2. aggregator
Online service that provides music and video
channels for download to MP3 players (Brooks-
Young, 2010)
I have heard of aggregator before and even used
one, but I did not make the connection until
reading about it. Aggregators are great for
students and me. They give me access to music
and videos that I can listen to and watch
anywhere.
3. blended learning
A combination of the traditional brick and mortar school
and online learning (Staker & Horn, 2012)
This is where I can see many traditional, brick and
mortar schools moving towards in the future. I think it is
easy to see that e-learning is going to the future and for
schools to bridge the gap, schools have to get in the
groove of providing electronic ways to teach along with
face-to-face time. Even in upper elementary classes, I
think blended learning could be implemented. Since I do
think schools will move toward blended learning in the
future, I need to be educated and know how to handle
this type of learning.
4. complex games
Games taking more than 20 hours to complete (Brooks-
Young, 2009)
I love playing complex games, but I have a difficult time
imagining them being played in the classroom. I would
love students to have a chance to play them, but I do not
have the resources or time allotment in order to do it. I’m
not even sure if students would enjoy playing them once
a week in computer lab, because they would walk away
and not come back for a while. I definitely see how they
can help students, but the best I can do is encourage
parents to allow students to play them at home.
5. Connexions
“A place to view and share educational material made of
small knowledge chunks called modules that can be
organized as courses, books, reports, etc. Anyone may
view or contribute: authors create and collaborate,
instructors rapidly build and share custom collections,
learners find and explore content” (Rice University, n.d.)
The idea of Connexions is interesting. It reminds me of
aWiki. It is open to anyone and everyone and gives
access to scholarly materials and resources. It is yet
another example of collaboration on the Web.
Connexions gives me access to materials to learn about
ideas and content for the classroom.
6. copyleft
A General Public License which protects the right to
share (Bonk, 2009)
This term is in stark contrast to copyright. Copyleft is
often used with free software to allow users the right to
change it and improve it. I find it crazy to think that
people would want to spend hours learning code then
applying it for free. Copyleft will be interesting in the
future to see if other industries like music and film will
also jump on board with the idea. I definitely see big
companies like Disney never allowing a copyleft, but
independent filmmakers may. As a teacher, I think it is
important to be informed and inform others about
copyrights and now copylefts.
7. coursecasting
Sharing ideas and activities via video sites (Bonk, 2009);
same as Webcasting
I definitely use YouTube all the time. I love the funny
cat videos to the educational content videos. There really
is nothing that cannot be found on some sort of video on
YouTube. Before this class, I never thought about using
YouTube as a learning tool for myself. I use it in the
classroom all the time to introduce topics. How idiotic of
me not to realize that as a teacher, I can get ideas from
YouTube (and TeacherTube, Vimeo, etc.)
8. Curriki
Wiki curriculum (Bonk, 2009); the coolest education
resource I found in this class
I love this resource! I never knew it existed, and Bonk
wrote about it three years ago! I will definitely be using
this resource as I need ideas to teach first graders about
natural resources, sun and the moon, and other subjects. I
cannot wait to utilize this awesome resource. Being part
of the openness movement, I also need to be open to
sharing my resources too.
9. fingertip knowledge
Information literally at our fingertips via the Web (Bonk,
2009)
I am guilty of using this term all the time. I truly do have
tons of information available at my fingertips. My
computer is never far from me when I am home, and I
am constantly Googling terms, people, and concepts. As
an adult, I can take in the information at my fingertips,
condense it, and use it at my disposal. This is a skill
students need to be taught. Students need to quickly
learn how to take in so much information, assess it,
combine it, and do something with it. I think having
knowledge at our fingertips is great but is also
challenging for students.
