Reflections

Last evening was our last technology class, and we had a wonderful show of individual projects. I was impressed by the amount of work that went into them, and the creativity we all brought to the process. To repeat one of my comments from last night, I learned more about powerpoint in the last three weeks as I created an author study than I did in years of my work as a consultant. Most of this was through experimentation. I also now know how to create a website -- a process that is much simpler than I imagined. This course was a wonderful example of constructivist learning. We learned from the professor, the texts, online, from each other and from ourselves. Because we came into this course from a wide range of literacies, our objectives were unique and our ZPDs were as well.

Through the work in this class, I have learned several things about integrating technology into the curriculum. First, it can be a very useful tool for engaging students -- even a dreaded unit (like poetry) can become fun. Creating these learning tools, (scavenger hunts, webquest, interactive lesson, blogs and even websites) is easy. This does not, however, mean it's quick -- to do them well, the process can be very time consuming. The most surprising thing I learned in this class, however, was not about the processes. It was the understanding that technology needs to be taught for its own sake. Students must learn the new literacies to be successful. We, as teachers, must be agents for change as we adapt learning to keep pace with literacies as they continue to evolve.

Technology and Time Management

I've been reflecting this week on the effect technology has on time. In some ways, I see technology saving significant amounts of time. In lesson planning, I surf the web to access ideas for my classes. In minutes, I can learn about innovative lessons that other teachers have already created. I can take those lessons, and with my laptop, revise them to fit my own students' needs. Using my college library code, I can access peer-reviewed technical articles from home. Research has never been easier. I can work with colleagues across the state, the country and even the world with e-mail, communicating at my convenience. The amount of time it takes students to create polished, well-written reports is a fraction of what it used to take me.

There is another side to this phenomenon, however. It is easy to waste time as we are distracted by technology. When I research lesson ideas or other information, it is easy to go off on tangents. Staying focused is key for myself and my students. Other technology affects time as well. Cell phones are a convenience, except that people can reach me at any time. I had someone think that it was okay to call me when I was in the middle of teaching a class, and then was angry because I didn't pick up. Why did she not value my students' time enough to realize that I wouldn't interupt a lesson for a call? I have also seen a college student sit in the middle of class, IMing her friends for the entire time. Did she not value the time of her professor and classmates? What about her own time?

On her log this week, Maureen discussed the need for developing computer skills such as typing. I agree, but I also think that time management is an important skill. In spite of the learning differences in digital natives, I still see students getting distracted by or obsessed with particular technologies to the point where they have difficulty managing their time. I believe that we must actively teach time management so our students can stay focused as the cyber world of information continues to mushroom.

Blog vs. Blackboard

Blogging is a good tool to inspire student writing and for students to share their work. However, I am finding that it is less satisfying to me than Blackboard because it is less interactive. It's rewarding to me when others respond to my blog, but sometimes I would like to continue a conversation with them. When I used blackboard in previous courses, I would write a post, it would be responded to. As other students and I went back and forth in our discussions, sometimes adding information, sometimes debating it, we would build a more solid understanding of the concepts. There are times in the classroom when the interaction is useful and other times when it is not necessary. Te blog and blackboard are not interchangeable. As with most writing tools, teachers need to think about their unit objectives and choose the right tool for the job.

Motivating Children through Scavenger Hunts

I had two experiences with Scavenger Hunts this week that convinced me that they are great learning tools. Both of them involved my own children, and I saw them excited about learning. Neither one thought they were working.

In the first case, my son asked if he could get a pet. He had done this a while ago and I never had time to research the options. This weekend, I created a scavenger hunt for him, in which he had a series of questions to answer about several pet choices from guinea pigs to geckos. I bookmarked several pet sites and helped him create a graphic organizer (a simple chart) to record his information. The combined motivation of animals and the computer sent him into cyberspace with gusto. He spent an afternoon totally engrossed in the process. By the time he finished, he was able to tell us that he wanted a guinea pig, the reasons why and information about its care. I got a glimpse of how well this activity can focus students’ attention as they learn research skills.

The second scavenger hunt was one that my first grade daughter brought home as homework. I asked her about students who may not have access to the internet at home. Apparently, those students will be given the opportunity to complete it at school. Her hunt seemed simple—it was a series of questions about nursery rhymes. The process did three things, and did them well. First she practiced her computer skills by navigating from the school website to her teacher’s page, and onto a linked site. To complete the assignment, she then had to read each of twenty nursery rhymes for comprehension. Finally, she had to write a sentence in response to each question. It was a long assignment, but I have never seen her complete her homework so willingly or thoroughly.

