I appreciate the thought process your article takes in going through this idea. Especially the part about how students look at encyclopedias vs digital information(googling). And I agree it is their mindset.
One of the incredible things about being only 26 is that I believe I may be in a group of the oldest digital natives there are. We hopped on board in college when it was picking up speed, and can often get to see both perspectives. So I understand how they feel about digital information, and why natives prefer it over traditional libraries and books.
It has to do a lot with the speed at which it can be updated, and the fact that it takes the form in a sort of communication. For instance, something found on google can be changed the next time we visit it. Whereas a book has to wait for the next edition(could take a year). Also, how often can a reader communicate with the author(like I’m doing now) or other fellow readers, experts etc… It’s why I think that blogs, wikis, and forums are the next big step for education.
Now how do we tap into this? Encourage them to search things out by googling. We can’t discourage it because we think they might find the wrong information. What we have to do is push them away from copying the information and never looking back. They need to communicate. If they can learn to talk to the author, and the community that surrounds the information they have found, then they can begin to find answers in a collaborative environment.
It is just as wrong for natives to say that it is right because they found it google, as it is for immigrants to say it’s right because it got published in a book.
It has always been easy for me to conceptualize the reading process and make attempt to teach the process. It was always easier to teach to standards than it was to teach reading. I think blogging has help me visualize and understand how important the collaboration, writing, and thinking is to reading.
I would like to thank all those who attended this presentation today. I can’t begin to tell you what I learned from you.
Twitter is such a great way to connect and I think also it is important to talk about the term “microblogging.” Many don’t realize that twitter can be done from a cell phone via text message (and to a cell phone for that matter) which means that you can link up your students who don’t have computers but may have cell phones. I think microblogging has great potential.
SNelson on January 24, 2008 3:12 am
Thank you for sharing your blog, Bill. I have enjoyed reading your thoughts and checking out some of the links. See you in class!
I love the fact that I was going to reply to your comment on my blog with “just use THIS as your post today” and here it is! In my opinion, that’s what blogging’s all about – letting your thoughts out. If you have to do it as a comment on someone else’s blog, so be it! I understand the feeling of needing to post every day, although I’m sure our readers wouldn’t perish if we missed You’re doing a wonderful job and although it’s tough to write sometimes, it’s just like exercise, you always feel better when you finish!
Ed Gosnell on January 26, 2008 8:14 pm
Great blog. ed
paula on January 29, 2008 4:18 am
Bill, this is all very good, and much more professional than anything else I have been seeing. I can tell you have spent a great deal of time with all of this and it shows. I myself have only been using blogging for personal communication with my family. I have little support here, and few who seem to “get” it. In our district we are blocked at every turn, and the real point of Web 2 tools seems to be missed on those who manage the equipment. I am going to bookmark your page and that of the classroom 2 group so that I can follow what you are are doing. It is obvious you are a dedicated professional with much to offer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights.
Bill,
I enjoyed the article Blogging in The Third Grade! Since my certification or endorsement is in the elementary education field it was great information. The link Adventures in Blogging With Third Grades provided an excellent example or model on how to blog in elementary school. It provided great online safety tips and practical ways on how to introduce the concept to third grades. Your blog has so much information, links and categories. I will have to tag it and come back again.
Gabriella
I visited the Earth and Sky Link to this post and found some pages that may be useful with my final project. Even though this is designed for middle school students some of the Kids link may work for fourth grade. I will take more time to review this pages and see if anything is useful. You have so much information in this blog. It is really great!
Thought provoking AND entertaining to read. Wow, what if week one really were like that?!
Gerry Yates on January 31, 2008 11:59 pm
I am still learning the ins and outs of blogging in the Web 2.0 course. You seem to have it down pat. Your comments on blogging were very helpful to help me understand the purpose and benefits of blogging. I have only created the one for this class and tonight I am attempting to comment on classmates’ blogs. I have gotten in trouble a couple of times-losing the comments, forgetting my google password, and my computer loaded one blog over 40 times. It is good to have some people in this course who know what they are doing.
paula on February 1, 2008 12:47 am
Now that is the future! I have no doubt the students could do this. What fun to learn this way… I can only imagine a classroom or school equipped with the tools needed for these activities. I know of some very well funded schools in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis (Carmel/Fishers area) that do require all students in their high schools to have laptops. They use Macs, and much of the work is submitted electronically. These are public schools in a very affluent area where the tax base is quite high. I doubt that I will ever see that in Northern Beaufort County, so this would truly be a dream! Perhaps the state will see fit to equip each school with laptops for every student instead of text books in the next decade (or two) but until then at least this can be a dream! Thinking positive Bill, great ideas…
bluehose on February 3, 2008 4:50 am
I enjoyed your thoughts on blogging. I think the personal reflection is what I’m liking the most about blogging. I also think it is addicting to have online conversations, to know that someone else cares about what you think, that someone else is passionate about the things you are passionate about. I think students will love this as well.
