It's All Over But It Is Just Beginning

The journey through the Web 2.0 tools has been very rewarding. Not only that, but it has been a lot of fun. I feel like I know a lot about Web 2.0 but I sure learned a lot more. It has provided resources that I am sharing with others to make our work more productive. But one of the thinks I have enjoyed the most is the way this PD has taken place. It is a wonderful model of PD that promotes differentiation. We have all learned the same things, but in many different ways. I thank Jacki Campbell and Carol Mayer for their leadership and their expertise in developing 23 Things. Not only have I grown in my knowledge and practice but also in my admiration for both of them.

Thank You!!

My Science Wiki's

Our task is to create a new Wiki. Since I have a couple of Wiki's already, I thought I would just talk about them, instead of adding a new one. The first wiki's I did were using pbwiki. You can view them at:

https://geoscienceessentials.pbwiki.com/session/login?return_to_page=FrontPage
http://physicsessentials.pbwiki.com/
or
http://ccwim.wetpaint.com

The only problem with these is that you have to join them, like we did to make a comment in this area. But this is one of the important decisions that have to be made regarding a Wiki--who can comment. Most Wiki's are for a select group. The first two Wiki's used pbwiki.com and the last one used wetpaint.com. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the Wiki's. I am not sure which one I like best. The first two wiki's were used to develop high school courses based on the Michigan Merit Curriculum for Earth Science and Physics. The last wiki was used in the CCWIM (Comparing and Contrasting Watersheds in Michigan) Project.

If anyone would like to explore these wiki's just send me an email at:
k12science@mac.com and I will make sure that you are invited to join.

Wiki's

I have been using Wiki's for about two years. I will share my Wiki's in my next post. This has been a good lesson to distinguish between a Wiki and a Blog. I wanted to find more answers and this is what I found:

I discovered: http://wiki.wetpaint.com/page/Wiki+vs+Blog?t=anon
and it went over the differences and similarities.

Wiki: A collaborative website which can be directly edited by anyone with access to it. Many authors, various personalities & experiences, opinions face scrutiny of community or are listed as such. Knowledge comes from community of dozens or even thousands of topic experts. Grows rapidly at all hours of the day. Articles constantly change and continuosly updated. Discussions can take place on pages or in the discussion forum (at least in Wetpaint wikis).

Blog: A personal or corporate website in the form of an online journal, with new entries appearing in sequence as they are written. Typically one author, one personality, one opinion. Knowledge limited by single person. Grows slowly, one post at a time. Each post becomes stale over time. Discussions take place in the comments of a post, typically approved by blogger.

I think I feel more comfortable in the Wiki environment, because of the kind of work I do.

Favorite Podcast Sites

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I do podcasts that can be found at:
http:/k12science.net
and then listed all of the podcasts that I am subscribed to. I noticed that I was supposed to subscribe to some in this post. I thought what I would do instead is to mention my favorite podcasts and why I like them. I like using iTunes the most to get my podcasts. Since I am a "Mac" person, it just makes thinks easier.

KidCast--As Carol mentioned, this is a great podcast. The quality is not that great, but the message certainly is. The podcast is done by Dan Schmidtt and i have two of his books. He really understands podcasting in education.

Lab Out Loud--This is a good podcast produced by the National Science Teachers Association. They deal with topics that are of value to the high school science teacher.

MacCast--This may be my favorite. This is a weekly podcast from Adam Christianson and he goes over all things Macintosh. He covers the news, repairs, tips, interviews, etc.

Today in iPhone--Similar to the MacCast, not as good, but focuses in on the iPhone.

Video: Technology with David Pogue--David does a vodcast once a week or every other week on new technology. He has a very entertaining style. He works for the New Your Times and CNN.

PodCasting

Well, podcasting is my favorite 2.0 tool so far. I have been doing podcasts on a weekly basis for a year now and really enjoy doing them. You can find all of my podcasts at:
http://k12science.net
Special thanks to Carol Mayer for mentioning my podcasts here in 23 things. Here is a list of my favorite podcasts (I know this because they are on my iPod). I also list where I found them.

Acoustic Long Island Video – iTunes Store
Apple Quick Tips – iTunes Store
Ask an Astronomer Videos –- iTunes Store
Biology Group 1 – iTunes Store; iTunes U; K-12; Michigan’s MI Learning
BrainStuff – iTunes Store
Chemistry Resources – iTunes Store; iTunes U; K-12; Michigan’s MI Learning
COSEE NOW: Ocean Gazing – iTunes Store
Ecogeeks: Untamed Science Video Podcast – iTunes Store
KEXP Song of the Day – iTunes Store
KidCast: Learning and Teaching with Podcasting– iTunes Store
Lab Out Loud – iTunes Store
Life Sciences -- iTunes Store; iTunes U; K-12; Michigan’s MI Learning
MacCast: For Mac Geeks – iTunes Store
Now on PBS – iTunes Store
NPR: All Songs Considered – iTunes Store
NPR: Science Friday Podcast – iTunes Store
OXM Podcast – iTunes Store
**** Science Podcasts (K12Science in MI) – iTunes Store; iTunes U; K-12; Michigan’s MI Learning ****
TeacherCast: NewsHour with Jim Lehrer – iTunes Store
TEDTalks – iTunes Store
Today in iPhone – iTunes Store
Video: Technology/David Pogue – iTunes Store
What’s Up in Astronomy – iTunes Store
60-Second Earth – iTunes Store

Slideshare

Summative Assessment

View more presentations from guestc5a435.

