LESSON PLAN FOR SOCIAL BOOKMARKING
I will first need to determine what my students know about social bookmarking. I suspect that many will have some idea about them, but may have not considered them as a means to enhance their own learning and teaching. To that end, I will facilitate a short discussion asking some of the following questions:
1. How many of you have heard about, or know what “social bookmarking” is with regards to the Web 2.0?
2. How many of you have used “social bookmarking”?
3. Do you feel that “social bookmarking” is helpful to your understanding of any particular topic? If so, what topics, or sites have you bookmarked? Why?
Having gathered some idea of what they know, I can now show them what they are, how they are used, and what they can do for them. (I will hopefully have access to the Internet and LCD.) Before I show them my bookmark page, I want them to get into groups of at least 3 and no more than 4 to brainstorm a list of keywords (which I believe become their “tags”), and topics that might show them sites for our courses. After each group has a list for say, Educational Psychology, and we have combined words and such, I will have them create a list of keywords and topics for both Educational Research, and Philosophy of Education. I will connect to the Internet and show my students my del.icio.us page that already has many bookmarks of places that I like and can link to right away. I will share sites that I have saved that are just for our courses too.
It will be important that I share how to create their own del.icio.us page. With that in mind, I will sign up for our own page so that they see how it is done from the get-go. Since I have 8 hour sessions with my groups most of the time, and since many students bring their laptops to class (with wireless capabilities!), I can have students help each other create their own bookmarking pages. I will to go to a site that has information about one of our courses, type the tag I use for it, click “save” and it is captured! Cool!
I can then go about showing them how to subscribe to the specific tag that I will give them. It will probably be the name of the town that the cohort is in. (Chicago, Racine, or Milwaukee) Their assignment will be to begin looking for sites that relate to the topic they have chosen to research. Doing this one course at a time will give them opportunities to share things from and with other students. I can see a great network of ideas and options coming from all over the Web 2.0!
In addition, I will have the opportunity to find sites related to our course topic and share those with everyone. Personally, as I learn more about the possibilities of bookmarking for myself, I can see my own professional development growing as I continue to learn. I would like to use the idea for others that I teach with too. And that is my story and I’m sticking to it! See you.
Sue
Since your students have their laptops with access, you have a perfect scenario for teaching them how to set up a page and get going. I also liked how you are putting them into groups to brainstorm keywords and tags to search for. People who spend hours searching in frustration are usually not picking the appropriate terms to search. That will be a good learning experience for them. Sounds great!!
March 28, 2008 @ 3:17 pm