Mary
Lisa Conrath on February 3, 2008 4:16 pm
I love your thoughts on blogging and additionally love the comments that you leave for me! I like the idea of using a blog like an online journal/diary. What a good idea to use you blog to record your thoughts! You have such great ideas!
[...] The reading teacher in me is surfacing as I read through the Marshall Memo 219 on Monday. Reading instruction must be top priority in all K-12 classrooms. Recent blog post I have focused on reading process in blogging and how we can use tools from our tech savvy world to teach students the process of reading. There are teachers in classrooms across America that are great reading teachers and raising student achievement. However, we have to move forward with the new tools we have. These are the tools they need for their future. Read My Dream Classroom. [...]
paula on February 5, 2008 3:25 am
I recently read that Florida is going to try electronic texts at certain levels- Now in light of all of the research that you cite in this latest entry, do you think that coupled with the web tools we are focusing on now that this may be a way to meet student needs and cut costs as well? and… how do we get school districts to ease up on all of these web restrictions and rules which are not compatible with many tools teachers may try to meet the needs of today’s new learners? Good ideas and very thought provoking content in this latest post- I am reading at this blog frequently! My feelings are that where I am in the state, we will continue to be in the day late dollar short category, with tech in a constant battle with teachers and schools.
Robin on February 6, 2008 3:38 pm
Enjoyed your live blogging session and being able to Twitter some comments as well. The Literacy Coach and I kept tabs on your session between our classes!
Thanks for being such a visionary!!
Ranie Toemmes on February 7, 2008 8:17 pm
Cool idea. I think this definitely comes in handy with k-5 teachers because we teach so many different things. This will make using our web resources so much easier to utilize in our classes.
I also like the social aspect and the ability to share with others.I really enjoyed this . Can’t wait to go to the site.
Pamela Freeman on February 8, 2008 12:32 am
Okay, when do William, Lynn, and Pamela start editing their documents? I call Australia!
[...] Post: South Carolina Reading Initiative (live blog [...]
bluehose on February 9, 2008 3:09 am
You are the TechMan! I love how you took what we have been learning in class and “passed it forward.” This will be a great benefit to those who use your blog.
Mary
Jason Schreiber on February 10, 2008 1:57 pm
This is a pretty cool idea. I didn’t know that a service that this was avaliable. If I was a classroom teacher that used the internet in their teaching this would definitely help.
Jason Schreiber on February 10, 2008 3:07 pm
I found the video very helpfull even though you were having some computer problems. HAHA.
Virginia Richardson on February 10, 2008 7:30 pm
Neat. I have tried to keep a list of my favorite websites. My list however is not organized or tagged in anyway. The end result has been that it is often easier to use internet search to locate the valued website rather than my own list. Social bookmarking will not only allow me to keep up with these sites, but also save me time since I want have to search all over again for them. I also like the idea of being able to benefit from the searches of other people.
Tracy Dunn on February 10, 2008 10:20 pm
This is great! My favorites list has become so long at home that sometimes I can’t find what I need. Then when I go to school I have to search again and save to my computer there. I can’t wait to use this and organize!! It will also be nice to see what sites other elementary teachers find helpful.
Tracy Dunn on February 10, 2008 11:39 pm
I watched the video. It is very neat that you can teach us that way. I am getting ready to log on TrailFire and begin.
ranie toemmes on February 11, 2008 3:11 pm
Cool site. Hope to be able to use this daily. Enjoyed the video!
shanda stone on February 11, 2008 3:12 pm
Video was very informative. I’m trying it out now. Hope I can do it!
Lisa Camp on February 11, 2008 3:44 pm
I like it! This will help with organizing my favorite places on the web. Also, I think it could be very useful for teachers to share this with their students’ parents.
