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From Pete MacKay's Teacher List -
"Edmonton teacher, Katherine Schock, told me about this answers.com site that includes a video, teacher lesson plan, and student worksheet. Content is American, but it'll work for anyone teaching about how to research online."
It features a 16-minute movie for 5th through 12th graders. Find what you're looking for. Mission Possible: Successful Online research
Been a heckuva day! I thought I'd had all the excitement I could stand, what with the election and all. Then I got this e-mail in my inbox about Sonia Diaz, superintendent of the Las Cruces Public Schools, being placed on paid administrative leave. I did a little research and came up with this blog. I must admit, the postings there left a bad taste in my mouth.
So I decided to post a comment. And that's when I noticed these two sentences:
Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval.
Comment moderation has been enabled. All comments must be approved by the blog author.
So, just in case my comment doesn't meet the approval of the blog's anonymous creator, I have reproduced it below for your consideration.
Update - As of 2:30 a.m. Thursday, the following comment has not been published. From the LCPS Underground - There were 22 comments tonight. Pro and con. Those will be posted later. Also from LCPS Underground - the anonymous author advises readers visit Las Cruces Sun-News reporter Heath Haussamann's blog for some "inside information about the events that are unfolding today."
Update - At least 20 new comments have been published on the LCPS Underground blog as of 6:40 this morning. But not the one you are about to read below the little green line.
(Note - I posted a comment on Heath Haussamen's blog this morning. As of this writing (7:10 a.m.) it has not been published. Heath's comment policy is the same as the LCPS Underground, which states, "All comments must be approved by the blog author.")
Update - I sent the following e-mail to the author of LCPS Underground at 7:27 a.m.. Will post here any reply I may receive.
Dear Sir or Madam,
You published a slew of comments this morning on your blog, LCPS Underground. Mine was not among them. Are you withholding my comment, or do you plan to publish?
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Field
(Still poking around in the dark at Teachers' Lounge at http://consilience.typepad.com)
Update - I sent the following e-mail to Heath Haussamen at 7:35 a.m.. Will post here any reply I may receive.
Hello Heath!
I submitted a comment to your blog this morning concerning Sonia Diaz. Just wondering if you plan to publish it.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Field
(Still trying to find just the right tone at Teachers' Lounge at http://consilience.typepad.com)
Update - Received a reply from Heath approximately 10 a.m.. He said,
I realize some of the concerns brought up on that site are valid, but they need to be addressed in a way that promotes truth, not rumor. I allow generally anonymous comments on my site only when they are stated as opinion, or facts that are not in dispute, and when they aren't nasty personal attacks. Some of what is being promoted as truth on that site is truth. Some of it is rumor that cannot be substantiated.
Note - Heath's reference to anonymous comments reference those comments left at the LCPS Underground blog, not my comment on Heath's blog. My comment to him was signed by me. It was not published because the comment left a link back to Teachers' Lounge, allowing readers to then access the LCPS Underground blog.
Final note - I'm not going to write any further concerning this matter. If LCPS Underground publishes my comment, all well and good. If not, no matter. I believe I've made myself clear that my comment was a meta comment (commenting on the commentators) taking to task the practice of allowing anonymous comments on public sites. Whew!
And now, here's the comment that just can't seem to grow up. (Submitted yesterday evening to the LCPS Underground.)
Ummmm, well... I dunno. Call me confused. I mean, this blog confuses the hell out of me. I'm already dopey from reading this stuff.
"Anonymous" always makes me suspicious. Example - "Could someone tell me why the super needed a shower in her office? Most people do that at home." Blogger comment: Is this true? Can anyone confirm this?
So, let's pretend I'm posting this as "Anonymous."
"Hey people! Sonia was at my house last week and she said y'all are a bunch of dumb hicks."
Seriously, what kind of validity can you give such comments if they are posted by "Anonymous?"
Your blog (whoever "you" are, Mr. or Mrs. "Anonymous") is almost unreadable. I can't figure out who's talking, and I really want to know WHO IS TALKING. It's like speaking with the KKK (which I did back in Alabama in the early 1970s - almost got my po' head bashed in). Hard to see the shopkeeper behind the white hood.
So, let me tell you what I've heard. It's from just one person, and I won't tell you who that person is because it was not meant for public consumption, but rather stemmed from a private conversation.