10. flat world
The work of several world forces (UPS logistics,
fall of the Berlin Wall, offshoring, open-
sourcing, supply-chaining, work flow software,
Netscape, outsourcing, web searches, and digital,
mobile, and personal devices) that have created
an interrelated and congealed world that cannot
be separated into distinct parts (Friedman, 2005)
11. e-learning
The use of Web conferencing, radio, CDs, DVDs, television,
chat, mobile phones, virtual worlds, etc. that are used as a means
to teach students; learning through electronic means (Bonk,
2009)
I never knew the classes I took online were of a special variety. I
definitely love e-learning. Doing most class work on my time
allows me to be in my classroom, on vacation, or at home and
able to continue to learn. I know the use of e-learning is
definitely increasing at colleges and universities and some states
even require high school students to take an online course before
graduation. E-learning allows students to take in information in
ways not taken advantage of in the classroom. Some K-12
schools are totally online and make use of e-learning. As a 21 st
century educator, I have to be aware of this growing trend and
find where my place is: classroom, Web, or both?
12. flat world
The work of several world forces (UPS logistics, fall of the Berlin Wall, offshoring, open-
sourcing, supply-chaining, work flow software, Netscape, outsourcing, web searches, and
digital, mobile, and personal devices) that have created an interrelated and congealed world
that cannot be separated into distinct parts (Friedman, 2005)
I read chapter two of Friedman’s book for my review and was quite intrigued. I knew the
world was connected, but I failed to realize how connected. Within a company, one can no
longer say this is where UPS stops and Wal-Mart starts. Businesses are so intermingled
nowadays. I was especially interested in the flattener about UPS logistics. My dad works at
UPS as a semi-driver and has been with them throughout this change to a flat world. He
had the opportunity to read the part about UPS, and he too was impressed. He said he knew
the logistics work UPS did, but he also failed to realize just how far-reaching it was. He
also brought up that the union contract for UPS is up in 2013 and although the logistics part
of UPS is not in the union, he commented the logistics cannot fully operate without truck
drivers who are under the union contract. UPS already pays and gives the best to its
workers, so he thinks it will be interesting to see how much leverage the union can get
regarding how intertwined the company is. This just goes to show how truly intermingled
the world is.
I did think it was interesting that Friedman failed to mention anything about education in
the chapter I read. Not even a snippet about how some piece of technology is influential in
the classroom. It seems as if Bonk noticed that opportunity and ran with it for his book.
13. Free and Open Source
Software (FOSS)
A movement of sharing and collaborating to create
software (Bonk, 2009)
When it comes down to it, free and open source are
basically the same thing. Although computer coders may
have different ideas of it, for the average person (aka:
me), it is all one big movement of the belief of
collaborating on software to make it better. This matters
to me, because I have to teach students the ability to
collaborate. Collaboration really is becoming a huge part
of the 21st century in many things that are done, and I
want to be a part of helping students develop the need,
want, and drive to collaborate.
14. free software
“The freedom to run it, to study and change it, and to redistribute
copies with or without changes” (Stallman, 2012), promotes sharing
and cooperation (Stallman, 2012) The idea of free software is driven
by the idea that software should be free and available to everyone
with open collaboration (Friedman, 2005)
I had no idea what this term was before reading Bonk. After reading
Bonk and researching it on my own, I still do not think I fully
comprehend what free software is. Free software allows users to
access the code, change it, and redistribute it. It sounds the same as
open source, but people who believe in free source want to keep the
definition different from open source. (Even computer coding
cannot escape the politics of definitions and differences.) In case I
ever want to make use of free software, I do have to understand the
copyright. Although this term does not apply to me and what I do, I
feel it is important to have an understanding of free software.
15. Google jockey
“Participant in a class presentation who finds the terms,
ideas, and Web sites mentioned by a presenter and
displays them for the class as they are mentioned or
needed” (Bonk, 2009, p. 72)
I love this concept. I never thought about a professor
who just keeps on chatting while someone else finds the
information to display. If I was a high school teacher, I
would definitely think about incorporating this into a
class. I also think this could be done in elementary if
every student had a netbook with wifi and could practice
pulling up and finding the information. This would be a
really fun activity for students to practice their Internet
searching and using skills.
16. learning object repositories
A collection of reference materials (videos, graphs,
information, pictures, etc.) found on an online web portal
(Bonk, 2009)
Learning object repositories are something that I can
definitely use to engage students and help students
investigate something they are interested in further. A
collection of tons of material about one subject in one
place? A librarian’s and teacher’s dream! I definitely
plan to make use of learning object repositories in my
class this fall when students have questions about snakes,
plants, and other subjects.
