Something OldSomething New

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Something Old/Something New
Combining new social web technologies with
traditional best practices to enhance reading

• Sandy Stuart-Bayer
• Library Media Specialist
• Lees Summit High School
• Lees Summit, MO

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Ah! Reading
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Thanks to Gutenberg. . .

• (and possibly the Chinese before him, but anyway.
  .)

• The book has stood the test of time for five
  centuries

• Ah, the sweet joys of words on the page and
  imagination in the mind!

• The simplicity of it!

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Uh-Oh
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Tech Tools
Social Web
Plugged-in
Online
Digital life
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Tech Tools
Social Web
Plugged-in
Online
Digital life
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What we did. . .

• Began with an independent study of books
  nominated for the Missouri Gateway Award.
• The Library Media Specialist
• Booktalks in the LMC
• PowerPoint presentation of the books
• Student self-selection of a Gateway book
• Introduction of Gateway nominee blogs
• With links to authors websites

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What we did. . .

• The Communication Arts teacher
• Assigned a reading notebook
• Creative title page
• Understanding the novel
• Book quotes and responses
• Visuals with written explanations
• Sharing the novel
• The blogging component
• Posting and responses required

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Reading Notebook cont.

• Extending the novel
• Research article and reflecting on an issue from
  the book.
• Connecting to the author
• Letters about Literature Contest
• Knowing ourselves as readers
• Reflecting on how we relate to reading
• A Twenty Questions prompt
• Reasons for voting.

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Blogging the Gateway Nominees
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Blogging

• Comes from weblog
• Its creators changed it to we-blog, or just
  blog.
• BUT, its not just an online journal or diary
  entry anymore!

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Blogging

• Can be a
• Class portal (Teacher, Students, Parents)
• Online filing cabinet/portfolio
• Collaborative space
• At its best, reading writing that
• Promotes critical analytical thinking
• Promotes creative, intuitive thinking
• Is a medium for increasing exposure to quality
  information
• Combines the best of solitary reflection and
  social interaction

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Creating a Blog-with blog hosting sites

• Blogger (slides)
• The easiest to create and manage
• Nice templates
• Dashboard for managing blogs
• Excellent, but ITS BLOCKED!
• Edublogs (slides)
• Great for a blog or two.
• Allows dynamic and static pages also a
  wikispace.
• Less good for managing several blogs
• Was blocked, now open. Will it stay that way?

• Gaggle (slides)
• Originally a safe email site
• Recently added blogs
• Safety features
• Requires waiting on ID and password
• Free version has ads and subscription version is
  expensive (but includes student email.)
• 21publish
• Created for communities of blogs
• Set up as a blog portal with individual blogs for
  class members
• Less user-friendly than the others

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Creating a Blog-with blog-creation software

• Manila or
• Movable Type
• Somewhat pricey.
• Placed on a server
• Be sure you have technical approval and support.
• May be a good choice if planning a large number
  of blogs.

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Creating a Blog-Setting up your own Web Space or
Domain

• Usually has a monthly or yearly cost for the
  space.
• More flexibility than with hosted blogs or
  blogging software on your districts server.
• Takes more time and effort to set up, but not as
  hard as you might think.
• For an excellent tutorial, download Tom Marchs
  Class Act Portals

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Setting up your own Web Space
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Setting up your Own Web Space

• Choosing a domain name
• Network Solutions lets you try out names and
  check for availablity (for free)
• Finding a Host
• Network Solutions
• A little pricey, but offer great services.
• SiteGround
• Approximately 70 for a year.
• Has all the right technical stuff.
• Lots of others available.

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Setting up your Own Web Space

• Download WordPress
• An Open Source web development software with blog
  software included.
• Open Source means its free and available for all
  to use (and improve upon if you like)
• Open Source is true community sharing.
• Download some WordPress blogging templates from
  Alex Kings Theme browser.
• Youll need FTP software.
• Can be downloaded free if you dont already have
  it.
• Use this to upload the templates to your web
  space.
• (All the how-tos for the above can be found on
  Tom Marchs
• page--see previous slide.)

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Gateway Readers Blog
http//lmclive.org/gateway/
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Gateway Project Student Surveys

• What did the students say about blogging?
• 73 thought it was fun
• 80 liked having a wider audience
• 51 thought it increased their understanding of
  the book
• 60 found insights on the blogs that they had not
  previously considered.

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Gateway Project Student Survey

• 85 enjoyed hearing others comments about their
  book.
• Only 30 preferred writing for their teacher
  only.
• However,
• 89 found the other requirements of the reading
  notebook to be more meaningful than blogging
• 84 believed they thought about their book in
  greater depth through the other requirements than
  through blogging.

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Students Comments

• What would improve the book blogging experience?
• Almost unanimous comment Get more people to do
  it. Its not fun when no one responds to your
  posts or questions.
• Random comments
• Make the log-in easier.
• Direct discussion to more meaningful insights
• Having posts up more quickly after they are
  entered (Several mentioned this)

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Students Comments

• Blogging benefits
• Hearing others opinions, interpretations,
  insights, perspectives
• A chance to talk casually and comfortably about
  books
• It made the book easier to understand.
• You can learn from others, hear their thoughts.
• It gave you a chance to think and then verbalize
  your feelings and thoughts.
• You can connect to other readers, even if youve
  never met them.
• You can enlighten others about the symbolism and
  see their reactions.
• Its fun.

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Student comments

• Blogging drawbacks
• Having to wait to see your post. Its not like a
  personal conversation, when you have to wait.
• You think, Is anyone really seeing this?
• Reading about the ending too soon. Comments about
  the end of the book should be separated or
  spoiler alerts given.
• When people disagree with you, their comment
  stays there.
• People may not give their true opinion because
  its out there.
• You have to think about if what you write sounds
  good.
• Shy people may not want to post online.

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What other tools can we use?The Social Web has
lots of possibilities!

• Aggregators
• Social Bookmarking
• Online Photo Galleries
• Videoblogging

• Blogs
• RSS
• Wikis
• Podcasting
• Screencasting

Vocabulary test on Friday! 8)