Picture This

Once the students have had a chance to work with this wiki, I might create a brief online survey for them to fill out. It will give me a quick consensus on their overall reaction and help highlight any trouble areas.

The good news is that these wiki pages are flexible and easy to change. I can quickly make adjustments as needed without losing previous versions stored in the history function. As time goes on, I can adjust the content to make them more efficient, based on student feedback and my own experience with the pages themselves as they evolve.

Unfortunately, it will not be quite as easy to alter my assignments in short order. I am aware that I might find myself running into logistical problems with the assignments themselves as the students continue working with the wiki. I will probably find myself with some blind spots, running into snags I did not anticipate when I created my assignments. Fortunately, the students can be flexible when they want to and I have no problem being honest with them; telling them that this is an adventure and that we are still finding our way as we go along.

Finally, at this point I do not know how many pages we will ultimately create. However, the free version of Wikispaces only allows us up to 100 pages. For this reason, I may have to rethink the content of my pages, compiling broader topics on each page with more extensive content divided up by headings and/or anchors which break the content into bite-sized chunks.  I don’t believe at this point that changing the format of my pages would destroy the work we’ve already done. I believe we can adjust and add to what is already created as we extend the scope of the topics and group them together.

I can already think of many more pages I hope to add to WikiPhoto. Planning them out will help me save time as I found myself fumbling a bit at first with new ideas. Once I find a format that works well, I can outline the topics I want to create pages for and begin collecting photos for illustration purposes in topical folders. Before I go any further, I want to get feedback from my students to see how feasible and valuable these activities will be. I assume they will have suggestions for me. They’re not shy with their opinions.  

The first hurdle I will have to overcome is creating accounts for every student. It is not reasonable to use the standard “invite” function which asks each student to participate. This could turn into a logistical nightmare. Instead, I will ask my IT person for a .csv version of my class rosters which can be sent to the publisher and uploaded in bulk. This could save a lot of time and labor for me and will create consistency within the wiki.

I have a class website where I can post the link to this wiki for all the students. In order for me to speed up the grading of assignments, I see great value in having all of their accounts created in the same format, with last names first, so I will ask them not to create their own accounts as this will be done for them. If I include their class period in front of their last name, I think it will speed up my collection of student data as I can quickly scan the history or discussion tabs and enter student participation numbers into my rosters.

I do anticipate a few passive aggressive students who will immediately claim to be “lost”. After expending a few seconds of effort, they will claim to need help because they, “don’t know what to do.” Fortunately, the digitally saavy students stand out quickly and I can often ask them to peer tutor their classmates. However, I do see some value in creating a brief how-to tutorial for this wiki, perhaps in an online screen capture program or PowerPoint file. This could be uploaded to the Home page in WikiPhoto which would remain there for new students or as a review for those who need it.

After perusing Goggle Sites and its possibilities, I decided to keep it simple and create a wiki for my students with Wikispaces. Part of my reasoning sounds condescending, so forgive me. My students differ greatly in age, maturity, and skill sets. Some are also English language learners. Therefore, I find it best to use tools that require a minimum of explanation and which allow them to get to work as quickly as possible. Google Sites seems like a hybrid with many layers to me. Thus, the simple wiki seemed best for my purposes. My first name choice, Photopedia, was already taken so I settled for WikiPhoto.

Initially I spent some time learning about Wikispaces and trying out the various functions. Then I jumped in and began creating my first page. Pleasingly, the more I worked with the program the easier it became and a flood of new ideas began to emerge. What I started out to do quickly morphed into something else that I think will serve my purposes even better. Initially, I thought I would create a large amount of content that students could comment on and revise. However, I quickly realized that it would be better for me to create a framework or “skeleton” for each page which the students themselves could fill in with content. This would challenge their research and writing skills, but also require them to comment (reflect) on their own personal experiences, creating their own “how-to” references.

My wiki is only a sampling so far, not near as extensive as I want it to become, but it is enough to try out with my students for now. In fact, I deliberately created different types of content on different pages so that I could design specific types of assignments to try out. At one time I thought I would create a separate blog in order to provide a place for students to critique photographs. I now think I can serve this same function in my wiki using the discussion tab.

