jlearn2.0

Take a look at the following publications for some interesting articles on social networking, online learning environments, and what it’s like to be Jewish in a virtual world:

The Wall Street Journal published a series of articles in its June 18, 2007 print edition Report on Technology. Copies of select articles are available online including the following:

“A Job Interview You Don’t Have to Show Up For: Microsoft, Verizon, Others Use Virtual Worlds to Recruit; Dressing Avatars for Success” by Anjali Athavaley, Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2007.
“All Things Digital” by Walter S. Mossberg and Kara Swisher. Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2007.
“Making Sense of Social Software.” Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2007.
“Matters of the Mind” by Lee Gomes. Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2007. Want something more substantive than YouTube? Here’s where to find highbrow videos on the Web.
“Playing Well With Others” by William M. Bulkeley. Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2007. How IBM’s employees have taken social networking to an unusual level.
“Social Studies” by Michael Totty. Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2007. Companies of all kinds are figuring out which tools work and how to use them.
“Wikis at Work” by Vauhini Vara, Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2007. Companies turn the Wikipedia concept into a powerful corporate-information tool for employees

For an education perspective, see ISTE’s May 2007 issue of Leading and Learning with Technology.

2Life - The Jewish Magazine in Second Life presents its June 2007 issaue, “Hiders and Seekers - The Inter(net) Faith Issue, in which they explore aspects of Jewish identity and faith identity in the virtual world.

According to the latest Pew report, A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users:

Fully 85% of American adults use the internet or cell phones - and most use both. Many also have broadband connections, digital cameras and video game systems. Yet the proportion of adults who exploit the connectivity, the capacity for self expression, and the interactivity of modern information technology is a modest 8%.

Fully half of adults have a more distant or non-existent relationship to modern information technology. Some of this diffidence is driven by people’s concerns about information overload; some is related to people’s sense that their gadgets have more capacity than users can master; some is connected to people’s sense that things like blogging and creating home-brew videos for YouTube is not for them; and some is rooted in people’s inability to afford or their unwillingness to buy the gear that would bring them into the digital age.

These findings come from the Pew Internet Project’s typology of information and communication technology (ICT) users. The typology categorizes Americans based on the amount of ICTs they possess, how they use them, and their attitudes about the role of ICTs are in their lives. Ten separate groups emerge in the typology.

The report identifies these ten typologies as: elite technology users (31% of American adults, including “omnivores,” “connectors,” ‘lackluster veterans,” and “productivity enhancers”); middle-of-the-road technology users (20%, including “mobile centrics” and “connected but hassled”); and, those with few technology assets (49%, including “inexperienced experimenters,” “light but satisfied,” “indifferents,” and those who are “off the network.”).

Where do you fit in among information and communication technology users according to Pew’s typologies? Take the Pew Internet Project ’s quiz at: www.pewinternet.org/quiz. Where do your learners fit in? What are some possible educational implications of this report?

Soources:

A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users - press release
A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users - full report

Jacob Richman is the creator of a number of online Jewish directories / resource centers, including Jewish Hotsites, the J Site – Jewish Education and Entertainment, and most recently, his blog, Good News From Israel.

In his recent article, “Case History of A Jewish Website,” published by CAJE’s Jewish Education News, Jacob offers several recommendations to those planning to develop their own online resource centers or directories:

1. “Keep It Simple, Sam” (KISS)
   If you need a computer degree to figure out how to use the site, people will visit once but never again.
2. Cover the topic thoroughly
   If you publicized that your website has great resources for Hanukkah, make an effort that there really are great resources for Hanukkah on your site. Two songs and one page about the miracle does not cut it (in my opinion).
3. Keep the bells and whistles to a minimum
   Many people like to put cool things on the front page of the website to dazzle the visitors. If you expect the visitor to return often, some of the cool things may become a nuisance. If your website plays a song or music on the home page, you may want to consider placing a stop or silence button in an easy to find place on the page.
4. All pages on your site should load quickly
   If your home page does not load within 20 seconds, there is a very good chance that your potential visitors will abandon the visit and go to another site.
5. Keep ads low-key
   If you advertise products or services on your site, try to keep them low-key. Pop-up banners or “in your face” advertising has the potential to turn away visitors.
6. Listen to your visitors
   Somewhere on your website you should provide contact information for feedback about the site. This can be a simple e-mail or, to protect you from spam, an e-mail form on your website. Read all feedback and respond to it. Consider the feedback and make changes to your site if repeated feedback points to specific problems or suggestions.

   Excerpted from: “Case History of A Jewish Website” by Jacob Richman, published online at www.caje.org/learn/Winter07/jen-winter07.asp and www.jr.co.il/articles/jacob/index.html

This advice is useful for websites that are open to the public, as well as those with a more targeted audience. It’s worth remembering that one of the most used resource sites in the world, Google, is also one of the cleanest aesthetically. Do you have other words of wisdom to share based on your experiences as producer or consumer of this type of content?

Does your school or institution have an acceptable use policy for learners and staff?

What makes for robust AUPs, particularly for use in Jewish educational settings? How can we develop good digital citizenship that reflects the ethical values of derech eretz, and educates about user safety and the responsible use of information?

