CEDO 525 Thoughts about Theory

I am excited to get this new class started because I think that any learning that can be achieved through the use of technology has merit. That being said, I am cautiously optimistic about how useful the strategies we learn can be when implemented in our classrooms. My students are a fascinating study in that many do not value their education. In their defense, many will be attending a technical college after high school in order to learn a trade. That fact alone makes it difficult to get students excited about language arts, being that once they leave high school, they will probably never again sit in a language arts classroom. The majority of my students want to do the least amount of work, and they really aren't motivated by grades. With that fact alone, making connections to literature is a difficult task, and one that I love. I want to implement strategies that will allow my students to take ownership in their work. Perhaps somewhere along the line, students never learned quality study habits, and that is something that I can teach to them. But the motivation factor is a slippery slope. How do we motivate the unmotivated, who could really care less about challenging themselves in the classroom? I am lucky to have twenty of my students, in classes of thirty, attend class on a regular basis. I need to find a way to motivate students to come to class, and then find ways to make their experiences rewarding. I think that the first article we read addresses some of my concerns. Nothing that I read was new, but I think it served as a good reminder of being clear with objectives and policies at the beginning of the year.
The second article was a challenge to read. I work in a district that is hungry for data, but the data in the reading was really outdated. That being said, finding any correlation between implementing technology and student achievement is encouraging. I would like to see, and there probably is, a study done in the last couple years concerning the same issues. With technology changing so rapidly, I would think that students in our graduate program would benefit more from more current results. But as I said, I am encouraged by the findings of the study, and hope to learn more about implementing technology in my classes with a measurable increase in learning.
Overall, I think the start of this class has been rewarding and has gotten me thinking more about changes I would like to make for next year. With whatever I change, I want to make sure that it benefits my students, and that improvements can be measured. I don't want to simply abandon what I have been doing, but I am always looking for ways to do it better. I will start with helping students with organization and study skills, and hopefully find some technological tools that will help them be more successful at the beginning of the year. At that point, I want to build on those skills by adding the motivation factor. Hopefully, this year will bring more positive results, and help students prepare for what is yet to come in their lives. :)

CEDO 520 Musings #4

There is no question that I am an overprotective parent. If you are familiar with the commercial, I am like the mom that wraps her children in bubble wrap before allowing them to ride their bikes. In my defense, I believe that the current times necessitate this protective nature, and I would rather error on the side of keeping my children too safe (if there is such a thing). At the risk of waxing nostalgic, when I was growing up, it seemed like a safer world in which we lived. My parents would often let my siblings and me run around unattended in public places, leave us in unlocked cars, and allow us to travel alone to parks. Now perhaps, unbeknownst to me, my parents were hoping that someone would permanently relieve them of their parental duties. But I will rationalize that this behavior by my parents was simply an illustration on how the world was safer for children. My mother would often quip, after I had wandered off in a store only to return later, how she was hoping that I would have gone home with someone else. We will save the psychological trauma and socialization issues that this caused me for a later post. :) But the fact remains that my parents never worried about us being abducted, assaulted, or terrorized in any way.
I think it would be foolish to assume that my children will be safe in the current world. I remember the first time one of my children wandered off in the store. My heart stopped beating for a moment, and when I regained consciousness, I was ready to employ the armed forces in a search and rescue effort. As it turns out, my son had accompanied my wife to a different area of the store. But the point is that we need to be aware of the dangers that exist for our children and develop a plan to always keep them safe.
Sadly, I know that the time will come where I will not be considered the great protector, but I will always view my children and my wife as my most important investments. That being said, I will do whatever I can to keep them safe, regardless of their age. This point became clear to me when I was a junior in college. One of my sisters came home from a night out and was assaulted in my parent's yard. She could always take care of herself, but she perhaps put herself in a situation that could have been avoided. But that is not a knock against my sister, insomuch as it is evidence that there are predators lurking where we least expect it. My parents put me under house arrest for the next few weeks after the suspect had been apprehended because they knew that if I had my way the legal system would be the least of this individual's worries. And now my protective nature is focused on my children.
My children are starting to explore the internet, and I know that my wife and I need to play an active role in their education concerning the pitfalls of its use. We always know sites where our children have visited, and have ultimate veto power when it comes to computer use. But more importantly, we have started to educate our children about being cautious concerning the internet. It is easy to be lulled into a sense of security and to think that nothing bad could ever happen to us. I never want my children to be naive about their safety. Even things that are seemingly innocuous can prove dangerous. Having my children educated about responsible use of the internet and by monitoring their usage, I feel better about the chances concerning keeping my children safe. Will I ever take the bubble wrap off of my children? The answer is probably not, but I do want to empower them to make the right choices, and in turn, give them the best chances for being safe, both in the world and cyberspace.