I really enjoyed learning about SlideShare. I am very familiar with YouTube and TeacherTube, but this was brand new. I think this is a great site for educators to share their PowerPoints and to get ideas about PowerPoint presentations. I added one and it can be viewed at:
http://www.slideshare.net/guestc5a435/summative-assessment
I have already added SlideShare to my Delicious account.

Productivity Tools

I enjoyed looking at the productivity tools. I can see a purpose for all of them, but it is going to take me awhile to get used to some of these online tools. I think part of it is because I am a user of only portable computers, so I always have everything with me. If I had a desktop I think I might look at them differently. Here is a quick review:
Bubbl.US--I like the look of this and I like concept maps. But I don't think I would use it because I already use Inspiration.
Zoho Show--The link did not work. I looked it up and it is:
http://show.zoho.com
This site does presentations online. Again, pretty kewl site, but I can do more in PowerPoint and Keynote.
Remember the Milk--This site deals with tasks and has an iPhone app, but I do not use the task feature, so not really interested.
30 Boxes--This is a nice online calendar. But again, I already have one and can use it online at MobileMe, so not interested.
LibraryThing--I liked this a lot. A nice opportunity to hear others impressions of books.
TrailFire--Probably the lease interesting to me.
Knowtes--I liked this a lot. If it would not be blocked in schools, I think this would be a great student tool for flash cards.

Google Docs

I have to admit that I have grown to actually kind of like Google Docs. My first experience with them was not very positive. I found it clumsy and messy to use. But the more I used it, the better I understood the value. I have found myself now encouraging others to use Google Docs as we work on different projects. I certainly feel comfortable using them now and because of my experience with them, will continue to use them in the future.

Back to the Blogs

Well here we are going back to the Blogs. I am still "not really into blogs." I have been excited about almost everything else in 23 Things except for these blogs. I think the problem is that I have not found any that really interest me or provide a purpose for me. I know I enjoy listening more then reading, so this is probably another factor.
I do understand the importance of these blogs and their feeds. I listen to a podcast entitled, MacCast and the host, Adam Christianson, always refers to the feeds that he has to report the Mac news for the week. I have thought that doing a science show would be interesting and I could report the science news. But to get the news, I would need these feeds and blogs.
So maybe there will be a time when blogs interest me, but for now, the slide to the bottom rung of my science ladder.

Science Bookmarking on Delicious

I really enjoyed using Delicious. I posted 10 websites and I will do more. I have been wanting to use this method, so I am glad this activity is here. I use three different browsers and it is very hard to keep track of the sites. I installed Delicious on each of my toolbars and it is nice to find the same sites. I need to really take a look at all of my old bookmarks. There are so many that I don't need. This will help me clean out my "closet."
I really look forward to looking at other science educators. I am sure it will be useful. It can be a way to help all of us become more organized. Also, but selecting good tags, we can benefit from the organization of others.
I hope others enjoy my list. You can visit my list by just clicking HERE.

Tagging and Social Bookmarking

Tagging and Social Bookmarking have me thinking. One of the things that overwhelms me is the number of websites and what to do with them. I always think I have a good idea, but then it does not work. I have thought that we need to organize websites better so that we can use them with science teachers. Well, maybe this is the answer. I am sure there are many science educators thinking the same thing.
I have a Delicious account but I think I only used it once. I am looking forward to the next session to see where this goes. Maybe it will help me solve this problem of too much information and too many websites. I am ready to social bookmark and tag away.

Widgets and Social Networking

I love the widgets. I found one I like that deals with the environment. There are so many. Social networking is great but widgets "ROCK!"
They are just one more way of showing our interests and how we like to communicate them. I think that is why social networking is so popular today. I think it can develop new friends and keep old friends together.

Let's take care of our Earth!

Connecting with the Learning Community

I posted comments on three sites. I enjoyed reading the postings that the authors made and also enjoyed patiently writing a comment. It made me slow down and be more thoughtful.
I look forward to comments on my blog and because of that and because of that I know my comments have to be thoughtful and worthwhile.
I think this is a great tool for students (if it is not blocked in the school), but it has to be closely monitored. It could be a great experience for students, but it could also turn into a bad situation if others want to be "mean" and become "cyber-bullies."

