lorenaleibel

WOW!!!!!

lorenaleibel — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:09:07 +0000

Digital Story Telling Projects – Evolution of Sport

Summary Of Learning

lorenaleibel — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:09:22 +0000

ECI831 Summary of Learning

Feel free to add some comments!

Final Project – Reflection

lorenaleibel — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:31:17 +0000

FINAL PROJECT

My final project started out as a fairly standard school blog. I included separate pages for all the classes that I teach and included additional pages to represent every other aspect of my identity as an educator. I immediately knew that what I was developing was a one-dimensional blog. The blog was serving one purpose…an information board. I immediately decided to develop an additional page and “experiment” with my weekly learnings. The addition of Exercise Science: Virtual Journal became my immediate focus and the center of my ECI831 Final Digital Project.

The purpose of the Virtual Journal Page was to encourage students to read, reflect, research and share! I posted weekly journal topics on the blog (journal articles, Youtube videos, website links) and had the students respond to a variety of prompts. Students were expected to extend their knowledge base and develop critical thinking skills as they critiqued their fellow classmates posts. I am so impressed with the results of the project, as each week passes my students continue to amaze me.

As the semester at school is beginning to wind down, I begin to reflect and plan for semester 2. I would describe the Virtual Journal as a total success but plan to make changes in order to streamline the overall process.

What Worked Well….

The overall purpose of engagement and critical thought via Social Media was a definite success. The blog served as a “safe place” for students to express themselves. Students who in the classroom generally sat back and observed were dynamic contributors. Every week the product became more alive, it was like a wave….and the students were catching it!
I incorporated a variety of Social Media tools within the posts, encouraging the students to participate, experiment and utilize the tools as a means of sharing. Although I was faced with early resistance, my persistence elicited great responses and ultimate success.
I tied twitter to the blog, focussing 2 separate journal posts on the set up, tricks and tools to twitter and tweetdeck. Again, the students had a difficult time identifying the validity of twitter in an educational environment. I dedicated a class session to twitter as a tool and the tweets more than tripled in a matter of four days!
My students are beginning to “weave” it all together. Their journal posts contain Youtube videos that support their responses, they are linking scholarly articles and tweeting daily about class related content.
Add #exscileibel to your tweetdeck and check out the amazing sharing that is taking place!
I asked the students to provide some feedback to the incorporation of Social Media in the class, the following is a small sample of what I received:

Testimonial #1

“I think that using the online world is a good strategy for a lot of kids who really don’t bother looking for books or asking people in person for help. For example, when you use a blog (twitter or whatever) that allows chatrooms, being that almost everyone has access to that on their cell phone, we can form an online classroom community. So if there’s ever a question that’s needed all I’d have to do is post in the chatroom and hopefully a classmate or the teacher can answer me fairly quickly (because of the cell phone thing). Here’s a good video (has parts) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1c7Ztu8pQ&feature=related I know from past experience, last year in Chem20 IB our teacher had the same thing going where we had a chatroom just for our class. It was actually very beneficial for receiving missed assignments and updates in general. I think we should be doing that in this class, and in every class to say the least. It’s as if the classroom doesn’t end simply at the doors of the school. With social media we are always connected and I think that’s great.” (Exercise Science Student)

Testimonial #2

I just wanted to take a second or two to comment on your use of social media in your exercise science classroom. I guess first I would like to congratulate you on your leadership period this year, the innovations you have spearheaded have rejuvenated the phys ed department and has made it accessible to so many more students.

As far as the use of social media in your class I applaud you for working in the milieu that our kids operate in. The digital world our students function is so vastly different from the one we know. In many ways it makes sense to meet the students where they are in order to engage them. When I read the blogs of your class I see students who are passionately and intensely engaged with the content of your class. As an educator that is the best thing that we can hope for: through engagement learning occurs. (School Administrator)