Faye Johnson on February 11, 2008 5:29 pm
This is something good to know. My favorites are already cluttered. I can use delicious.com to alleviate some of the mess I have. All my sites can be better organized.
This is something helpful to know. My favorites site is already full and this can help organize the files I already have. Plus, it will be good to share sites.
Trail Fire has been a life saver for me. The only problem I run into is I forget how I tag things. That can be a real problem with me. Trail Fire has be so helpful.
Great post! I hope you get volunteers to help you. I am having a meeting at the end of the month with teachers in my district who are interested in technology in the classroom. Here is what I’ve set up for our first meeting: http://loonyhiker.wikispaces.com/
The video gave me some insights on internet options. I will log into Teacher Tube to see what it is about.
Shanda Stone on February 12, 2008 7:48 pm
What a great way to share what we find with other teachers everywhere. I know I’d surely like help from others.
Virginia Richardson on February 13, 2008 12:30 am
It took a while to get started, create the trails and decide which sites I wanted to link. However, I have already used it in class to acquire quick access to some of the dictionaries for my students. I already like it.
Virginia Richardson on February 13, 2008 12:44 am
It is good to know that the tool bar can be customized so easily.
Hi Bill. I have come to visit you and enjoyed reading your post. So many of us at the beginning of the journey with these emerging technologies and I wonder if that is where we will stay as the journey just keeps getting bigger and better. Would love to keep in touch and work with you as well. Let us know if we can skype again and our literacy teacher is willing to talk to your staff, students or????? if you would like.
Great picture and I love the title! I think voice threads would be great with this.
paula on February 14, 2008 3:15 am
Bill, right now I am passionate about teaching my teachers and mainly get to test students- so I will have to pass on the quilt thing- but I did find your jan, podcast test, and am wondering what tools you may have used- I am wanting to try this with a teacher but with video, maybe a simple webcam to try it out- I am thinking I will need to save it and then upload it- I have no clue about “hosting sites” and think for my purposes this will do. There are so many security issues with kids that it is laborious to post anything that shows the students without someone pushing the panic button- but I won’t give up!
Great post! Sometimes we don’t see the fruits of our labor until years later. I have come across students who I taught 20 years ago who thank me for something I don’t remember doing. This teacher sounds awesome though!
I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but from what I read about it and hear how others use it, I think it sounds wonderful. We use something like this for my CEC Board of Directors which is called ecommunities on our website. There we can share documents pertaining to upcoming board meetings instead of getting paper copies or filling up our email. I really think it should be open to students.
Ed Gosnell on February 15, 2008 9:06 pm
Great post ditto. With all this technology that we have going for us it would make me think that we can get “rechared” again and go at it like a bat!!! I especially like the Podcasts that bring concepts alive…..
paula on February 16, 2008 1:41 am
It is indeed a transitional time for districts and issues surrounding network security and student safety. As soon as I find cool content that will engage learners, it is uniformly blocked or filtered in some way that compromises its use by students. Google docs are very cool, but their interactive nature is threatening to some. Even giving students access to the desktop on their computers is seen as a security risk yet we must teach them how to use the desktop tools and functions- simply frustrating. I think that communication is a huge issue. The tech dept is typically not made up of educators who know much about pedagogy and how students really learn. Perhaps these folks need to go to school and listen to some podcasts on Bloom’s ! I jest, but in fact we have oil and water here. No matter how much we discuss these issues unless the educators are empowered to make decisions rather than Tech staff, change will be slow. * Of note, this past week in the midst of all our district’s super tight security and filtering practices, One school was hacked beyond what the regular techs could fix – so I believe that the bottom line is if someone really wants in or wants to gain access to something, they are going to get it. We aren’t banks with that type of equipment- and our techs aren’t top tier (they don’t pay enough to get those) so it is going to be very slow going. What we educators can continue to do is demonstrate good practices with the technologies we embrace.
Streamline is one example of a technology that is accepted and can be fitted to many settings. I did a PowerPoint with weather videos that can be converted into other formats for posting on blogs, webs and even ipods- my job is to convince others around me that the tools for delivery I choose are good for student learning, and I think eventually the barriers will come down. MSN has a shared docs feature that works well, and Skype does too, maybe someday we will get to use these with students.
