Ta-Da!

I just finished building my wiki for my technology inquiry but have yet to do the accompanying screencast.  I must say that this wiki was quite the project.  Creating the screencast will be a piece of cake compared to the wiki.  I have never been asked to present the results of research in such a manner and was constantly fighting my own education to accomplish this task.  I am much more accustomed to expository writing.  This really challenged me.  It bugged the heck out of me but it challenged me and I enjoyed that.  I have a greater understanding of how creating a wiki can test a student’s knowledge.  Indirectly, I saw the benefit to offering students different ways to learn.  Some student may prefer to write a more traditional paper while others would prefer to present findings in this manner.  Still others may wish to podcast, screencast or do a combination of these and/or other tools.

I also saw the benefit of 24/7 access to information.  Here it is 2:58 am but I was able to look at examples, access resources and submit a finished project.  I would have never been able to finish this on time had I been restricted to a more traditional school schedule of 8:30-2:30.

As I have said before, the question is no longer should technology be used in the classroom but how will I use it to help my students learn?  I need to constantly evaluate my use of technology in the classroom.  I need to keep what works and pitch that which doesn’t.  I need to remain a student as much as I am a teacher. 

Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology

Things I need to rethink:

-school does not equal learning:  many things can be learned in school but learning does not take place by virtue of simply being there.  Teachers have to do more than present facts.  Teachers need to develop means to motive students to learn.  Technology can help with that task.  If students are not motivated, all they will learn is how to get through without getting anything out of school.  Yet at the same time, I can not let students get so far off track that they spend time in areas that will serve them no purpose later on in school or life.

-classical training vs progressive education:  I have a great appreciation for the broad based education I experienced.  I find it useful to know a fair amount about many subjects rather than a lot about only one or two.  I have to reconsider what will be useful to my students when they reach adulthood.  As society progresses and changes, I need to do what I can to make sure that my students will thrive when they leave my classroom.

-routine jobs replaced by jobs emphasizing collaboration, communication & knowledge processing skills:  The landscape of the workforce has changed and therefore the way future workers are trained needs to change also.  As mentioned in a previous post, technology is everywhere from corporate America right down to the blue collar manufacturing jobs.  If upward career mobility is the desire, it starts with the right education and training.

-my goals vs my students’ goals:  I have to take myself out of the equation.  This is not my education; it is my students’.  I need to remember to look at everything from their perspective and not my own.  I can certainly draw on my past experiences but I in no way should expect students to replicate them.

-my own fears:  I fear that treasured parts of my education will be lost to students in years to come.  Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology sounds as if certain subjects will become lost to make room for others.  It sounds as if anything that does not have to do with computers will be dropped.  I have to rethink how I can create enthusiasm for my favorite subjects the same way that my teachers inspired me.  With the help of technology, I should be able to excite students the same way I was.

Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes

What does it all mean?

Well, what it means is that it really doesn’t matter how or what I learned.  What it means is that I need to teach in a manner that will resonate with this generation of students.  They are going to acquire the same set of skills as previous generations, just in a different way.  What it means is that things I believe to be valuable may or not be to my students.  What it means is that they will learn that which is important to them.  What it means is that I need to move forward the same as my students rather than trying to get them to turn back to how things use to be.  What it means is that I need to change how I teach.  What it means is that I need to become as much a student as a teacher.  What it means is that I need to learn w/ technology along side my student because I cannot go through life making statements such as, “When I was in school…,” or “I just don’t know anything about all these gadgets,” or “I just don’t get this.”  I liked the suggestion in the book to learn alongside children.  What it means is I am going to have to learn about Facebook, texting, twitter and the like not because I want to use these tools but because that is how students communicate.

Change in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing.  This is not change just for the sake of change.  I need to remember that this change is not just to change but it has purpose.  It is not change to make my job more difficult or to drive a wedge between parents and children.  It is change to give students every advantage they could possibly have in order to fulfill their dreams. 

New Way of Learning = New Way of Assessing

Weeks ago, I would have defined the digital divide as the difference between students that have access to technology and the students who don’t.  As I see it, there is another divide, that being the difference in technology levels in the community and the levels in the schools.  As I have mentioned previously, technology will not cease to exist in the world so it can not be expected to cease to be in the schools.  Our job as educators is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive outside of school.  Exposure to technology is the only way to accomplish that.  Exposure in one district may be higher or lower than another district.  Then comes another dilemma; how to demonstrate actual learning in an age of standards based assessment?

New ways of transferring knowledge can not be measured by old ways of teaching.  I found the idea of acquiring “credentials to certify a learner’s expertise with respect to specific skills” interesting.  Credentials could be earned in different skills groups: academic, generic and technical.  Learners would move through different levels of the curriculum amassing credentials along the way.  It sounds very much the same as passing grammar school before going to middle school and then passing middle school before going to high school and so on.  The credentials would be mini-diplomas if you will.  Students would pick and choose which credential they wished to gain and then set forth on earning it.  If the long range plan is college, then the student would need to earn one set of credentials.  If the student planned on attending a technical or vocational school, then a different set of credentials would be required.  The idea is that what ever path the student takes, he would be properly prepared. 

My objection to this type of system comes from my own experience.  If I had to decide back in 3^rd grade what educational path I was going to take based on what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would not be writing this blog right now.  I would be sitting in vespers with the other sisters.  Or, I would be frustrating myself trying to figure out how to become the first female center for the Chicago Bulls.  If parents are to help youngsters on their path to what they are to become, I would be in nursing school right now.  My point is, there are students out there who have many and varied interests and then there are students who have no idea what they want to be.  If students are put on a particular path and decide that they want to change, how much would it delay finishing school?  It is much like changing majors in college.  If you change from social studies major to a physiology major, how many credentials would not transfer?  Lifelong learner should not equal lifelong schooling.