Testimonial #3

For me, I love the idea of using social media to learn, share ideas, and enhance the experience for everyone in the class. Honestly, if I had the time to be blogging about the things that interest me, especially topics related to this class, then I’d be on constantly! Because of the recent push you’ve given us to give social media a try, I have had many interesting topics land right in my lap. Tying in the purpose of our next field trip AND (what I realized today) the area of physiotherapy that includes rehab for breathing, I found this great bit of information on increasing lung capacity. I love to surf, but because I am barely in the water most of the year, my lung capacity is terrible and I always find myself struggling for breath while immersed in the ocean. However, while reading up on how to increase lung capacity I found and interesting technique called hypoxic training. This training is what a lot of big wave surfers use to relax and be able to use the oxygen within their bodies. The idea is that throughout training, short bursts of energy (like short circuits in which there is rest time in between exercise) while holding your breath teaches your body to use the oxygen it has, instead of your brain wanting an infinite amount of it. This is essential for big wave surfers because after being barreled there is a high chance that you will be thrown deep into the ocean, disoriented and without the chance to get a breath for sometimes minutes.

I know that this piece of information is not entirely relevant to what we’ve been learning, but through social media I get to share with you some of the things that are important to me! (Exercise Science Student)

Testimonial #4

Testimonial #5

Testimonial #6

Reflecting on Changes

The process of implementation, learning and facilitating has resulted in definite areas to change as I plan for semester 2.

Currently the entire class operates off of one blog and I am the creator and moderator. All thirty students respond weekly on one blog….on one page “Virtual Journal”. As a result of the way in which I have set the journal up, all the comments bundle at the bottom of the page. The students have expressed some concern in regards to the “lay out”. Currently I have eight journal posts which fall in chronological order at the top of the page and all 250 comments group together at the bottom. The “chunky” layout creates some confusion when students attempt to comment on their classmates posts. In semester two, all my students will create their own blog, post to their own blog and subscribe to a Reader Group (ECI831 Style!).
Early in the semester I experienced some disappointment as a result of a group of students lacking Digital Citizenship Skills. I immediately turned on the moderation, which has resulted in delayed posts and interrupted dialogue. Future classes will focus more heavily on the digital citizenship piece. Social Media nd Technology is the present and the future, rather than accepting these skill deficiencies it is important to teach the appropriate manner in which students operate when online.
The student blogs will serve as much more than a journal posting, they will become the student notebook. All class work and correspondence will center around the student blog…including a “digital story final portfolio”!!!

Initial implementation was somewhat “chaotic”. Through an amazing process of learning and experimentation - SENSEMAKING and WAYFINDING - my students have become engaged in a learning community and have begun the process of developing PLNs! They are learning to share, providing assistance to one another and developing amazing educational connections! Their participation in my journal has proven to be beneficial for us all! An amazing experience that will guide my future practice as a connected educator.

by ajusticenetwork

Now On To Chapter 1….

lorenaleibel — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 02:14:28 +0000

by Usonian

As I come to the end of ECI 831 I feel as if I have completed my prologue, the remainder of the book is still to come. ECI 831 has served as an opening, a quick look at the bigger picture. The chapters of my “book” will come as a result of the overwhelming amount of knowledge and skill that I have had the great opportunity to learn over the past three months. I feel as if I have drastically increased my abilities as an educator as a result of this course. I am excited about my future as a teacher as I feel my skill set has changed in ways that I never imagined possible.

I still remember the first day of the course, I logged out feeling extremely uneasy about what I was up against and honestly contemplated dropping. In two short hours I was made aware and how “behind the times” I really was in regards to Social Media and Education. A quick pep talk from my hubby and I was ready for the challenge! My personal learning curve was HUGE!

My summary of learning is a true representation of what I feel are my key learnings and most important and extremely memorable connections. From the power of twitter to the impact of digital storytelling, everyday Tuesday was realization that my educational practices were about to get a whole lot more meaningful! What I embrace most from this course and what still continues to amaze me is the sharing and the support. I am amazed at the support I received on so many occasions from a variety of different classmates. I was a self-declared “Social Media Delinquent”, through the support of everyone involved in this course I have made significant advancements in my philosophy and practice.

At the beginning of this course I was at a crossroads in terms of my career. I was feeling static and needing change. Over the course of the past three months I have become revitalized and excited again about teaching! What a great feeling to be excited about “experimenting” in the classroom! It is now time for me to continue my story; my story will become my everyday practice. Weaving my knowledge and finding my way in an ever-changing world of Social Media, Technology and Education will keep me motivated and my students satisfied…what a great combination!

