WEEK 4: Activity #14 Posting in the same PJs in which I attended the K12 Online Conference...

The idea of online Conferences is AWESOME!  While most of the time I would relish the idea of nametags, food, and travel, plus the contagious energy (sometimes!), the idea of an online conference meets my "consumer" needs in some ways.

That is, I listened with a critical ear to various presenters or keynotes in the 2012 conference, and if they lost my interest of ethos three times, I stopped watching (that is to say, while the keynote speaker has phenomenal motivation/individualization with the Apollo 13 project, I could not take his diatribe nor cinematography, let alone the idea that a school like D113 would allow multiple weeks of PBIS sans text books.

One presentation which I found interesting was at:
http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=1147
Presenter: Robert Appino

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Twitter:  @rappin01

Presentation Description: Some students enjoy speaking up in class while others don’t. This is a potential situation in many classrooms. In what ways then, can we promote more students to share their ideas?

This presentation will briefly introduce research undertaken on face-to-face and virtual discussions and discuss some of the literature involved. Based on the findings, I will also highlight some of the benefits of virtual discussions and provide links for experiment in your classrooms.

The self-authored description above is accurate, but if you are interested, skip to about 3:30 to fastforward to a review of literature and then his study results.  The teacher found research that noted "accuracy" in discussion suffered with online use, but that the amount of off-task discussion, or combative discussion diminished (probably because of the awareness of the written footprint). The teacher noted that with his own students, the girls became more empowered to participate, while there were less ignorant comments -- he felt students might be more cautious and thoughtful, esp. since he mandated students reread/edit comments before posting. 

If you are interested in the WAY he made use of virtual discussion, Appino does not address the tools used until around 10:04. Furthermore, one would have to turn to links on his paper for actual strategies, or types of discussions.  Some of the resources recommended are Google Docs, TitanPad, CollaborizeCLassroom, Twitter, WordPress, or TodaysMeet (the latter in which I successfully and easily participated in a recent workshop but had already forgotten, so I am sure ANYONE might be able to use this site!).  

While the presentation was dry, I had a vested interest in the presenter because I worked with mostly Asian students as an International House Resident Assistant in college.  Knowing some of the effects of culture on discussion, I was intrigued to see if he would address cultural differences in discussion or if data would transcend cultures merely because students were compared to themselves, but research data was about multiple types of students.

I liked the reminder that not EVERYONE need be the ideal outgoing student nor dominating participant.  The world needs us all.  I am DEFINITELY going to use Google Docs or Today's Meet sometime this year.  It would be nice documentation of their ability if I can manage to do it at the start and end of a unit!

Because I have met my limit of skimming presenters (something that might hurt since I have become a consumer instead of an "I must sit and perhaps there WILL be something to glean from this presenter" participant.  It has taken me FOREVER to find someone with whom I can connect and possibly follow in action. Finally, after several skims, I found some ideas regarding "authentic audiences"  with the wiki connection "Authentic Voices".

Authentic Voices

Posted by Ginger Lewman on November 1st, 2012

Presenter: Kyle Dunbar
Location: Alexandria, VA, USA
Twitter: @edtechdunny

Presentation Description: Come learn about and listen to student voices highlighted on Authentic Voices (http://authentic-voices.wikispaces.com/) a wiki co-developed with a Language Arts teacher and a Technology Integration Specialist at an alternative setting. Authentic Voices is a place where students upload original pieces of writing along with an audio file of them reading their piece. Listen to at least three of the pieces students have composed and learn how students begin to authentically revise their work when creating an audio file of their work. Consider how students begin to see themselves differently as a result of publishing their work online. While Authentic Voices has a global audience (over 60 countries), we do not yet have another classroom that regularly comments on our students’ writing or posts their own writing on this site. Ponder efforts and challenges to finding collaborative classrooms.

iPod video     mp3 audio

Going "digital" and publishing online (on Wikispace... http://authentic-voices.wikispaces.com/) allows students to have authentic audiences.  The teacher also uses Twitter or encourages kids to publish online for attention and validation.  Students also record their writing with Audacity, often leading to editing (which is not usually done aloud as recommended).  It sounds like the teacher was frustrated that there were not enough hits or involvement at the time, so I will check it out.  Other places suggested include quadblogging.net (a circle of four circles reading/blogging) or writersclub.  I out in a request to join and am going to check this out -- it makes our world bigger and sets some purpose for writing.