Acceptable use policies tend to include the following components:

• a description of the instructional philosophies and strategies to be supported by Internet access in schools
• a statement on the educational uses and advantages of the Internet in your school or division
• a list of the responsibilities of educators, parents, and students for using the Internet
• a code of conduct governing behavior on the Internet
• a description of the consequences of violating the AUP
• a description of what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable use of the Internet
• a disclaimer absolving the school division, under specific circumstances, from responsibility
• a statement reminding users that Internet access and the use of computer networks is a privilege
• a statement that the AUP is in compliance with state and national telecommunication rules and regulations
• a statement regarding the need to maintain personal safety and privacy while accessing the Internet
• a statement regarding the need to comply with Fair Use Laws and other copyright regulations while accessing the Internet
• a signature form for teachers, parents, and students indicating their intent to abide by the AUPSource: “Acceptable Use Policies: A Handbook” published by the Virginia Department of Education.

Schools often work with their constituents, including staff, parents, and students, to compose AUPs together, and have attorneys review them to determine legal issues. The AUPs provide meaningful guidelines for the responsible and appropriate use of computers and the Internet among the school community. Some schools require students to participate in a series of workshops on Internet safety, digital citizenship, appropriate behaviors, and issues related to cyberbullying.

Examples of acceptable use policies and codes of conduct for technology in Jewish day schools include those of Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School and Gann Academy. The Perelman Jewish Day School frames its AUP explicitly within the context of derech eretz, responsibility to the community and respectful treatment of every person. Congregational schools and other learning environments that use technology should also institute AUPs.

David Warlick notes that many older AUPs have not been updated to reflect the integration of Web 2.0 tools. Warlick suggests in his December 2006 EDTECH article, Blog Rules, that AUPs include “a list of goals for blogging, classroom Web sites, e-mail and other ICT applications.”

Creating safe environments and enforcing AUPs are only part of the equation. In her article, “Monitoring Student Internet Use: It’s More Than Filtering,” Susan Brooks-Young recommends the following types of proactive supervision (see the article for a more in-depth discussion):

1. Know and follow the provisions of the acceptable use policy.
2. Model acceptable use and adherence to copyright policies.
3. Teach specific lessons about Internet safety skills, and clarify the AUP and copyright policy.
4. Provide opportunities for students to find solutions for handling uncomfortable situations.
5. Arrange computers and peripherals for easy monitoring.
6. Use a website evaluation tool when selecting sites for classroom use.
7. Complete all online activities yourself before using them with students.
8. Use online planning tools to create Internet-based lessons.
9. Set up “dummy” e-mail addresses for sites that require registration.
10. Be visible.

Resources for learning more:

Bud the Teacher’s Wiki (www.budtheteacher.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page)
GetNetWise (http://getnetwise.com)
k12wiki Social Networking Acceptable Use (http://k12wiki.wikispaces.com/Social+Networking+Acceptable+Use)
Netsmartz (www.netsmartz.org)
Safe Digital Social Networking (http://teachdigital.pbwiki.com/safedsn)
Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse (http://safewiredschools.cosn.org)
Safekids.com (www.safekids.com)
Safeteens.com (www.safeteens.com)
StaySafe.org (www.staysafeonline.com)
WiredSafety (www.wiredsafety.org)

Below are few ideas to consider when planning for the introduction of a technology-based innovation in educational settings.

Regarding Learners or Constituents:

• In what ways can this technological innovation enrich the learning experience for current learners or constituents?
• Which of the current learners or constituents might be most receptive to this technological innovation? Which of them might be least receptive to this technological innovation? Will this technological innovation turn away current learners? What additional supports or scaffolding might they need to become more successful learners?
• How might this technological innovation help reach additional or new learners or constituents?

Regarding the Institution or sponsoring organization:

• What is the organization’s vision for learning? What does the cultural landscape look like, especially regarding change and the implementation of new ideas?
• How does the use of the technological innovation fit with the purpose of the sponsoring institution or organization and further its goals?
• How does its use fit with the culture of the institution?
• How receptive will the current faculty, staff, and constituents be? How might this technological innovation attract new faculty, staff, and constituent members?
• What is needed to prepare stakeholders to utilize the technological innovation?
• What type of expertise is needed either in the institution or on a consultative basis to introduce and maintain this technological innovation? Who on staff already has some of the needed expertise? How can staff assist colleagues in adapting to this change (staff-to-staff professional development; mentoring; buddy system; student assisted professional development for the staff, etc.)
• What types of technical supports and other infrastructures are necessary to ensure success?
• What costs are involved, including start-up costs and ongoing maintenance?
• What will success look like and how will it be assessed? What types of benchmarks will be put in place to help identify successes and challenges?
• How will the organization use assessments and evaluations to further its vision and implementation?

What would you add to the list based on your experiences?

Marc Prensky offers an interesting perspective in his article, “Adopt and Adapt: 21st Century Schools Need 21st Century Technology,” published Edutopia, December 2005. He reviews the typical four-step process of technology adoption in schools:

1. Dabbling
2. Doing old things in old ways
3. Doing old things in new ways
4. Doing new things in new ways

Prensky concludes that until recently, schools have been dabbling, and for the most part, they are still doing old things in old ways, even though the tools may have changed. He reflects on the technical (one-to-one computing) and sociological (”digital natives,” “digital immigrants,” the conservative nature of schools) challenges to the kind of educational transformation could occur if schools were able to do new things in new ways.

Does his article ring true to your experiences? What are some examples in your school or organization?