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.

The Happy Huge Time Waster

I have an enormous feeling of being overwhelmed when thinking about The Social Web.  I understand that this idea of all people having the ability to contribute to the content of the web as well as learn something from the web is the epitome of the Read/Write web.  But to me, it is down right overwhelming.

When I think of The Social Web, I immediately think of Facebook, or as a friend & Facebook user calls it, The Happy Huge Time Waster.  If I haven’t talked to somebody since third grade and have not actively sought that person out using other means, there is probably a reason.  I don’t really care if some guy I knew in high school who is now living in Arizona is watching a Rosanne rerun at this moment.  I don’t need people buying me a virtual round of drinks when what I really need is a real drink!  And people who poke me through Facebook probably do so because they know if this is done in person, it is probably best to be well out of my reach.  I say all of this having some exposure to Facebook.  I was convinced some time ago by a friend that I NEEDED a Facebook account.  I created the account very cautiously due to a great fear of identity theft.  I did not put in too many personal details, I only became friends with people I was friends with in real life nor did I post any pictures.  Changing my routine to include checking my Facebook account was the first hurdle to pass.  As I began checking posts, I felt as if I was wasting my time.  I was reading things my friends had already told me themselves either via email or a phone call.  My disdain for Facebook was cemented when a family member passed away and another family member posted that fact on her wall BEFORE the rest of the family was informed.  I do not believe that I have the right to know everything about everybody I know, and they do not have the right to know all about me.

Don’t even get me started on Twitter.  It is a mini-Facebook.  Granted, my knowledge of Twitter comes from the pop media and all the reports about celebrities using Twitter.  In my opinion, Twitter is nothing more than an ego stroke; “Look at me, but don’t expect me to look at you.  I am so important that you need to follow me and know my every thought, but don’t you dare think that I am going to respond to you personally.”

Whether or not this was the intended use of The Social Web, this is what it has become for a lot of people.  I cannot see a constructive way of translating this to a classroom setting.  I do understand the argument of online collaborative learning from an infinite number of sources, but that only adds to the feeling of being overwhelmed.  When can one subject be set aside to examine the next if more and more information is being contributed?

One positive that I can see is the bookmarking capability such as Delicious.  As I become more proficient at gathering information online, this capability will help me keep things organized.  Perhaps as I use this to weed out what I believe to be irrelevant, I will come to regard the Web as a reliable, manageable source of information.

RSS. What?

My understanding of RSS is shaky due to my lack of enthusiasm for the Internet.  I do not regularly follow any blogger or website.  In fact, maintaining this blog has proven to be a very difficult task mainly because I do not “get on” the Internet on a daily basis.  When I do need to be online for any particular reason, I find it to be rather inconvenient.  Even with that said and my limited understanding of RSS, I can see some time saving value to this tool.  As I understand it, after setting up the appropriate account or accounts, new posts published on sites I flag concerning specific topics I choose will be collected for me to view at my convenience.  The biggest hurdle for me is again, checking this new collection service on a regular basis.  As of right now, my car phone (yes, I call it a car phone because I only have it with me when I am going to be in the car.  Thankfully, it is not a bag phone!) is a pay as you go phone.  I can make calls, take calls and get fancy with sending and receiving text only txts.  My keypad looks just like the keypad of a land line phone.  If I want to use the letter E, I have to press the number 3 button two times.  Get the picture?  I do like the idea of the collection work being done for me, and should I ever upgrade my hardware, I can see myself using this tool.  It is not unlike my subscribing to the industry specific periodical, Sporting Goods Dealer, when I managed a sporting goods store.  When I took the time to peruse an issue, all articles within were related to the sporting goods industry.

I can see this specific tool working more for me in the educational field as more of a professional development tool rather than a teaching tool.  Articles concerning teaching practices could be delivered to me and then I could use that information to refine my skills as a teacher.  I know that enthusiasts would argue that articles concerning the subjects students were studying would come to the classroom to provide more opportunity for learning.  While that has a degree of truth to it, there is also great value in teaching students how to go find needed information.  In this day and age of instant gratification, it might be worth our time to help students understand that if they do not find what they need the first time they look, they need to continue to keep looking.  Students need to learn to dig deeper than the first page of results of a Google search.

To Wiki or Not to Wiki?

My opinion concerning the use of Wikis, specifically Wikipedia, in the classroom changed after learning more about Wikis.  I have used Wikipedia from time to time to look up things.  In doing so, I assumed that all the information on the site was researched and posted by some sort of institution or company that would fact check every statement before use.  I likened it to an electronic Encyclopedia Britannica or electronic World Book Encyclopedia.  Therefore, I never questioned the completeness or reliability of the information.  I had no idea that anyone with access to the Internet could make changes to the site.  That realization changed my opinion of Wikipedia.