I am afraid that this suggested way of progression will produce learners who are very strong in certain areas and extremely weak in others.  I know that traditional ways of assessing students can produce the same, however I think that the gaps will be larger.  I do agree that new methods of assessing learning need to be developed because new ways of learning are being developed. 

You know, num chuck skills, computer hacking skills…

As education shifts away from the universal schooling to creating lifelong learners, there will be some things lost and some things gained.  That is inevitable but not unique.  Many changes have occurred in education already.  And as much as I fear the loss of social cohesion, a decline in liberal arts and a loss of social skills, I must look for the possible gains to balance this.

If technology can aid in creating engaged lifelong learners, then I am all for that.  I do realize that it is not the technology itself which can excite students.  It is what the classroom teacher does with it.  If I can show enthusiasm then perhaps my students may demonstrate it too.  What I would really like to see happen is to have technology infused classrooms create interest for a student in a subject that was not there before.  I dream of the student who steps foot into my classroom hating poetry but leaves with a new appreciation for language, complex characters and an unexpected plot twist all thanks to Edgar Allen Poe.  Podcasting original works created with the same structure as the master may help with that.  Producing video versions of Poe’s stories may reveal the next Vincent Price.  I do like the customization that these tools offer all within a set of guidelines.  I would want to make sure that the students do not get distracted with tool as I did when it came to creating my IWB lesson and iRLO.  Having multiple tools in my toolbox can quell the argument of, “I just don’t want to do that.”  If one option is not appealing, then the student can tackle the task in another way.  I have found that no matter the technological vehicle, many skills are utilized including organization, communication as well as computer skills. (you know, num chuck skills, computer hacking skills…)

As I use technology, specifically the internet, for my own learning I continue to gain appreciation for the 24/7 availability of information.  In (many) years past, I spent countless hours working on research at libraries until closing time often without finishing my work.  With anytime access, I can work day or (more often) night.  I also appreciate that I can “visit” any library.  In high school, I spent many Saturdays riding the train into downtown Chicago to go to a “good” library.  Even though I live in Northern Wisconsin, I can go to the Harold Washington library any day I want.  I can even go back to Normal, IL and visit the Milner Library at ISU.  For younger students who do not drive yet, this is wonderful, not to mention that the parents do not need to chauffer students around.  Information is just a click away and so is help from the teacher.

Lifelong Learner

Lifelong learner.  That has such a nice sound and brings to mind such a wonderful picture of people constantly at awe and treasuring each and every new discovery.  How can we possible get to that place?

I must admit that at this point in time, I lean toward Horace Mann’s vision of education.  By providing a common curriculum to students, they have the opportunity to become successful American citizens.  I agree that learning the same body of knowledge teaches the same body of values, those being American values.  I agree that a broad base education gives students the opportunity for social mobility.  Although it has been noted that universal education led to a discrepancy between parents’ and their children’s attitudes & values, I do not believe that this is necessarily a bad thing.  Students are presented with the same information and then asked to form their own opinion about it.  This allows students to become independent thinkers and not just regurgitate what they hear either from their parents or their teachers in school. 

I think a combination of approaches at different ages could provide an overall better education.  At lower levels, I think the universal approach is most appropriate.  Let’s face it, students can not go on and investigate what interests them if they can not read.  All students need the same foundation of reading, writing – that being the process of putting thoughts down on paper in a coherent manner  not penmanship- and arithmetic.  I think through the middle grades kids should be exposed to all sorts of topics.  If a student finds a subject which interests him, he will most likely always be interested in it.  He should not stop there but continue to explore.  As much as he may enjoy trains, once he learns about planes and flight, he may have a new love.  In the upper grades as students prepare to head to college, trade school or the workforce, education could become more interest led.

I do believe that at any age, technology must play a role.  It is simply how knowledge is now acquired.  There is no denying this.  As the students progress through their years of school, the technology will change but it will never cease to exist.  To ignore that fact is not doing the students justice in their education.  I am just hesitant to give complete control of the direction of education to the individual students. 

Too Many Choices

Home schooling, workplace learning, distance education, adult education, learning centers, educational television & videos, computer based learning software, technical certifications and internet cafes have all come about as the result of the perceived deterioration of the current educational system.  All are “an answer” to the same problem which is that the current educational system is not working.   The problem with that is that not everyone sees the same problem within the system.

The home schooling movement which has been fueled primarily by a number of Christian churches believed that the absence of morals in the public school system was at the root of the problem.  Workplace learning has come about because employers believe that employees have not been given the proper set of skills to be effective or productive workers.  Distance education is on the rise for busy people who want to return to school to further their education but do not have the time to attend traditional universities.  Adult education is there for retirees and older Americans who want to further their education in a fun or recreational way.  Learning centers help average or above average students get ahead or to help the students who are lacking to catch up.  So on, and so on, and so on.  With so many different approaches trying to reform education, does it increase learning or not?  Do these different approaches address the “problem” with education today or only specific pieces of the problem?

As I see it, there is no one problem with our educational system. But a variety.  There are some school districts that are right on the money and then there are others that don’t have a clue.  What is lacking in one building may not be in another.  I agree that when a deficiency is identified, it needs to be rectified.  However, all of these different and private approaches don’t solve the problem for the school body as a whole.  It only solves the problem for the student who is fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of a Sylvan Learning Center or the like.  Computer based learning only benefits those with a computer. 

