So I haven't been following one edublog exactly... but the 2008 Edublog Awards were recently given and I found this one known as the Generation Yes Blog (this blog appears to have the aim of empowering students with technology). It's an blog run by three people, and the entries here seem especially timely, particularly the one on the new Secretary of Education and... the one on Web 2.0 applications!
This Web 2.0 entry is the second part to a two-parter. The first part dealt with the problem of schools or districts basing their plans on Web 2.0 technology that is free and then the company failing, which would then be a huge problem. Therefore, Syliva (the blogger of these entries) came up with ten questions/ideas to consider before choosing a particular Web 2.0 application.
In particular the questions that rang true to me was: "Is it great? Would you pay for it?" and "How big are they?" I noticed, as Leanne and I searched for the application we were going to use for our webinar, that many sites offered two differing levels of membership (paid and unpaid). There are all sorts of neat gadgets out there, but if schools, teachers, and districts want to integrate these for the long term... there are many dimensions to consider, and at the bottom line is still money and motivation.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Technology and Classroom Management
Ah, yesterday was the second day that I 'substitute' taught in my classroom. It was a fairly laid back day; for the most part we watched movies (Renaissance Man and Twelfth Night).
Something interesting though... I like to think myself as pretty tech savvy... but when I began playing one of the DVDs, I didn't realize that the volume for the computer could be adjusted externally (we don't have DVD players hooked up to the television, we have to play DVDs through the computer). What ensued was a lesson in classroom management. I told the students that if they wanted to hear the film, they would have to be quiet because I couldn't turn the volume up any higher. And they were quiet! They really were enjoying Renaissance Man.It was fun to see that happen. Also, telling the class the only other alternative to watching the film is reading is oddly effective, though highly disconcerting.
Our school was/is having a no hall pass policy, and in order to use the bathroom during class, a student has to be escorted. That really cuts down on people wanting to leave randomly during class work!
As for acting as a substitute teacher, it was a learning experience. I got a chance to see just how many little decisions must be made throughout the day that are not necessarily related to curriculum.
Something interesting though... I like to think myself as pretty tech savvy... but when I began playing one of the DVDs, I didn't realize that the volume for the computer could be adjusted externally (we don't have DVD players hooked up to the television, we have to play DVDs through the computer). What ensued was a lesson in classroom management. I told the students that if they wanted to hear the film, they would have to be quiet because I couldn't turn the volume up any higher. And they were quiet! They really were enjoying Renaissance Man.It was fun to see that happen. Also, telling the class the only other alternative to watching the film is reading is oddly effective, though highly disconcerting.
Our school was/is having a no hall pass policy, and in order to use the bathroom during class, a student has to be escorted. That really cuts down on people wanting to leave randomly during class work!
As for acting as a substitute teacher, it was a learning experience. I got a chance to see just how many little decisions must be made throughout the day that are not necessarily related to curriculum.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Media Disconnect
During the summer, at the start of the MAC Program, we were encouraged to watch either Freedom Writers or Stand and Deliver. I chose to watch Freedom Writers. It's one of those feel-good, let's save the world films, and I did enjoy (and cried while) watching it. But it also has me thinking about how teachers are portrayed in the media and the great amount of disconnect there is between reality and entertainment.
Just as there are gendered and racial stereotypes, the media loves to pull out a variety of occupational stereotypes. Teachers are often portrayed as overly authoritarian, uncaring, or the cult like figure. Administrators frequently get the negative portrayal too. None of these representations would be truly helpful to students in reality. And female teachers? We're either old-maids or completely inappropriate sex symbols. It is indeed irritating. I would hope the general public sees these portrayals as stereotypes. No matter, many parents and students, still view teachers and schooling in general with an us vs. them mentality.
While Freedom Writers may be touching, there is the troubling issue of the teacher Erin Gruwell. At the end of the film, it is stated that the teacher quit her teaching position after seeing her one class through to graduation. Burn out? Possibly (probably). Ms. Gruwell did an obviously commendable job for reaching out to her students in her unique fashion, but the actions (as portrayed in the movie) are not quite plausible for real teachers. There are very few (almost none certainly) teachers who can throw all their energies into taking care of just one class. Most teachers have multiple classes of 30+ students to guide.
So are these portrayals of 'hero' teachers harmful? I would argue to a certain extent yes. Those teachers who have to balance large class loads and who cannot necessarily take their students on special field trips are no less of a hero than teachers like Erin Gruwell? But the audience of these sorts of teacher-saves-the-day films may certainly have a different viewpoint (of course I was still one of those rooting for Erin's fight against the other 'terrible' teachers).
