All Write

First of all, my 2020 vision is nowhere near as complex or detailed as Karl Fisch’s vision.  I have no idea what companies are going to merge together and create the next innovative breakthrough in technology.  For me predicting the future is simple.

As a teacher I believe that in 2020 I will be faced with the same challenge that I am faced with today, and that is to educate my students in a way that will prepare them for their futures.  In that sense teaching in 2020 will be no different than it is today because, remember, we are preparing our students for jobs that don’t even exist yet.  That is a scary realization that this PLS class has shown me!

Realistically, teaching in 2020 will be different in many ways, but it won’t be the fundamentals of teaching that will be different; those will stay the same.   It will be the methods that we use to get our teaching across to our students.  And that is changing everyday, as we speak; we don’t have to wait for 2020 to see this.

When I started teaching, which wasn’t that long ago (seven years to be exact), I had never heard of a smartboard or an LCD projector, and to be quite honest when I did learn of these things, they frightened me because they were so unfamiliar to me. Today I fight for the use of the lab and its projectors, and I had to offer my room as a ‘storage space’ in order to get my smartboard (which I am now the guardian of).   Boy, how things have changed in just seven years!

I can see this rapid change already in the short time that I’ve been taking this course.  In January of this year I knew absolutely nothing about blogs, wikis. RSS feeds, podcasts, etc. I thought MySpace was a scary place that I would never visit in fear of what I might see.  Obviously I was wrong.  I learned that these new technologies are not something to be afraid of but something to learn about and understand.  In the past three months my learning has grown exponentially.

So with this accelerating change that is taking place, it stands to reason that 2020 will be an exciting time for education.  Technology seems to trickle through education starting at the collegiate level and working its way down the line.  In seventh grade we are further down in that line.   It seems to take some time before we get the newest technologies available.  It might take us until 2020 to be able to provide some of these high tech tools.  In 2020, I can envision my class being set up similarly to this PLS course that I am taking now.  I could have my lessons set up in modules, and all work would be completed on the computer.  Organizationally, that would be a perfect teaching set-up for my classroom.  I envision a paperless classroom with laptops for everyone with wireless Internet.  No more scrambling to schedule the computer lab; my classroom would be a computer lab itself.  I can also envision learning through collaboration with other classrooms anywhere and everywhere around the world.  (Skype showed me how possible this can and will be!)  Group projects will be easier than ever to set up through the use of wikis, and all of my students will have their own blogs where they can share their feelings on the topics that we are covering and get class credit for those responses.  No longer will being absent be an excuse for not having something done.  All of my students will have as much access out of school as they do in school to the assignments that are given.  Who knows, maybe I’ll develop a wonderful radio voice and broadcast my class for anyone who can’t be there that day through a podcast.  Even students that were in class can access that podcast after the lesson for review.  Oh, the wonderful benefits of technology!

The world of 2020 will definitely be different than today.  It is difficult to predict the changes that will come about between now and then.  Education will continue with the shift of knowing where to find information as opposed to committing information to rote memory.  This is where new technologies will come into play.  Any new innovation that allows students to find the information that they need will be incorporated into their daily lives, and we as teachers will not only need to keep up with all of these changes, but we will also need to find some way of turning these innovations into educational tools.  That’s what we do.  To us, everything has an educational purpose, and teachers are usually the ones that find that useful educational benefit.  Look at the ipod.  I’m sure that the inventor of the ipod did not initially intend for it to be turned into an educational tool, but now it can be used to listen to your favorite book or podcast program.  This is a good example of what we as educators can do with modern technology to turn it into something educational.  Very neat, indeed!

All I know is that by the year 2020 I will have been teaching for 19 years (God willing!) and trying to guess where we will be at that time makes my mind spin!  Change is definitely coming, (psst…it’s already here!) and I for one want to be ready.   I know I will be willing to learn about any new technology that will be beneficial to my students.  I want to know enough to be able to use the most innovative and up-to-date tools available, whatever they may be at the time, to prepare my students for their futures.  Oh, wait, that is pretty mush what I am doing now!  The difference will be in the tools and the methods I use to do it.  What will those tools and methods be?  Only time and innovation will tell.

     I have chosen http://backpackit.com/ to discuss for this assignment.  As I examined the web applications that were listed, this one stuck out to me. 

