Webhead Cheryl Oakes

expanding the conversation

2007-09-12T22:22:00.001-04:00

just 4 fun

Mountain Oakes'

2006-04-20T14:41:00.001-04:00

Mountain Oakes'

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Mountain Oakes'

2006-04-20T14:41:00.000-04:00

Mountain Oakes'

www.flickr.com

This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from coakes50 tagged with red. Make your own badge here.

Webhead Cheryl Oakes

2006-04-18T07:09:00.000-04:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
I took a personality test. It was very interesting to come out with a color profile.
It took 10 min.
http://www.personaldna.com/
Look to the side for my color profile. If you hold your cursor over each color it defines how much it affects my personality. Interesting that I am high femininity.

Webhead Cheryl Oakes

2006-04-18T07:08:00.000-04:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
I took a personality test. It was very interesting to come out with a color profile.
It took 10 min.

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Webhead Cheryl Oakes:Major Reflection on Becoming a Webhead 2006

2006-03-23T20:30:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes: Webhead Cheryl Oakes: "Beijinhos"
What is a Webhead and why would I want to be one?

Last year, 2005, I began using some Web 2.0 tools. I began using tools such as blogs, podcasts, webcasts and even wikis. It was unremarkable at first, by that I mean, I just thought I would learn new technologies for the sake of learning something new. Little did I realize how transformational it would be? While listening to my first webcast, Worldbridges.com, I kept hearing reference to “the Webheads”. Jeff Lebow and Dave Cormier, who both run, facilitate, moderate Worldbridges, seemed to be quite enamored with the Webheads and I was intrigued. Whenever, I heard a Webhead speak my ears would perk up and I would think, hm, they sound like regular people, pretty well spoken, pretty up on technology and FUN! One Sunday I was checking the time for the next Worldbridges.com webcast when I saw reference to an online class called Becoming a Webhead. I found eleven different six-week online classes with connections to the Webheads (http://webpages.csus.edu/~hansonsm/announce.html) and TESOL (http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/index.asp) Teachers of English and Speakers of Other Languages.
I decided to join the Becoming a Webheads class and off I went to sign up. The classes are FREE, international, time consuming, life consuming and the best professional development I have participated in for years. Our main moderators were Dafne Gonzalez and Teresa Almeida d’Eça . The best things about the class offerings are that the class syllabus, chats, messages and products will remain available on the Internet for any of us to go back to, or for anyone deciding to join outside of the 6 week time frame.
The journey of a Webhead Wannabe, 2006