I know that education means different things to different people and that a variety in learning has the potential to reach the most people.  But, at the same time, is too much choice a bad thing?  With only pieces of a framework, would the individual student get lost?  Each of these new ways of learning address parts of the problem but I don’t think that it makes for an all around well balanced education.  If the method of teaching is centered on a technical certificate, the result will be a person who is very knowledgeable in a small area.  If an employer wants an individual in a technical position to also in an area that depends on communication skills, then that person will need to go for more training because one set of skills may be stellar but the other lacking.  It doesn’t seem to make sense to spend more time to retrain.  If a person is given a broad and varied education the first time around, then the employer would have an employee who is adequately trained in multiple areas.

Go SCRATCH!

Creating an interactive reusable learning object (iRLO) with SCRATCH was a major pain in the dupa!  Of all the assignments this semester, I have to be honest and say that this was my least favorite.  I just don’t know what to do with this at the grades I would like to teach. 

My first complaint was the software itself.  I understand that the majority of the programming was packaged into chunks and all I had to do was put the chunks together in the order I wanted them.  That sounded a lot easier than it turned out to be.  And, of course, I wanted to do certain things but could not find the right chunk to make it happen.  As I worked with the program, it did become somewhat easier, but I could not figure out how to get the sprites on the screen to do what I saw them doing in my head.  I suppose that there are limitations to all software and no one will completely do what I want it to do.  Getting close to what I envision will have to do until I learn to program everything for myself. 

Once I accepted the limitations and realized that my end product was not going to be exactly as I had envisioned, then things came together a bit more.  After looking at some of the examples and playing around with the program, I was able to figure out how to import my own pictures and even add my voice.  In the future, that may help me produce iRLOs that are more like what I see in my head.  (You should see what is in my head!)

My first iRLO was a bit off the mark as far as meeting the state standards and making it reusable.  I was so consumed with manipulating the program that I missed the mark as far as making the object age or grade appropriate or considering if the same student used it again, would he see the same or be asked something different.  For my revision, I started from SRATCH.  (Yes, bad pun intended.) My first attempt was simply a question and answer format with questions that were below grade level.  Also, if the same student used my object two times in a row, he would see the same questions.  I approached my revision with the same mind set as my IWB lesson.  I picked poetry because I could include some instruction with an example of what the end product would be, and then, the student would have opportunity to produce an original piece.  I felt the content was much more appropriate and if the student used the iRLO more than once, a new piece in that particular style could be produced each time.

I am sure that with more practice, I could master this tool, but again, I need to think hard about how to use it and make the activities grade appropriate, as well as useful.  Allowing students to use SCRATCH to produce their own iRLO may help solidify their understanding of the content and their projects may help others in the class who are struggling.

The Goal

So, what does it all mean?

It means, things are changing.  The way students are taught is changing.  The way that teachers teach is changing.  The way teachers, students and parents communicate is changing.  School is changing.

Change isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Sure, it is a bit scary to branch off and try something new.  But, it can also be exciting.  One of the beautiful things about change is that it doesn’t have to happen all at once because change will always be there.

So, what does it all mean for me?  Well, as a teacher I need to be willing to change for the betterment of my students.  I will need to constantly evaluate the tools I use and the way I help my students learn.  I need to keep what works and be willing to replace that which does not.  Some changes may be huge shifts and others may be baby steps.  But, it in the end, if it benefits the students, then change is necessary.  As I become more familiar and more comfortable with using technology, then my students will only benefit.

I have had great concern about reaching students with different learning styles.  As I have found, technology is not synonymous with video or visual media.  Other senses can be stimulated.  I also found that many sets of skills are used when using the different technologies and higher order skills can be challenged.

So, what does it all mean?  It means that it is just the beginning.  It is always a beginning!

I look forward to my journey to become the tech savvy teacher in the epilogue.  Once all the pieces are in place, it makes for a nice picture.  Everything is organized and manageable.  It helps the teacher stay on top of things, it allows the students different, more engaging ways to demonstrate understanding of concepts and it reaches the parents in a timely manner all without losing contact with the students. 

I suppose I am still trying to break away from my presumption about technology in the classroom.  Mention technology infused classroom and a picture of a silent classroom where no one is interacting with each other but instead everyone is looking at a computer screen jumps to mind.  I would not want to lose that personal contact with the students.  Technology does not drive a wedge between teacher and student.  If anything, it can connect teachers and students by helping the teacher excite students about learning.

Exit Slip 12/6

We watched a video of a teacher who has transitioned her classroom from a traditional environment to a technology infused environment.  She did not do anything groundbreaking, but put together a nice combination of tools to make her room a more engaging environment for students.

One component was creating an “open classroom.”  She employed tools such as teacher and student blogs as a way to showcase students’ progress.  As a parent, I greatly appreciate good communication from my children’s teachers.  It does me no good to know what they did last week.  It doesn’t allow me to help my children if I find out 2 days after the fact that they did not finish an assignment.  As a teacher with an open classroom, everyone would know everything.  Parents would be able to keep track of what is going on in the class as well as how their student is doing.  An open classroom would help to engage the parents the same that other technologies would engage the students.