     I have a student right now whose lack of organization is killing is his grade.  He is very intelligent, but he never has the materials that he needs.  If he does manage to bring the right stuff to class, it’s not done anyway so there is no progress being made.  He reminds me of a cyclone.  He swoops into my room with his papers all scattered and disheveled, and by the time he leaves my class, he has gained speed because I’ve added more papers to the twister.  It’s really a very sad situation because the ability is there.

     Because this student seems to do well with hands on projects, I would suggest using the computer and the web application backpackit.com.  Backpackit.com offers calendars to help this student get organized. Color coding is a nice feature that backpackit offers to help this student prioritize the things that need to get done.   Backpackit.com also generates reminders of assignments for him.  These reminders can be e-mailed to the student or sent via text message.  This student can create to-do lists to help him get organized and to help get things done.

     It’s amazing how organization can hinder the educational process.  Backpackit.com tries to alleviate this problem to allow learning to be achieved. 

 How would a paperless class change your role as a teacher?

I would have to buy myself a laptop.  Right now I spend my time organizing and correcting the papers that my students turn in.  If my class went paperless, the organization would be taken care of for me.  No longer could a student claim that they turned something in when they didn’t because the postings would either be there or not.  As a teacher, I would have to become very skilled in the technologies that my students will be using.  It’s important to know the ins and outs of what my students are working with so that I can intelligently answer questions and investigate any glitches that may occur. 

How would paperless classes change learning?

A paperless classroom could definitely enrich my students’ learning.  When using the Internet, the opportunities for enrichment are endless.  As it mentioned in the Columbia article, a paperless classroom gives students the opportunity to incorporate many different types of media which will enhance their work. 

How would you measure learning in a paperless class?

The same methods of assessment that I use now would work for a paperless classroom.  I don’t think that going paperless changes learning so much that we need to change everything that we do now.  Some rubrics may need a few modifications to adapt to the paperless classroom, but learning is still learning.  A paperless classroom simply offers a new method of achieving this learning. 

Would a paperless space make it easier or harder to build a learning network? Why?

Definitely easier.  Look at the learning network that was built by this class in the past eight weeks.  The connections that are available to students are as endless as the Internet itself.  Not only do they get to connect with the teacher, they get to connect with other classmates as well as anyone else that can access their work, and the feedback serves as an excellent motivator for students to put forth their best efforts.

Big Shift #5: Know “Where” Learning

This particular shift resonates with me because I’m always telling my students that it isn’t so important that you know all of the answers; it’s that you know where and how to look for them.  I believe that the purpose of education is to give my students the tools that they will need to be able to go out and find the answers to questions that they have.

How has this shift affected your teaching practice so far?

Because this is my philosophy, it really hasn’t changed my teaching practices as much as it has fashioned them.  A good example of this is having my students write bibliographies.  I don’t make them ‘memorize’ the patterns for citing sources.  I allow them to look up those patterns for different sources (find them in our handbook) and then I expect them to be able to use the patterns that they have found to write their bibliographies.  They simply need to know where to find these patterns in order to use them.

How do you expect it might affect you in the future?

In the future I can foresee spending more time on teaching students how to decide upon the validity of a source.  If they are out there looking for information, they have to be able to tell how useful and valid the information is that they find.

Have your views changed since you started this course?

I can’t say that my views have changed since I started this course, but I will say that this course has reaffirmed my belief that knowing where to look for the answers is just as important as the answers themselves.  If I can teach my students where and how to look for information that they need, they will be ready for any challenges that come their way.

How can you use technology to facilitate this shift in your own classroom?

Any type of research that is needed will be done via the Internet.  Any type of project requires some type of software program to be completed.   That is where the technology comes into play.  In my classroom I will use these technologies to teach my students to look for answers and to evaluate their sources and not accept every piece of information that they run across is the first step. 

Post to your blog a response to one of the arguments summarized by one of the other groups on their wiki. Do you agree or disagree with the statements made? Why? Be sure to provide a link to the wiki page you’re responding to in your post. If you use any other sources in your response, be sure to cite those as well.  

After examining the wiki that was in support of connectivism, I found two statements that stuck out to me, one I agreed with and one I didn’t.  http://bcejan08pls.wikispaces.com/For+Connectivism 

“An individual can do significantly more with the aid of a computer than was ever possible in the past.” 