[...] We need schools and districts to go through transformations with leaders who have vision and are willing to shift forward themselves. Schools need to grow a culture of new teachers. Shifting takes time with many hurdles in the way. We need to grow learning environments that resemble the creation at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. [...]
Dear Pat,
I think Google Doc is cutting edge for a classroom. School District policy makers are not ready to gamble yet. Schools are going to have to address the issue of digital citizenship. Many students have an online life. Many don’t have parents to guide them correct ways and talk to the about Internet Safety and cyber bullying. We have so much to talk about.
Thanks for following my blog. You raise some good points in you comment. We need to start these conversations in South Carolina.
You make a good point about Tech departments that don’t understand education and teaching pedagogy. It is a challenge for school districts to find a person with both backgrounds. However, I recently met a former music teacher (I can’t remember the district in SC) who now head of their IT department. He had over 18 years experience in a classroom before shifting careers. I though that was neat.
However, teachers are traditionally known for shifting knowledge base. I am finally working toward at an M. ED in Curriculum and Instruction in Technology. I was a tech coach form 1999-2002. At that time I was told I was not Highly Qualified to do the job. My instructional tech experience from my personal learning. I have learned more through my own research that I am paying$1200 course from an online university.
I think I am rambling now. Thanks for following me.
Dear Ed,
It is tough teaching. We have to do more to support young teachers entering the profession. Teachers have to be more collaborative about their classrooms. This would help the struggles all teachers have to go through.
Dear Anne,
Thanks for reading! I started my blogging journey in October and wrote my first blog post in November. I am still overwhelmed with all the things I want to learn. I would love to stay in touch with you and follow what you are doing in your classroom. Let’s plan a Skype conference. Maybe we can join you and your literacy teacher for a conference soon. I would like to have the conversation because literacy and learning with technology go hand in hand. Let’s plan it!
[...] longer can we afford to sit back and wait for to happen. Our students need my dream classroom for their future. Students need to know that learning is attainable and can be collaborative and [...]
Dear Paula,
I am still not totally comfortable with podcasting. I use audacity and a microphone. For the podcast in a recent blog I use my Ipod to record and transfered to my computer and edited with Audacity. The hard part was getting it to my website. There had to be an easier way. I uploaded through the back door to this website. It was cumbersome. When I have some more time,I am will research it and I will let you know what I discover.
I have been experimenting with a web cam and using it with Skype and UStream TV. Are you on Skype yet? I would like to set up an online tech conference. Last Sunday night Pat the LooneyHiker had a great chat. We hope to do it again soon.
What a great post! I used to brag about my school having all this great technology because we had a principal that really believed it all. Then he left the district and we got a new principal who felt that techology was not that important. Since the new principal, a lot of this wonderful technology is sitting there unused. Training and acquiring other new things are very low on the priority list. What a sad state of affairs because so much taxpayer money is wasted.
Pat,
Title One schools that have lots of Technology needs to get real about what is under the surface. Policy Makers need to understand this and allow more funds at least 25% of tech purchase go into staff development. I use to brag, but I find it hard when I look below the surface. I have a lot of work to do in my school.
thanks for writing
Bill
paula on February 17, 2008 1:25 am
Bill, I enjoy visiting your blog- I intend to keep tabs after the course- if you don’t mind- I may edit mine a bit or shift it to word press after the course so that I can discuss what I want to when I like and not according to a class schedule- you know, speak my mind. I am interested in your studies and scoff at that term”highly qualified” it is just another thing for bureaucrats to do as they attempt to satisfy public accountability demands which are ultimately tied to funding…”What are you guys in SC doing to make sure your poorly performing public schools improve? What is your plan, and if we approve we will give you some money… It is going to come round and bite some folks right in the old behind, I think, because at least where I am they cannot get “highly qualified” staff for many areas such as middle school, 7th and 8th grades. I worked some in a Middle school last year and there were several really good teachers that were being forced to move into the 6th grade – at any position they could get- because of this… Unless you are a bit younger than those of us with 20 plus years you did not specialize as teachers are doing today. My licensing is so old I have a life license in Indiana, and an MAE – now no one I know of has an MAE but me, and I did my thesis on a typewriter… not because I like them, but because that was the tech of the day! So I am hardly in that highly qualified category myself for tech… I do know that everyday I assist teachers who have their Masters in Technology and I wonder just what on earth they studied in the tech area,- and I know already the answer is lots of education theory and a little bit of tech tossed in on the side. Please tell me you are getting a marketable Tech degree for your money, because you already have a very good handle on what education is all about- Now who is rambling? have I overstepped in my reply? I just hope you get as much of the tech as you can – it is the only thing that has saved my job- on more than one occasion- all education theory aside, can do, figure out, fix it tech… proud to be a teacher, but thank God I can fix your computer kind of tech! It is tough to do public ed- for sure-
Paula,
From 1995-2000 I was the state rep for the South Eastern and Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium. That is how I met Donna. Donna was a tech specialist for them. Mike (I cannot remember Mike) had a M.Ed in IT he received in 1986 from a major university. Mike was sharp and we use talk about how everything he had learned in the degree program was so out dated. Tech continues to change. Teaching pedagogy is not the same as most teachers learned 20-30 years ago. I am not sure what colleges in this state are teaching new teachers today.
