Tuesday, August 14, 2012

will this blog see tomorrow?

It's an open question.  Think about today's in-class discussion, ask yourself what you really want out of this semester, and then comment to this post with your decision and at least one reason for it.  (NOTE: As Benjamin Franklin famously observed, "We all hang together or we all hang separately." We won't move forward unless all of us agree.

I've created an approach to learning in which students use 2.0 tools to create their online identity, express themselves, and demonstrate what they can do. 

I call the model Open Source Learning: "A guided learning process that combines timeless best practices in with today's tools to create paths of inquiry, communities of critique, and a portfolio of knowledge capital that is directly transferable to the marketplace."

Last year students used Open Source Learning to create a wild variety of personal goals, Big Questions, ventures (several of which are becoming actual businesses) and online portfolios of work that helped them get jobs and college admissions.  You can see their course blog here and their personal blogs here

Some of them are aspiring filmmakers.  They made this video about the experience:



In an era when it seems like all you hear about school is how much it sucks, it's nice to see student achievement make positive waves-- check out this interview with Howard Rheingold, the man who invented the term "virtual community." 

The defining characteristic of Open Source Learning is that there is no chief; all of us are members of a network that is constantly evolving.  Another defining characteristic is transparency.  What we learn and how well we learn it is right out there in public for everyone to see.  And it's Open.  That means we're not limited to one source for curriculum or instruction.  A mother/daughter team in another course is presenting a lesson on Dickens & Dr. Seuss.  If we read something that makes an impression we can email the author.  We already have a full slate of online conferences scheduled, including authors, authorities on the Internet and social media, entrepreneurs, and others.  As you get the hang of this you'll come up with your own ideas.  And when you do, see how you can use the Collaborative Working Groups and Project Infinity to your greatest advantage.

No one knows how learning actually works--what IS that little voice that tells you what you should've said 15 minutes after the conversation?-- or what we should learn about.  Maybe that's why we use the term "learning experience" to describe a moment that kicks us in the butt when we least expect it.  Open Source Learning provides an outlet for self-expression that shares thought processes, not just assignments.  This way you can learn about how you and others learn, while you're in the act, and you can fine-tune your game accordingly.  Improving your own mind, in addition to mastering the core curriculum, is the highest form of success in this course of study.

As you well know ("Put that phone away or I'll confiscate it!"), many people are worried about the use of technology in education.  They are rightly concerned about safety, propriety, and focus: will learners benefit or will they put themselves at risk?  The only way to conclusively prove that the benefits far outweigh the risks is to establish your identities and show yourselves great online.  If we move forward on this you will learn how the Internet works, how you can be an effective online citizen, and how you can use 2.0 and 3.0 tools to achieve your personal and professional goals.  You'll also learn a lot about American literature and the habits of mind that make readers and writers successful. 

Because Open Source Learning is a team sport, this is all your call.  You have to decide if you want to pursue this new direction or if you prefer the security of the traditional approach.  There is admittedly something comforting about the smell of an old book (even if it's a thirty-pound textbook that spent the summer in a pile of lost-and-found P.E. clothes).  My opinion may be obvious, but I'm just one voice.  Please add yours with a comment below. 

37 comments:

  1. To begin, students have access to the internet 24/7. It would make sense to do work online. If we are absent for some reason, it would be easier to just go online and look up what we missed in class. I also enjoy it better because I can sit in a quiet room with no distractions, as i am now, and write this response. If i need a little help with something or have a question about something, i can just use my sources to guide me. As an Honors English student last year, Mrs. Byrne too had a blog that we would comment to posts on and also be able to look up our assignments and see what we missed. As an aside, a local school nearby is using technology all the time and is where most of their work is done. The New Tech High School demonstrates a preformance of creative, communicative, and effective learning towards its students. A blog with also the use of the internet is a great step to a technilogical advancement of our path to a great education. To conclude, I feel that "open sourse learning" is a good step to take to a brighter future of education.

    Ethan Clardy
    period 2

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  2. I think this new way of teaching is a good way to teach without completely boring your students. This semester, I expect to actually learn, as well as take something out of this english class.

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  3. Most teenager's lifes are spent on the internet. As this generation grows old and a new one begins, their minds will be more open to the growth of technology. We are the new generation, and we are expected to take leadership of our world. By this, we can make new ideas from the old, because we were taught to be creative and to think out of the box. And we can make a change in the world with knowledge that we may learn by our own teaching method, because we grew up with 2.0 tools.

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  4. Ethan, Mareya, and Teanna: Way to back up what you said in class this morning. That is the definition of integrity. You're in charge tomorrow.

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  5. The internet is the future we are the future so I'm going to keep this short. We are smart but don't realize it we know how to navigate using the simplest tools on the internet . In my opinion we should indeed use blogging instead of writing it down on a piece of paper. Everyone will never get left behind or miss what we talked about. Everyone will always be caught up and up to date.

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  6. I go on the internet all the time so this change benefits me. Blogging seems like a great idea, although it acts as a change to many students. Overall I think it's change to look forward to.

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  7. i think that this wayof teaching is going to be very affective, if we all commit to it. most teens these days have a cellphone that hasthe ability to go onto the internet,why not check this blog while your checking facebook?(: i feel that this blog will help us students out and will be a lot easier to handle. its a different way of learning, but im up to something new.