Exit Slip 11/22

Today was fun!  My group led the discussion on chapter 9 of Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology.  Our approach was to take a look at where we started and where we were at this point.  At the beginning of the semester, the following statement was presented to the class: “Technology makes life more difficult for teachers.”  We all had to say if we agreed, disagreed or had no opinion.  I was not surprised that I was one of only two students who agreed with that statement.  What did surprise me was the large number of students who had no opinion on the matter.   I assumed, perhaps based on age, the majority of students would be very pro-technology and most of the class would disagree.

My group revisited this discussion.  We asked the class to consider what had been learned over the previous weeks and regroup.  I was very surprised that only 2 students from the “no opinion” group joined the ranks of those who originally disagreed with the statement.  I really expected a greater shift.  My greatest surprise was my own opinion.  I knew that technology could provide useful tools for teachers.  I was surprised at my own anticipation to try these in my own classroom. (I know, I should have warned you.  You’re jaw is probably on the floor at this point.)

I do intend on incorporating technology in my classroom but only if it adds to the learning environment.  I will not use it just to use it.  It needs to have a specific and useful purpose.  I suppose that is true of anything I do in my classroom, technology driven or not.

Exit Slip 11/15

The topic of discussion was the idea of interest based learning.  We were asked to conduct an internet search on a science topic of our choice.  I froze.  Without more direction, I had no idea what to do.  The next search we were asked to do had more specific directions.   I responded much better to that as I believe students would also.  As any parent will tell you, children respond well to boundaries.  They push to find the line because they want to know what they can and can not do.

I understand that the theory is that if you let students chose the topic, they will learn more because they are interested in the topic.  There is, however, the possibility that the students will have an interest in something that has yet to be introduced to them.  Dave Brubek had decided to follow his father into the cattle industry by becoming a veterinarian.  While attending college he was required to take a music class, and as I had heard the story told, he was not too happy about this.  During the course of that class he found he had an immense interest in music.  He went on to become a fantastic jazz musician.  Had he been left to interest led education, he may have never discovered his great love of music.  Again, I advocate for a broad based curriculum at lower levels and in later years, allow students to explore interests. 

Exit Slip 11/8

I know that today’s activity was to prove that learning is made easier with the use of computers.  I felt that it fell short of that goal.  The room was divided into two groups.  Group one was to work together without the help of the computer.  Those in group 2 were to work independently at their computers.  Each was given a list of 5 questions to answer.  I was to use the computer to answer the questions. As I read over the questions, I found that I knew all the answers.  I was able to pull on what I have already learned over the years and answer the questions without using the computer.  I even was able to recognize that question #4, “What element is represented by the letter R on the Periodic Table?” was incorrect.  I did not need the computer because I knew that there was not an R but an Rn.  I felt that this supported my view that children should have a broad base of knowledge to pull from and in later years, incorporate technology more as studies begin to specialize, such as in high school as students prepare for either college, trade school or the work place.  I’m afraid that using the computer at younger and younger ages to look everything up will create computer dependent thinkers.  I did not need to use the computer to be confident in stating that Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick.  Technology can be great when at a complete loss, but progress can be greatly slowed if everything needs to be Googled.

Exit Slip 11/1

The group that presented today discussed chapter 6 of Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology.  It became a debate about the best manner in which to transfer knowledge.  The three approaches demonstrated were apprenticeship, universal school and the more desirable, life-long learning.  I am sure that this debate will continue from this point forward.  Of course, I believe that the ideal way to educate today’s youth is apprenticeship.  This one on one scenario provides custom education for the learner.  Complete attention is focused on the learner.  There is very little chance that the student could advance in his studies if there is any kind of deficiency.  That is a major problem of the universal approach to education.  As teachers manage class sizes of 20 or more students, some are bound to “slip through the cracks.”  It is not because of a teacher’s inattention to her students but rather her inability to squeeze 28 hours out of a day.

We also looked at the whiteboard and some of its capabilities.  I am most excited to learn to use this tool. Whiteboards are in every classroom in the district where I live.  Much attention is given to this tool and if I can learn to effectively use this tool, it will make me a much more desirable employee to the district. 

Exit Slip 10/25

Today we looked at SCRATCH.  This is a software program used to create interactive games.  The program itself is cool and doesn’t seem too terribly difficult to use, but I wonder about its use in the classroom.  What is created seems more suited for lower grades as opposed to middle & upper grades.  At first glance, I do not know that this particular tool can address higher order thinking skills.  I am sure it is something that the students would enjoy working with, but again, I just don’t know how I would incorporate it into a Lit classroom.  While teaching middle school Language Arts, SCRATCH could be used to demonstrate understanding of grammar rules.  I am sure many different games could be created to reinforce these concepts.  I will just have to give this a lot of thought and see what I come up with (yes, I know, a dangling preposition.  Perhaps I will have to use SCRATCH to create a game to teach students not to do this in their writing).

Ella & Mrs. Erickson's class

Wtihout question, my classroom will be an open classroom. You will be able to follow the progress of  Ella throughout the course of the year.  Classroom wkiki pages or a classroom web page will be used to keep all informed.

Classroom blogs from both Ella and myself will be maintained (hopefully, better than I have been able to do this semester).  Ella's blog posts at the end of a class period which summarizes what she has learned can be used as an evaluation tool.  I will be able to tell if she is on track or if she needs more help.  It will also tell me if I am reaching her.  If her posts continually show that she is off target, then it indicates to me that I am not reaching her.  Teacher blogs along with perhaps even twitter, facebook and skype will be used (that is if I become proficient enough at using these tools) will be used as communication tools for us.