Being a teacher is not a save everyone or save no one sort of job. Teachers sometimes reach students without even realizing it.
Just as there are gendered and racial stereotypes, the media loves to pull out a variety of occupational stereotypes. Teachers are often portrayed as overly authoritarian, uncaring, or the cult like figure. Administrators frequently get the negative portrayal too. None of these representations would be truly helpful to students in reality. And female teachers? We're either old-maids or completely inappropriate sex symbols. It is indeed irritating. I would hope the general public sees these portrayals as stereotypes. No matter, many parents and students, still view teachers and schooling in general with an us vs. them mentality.
While Freedom Writers may be touching, there is the troubling issue of the teacher Erin Gruwell. At the end of the film, it is stated that the teacher quit her teaching position after seeing her one class through to graduation. Burn out? Possibly (probably). Ms. Gruwell did an obviously commendable job for reaching out to her students in her unique fashion, but the actions (as portrayed in the movie) are not quite plausible for real teachers. There are very few (almost none certainly) teachers who can throw all their energies into taking care of just one class. Most teachers have multiple classes of 30+ students to guide.
So are these portrayals of 'hero' teachers harmful? I would argue to a certain extent yes. Those teachers who have to balance large class loads and who cannot necessarily take their students on special field trips are no less of a hero than teachers like Erin Gruwell? But the audience of these sorts of teacher-saves-the-day films may certainly have a different viewpoint (of course I was still one of those rooting for Erin's fight against the other 'terrible' teachers).
Being a teacher is not a save everyone or save no one sort of job. Teachers sometimes reach students without even realizing it.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Miscellaneous Ramblings
So I thought it was about time I updated this blog.
A quote: "High school was good, it was like Facebook in real life."
Not to steal Katie's thunder, but she shared this quote with me from her China Odyssey class. Hearing things like this only makes the generation gap seem wider. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it means I'm less likely to be mistaken for one of my students (at least mentally speaking). And this will allow me to borrow an idea I heard from one of my classmate's mentors... if we can make fun of ourselves by professing our lack of "hip" knowledge, it might make the kids more comfortable. We're in the hot seat to speak, not them. Can you imagine asking kids now about life before Facebook (random fact: Blogger considers Facebook to be a misspelled word).
I've discovered a lot of great things about my classroom (there's set of Writer's Inc. books! I have a fondness for those books; they helped me through my early years documenting in MLA/APA format), but you know what I miss this most? I miss having an overhead in my classroom. We have a chalkboard... but overheads have sort of been an integral part of my education. Even if they do discriminate against us left-handers... seriously, has anyone tried writing on an overhead with that bright light shining directly in your eye?! Though I eventually did master the duck and write tactic. An overhead also means that I do not turn my back to the class when I need to write something down. Hmm... I could write everything down before hand, but that's not always feasible. I need to think about this more.
That sort of brings my rambling to an end. I'm sure more inspiration will hit me later. Maybe.
A quote: "High school was good, it was like Facebook in real life."
Not to steal Katie's thunder, but she shared this quote with me from her China Odyssey class. Hearing things like this only makes the generation gap seem wider. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it means I'm less likely to be mistaken for one of my students (at least mentally speaking). And this will allow me to borrow an idea I heard from one of my classmate's mentors... if we can make fun of ourselves by professing our lack of "hip" knowledge, it might make the kids more comfortable. We're in the hot seat to speak, not them. Can you imagine asking kids now about life before Facebook (random fact: Blogger considers Facebook to be a misspelled word).
I've discovered a lot of great things about my classroom (there's set of Writer's Inc. books! I have a fondness for those books; they helped me through my early years documenting in MLA/APA format), but you know what I miss this most? I miss having an overhead in my classroom. We have a chalkboard... but overheads have sort of been an integral part of my education. Even if they do discriminate against us left-handers... seriously, has anyone tried writing on an overhead with that bright light shining directly in your eye?! Though I eventually did master the duck and write tactic. An overhead also means that I do not turn my back to the class when I need to write something down. Hmm... I could write everything down before hand, but that's not always feasible. I need to think about this more.
That sort of brings my rambling to an end. I'm sure more inspiration will hit me later. Maybe.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Claymation
Today, Autumn and I had a chance to try our hand at claymation. It's quite epic, is it not?
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Video Games
For the point/counter-point presentation this fall, I'm going to be working on the topic of integrating video games into the classroom. I have to admit... this topic has me reminiscing about the past.
