I (Still) Heart Books

It's no secret that I don't exactly embrace technology, and I absolutely adore books. However, I do believe the two worlds can collide, harmoniously. The video from Dorling Kindersley Books horrified me at first. I hate to think that we live in a world where people are so blatantly self-absorbed. But then, the words were read in opposite order and all appears well again. In reality, I think neither view is completely true: instead, most of the world's population meets somewhere in the middle. That's probably why ebooks are becoming so popular. People do like to read, but they are choosing to read using technology.

The video reminded me of a book I recently read. It's called "Super Sad True Love Story" by Gary Shteyngart. In envisions America's very near future, in which many people are illiterate, electronic devices track your every movement, your credit rating determines your likability, and books are smelly. The scary thing is it appears those things are coming true (iPhone tracking???). While it contains graphic language and sexual situations, I recommend it.

I have learned a lot about technology in this class, and I definitely believe it has a vital role in the classroom. But for the record, I have so far refused to accept any ereader. :)

Logically Speaking

As I watched this video, once I realized that the students were working on a logic problem, I got a little excited. I used to love doing logic problems in my mom's crossword puzzle books. Of course, most of the time I could only solve about a third of it, but I still kept trying. I think logic problems are a useful tool in classrooms. They help students develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills, even if they have to resort to the process of elimination, as one group did. But the key to using logic problems in the classroom is that students should show how they actually calculated the answer. That's hard to share with the class if a student figures it out on a piece of paper and there's no document camera. How would the student share it? Pass his worksheet around? Copy it on the blackboard? By using the document camera, students were able to show what strategies they used to solve the problem with the rest of the class. However, I don't think the SmartBoard was particularly effective. Sure, the pictures of Mercedes and the other kids were cute, but I don't think they really provided anything to the lesson that a chalkboard or whiteboard could have. Since the students interviewed said they like the SmartBoard because it's fun and makes everybody watch, using the SmartBoard just to use it may be worth it, if it keeps the kids interested. I also thought it was interesting that in the interview following the lesson, the teacher noted that as she was learning the technology, so were her students. She said it made learning a two way street, which I think makes the relationship between teacher and student closer.

Birds of a Feather...

I really liked this lesson plan! Who knew kids could be so interested in learning about Louisiana songbirds? Because Mrs. Nicholson got creative in her approach, the kids seemed genuinely interested in the project. Its greatest strength was even though it was a science class, she incorporated elements of technology, writing, and speech. That multidisciplinary approach allowed her students to practice their problem-solving skills. It also showed the students how technology is not just a stand-alone topic, but a tool to be used in conjunction with other subjects.

Another aspect that I thought worked really well was how Mrs. Nicholson handled the fact that there weren't enough gadgets for everyone. So each student was assigned a different piece of equipment. However, each student was still able to learn about each of the gadgets because the other students taught them what they had learned. This role reversal for the students probably enabled them to learn more about each piece of equipment.

The only weakness that I noted may have been the one that could not be avoided: the time spent explaining what the kids would be doing. I noticed some of the students were getting a little antsy, as they waited to get started. I think Mrs. Nicholson could have explained about Excel and the websites while they were at the computers, so they could see up close what they would be doing. Besides that, I think it's a lesson worth repeating for next year's class.

Meeting Technology Standards for Students

I believe Mrs. Fitzgerald's students met all three of the Technology Standards for Students. Each student was able to demonstrate basic operations and concepts, as they were called to the front of the room to use her computer. Students learned the social issues, as they were creating Kid Pix and learning about climates in other parts of the country. Plus, students used technology productivity tools, as they went online to find weather information and got creative with their personal picture projects. This lesson was a clear example of students learning about a subject (social studies) by using technology.

I really like the way Mrs. Fitzgerald conducted the class and I honestly can't say I would do anything differently. She would ask students how to do something, then have them actually do it. I think many kids learn by doing and her students seemed to be well prepared. Perhaps calling out all the temperatures for the sample city wasn't necessary, but I think Mrs. Fitzgerald wanted her students to know exactly what information was available. Because she showed her students where to find the information, they could handle the project on their own.

I also thought it was interesting that apparently earlier in the day there was some sort of problem with the classroom's computers. Obviously, Mrs. Fitzgerald was able to be flexible and attempt the exercise later in the day. I think that's something all teachers need to be prepared for: not everything goes as smoothly as they would like.

Online Trouble

I really enjoyed the lecture by C.L. Lindsay III. His visual props were hilarious and his manner of speaking was down to earth, though he did talk incredibly fast. I wouldn't mind reading his book.

I think the most important aspect of his message was that everything you do online has an offline, or real world, equivalent. Often people think of cyberspace as literally some far, far away galaxy. It's not, so whatever you write online has a real life consequence. That is quite apparent if you ever read the comments posted after stories on online newspapers. Posters are not required to use their real names and they can basically write their opinion on any and everything, regardless if what they write is fact. Posters can bash people and groups and there are no repercussions to posting false information. I don't believe that's what the First Amendment was intended for.

I was shocked by Lindsay's recounting of a recent poll that showed 70% of college students cheated. Perhaps because I'm an older college student, I believe that my eventual degree will be worth what I put into it, not just a ticket to a decent job. I also take plagiarism seriously. I'm currently a journalist and I take a lot of pride in my work. I would be quite peeved if someone stole my writings.

I already wasn't a fan of Facebook, and the creepy collection of online predators validated my distaste of the website. I believe if I have pictures to share with loved ones, I'll simply invite them to my home. I don't need the world to see them. Lindsay's advice to check your friends' Facebook pages also rang true for me. Last year, one of my "friends" posted pictures of my bachelorette party on her page. I found about it and asked her to take them all down (which she did). It just irks me that people think they can share not only their personal lives online, but their friends' personal lives as well.

Technology Standards for Students

To begin, I have to admit I found this teacher annoyingly disorganized. She seemed to always be a little bit lost, as she was searching for the correct worksheet or blurting out the wrong number for the students to input (and she was corrected by the student). As a teacher, I don't believe she is instilling much confidence in her abilities, which may lead the students to doubt her.

The only standard I think she met is Basic Operations and Concepts. It appeared the students were able to clear the machines, input numbers, and identify what the machine's output meant. But her lesson plan of having the students simply enter numbers she provided amounts to data entry.

I don't believe the students were using the technology to their advantage. If I was the teacher, I would have had the students work in teams of two to collect dimensions of spaces in the school (library?) in order to find area. That way, the students would be meeting two more standards: Technology Communications Tools and Technology Research Tools. They could take it a step further and include finding the volume of objects as well, incorporating Technology Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Tools. Overall, I thought this teacher's class was a bit chaotic and missing the mark.

Each year when the Beloit Mindset List is released, I'm typically not wowed by anything. However, this year, with the note that most of today's freshmen never had to learn how to write cursive leaves me quite jealous. I have horrible handwriting; a mishmash of print and cursive. I think back to those nights in grade school when I would have to write, and rewrite, book reports because they were illegible, and can't help but feel like I missed out. But I am happy for my future students, who will no doubt be able to type their book reports on a computer. It makes them better writers, as they can edit, rewrite, and basically improve their writing, without having to use half an eraser, or start over.

Taking the Plunge

Yikes! I have a blog - I don't even a Facebook account (I'm boycotting). However, since I'm now enrolled in a Technology for Teaching class my hand has been forced. Our first reading assignment discussed how teachers must understand and incorporate technology in order to better serve their students, so I'm doing my part.
Baby steps...