Web 2.0 Club Students as Technology Trainers
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Every week is interesting when you’re launching an all-Apple Laptop high school. This week was no exception.
I run a 40-minute Web 2.0 activity club every Thursday. (That experience, by the way, makes me weep for teachers who teach classes of less than an hour’s duration. I have time for almost nothing in 40 minutes and will, I swear, have a heart attack from the adrenal rush of trying to reach my objectives in that eyeblink of instructional time. We have 77 minute class blocks at my school, which feels just right.)
Last week, our IT Manager configured a Mac Server for class drop-box folders, shared resource folders, and private student folders. We needed to get all 240 students registered on the server - and, oh yeah, their teachers too.
Then some other teachers started asking for a way to train the students in iMovie - everybody and their dog is suddenly using iMovie in the classroom, which raises its own issues. A couple asked me to pull that off.
But the question was, how? How train an entire faculty and student body in the server network, iLife software, and more?
The answer seems wonderful: My Thursday Web 2.0 Club has 23 students. We have our weekly Homeroom during each Friday’s club time - and we have 22 homerooms. You see it: one student is available to teach each homeroom in a weekly cycle. Here’s how it looks on Bubbl.us* (thanks to Patrick Higgins for the Twitter tip about this tool):
Today was our first run-through, and by all accounts, the students did a great job. Next week they’ll walk through the first “Cutting the Crap from Student Movies” video.
I think we’ve found our system here. And a way to give students experience as presenters and trainers. Pretty cool.
*WordPress users: Bubbl.us requires a WordPress Plugin. I installed it here on WP 2.3, and it works fine.
For more on staff technology development, see these articles:
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Clay, I love this idea
I have started a similar idea at Qatar Academy. I call it the Digital Learning Team. I am trying to spread the Web 2.0 word just like you and will be encouraging students who are being exposed to concepts in my classes to spread the word in an organised way. See my blog at http://123elearning.blogspot.com/2007/10/digital-learning-team.html
[Reply]
Julie Lindsay
27 Oct 07 at 7:45 pm
Hi Clay!
I too am very familiar with this idea. I am the customer service lead for a company called Generation YES that provides professional development by partnering students up with teachers to implement technology into the classroom. This program is called GenYES and the GenYES students are paired with the partner teacher and work on a technology infused lesson plan together. You can check out more information if you would like at http://www.genyes.com
Thank you for your efforts with student technology empowerment! I am sure your students are having a blast in your class!
[Reply]
Megan Evander
28 Oct 07 at 9:32 am
Hi Clay, think this idea is really great. And I do so agree with you about the length o class times. We just moved to 75 minute periods this year ad it feels so natural. I would never want to go back.
[Reply]
Jo McLeay
30 Oct 07 at 4:16 am
Warlick's CoLearners - Flat Classrooms
4 Dec 07 at 2:15 pm