Other tools that may be used in our middle school Language Arts / Reading classroom would include the interactive whiteboards (assuming they are available in our district) because of the different ways they can be used.  Certainly, they are used for direct instruction but are at the same time interactive.  Just as kids in years past liked writing on a chalkboard, students today are excited about using the whiteboard.

Ella could be asked to use podcasting in lieu of traditional book reports or oral reports.

Visual projects such as our PSA could be produced to demonstrate Ella's understanding of the main message of a particular piece of reading.  Visual projects could be used to demonstrate the different points of view of characters within the same story.

As my own knowledge changes, my approaches will change.  Overall, I know that I can not have a technology free classroom and do justice for Ella or any other student.

Parents Need to Know!

Creating a Public Service Announcement (PSA) ended up being just plain fun.

At first, the directions, as with so many other assignments this semester, seemed a bit ambiguous.  I needed to produce a 60 second PSA about digital citizenship.  Without more specific instruction, I again felt as if I was floundering (and I am not talking about Flounder from Animal House).  The topic was left up to me, the intended audience was left up to me and the overall message was left up to me.  Not enough structure for me!

I began by defining digital citizenship.  What is digital citizenship?  Thanks to all the Dateline “To Catch A Predator” episodes, I was sure that it had to do with the message  “don’t talk to strangers on line.” After a quick Google search, I had many, many definitions.  They included the message “don’t talk to strangers,” along with “don’t bully,” and “don’t post too much personal information,” and many others.  I tried to find a common thread for the K-12 audience.  After thinking about it, I realized that these students have heard all of these messages throughout their school careers just the same as they have heard the fire safety and don’t use drugs spiels every year in school.  Kids know this stuff already.  Be safe online is the message.  That’s when I realized that my audience was not the kids but the parents.

Now that I had my audience and my message of keeping them safe online, how do I present it to the parents?  I thought about all the PSA that stuck in my head.  I know not to litter because I remember the PSA with Native American looking at litter and crying.  Thanks to Smokey the Bear, I know that only I can stop a forest fire.  I know that if I do drugs, I will fry my brain like an egg.  (Had there been a side of bacon in that PSA, I may have reconsidered – just kidding.)  More recently, parents and kids alike have been reminded that knowledge is power, so stay in school and they can bring about change by rocking the vote.  The one I remember the most was the simple, “It’s 10 o’clock, do you know where your children are” campaign.  I can remember being a smart-ass kid talking back to the tv saying something such as, “I’m right here because my mom won’t let me out of the house past 7:30.”  My parents always knew where I was, and I know that is what kept me safe.  They always knew what I was doing and could cut me off before I could do something really stupid.

I thought an updated version of that message would work.  Parents think their children are safe because they are at home in their rooms, but what parents don’t think about is that the computer is a way that others can join children in their rooms.  Parents need to be vigilant about monitoring their children’s activities.  They need to know their children’s friends, what their children watch on tv AND what they are doing online.  To not do this puts their children in danger.

Screencasting: What Do I Do With This?

Screencasting did not prove to be any more technically difficult than podcasting.  As with podcasting, planning made the difference.  I spent some time familiarizing myself with the site with which I was going to work.  I made notes of talking points.  I wrote my script and thought I was ready.  Managing all the pieces was difficult for me.  I was reading from my script, manipulating the screen all while concentrating on peaking clearly and fluently.  I became flustered and needed to start over many times.  Other than that, screencasting was not difficult to produce.

What I consider difficult is finding a way to incorporate this teaching tool into a 6-12 English classroom.  Screencasting is a wonderful visual aide, but again, the question is how to use it in my classroom.  For what type of project would a high school sophomore use a screencast in an English classroom?  I suppose, I could create an assignment similar to that which I have been asked to complete.  If students read a work they could then be asked to create a wiki page containing various literary criticisms about the work.  Students could then guide viewers through the different schools of thought before presenting their own theories.

As with the podcasting, many skills are used to produce the final product.  Research skills are used as I made myself familiar with the site I had chosen to talk about.  Planning and organizational skills were employed as I prepared to record.  Computer skills were used as I moved around the site.  Finally, oral communication skills were used as I spoke.  When I look at this particular assignment this way, I realize that it is less about using the computer and more about transferring information.

Perhaps screencasting could be the new and improved book report or oral

report.  Other than that, at this point, I cannot think of other ways to use

screencasting in an English classroom.  I am sure this could be a very useful

tool in a math, science, or computer class which I believe rely a bit more

on visuals for instruction;  although I could be entirely wrong. 

I am happy to have some knowledge of this tool, although I cannot immediately think of a way to incorporate it into the classroom.  I like having this tool in my back pocket.  I realize that every class will be different due to the mix of kids.  I might have difficulty inspiring a group of children, and maybe if I pull this out, it will excite children to learn.  At first, they may be excited about producing and end up learning the content.

Boy, I'm sure glad that is done.

Yeah!  It is done and over.  My first ever podcast is complete.   

Actually, this particular task was not as dreadful as it first appeared.  I first had to make sure that I had all the necessary pieces to complete the task.  I had to download Audacity and LAME MP3 encoder.  I needed to search out the music and sound effect to include and pick a topic to discuss.  Picking the topic was probably the most difficult part.  I found the directions to be too broad and felt that I was spinning.  I respond well to boundaries.  So, when I was told that the topic needed to be a contemporary issue regarding technology and PK-12 learners, I froze.  The (old school) student in me wanted more direction.  I stumbled through several Google searches before turning to my local newspaper website for help.  Honestly, I got lucky when I found my article. 