I tried to sample a variety of functions by deliberately creating pages containing photographs, tags, anchors, a video widget, and both internal and external links. Links were the only function that gave me a little heartache as the link editor didn’t quite function as explained in the help menu, but I made it do what I wanted anyway.

On the content pages I provided headers, sample photos, captions, and a brief text intro as a jump-off point for them to start writing. (For example, see the Action Photos page) For a different assignment I created a page called Reflection 1 which contains a famous photo and brief bio about the photographer. This page is locked and the students are asked to “reflect” on the photo using the discussion tab. I am anxious to hear their reactions.

The lessons I will design for this wiki are generally hierarchical, starting with wiki basics and eventually leading students to create wiki articles and use the resource for learning and study.

First, the wiki basics where they learn to maneuver through the wiki and find what they are looking for. By simply walking around and observing them individually, I could assess their ability to open Photopedia and find what they are looking for. An important addition might be a short lesson in general wiki etiquette, along with the pertinent rules and procedures in our class.

Second, a lesson in how to create something for the wiki, along with modifying and updating the articles. I would create a list of simple topics related to our class work, letting them select a topic and create an appropriate article. Eventually, their task list would include uploading images or artwork, and creating links to other outside sources.

Third, some practice in reading and assessing other students’ work. By following a simple rubric they could practice peer evaluation of articles, making suggestions on a discussion page. At some point, these suggestions could launch another activity as students are required to add to or embellish the existing articles with more information, illustrations, and/or links to outside sources. As they continue these activities, they are voluntarily engaging in “reading and writing across the curriculum”, a desired state standard. At the same time they are expanding their basic technology skills and familiarizing themselves with new online resources.

Eventually, this wiki could be used by my students as a study tool. I might challenge them to use the articles they’ve created as a refresher on topics they will be tested on. Once they reach an intermediate level, I could have them create articles with original illustrations such as their own photographs or Photoshop creations. I like to think that their confidence and satisfaction would build as they know other students are viewing their work as a valid source of information.

Finally, I would encourage students to share the wiki with other adults outside of class such as parents and teachers. This could include a required response from the adults in the form of an e-mail. Of course, this would require us to make the wiki public which I would have to monitor carefully in the context of our district’s rules and procedures.

I see three potential forms of analysis I need to consider before building the class wiki I would like to call Photopedia. First, I envision goal analysis where I spell out my goals and outcomes for the activities I will engage my students in. These goals have to be specific, forming a list of measurable outcomes. This would lead me to an eventual rubric for the finished work.

Next, considering myself the SME in this context, I would pay special attention to the steps I would typically follow if I were to complete the same assignments. This could be thought of as a casual task analysis with the goal of properly sequencing the steps and decisions I have to make along the way.

Third would be an audience analysis. My students are the audience and I assume they have little experience with wikis other than looking up references in Wikipedia. Therefore, I will probably begin with a brief introduction and definition of what wikis are and what they can do for us by demonstrating samples in class.

I will follow this with a brief online survey assessing their exposure to and level of comfort with wikis. Undoubtedly, this will lead to some directed instruction as I walk them through the process of creating an article for our wiki, concentrating on areas where they expressed the least confidence. I will show exemplars and point out the strengths and weaknesses of some sample pages based on a simple rubric. Before they begin their first assignment, I will probably create a printed job aid in step format that will guide them along as they create their first entry.

Dear Substitute Teacher:

Welcome to my photography class! My students are currently learning about the guidelines for good photo composition; that is, how a photograph is arranged to make it more visually interesting and effective. We’ve talked about these so-called “rules” of composition in class and I’ve shown dozens of samples.

Now, it’s the students’ turn to contribute. We have two online wikis in our class; one is a wiki encyclopedia we call Photopedia, the other is an online gallery of student work we call The Wiki Wall.

For today’s class, students will work in dyads with their “study buddy.” Each group will make at least one contribution to the Photopedia wiki. Here are the class activities as I’ve outlined them on the class website:

Select an article in Photopedia about photographic composition. Contribute your comments, observations, or advice about the topic. If you do not want to contribute to the main portion of the article, then search the internet for further resources and add links to the reference section of this article which offer more information about the topic and/or tutorials which would give the reader opportunities for further learning and research. When you are done, record your contribution (date and time) in your photo journal and write a brief reflection (one short paragraph) describing what you did.

