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Using Digital Tools to Build an Architecture of Participation
The document outlines the goals and features of the MSP2 (Middle School Portal 2) social network, which aims to help educators locate standards-based teaching resources, develop content knowledge, understand Web 2.0 tools, and participate in a professional learning community. It provides data on how over 600 members found out about and use the network, including what subjects they teach and need help with. The document lists various digital tools that are part of the MSP2 network, such as an NING social network, groups, a digital library, webinar archive, wiki, blogs, Twitter, and Diigo groups.
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Using Digital Tools to Build an Architecture of Participation
- 1. Kimberly Lightle OhioState University Using Digital Tools to Build an Architecture of Participation
- 2. Goals for UsersEasily locate and identify exemplary, standards-based resources for teaching and learning. Develop increased content knowledge in the areas of science, mathematics, technology, and developmentally appropriate pedagogy. Develop an increased understanding of Web 2.0 tools and effectively integrate technology into existing teaching practice. Participate in a virtual professional learning community and create and share knowledge within and beyond the MSP2 and Beyond Penguins communities.
- 3. Access to 21st Century Technology is a Problem…
- 4. MSP2 Social Network http://msteacher2.org
- 5. Portal to Colleaguesand Content
- 6.
- 7.
- 8. Member Profile DataHow did you find out about MSP2? (400 responses) Friend or colleague – 137; Email notice – 64; Web search – 63; Print publication – 3; Conference – 35; Attended an online event/conference – 15; Other – 77 Average Years Taught (330 responses) –15 years Position (489 responses) Classroom Teacher (preK-12) – 319; Technology Integration Specialist – 11; Student – 21; Researcher – 11; Principal/Assistant Principal – 4; Preservice Teacher – 16; Librarian/Media Specialist – 4; IT Support Person – 4; Informal Educator – 7; Homeschool Educator – 2; Curriculum Coordinator – 10; College Faculty – 22; Agency/Association Professional – 3; Other – 63 Grade Level Taught (370 responses) Preschool – 5; Primary (K-2) – 13; Elementary (3-5) – 36; Middle (6-8) – 324; High – 40; Other – 19
- 9. Member Profile DataWhat discipline(s) do you teach? (414 responses) Mathematics – 195; Science – 215; English/Language Arts – 22; Social Studies – 17; Technology – 20; Music – 3; Physical Education – 1; Foreign Language – 1; Special Education – 5; Enrichment – 4; Other – 118 I need help with… . (106 responses) Assessment/Testing – 38; Being a new teacher – 8; Classroom management – 25; Content knowledge – 22; ESL/ELL – 13; Gifted and talented – 30; Instructional strategies – 53; Integrating technology – 59; Involving parents/caregivers – 15; Literacy – 9; Managing Labs (including safety) – 14; Science fairs/competitions – 16; Special needs students – 25; Standards – 9; Student misconceptions – 22 I can help with… (91 responses) Assessment/Testing – 19; Being a new teacher – 22; Classroom management – 29; Content knowledge – 45; ESL/ELL – 4; Gifted and talented – 4 ; Instructional strategies – 36; Integrating technology – 30; Involving parents/caregivers – 9; Literacy – 7; Managing Labs (including safety) – 6; Science fairs/competitions – 6; Special needs students – 12; Standards – 22; Student misconceptions – 13
- 10. MSP2 NING SocialNetwork - http://www.msteacher2.org/ (634 members) MSP2 Groups - http://www.msteacher2.org/groups MSP2 Digital Library Search - http://www.msteacher2.org/page/search-1 (the cataloging tool and search engine are the EduPak suite of tools from NSDL) MSP2 Webinar Archive Page - http://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/MiddleSchoolPortal/Webinar_Archive - MSP2 has its own Eluminate room through the LearnCentral social network (you can use the Eluminate platform for free to hold webinars - http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars ) MSP2 Wiki Development Page - http://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/MiddleSchoolPortal - this is the "homepage" of all our resource guides are as well as our Teacher Opportunties, Webinar Archive, Getting Grants pages Middle School Math and Science blog - http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/middle-school-math-science/ - RSS feed Connecting News blog - http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/connectingnews/ - RSS feed MSP2 Twitter page - http://twitter.com/msportal2 (32 followers) - linked to MSP2 so we can post content to MSP2 and tweet at the same time MSP2 Diigo Math Group - http://groups.diigo.com/group/teaching-middle-school-math (43 members) MSP2 Diigo Science Group - http://groups.diigo.com/group/teaching-middle-school-science (18 members) MSP2 Diigo Professional Development Group - http://groups.diigo.com/group/professional-resources (13 members) MSP2 bit.ly account - http://bit.ly/user/recent/msp2 - this allows me to track content that I can't track via the MSP2 Google Analytics account (external content such as Eluminate webinars) Middle School Portal - http://msteacher.org
Editor's Notes
- #2 Funded as a NSDL Pathways September 2008
- #3 These are the goals that we have for all our teacher participants. We have two other parts of the project – one that directly impacts students – VLEs (Sarita Pillai at EDC) and one that deal with policy and that is through the NMSA.
- #4 We had originally thought to get rid of our original middle school portal web site but realized very quickly that wasn’t wise. So many of the tools that we are using are blocked by schools. We wanted teachers to get to our resources at schools so we are using the MSP site more as an archive but still RSS feed our blogs and have added links to the new wiki resource guides. We are still getting lots of visits to this site because it still has a high Google ranking – we updated the site to get people to the social network.
- #5 We are using the NING social network as a portal to connect people to each other and to connect them to the content that we are developing. We have no static web pages so that even though we are writing content we are providing the ability of teachers/users to share comments and content even through the content we are developing. We made the site public in February 2009 – numbers have continued to grow each month (especially after Google found it) – 18,975 unique visitors, 87,875 page views – most visited areas is the main page, profiles, science resource guides, groups, and math resource guides. The conversations that have the most social currency (gravity) right now are the ones that are revolving around using technology tools.
- #6 So what digital tools are we using? NING – we only pay from one premium service - $4.95 to use our own URL – we were able to get rid of ads for free – not sure that is still available NSDL – EduPak, wiki, and Expert Voices Diigo, Twitter Elluminate – free Elluminate room through LearnCentral (we should have met in the MSP2 room!)
- #7 Quite a bit of what we are pulling into the NING is through RSS feeds.
- #8 Thought you might be interested in the groups that have formed – we populated the groups area with 3 groups originally but have had 3 or 4 start on their own. They can be private or public – in fact, one of the reasons that I really like NING is because it allows you to set privacy on each section of the site – at the uber level and within each person’s member page.
- #9 So what do we know about our members – this data is through November. Profile questions… none are required… we’ve had to deal with spam… now we require that you are approved but it is still public – anyone can see the content.
- #10 In closing - need a director of social media and if you are lucky that person would also keep track of and interpret web metrics! When you have content spread all over the place you have got to figure out how to capture it, put it in one place, and then analyze it.
- #11 Here are all web addresses that I mentioned.