Technology 101 Redux

I will try to avoid too much overlap between this post and my initial post. I have been excited and frustrated with my experiences so far in class. I am excited with the opportunities provided to learn about tools to make my teaching more efficient and effective. At the same time, my fledgling knowledge of technology has limited my enjoyment of what should be an enjoyable journey. I have found myself making a significant investment in time without yielding a satisfying return on that investment. As Ben Hogan displayed in his approach to golf by stating that the answers are "found in the dirt", I feel that becoming more proficient with technology can be found through constant work in our classroom, hopefully building a solid base of information that can be continually expanded. Hogan had to develop the fundamentals first, then build upon those fundamentals through further exploration. To this point, I have struggled with understanding the fundamentals, and that has significantly slowed the overall learning process.

But the opportunities provided to us in class give me hope for my future in education. I know that I have to evolve my teaching style, but I have often been reluctant because I didn't have confidence with technology. Our experiences with Ning, Blogger, Delicious, WizIQ, Google Docs and Dim Dim have certainly given me some tools that should help me be successful with technology. Now the question becomes how to use these tools, not for the sake of using them, but to utilize the functionality that each provides.

For finding and sharing information in the language arts, Delicious has been a nice tool to this point. I am constantly receiving bookmarks concerning my subject area, essentially developing a far broader research base than I could possibly create on my own. Resources can be shared within departments, allowing members to build on common ground, not only within the department, but within the language arts community across the globe.

Ning and Blogger provide great communication tools for students and parents. Our school system currently uses Webgrader, so parents are a click away from checking student progress. What I like about Ning and Blogger is that I should be able to do a much better job communicating class information overall, so that parents can be more informed about what their son/daughter will be doing in the class. Ning might be a better tool for students to obtain information about the class, much the same way as we use it, whereas parents might be better served through the use of a blog. Either way, both tools provide excellent opportunities to continue building the communication bridge between the classroom and home.

Dim Dim and WizIQ might be great opportunities for online collaborative work either between my classes, or classes elsewhere in the world. I like the fact that classroom walls don't really exist anymore, and that opportunities to learn can extend as far as one chooses to reach. I do believe it will be a challenge to get MY students excited about these tools, because they would actually have to take ownership of their education. That is not meant to be a kick in the teeth to my students. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world, but I do know it would be a challenge getting them excited about using these resources. Many would probably come around, but then maturity issues might be a concern. These are good problems to try and solve, and not prohibiting factors for using the technology. Just as we had to troubleshoot some issues from our early meetings, the process would become more successful with experience.

Google Docs is probably the tool hottest on my radar at this point. I have been playing with the idea of creating a paperless classroom, and I think that Docs could help me achieve this process. Students should have less problems with printers, flash drives, or compatibility between word processors. I like that it is an easy tool for collaboration, and that it allows students and me to track revisions along the way. For me, I need to use Docs more before I fully unleash it on my classes. I currently still produce all my documents in Pages, then cut and past into Docs. I know my current practice is unnecessary, but it is difficult to break old habits. As I continue to learn more about Google Docs, my proficiency should logically increase, and I will be able to ween myself off of the old ways.

So my frustration with essentially "not being good at any of this" has taken a backseat to the possibilities that these tools provide to enhance classroom instruction. I am sure that in the years to come, the landscape of my classes will be significantly different, and in turn, be closer to fulfilling the age old purpose for teaching; meeting the needs of my students.

Another Digital Storytelling Tool (Voki.com)

A Voki can be a fun way to deliver emails or short video lessons in the classroom through the use of an avatar. This is a free service, and allows you to create messages by using a talking avatar. Your avatar speaks through a computer generated voice, your own voice, or a combination of voice and music as an MP3 file. I have had a lot of fun with this tool. Check it out if you get the chance.


Get a Voki now!

Animoto (A great digital storytelling tool)

Animoto (A great digital storytelling tool)

If you have ever wanted to make slide show presentations of your pictures set to music, then you might want to take a look at animoto.com This site allows you to make quality video productions in manner that even the technologically challenged can be successful. The site has different payment plans depending on your needs, and I think provides excellent value for the price. I have used this service for weddings, memorials, award programs, and simply to do something fun with the thousands of digital photos I have accumulated. If you get a chance, check it out. :)

Technology 101

When I think back to my high school experience, I was fortunate to have truly engaging teachers from which to learn. They all had a command of their subject matter and a deft touch concerning classroom management. Information was delivered through 45 minute lectures, and students later regurgitated back essential information on assessments. I enjoyed the lecture style and relying on the teacher as my source for information. My teachers had significant influence on my wanting to become a teacher. They provided a model of how teachers could be successful in the classroom. This model has translated to my own teaching style, logically not far removed from those early influences.
As I fast forward to 2009, I wonder how many of my teachers would be successful in today's classroom, and in doing so, I should also question how successful I am in the classroom. Obviously we adapt to the environment that we are in, and I am sure my teachers would have adapted their styles to meet the needs of today's students. I am excited to begin this metamorphosis through the MEIT program to help further evolve my own teaching style. I am not a fan of cliches, but it might be difficult to teach this old dog some new tricks. I have had trouble integrating technology in my classroom because of my fledgling knowledge of technology itself. It seemingly takes me longer to prepare a lesson using technology than any other human on the planet. The culmination of my efforts utilizing technology has usually yielded poor results with student learning, and in turn, made me hesitant to continue trying new ways to deliver information.
But now I have the vehicle to change my past failures with technology and successfully utilize new tools to meet the needs of my students. I have been impressed with the technology that has been introduced so far in the program. My current school has also given me the opportunity to learn more about technology through a class that meets twice a month. The combination of both programs will certainly raise my technology IQ, and show me ways to constantly improve my teaching style.
The social bookmarking site delicious has certainly caught my eye. The LMC director at my school is constantly sending bookmarks to me pertaining to my subject area. I like how one can search and build resources through shared experiences, rather than relying solely on self to find materials. This online collaboration tool can only help with building useful materials to be utilized in my classroom.
Online collaboration has me thinking about utilizing google docs in my classroom to create a paperless environment. I would love to be able to track student changes as they edit their work, hopefully providing them with an environment to really develop their writing skills. The old method of submitting papers once only to have them returned covered in criticism spewed forth from the evil red pen, has proven effective only in filling the recycle bin in my room. Students currently look at their papers only for the grade without giving any real thought to how they can improve their writing. I hope that Google Docs will provide an outlet for real growth in student writing abilities.
If I am any good at what I do in the classroom, I need to provide the best method of delivery for information to my students. I have not forgotten the model that my teachers have provided for me to follow, and I want to continue to improve what they taught me about being a successful teacher.