Rana's Blog

Here is a link to my final paper in Google Docs.

The four Web 2.0 apllications I used were as follows:

1. TimeRime: Below is a sample of a timeline that was created by one of my students:

2. Tagxedo: The following are word clouds I created in class to discuss the Magna Carta and how it inspired the United States Constitution:

The Magna Carta

The United States Constitution

 3. EduBlogs: I created a blog for my Western Civilization class called Quantum Leap in which they are given imaginary historical situations which they have to respond to. They respond in their blogs, which are linked to the class blog. Here is a sample student response (imaginary).

4. Podcasts: Students will subscribe, listen, take notes on, and create their own groups podcasts on current events in Africa. Here is a sample podcast: World Cultures Africa Podcast

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Filed under: Blogging Reflections, IT Infrastructure, Web 2.0

So they’ve done it again. Google came up with an excellent tool to refine searches performed in Google and to help students navigate through a vast quantity of research options. Again, a mind mapping concept underlies this, wherein the search results create a radial, sun-shaped circle of terms, all related to the the main key word or phrase. This helps students identify subordinate and associative relationships, and explore them further. These subordinate terms in turn create their own circle of related terms, and so on. As with all Google products, this tool is not only useful for students, but can be (and has been) used to improve search results across the board.

A search word is plugged in and the Google Wonder Wheel Option is selected under the “more search options” tab in the side-bar on the left.

I can definitely recall instances when this would have been a very handy tool indeed to share with my students. For example, while writing a research paper on Andalusia, a student complained that he could not find relevant sources, but his search options would have been significantly different (and better) had he typed in Iberia or Muslim Spain. This, however, is something Google Wonder Wheel will mitigate.

Searching for Andalusia

The Internet, as a source of information, can be a double-edged sword; it can store vasts amount of information on any one subject, but to actually sift the dross from the gold can be a tedious and eye-straining process. Wonder Wheel helps alleviate the strain and the stress.

Here’s a message from Adam, the software engineer at Google who helped created Wonder Wheel:

As with all things, it’s not perfect. I had trouble opening it using Internet Explorer, but it opened in Mozilla Firefox. Also, although my search for Andalusian history was successful, the success of this tool depends on the fact that the student has an approximate idea of what they’re looking for, otherwise the whole process could lead down a rabbit hole.

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Filed under: Web 2.0

TimeRime is a Web 2.0 website that allows users to view, create, and compare timelines in a user-friendly way. It is available upon registration as a free download, but there are professional (for companies and users who want more sophisticated features) and educational versions that require payment. The free version, however, is versatile enough to meet the needs of most educators.

TimeRime is characterized by being interactive and by its abilty to integrate a wide range of multimedia objects (images, audio, videos, google maps and other media with embed codes) into the timeline. The events on the timeline can be prioritized (the most important will be assigned with a higher zoom factor), and grouped into periods. Furthermore, students can align multiple timelines parallel to each other (which will automatically synchronize them) and be able to compare them. This makes it both an excellent and creative source of information, with the additional virtue of being international in scope.

As I prepared my presentation on this application, I could already envision how I would use it in class. It is usefule to educators across disciplines, and can easily engage the critical thinking skills of students, as well as inspiring their creativity, as they analyze data to determine its importance to the sequence of events and try to think of unique ways to present this information. In fact, I’m assigning it tomorrow to my Western Civilization class; we’re covering the rise of nation states in England and France, so I’m going to ask them to create and compare separate timelines for France and England, then present their timelines to the class and discuss the differences.

My only problem with the site was the fact that clicking on the back/forward browser button did not achieve the desired results, but rather moved away from the selection desired.

Below is a presentation that takes you through the process of making a timeline, such as the one displayed in the post below, using http://www.timerime.com/.

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Filed under: Web 2.0

In the month that I have worked at my school, I have experienced both the positive and the negative aspects of its IT infrastructure.

Computer Lab

The school has approximately 1000 computers. Computers are located in various places: the libraries (Elementary and Middle/High), computer labs (2 labs for each school division—Elementary, Middle, and High), one in each teacher’s classroom, and one for each administrative staff member.

The school uses both desktops and laptops. Desktops are predominantly in the libraries and computer labs, and most administrators have desktops. Although many teachers also have desktops, most have laptops. The oldest computers in the school are presently 6 years old.

In addition to each teacher having a computer in his/her classroom, the school allows students to come to class with their laptops and also has 15 laptop carts, 5 stationed in each division of the school (Elementary, Middle, and High).

Laptop Cart

Teachers have their computers linked to both LCD projectors and Datashows. All classrooms have Promethean Boards. The operating system of choice in the school is the Mac. My laptop is a MacBook Pro with 1 processor, Intel Core 2 Duo, with 2.4 GHz speed. The RAM is 4 GB and it has the capacity to store 250 GB. It also has an internal webcam and DVD player.