Beginning January 16, 2006 I entered a journey where I was in training to be a Webhead. I checked the syllabus and found that I needed to (http://dafnegonzalez.com/baw-06/)
begin using tools I was somewhat familiar with, I thought that would be easy!
Week 1 - Getting acquainted with Yahoo Groups. Introductions. Exploratory Survey.
Easy enough to join Yahoo, make an introduction and answer a survey. Then looking deeper I found that I needed to read articles, reflect on the articles in a message form. Okay, 10 hours later I was still reading, reflecting, instant messaging and meeting new people from around the world. Everyone was so friendly, saying hello, hugs, Beijinhos!
Week 2 - Text and voice synchronous communication tools: Tapped In, Yahoo Messenger and Skype in Worldbridges.
Great week, I knew about 2 of the tools, 1 tool wouldn’t work on my ibook with the audio, so I was limited to chatting in YM. However, Skyping in Worldbridges was incredible. Again, I made a mess entering the Skype conference; I forgot to turn down my webcast before I entered. Oh well, this is a learning curve!
More readings, more reflections, live conferences to participate in and reading the daily 100 messages in our Yahoo group.
Week 3 - Building an online presence: Blogs, podcasting and Web pages.
I tried out the different online free webpages, then most of us found Yahoo 360˚ and enthusiastically joined and organized a webpage, blog, social network of friends and email. For Week 3 I posted a really long reflection at (http://webheadcoakes.blogspot.com/2006/02/week-3-reflections.html). I also made a blog at Suprglu, which points to and collects all my blogs. I had accumulated quite a few through this process and needed a place to store them all.
Week 4 - Virtual classrooms and voice email.
Week had some great links our instructors had found for us, but being Webheads and Webhead Wannabes we found some great new audio tools. Springdoo, Podomatic , Handybits and Odeo. My reflections for this week had to do with the excitement of Podomatic and Cris’ students leaving Valentine messages for us to listen to and comment on. The messages in the Yahoo group continue to grow and each evening I can’t wait to read through them and find new software or website suggestions.
Week 5 - Developing class materials: online surveys and worksheets, and interactive exercise creators. During week 5 I volunteered to be the Thread Manager. I committed to reading the daily messages, which I was doing, commenting and then categorizing the threads into a meaningful collection for posterity. It was overwhelming and I began to verbalize that I was looking forward to graduation! You can check out the threads at (http://dafnegonzalez.com/baw-06/content/weeklythreads.html) This page will give you a really good grasp of the connected group and the bonds that have been formed through the Becoming a Webhead online course.
Week 6 - Blended learning. Wrap-up: conclusions and evaluation. Graduating as a Webhead in Action. It took me all week to formalize the Threads from the previous week. Each day I looked forward to our graduation ceremony. Most of the 80+ participants contributed something for our virtual graduation buffet.
(http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/webheads/baw06/graduation.htm) You can see this really was a fun group. We had some serious mail we sent around with MONK-E-MAIL; I told you this was a fun group. Finally, graduation day, you can hear our ceremony at Worldbridges.com. It is in two parts and you can access the archived recordings here. (http://worldbridges.com/livewire/2006/02/27/becoming-a-webhead-2006-graduation-webcast/)
The most humbling aspect of this International class for me is that many of my new friends took this class, chatted daily and wrote daily in their second or third language AND learned about new technology tools and skills. I am in awe to be among such great visionaries. I had fun, I am a WEBHEAD 2006.
The Future
Once we were officially graduated we were invited to continue and become a Webhead in Action. Many of us immediately joined that group and I continue to read daily messages at both groups. Why am I writing this article? I just want anyone and all to know there are tremendous resources on the Internet. Through Web 2.0 tools and resources any of us can take advantage of online professional development. There are supportive people who will help you along the way. I hope to see you next January 2007, when the next Electronic Village Online courses will begin again. I will be managing threads in the Becoming a Webhead. I’ll look for you there. Hugs and beijinhos (little kisses) to my Brazilian and International friends.

Webhead Cheryl Oakes

2006-03-19T20:53:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
Thanks to all my international friends for stopping by my blog and visting long enough to get their spot on the globe logged onto my blog. My students are enjoying seeing the world through this lens. Also thanks to Vance for pointing people to my blog in his latest workshop. Hope you enjoy.
Cheryl

Webhead Cheryl Oakes

2006-03-15T06:22:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
Maria Teresa has published her blog with a reflection and many links from our Webhead class. I am pleased to feature it here.
http://tciaffaroni.edublogs.org/
Check it out to see if you would like to join Webheads in Action.
Here is Juliana's blog. I will keep adding blogs and I find them.
http://jugense.edublogs.org/
Also, Juliana has a wiki she would like to share.
http://jugense.pbwiki.com/

Webhead Cheryl Oakes: Webhead Cheryl Oakes

2006-03-11T07:58:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes: Webhead Cheryl Oakes
It is two weeks now that I am a Webhead. Funny to realize how much time I was spending reading articles, messages and trying out new technologies! I miss the fast pace and energy of corresponding with my fellow Bawers! I am still checking out the messages and usually finding a new blog, page or new technology tool. Thanks to Gladys for Clustrmaps. I put a map on my blog and asked for people to visit so I can show my students how much international visibility we have. Thanks for visiting. http://www.cheryloakes.com to get included in the map!
Glad to be a webhead.
Oh, checkout worldbridges for the wiki spectacular, online building of a wiki with dozens of people at the same time!

Webhead Cheryl Oakes

2006-02-27T18:45:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
Erika and Carla,
I made the brigadeiros, and as you will see they are not as beautiful without their jimmies. However, they are yummy. My sons will not complain.Thanks for the recipe.

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Webhead Cheryl Oakes

2006-02-26T15:22:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
Week 6
It was vacation week here in Maine. Each day I awoke and tried some readings, recordings in a very serious venue Monk E Mail! then I tried to get some readings done. I had to fix up some URL's for the photos on the threads page, thanks to Teresa who fixed up the tags!!! All this with a house full of vacationing skiers and snowboarders. Well finally on graduation day Sunday 12 GMT, I still had a houseful, it was too windy to ski. I had to sneak away to a quiet bedroom to jump onto SKYPE and WORLDBRIDGES> It was worth it to see all our Bawers there chatting and speaking. I have printed out my certificate and one for my neglected husband and sons. What a great opportunity I have had in the past 6 weeks. It will be easy to keep the connections each sunday at TappedIn.org
Beijinhos and hugs to all. I am a Webhead 2006!