17. massive multiplayer online
game
MMOGs; game that supports thousands of players like
World of Warcraft (Brooks-Young, 2010)
I play Halo with my husband, which I would consider a
MMOG. I do like them, but I would not use them in a
classroom. They leave too much room for inappropriate
messages, comments, and actions to be done.
Understanding why they are such a big hit is great for a
teacher though. It does strike me that there is such a want
to play MMOGs and play with other people. More online
collaboration at work!
18. m-learning
Mobile-learning; using mobile devices like cell phones,
iPods, tablets, etc. to learn (Bonk, 2009)
This is a hard concept for me to grasp, because I do not
have a mobile learning device. I have first graders who
have smart phones while I do not own one. I do love
being around friends and having a disagreement solved
quickly over finding information on a phone. I see the
benefits of constantly being connected along with the
drawbacks. Now there is no getting away from e-mail,
but you can always learn no matter where you learn!
19. microblogging
Twitter; blogging with a limited number of
characters (Brooks-Young, 2010)
I never thought of Twitter as a blog before
reading Brooks-Young. I think a tool like
Twitter would help students learn to get their
ideas down concisely and quickly. This could
really help them in the future.
20. minigames
Games taking less than an hour and devoting
attention to one skill (Brooks-Young, 2009)
I can see the use of minigames being used in the
classroom much more than complex games. If
someone walked into my classroom, I can show
them how the game directly relates to what the
students are learning. I also think this encourages
and motivates students to learn skills.
21. open courseware (OCW)
“Free, searchable, and open access to university
resources and course content” (Bonk, 2009, p. 163)
MIT is leading the world in OCW. I find the idea of
OCW intriguing and a bonus for the future. I also see
many problems with OCW in the future regarding
grading and completion of classes. I do appreciate that
professors are willing to put their course content up for
feedback from other instructors around the world. I think
this could lead the world to better education for
everyone.
22. open educational resources
(OER)
Resources available online that are free about a
subject (Bonk, 2009)
Having the access to so many OER is wonderful.
I have so much education about anything and
everything at my fingertips. Allowing students to
use OER to learn, teach themselves, and
investigate is motivating for them. Many
students have access to OER at home that they
can always be learning.
23. open learning world
The convergence of a Web-based learning infrastructure,
billions of free Web pages, and a culture of participation
(Bonk, 2009)
As an educator, the world truly is open to learning.
Bonk’s entire book is about how the Web has allowed
educators and students around the world to learn. I use
educators and students loosely because now, everyone
around the world truly is both. With Web 2.0, every
person is capable of publishing content and learning
content on the Web. The world is open for learning. The
question is: Are American educators ready to jump on in
and dive into it? In other words, am I ready to access,
use, and share resources to continue to add to this world?
24. openness
An atmosphere of being open to information and
resources (Bonk, 2009)
I think it is exciting to live in such an open world.
Having education resources now being more open and
available will only improve my teaching and the ways
students learn. I know I am open to the openness of the
world, but I do worry about teachers who refuse to share
and are not on board with the openness of resources.
Working with people of both beliefs is definitely
challenging.
25. open source
“Development method for software that harnesses the power of
distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of
open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower
cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in” (Open Source Initiative,
n.d.); software for which the source code is freely available (Brooks-
Young, 2010, p. 124)
I had no idea what this term was before reading Bonk. After reading
Bonk and researching it on my own, I still do not think I fully
comprehend what open source is. Basically, it is a program where the
source code is available and where modifications can be made. It seems
the Open Source Initiative is really set on keeping its definition separate
from free source. According to Stallman (2012), open source is more
restrictive than free source, but the ways were not explained. Most
importantly regarding open source and if I have students who want to
change code, I need to know the copyrights. Although this term does not
apply to me and what I do, I feel it is important to have an
understanding of open source.