CEDO 520 Musings #3

Whereas a craftsman never blames his tools, he still must find the right tool for the job. Prior to choosing the tools, the purpose of the task must be identified, and then the correct tool or tools can be chosen. I have already identified the task to be accomplished involves the integration of technology, with a purpose, into my classroom. To this point, cursory attention has been given to the technological tools that might enhance the learning of my students. In years past, I have used the excuse that technology integration took longer than it was worth, and in doing so, continued my usual methods of instruction. But as the needs of my students have evolved, my teaching style should also evolve to meet those needs. As I build my arsenal of tools throughout this program, I am amazed at how the technological landscape has evolved. There is no question that students are technologically savvy, but they need to be challenged to use technology in new ways, and ultimately develop work through this technology that is far superior than they have done before. To that end, I am excited about the tools that we have examined for this class. Adobe Buzzword is an intriguing tool in that it poses a viable alternative to Google docs. I have introduced Google docs to my classes and have found the process to be both rewarding and challenging. I am not 100% sure that "docs" is the best source for online word processing, yet there is a notable advantage in utilizing Google exclusively for its many tools. Buzzword does basically the same tasks as Google docs, but appeals more to the eye. Should I stick to what I know with Google and help students overcome some limitations, or should I introduce students to different tools and let them decide which ones they like the best? I do like the fact that having students all use the same service makes it considerably easier to troubleshoot issues, but I don't want to compromise quality in the process. I will have to continue trying other online word processing tools like Thinkfree and Openoffice before I make that determination.
Of all the tools we looked at, TokBox is the most intriguing, and one that I definitely will introduce to my students. The ability to meet online without geographic limitations is something that would help students who either can't drive or have hectic schedules. The fact that video messages can be emailed is a nice alternative to the current email method.
The whole concept of online meeting is a cool option to pursue in general. I have always chuckled at the advice of having a "sub" folder, replete with daily lessons, in case I am absent. Whereas I have the folder, I hate the fact that the lesson of the day would have nothing to do with what students were currently studying. This disjointed lesson would be viewed by my students as nothing more than filler, and they would treat any subsequent work as a waste of time. I am curious about Wimba and Elluminate as a way to get current lessons to my students. At the same time, I will stick to services that I can afford like WiziQ and Dimdim. But all of these products would provide me with a way to get meaningful lessons to my students, without putting a burden on the substitute teacher. Although the lesson would be asynchronous, I think that students would appreciate the fact that, even though I wasn't physically in the room with them, they are still learning the current material. That is not to say that this option if perfect. Obviously, writing a lesson plan for a substitute teacher involving pressing the play button on the VCR is far less time consuming than providing an online lesson, but if I knew one of my offspring was going to be home from school, I think the online lesson might have some value. In the perfect world, lectures could be made available to those who are absent, but finding the time to create these lessons, and more importantly, getting students to view them would be challenges to overcome.
Obviously, there are many other tools that will help make me a more productive teacher, and in turn, make my students more successful. Now that the foundation for this knowledge has been established, it is important for me to develop this knowledge and determine how this technology can be utilized to meet the needs of my students.

CEDO 520 Musings #2

As this year has come to a close, my reflection on the year has left me in a state of melancholy. When I was hired, I was told that grades would not be a motivating factor for my students to do quality work, or even to do work at all. Being the optimist, I thought that my passion for literature would magically transfer to my students, and that they would willingly immerse themselves into their studies. Unfortunately, the administration's sage advice proved prophetic, and I feel that I have failed my students. Never before had I seen students so willing to fail my class because they didn't want to submit missing assignments. Even when counseled that a submission of a sheet of paper with a name and some meaningless drivel would suffice and allow them to pass the class, many opted to repeat 18 weeks of hell. Obviously, expectations of my impact on students' achievement, as well as students' attitudes as a whole fell well short of the desired outcome.
I did not become a teacher to give up on my students, even when they have given up on themselves. After talking with one of my colleagues that shares the responsibility with the lower achieving students, we have concluded that a change of philosophy is needed for our students to be successful. Although it may be disappointing, we can no longer expect students to empathize with the ethical battle faced by Huckleberry Finn, nor be amused by the misanthropic nature of Holden Caufield. The words on the pages of our beloved novels currently hold no meaning for our students, but that is where technology can help. Everything that I am learning in this program will be evaluated as a possible tool to get students excited about learning. There is one thing that I have found does interest my students, and that one thing is technology. Now it is essential that I find and develop the technological tools that will help the unmotivated become motivated.
I think that a good starting point will be the introduction of Noodle tools and Google alerts. I was amazed at the response of my students this year when I had them create a Google docs account. Students who hadn't submitted anything to that point were the first to complete that assignment. Part of the problem lies in the fact that somewhere along the line the blueprint on how to be successful in school was misplaced or never fully understood by my students. Noodle tools will be a great starting point to help reestablish or create a blueprint for success in my classroom, and hopefully give students tools that will serve them for a lifetime. Google alerts allows students to be weened off their apathetic habits by having the information come to them. With the information coming to my students, I can then focus my attention on how to help students decipher the information received, and to ultimately use this information in an effective manner. By introducing Noodle tools and Google alerts in the beginning of the year, I think that my students will have a better chance of being successful in the classroom and in their lives outside of school.