Now that I have two core classes, I have much to write about but the focus for the moment is on 72. Yesterday, we ran our first twitter chat under the hashtag #D72. We were discussing a student's Animoto creation which had an interesting song choice.
When I played the presentation for the class, all immediately recognized the song; it was a favourite. None, however, were conscious that there were some questionable lyrics. I used this student's work as an entry point into a discussion on artist's rights, digital media, appropriate choices for a school project vs how they would create a multi-media piece outside of school. We discussed generational values and music - how they don't really listen to the meaning of the lyrics, it's the melody and beat that catches their interest. The discussion evolved into presentation styles: what's better more text or more pictures and even the merits of digital media as a medium for learning.
While we were having this discussion, I ran the back channel, tweeting key points and sending them into the #edchat #edtech and #k12media streams. We invited a global audience to add their voices to our discussion. It was exciting and I have to say for me a little nerve wracking. We were testing the boundaries of the classroom, our thoughts, opinions and ideas.
As soon as the discussion began, the kids became adamant that the digital media presentation link should be shared - how could others contribute a valid opinion if they did not have a context?
For me the question became, do I share this student's work or not, because of the lyrics in the song. (I will add that it was one line that was actually quite mild). I suddenly was thrown into the role of censor - do I usurp control and veto or do I push the boundaries and allow the process to unfold. I would never even consider doing this with adults. These learners were mature in their considerations and had very strong opinions on artists rights and censorship. Putting our thoughts out into the public sphere, was a whole new world though.
Once again social media has added a new dimension to critical thinking in my classroom, more for me to think about in terms of what exactly is my role here.
The students loved the entire process; they were captivated by the idea of receiving immediate feedback and hearing other voices. They were also eager to have their own voices heard. For the student whose presentation we were discussing, it was a fantastic opportunity to have what all artists desire: people talking about their work.
Twitter with its 140 character limit provided a benefit that I hadn't anticipated. Students were forced to clarify their thoughts in order to stay within the boundaries. Each time an idea was tweeted, there was a great deal of discussion about phrasing and word choice. It became a spontaneous lesson on revising, that was driven by the students rather than me saying, "Today, the lesson will be on revising." The nature of the task required students to engage in the revising process. Once again, Web 2.0 tools allowed learners to have an authentic experience - Real World Learning!
When I played the presentation for the class, all immediately recognized the song; it was a favourite. None, however, were conscious that there were some questionable lyrics. I used this student's work as an entry point into a discussion on artist's rights, digital media, appropriate choices for a school project vs how they would create a multi-media piece outside of school. We discussed generational values and music - how they don't really listen to the meaning of the lyrics, it's the melody and beat that catches their interest. The discussion evolved into presentation styles: what's better more text or more pictures and even the merits of digital media as a medium for learning.
While we were having this discussion, I ran the back channel, tweeting key points and sending them into the #edchat #edtech and #k12media streams. We invited a global audience to add their voices to our discussion. It was exciting and I have to say for me a little nerve wracking. We were testing the boundaries of the classroom, our thoughts, opinions and ideas.
As soon as the discussion began, the kids became adamant that the digital media presentation link should be shared - how could others contribute a valid opinion if they did not have a context?
For me the question became, do I share this student's work or not, because of the lyrics in the song. (I will add that it was one line that was actually quite mild). I suddenly was thrown into the role of censor - do I usurp control and veto or do I push the boundaries and allow the process to unfold. I would never even consider doing this with adults. These learners were mature in their considerations and had very strong opinions on artists rights and censorship. Putting our thoughts out into the public sphere, was a whole new world though.
Once again social media has added a new dimension to critical thinking in my classroom, more for me to think about in terms of what exactly is my role here.
The students loved the entire process; they were captivated by the idea of receiving immediate feedback and hearing other voices. They were also eager to have their own voices heard. For the student whose presentation we were discussing, it was a fantastic opportunity to have what all artists desire: people talking about their work.
Twitter with its 140 character limit provided a benefit that I hadn't anticipated. Students were forced to clarify their thoughts in order to stay within the boundaries. Each time an idea was tweeted, there was a great deal of discussion about phrasing and word choice. It became a spontaneous lesson on revising, that was driven by the students rather than me saying, "Today, the lesson will be on revising." The nature of the task required students to engage in the revising process. Once again, Web 2.0 tools allowed learners to have an authentic experience - Real World Learning!
I believe that some censorship is necessary when it comes to posting videos online. Most consider it unprofessional to post anything considered vulgar, especially when it is your employer who sees it. For this reason I am extremely careful as to what I post online; I will not even forward videos I have found on YouTube to my Facebook page because I know someone may find it offensive. However if it is something mild I would not worry to much about it. It really just depends on where you draw the line on whats considered vulgar, there is to much out there as it is that should not be considering smaller kids may come upon it.
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