26. Opensource
Opencourseware Prototype
System project
Translating MIT OCW into other languages
(Bonk, 2009)
How crazy is it that our world is so intertwined
and people are so anxious to learn? I think this
project is exciting and a crazy undertaking. I do
appreciate that so many people around the world
want to learn. I only hope I can inspire my own
students to passionately learn and take the steps
to make learning possible.
27. pages
“The availability of free and open educational
content and resources” (Bonk, 2009, p. 52); Web
pages
I knew what pages were before this class, but in
reference to the Web being pipes and pages, I
did not understand the concept. I just think it is
amazing at the sheer volume of open content and
resources available. As a teacher, I cannot do
anything but take advantage of them.
28. participatory learning
culture
“A movement toward a culture of open access to
information, international collaboration, and global
sharing” (Bonk, 2009, p. 52)
I love the idea of international collaboration. I do think a
participatory learning culture is exciting and frightening
to live in. There are so many new resources being flung
at me all the time, which is good and bad. The thing for
me to remember about this culture is that I have to
contribute. Education will move forward whether I
contribute or not, but why wouldn’t I want to be a
participant of the movement and culture?
29. pipes
Internet access and bandwidth (Bonk, 2009)
I had no idea what the pipes were of the Internet.
Friedman also mentions the pipes, so I am glad I
knew what it was from Bonk. I feel schools are
behind when it comes to pipes. I don’t think
schools see the pipes as extremely necessary or
needed. I hope to encourage my school to get
better bandwidth, so students can make use of
the resources available on the Web.
30. pubcast
Mixing publications with video content (Bonk, 2009)
I had no idea what this was. I do think it is a great
outcome of Web 2.0 though. To have a research paper
paired with video can be motivating and exciting for
students and me. I would love to have more pubcasts
available regarding research. I think it would be
beneficial for educators to discuss their research and
show their data collection rather than just read about it.
This also gives students more ways to intake
information.
31. RSS (really simple
syndication)
Tool to alert people of new blog posts, headlines,
and podcasts; invented by a fourteen-year-old
(Bonk, 2009)
I have seen RSS on the top of Web pages, but I
never knew what it meant or did. I still do not
use it, but I hope to in the future. It seems like an
easy way to keep track of new information
posted on the Web that I am interested in.
32. spiky world
The idea that some places (like cities) have a greater creative,
intellectual, and economic advantage (Bonk, 2009)
This is by far my favorite concept from this class. I love the
idea of this concept. It so truly explains the shift the world is
entering. The definition is based on economics, but I think the
concept can be addressed to other things too. For instance,
Internet connection and access to the Web is spiky. In some
places in the world, it is easily accessible, while in other
places, it is not. I think this concept also explains the use of
technology in the classroom. Some school districts have
everything they could want while others have nothing. It
brings back the idea of inequality, and if equality will occur
not only in the U.S. but in the world.
33. u-learning
Ubiquitous-learning; learning everywhere (Bonk, 2009)
Although learning can already occur anywhere and
everywhere, mobile devices really make this learning
come alive. People can check their devices and learn
without fully realizing they are learning. I think students
will be entrapped in this always learning life, and I
wonder how many will be able to turn it off. I think
learning is great but a brain needs a break. Will there
come a point when information and learning is too
much?
34. Ustream
A service to broadcast talks on the Internet
(Bonk, 2009)
Ustream is an awesome service. It has everybody
and everyone on it (or at least seems like it). It is
great to have a more central Web location to
have quick access to chats and interviews. I can
definitely learn a lot by listening to even one
interview a day.
35. virtual world
“A three-dimensional, graphic representation of a
community that can be based entirely on fantasy or have
roots in a real community” (Brooks-Young, 2010, p. 126)
After playing around on virtual worlds, I can see their
impact on learning and motivating older students, but I
worry about pushing younger students into them. With
virtual worlds, I also worry about students who really
don’t like them. I know this would be the minority, but
what is there for students who are not into the whole
virtual thing? I think as an educator a day is coming
when virtual worlds will become the norm. Unlike other
technology though, I hope it is not when I’m alive.