All the pieces were in place.  Next, I spent some time looking at Audacity, and the assignment began to look, dare I say, fun.  Writing the script posed a small problem, because I do have a tendency to ramble and needed to stay within a 2-4 minute time frame.  I believe my first read through was almost 6 minutes, so I began to edit.  Of course, I believed that all I had to say needed to be included and could not be cut.  But, alas, some of it needed to go.

Once I got over the sleep inducing sound which is my monotone voice, the process was very simple.  I recorded what I had to say, inserted the music & sound effects, saved and exported.  I really felt as if I must have done something wrong, because I just could not believe it could be that easy.  It was.  I spent probably twice as much time trying to figure out how to upload the podcast to my blog.  I was aware that it could not be inserted into a blog post, so I spent time trying to add a gadget to my page to allow readers to hear my voice.  I followed the help directions, but was terribly unsuccessful at adding a gadget.

I must admit that this is a tool that I would use in my classroom.  If I could do it, then I am sure that my very tech-savvy students will be able to do it.  This short podcast incorporated many higher order skills. It required me to use my organizational skills, my research skills, writing skills, public speaking skills and computer skills very deliberately.  Everything needed to be planned out and in place before the podcast could be recorded.  I am sure that many a podcast are recorded on the fly, but I bet they lack a sense of direction or purpose.  Completing the task the way I did would ensure the students remain focus on the learning and not on the tool.  It could prove to be an engaging way to help students learn in a Literature classroom.  After reading short stories, plays, novels, poetry – whatever, students could then podcast not only reactions and literary criticism (“I liked it because…” or “It was not my favorite because…”) but they could record original works that mirror the same genre.

(How’s that for a turn around?  Perhaps there is hope for me yet!)

Social electronic butterflies

I have already expressed my feelings about social networks in the classroom in a previous post and since then, my feelings have yet to change.  I would like to address these two aspects of the social web: friendship based and interest-based.

First of all, I think it is ridiculous that people believe they need an electronic means, such as Facebook or Twitter, to keep up with those in their physical space.  If somebody is in your physical space, then just talk to them!  Call them!  Write them a letter or if you feel the need to use some sort of electronic technology, then email!  These methods have served me and my friendships well over the years.  I don’t need to go the Facebook to check up on my Goddaughter.  I actually go see her.  I talk to her mother.  I send her hand written cards and notes.  I have one friend who admitted that there have been times when she, her husband and two children have sat around the kitchen table at dinner and not spoken one word to each other but texted one another throughout the entire meal.  Not only is that the height of being impersonal, but how the heck are you suppose to eat your fried chicken if you don’t put your cell phone down?

I can understand the attraction to the Internet based on interest.  If something interests you, you want to find out more about that subject.  As we have discovered, the Internet has a wealth of information about all subjects.  But, caution needs to be used when connecting with people on the Internet who have the same interests as you do.  They are complete strangers.  Actually, they are worse.  They are faceless, complete strangers.  If contact is made base on a common interest, it can be confused for a friendship, after all that is how we develop our face-to-face friendships.  We align ourselves with those who have similar interests as ourselves.  Unlike face-to-face friendships, not much else is known about these connections.  With a face-to-face relationship, we can observe the person in all areas of life.  We are not just told who he/she is but we can see it and judge for ourselves.  I know that this is not a foolproof method for judging character, but at least it is self generated.  In an online situation, all I know about an individual is what that individual tells me.  It is much like using a word to define itself.  If I am going to use the web to expand my interests, I will stick to web sites about that particular subject.  I will not seek out new “friends.”

 I would like a buffer between the dangers of the web and students.  Consulting a credible website is fine but talking with faceless people based on a common interest is scary.  If I had to choose between a wiki page, which I am not fond of yet, and a social tool such as Facebook, I would choose the wiki.  It is interest based.  You wouldn’t visit the wiki unless you were interested in the subject matter.  And it is collaborative while maintaining personal space, if you will. 

I know that one argument for the use of the social web in the classroom is that kids are already using it, so put it to good use in school.  My argument is the opposite; kids are already using the social web, so lets teach them other ways to communicate and learn. 

"Somebody's watching me"

The idea of podcasting, video- and screencasting and live streaming is somewhat troubling to me.  This explosion of  “self-produce, homemade entertainment” is going to make navigating the web an even more difficult task.  Strategies can be taught and learned for judging the credibility of websites, but I cannot see that to be true as far as podcasts and videocasts.  In my frame of reference, these –casts are akin to radio and talk shows.  With those traditional broadcasts, you either like them or you don’t.  If you speak to the audience of the Oprah show, you will be told it is a good show because of X and that all others fail by comparison.  If you speak to the audience of the Jerry Springer show, you will be told it is a good show because of X and that all others fail by comparison.  Does content make a –cast better than another?  Does the technical aspect of the production make a good –cast?  Because these media seem so subjective, I don’t see a way to hold them to a particular standard.  Because they are so subjective, is there a way to evaluate them?  Does popularity alone make a good –cast? 

I must admit that the technology which make pod- and videocasting a reality is impressive.  Just to see the rate of progression in these technologies is impressive.  I can see these becoming useful tools in the classroom if used correctly.  I do like the idea of connecting language classes from around the world.  I truly enjoyed my high school and college German classes mostly because my instructors were from Germany.  It made all the difference learning from native speakers rather than somebody who learned German as a second language.  They were able to teach not only proper German but a bit of the fun slang as well and explain the meanings of those colloquialisms.  It was also just cool to be able to say that I knew somebody from Germany.  Frau Crull and Herr Jarosch taught me that what I was learning was relevant.  It was useful as well as fun because I knew two people who actually communicated in this manner. (And, yes I do realize that I may have just made a point for the pro-technology camp at this point.  I think perhaps I need to refine what my skepticism is all about.  I do not argue that using technology in the classroom is a bad thing.  I take issue with the type and amount to be used.)  Connecting students through technology can bring that excitement about the subject matter to today’s classrooms.

