Book Review: Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin Press A Sage Publications. 149.

The author’s purpose for writing this book was to show educators how using the new technologies developed on the web can improve the education of students.  He hoped to challenge and motivate teachers into thinking differently about the use of technology in the classroom setting.  So this book is for educators to inspire them to make use of tools like the wiki, blogs, podcast and all of the other internet devices available.  He sees the new generation of students as digital experts who know more than their teachers when it comes to using these internet tools.  He felt that if he shared enough of the “how-to” needed, it would get teachers to start using these tools now.

To prove his point, the author gives a list of some the most used tools on the internet.  He then gives descriptions and usage of each tool.  He explains how these tools have helped to make the internet an interactive utility that makes it possible for anyone with a web browser to add content and edit content on the web.  He stated the youth using the internet can be as young as 2 years old. 

I cannot compare this book to any other because I have not read a book on this subject, in fact; I have not even read any how-to internet or computer manuals.  The author appears to be an expert on this subject with 20 years as a classroom teacher along with 4 and ½ years of blogging experience.  He also is internationally known for using these tools.  He started 4 years ago to integrate the use of technology into his classroom curricula.  He is also a featured blogger for the New York Times, the Washington Times, and others.  He has presented web technologies at workshops and conventions. 

The criteria to judge this book should look at if he was able to achieve the goals he stated.  This can only be answered if it is evidenced that those who have read his book have put his ideas into practice.  There should be questions about how new and profound this information is?   Would this information make me more proficient in using the tools on the web?  Did he write in a way that so kept my interest that I could not put the book down?  Also, how hard was this book to read? 

Something I Have Been Afraid Of

I have been afraid of many things some of which are harmless and sometimes funny like being afraid of bugs.  My mother use to tell me to just step on them and I used to say, but I can't.  She then used to say, "You are bigger than the bug so just step on it."  I still would cry and say, "I can't."  This was even after I reached the age of consent.  That kind of fear unless it is extreme is harmless, but the fear I have that has affected my life and has sometimes limited my ability to achieve goals and attain desires, is my fear of rejection. 

This fear keeps me from trying or even asking for thing that I want and sometimes need.  In my mind, I know that it does not make any sense, but I get a shaky feeling in my chest when I approach someone to ask them for something.  This could be even a small request.  I am so sure that they will say no that most of the time, I say no to myself without giving them a chance to.  I know I am putting limitations on myself, but the fear outweighs the desire.  Sometimes I tell myself that it does not matter what they say and that I am not going to let it bother me if they tell me no, but it does.  In examining myself, I found that I take it as a flaw in my character.  I ask myself what is it about me that led them to say no.  This leads to another conflict.  Most people see me as being able to be a good salesperson because I do have the ability to talk to people and most of the time, I can make them feel at ease and comfortable.  I am seen as outgoing and an extrovert.  In fact the many personality tests I have taken say that I am and one of the occupations that I should excel in is a salesperson.  In fact, I did an excellent job at J.C. Penney's selling jewelry.  The problem comes when I have to go out and recruit clients on an individual basis.  I can talk to a large group and seem to be able to motivate them, but the thought of asking individual people to do something for or buy something from me is paralyzing.   I even hate the thought of picking up my phone and calling them to ask.  When I do get the courage to do it, the majority of the time, I get good responses and it always surprises me.  Someone once asked me how I could get up in front of so many people to speak.  She said "and you were even nervous or anything in front of all of those people.  How did you do it?"  I told her I did not know, someone else seems to take over and I really enjoy it.  I get energized from the crowd and it helps me to go on, but ask me to ask just one person for something, then I am lost.     

Learning Life’s Lessons on the Web

I was setting here listening to some old school music and thinking about what next to write on my blog concerning technology and education.  Then it darned on me that the education to be learned does not always happen in the classroom but extends to life lessons as well.  What appears to be right or correct on the internet is not always so.  As we learn new tools and communicate with those around the world while setting in our home, we must be careful not to fall for the many cons and scams out there.  When the wide world web was developed, it was started to be a useful tool, but in all cases, you would have those who would find a sinister way of using it. 

Just last month I received a friend request on facebook.  The person said he was a 42 year old Caucasian who was looking for someone with the same name as mine and was directed to me and was intrigued by my picture that he had to send me the request.  I accepted his request. He was an American citizen working in Africa.  He was of Irish decent.  He asked me how I felt about interracial relationship and being involved with someone younger than I.  Truly, I have no problem with either.  I just would not date anyone in their 20’s or 30’s.  I have to draw the line somewhere! 