Thank you to Alec and ECI 831 for the knowledge, guidance and motivation to become a better educator. My students thank you!

A Story Never Looked So Good!

lorenaleibel — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:36:25 +0000

by Carlos Porto

I was “wowed” before he even took the stage!

In preparation for our Tuesday night session in ECI831 with Alan Levine I took the opportunity to watch s summary presentation video on Digital Storytelling. I was amazed at the pure number of tools available!

Alan’s session was an hour and a half of uninterrupted learning! Although I was overwhelmed with the vast amount of tools, I was excited to try them out!

I use Voicethread in my classes all the time. I have received very positive feedback from the students. They enjoy the online interaction and the variety of response types. I have attached a recent Voicethread, including student responses. This discussion was incorporated into a Webquest that I developed for the students. It was a portion of a Nutrition Unit where my students were asked to investigate and reflect on their eating habits and the habits of the nation.

Super Size Me Voicethread

I have also attached my “trial and error” attempt at using VUVOX. My husband lost his dad to cancer two years ago. Shortly before his death, his parents decided to sell the family farm…a farm that had been in the family for over a hundred years. “A Final Walk” around the farm was captured with photos representing so many fond memories. It has always been my intention to capture the final walk in a manner in which my husband could forever cherish. A Christmas present to my husband will be a full version of the following:

One Last Walk

The tools presented are all unique and amazing ways to “tell a story”. At the time of Alan Levine’s presentation I was three-quarters of the way done my final reflection for the class. If time was on my side I would have used VUVOX as my means of reflecting on the course. I look forward to incorporating these tools into my classroom as an exciting way to reflect and tell an amazing story!

What Hat Shall I Wear Today?

lorenaleibel — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:07:52 +0000

by shaggyshoo

Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. Niccolo Machiavelli

As Stephen Downes worked his way through his presentation, identifying the various roles that educators play in today’s world of Networked Learning, all I could think is that “today I am an entrepreneur.” I am creating learning, making it my own and throwing myself out there, hoping and praying for success. Every single day I am taking risks. At times I feel like I am begging for a chance, asking for patience and acceptance…all becuase I have a “product” that I truly believe will make a world of difference.

I had a breakthrough week with my students in regards to Social Media in Education. It all started with a pitch…I took the stage and put on the show of my career! Here is a little background. For the past few weeks I have thrown Social Media at a particular group of students. Via blog posts I showed them how to sign up for twitter, how to download tweetdeck and how to use hashtags. I encouraged them to tweet about class content (Exercise Science), connect with their passions and future careers. Three weeks later I had witnessed about 5 tweets. I was disappointed, discouraged and feeling pretty low. I addressed the class, talked some more about the power of twitter, tweedeck, hastags….the same result, about 5 more tweets.

After a few days of sulking I decided to try a new approach. I needed to get their attention! I began my class with the following video: Jimmy Kimmel: Halloween Candy. You may ask what educational value does that video have? It doesn’t but it sure did get their attention! This was a prelude to my talk about Social Media. I listed the things that I have been using in class over the past few weeks: Youtube, Blogs, Twitter…and I talked honestly about my disappointment with their lack of risk talking when it came to twitter. I posed this question to them “How do you know that Twitter cannot be used in an educational manner…you don’t…becuase you have not tried”. My next video: How to Chose a dentist . I stood at the back watching their reactions, they were definitely interested….I still had their attention. I took the stage, I put on my “hat” and I pushed my product with intensity and passion. I challenged the students to take risks, to go where they have never gone. We established a class hashtag, #exscileibel, and made a class commitment to use twitter to support our learning and support our classmates. I am happy to report that six days later I have received over 60 tweets! The students are tweeting about class content, sharing articles and videos and asking questions about technology to support their committment. The following are a couple tweets that I received:

My product is finding a home within my classroom; my students are buying in. Feel free to add #exscileibel to your Tweetdeck to step inside our “virtual classroom”. The students would love to hear from you!