Publishing audio and video to the web, again, raises concerns about privacy.  Revealing too much information about students is a scary topic.  I admit that I am a mamma-bear; I protect my children’s lives with mine, as I am sure so many others do.  However, I think a lot of parents let their guard down in settings they perceive to be safe.  Lots of talk swirls about “safe schools.”  “My child is safe, she is at school.”  Not necessarily the case.  Once that Internet connection is made in the classroom, danger can potentially make its way into the classroom.  Therefore, I think that any use of audio and video should be restricted to the classroom and school itself.  One of the arguments for publishing to the web is to have an authentic audience.  Opening up these –casts to a school population as opposed to just a classroom population I believe has the same impact without the same danger. 

Podcasting, video- and screencasting and live streaming blurs the lines between public and private.  It feels a bit like Big Brother with this idea that everything should be transparent.  Everyone should know my every thought – write a blog, publish a podcast or a videocast.  Sometimes, my learning is just for me.  I am learning to play the guitar, but do I need to subject millions of people to my very bad rendition of Stairway to Heaven?  I think not.  As with so many things in life, these tools need to be tempered with moderation. 

Exit slip 10/18

Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology chapter 4 titled “The Development of American Schooling” was discussed today.  This chapter was a somewhat of a recap of information I had acquired in previous classes although I must admit, it had a different tone to it.  I learned about the development of our current school system as a matter of fact.  The tone in this particular account of that history seemed pessimistic.  As I learned this information in the past, it was a basic timeline of events.  Here, the course of development was painted as a “this is the best we could do” scenario never really or fully addressing the needs of the students.  The group did a good job of addressing the bottom line fact about our educational system:  it has changed in the past and it will inevitably change in the future.

I am nervous about developing an interactive reusable learning object (iRLO) because of the grade levels I wish to teach.  iRLO seems like a great way to drill and skill without the boredom.  However, how can I apply that to high school sophomores?  Sure, kids at this age still enjoy playing online games, however, the level of sophistication has greatly changed.  Now that they are playing games such as World of Warcraft, will they really want to play find the adjective?  What type of iRLO can be developed for analyzing and writing about selected readings?  Understanding, appreciation for and reaction to an author’s work is very subjective.  How can this tool be used as I move up Bloom’s Taxonomy?

Exit slip 10/11

Today was a mixture of several topics.

First, another chapter of Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology was presented.  Chapter 3 titled “The Technology Skeptics’ argument”  offered me hope that there were others out there still as unsure as I am about what technology to use and how often.   As I read the chapter, I did not really feel it was a skeptic’s point of view.  I was relieved to hear the presenting group allude to that also but I really wished that they had expanded on that.  I would have liked to have known their reason for making that statement.  Overall, it provided a wonderful opportunity for the ongoing debate regarding the use of technology in the classroom.

I was amazed at the inquiry questions posed by other members of the class regarding technology in the classroom.  (At this time, I feel obligated to point out that “inquiry question” is redundant as well as says the same thing twice!)  When I added to the class wiki that I wanted to do a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, I thought it would get rejected for being to simple in nature.  I had no idea that it would be rejected for being to broad and encompassing.  I will need to refine this a bit.

The Interactive Whiteboard Lesson is very interesting to me.  I know that many classrooms, if not all, in my particular school district have whiteboards.  I am excited to learn how to use them effectively because I believe that if I am proficient with that technology, I would be an attractive potential employee.

"Moving in silent desperation"

I did it!  I created my first ever whiteboard lesson.  Yeah for me!  I must say, that creating an Interactive Whiteboard Lesson was nothing less than frustrating and exhausting for me.  This is a program that I have never used before so I made many errors while putting this together.  As I fumbled my way through the program, I became lost in the possible design features.  Do I want to use a click and reveal design?  Or, perhaps a pull out tab?  Maybe a fill in the blank.  It was a case of too many choices.

Once I stepped back and studied the actual lesson, meaning the information I wished to convey to the students, it became a lot easier.  I realized that as long as the information transfer occurred in the right order, then it didn’t matter if my border color was green or purple.

I can see how this type of lesson would be attractive to learners seeing how it mimics the effects they see on some tv programs – bold & colorful to capture attention yet when used with a minimum of visuals not too distracting.

I would treat this tool the same as any less technologically advanced tool that came before it such as overhead transparencies, visual or audio aids.  I would make sure that it aids in the learning and does not distract from the class focus.  Again, it needs to  enhance the content and not distract from it because of the way in which material is presented.  I’m sure in time I will come to depend on presenting lessons with this tool the same as teachers that came before embraced all that the overhead projector offered over the chalkboard.

One sure impact that this assignment had for me was the realization that I need to pay attention to my own professional development.  I need to practice these skills constantly.  And, if I cannot manage the software, device or whatever it may be, I need to seek out help as opposed to spinning into a feeling of desperation.  The SMART Exchange is a definite addition to my delicious account!