The Water Cycle Song

Here is my favorite YouTube video:

I was really surprised when I watched the video by Jackie Campbell, explaining how to embed a YouTube video. The reason for the surprise was that she was using my video. I posted this video about a year and a half ago and it has over 80,000 hits. On TeacherTube it has over 100,000 hits. The song was written by Fred Ribits and performed by our group, Science Explosion. I would like to put more videos on YouTube. Maybe 23 Things will inspire me to do more of them. It is a powerful form of teaching. The comments that are posted are also sent directly to my email address so I get to read all of them. It is a lot of fun. I have also gotten email from teachers around the world asking permission to use the video. It makes me feel really good when these requests come in. It makes you understand how small the world is and how we can impact learning around the globe.

I want to thank Jackie for using my video as an example. Thanks Jackie, "I owe you one!"

YouTube and Science

I really like YouTube.  I have three video's on YouTube.  I have put them on the videobar on the right.  I hope you will click on them and watch them.  They are also on TeacherTube.  The comment section is great.  I have gotten comments from people all over the world.  

The big problem is that it is blocked in most districts.  I understand why, but I it sure discourages the use of 2.0 tools.

Featured in National Publications

I am proud, but humbled, to announce that two publications have featured me this week.  Time Magazine has selected one of my science podcasts as Time's Podcast of the Year.  They selected my podcast on the CCWIM Project.  This and all other podcasts can be found by clicking HERE.

I was also featured in Ecology magazine for my work on the CCWIM project when we went to Monroe, MI to study the Bald Eagles.

I would also like to thank my friends at:

http://graphics.imagetemplate.net/magazines

for making these covers available.

But in all seriousness, this was a lot of fun to do.  The image generators and mashups are way too much fun.  The biggest obstacle with them is time, using too much of it.  But even though they are a lot of fun, I selected an image generator that would help me focus on my work in K12Science.  Both of them bring a focus to the CCWIM project, as well as my podcasts.  Hopefully, they will generate comments.

Using Flickr

I think everyone enjoys using a site like Flickr.  I have posted pictures that you can view by just clicking HERE.

The pictures I selected were from a workshop I recently did for First Grade teachers on the topic of Clouds.  It shows them looking at cloud charts and then making a cloud chart for their classroom.  It was a fun activity based on the Elementary GLOBE materials.  

It is great to have these pictures to share but the obvious problem, is that everyone may not want their pictures shared in this format.  Schools have to obtain permission to post or publish student photos, so that would have to be considered before posting any photos of students.

But outside of that, it is sure a wonderful way to show what is going on in a classroom.

Flickr

I really enjoyed looking at Flickr. I have been thinking of adding my photos to an online site, to protect them from crashes, etc. I decided to post a picture that was taken in Monroe, MI by Tom Green. We were in Monroe to view Bald Eagles and then Skype back to Ludington Magnet MS in Detroit so that the students could view the Eagles. In this picture, I wanted to do a "Where's Waldo." See if you can find the Bald Eagle in the picture.

Subscribing to Blogs

23 Things provided some very easy techniques for subscribing to blogs. The tough part was deciding which blogs I wanted to subscribe to. I decided on:
Bad Astronomy
National Center for Science Education
Now the challenge is to keep up with them :)

RSS and Blogs

The RSS feed is really important in order to keep track of information.  I have subscribed to a number of blogs and without RSS, I could never keep up (as if I can keep up now).  But it sure is great to be able to have the information come to me instead of me going to get the information.  My next task will be to survey the very good science blogs and add them to my bloglines account.  As this point, I have not added any RSS feeds for science.

Thoughts on My Work Today

Here are a couple of thoughts on my work today:

If projects are going to be successful in schools, they must include:

1.  A partnership so the project is not done in isolation

2.  Student engagement

3.  Authentic learning

4.  Alignment to the curriculum

5.  Quality professional development

The video stream of our recent Bald Eagle project has been put online.  Please click HERE to view the broadcast.  The quality is not very good, but you can get a flavor of what we did in Monroe, MI.  We did this broadcast using a Mac PowerBook, Sprint Card and a Canon VideoCam.

Pay Attention!

Random Thoughts:

What did I do before google?

Computers are a valuable tool for differentiation!

I carry a computer in my pocket!

I can't stand leaving my home without my cell phone--how did that happen?

I love text messaging!

No wonder kids love these technological tools!

I can use my iPhone to speak to people in other languages.

I should do podcasts on science apps for the iPhone.

Classrooms are exciting places when students are engaged and apply what they have learned.

I love podcasts--yet before the iPhone I ignored them.

We need to use Web 2.0 tools in all classrooms for students and teachers alike.

A Day in the Life of Web 2.0

The article by David Warlick really makes me think about the excitement that can be found in classrooms today.  It starts off with the work of an 8th grade science teacher preparing for the next day's class.  Here is what she is doing:

Downloading Science Podcasts

Listening to the Podcasts

Reflects upon the Podcasts on her Blog

Posts the Classroom/Course Topics on her Blog

Syndicates her Blog via RSS

Shares her Blog and reads other teacher's Blogs

This is a great way to get new information, absorb the information and share the information!

Hello

Hi--My name is David Bydlowski, Science Consultant at the Wayne County Mathematics and Science Center at Wayne RESA.  The purpose of this blog is to take a look at the relationship between Web 2.0 tools and K12Science.