!
Since this is a class about blogging, we thought you might want to do a little, well, blogging. So, if you were to integrate blogs or blogging into your curriculum or professional development, how do you think you would most likely do that?
____________________________________________________________________

Add your comment to this post. Take a minute to think about the above question. (Or, share something else, if you choose) Click on the "comments" link below and then type your answer. If you don’t already have a Blogger account, you can comment as anonymous or other. Be sure to include your name somewhere so we know who you are. Read others’ comments and feel free to comment on their comments!

Thanks!
Lee Anne