The school communicates with parents on a regular basis the school’s website is a good resource for the parents. A detailed school calendar is available onl the website which can be imported into smart phones, other divisional information is available including standards and benchmarks, activities, administrative procedures, and a library catalogue. The school also recently switched from emailing the school’s newsletter to posting all newsletters and announcements on the parent’s intranet.

The Intranet is also used to connect teachers and staff online. The staff directory and curriculum resources are posted on it. Teachers have to use the intranet to book lap top carts and other equipment for their classrooms, to make IT service requests, to requisition stationary, and to fill out various forms related to Human Resources and other administrative functions.

During the H1N1 scare last winter and the forced school closure that followed, teachers had to transition to using Blackboard to post assignments and communicate with their students. Teachers have to post student grades periodically on the Intranet and students/parents are updated through a system called POLAR. The Course Management System presently used by the school is Moodle and  also students are required to use Turn-It-In software to post their essays and papers.

The school follows the ISTE National Technology Standards and the Information Services Department has a core staff of 8 (including a Computer Service Manager and Engineers, Server Administrator, Network Engineer, and Webmaster). When I was first hired by the school I probably met most of them; I had to get access to the server, to the faculty Intranet, to Moodle, ect. Fortunately, the team is very helpful and supportive, so whenver I have questions or problems using the hardware or software, help is just a phone call away. Additionaly, the school emphasizes professional development; the Information Services Director and webmaster recently attended the annual NESA Virtual School Meeting and reported to all the faculty some of the issues discussed as well as updates on the school’s current and planned use of Moodle.

The teacher I shadowed before starting work full time at the school had assigned the students a collaborative project that involved going on a field trip to visit certain historic landmarks, taking pictures and notes, then working in class to create group Wikis of their trip and post them on Moodle. The students enjoyed this project; however, it revealed to me one of the negative aspects of the school’s IT infrastructure: the network coverage. The school only has 4 dedicated lines, which results in very slow internet connections and very frustrated students.

Overall, however, I feel that my school is one that is willing to adapt to the needs of this new digital age, and will continue to hopefully invest further in developing its IT resources, as well as training and encouraging its staff and the entire school community to use them.

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Filed under: IT Infrastructure

Russian literature is not for everyone. Some of the greatest novels of all time were written by Russian authors, truly universal classics that explore the human condition with depth and beauty. But they’re big; very, very big. And not in a Harry Potter sort of way. Size aside, one of the most memorable works of literature I ever read was Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, and one chapter in particular has always remained with me: “The Grand Inquisitor.” It’s an amazing little fictional parable told by one of the protagonists of the novel.

"The Grand Inquisitor," 1948, wood engraving by Fritz Eichenberg, in The Brothers Karamazov

The story opens in Seville, during the time of the Inquisition. Christ has returned and is walking through the streets dispensing miracles. The people recognize him and adore him, but the Grand Inquisitor has him arrested and imprisoned. In the brilliant monologue that follows (Christ does not reply or say anything), the Inquisitor explains why the Catholic Church no longer needs Christ, and why the people need the Church more than they need Christ. Essentially it boils down to freedom of choice; people don’t really want it. They want to be told what to do and how to act; choice only brings suffering:

“Didst Thou forget that man prefers peace, and even death, to freedom of choice in the knowledge of good and evil? Nothing is more seductive for man than his freedom of conscience, but nothing is a greater cause of suffering. [...] Instead of taking possession of men’s freedom, Thou didst increase it, and burdened the spiritual kingdom of mankind with its sufferings for ever.”

Although the context is different, I find that my dilemma is the same: there’s too much choice out there. I remember that when I graduated from university in 1998 and first entered the job market I decided to take a night course on Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. I got the certificate and I felt great, confident and ready to tackle the world of computers. That certificate today, of course, is not worth the paper it’s printed on. And my confidence over the years has undergone a similar process of deflation.

It’s empowering to learn about Web 2.0, Augmented Reality, digital storytelling, and the many other tools we’ve been exploring over the past two days; but it’s also very daunting. I doubt I’ll ever feel the kind of confidence I felt in 1998, that a finite skill was acquired, a practice was perfected, a knowledge was bagged and tagged. Technology is changing so fast and the applications for it are multiplying exponentially every day, with the result that it’s almost impossible to keep up…  or even tailgate the darn thing. Like Moore’s law, my confidence will always have a shelf life and I’ll always be scrambling up the trough of disillusionment.

So yes, I find myself in agreement with the Inquisitor. Choice isn’t always what it’s cut out to be.

Not that I would have it any other way.

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Filed under: Blogging Reflections