To wiki or not to wiki?

Wikis are sure cool. For educational purposes, it is such a powerful tools for students to write in a much more dynamic fashion, with quick feedback and collaboration. I am quite impressed with what people are doing with wikis, especially those that engage students from all around the world. It also allows students to practice how to give positive, constructive feedback. I noticed a couple of blogs where students rate each other on their feedback, which ensures they take their job seriously. Outside of the classroom, I can see dozens of time-saving ways to use wikis as educational professionals (e.g., writing a mission statement, sharing stats w/ co-teachers, preparing integrated lesson plans).

One thing that is also clear to me with all this new technology is the importance of choosing the tools carefully. There is a temptation to want to pour all the technological bells-and-whistles you can into the classroom, and sometimes a simpler approach is actually more efficient and effective. So, I am thinking a lot about which of these tools is best for each particular application, especially given the time it might take to initiate something and then maintain it.

Flogged by blogs

I have spent a shameful number of hours in the last week perusing blogs. Some are very worthwhile and educational, others are just fun, and some are down-right mind-dumbing...but I read them anyway! It is interesting to note the bloggers' personalities, especially if it's someone you know or have seen via an other avenue (e.g., tv, radio), and then their blog "voice" is different...that's so weird.

I have known several friends and families who began blogging with a tremendous amount of energy and after a while it gets stale and it'll be months between postings...which is where the RSS feeds are really great! Keeping a blog fresh must take a great deal of time. For educational purposes I like the idea of relatively short-lived blogs to serve a very specific purpose and then be deleted. Surely one needs to consider how long the typical 9-year-old will be interested.

I am beginning to find blogs I want to keep close tabs on and am also learning a lot about what I find engaging and successful just from seeing so many blogs.

Okay, back to the on-line course and more blogs and RSS feeds!

Welcome to the pond

With you four daughters spread around the country, I thought I'd remind you of what life is like at home on the pond. What little is left of it, with the state 16 inches and counting into a drought. Still, the deer eat the corn we put out for the geese by the duck box. The beaver return, even though there's no sound of flowing water. The blue heron and kingfisher are still regulars; fishing is probably easy when the water-to-fish ratio is in your favor. Pretty soon there won't be any sport in it at all for them!

Bird's eye view

This is a view of the pond from Topher's Cessna, taken this summer. Your dad was the passenger.

Lions and tigers and beaver

Here's a photo of a dam built by the beaver, at the little pond.

Be warned

Here's what can happen when you build a dam on someone's property, back up the creek, and flood their road. I'd advise against it.