Blogging as a Medium

Greetings fellow bloggers!

Though we often talk about using our blogs as a tool, another way we could describe blogs is as a "medium." According to Merriam-Webster Online, a medium can be defined in the following ways: a publication or broadcast that carries advertising; a mode of artistic expression or communication; something (as a magnetic disk) on which information may be stored.

Mediums have changed and grown over time. Telegrams offered a medium for messages and lead the way to telephones allowing communication in real time. Then there was radio, which carried voices over great distances and to great numbers of people. Television followed shortly adding visuals to the audio. Not too long ago we added the internet as a medium which brought information in both visual and auditory formats to a greater depth and breadth than anything before it.

Most of the modern mediums have fallen short in one aspect; they are one-way methods of communication. Blogs are the answer to that lack. In blogs we can not only produce a "broadcast" to advertise ourselves, we can also connect to other blogs and their authors. With all of the different arrangements and images we can use it gives even the least visually talented of us a means of artistic expression. Even the information we value above all else can be forever stored in a location untouched by time or the elements. And best of all, the world can talk back to us. People in countries far away can pat us on the back, offer differing viewpoints, thank us for our insight, and offer more of their own.

I am usually not this long winded but that is another beauty of the blog, limitless digital storage. What moved me to write this post was a couple of our bloggers' recent blogs. Vicky posted a blog that not only shared a bit of insight, it also linked to several sites designed to show students more about themselves. When I first read her posting, my first thought was how fully she was using this medium. She was using this to not just give an assignment but to offer insight from other sources to her students. The other blogger was Jim who posted two blogs that not only showed off the skills of his students and their work but also himself and his kids. In that way, he also showed us the full depth this medium allows. Now, we can all see him as a teacher, father, learner, and inspiration.

A First Milestone

Well gang, we have all reached our first major milestone: we have made it through the First Quarter Progress Reports!

For some of us it has become somewhat old-hat, but for others, it can sometimes seem very hectic. Josh has the most common of experiences, a feeling of accomplishment and ease now that the first one is under your belt. I'm sure that as we all look back on the completed form, we realize it's not as daunting as it may have initially seemed. I also want t encourage everyone to read and comment on as many reports as you can. Not only can they be a source of inspiration, they can help foster a sense of community and belonging. Its one of those "we-have-all-been-there" kind of things.

It's about this time that we really start to see the community working together. Not only do we have a great new tutorial from Matt, but we also see how teammates Patrick and Josh can model great teamwork as they play off each others' strengths to the benefit of their class.

And our community does not end there-- we get to show our students just how important their work is through the participation of such great people as Gayle Manchin, the First Lady of West Virginia, who paid a visit to Tracy's class at Liberty High School. Through Globaloria, Tracy is building connections between her students and the West Virginia community.


I am really enjoying seeing this blogosphere come alive; but once again its time to turn the soapbox over to the rest of you. Have fun with it!

-Bill

Exit Interview

Check out Maitreyi Doshi's exit interview filmed on the car ride to the airport on her last day of work. We already miss you Maitreyi and wish you the best of luck!

Collaboration at the Globaloria Advisory Board Meeting

I was thrilled to attend the Globaloria Advisory Board Meeting in Charleston on June 2nd. It isn't often that policy makers, government officials, industry leaders, school administrators, educators and students come together to share their perspectives on the learning process. This kind of "meeting of the minds" is crucial for the success of any educational intervention – especially one that is as new and innovative as Globaloria.

A fundamental tenet of the Globaloria learning philosophy is collaboration. Globaloria encourages joint learning, creation and exploration among both students and educators. It utilizes technology to create an active statewide virtual learning community that transcends the physical borders separating schools and districts. As cool as this is, last week's Advisory Board meeting reminds us that there is no substitute for the dynamic interchange that takes place when we're able to gather in the same room to share perspectives on Globaloria.

Educators panel, (left to right): Ingrida Barker (Sandy River Middle School), Angela Cruikshank (Capital High School) and Denise Stalnaker (Randolph Technical Center).

I especially enjoyed listening to the educators reflect on their Globaloria experiences. Randolph Technical Center (RTC) teacher Denise Stalnaker claimed with Globaloria, “I think I'm a better teacher, but I'm doing less teaching.” Ingrida Barker from Sandy River Middle School agreed that the program "pushes you as an educator." The panel, which also included Angela Cruikshank, a teacher at Capital High School, Clinton Giles, principal of Capital High School and Don Johnson, principal of RTC, variously reflected on the challenges and successes they experienced with Globaloria's forward-looking program.

It strikes me that many of the educator's comments mirrored one student presenter's feelings on Globaloria. “I didn't think I'd get anywhere in this program" said Tyler, a game designer from Capital High School, "I thought I was just screwed.”

When First Lady Gayle Manchin asked Tyler how he felt when he was able to overcome his trepidation and succeed with Globaloria, he replied succinctly: “It made me want to jump around a lot.”

Clearly, Tyler has a way with words.

Tyler presents his game at the Globaloria Advisory Board Meeting.

The prevailing sentiment of the June 2009 Advisory Board Meeting was an embrace of productive challenges and the continued commitment to work together as we advance into the future.

