Welcome to the California League of High Schools/ National High School Association2009 Annual ConferenceMonterey, California
Making Heads or
Tails of Web 2.0
– for School
Administrators
Chinese Dragon Image
Courtesy of Newton Public Schools
Newton, Massachusetts
Ellen Faden is a former Senior Technical Writer
and current Substitute Teacher seeking a District
Internship in English at the Middle/High School
level in California. Please call (415) 342-1552
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
www.marindocgroup.com
To be able to make beneficial
suggestions to your staff;
To begin considering a new
direction in the adoption of state of
the art software in your District; and
To tame the Web 2.0 dragon!
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Goals
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
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What is Web 2.0 – from an Administrator’s Point of View?
A collection of software tools, such as Blogs, Wikis, Websites,
Document Sharing and Content/Learning Management Systems
that enhance student learning and reduce costs in your District; or,
a group of programs that foster collaboration and revolutionize the
way you do business;
Most programs are free;
They do not have to be adopted all at once;
Recommending the tools or products discussed in this
presentation will not leave you in the lurch because they will not
become obsolete;
And, over the long-run, the offset in costs from adopting Web 2.0
tools will be significant. The scenario is in reducing costs of
technology while hiring a technical project manager or consultant
who can lead your District in the efficient use of these tools.
So, how can your District move towards effectively
implementing the promise of Web 2.0?
Overview
-- Discuss: if this is your District Server, what programs can users
download onto their clients?
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Basic Web 2.0 Architecture
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Many Web 2.0 applications are freely
downloadable from the Internet, unblocked by
District servers. Others, such as MySpace™,
are restricted, based on your District’s
Acceptable Use Policy. Web 2.0 client
programs are so easy to use that they do not
require helpdesk support; instead, they are
maintained on the manufacturer’s server.
Because some students and teachers are
already familiar with downloading, you may
find a variety of them already in use in your
District. This is OK because they serve the
ultimate purpose of interaction and
collaboration, and cost nothing to maintain.
Accessing Web 2.0 Applications
Web Browsers provide links from
a computer to Internet web
pages. Internet Explorer™, the
first browser, is still used on most
District servers. Mozilla Firefox™
and Google Chrome™ are two
recent Browsers. Whether your
teachers use IE, Firefox, or
Chrome is of no consequence.
Once again, the resulting access
to information is the goal of this
tool.
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
www.marindocgroup.com
The Magic of Web Browsers
Browsers enable you to find the
collaborative Web 2.0 programs
that are out there in cyberspace.
You might type something like
“teaching websites,” or “academic
wikis” into the Google™ Search
Engine to find some of them.
Recommendations are found at
the end of this slideshow.
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Websites
Blogs
Wikis
Content Management Systems
Web 2.0 Programs
California League of High Schools/National
High School Association Annual Conference -
2009
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
www.marindocgroup.com
A classroom teacher
may have a Website,
Blog, Wiki, or any
combination thereof.
Some Wiki development
programs (and others)
also provide Blogs,
demonstrating how the
functions of Web 2.0
tools overlap. So,
whether a teacher uses
a particular Blog or a
Wiki Development
Program doesn’t really
matter…until such time
as your District enacts
standard usage policies.
Web 2.0 Programs
Blogs –“Diaries” that
present information
by date
Wikis – Encyclopedic”
content repositories
Content/Learning
Management Systems
May replace district records,
assessments, and more
Websites
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Many staff have already begun to
create Websites with Web 2.0 tools. As
an Administrator:
Familiarize yourself with your
District’s Website and those of its
individual schools;
Suggest Website Development
Programs to begin developing
standards in your District. Suggestions
are listed at the end of this
presentation.
Samples:New York City Los Angeles Berkeley
College Park High School, Pleasant Hill, CA
Websites
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www.marindocgroup.com
“We use Dreamweaver primarily with some Flash and
Fireworks thrown in. I used a third-party vendor for the
drop-down menu…I update daily as necessary. I have one
student helper who was in the web design class last year
and so has the required skills to make edits. He does the
flash banner on the front page among other special effects.”
- High School Webmaster
To establish a common learning curve
for students, you may eventually want to
suggest one Website Development
Program to your teachers. If some
teachers are already using one, have
them discuss its pros and cons at a staff
meeting or in a Learning Community.
Free Website Development Programs
can slay computer costs. Adobe®
Dreamweaver® costs $399, while
Google Sites is free.
Further recommendations are on the
final slide.
Website Development Programs
A Blog (a contraction of the words
“web log”) is a dated diary
maintained by its owner that focuses
on topics of interest to its
subscribers. Subscribers may also
add comments, images, etc.
With a classroom Blog, students
read information, add commentary,
describe events, and upload
graphics or videos. A teacher usually
has either a Website or a Blog.
Recommendations are provided at
the end.
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
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A blog created by “Cordle”
Blogs
Wikis provide information by topic,
like an encyclopedia. Wikipedia,
the most famous wiki is not
citable, as anyone may contribute
at any time.
Once a subscriber receives a log-
in id to a classroom wiki, they can
freely contribute to it. Teachers
and student teams can monitor
content for relevance and
accuracy, and edit their classroom
wiki over time. Wikis are a great
application for subjects such as
journalism and history.
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
www.marindocgroup.com
Wikis
Wikispaces (for educators)
and Mediawiki are two
wonderful programs. It
would be difficult to
recommend one over the
other!