-I don’t know how anyone could disagree with this statement.  In our technological world being without a computer often makes a person feel as though they are powerless to accomplish anything.  I, myself, have experienced this feeling in my classroom when my computer is hooked up to my smartboard, and I can’t check my e-mail or put grades into the computer because they would be broadcasted to the entire room.  There is no doubt that a computer aids in accomplishing tasks, but I think this says more about the world we are living in than it does as support for connectivism. 

“The connections that enable us to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing.”

-I don’t agree with this statement.  I do believe that the networks that connectivism refers to are important, but I think that the ‘current state of knowing’ is just as important.  This prior knowledge is equally important when it comes to learning something new.  According to connectivism without this prior knowledge a whole new node would have to be formed in order for a person to learn any new information.  This is the entire basis behind connectivism, the formation and networking of nodes, so I don’t see how the current state of knowing can be less important than the connections that are needed in order to process this newly acquired information. 

After taking another look at connectivism from both sides, I realized just how complex and controversial this theory is.  Some parts of this theory I agree with; others I would need to explore a bit more before I am convinced of their validity.

One of the main ideas of connectivism is that we learn through our connections with others. On your blog, post your reflection on your experience connecting with another educator using Skype. How might you use Skype in the future to either connect with other teachers or to help your students connect? What do you hope to gain by using this technology?

My attempt at using Skype was not totally successful because I don’t have a microphone so I couldn’t talk to anyone.  However, I was able to leave some messages for a few of you.  This got me thinking about my next computer.  My computer right now is eight years old and very outdated.  We are getting a new computer this summer, and I definitely want to get one with a microphone so I can test out Skype.  This technology can be a benefit both personally and professionally.

Personally, I could keep in touch with family and friends.  Yes, this could be done with a cell phone, but with Skype it would be so much better because of the video capabilities.  It would be a ‘video phone’, and seeing the faces of friends and family would be almost like being in the same room with them.

Professionally, the possibilities are endless.  Some of the suggestions that I read about were very interesting.  Videoconferencing with other classes and mentoring other teachers were the two applications that really stood out to me.  The videoconferencing would be beneficial when we do our Christmas unit.  They students work with a partner and research Christmas in another country.  They talk about the food, customs, decorations, and religious traditions of their country.  With Skype we would be able to talk directly with students from that particular country and get the information first hand from a native citizen.  Mentoring teachers was another possibility that Skype offers.  You could get or give feedback on a lesson that was being taught and critique the techniques used to teach the lesson.  This would be very beneficial to a young teacher.

By using Skype I hope to gain an authentic human response in both vision and audio.  They won’t be just reading about a topic off of the Internet; they will be experiencing first hand a human response to the questions that they have.  It is that response that will make learning real for my students.

 Podcasts in the Classroom

In my class just yesterday we studied idioms.  The students always enjoy working with idioms and it is a fun lesson to do, but I always struggle with an interesting introduction into the topic.  This podcast that I found might change all of that. http://cdn3.libsyn.com/diemrob/Lesson164.mp3

How I Would Use this Podcast in the Classroom

          The podcast that I found is called The Daily Idiom.  It would be an excellent way to introduce idioms in my class.  I could also refer back to it for at least a week or so depending on the students’ interest to review idioms with my students and to check their understanding of new idioms that are featured. 

Rationale  

        This podcast fits in well for my students.  They seem to need repetition, and because this particular podcast is given daily, I could provide that for them at the beginning of every class for a week or so.  It has review questions at the end of the podcast that discuss idioms from previous days.  It gives multiple examples that provide interest to the students.  (For example, I slapped my little brother to put him in his place.)  It also discusses variations of the idiom featured.  I also feel that it is beneficial to give my students another voice to listen to.  Often times they need a different tone or perspective on a topic for it to really sink in.  This podcast provides that for them.

Flickr Possibilities

As I was looking over the material for this section, my initial idea for using Flickr in my classroom was to use it as a story starter for a creative writing prompt.  Students could choose a picture and create a story that goes along with that picture.  As I explored Flickr and read chapter 7, I found my ideas to be valid.  “Random Writes” was a suggestion given in the book as a way of using Flickr in the classroom.  There were only slight differences from the “Random Writes” lesson and my own.  In the “Random Writes” lesson a student types in a tag and uses the first picture that is listed with that tag.  I hadn’t thought of that.  It is a nice variation to my lesson idea.

