Carol Baldwin's Blog

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Wikis vs. Blogs in the Classroom

At GCACS yesterday in my presentation, Jazz Up Your Students' Writing, I showed teachers my wiki and we discussed the differences between wikis and blogs. Joy Fisk of Arborbrook Christian Academy has used both and shared the primary distinction between the two. She said that although both allow students to post writing which can be edited, as well as videos, audio, and pictures; wikis allow students to collaborate on a document or a project. When students write on a blog (either their own or their classroom's) they may contribute and comment on each other's work, but can't work together on a document or assignment. After Joy contributed that I thought, "Duh, why didn't I realize that?" One of the great things about teaching teachers is that they turn around and teach me too!

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Words Matter

For a powerful lesson on word choice and sentence syntax, watch this 1 min 44 second video with your students. It's a visual and auditory lesson on the impact which words can have. The Lost Generation was written by a twenty-year-old as part of a contest which AARP sponsored entitled, "U @ 50." Well written and well executed.
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Monday, February 23, 2009

Virginia is for Writers

At the Virginia State Reading Association Conference this past weekend, I gave three presentations for reading specialists and literacy coaches. As many of you know, Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8 has specific mini-lessons to help students develop rich, in-depth characters and settings. One teacher suggested that after students have brainstormed a character and a setting they should swap their character descriptions with a peer and see how their character would react to being placed in a different setting. How would a Mexican immigrant living in New York City view and experience being homeless in Barbados? Beyond being a fun learning activity, this would also help students see their setting from a different point of view. Here are two teachers enjoying the process of collaborating on creating a story.

Evi Hickman, a reading teacher in Fairfax County Virginia, was excited to see a book with a subtitle that included 4^th graders with 8^th graders. She said, "By doing that you have grouped fourth graders with older readers as opposed to tying them into younger students." She thought that this would communicate greater expectations to these younger writers and spur them on to higher levels of achievement.

When I confided to an ESL teacher that I had dreamt that the title of my book would be "Everyone has a Story," she laughed. She found in her work with both Hispanic and a Russian student that at times it is easier for these students to write their own stories, than it is for them to learn how to read. I was surprised but she reminded me that when writing stories from their own lives they are exercising personal choice, which enhances their learning experiences.

Like the teachers who I taught at NCCAT last fall, these teachers also experienced the challenges involved in on-demand writing. They left with a greater appreciation for the tasks which they require their students to perform. I encouraged teachers to take this a step further and share their own writing experiences (both successes and failures!) with their students. As Peter Johnston says in his book, Choice Words, "Being a knower/learner communicates to the student that we're in this together. We're on the same page." (Stenhouse Publishers, 2004)A community of writers working together is vital for a learning-rich environment.

My sessions were well received and I overheard a teachers say, "I'll use this in my classroom on Monday!" Music to a presenter's ears. I left the conference thinking that everyone knows that Virginia is for lovers. But I found a state that is for writers too.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Lessons from NWRESA

At NWRESA in Wilkesboro, NC this week, I taught a talented group of teachers how to create blogs, wikis, & podcasts to use in their classrooms. Here are some of their lessons which they agreed to share with you as long as you know these are all "works in progress":

April Robinson a fourth grade math teacher at Oak Hill Elementary created this clever math wiki.

Stacy Miller, an academic coach in Alexander County is working on a collaborative book of student stories on their wiki.

Christie Ruff, put Bloom's Taxonomy chart on her class blog.

Tracy Chapman, an instructional technology coach in Alexander county is putting together this wiki for her teachers.

Lauren Dean has already been working hard adding to her language arts blog for South Davie Middle.

The teachers enjoyed working together to learn these new technologies--which mirrors the type of learning that goes on in classroom when wikis and blogs are utilized. As Sarah Hunt-Barron wrote in the Fall 2008 issue of the South Carolina English Teacher in her article, "Teaching for the Future: The Art of Collaboration through Wikis": [Wikis]...made my classroom a more democratic environment, where students contributions were all valued and voices could be heard."
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

P.S.

Ever press "send" on an e-mail and then think of what else you wanted to say? That happened to me when I read two articles in the October issue of the Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy and found more websites to help teachers who are integrating technology into their classroom instruction.

First of all, for safety on the internet go to: Safekids.com. Better yet, have your students go there first and ask them to comment on one of the many articles posted there. (Perhaps on your classroom blog or wiki?)

For more information on podcasts, try one of these:

1. a Apple-sponsored website on podcasts.

2. The Education Podcast Network

3. The "How To Podcast" website

4.Create & share podcasts

Imbee: a social networking + educational site for young people.

Finally, if you want to try something that will really knock the socks off your students, Brenda Dyck has a great article in this month's issue of Middle Ground on using Skype in the classroom.
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Friday, February 6, 2009

Using Technology for 21st-Century Writing

In conjunction with my workshop at NWRESA next week on Using Technology for 21^st Century Writing, I put together a handout for the teachers listing helpful websites. There is a serious push throughout the country for schools to incorporate technology into classrooms. As Karl Fisch commented on his poplar website for teachers, The Fischbowl, "If a teacher today is not technologically literate - and is unwilling to make the effort to learn more - it's equivalent to a teacher 30 years ago who didn't know how to read and write."