My first console? The original Nintendo system. I had three games: Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt, and a motorbike racing one (the title of which I cannot remember). They were SO COOL. The graphics may be considered low quality now (I prefer to think of them as vintage), but they were high-tech for the day. At some point after that, the Super Nintendo came out and so did the Sega Genesis. I never had either of those, but I still liked my old Nintendo. I enjoyed playing Sonic the Hedgehog on my friend's Sega though. The choice in games was limited, and it's amazing to think how much games have evolved since then. Sega never really regained their momentum, I think, after the Genesis. Remember the short lived Dreamcast?
Computers have really changed the face of gaming too. I still get all nostalgic for Myst. In terms of education... I learned how to type using a computer game. Mavis Beacon! And I played Oregon Trail! And Math Blaster... can't forget about that either! Once again there are many more options for computer games and educational interaction (and fun too). It doesn't take a great jump to imagine that there are many ways video games could also potentially be incorporated into the classroom. It will be interesting to explore the pros and cons of this issue.
My first console? The original Nintendo system. I had three games: Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt, and a motorbike racing one (the title of which I cannot remember). They were SO COOL. The graphics may be considered low quality now (I prefer to think of them as vintage), but they were high-tech for the day. At some point after that, the Super Nintendo came out and so did the Sega Genesis. I never had either of those, but I still liked my old Nintendo. I enjoyed playing Sonic the Hedgehog on my friend's Sega though. The choice in games was limited, and it's amazing to think how much games have evolved since then. Sega never really regained their momentum, I think, after the Genesis. Remember the short lived Dreamcast?
Computers have really changed the face of gaming too. I still get all nostalgic for Myst. In terms of education... I learned how to type using a computer game. Mavis Beacon! And I played Oregon Trail! And Math Blaster... can't forget about that either! Once again there are many more options for computer games and educational interaction (and fun too). It doesn't take a great jump to imagine that there are many ways video games could also potentially be incorporated into the classroom. It will be interesting to explore the pros and cons of this issue.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Time Management
I have learned a lot from this very, very busy semester of summer classes. The most important lesson? Time is precious.
Yeah, I know it is cliche. And truly, I should have realized this a long time ago. But I should clarify.... what I really mean to say is that time management is key.
If I thought this summer was busy, I cannot begin to comprehend how busy I will be in the coming semester. Learning how to balance and make time for the important stuff, which means academics, sleep, and eating. You know... the basics. Oh, and if I can, I'll try to have a little fun too. Of course I am looking forward to the fall, but I have to be realistic. I'm a night person. Teaching requires a shift to a morning personality. Though I have been very good this summer at getting up extremely early.
Time management is going to be especially important in the classroom as well. An hour (depending on the type of scheduling) will go by extremely fast during a lesson.
And when it comes to managing time. Alarm clocks, planners... there are multitudes of items to buy to help manage your time. My belief though? Most of it is judgment or deciding what to do and when to do it. If you don't get bogged down constantly by every single little details (which I do occasionally) and don't get unnecessarily distracted (which I definitely do! sometimes I think that the multi-tab browsing on Firefox was meant to give everyone extremely short attention spans and multitasking fever) you might be able to get a better handle on how time flows. Focus! So easy to say, not so easy to do.
I think it requires practice as well. Everyone has a different method for handling a workload. Some like to go with the flow, others like to work under pressure, and some even like to procrastinate. (I cannot understand "liking" to procrastinate however. It seems to cause too much stress. Though, I will freely admit to procrastinating occasionally.) As I mentioned earlier, judgment is key. Understanding how you operate best will help you manage time. If you feel anxiety from taking on too much or waiting too long, I think a little self-evaluation might be necessary.
And have we even contemplated on just how much time we spend just... waiting? Minutes, hours... trying to be productive every minute of the day is unrealistic. I've decided to spend my time waiting on reflecting.... on anything. Sometimes just thinking or daydreaming (yes, daydreaming) can be relaxing.
I really didn't meant to go on about this topic... but I felt that while I have prided myself on my ability to manage my time in the past, I have learned how much more I still need to practice and learn time management.
Yeah, I know it is cliche. And truly, I should have realized this a long time ago. But I should clarify.... what I really mean to say is that time management is key.
If I thought this summer was busy, I cannot begin to comprehend how busy I will be in the coming semester. Learning how to balance and make time for the important stuff, which means academics, sleep, and eating. You know... the basics. Oh, and if I can, I'll try to have a little fun too. Of course I am looking forward to the fall, but I have to be realistic. I'm a night person. Teaching requires a shift to a morning personality. Though I have been very good this summer at getting up extremely early.
Time management is going to be especially important in the classroom as well. An hour (depending on the type of scheduling) will go by extremely fast during a lesson.