Week 5 Reflections

2006-02-23T17:26:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
OMG, this has been the toughest week for me. I have been challenged to categorize, read and sometimes comment on the messages and create the thread for week 5. Springdoo and surveys were by far the most commented on.
There were many readings, I did get to them. I liked Tom March, his article is here, http://www.ozline.com/learning/theory.html and was amazed to read that I have been using his many mentioned resources. Filimentality is my favorite.
When I read Dafne's article which predicted the evolution of the now famous WEBHEADS. For me the Webhead type activity is really new, but has been a successful option for ESL, EFL classes.
Most of my time was spent reading, cutting and pasting messages and deciding the categories they belonged in. Oh, did I mention capturing the photos of the participants during the threads. I still get Cris and Chrissan confused, sorry about that ladies. However, it was a great challenge, a great exercise and consumed my week. I am looking forward to the graduation, go Webheads 2006!
Cheryl

Week 4 Reflections

2006-02-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
While we were supposed to be trying out Wimba, Sitepal and Handybits, which didn't work that well on my Mac, plus those freaky talking heads at Sitepal make me crazy, someone ( Moira, I believe) introduced us to Springdoo! What a blast we had with listening to Valentine's and voting on the best Valentine messages from Cris and the Dreamteam. Then Paddy got going with his students.Springdoo has been a trasnformational HIT with Webheaders.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, I missed the live presentations, but due to the technology skills of our moderators I was able to listen to the presentations in my time. The presentations had to do with virtual classrooms and how we would use these options in our instruction. I have little people so I would manage these virtual instructions as a group to begin with. But, the voting and springdoo messages have a lot of potential for elementary students. I am keeping up with the readings and have been sending messages to Moira encouraging her as the Keeper of the Threads for Week 4.

Week 3 reflections

2006-02-23T16:49:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
This week I thought would be my favorite since I am somewhat familiar with blogs, podcasts but NOT wikis.
I'll start with wikis.Check out the BAWers wikis they developed.
http://baw-06.pbwiki.com/
I was very tentative at first when I read about the wikis. Then I downloaded the page with the shortcuts and directions. That was it, experimenting with the wiki language and trying out the different kinds of STYLES that could be used to make certain areas of the wiki stand out. I think my students would really like the STYLES and I plan on making a wiki that we can experiment with when I get back to school. I think it would be hard in a classroom lab since you can only work on one page at a time, but I will figure that out.
My wiki thought also includes use during committee work when there is a small group of people who can give input on a document/idea during a week prior to when we all get back together. Here is my wiki. Please feel free to post.
http://baw-06.pbwiki.com/CherylOakes
Then I listened to WorldBridges 2 different podcasts about Wikis. That was interesting, I especially liked the wiki science series being developed for young people.
I also made this blog as an example of a blog in Blogger. This is my 4th blogger account. My favorite new blog account is called Suprglu, it is wild. The reason I like Suprglu is that is houses all my web presences. I was accumulating quite a few so I needed a spot to consolidate all my addresses.
This has been a very busy week. I usually try and read and comment at
http://www.techlearning.com/blog each day as well as keep up with all my BAW readings , podcasts and conversations.

Week 2 Reflections

2006-02-07T07:23:00.000-05:00

Webhead Cheryl Oakes
Oh what fun we had learning about TappedIn.org, then Skype-internet phone, and finally WorldBridges my favorite learning environment. I still hadn't gotten the process correct, turn OFF the webcast, then SKYPE in, or else you blast everyones eardrums. But, the ever gracious Jeff and Dave always calmly say, oh, you need to turn off your webcast.
It was great to listen to people's voices. However, keeping involved with the chat while focusing on the conversation is a trick. Week 2 readings were great with contributions from Teresa and Dafne. I am still engaged with this process!

Week 1 reflections part 2

2006-02-05T09:41:00.000-05:00

The first week is overwhelming since there are so many services to sign up for, the right amount of readings, and so many new people to try and put places and faces with. The energy is just great. But, since I have listened to WorldBridges for the past few months I am in awe of the Webheads and want to learn more. Stay tuned.

Week 1 reflections

2006-02-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

This is a Frappr slide show of course participants!
Stay tuned.

Webhead Wannabe

2006-02-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

This page is devoted to all the learnings that are happening with Webheads in Action class, Webpage, blogs and wikkis.