The Reluctant Sharer

lorenaleibel — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:32:40 +0000

by Roger’s Wife

“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.” Erma Bombek

Why is it that we are so reluctant to share our dreams with those near and dear to our hearts?
Why am I fearful of revealing the things I have developed so much passion for?

Over the course of the last couple of months my computer usage has drastically increased. I am either blogging for this course, blogging for my students, tweeting, sharing media, searching media…a whole lot of clicking going on! My husband often asks “Now what are you doing?” My consistent response is “working on class stuff.” Not once have I shared with him what I am so diligently working on. I feel a great deal of reluctance when it comes to sharing this aspect of my life…a part of my life that has become a major focus and a passion for me as an educator.

Dean Shareski is a sharer! Perhaps that is why he has become such a powerful, influential and wise man in the world of Social Media.

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” George Bernard Shaw

I can admit, I am a “reluctant sharer”, not because of greediness or selfishness but merely the fear of exposing my imperfections. I am surrounded by incredibly smart and amazing educators in ECI831. Their knowledge of Social Media towers in comparison to mine. I tweet for help, @AlisonECI831 comes to the rescue (on more than one occasion I might add), @gymovers shares his wealth of knowledge about Fitness Assessments with me… even offering his time to sit in on a PD session with myself and fellow Physical Education Colleagues. I am amazed by the power of sharing, I am grateful for the gifts that I have received as an educator and all because my fellow classmates have decided to share.

Last night, after I logged out of my session with Dean Shareski, I decided to “share”. My final project for ECI831 is very much a school based project. It involves my students in a very collaborative manner. Up until this point I have talked a great deal with my administration about my grad class and the power of Social Media. I have, for many reasons, held back when it comes to discussing the details about my project. So I took the leap – I shared! I asked for feedback from an administrator’s perspective. I am patiently waiting for their responses….

The idea of sharing not only “scares” me but causes some anxiety in my students as well. Below is a tweet I sent to them last week encouraging them to share their new-found treasures with the class.

The return has been rather slow. My plan is to keep tweeting them interesting information that I know applies to their personal passions and future goals and hope that they “catch the wave”. It won’t take long for them to see the power of twitter and the dynamics that will result from their choice to share with not only just the class but the rest of “twitterworld”.

Innovative Change is Exciting!

lorenaleibel — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:33:48 +0000

“Life has always seemed to me like a plant that lives on its rhizome. Its true life is invisible, hidden in the rhizome. The part that appears above the ground lasts only a single summer. Then it withers away–an ephemeral apparition. When we think of the unending growth and decay of life and civilizations, we cannot escape the impression of absolute nullity. Yet I have never lost the sense of something that lives and endures beneath the eternal flux. What we see is blossom, which passes. The rhizome remains.” Carl Jung

by Feggy Art

Another inspirational session last night, lead by Dave Cormier! I have had a raging headache all day and into the night….I think I am learning too much! Just when I think I am falling into a routine of comfort and normalcy, another Tuesday session throws me for a loop! @Mick very adequately stated last night that “when I am fearless I will be bored and need to quit”. This statement appropriately explains my approach to my teaching and my role within the school. I thrive on the challenges of change and am motivated by innovation and all the uncertainties that accompany the “unknown”. As I continue on my quest of creating classrooms that thrive on Open Education, I will continue to battle the bumps, push pass the resistance and embrace “Nomadic Behavior” in an Educational Context.

Dave Cormier described a Nomad using “creative thinker” and “carve your own paths” as descriptors. Through my school blog, with my very patient “experimental group”, I have asked the students to comment, critique and question their classmates posts. My goal is to establish lifelong learners, critical & creative thinkers and promote a student driven conversation on a teacher driven topic. The results have been amazing! Students who sit at the back of the classroom and seldom offer input are posting thought-provoking, intelligent and high quality responses. They are challenging their classmates to broaden their thought processes and contributing greatly to the overall content and dynamics of the class.