To help those of you who daily strive to educate and inspire your students and meet state and national standards, I hope you will find this listing to be helpful.

GENERAL SUPPORT:

http://ebistro.org/index.html - Lesson plans, information & great NC resource!

http://www.unc.edu/~zuiker/blog-primer/ Good definition of blogs, wikis, and podcasts.

BLOG HOSTS:

https://www.blogger.com/start

http://mashable.com/2007/08/06/free-blog-hosts/

http://edublogs.org/ for teachers and students. Looks like a wiki. Can insert audio (wav) & video files. DO THE TUTORIALS!!

BLOG EXAMPLES:

http://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com – Mine. Focus on literacy.

http://www.thefischbowl.blogspot.com/ - Commentary on tech in education

http://ccms5.edublogs.org/- A simple 5^th grade blog.

WIKI HOSTS:

http://pbwiki.com (check out their support video http://pbwiki.com/content/supportcenter )

http://wikispaces.com

WIKI EXAMPLES:

http://redfontandrevision.pbwiki.com/ - Mine. Focuses on revision.

http://colearning.wikispaces.com/Administrators - Good example of a wiki use among teachers.

http://greenscribes8.pbwiki.com/ - 8^th graders studying the Holocaust

MOODLE:

www.moodle.org – like a wiki, but you can post more. Con: Lengthy download to your computer. I didn't find it as user friendly as pb.wiki

NING:

www.ning.com – must be over 13. Think: Facebook + wiki

http://ncte2008.ning.com / - NCTE's ning

http://www.classroom20.com / - Technology in the classroom

PODCASTS:

http://www.nch.com.au/acm/formats.html definition of audio files

http://www.podcasting-tools.com/blog.htm

http://www.podbean.com/ Supports: 3g2, .3gp, .mp3, .m4a, .ogg, .m4v, mp4, .flv, .mov, .avi, .mpg, .pdf, .doc, .ppt, .xls files

http://media-convert.com/ MY FAVORITE! (Being that it is the simplest).

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ This allows you to edit your podcast. Audacity can also be used for voice recordings at your computer.

http://www.goldwave.com/ Same as audacity.

PODCASTS PLUS BLOGS AND WIKIS:

http://opensourcemarketer.com/blog/blogging/how-to-add-podcasts-to-blog-posts/ - Specific details about adding podcasts to blogs that have used Wordpress.

Important note: Free WordPress.com blogs come with 3000 megabytes (3GB) of space for storing uploaded files and images.

The Space Upgrade gives you an additional 5, 15, or 25 Gigabytes of storage space, and allows you to upload music and video files in addition to images. You cannot upload music and video files without the space upgrade.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Joy of Being an Educational Author

Yesterday I presented a workshop, Wikis, Word Choice and Red Font:
Ride the Revision Wave of the Future at the South Carolina Council of Teachers of English conference. This is my third year to have the opportunity to work with teachers in the tranquil setting of palm-packed Kiawah Island. Driving home yesterday I reflected on how much fun it is to share my book, Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8. Several teachers told me, "I can't wait to use this back in my classroom on Monday." Other teachers were impressed with the amount of reproducibles on the resource CD that comes packaged with the book. One middle school teacher had just completed a unit on writing the memoir and decided that having her students write a short story would be a logical extension of their work. We talked about how my mini-lesson, "Getting to Know You - The Author" would help students write fiction based on their own experiences—rather than writing a story about a character (such as a "cool" college student) that they couldn't write authentically.

Every writer dreams of autographing her own book. My pleasure is multiplied knowing that my labor will result in teachers inspiring their students to become better writers. A Charlotte novelist, Robert Whitlow, reviewed my book when it first came out and said: "Someday, a successful author will thank Carol Baldwin for writing this book. Teaching the Story… equips teachers to debunk the prejudices against story writing and release the creative gifts within every student. I highly recommend it."

What more could an educational author ask for?

Monday, January 26, 2009

AMEN!

I'm a little late on posting this, but on January 17th I had the opportunity to hear "Bridging Musical Worlds: A Musical Community Dialgoue Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.." Hosted at the Little Rock AME Zion Church in partnership with the Afro-American Cultural Center, I particularly enjoyed hearing the AMEN choir. The African-American Male Enrichment Network is composed of men representing different churches in Charlotte. They are men who stand for Christ with a mission "to provide inspirational music and service to churches, nursing homes, community agencies, and civic projects." To which I heartily say, "Amen!"
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Friday, January 23, 2009

Smiles to Go

A cynical reader might say that Jerry Spinelli's latest book is simply another coming of age book or a "you-don't-appreciate-your-loved-ones-until-they're-almost-gone" book—but it's a lot more than that. It is a skillful portrayal of how an adolescent can become so obsessed with his own thoughts, dreams, and plans that he can miss what is going on in his own family. As Will Tuppence, the main character discovers, he doesn't have to live life the same way in which he plays chess - seeing every move laid out on the black and white squares in front of him. Unexpected events happen, providing a way to help you see your life, your family, and even your best friends in a totally different way.