36. VoIP (Voice over Internet
Protocol)
Skype (Bonk, 2009)
Although Skype is not the only VoIP available,
it is the one I use. I really hope to make use of
VoIP in the classroom. I think students can learn
a lot by discussing and learning with other
students around the country and the world.
37. Web 1.0
Pages on the Web being available to read and
browse (Bonk, 2009)
I know Web 1.0 took place while I was in
elementary and middle school, so I have no real
understanding or thought about it. I just find the
transition to Web 2.0 as seamless and a natural
change. I also think it is extraordinary that
something like the Web, which is relatively new,
has also changed so much.
38. Web 2.0
“The second generation of the World Wide Web with a shift away from
static web pages and a move toward content that is dynamic can be shared”
(Brooks-Young, 2010, p. 126)
Until about five years ago, I did not have regular access to the Web. I didn’t
realize the major shift that had already been taking place with the Web
though. Five years ago, I created a Facebook page and was a part of the
Web 2.0 generation. I had no idea that the Web really did use to consist of
only pages to view. I just thought when I was younger and had used the
Web at school, I did not know how to do the fun things like e-mail or have a
profile page. Little did I know of the huge shift in the use of the Web. I
definitely do share content on the Web between my Facebook page, blog,
and e-mail, I am truly part of the Web 2.0 generation.
I also choose this term, because I hear it everywhere. I heard it on the news
the other night, and the newscasters did not give a definition. They used the
term like it was a regular, everyday word. I have definitely heard it during
this class, so I am excited to finally have an understanding of what Web 2.0
means.
39. Webcasting
Sharing ideas and activities via video sites (Bonk, 2009);
same as coursecasting
I definitely use YouTube all the time. I love the funny
cat videos to the educational content videos. There really
is nothing that cannot be found on some sort of video on
YouTube. Before this class, I never thought about using
YouTube as a learning tool for myself. I use it in the
classroom all the time to introduce topics. How idiotic of
me not to realize that as a teacher, I can get ideas from
YouTube (and TeacherTube, Vimeo, etc.)
40. Web of Learning
“A somewhat magical or mystical place where teaching
and learning never end” (Bonk, 2009, p. 29)
I love this idea from Bonk. The Web truly is a mystical
and magical place. I will never understand how it all
works (nor do I have any real interest). I do love that I
have access to so much information and tidbits of
content I never needed to know. At night when I watch a
television show, I will search different people or places
that are mentioned. With the Web, I can always be
learning. I do wonder if students realize this, or it is
something they prefer not to realize. I do know many
students, young and old, who surf the Web and play
games all the time. I wonder how consciously aware they
are of how much they are learning.
41. Wiki
An online source of information that users can change, update,
and collaborate (Bonk, 2009)
Nowadays, everything has a Wiki. Each subject of the new
Common Core/Essential Standards for the Winston-Salem
School has a Wiki. Before this class, I had heard of a Wiki
(who hasn’t heard of Wikipedia?), but I never fully
understood what it was. It is another collaboration-based
source on the Web. I found it fascinating that people spend
hours on Wikipedia researching information and submitting
new information and citations (Bonk, 2009). It really does
seem collaboration and teaching students to work together is
much needed in order for students to late contribute to this
flattened world. In order for a Wiki to work, users have to
have knowledge of the subject. Being able to condense and
evaluate information is also an important skill I need to teach.
42. References
Bonk, C. J. (2009). The world is open: How Web technology is
revolutionizing education. San Francisco, CA: Wiley-Bass.
Brooks-Young, S. (2010). Teaching with the tools kids really use:
Learning with web and mobile technologies. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin.
Open Source Initiative. (n.d.). Mission. Retrieved from
http://opensource.org/
Rice University. (n.d.) Connexions. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/
Staker, H. & Horn, M. B. (2012). Classifying K-12 blended learning.
Retrieved from http://www.innosightinstitute.org/media-
room/publications/education-publications/classifying-k-12-
blended-learning/
Stallman, R. (2012). Why open source misses the point of free
software. Retrieved from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-
source-misses-the-point.html