 After about a week of communicating back and forth, he declared his love for me.  He said he had been hurt so many times and was so taken with my words that I had captures his heart.  I am a very suspicious person but I was enjoying our conversation so I went along with him.  He even had his “cousin” and “son” contact me and wanted me to tell my family about him.  I decided to just tell my daughter.  She said he did not set right with her spirit and ran him off.  She thought I was mad at her, but I assured her that I was not, but just wanted him to show his hand. 

I said oh well, that is the end of that, but I was wrong.  He had his “cousin” to contact me and “get us back together.”  While I was chatting with her, it took all of me to not tell her what I really thought.  Sometimes I can be a good actress.  It was not long after that that he asked me to go to yahoo to chat.  Then all of a sudden he informed me that he was so sad.  Yes, I took the bait.   He said that he had not known it would cost so much to use the internet to communicate with me.  He needed $300 to keep it on and would not get his money until he get back to the states.  He wanted me to give him the money either out of my pocket or borrow it.  Now, I wanted to ask “Do you think I am crazy?  I enjoy talking to you, but not that much,” but I was very sympathetic and told him that I did not have it, could not borrow it and would help him if I could.”  He was very upset that I had disappointed him. 

He did not give up.  He found a way to keep his internet on and said he was so glad because communicating with me made him feel as if he was still at home.  The next problem he had was that his cheque, which he said was different than a check, for the job was going to be sent to his account here in the states.  He said his son had excess to it and would just use it all up.  He had informed those he was working for that he now had a wife, me, in the states and wanted her to receive it.  I told him that I could not possibly receive his cheque.  I even turned the table and ask him did he know that he could trust me.  I told him that I would open it to see if the amount was right.  He asks how I would know that it was right.  I informed him that he had told me it was $450,000.  I guess he found something else to do because I did not receive the cheque.

The last thing he tried was asking me to help him with a young man who had just lost both of his parents.  The man’s father had been a good friend of his.  The man was only 17 and he did not want to leave him in Nigeria alone.  He wanted information on visa, world documents and colleges here.  He wanted me to use FedEx instead of regular mail or emailing them or links to the sites.  He said he was computer illiterate.  Do you know how much it cost to send something overseas by FedEx?  If he had talked to my daughter, she would have told him that my middle name is “le cheap old.”  I had to tell him again that I was poor, broke and did not have any money.  That brought out his true colors.  I was useless because I had nothing to give him.  Where did all the love go?   He quickly moved on.  But that is what really bothers me.  Not everyone he reaches out to will see the truth and he uses your emotions and feelings and that makes him the worse kind of predatory.   He not only robs you of your money, but breaks your heart too. 

So, what should you look for?

1.        Declaration of love within a very short time.

2.       You are the most beautiful person and very sexy.

3.       He claims to be a US citizen, but is working overseas.

4.       His spelling is not good.

5.       After a while, he ask that you move to another site to chat

6.       If he has friends or relatives, they may all spell the same words wrong or use same manner of speech, because they are probably him using different names.  i.e., “cos” for “because” or “late” for “dead”

7.       He will ask you for money. 

8.       Sometimes the person may be of the opposite sex than what he/she is portraying.

He had pictures of himself on facebook, but I am not sure if they were of him. One of the pictures looked so familiar to me and when I asked him about it he said it was his brother who had lived in New York at one time and who was around my age.  I still do not know where I had seen that picture before.  He has since dismantled them.   

I reported him, but there is not much the authorities can do.  We just have to be careful about who and what we believe about what others say on the internet.  If something sounds too good to be true, usually it is! 

I wish I could have done more and stopped him completely because I know he has moved on to someone else to try the same thing.  I can only pray that she too sees through him before losing anything to him.  

Then I had to ask myself these questions.   What did he see in me that made him think that I would be an easy mark?  Did he see my insecurities?   Did I look vulnerable, desperate or what?  Did I give too much information about my education and he assumed I had money because of it?  So, we need to be careful of how we portray ourselves on the internet.  

One Important Concept in Teaching

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

 By Dorothy Law Nolte

If a child lives with criticism,

he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility,

he learns to fight.

If a child lives with fear,

he learns to be apprehensive.

If a child lives with pity,

he learns to feel sorry for himself.

If a child lives with ridicule,

he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with jealousy,

he learns what envy is.

If a child lives with shame,

he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with encouragement,

he learns to be confident.

If a child lives with tolerance,

he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with praise,

he learns to be appreciative.

If a child lives with acceptance,

he learns to love.

If a child lives with approval,

he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with recognition,

he learns that it is good to have a goal.

If a child lives with sharing,

he learns about generosity.

If a child lives with honesty and fairness,

he learns what truth and justice are.

If a child lives with security,

he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.

If a child lives with friendliness,

he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.

If you live with serenity,

your child will live with peace of mind.

With what is your child living?