In light of all this, I have to agree with Don Johnson who claims, "it is such an exciting time to be in education."

You could even say, it makes me want to jump around a lot.

Your GB,
Rachel

Games For Change: Globaloria is a Model

David Kirkpatrick from Fortune Magazine published today a piece following a conference last week in NYC called “Games for Change.”

Globaloria is mentioned a bit at the end of this piece!

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/06/technology/games_change.fortune/?postversion=2008060606

Globaloria Presentation at CPD Professional Development Showcase

Shannon and I presented two (the same presentation) sessions yesterday at the CPD Professional Development Showcase. We felt the sessions went well considering that the conference center had NO internet access. The second challenge was that we didn't even have a projector for the first half of the first session. But the attendees were great and Shannon did a great job getting us through that initial hurdle.

Our session was designed to introduce potential new schools to the Globaloria program. We presented the vision, the implementation framework, the larger family of social networks, and finally how they (or you) could join. We showed some videos and some screencaps that we had grabbed as backups to actually surfing the wikis, (just in case the internet was down). Here are the slides.

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We also handed out an application to everyone who attended so that, if interested, they could provide us with some information about their school. We had one school return the application at the end of the session and another school schedule a time for us to come and visit with their educators. It was really great. The application is posted here if you are interested.

Toward the end of the presentation we discussed how important it is that we get great educators who are passionate in teaching in new and innovative ways. If you aren't already a Globaloria partner and this sounds perfect for you and your school, fill out the application and maybe you could be the next partner in the Globaloria Community.

Governor's Press Release: Globaloria Preparing Students for Digital World

Jan. 29, 2008

GLOBALORIA EDUCATION PROGRAM
PREPARING WV STUDENTS FOR DIGITAL WORLD

Contact: Lara Ramsburg, 304-558-2000

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Students across the Mountain State are learning how to become active citizens in today’s increasingly connected and digital world through Globaloria, an innovative educational program that launched last summer with funding from the State of West Virginia and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. Today, Verizon West Virginia also demonstrated its support and vision with a grant to continue expanding the program in 2008.

The Globaloria program, established in 2006 by the World Wide Workshop Foundation, uses the latest World Wide Web and social media technology to empower young people to learn how to create interactive games and simulations, collaborate online and solve problems together. Its activities help students sharpen their communication and critical-thinking skills for leadership online and offline, bringing them closer to the participatory and collaborative nature of work in the 21st century.

In July 2007, the Office of Governor Joe Manchin invited the World Wide Workshop Foundation to partner with the State of West Virginia and Benedum Foundation to launch Globaloria. Since then, 14 educators and 65 students from six schools across the state have been learning Internet media technology and game-development skills.

West Virginia First Lady Gayle Manchin said, “I am so pleased and appreciative of Verizon joining this collaboration. Everyone on this team- Benedum, Verizon, World Wide Workshop -- brings great expertise and commitment to the table, and I am so grateful on behalf of the state of West Virginia. I am so proud to see all that is already happening through the Globaloria project in West Virginia in its short time of operations. It is 21st-Century-Skills being exemplified, and as we can all see in the field when we visit, the students are excited and engaged.”

Dr. Idit Caperton, president and founder of the World Wide Workshop Foundation, said Globaloria and its virtual learning platforms challenge students more than typical curriculum.

“Through project-based teamwork and a great deal of self-learning in a virtual space, students with no prior experience in computer programming or using Web 2.0 tools, become wiki producers and digital designers of web-based software applications for social change and educational purposes,” Caperton said. “These valuable skills prepare young people to become leaders in the digital and global marketplace .”

Globaloria’s emphasis on technology and education matches closely with Verizon’s goal to support the use of technology to improve literacy and K-12 education. Verizon West Virginia’s grant will help to further expand the program in 2008, said B. Keith Fulton, president of Verizon West Virginia.

“Globaloria gives West Virginia students a unique opportunity to develop critical 21st-century job skills,” Fulton said. “Verizon looks forward to working with our partners to expand this engaging, online learning environment for our state.”

Jim Denova, vice president of the Benedum Foundation, said, “The Benedum Foundation is very pleased to have invested in this first-year demonstration of Globaloria in West Virginia. We are always looking for innovation in education, and Globaloria is proving to be an effective instructional tool that has broad application to a number of educational settings, whether they are high schools, colleges, or community-based after-school programs.”

Program officials are currently accepting applications for more educators and students in WV high schools, community colleges and universities to join this spring, with plans to double the size of the program by end of 2008. The Globaloria program works best when implemented as a daily activity at school or a college, Caperton said. It also provides opportunities for alumni internships and employment via the Internet.

Dr. Lee Kraus, Globaloria-WV Program Manager, said, “Our participating students and educators become skilled users of the latest technology; they learn to be active contributors, collaborators, designers and programmers of the Internet. Simultaneously, they develop life and professional skills needed to be productive and globally aware – prepared to take on leadership roles in the innovation economy and the fast-changing, digital world we live in.”

For more information about the program, contact info@worldwideworkshop.org.