For our profession learning is on a continuum and continues to move forward. We are not long preparing kids for the industrial age. Most kids still experience classrooms that prepare them for this time period. Our leadership and policy makers need to know that time has shifted.
I am getting my on-line degree from Grand Canyon University. The whole program fits my schedule. I am learning more outside their classrooms and I am learning more from the social networks I have formed.
I find GCU program resembles the industrial age style teaching. In each coarse, we read, participate in a discussion board (the best part), complete a weekly assignment, and provide a journal response. Innovative and 21st century, not quiet. The piece of paper I get in September will be for my resume. Since I started the program, some new doors started to open in the district. The timing was right.
As I have written about before, I miss the classroom. Since I have been out of the classroom since August, I have had more time to learn and I did not have that time as a teacher. That is the pitfall of teaching. After teaching all day, the papers to read and assess, conferences, data keeping, planning, and all other assigned duties, there is not much time left for learning and reading. By the way, I have two you kids at home. I think I understand where the teacher comes from and why they are where they are in the profession. It is tough teaching and keeping up.
With all this said, policy makers and district leaders can work together to make this change happen. Teachers need more time for professional development. I propose somehow we make room in the teacher’s schedule for two to three hours of day for planning and/or professional development.
We have to think out of the box to fix public education.
More Rambling……This might be my post for today.
Bill
paula on February 18, 2008 1:14 am
Bill, you do speak the truth on where we are in education and where we need to go. I myself am a bit fed up and ready to do something different. I am glad to know you have a specific direction in which you are moving- I am past the point of adding to my resume’ and will likely never take another education course beyond this one, instead
I ‘ll be opting for something else in the next part of my life. Using Tech is just a part of how I live and I believe how most kids today are going to have to live. Most of the folks I work with and know could care less beyond a little email and their widescreen TV’s. I think that things have and are moving ahead at such a rapid pace that most older adults are stuck watching it happen rather than participating. It is good to know that you have found an online source for your studies that allows you to work and be with your family as well. Again, nice blog- good links, and interesting thoughts. I enjoyed the links in this weeks assignments and perhaps have become overly stimulated… Maybe I should go back to traffic cams and fish cams and forget the vodcasts!
I wish I was available to skype with you on Wed. but I’m doing teacher evaluations all day. I hope you don’t mind if I use this to show the teachers at my meeting. The comparison is a great way to introduce my session.
Yikes–thx for the pingback. Looks like we have the same people form SC in our reader, doesn’t it. Wonder if we’ll find more. This could get interesting.
Clap Clap! What a wonderful post. My students did not even get a high school diploma and was required to take the exit exam because they did not fit into the percent of kids who should not take it or get an alternative assessment. Everyone knew it didn’t count towards graduation, even the students so they put no effort into it. Of course this hurt the school overall so many others were resentful towards my special ed students. And the poor students felt even worse because they felt like this was a way for the system to humiliate them publicly even though I spent a lot of time telling them that their disability was not their fault. Yet, these are the kids who may someday build your house so you have a place to live, fix your plumbing (because what would we do without indoor plumbing?!), or even work on your car so you could get to work. It’s a scary thought!
admin on February 22, 2008 10:17 pm
This tells we are still where we were in the past. We have to help our youth find their gifts and challenge them as far as we can. We need to create great plumbers and electricians that can manage their own business. That takes skill. We have to have the mindset we can take the child further with great pedagogic strategies. We can’t leave a child behind any more. The bar can still be raised without testing and testing and testing.