The hunts mentioned above were very simple, and easy to create. Yet, they were good learning tools for my children. Moreover, they felt empowered and excited about learning. My lesson in this was how simple it is to create scavenger hunts and to incorporate them into the curriculum.

Classroom Communication: Face to Face vs. Virtual Discussions

The blog, emails and blackboard discussions I have been involved in recently have gotten me thinking about the difference between communicating online vs. face-to-face. After taking two online classes, many on-campus classes and this hybrid class, I am pondering the pros and cons of these two modes of conversation. At the start of my first online class, I never met any of my classmates. I found it difficult to participate in conversation blindly. (I'm a visual learner and I find it frustrating sometimes to communicate without visual cues.) Another problem I have had at times is getting understood by classmate or misunderstanding their entries. Usually it's not a significant issue, but I remember a blackboard discussion in which a few classmates penned some heated entries before realizing there was a misunderstanding. Miscommunication can occur in the classroom as well, but there differences are usually discussed and sorted out quickly. Students don't always agree, but they are allowed to explain their thinking during the discussion. In my opinion, the best part about online discussions is that there is a degree of anonymity that is created (even when authors are known) that allows shy students to enter into a discussion that could be dominated by a few in the classroom. I have seen middle school students embrace this space and become much more active in classroom discussions when they are sitting at a computer screen. Students also think more carefully about what they have to say before writing it, so I believe they become more reflective as well. A good strategy may be to give students an opportunity to write about an issue online and then discuss it further in in the classroom. What has anyone else experienced with this?

Keeping Our Kids Safe and Honest.

This week we have been exploring the Internet through classmates' scavenger hunts. They gave us an opportunity to explore some critical issues related to technology in the classroom. Coincidentally, my 10 year old son was simultaneously working on an online research project for a class website. This gave me an easy opening for a frank discussion with him. I was not surprise at his responses, but it was unsettling. We have controlled Internet access for him, but he revealed how surprisingly fragile the controls are.

First, we discussed plagiarism. I learned that he was not taught about this subject. After we discussed the concept through what I had learned on the scavenger hunt, I reviewed what he had written. I noticed a few sentences that did not sound like he would have written them -- sure enough, they were verbatim from the source. He had no idea that that was a problem. The scavenger hunt links helped me to teach him what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

Next we discussed the Internet safety hunt. He answered the quizzes along with me. First he told me what the correct answer was and next he told me what he would really do. This honesty was refreshing, but disheartening. I learned that we have tighter controls on our computer than any of his friends do. How do I keep him safe at their homes? As he grows, how do I protect him but allow him access to the sites he needs for research. Or the sites he wants for social reasons. I now face the balancing act of teaching him and protecting him and yet doing it gently enough to preserve the open, honest discussion for the future.

As usual, my kids are my guinea pigs for teaching, and I will extend this to the classroom. Maintaining controls in the classroom is easier, but when students have homework projects involving the Internet, we have to share this safety information with parents. We also have to check out websites and links, and be very clear with our students about what is and is not plagiarism. As one of the links on the safety hunt discussed, it is critical that we stay informed as these deictic literacies evolve. We must stay one step ahead of our kids.

Teaching the Teachers

This week I have been thinking quite a bit about the difference between the old and new literacies. I'm working on a scavenger hunt on the subject. What I have been noticing, specifically, is that process of doing research in the "new literacies" can be overwhelming. As I locate new articles about my topic, I am confronted with links that take me to new articles, with new links, that take me... well, you get the picture. It is so easy to get off on tangents or to lose track of your research objectives. I wonder about the way "technology natives" think and about how much work it is for us immigrants to try to think as they do. Will we ever really learn to think as they do?

I used to wonder why some schools seem to resist bringing in technology. But now I know it is not as simple as as bringing in the equipment. There obviously needs to be a technology specialist to keep the hardware running. However, that is only a piece of the puzzle. There also needs to be support for those of us immigrants who forget our passwords, get confused with the non-linear environment, and get overwhelmed with the vocabulary. In short, schools need to have the resources to teach teachers the new literacies -- not just the kids.