Now knowing this, I would not fully trust any information found on the site.  I am not suggesting that there are Wikipedia saboteurs who get their thrills from messing up sites or posting erroneous information just to screw up the Wikipedia users.  Then again, that doesn’t mean there aren’t those who do that.  I do understand that when information is posted, proper credit should be given to the original source of the information, but really, who looks at the footnotes?  Once a person finds the answer to a question on the Internet, it is taken almost as gospel.  “Well, it is on the Internet, so it must be true.”  I make this statement because I have done that to a point myself.  Once I find the information I am searching for, I don’t read the fine print.  I assume that somebody else has already authenticated it.  My thought has always been that, “well, if it is on Wikipedia, it must be right.”  I think I developed this way of thinking because of the wide use of Wikipedia.  Even if you rarely use the Internet, you have at the very least heard of Wikipedia.

I am certainly not of the opinion that Wikipedia should be banished from the classroom.  It is a good starting point for any type of research.  I now know that I will have to guide my students as to their use of Wikipedia.  I will need to teach them how to judge the reliability of the information found there much like judging the reliability of any website.  I do see the potential value of a classroom wiki.  Lower grades could create a wiki with a separate page for each subject – “What we did in Math,” “What we did in Science,” “What we did in Reading,” etc.  At the end of the year, the wiki would contain a year’s worth of learning.  This could be used as a reference the following year as the students build on knowledge acquired in the previous year.  In the higher grades, a separate wiki could be built for each subject that would contain not only the notes from the class but a synthesis of the information.  Sections could be added to the pages to address the higher order thinking of Bloom’s Taxonomy.  True understanding of the subject area could also come about by collaborating with other classrooms of the same subject within the same building or from other classes of the same subject from anywhere if the wiki is made available to individuals outside a specific school.  Of course to avoid the shadow of doubt which has now been cast upon Wikipedia, teacher approval of posts would be required before students could add to the site.

Considering It

Exit Slip 10/04/2010

Today, the discussion focused on the theme of chapter 2 of Rethinking Education titled, “The Technology Enthusiasts’ Argument.  The presentation very clearly demonstrated some of the advantages of using technology in the classroom.  I was able to participate in the sample lesson and experience that type of learning from a student’s point of view.  The only drawback that I can foresee is that not all students learn in the same manner.  Not every student will benefit from that type of teaching.  But the same can be said for traditional ways of teaching.  I suppose to serve my students in the best possible way, I will need to consider using such methods in my own classroom.  I am beginning to understand that it really doesn’t matter what I personally think about the topic.  I need to be in tune with how my students learn and how their parents want them to learn.   For the students that are tech-savvy, I need to address that or they will miss out on something.  For the students who are less familiar or comfortable with the computer, I will need to address that as well, not unlike addressing kinetic learns and auditory learners in the same classroom using traditional methods.

Still a skeptic

I admit that when it comes to the classroom, I am a technology skeptic.  And yes, I admit, it has to do somewhat with my age and how I was educated.  With that said, I do believe some of my arguments are valid.

Honestly, the chapter did not really sound like a Technology Skeptic’s point of view.  It sounded more like simply an explanation as to why there is not more technology in the classroom though there should be.  I was left with the impression that everyone agreed that the majority of teaching should be done via technology.  The chapter stated the reasons why this has not come to fruition such as budget issues or the physical configuration of the schoolrooms themselves.  To me, a skeptic’s point of view would include reasons why self guided learning through technology while the teacher simply facilities is not an effective way to educate children. 

When writing, for example, a student can spell and grammar check a paper before submitting it for a grade.  That tool will correct grammar mistakes but does not explain why it is wrong.  If a student writes the sentence, “Its wonderful” in his paper and then spell & grammar checks the paper, the computer will suggest that he change the sentence to “It’s wonderful.”  I am positive that most students will upon the computer’s suggestion make the change and never understand why that is correct.  The computer can not capitalize on that teachable moment to help students understand the difference between the contraction and the possessive the same way that a teacher could.  And, the dependence on such a tool does not require the student to understand the mistake or avoid it in the future.  The next time a student writes a sentence and makes the same mistake, it is ok because the computer will fix it. 

I am not against using technology in the classroom.  Nor do I believe that all I really needed to know I learned in Kindergarten, though living in a houseful of boys, I can agree that learning to flush is an important life skill!  I am somewhere in the middle.  As the book states, I would fall into the “co-opt the technologies” category.  Technologies are extremely useful tools but just that, tools. 

