PMclassDialogues :: Blog

There are several things we need to accomplish in our first day.

1. Group Agreement. If we are to help each other Learn (in both a classroom and on-line environmnet), then we need to understand how important it is to be Respectful, Include others, and be Safe. See the basic rules.

2. Get Set-up On-line:

• Set-up Accounts. Go to this link - it will open a new window so you can keep this open and read the instructions. In the 'Your Name' sectit your first name and last initial (for me, I used DaveT). You will need your school e-mail and you will have to open this e-mail to click on the confirmation e-mail eduspaces will send you. Follow the instructions and be sure that your username is either, your first name and last initial, or if that is already taken, you can make up a Science related last name. So if DaveT was taken I could be DaveThermal or DaveTitanium. Create a password and write it down!

• Join DaVinci-07-Dialogues and DaVinci-07-Social... click on a community, then on the top of the right column request to join this forum.

Mr. Truss will accept your request! Everyone must join both forums!

3. Make sure you are logged in and go to the Basic Rules. Add a comment that says: 

"I have read and I understand the basic rules to posting in all project forums and blogs".

... just like I did.

Be sure that you actually read and understand these rules! 

4. Welcome to your DaVinci Online learning spaces. These two forums are public, meaning anyone of you can post a blog entry or comment. Your personal blog is your space! Only you can add a post to your blog, others are only allowed to comment.

For all posts on this site, make sure you click on 'Access restrictions' found above 'Save Post' and change it from 'Public' to 'Group: DaVinci07' before you post:

 *Note: You won't see this as an option unless you click here to add me as a friend, so that I can invite you into the Group: DaVinci07!

You can get to your personal blog by clicking on 'Your Blog" in the top left corner of every page (when you are logged in).

You can get to the two forums by finding them either under 'Community Membership' in the right hand column, or by clicking 'Your Network' on the top left of any DaVinci page.

Congratulations... you are ready to go!

5. Time to get started! Create a post or comment on someone else's post. Need an idea? Check out these awesome links!

Or, click on Leo's eyes to find a great starting point for this project! 

6. Tonight, show your parents the introduction page:

Welcome to Our On-line Learning Space for the Renaissance Fair's Da Vinci Project 2007

You can find it in the links section of the School's Gold Team Page. 

Greetings to students and parents!

Here are some basic information about using this Eduspaces on-line learning space... and students should Start Here to get things going.

1. Each student will have their own personal learning space called a blog. These blogs will be used just like Leonardo Da Vinci used his Journal or Scrap Book to write down ideas, sketch, and curiously explore the world. Other students and I can read these blogs and even add comments, but only the owner of the blog can add new entries.

2. We have several learning spaces and social spaces that students will also contribute to. The learning spaces known as Dialogues are shared spaces that are specific to topics or classes, and students are expected to contribute to theirs on a regular basis. The Forums are social spaces where students can choose to chat between classes, and use however they please, as long as they respect the basic rules. (Note that in this link, students must contribute an agreement to use the forums and blogs appropriately before contributing to any forums. The rules for using the Dialogues are slightly different than the social forums since these are specifically shared learning spaces - see #3 Learning.)

3. To maintain privacy, and to use the internet safely, students will be asked to always click on the "Access restrictions" drop-down menu and set restrictions to either the forum they are in or to:                
"Group: DaVinci07" before they post... this way our comments stay private for members of our classes only. Personal Blog/Journal entries should also be saved with "Group: DaVinci07" access only.
To demonstrate how this works, click on these two links Public Version of Basic Rules (this is the same link as above), and the Private 'DaVinci07' Version of the basic Rules in the Social Forum. The basic rules are posted in both links, but in the first link to your Learning Space I made the rules public so that you could see them here, and in the second link I restricted them to "Group: DaVinci07" members. You will only be able to see the second rules if a student is logged in.

5. Students will have a profile page that they can use to tell others a bit about themselves. I have made my profile public so that parents can see it. Students will restrict their profile to "Group: DaVinci07" members only and they will not reveal any information that is personal (such as last name, school name, phone number, address or age) in their profile, or anywhere on this site. I would rather that student DO NOT USE THE PROFILE PAGE - we all know who we are already!

Whenever a student contributes to this learning space a small photo is included next to their entry. My photo can be seen at the top of this blog entry. I don't use a normal photo because this education blog site has a 'View Most Recent Posts' page where photos are public. As long as students click on the "Access restrictions" drop-down menu and set restrictions to: "Group: DaVinci07" before they post their blog, forum or comment posts, only students in our class (and I) can see this. Students will have the option to change this photo to an image other than their photo, or use the provided image.