And when it comes to managing time. Alarm clocks, planners... there are multitudes of items to buy to help manage your time. My belief though? Most of it is judgment or deciding what to do and when to do it. If you don't get bogged down constantly by every single little details (which I do occasionally) and don't get unnecessarily distracted (which I definitely do! sometimes I think that the multi-tab browsing on Firefox was meant to give everyone extremely short attention spans and multitasking fever) you might be able to get a better handle on how time flows. Focus! So easy to say, not so easy to do.
I think it requires practice as well. Everyone has a different method for handling a workload. Some like to go with the flow, others like to work under pressure, and some even like to procrastinate. (I cannot understand "liking" to procrastinate however. It seems to cause too much stress. Though, I will freely admit to procrastinating occasionally.) As I mentioned earlier, judgment is key. Understanding how you operate best will help you manage time. If you feel anxiety from taking on too much or waiting too long, I think a little self-evaluation might be necessary.
And have we even contemplated on just how much time we spend just... waiting? Minutes, hours... trying to be productive every minute of the day is unrealistic. I've decided to spend my time waiting on reflecting.... on anything. Sometimes just thinking or daydreaming (yes, daydreaming) can be relaxing.
I really didn't meant to go on about this topic... but I felt that while I have prided myself on my ability to manage my time in the past, I have learned how much more I still need to practice and learn time management.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Technology: Convenience or Hindrance?
I saw The Dark Knight on opening day, at an IMAX screening no less! IHave been anticipating this film since I saw a teaser in July 2007 or perhaps when I finished watching Batman Begins . Needless to say, the movie is wonderfully awesome and made of EPIC WIN.
As usual, Batman has a dazzling array of gadgets (and a questionable/interesting use of cellphones) that could definitely rival James Bond's arsenal. So. This got me thinking about technology in general. Are technological innovations helping or hurting us?
I suppose this is an inevitable question, and one that is not easily answered. I can create a quick mental list of the positives and negatives of computers, the Internet, cellphones, iPods, etc. For one, I am a chronic "e-mail checker." If I go longer than an hour without refreshing my e-mail inbox, I feel a smallish sense of loss. I wonder if I am missing out on information (that may or may not be vitally important). But I love that I can communicate with any of my friends throughout the world with just the click of a button.
In terms of education, technology offers great potential for growth and danger. Our topic of conversation during our last EDUC 504 discussed the issue of filtering information and the responsibilities that are then placed on teachers' shoulders. How much control can we exert on our students with the world at their fingertips? How much responsibility should teachers bear for the choices students make?
And there is also the discussion about privacy issues as well. Can anyone just read our private e-mails and drop in our cellphone conversations? The Internet offers so many opportunities to publicly reveal any bits of private information that we may or may not wish to share with others.
So many questions so little time. I have to say, for myself at least, I love all the opportunities technology has to offer, but I try not to let it take over all the aspects of my life. On a side note... since I started the SMAC program... sometimes I feel like I have become perpetually glued to the computer screen.
As usual, Batman has a dazzling array of gadgets (and a questionable/interesting use of cellphones) that could definitely rival James Bond's arsenal. So. This got me thinking about technology in general. Are technological innovations helping or hurting us?
I suppose this is an inevitable question, and one that is not easily answered. I can create a quick mental list of the positives and negatives of computers, the Internet, cellphones, iPods, etc. For one, I am a chronic "e-mail checker." If I go longer than an hour without refreshing my e-mail inbox, I feel a smallish sense of loss. I wonder if I am missing out on information (that may or may not be vitally important). But I love that I can communicate with any of my friends throughout the world with just the click of a button.
In terms of education, technology offers great potential for growth and danger. Our topic of conversation during our last EDUC 504 discussed the issue of filtering information and the responsibilities that are then placed on teachers' shoulders. How much control can we exert on our students with the world at their fingertips? How much responsibility should teachers bear for the choices students make?
And there is also the discussion about privacy issues as well. Can anyone just read our private e-mails and drop in our cellphone conversations? The Internet offers so many opportunities to publicly reveal any bits of private information that we may or may not wish to share with others.
So many questions so little time. I have to say, for myself at least, I love all the opportunities technology has to offer, but I try not to let it take over all the aspects of my life. On a side note... since I started the SMAC program... sometimes I feel like I have become perpetually glued to the computer screen.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
I Can Has Peach?