paula on February 23, 2008 1:40 am
Bill- you do well to post here, no class needed, and I will indeed keep track. This was another troubling and frustrating day in my job, and I wonder if I did not have that pension waiting after next year if I would even bother. I ride a wave of disrespect and lack of understanding about what our teachers need to help students use these wonderful tools. Unless something drastic changes in how things are done and tech sees teacher, none of it will matter. Have you thought about home schooling your children? Your knowledge and the tools at hand right now make that a pretty awesome alternative-
I loved your thought provoking questions. We are always telling our students that the world is not just what they see around them but much bigger and if we don’t show them how to explore this idea, how will they realize the possibilities?
Thanks Bill
I dont know why I did not find this post again when I searched today. I have got behind with everything and am slowly catching up. Thank you for choosing me and I will try and get my meme quilt image up tomorrow. Love sharing with you and I really like the quilt idea
Anne
[...] the Global Waters of Web 2.0 I’ve been tagged for this meme by WCGaskins. I have a passion for all things web2.0 and am experimenting with various tools that can be used [...]
I read his suggestions and agreed with them. Just recently I cautioned another teacher about writing negative things about her boss. She told me that she wasn’t worried since she has a pen name and doesn’t mention names of places or people. Since I know a few people know this is really her, it is not a secret and secrets tend to get out. I told her this could be passed on to a prospective employer who might see this as a negative even if they don’t say anything. I make it a practice not to write anything that I wouldn’t want my mother to see!
This was great evidence that we (techie people) may be making a difference even if it is one teacher at a time. Glad to see that school district “gets” the point!
Do parent and students sign a contract showing they agree to conditions and responsibilities? When they put their name on a paper, it tends to make people more conscientious.
Great ideas! I have also been thinking about how to write better lesson plans because as teachers, we can’t keep doing the same things over and over. (I enjoy reading what is going on during your day in Tumblr. Sorry to hear about the ticket though.)
admin on March 12, 2008 1:15 am
The funny thing is that zoomed from school around four get to the courthouse and then to the DMV before 5. The court house was surrounded by emergency personnel. Bomb Threat to the building…
Unfortunately this is common in many schools. Maybe this post needs to be shared at faculty meetings and teachers have to find out what is wrong with this whole picture. Then rewrite it in a way that engages students and involves students using technology to learn.
I love your final comments because they are so powerful! We have got to embrace change and move forward. As long as we stick out heads in the sand like ostriches, we will continue to fall behind the rest of the world.
Such a sad, sad story. Wish it was just a work of fiction. Who will be the catalyst for change? It’s very scary that this describes about 95% of classrooms everywhere in our state. SAD.
We should not stop at reading but expand this total media literacy. Think about how movies, pictures, video games, etc… influence what our kids think. They need to find meaning in a movie or television show, or YouTube video with the same critical eye as we would want them to have with a book.
Hi Bill,
Thank you for putting in the time to write this post. Being a beginning teacher myself 9I’m in my third year) I have experienced many of the things you have described. It is so valuable for me to know that I am not the only one. Of course I know that rationally, but to have those discussions is so important. I do well in my job, but of course still have those days when I think I should quit. I can feel myself improving, and like you, would like to go back and apologise to the kids for some of the crappy things I did in my first year! Oh well, it’s all part of the learning curve and we are all human.
Also, it is easy to focus on the negative things that we do and forget to congratulate ourselves on the positives – and there are many many many of them. We need to acknowledge what mistakes we have made, learn from them, but not dwell on them too much. That’s when the ‘I should quit. I’m the worst teacher ever’ thoughts come in! We all do wonderful things as well. It’s harder to notice them though!
I have to teach about blogging and wikis to some teachers today for our district. I am going to share this link as an example of the collaboration power of wikis. Also, I have forwarded this to our Reading Coach and I am sure she has some ideas to contribute. Thanks.
admin on April 3, 2008 8:36 pm
John I hope this helps with them. Please encourage them to add to the wiki. I notice someone has. I know your reading coach. She and I sat together at a workshop in Columbia recently. You are in good hands with her. Let me know how your workshop went.