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
www.marindocgroup.com
Wiki Development Programs
Document Sharing Programsare fantastic collaborativetools for project-basedlearning and writing. Theyenable users to access adocument, spreadsheet, orpresentation at school or athome, and to update it at anytime.
One English/History teamused Document Sharing todevelop National Geographic-type brochures aboutCalifornia cities.
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-- Discuss: Lotus Notes™ story?
Document Sharing Programs
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
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LMS or CMS’s are the crowning jewel of Web 2.0 programs. Open Source, or
peer-developed software, is created by sophisticated users to meet particular
needs, and to share their programming prowess freely with others. Many Open
Source programs provide equal functionality (if not greater) than very
expensive ones. For example, Moodle is “designed using sound pedagogical
principles, to help educators create effective online learning communities. It
can be downloaded and used on any computer and it can scale from a single-
teacher site to a University with 200,000 students.” – Moodle Website --- and,
it is free.
The main expense in implementing Open Source Software in your District is
paying the salary of the person who will manage the project. Investing in
technical project management will, over the long run, be more fruitful than
investing in expensive, outdated products.
Content/Learning Management Systems
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
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Access the links to all of these sources from Slideshare
Website, Blog, and Wiki Development Programs:
Weebly
ClassTell
Wix
MediaWiki
Wikispaces
Document Sharing Programs:
Google Docs™ provides a program suite similar to
Microsoft Office™. The documents reside on Google’s
server, making them accessible and sharable by
registered users. They can be downloaded to client
devices in Microsoft (and other) formats. Users log in to
Google and access documents from anywhere: at home,
in school, or on a trip. Google Docs is highly
recommended for teachers and students, because it
effects collaboration and saves time and lots of paper!
More importantly Google Docs eliminates the
dependency on paying to upgrade Microsoft applications
on individual computers.
Content/Learning Management Systems:
Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also
known as a Learning Management System, (LMS), or a
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It's a free Open
Source web application designed to help educators
create effective online learning sites.
Samples:
http://moodle.sandi.net/
http://imoodle.imgsoftware.com/worcester/
http://roseburg.eduhost.org/
http://moodle.howeschools.org/moodle18/
http://westerly.k12.ri.us/moodle/
http://bhs.berkeley.net/index.php?page=moodle
Ms. Faden is a Moodle Consultant
The first and only strategic solution for connecting K-12
communities: (not Open Source)
Schoolwires (Alameda County)
Resources I.
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
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Google for Educators
Clear and Understandable Applications for
Students, Educators, and Administrators
Online Magazines:
Education Week
Important News regarding Campus Technology and
Security
T.H.E. Journal is dedicated to informing and
educating K-12 senior-level district and school
administrators, technologists, and tech-savvy
educators within districts, schools, and classrooms
to improve and advance the learning process
through the use of technology.
http://www.thejournal.com/
Associations:
California Educational Technology Professionals
Association
Advanced K-12 Technology Leadership
PBS for Teachers
Technology in Education:
http://www.cited.org/webinars.html
For Teachers:
AVG Personal Antivirus
School Technology Funding:
Technology Grant News and Index
Marin Documentation Group Resources:
Website
Wiki
Ellen Faden Resume
Web Browsers:
Firefox
Chrome
SeaMonkey
Resources II.
Copyright 2009 Marin Documentation Group
www.marindocgroup.com
Non-Academic Content Management System
Joomla Information
Joomla is an award-winning content management system (CMS),
which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online
applications. Many aspects, including its ease-of-use and
extensibility, have made Joomla the most popular Web site software
available. Best of all, Joomla is an open source solution that is freely
available to everyone.
What's a content management system (CMS)?A content
management system is software that keeps track of every piece of
content on your Web site, much like your local public library keeps
track of books and stores them. Content can be simple text, photos,
music, video, documents, or just about anything you can think of. A
major advantage of using a CMS is that it requires almost no
technical skill or knowledge to manage. Since the CMS manages all
your content, you don't have to.
What are some real world examples of what Joomla! can do?
Joomla is used all over the world to power Web sites of all shapes
and sizes. For example:
Corporate Web sites or portals
Corporate intranets and extranets
Online magazines, newspapers, and publications
E-commerce and online reservations
Government applications
Small business Web sites
Non-profit and organizational Web sites
Community-based portals
School and church Web sites
Personal or family homepages
Who uses Joomla?
View these Joomla sites to understand the “look and feel” of Web 2.0
programs:
United Nations (Governmental organization) - http://www.unric.org
MTV Networks Quizilla (Social networking) - http://www.quizilla.com
L.A. Weekly (Online publication) - http://www.laweekly.com
IHOP (Restaurant chain) - http://www.ihop.com
Harvard University (Educational) - http://gsas.harvard.edu
Citibank (Financial institution intranet) - Not publicly accessible
The Green Maven (Eco-resources) - http://www.greenmaven.com
Outdoor Photographer (Magazine) -
http://www.outdoorphotographer.com
PlayShakespeare.com (Cultural) - http://www.playshakespeare.com
Senso Interiors (Furniture design) - http://www.sensointeriors.co.za
More examples of companies using Joomla can be found in the
Joomla Site Showcase Forum.
Resources III.
I hope this presentation
has pointed you in the
successful direction of
Making Heads or Tails of
Web 2.0!
Ellen Faden
(415) 342-1552
Marin Documentation Group Image
Courtesy of artist, Lexi Rubin,
College Park High School
Pleasant Hill, CA
Conclusion
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