I am a fan of Jerry Spinelli's books. I loved Stargirl, blogged about Eggs, enjoyed Maniac McGee, and refer to Milkweed when I discuss creating an historic setting or character at teachers conferences. I even had the opportunity to meet him and his author wife, Eileen, at the Keystone Reading Association conference last fall. I appreciate how Spinelli's characters are believable and how he delicately and precisely weaves figurative language into a book for middle school boys and girls. But I have to admit, I was bothered about two things in Smiles to Go: the science fiction inclusion of dying protons and little flashes of light which mysteriously appear and disappear. As I mentioned in my blog about 47, an author has the responsibility to ensure that his book makes sense. I kept waiting for the flashes of light to be explained which they weren't. And although protons dying make an interesting backdrop to this story, the novel is not science fiction and my concrete mind desired an explanation for these alleged "facts."

But in the end, Spinelli is a masterful storyteller and I would recommend this book for middle school readers. Since Will is a freshman in high school, some high school readers will also enjoy it. Spinelli obviously wants to make a point about time—appreciating the past and cherishing the present. Smiles to Go will hopefully help young readers appreciate the gifts that have been given: family and friends who stand by you and accept you for who you are, and finding your place in a universe that is out there to be admired, enjoyed, and respected.

As a mother, one of my favorite lines from the book came from Will's mother. "Sometimes you get so wrapped up in your own little world that you don't see what's right in front of you." That's advice that all of us can benefit from. (Harper Collins, 2008)

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Polishing Your Prose

A fellow Charlotte, NC writer Jean Hall posted this on her blog Jean's Encouraging Words for Writers. I thought it was worth passing along to fellow writers and she graciously allowed me to quote her.

"If you're even vaguely interested in writing non-fiction (in any form) you need to get your FREE copy of Marilyn C. Hilton's ebook Polishing Your Prose. I'm one of those nutty detail-oriented people who wants every comma to be in exactly the right place. Polishing Your Prose is a goldmine for me.

"Don't let the subtitle scare you off [Tech-Writing for NonFiction That Shines]. The info contained in this 35 page book will give every author a secret weapon for making manuscripts stand out as professional and near perfect-regardless of the genre.

"Chapters include the following:

"Audience, Scope, and Chunks (foundational work before you start typing)

"Organization With Lists, Steps, and Tables (how to make them reader-friendly)

"Using Art Effectively (charts, diagrams, graphs)

"Creating a Leak-Proof Index (I didn't know that Word and other processors will make an index for me! Shows how computer illiterate I am.)

"Editing Down to the Bones (A check-list for fool-proof editing. If I follow these steps I'll never again turn in a manuscript with an error in it.)

"Careers in Writing (You know, the kind you actually get paid for.)

"So, how in the world do you get your hands on a FREE copy of Marliyn's book? Click on the link to visit her website, then send her an email requesting your copy of Polishing Your Prose."

Jean said it was simple and she was right. Marilyn is quick to respond and will be happy to send you your own copy of this small, helpful e-book.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

47

I was initially attracted to 47
since I thought that it might inform the historical fiction which I am working on. Unfortunately, I was seriously disappointed. I found Walter Mosley's strange mixture of historical fiction and speculative fiction confusing and an obstacle in depicting the serious theme of slavery in the antebellum South.

Originally I was drawn into the narrator's story of how he, Forty-seven, (the number with which he is branded with which becomes his name) meets Tall John, a young man who develops into his best friend. Although portrayed as an escaped slave from a nearby plantation, the reader and Forty-seven slowly discover that Tall John is no ordinary human being. His extraordinary powers include being able to fly between galaxies, heal people with vials of medicine which he has hidden away, inexplicably transport people over miles of land, and read dreams. None of these extraordinary talents are fully explained in the text and in fact, some "facts" such as Tall John arriving in a "sonship" are revealed late into the story. Mosley does not provide enough textual clues to make this alien super-hero, his former world, or his mission, make sense to the reader. Although Tall John has a wonderful message to 47: "No nigger or master be," this message is diluted as the reader tries to figure out the convulsions of a science fantasy world that never makes sense juxtaposed against a Southern plantation.

When I teach the science fiction or fantasy genre I always emphasize that the world which the author creates must make sense to the reader. If a reader has to stop reading to try and figure out what is going on in the story, then the author has not adequately done his job. Unfortunately, I feel as if Mr. Mosley's book for young adults falls into this category. In addition, I listened to the book on AudioBooks and found Ossie Davie's (the narrator) voice difficult to understand; I think middle grade students probably would not persevere and return the book to the library without listening to it. (Little, Brown and Company, 2005)

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