I just got a new cell phone. It's lovely, and it has one of those slide-out keyboard for texting, web surfing... you get the idea. Before this phone, I think I ever only sent out a total of three messages. All three times involved fumbling with the keypad and utter frustration. Apparently, my thumb has little to no dexterity. Now, all I want to do is text people. I feel silly for my sudden reversal in opinion.
Part of my previous aversion to texting (which makes me feel pretty old school for having disliked it) is the fact that I have to shorten my words and phrases. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing "you are" spelled "u r." I admit that I see the appeal in convenience and have now begun to shorten words myself when texting (though I still refuse to write "u r" or "ur"). I can be such a hypocrite sometimes.
One of the side effects of all this technology and the new, faster ways of communicating is simply how much the English language is changing to adapt. Part of me feels pained to see so many things shortened and "misspelled." Another part of me loves all this slang and finds it to be vastly entertaining. I wonder if I will ever have the fortune (or misfortune) to grade an English paper where the student decides to write in Internet slang (after all, there is an entire series of adolescent books written in IM dialogue).
There's a whole generational divide simply based on whether you know the meaning of and use the acronyms IDK or BFF. These "netspeak" acronyms have become so integral to me that I don't even read "lol" as "laugh out loud" any more; I simply read "lol" as one word, similar to the pronunciation of "lolling" in "lolling about" or perhaps the quintessential "lollerskates." And I'm still discovering there is a whole lexicon of words that I have yet to understand.
Reviewing this journal entry makes me look at all those little red squiggles underlining apparently misspelled words. "Texting," according to this blogging interface, is not really a word, but it is generally accepted as one. I don't think it's been recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary just yet.
I cannot believe that there is an entire section on Wikipedia devoted to the origin and syntax of "l33t speak" or "leet speak" (for those who are unfamiliar). There is even a section for the "lolspeak" of "lolcats."
On a humorous note, I discovered this err... part "translation" of T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" into "lolspeak."
i can has backpart? i can has peach?
im in ur white flannel trousers walkin on ur beach
have heard mermaids singing each in each
...
i do not think they say o hai to me*.
**
I admit it; I laughed. I suppose understanding the context of this form of slang would make it funnier.
So I am just left with a couple questions... how will technological advancements affect my communication with students in the future? I'm not expecting my students to suddenly start speaking in "lolspeak" to me one day (just picturing it is bizarre), but there are other words/phrases in terms of slang of which I will be wholly ignorant. Will I be able to keep up with the times or am I going to have a look of perpetual puzzlement when overhearing student conversations?
Part of my previous aversion to texting (which makes me feel pretty old school for having disliked it) is the fact that I have to shorten my words and phrases. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing "you are" spelled "u r." I admit that I see the appeal in convenience and have now begun to shorten words myself when texting (though I still refuse to write "u r" or "ur"). I can be such a hypocrite sometimes.
One of the side effects of all this technology and the new, faster ways of communicating is simply how much the English language is changing to adapt. Part of me feels pained to see so many things shortened and "misspelled." Another part of me loves all this slang and finds it to be vastly entertaining. I wonder if I will ever have the fortune (or misfortune) to grade an English paper where the student decides to write in Internet slang (after all, there is an entire series of adolescent books written in IM dialogue).
There's a whole generational divide simply based on whether you know the meaning of and use the acronyms IDK or BFF. These "netspeak" acronyms have become so integral to me that I don't even read "lol" as "laugh out loud" any more; I simply read "lol" as one word, similar to the pronunciation of "lolling" in "lolling about" or perhaps the quintessential "lollerskates." And I'm still discovering there is a whole lexicon of words that I have yet to understand.
Reviewing this journal entry makes me look at all those little red squiggles underlining apparently misspelled words. "Texting," according to this blogging interface, is not really a word, but it is generally accepted as one. I don't think it's been recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary just yet.
I cannot believe that there is an entire section on Wikipedia devoted to the origin and syntax of "l33t speak" or "leet speak" (for those who are unfamiliar). There is even a section for the "lolspeak" of "lolcats."
On a humorous note, I discovered this err... part "translation" of T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" into "lolspeak."
i can has backpart? i can has peach?
im in ur white flannel trousers walkin on ur beach
have heard mermaids singing each in each
...
i do not think they say o hai to me*.
**
I admit it; I laughed. I suppose understanding the context of this form of slang would make it funnier.
So I am just left with a couple questions... how will technological advancements affect my communication with students in the future? I'm not expecting my students to suddenly start speaking in "lolspeak" to me one day (just picturing it is bizarre), but there are other words/phrases in terms of slang of which I will be wholly ignorant. Will I be able to keep up with the times or am I going to have a look of perpetual puzzlement when overhearing student conversations?
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