There is so much more to being a teacher than guiding students through lessons.  Good teachers can connect the work done in class to the real world.  It may seem like a waste of time to teach kids how to properly make an outline.  Who cares that Roman numeral I. comes before A. and if you have 1. then you must have 2.  But there is long-term value to be gleaned from such exercises.  You are teaching students to collect, organize and support thoughts.  It teaches students to narrow focus to create a compelling argument.  Timed tests on basic math facts may seem like a waste of time but it teaches kids that some things you just need to know.  You are not always going to have the time to figure out 15-8.  You need to just know that it equals 7.  Another important thing to learn is that when you enter the workforce, you will not have an unlimited amount of time to get a job done.  You will work with deadlines and if you learn the basics of your job and not have to always figure it out, then you will be able to meet those deadlines, finish the work and reap the reward in the form of a paycheck.  A computer is not going to explain these things to students not will students discover these truths as they self guide their way through the curriculum.

I can agree that technology skeptics have been proven wrong in the past.  No, it is not necessary any longer to know how to write on a slate or use a pen knife to sharpen a pencil or mix your own ink.  I don’t believe that the Bic pen caused the demise of public education, however I do see some truth in the statement that the values of thrift and frugality were compromised by these disposable items, but that is a subject for a different rant & rave.

One question that remains in my mind which I would pose to the technology enthusiast is, “if technology in the classroom is suppose to increase student learning, then why do test scores continue to decline in so many of our schools?”

I cannot agree

As of yet, I cannot agree.

As of yet, I cannot agree with the Technology Enthusiasts’ Argument that our current approach to education needs to be completely and digitally revamped.  As I read, I found what I believed to be many inconsistencies in the argument to teach electronically.

I do agree that the work world is changing.  All businesses no matter the field have been computerized.  Companies keep track of inventory by use of a computer.  Ordering of supplies is done online.  Communication with customers is done through email and I suppose now also Twitter.  Today’s students who are tomorrow’s employees need to be comfortable using a computer.  They need to have background knowledge of word processing and graphics programs as well as programs that deal with numbers such as spreadsheets and bookkeeping programs.  Heck, even the servers at Applebee’s use a computer to give your drink order to the bar, your dinner order to the kitchen and print your receipt and calculate your change.

As of yet, I cannot agree that all constructive or productive learning needs to be done electronically.  In fact, some of the examples given in the book are not that innovative.  A number of times throughout my teacher education path, I have been told do not “drill and skill” – “drill and skill” is evil.  Yet, if the drill and skill is done on the computer instead of by hand (worksheets or homework) then, it becomes this new innovative way of teaching.  The example given in the book was the math practice game, Math Blasters.  How is that computer math game anymore interactive or engaging than a group of students playing Math Bingo or Shark Subtraction Dominos?  In fact, I believe the face-to-face games to be more engaging because if a student makes a mistake, there are several potential peer tutors ready correct and explain when a mistake is made.  This also provides reinforcement of a concept for the student who tutors.

The next idea that frustrated me was the idea of “just in time learning.”  I can agree that if there is something I need to know, the Internet is one place that I can go to find the information quickly.  The ability to ask the right questions is an excellent skill to hone.  However, the problem that I foresee with “just in time learning” is that without background information, the student may not know what to ask.  I can see that “just in time learning” could frustrate the student as well.  If he wants to build a model rocket, he can use a Google search to find some plans.  But, if the plans use a more complicated math application which the student does not understand, then he needs to work backwards.  Before building the rocket, he must first figure out the math.  That may involve another one or two Google searches.  If he spends time working backwards to his level of comprehension to find his starting point, then he may become frustrated and abandon the entire project without ever building the rocket.  Computers can grant immediate satisfaction to a general curiosity, but can they help to understand higher order thinking?  Teachers can set an end goal of “build a rocket” and then guide the student step by step through the background knowledge that will be applied to the project.  Flesh and blood teacher will teach the concepts, check for understand and evaluate the progress all while encouraging the student to keep focused on the end result of a model rocket. I just don’t think that finding some information through a search can encourage students the same way a smile and kind words from a caring teacher can encourage them.

I believe that students look to the teacher to be the expert in the classroom.  If the teacher defers to a computer, I could see the students losing respect for the teacher.  Why should they give their attention to a teacher who does not teach them anything?  I believe that technologies should be incorporated into the classroom as teaching tools but not as the main source for learning.  Kids want to be taught.  They do not want to be facilitated.