When I return to class, I will measure their progress by checking the histories of the wiki articles and assessing the written reflections in their journals. I will proofread the articles for clarity and appropriateness. Nothing is shared publicly until it is proofread by an adult. The students will have a chance to go back and edit their work, correcting their spelling and grammar as necessary. Absentees will have a chance to make up the work on an open lab day.

Thank you for your help. Have a great day!

The timing here is excellent. I just returned from the CUE conference in Palm Springs a week ago came away very inspired by the things other teachers are doing with blogs and wikis. Here are two ideas I shared with my supervisor:

1) A Teacher Blog– This would be strictly for the staff at our school, providing a place for teachers to share, encourage, complain, vent, etc. I was warned when student teaching that this profession can be lonely at times. Turns out, it’s true. The adults on campus often don’t get to see each other for more than a few seconds each day and adult conversations can be scarce. A teacher blog would give colleagues a place to share their thoughts and feelings; not necessarily a pragmatic ‘best practices’ or how-to kind of site. Of course, it would have to be private, available only to subscribers and perhaps involving a volunteer who monitors the appropriateness of comments. After all, public image is a high priority for administrators and we don’t want to be too transparent.

2) My Class Blog — This would be most useful to my students, their parents and other teachers including substitutes. Each time a new assignment is given it is posted with explanations and samples. A list is always available reminding students where to find the necessary resources, and early postings can include reviews of class policies and procedures. Parents can leave questions and comments, substitute teachers can post their summary of the day’s activities, and students can make comments or ask questions.

Separate postings could also include sample work from previous classes offered as exemplars, along with the what-not-to-do samples. This gets the students thinking about the expectations. In a perfect world, this blog would include a calendar listing previous in-class activities and upcoming deadlines. Students who are absent for any reason could access this calendar from any broadband-enabled computer to see what they are missing or need to make up. Savvy parents will also access the blog to see what is going on in class and check with their kids on their progress.

I just posted my 5 new blog links late last night, and at 6:00 this morning I received an e-mail from the Pair-of-Dimes author saying, “thanks for spotlighting my blog, and welcome to the blogosphere!” This was an OMG moment for me because I didn’t post a comment at his site; I only viewed it. He went on to say that he had already left comments at 3 of my other 4 recommended sites and sent me a link that is specific to a topic he found in my bio. Wow. No wonder he won an award for blogging! I picture this man sitting up all night staring at the screen and pouncing on each new entry. I know I’ll never be that efficient. But, congratulations David Truss. You rock.

Pair-of-Dimes for Your Thoughts

I couldn’t resist this title. Actually, I learned something at this site: a new advertising technique called “real-time bidding”. Apparently, big providers like Google and Yahoo can purchase ads during the milliseconds that it takes us to logon to a site. This way, they keep throwing things at us to see what sticks. Indirectly, they are gathering information about us one piece at a time and learning what our preferences are. Sounds like Big Brother is watching us in cyberspace. One reader commented that it is becoming more difficult for us to know when we are being manipulated. I agree. We can’t just grab the remote and change the channel when we don’t actually know who is watching us. The blog author comments that nowadays we ARE the product. This reminds me of Marshall McLuhan’s prophetic  book , The Medium is the Massage, (a clever play on words).

Free Technology for Teachers

Okay, I couldn’t resist the word ‘free’. I admit it. I was intrigued. Sure enough, the latest post is about a source for free music clips with creative commons rights. This is great. I do occasionally look for this type of thing. Given the time, I would like to search this site for sources of sound fx clips. Maybe I could post a request and get responses from several users. With sincere honesty, the author also shares a post about a mistake he made regarding Google docs. Something he created stopped working properly and he heard about it pronto. Commentors quickly admitted that they had done the same thing. I guess there is consolation in numbers, so a blog might help us all feel better when we mess up.