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  8. i think this blog is going to be awesome as a learning source !
    Many of us are always using the internet and our smart phone's.. so im pretty sure we will have time to blog :)

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    1. Excellent Idea Dr. Preston. With so many of us rather being on the computer than hitting the books, this will be a very effective source of learning for the modern-age high school student. Super excited! :)

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  9. I think this is very different way to learn. I never thought that i would be doing my homework out of a blog where all the students in the same class room can interact and i can see their point of view on the assignment. I actually do like this and hope to have a really good time in this class.

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  10. I think we should take the new way. The old way is well its just old! taking a class online and blogging is so much better i think. because its real. its not just in the class. its for the whole world to actually see what we learn. or talk about. It is a different way to learn. but i think, it is a better way. This class keeps sounding better and better as i go through these blogs.
    Matt reynolds p1

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  11. I really can see im gonna enjoy this class because its different and makes me think

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  12. Using the internet as a way to do homework and communicate with my classmates is a great idea. Thank you for giving a crap about us. I can tell i will learn a lot in this class, and i look forward to coming into first period every morning.

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  13. Before the Digital Age, no one was able to spread knowledge quickly. Messages took weeks to arrive at the destination it was intended for, and along the way it risked loss or misplacement by the carrier. But once the Digital Age rolled around, knowledge was easily accessible by anyone and everyone. There are so many things that are out there that can distribute knowledge to a world wide audience. The use of the Open Source Learning will create that kind of atmosphere for Righetti, making us all better students as well as preparing us for college.
    C.Albright, p4

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    1. go to p1 bro. me and frank are in that class haha

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  14. I think that this online blogging is a good idea for us as students to use as a new learning device since most of the people our age spend most of their time on the internet anyways. This year of english should be interesting.

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  15. I really like the sound of the online blogging idea. I think this is a great step into the future for everybody. Being able to use the internet for an english class is awesome.

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  16. Kids are already so use to going on the internet because that is where they usually spend half of their day. The idea of learning while using the computer instead of dull pencil and pen excites us. We can speak freely without being stared at in class and actually get our FULL question/idea out there. It takes the boring out of learning and actually lets us THINK. We feel more comfortable therefore letting our minds run free.

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  17. I pretty much spend most of my time at my computer so i strongly enjoy and back up this idea of a school curriculum and way of learning. Using a keyboard instead of a peace of paper will definitively help a lot of us, I know it will help me. I think the school needs to look in to this new idea of learning is a really appealing idea to the younger adults/teens that are being thought. After all we need to evolve some how and is is the technological age.

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  18. I like the idea of online blogging for english class because we use the internet daily anyway so it'll make learning easier and more enjoying and it's not coming from a boring textbook. It's an easier way for us timid people to express ourselves and let everyone know what we think.

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  19. I think this is a great idea, for the most part todays youth aswel as adults spend they're time online. Its a great,fun and creative approche to learning.

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  20. I'm certainly in favor of this method, I think the internet is an exciting and engaging learning environment that's really underused as a tool for public schooling. I'm psyched to take part in such an innovative class and I really hope we can pull together and get it off the ground.

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  21. I agree that this idea is a very interseting and effective way of teaching. I believe it will keep students more awake, instead of reading out of a textbook all day. I expect to learn new things that I will keep for the rest of my life.

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    1. whitney im glad you have one too! you can help me :D

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  22. i think this idea of learning is great because we are so used to the internet and its a huge part of our lives. as our technology is changing things are slowly getting old and boring for us like our text books. i feel this is a great way to keep everyone involved and help us a lot. i look forward to where this will take us.

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  23. I am new to this whole blog thing but I do like that I have the accessibility to all of my work and teaching buy using this blog. thank you Dr. Preston!

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  24. Honestly at first i was a little hesitant to the whole blog thing but now i feel like its going to have a very positive effect of teaching. Its creative and a lot better than just sitting down and writing notes and essays all day.

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  25. I wasn't to fond of the idea at having a blog at first, but after getting the hang of it I felt a whole lot more comfortable with the idea. It will be a great new way of teaching.

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  26. i think this is a very interesting way to learn. we are always on the internet and it is a big part of everyones life. it is very difficult so far so im just hopping that i get the hang of it soon.

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  27. I personally haven't had a blog before, but I'm really liking the whole concept of this. It helps people to get caught up if they missed a class, and helps us collbaorate everything, whether it be help on homework or studying for a test, this gives us an educational atmosphere to help eachother, and it's extremely easy to use :D

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  28. Obviously, we have already started this way of learning, but might as well still add my opinion. I have enjoyed learning this way. Personally, I am sick of all my textbooks I have and I am happy to return one back to the library. This also gives me a chance to get away from all of the paper work problems like losing them, destroying them, and MAKING my dog eat them. I am glad we all chose this method. It is defiantly working out so far.

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  29. Because most of us have access to the internet 24/7 I think that this is going to be a good way of teaching because we will be using something that we already know how to use. It will also be better that reading a book for the whole class period. I also think that we will learn new skills by using this for school

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  30. I think this way of teaching is a very interesting way because I don’t like reading out of a book all the time. Too tell u the truth I don’t think that I can learn much like that but this new way I think is awesome… I never had a blog or ever thought of creating one till now and if it wasn’t for this class I don’t think that I wouldn't of thought about learning this way.

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  31. I think this blog is going to be awesome and will be a great help.

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  32. I agree with the online approach of learning because it is very modern and basically everyone knows how to work a computer. Last year my Honors English teacher, Mrs. Byrne, had a blog and I liked how if you miss a day in class you never were behind. I am very excited to have my own online blog/portfolio.

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  33. This class will force the shyness of students into the light and will give students more confidence.

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