I have significantly altered the way my students are used to doing things. Although the process has been very positive, I found myself in a very interesting conversation on Monday. I was asked by a student why I am asking them to comment on their classmates posts. My response was simple “I want you to think critically”. My student was quick with a matter of fact response “That’s hard, just tell me what you want me to write”. This dialogue supports the “stitch and weave” analogy presented by George Siemens two weeks ago. The opportunities are endless, the results continue to amaze me and the future excites me!

Chaos…Yes Please!

lorenaleibel — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:18:47 +0000

“Living in continual chaos is exhausting, frightening. The catch is that it’s also very addictive.” Lorna Luft

I am all over the place…and I love it! Alec mentioned “building things the cathedral way” during his presentation on Tuesday. That statement stuck as a reminder that what I am experiencing is OK and that chaos is not necessarily a bad thing. Rather chaos is evidence that things are happening, moving and accelerting….exactly what I am looking for as I dive head first into Social Media.

by e x pe r

As I continue to push my students beyond their comfort zone I am dangerously hanging off the edge of sanity…or so my students think. The “chaos” and “less structured” learning journey that Alec mentioned is exactly where I find myself. I am throwing so many new ideas at my students, I am asking them to walk beside me in my journey through Social Media. As a developing PLN (which is growing with comfort and size) we are embarking on a journey which is frightening but yet rewarding at the same time.

What I find most surprising and quite shocking is the lack of “media literacy“. When I ask my students to blog, tweet and hashtag…for the most part they are clueless. I am providing tutorials on a weekly basis, teaching them the ”how to” and asking them to experiment with what they have learned. For an hour a day they are floating around in a world of social media – learning to use these tools for educational purposes.

Check out my updated Exercise Science Blog. I would love to receive any feedback from you “more experienced” bloggers out there! What else can I do to enhance their learning through the blog and social media?

Coming Down is the Hardest Part

lorenaleibel — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 02:57:38 +0000

by JohnBrody.com

Taking chances is risky behavior… experiencing failure is difficult to accept…learning from mistakes is a valuable lesson.

Mark Twain once said “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

It has been a week full of accomplishments, significant learning, disappointments and recovery…but as least I’m trying…right?

Accomplishments: George Siemes lead my ECI831 class in an insightful and very fitting lecture on Wayfinding and Sensemaking. When I was first made aware of the topic for the lecture I though “perfect”…I am lost, George is going to help me find my way in this overwhelming world of social media AND 90% of the time I am confused, George is going to make it all make sense! Once the session started I quickly realized that my hope for personal clarity was not the specific topic of the day – but miraculously the week proved to be an unveiling of the new me!

George talked about formal education and the mimicking of presented information – perhaps I have struggled thus far with Open Education and Social Media because as a student, that is all I know. Over the past few weeks I have been experiencing a sense of disconnect. Pieces made sense – putting them together was proving to be difficult. The sensemaking piece was non existent for me…until this week. With the help of fellow ECI831 classmates I have been able to use Twitter in ways that I never imagined possible! One tweet last night about tips for my PE class returned an overwhelming response of support and advice. I am amazed by the power of a tweet.

I am finally feeling like I am starting to “weave” the experiences together into a coherent and stable learning platform.

by Mike_tn

Unfortunate Disappointments: With every chance taken there exists the possibility of let down. An unexpected lesson on digital citizenship found its way into my daily lesson plan following some “foolish” student blog posts. My 30 level class engages in weekly “virtual journal” posts where expectations state that they not only respond to a posted prompt but as well analyze and critique their classmates responses. The hope is to have students engage in critical and creative writing practices. Unmoderated comments resulted in some inappropriate bantering between students - posted live on my blog – for all to see. After a long lesson on digital footprints, a discussion on the definition of appropriate educational responses and a reminder that the blog is for my final project in ECI831, a few students hung their heads and expressed concern…”Is your professor going to fail you?” A disappointing day to say the least but a swing back up didn’t take long. Teachers are forgivers…we have no other choice.

Perhaps a tough week but looking back the journey was well worth the pain. As an educator I am doing and considering things I never thought I could do. Next week is a QR Code Fitness Circuit, a Twitter Scavenger hunt and the beginning efforts to develop a PLN utilizing Twitter as the learning environment.

Now to find time for the class assigments….