Technology resistance classrooms

The timeline and development of our current school system is not unfamiliar to me.  I have taken classes on the history and development of education.  This development of our current system is paralleled by the development of technology. Schools advanced from ciphering in one room school houses to students switching classes in buildings that house hundreds or thousands of students as was the case in my high school.  At the same time, technology advanced in all areas of life.  Critics argue that the educational system and technology have not come together at the same rate and the blame is placed on the structure of the system itself.  I beg to differ.

When the word “technology” is tossed about in regards to education, the immediate response concerns computers.  If the talk is about technology, it must be about computers.  Such is not the case.  To me, technology has a very broad and encompassing definition.  Technology is any tool developed to help accomplish any task.  Education has often embraced technology.  Slates & chalk to paper & pencil, pencil & knife to pencil sharpener, quill & ink to click pen, oil lamp to electric lighting, wood burning stoves to forced air heating systems, dittos to Xerox copies, and the list goes on and on.  Each of these technological advances was embraced by and had an impact on education.  The argument of late is not whether or not our educational system is willing to embrace technology but is our educational system willing to embrace specific technologies?  To what extent?  And, for what purpose?  Those are the questions which perplex me.

I wholeheartedly support any advance that can aid in education.  The key word here is, aid.  I do not believe that any technology should become the main source of learning while the teacher steps back and monitors what happens.  I still believe that children need to start with a broad base education, which is then narrowed and refined as they advance through the system.  Once in college, they can be educated in a way which is more closely related to an apprenticeship where the focus of study becomes narrowed to one specific discipline.

When it comes down to it, technology will be used in the classroom.  I don’t have to agree with that or even like it, but as an educator, I need to make sure that my students are proficient with it.  In doing so, I just don’t want to lose the opportunity to teach real life skills either.  I have yet to see a program that can teach and guide students in areas of organization, patience, persistence, self-confidence or gratitude the way a flesh & blood teacher can.  I don’t want to sacrifice teaching some student the joys of literature just to be able to say, I used Twitter in the classroom.  When those students finally understand what it means to be release from the community in Lois Lowry’s book, The Giver, I want to be looking into their eyes and not the top of their heads as they look down at the keyboard of a computer and type that reaction into a blog post.

I will use technology tools in the classroom but never will I agree that “school will become less and less important as a venue for education,” or that “The historical identification of schools and learning will begin to erode as other legitimate venues for learning develop, …” as stated in the book, Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology.  I don’t agree that our current school system developed only so far and then became resistant to further advancement.  I am sure that many teachers and administrators would love to bring a number of technologies to their schools if the real world situation of our economy would allow for it.  I don’t believe that resistance is all based in validity of the technology but rather the practical application of it.  Can a district afford to upgrade the physical condition of the building, buy new books, install new athletic equipment, move computers out of labs and put one on every desk in every room or provide a laptop to every student?  Can each family support that environment from home?  What is the point of using Twitter in the classroom if not every student has a cell phone?  I think from this point forward, it is all about priority.

There really is no argument that technologies can be used in the classroom.  Which ones and to what degree is the argument.  As far as implementing any change to the current system, the decision to do so must be based on the ability of that change to help students.  As with so many things in life, it becomes part of the great balancing act.

Fun with Flickr, not Flicka

I will admit that I had fun with Flickr (not Flicka, although I enjoyed that book and movie as well.)  At one time, I was able to try my hand at photography.  I enjoyed capturing a complete and complex story within a single simple frame.  It seemed to balance nicely with my appreciation for the written word’s ability to vividly paint a picture of a scene.  I can see many potential uses for this within a Language Arts or English classroom.  Viewing images and then writing about them as well as posting pictures of images brought to mind from selected readings could serve as very useful tools when teaching composition.  Viewing actual pictures from the settings of books can help students better understand stories and themes.  Nothing can be more powerful than making the reading tangible.  Reading about the horrors of Nazi Germany in Anne Frank:  The Diary of a Young Girl is very moving.  But, to see actual pictures of Auschwitz not only as it was during that time but as it stands today as a reminder of that dark mark in human history would bring that book to life.  And, if that picture comes to the classroom from a person who lived through that experience, the effect would be unfathomable.

Just about any visual aid used in a classroom could be converted to a Flickr image.  Annotated pictures of science experiments would reinforce learning, a series of “how to” pictures would help when acquiring a new skill such as playing an instrument or mastering a jump shot.  Classes could photo tour a specific region in Geography class.  Photos of current events could encourage more in-depth discussion of a topic in Social Studies rather than putting a writing prompt on the board.  If students have access to camera phones, a Math class could participate in a video scavenger hunt for real world use of math.  They could take the pictures of people using math in their everyday lives and post it to the class site for analysis and discussion at a later date.  Then there is the obvious application in a class wiki.  Parents, grandparents and students from other classes from around the world could see the learning that is taking place within a classroom.  Which brings me to my major concern with tools such as this, which is posting pictures of students on the web.

I would not want my class web- and video-log to become a hunting ground for predators.  When publishing pictures of students on the web, strict policy must be in place as to who has access as a means of protecting the students.  Many times on Facebook or MySpace, pictures are posted without much thought of the consequences.  Protecting students while they are online includes protecting their identity.  Posting names of students in conjunction with their pictures seems risky, especially if it can be connected to a physical location. 

I can see this as a very useful tool when addressing students with different learning styles.  Many are visual learners and if used correctly, this tool could ignite a student’s passion.  A subject that once seemed boring or hard to understand may all of a sudden seem inviting.  This tool could help to bridge that gap between left-brain analytical thinking and right-brain free form creative thinking.