Every Photo Tells a Story

Since I teach basic photography courses I could not resist this one. It is a unique idea, I think. The author posts photos and artwork with brief comments and observations. Then, readers reply with written prose, poetry or any textual device they choose. The responses are fascinating because of the variety of styles and reactions. Some see things in the work that I would not think of. Many find the images tied to a personal experience they feel compelled to share in a story. I love stories, so this keeps me reading. What I am wondering, and would like to find out, is if the author welcomes unsolicited submissions from readers who have found images they think would be worthy of this exercise. My curiosity will keep me looking at this one.

The Edublogger

Okay, this sounds like a commercial for Edublogs and it certainly looks slick and familiar. But, this is a rich resource of numerous comments from teacher-types who have a lot to say about their experience in the classroom using Edublogs. This is perfect for me, just starting out as a blog user in the classroom. This author’s latest post is about the importance of grammar, spelling and proper structure in blog posts. Should we be teaching structure to students? Should we be insisting on proper spelling and grammar? Many teachers responded to these questions and not all agree. I love a good debate, and somewhere in the discussion I’m sure I can find a concensus on the important issues in a way that helps me decide what will work in my classroom. I’m definintely going to bookmark this one and keep track of what teachers are saying about student blogs. I hope to benefit from the successes and mistakes of the many colleagues who have gone before me.

Will Richardson’s Weblogg-ed

Will Richardson was first runner up in the Edublog awards for ‘lifetime achievement’. I had to look at this, wondering just what the category actually meant. I’m still not sure, but I was very intrigued by the many comments from his readers. Richardson claims to be addressing the latest issues regarding the use of technology in the classroom and he asks some provocative questions as he relates real-life stories. His latest post asks, “What are the new problems that schools don’t solve that they don’t want to deal with?”  Boy, did he get a lot of responses. Readers feel very passionate about these issues, especially where new approaches  are being offered to replace old norms. Even more devisive are the discussions about federal standards and the infamous “no child left behind” mantra. I don’t necessarily see this blog as a “how-to” resource, but an interesting place to consider the big picture regarding technology in the classroom and some of the philosophical arguments floating around in the teaching world. I would come back here just to see what people are talking about; what issues concern them and what things they see on the horizon as technology marches forward.

For the benefit of new friends I give you a snapshot of who I am and where I’ve been. I am currently neck deep in my eleventh year of teaching high school photography and journalism at Valley Center High School in the northeast corner of San Diego County.

I came when the school was new and we’ve grown together. Becoming a full-time teacher was a major course change in my life’s journey, coinciding with a move to SoCal from the other end of the state. I used to live in the redwoods, in a small remote town where it rained most of the year. I sometimes referred to it as, “living in a third-world county.”

I was a journalism student in college, a journalist briefly, but spent most of my adult career as a studio photographer. Apparently, this made me a perfect candidate for yearbook adviser, which is probably why I was hired so quickly. No clear-headed person would volunteer to be a yearbook adviser. Creating a finished commercial product in seven months with a handful of inexperienced teenagers is the hardest job I’ve ever had (including a brief encounter with a jack hammer). But the intrinsic rewards are amazing and I’ve learned things about myself that I probably would not have learned any other way.

I am a digital immigrant, working back in the day with good ‘ole film and chemicals, an electric typewriter and a pager. But I’m proud to say that I pushed our yearbook program from analog to digital step by step. Our book is now entirely created and submitted to the publisher online. All of my staff learn to use digital SLR cameras and how to “fix it in Photoshop” before a picture goes public. Unfortunately, I don’t find the time to pursue my own photography projects as much as I’d like, but every summer I make at least one trip to the Sierras where I revel in the beauty of nature and create photos for my own enjoyment.

Our district currently subscribes to a CMS which gives every teacher a class website, along with blog and wiki functions. I honestly don’t use them much as I find myself inundated with superfluous comments by students, all competing to be the alpha class clown. However, one goal for next year is to tie these functions to specific class assignments, requiring students to post comments or critiques on topics I’ve assigned.

Finally, here are three simple things about me. Only two are true. Can you spot the falsehood?

1)  I play the guitar

2)  I have a private pilot’s license

3)  I enjoy cooking