8. Access to computers at home would be beneficial but is not necessary. I have taught this class a number of times without the use of computers and many options will be provided to create wonderful projects without their use. Students may want to make entries into their personal learning blogs and they will be required to do so in the shared Learning Dialogues, but class time will be provided for this.

13.  There is a lot of leeway for students to find a topic that interests them and explore it to their hearts content. With this freedom comes responsibility. It is expected that students will put considerable effort into this project!

21.  If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me.
Every page in the Da Vinci Project On-line Learning Space has a...

... link located near the top right of the page. There is no other way that anyone visiting this site can contact the students or me, except by clicking on one of these links. If you are a parent reading a paper copy of this and you would like to contact me another way, please feel free to call or visit the school.

- - - - - - - - - -

Remember to visit the

RENAISSANCE FAIR

Held at the school Thursday May 31st, 5:30 to 7:00pm

*Students are expected to attend the fair for the entire time
so that they can showcase their projects* 

Greetings to students and parents!

Here are some basic information about using this on-line learning space.

1. Each student will have their own personal learning space called a blog. These blogs will be used just like Leonardo Da Vinci used his Journal or Scrap Book to write down ideas, sketch, and curiously explore the world. Other students and I can read these blogs and even add comments, but only the owner of the blog can add new entries.

2. We have several learning spaces and social spaces that students will also contribute to. The learning spaces known as Dialogues are shared spaces that are specific to topics or classes, and students are expected to contribute to theirs on a regular basis. The Forums are social spaces where students can choose to chat between classes, and use however they please, as long as they respect the basic rules. (Note that in this link, students must contribute an agreement to use the forums and blogs appropriately before contributing to any forums. The rules for using the Dialogues are slightly different than the social forums since these are specifically shared learning spaces - see #3 Learning.)

3. To maintain privacy, and to use the internet safely, students will be asked to always click on the "Access restrictions" drop-down menu and set restrictions to either the forum they are in or to:                
"Group: DaVinciProjectParticipants" before they post... this way our comments stay private for members of our classes only. Personal Blog/Journal entries should be saved with "Group: DaVinciProjectParticipants" access only.
To demonstrate how this works, click on these two links:
AM class basic rules and PM class basic rules. The basic rules are posted in both links, but in the AM class I made the rules public so that you could see them here, and in the PM class I restricted them to "Group: DaVinciProjectParticipants" members. You will only be able to see the PM rules if a student is logged in.

5. Students will have a profile page that they can use to tell others a bit about themselves. I have made my profile public so that parents can see it. Students will restrict their profile to "Group: DaVinciProjectParticipants" members only and they will not reveal any information that is personal (such as last name, phone number, address or age) in their profile, or anywhere on this site.

Whenever a student contributes to this learning space a small photo is included next to their entry. My photo can be seen at the top of this blog entry. Students will be provided with a photo that is 'modified' to look similar to mine. I do this because this eduspaces site has a randomly chosen "Featured Profile" on their log-in page. As long as students click on the "Access restrictions" drop-down menu and set restrictions to: "Group: DaVinciProjectParticipants" before they post their profile, only their modified photo will be seen. Students will have the option to change this photo to an image other than their photo, and parents can request this as well.

8. Access to computers at home would be beneficial but is not necessary. I have taught this class a number of times without the use of computers and many options will be provided to create wonderful projects without their use. Students will be required to make entries into their personal learning blogs and in the shared Learning Dialogues, but class time will be provided for this.

13.  Two different courses are being offered here.
The Da Vinci Project specifically looks at Leonardo Da Vinci the inventor.
The Phi Not Pi Project examines patterns in Numbers and Nature.
Regardless of which course students choose to take, there is a lot of leeway for students to find a topic that interests them and explore it to their hearts content.

21.  If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me.
Every page in the Da Vinci Project On-line Learning Space has a...

... link located near the top right of the page. There is no other way that anyone visiting this site can contact the students or me, except by clicking on one of these links. If you are a parent reading a paper copy of this and you would like to contact me another way, please feel free to call or visit the school.

- - - - - - - - - -

Remember to visit the

RENAISSANCE FAIR

Held at the school Wednesday May 31st, 5:30 to 7:00pm

*Students are expected to attend the fair for the entire time
so that they can showcase their projects*