This is one of my favorite poems because it so well illustrates the effect negative or positive we have on our children.  This is true for all whom they may encounter especially teachers.   When I was about 12, our schools in Culpeper, Virginia were integrated.   The year prior, they asked students at the black school if they wanted to go to the white school.  My twin was one of those who said yes.  I said no because I was looking forward to going to the black high school, George Washington Carver.  I envisioned myself being a cheerleader, marching in our annual parade and participating in many of the other activities that schools put on.  At our elementary school, I was into everything from the first grade up to the seventh.  I wrapped the Maypole; sing in the Glee Club, my twin and I were flower girls in the production of Tom Thump’s Wedding.  I was in it all so I was looking forward to continuing in high school.   That next year, they did not ask but told us we had to go.  They closed down Carver High School and even changed the name to Piedmont Vocational School. 

Those were my first years in high school and my worse.  I remember our math teacher passing out algebra worksheets, then he walked by all of the black students and said “you all are not going to learn this anyway so I not going to bother.”  He made us feel lower than low.  And as he predicted, we did poorly in that class.  I went from an “A” student to a “barely making it” student.  I felt like I was nothing but stupid.  The black students were geared toward a general diploma and were not even told about the college prep diploma or courses.  After that first year, we didn’t think we could make it through high school much less college.  At every turn, we had someone in authority telling us that we were less than.  But out of all of that, came one teacher who taught geography.  I wish I could remember his name, but one day after another failed test, he looked at me and said “I know you can do better and that is what I want from you.”  From that day on, at least in his class, I made A’s and B’s.   He gave us hope because he believed we could.  So, it is so important to have teacher who have positive attitudes toward our children.  They have the power to take a beautiful mind and aid it in its growth, expansion, and the possibilities of achievement or destroy it before it even has time to even know its possibilities.  

Somebody Has to Say It

As I watch news reports via the internet, read articles in the newspapers and online, and hear people speak about our president, it darned on me that in too many incidences, they fail to address him as President Obama.  It is either Barack Obama or Obama.  I have never seen this level of disrespect not even when President Nixon was going through his Watergate scandal or when President Clinton was going through his sex scandal.  When formal President Bush lied about the weapons of mass destruction that Iran had, was he ever this disrespected?

Is President Obama not our president?  Does he not deserve the respect because he is holding that office?  Has he done anything to deserve the disrespect showed to him?   If he has, I would truly like to know what it was.  What does the level of disrespect shown to President Obama say about the kind of people we are?  Yes, some may say we have the freedom of speech to say whatever it is that we want, but just because we have the right does not mean we should always exercise it.  It should be tempered with a little common sense, respect and concern for our fellow man.

Whether you casted your vote for him or not it does not make any difference, he is the president of these United States.  United States denotes that the people of this country are united, should be united or at least to the world act as if they are.   We do not have to agree with everything he does or says, but we should respect him enough to address him as President Obama.  We address those who hold doctorate degrees as doctors, ministers by reverend, bishop or whatever title they desire, judges with your honor, so why not the him with President Obama.   

Five Online Resources for Teaching Science to Children

These websites are geared toward kids.  They have exciting pictures, tools and projects that kids can do to make learning the solar system fun and easy. 

http://www.kidsolr.com/science/page2.html

http://classroom.jc-schools.net/sci-units/

http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/eds/

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/beyond.phtml

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/

What I Spend Money On

I spend a lot of money on my children.  Yes, they are grown, but they never cease to be in need.  I had an opportunity to go shopping one day all alone.  I do not like to shop so I usually go with my daughter.   I seem to always spend more than I plan on, but the day I went alone, I spent less than I had spent in a long time.  I got everything that I needed and planned to get.  I even treated myself to dinner and still managed to spend only $700.  That $700 included a new computer.  I called my daughter and told her how much money I was able to not spend because she and my grandchildren were not with me.  She was so hurt.  Hurt because she was not there to help me spend. 

Then I started going back to all of the money I have spent just over the last year.  She even talked me into buying her a bike that she promptly stopped riding.  This was about two years ago.  Then she had the nerve to tell me that she needed a bike.  I asked. “What about the one I brought you.”  She looked at me strange as if not knowing what to say.  Then she quickly recovered and responded that something was wrong with the wheels.  Then had the nerve to give me a smile and say, you need one too mommy so we can ride together.  She knows I cannot ride.  That would be just more money I would have to spend in the emergency room. 

 What I buy most for myself is underwear.  I do not like shopping for clothes.  I do like electronics, but I can wait on them.  I did buy a Wii game.  Looking back over the years, I was the last in my family to own a microwave.  I was still using my stereo-component set with an 8-track player in 1999.  I have clothes from twenty years ago.  Then I asked myself, “Why are you so broke?”  The answer came that day.  My children keep taking my money.