Going along with my creative writing prompt lesson, I chose a random picture on Flickr to use as an example.  There is a man carrying skis in the picture.  He will serve as the main character in the creative writing story.  From the picture students can develop their characters, their setting, and their plot for the story they will create.  It would be a really interesting way to have students begin and focus their writing.  It would also make a nice visual for the class to see as students read their stories aloud.  All in all, Flickr would be a welcomed addition to ‘spice up’ the creative writing prompt.

Image Citation:

Ctirpak. (2008, February 10). 20080206-P2064152. Ctirpak’s Photostream. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctirpak/2256559981/ .

Wikis in Your Classroom

· Is there a particular example of a classroom wiki which inspired you?

I thought the wiki that was created for the Peru Conference was interesting. It was a neat way to have students research and have their research verified by the students in Peru.

·  What was most challenging about creating a wiki together as a group in Activity 5-C-1?

I find this to be very challenging.  The biggest reason for this was because of my inexperience with using a wiki.  I was afraid of messing things up for my partners.  It was also tough to get started because I’m sure all three of us had different visons as to what we were creating.  Through the discussion area we were able to work through this, but that took time to develop. 

·  What did you learn from the group wiki project?

The wiki didn’t seem to work well when we were trying to edit at the same time. It worked out better when only one person was editing at a time.  I also learned the in’s and out’s of using a wiki. 

· Has your opinion of Wikipedia changed at all this week?

To be honest I didn’t know a lot about Wikipedia before this week, and what I did know wasn’t good.  Throughout this week, I learned what Wikipedia is as well as some useful ways for using it in my classroom.  I learned about the pros and cons of this site.

· Are you encountering resistance to using wikis in your class, either from others or from yourself? If so, how do you plan to respond?

I have not encountered any resistance as of yet. I don’t know of any teacher in my school that is using this technology.  I would imagine that as long as I can show the benefits for using wikis in my classroom there wouldn’t be a problem.  As far as the benefits go, that should be easy.  The collaboration between students would be the most important of these benefits.

I would like to start off by thanking Mindy, Tom, and Mary for helping me choose my topic for the blogical discussion forum.  When I heard that we needed to discuss an educational topic, I was truly at a loss as to what mine would be.  Because of the questions that were posted on Tom’s blogical discussion last week, I came up with my topic, MyAccess.

Take a look. http://www.vantagelearning.com/myaccess/news.html

My Access is an Internet website that helps students better their writing skills.  The students are given a prompt to write about, and when they submit their work, they get almost instant feedback in the five major areas of writing as well as a holistic score.  The program provides a ‘my editor’ option that is a spell and grammar check for students that not only suggests a change, but explains why there is a problem with their work.  Each time the students submit their work and receive their scores, they also receive a revision plan that helps them to know what they should do to fix-up their writing.  They have the opportunity to revise and edit as many times as they need to in order to get a higher score. 

            The thing that I love about MyAccess is the revising and editing that takes place.  In order to get a higher score, a student must make changes to their original draft.  Getting students to see the value of revising and editing has probably been the most challenging thing I have faced as an English teacher.  Students think that if they write it once, it is ‘good enough’.  There is no way around revising and editing with MyAccess.

            Motivation is another reason that I love using this tool.  As I mentioned, the students receive instant feedback.  In the lab you can hear comments like, “Yes, I got a 4!” and, “I can’t believe I only got a 2 on that!”  They love working to do better.  It’s like they have the control to get the higher score.  The objectivity of the program is another positive aspect.  Sometimes I think that the students think that I don’t like them so I don’t give them a high score on their essays.  Using the MyAccess program takes a subjective thing like scoring essays and makes it objective.

            MyAccess does have its problems just like any other form of artificial intelligence.  The program often tells students that they have misspelled a word if it is a name or a place that is not found in the program’s dictionary. Sometimes certain expressions that students use are recognized as incorrect because the computer does not pick up on sarcasm or hyperbole.  The thing to remember, though, is that it is still a ‘computer’ that is calculating the scores, not a person.  The students know that if something like this occurs they need to alert me about the problem, and I can manually go in and adjust the grade.  MyAccess also gives the teacher the opportunity to embed comments into a student’s work to provide additional feedback.

            All in all I have found MyAccess to be an invaluable tool for writing.  As Dr. Larry Bosley says in his podcast (http://www.vantagelearning.com/myaccess/), MyAccess is helping students to better their writing skills at almost every level of their educational experience.  It is a motivational, objective tool that helps my students to revise and edit their way to better writing!