Dr. Diaz expects all employees to be accountable for their performance.
There. That's it, in a nutshell. That's really all I know.
Now, I will reveal my own hidden agenda. I e-mailed Dr. Diaz this morning with a proposal. (I had no prior knowledge of this blog, or this controversy. I only learned of this today at approximately 2:30 p.m.) I figured she might be savvy enough to run with an idea that would place the LCPS at the forefront of the digital revolution. Below is a copy of the e-mail.
Let me end this comment now. I neither support nor oppose Dr. Diaz. Hell, I never met the lady! I would not think of passing judgement on another human being based on anonymous comments. Based on the information supplied here, I am wary of possible "hidden agendas" on the part of these posters. Especially so because most of you are "Anonymous."
Pax,
Jeffrey M. Field
Conlee Elementary
http://consilience.typepad.com
http://consilience.typepad.com/our_stories/
---------------------------------------------
Dear Sonia,
A fellow teacher happened to mention yesterday that she met you at dinner Sunday. I have a proposal for you. But first, a little background.
I discovered the power of the internet in 1996. At the time I was teaching elementary school in North Alabama. I was invited to join Howard Rheingold's Electric Minds. I was later tapped to be their first community host. One thing led to another (this was about a year before the bubble burst) and I was offered a full-time job with Electric Minds (named by Time Magazine as one of the top 10 websites for 1997). Of course I grabbed at the chance. Enjoyed several trips to CA (from LA to Santa Barbara and back) and met a lot of interesting folks. After the bubble burst I went back to the classroom.
When I moved to NM I shut down my two websites, No Resistance and Cheeses of Nazareth. While teaching 7th grade social studies at Hatch Middle School I received permission to start a series of blogs which were maintained by my individual classes. I've been blogging ever since.
I joined the Conlee staff this school year. (See Mike Cook's story for more info.)
http://www.lcps.k12.nm.us/News/NewsRelease.asp?ReleaseID=2263
At present I maintain:
Teachers' Lounge - http://consilience.typepad.com/
Our Stories - http://consilience.typepad.com/our_stories/
Friends Across the Desert - http://consilience.typepad.com/friends_across_the_desert/
Sharks - http://consilience.typepad.com/sharks/
SpaceQuest! - http://consilience.typepad.com/spacequest/
Here's the proposal - From personal experience I know that teachers rarely, if ever, leverage the internet to their advantage. Two factors are involved. Time (the lack of), and lack of experience.
The solution?
Push and Pull.
Push - Websites of interest are broken down into categories (subject, grade level, etc.) and then "Pushed" daily into the inboxes of LCPS teachers.
Pull - Teachers are encouraged to submit requests for specific learning resources. All requests receive a 24-hour turn around.
Examples of Push and Pull are found on Our Stories. I "Push" websites of interest to students and teachers, while students "Pull" needed websites from me.
What's the fiscal bottom line? Minimal.
Salary for whoever holds the position. (We need to come up with a cute, yet meaningful title. Internet Librarian simply won't do.)
Everything else (the infrastructure) is already in place, so there's no additional cost.
That's enough to get you thinking and brainstorming, Sonia.
If you conclude this idea merits further investigation, touch base with me.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Field
November 08, 2006 4:06 PM
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Barnes & Noble has my number. Every month or so they e-mail me a coupon good for an additional 10 to 15 percent off any one item. Yesterday I bought Dave Eggers's A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.
Hmmm, checking my stats this morning, I see that a wiki on blogs includes Our Stories as part of the Classroom/School Samples.
I haven't been this cool since I bought my first Macintosh in 1984... Nintendo's DS Lite named Time's Gadget of the Week (June 14, 2006).
I bought a cute little Dalmation puppy last week from Nintendo Kennels. Named him Sark.
The question - Could I/Would I actually become attached to a bundle of black and white pixels?
The answer - Yes.
I bet the social psychologists are having a field day with this. What, if anything, does it portend?
Sark just brought me his frisbee. Time for our morning walk. Gotta go.
Update - This excellent article touches on the psychological benefits of Nintendogs. There is, however, one design decision the author feels is in error. Can the following rationale (below) be applied to the classroom?
Seriously, 50 Tools that can Increase your Writing Skills is a dynamite resource for anyone interested in honing their writing skills.
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