I find learning the tools is important as it is only when you know how to use them that you can start to even work out how to effectively use them as an educational tool. We all love the whizz bang stuff but when that becomes second nature (as you say), the real learning outcomes emerge. Students love to push software to the boundaries and will use it for purposes that even the software developers could not have envisaged.
I have a yr 10 boy in my IT elective, who, although never a trouble maker, rarely completes any work in the traditional subject areas (due to some learning difficulty) but when given the chance to blog has written way beyond his usual means, added his photostory digital movies and produced a wonderful digital portfolio for his blog. comments on his blog, encourage him to read and analyze. He has emailed back to the commentor which has given him an authentic audience for his letter writing skills. He will be encouraged to use the tool of blogging in all subject areas. I find that multi literacies of technology allow all students now, to communicate effectively and they can choose how to get their message across.
Even the most reluctant of readers in my classes, love looking at other student work on the internet and happily read student posts from other countries.
I could go on and on…… about the ways these tools, although ‘fun’ are actually powerful technologies that could enhance their educational outcomes in a way that students love.
Great post! I know exactly the feelings that you describe. I have also felt the same feelings as a parent and thankful that my children have grown up and are doing well despite my feeble attempts at parenting. I think forgiveness is a big part of what helps us move on instead of wallowing in self pity. This moving on is what sets us up as a role model for our students. Thanks for sharing the feelings that a teacher has but not many people talk about.
I just wanted to make sure that you were invited to our education “Blogger Summit”. We hope you can make it and feel free to share this invitation with any other bloggers in the area that might be interested. The invitation is attached below.
Alex
ED In ‘08 Blogger Summit
——————————–
Strong American Schools is excited to announce the ED in ‘08 Blogger Summit. Conference details are as follows:
May 14th – 15th
Palomar Hotel, Washington DC
Registration is Free!
An opening reception is scheduled on the evening of Wednesday, May 14th. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served before the screening of a new documentary film on education, Two Million Minutes. A Q&A session with the filmmakers is set to follow.
Then join us for an all-day conference on May 15th. Nowhere else will you have an opportunity to meet and network with fellow education bloggers, participate in panels, attend workshops, and help tackle some tough questions on the state of education in America. Highlights include a speech from keynote speaker Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House.
Great post! I plan to use this in workshops I conduct in my district. I would like to add another advantage is that in order for teachers to use multimedia in the classroom, teachers themselves must be proficent in not only the technology but also the integration of the technology or it will be lost. If students aren’t involved in project based learning, using the technology becomes simply "old wine in a new bottle." In order to do this, teachers typically create and reach out to their Personal Learning Networks whether it be the teacher’s lounge at their school, collaborative projects with other teachers, reading and commenting on blogs and getting in on those conversations, attending and presenting at conferences, and/or using social networking sites such as Twitter. Once teachers become involved in these PLNs, the advantages to their professional learning is too many to mention. I think that is a huge advantage!
Dear Lee,
I could not agree with you more. Teachers must take controll of their personal learning and grow with the students. I see to many teachers forgeting about personal learning and growing. This makes it to easy to fail the kids we teach. Teaching is hard and those who cannot stand the head need to leave.
Lee, Increasing our awareness of the possibilities inherent in the new web 2.0 technologies should be one of an educators intentions. School districts must realize that budgets must support these new breakthrough technologies in order to prepare our youth for a future that is certain to be technological.
Your article addresses so many reasons why multimedia engages our students in ways where other teaching methodologies fall short. Another offering of multimedia is allowing students to gather data and “construct” this information into presentations of their own. It also allows teachers to teach what they have taught year after year in new ways with new information A science teacher reading about man walking on the moon certainly enhances the lesson with students seeing a video clip with a voice saying.” the Eagle has landed..while watching men walk on the moon. So much is possible with all of the sources on the internet.
Just as 500 years ago, Christopher Columbus stood on the edge of the unknown , we too must consider that the effective uses possible with technology is only limited by our own imaginations.
Whether teachers have one teaching station or a lab in the school, each provide unique opportunities for implementing technology into the teaching of their beloved subjects. Just as T. Roosevelt said, ” Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
admin on May 3, 2008 1:18 pm
Joan,
You make a valid point! We know students are learning when they have the opportunity to construct information into a presentation. We then have real and valid evidence of knowledge being constructed. Thanks for your meaningful comment.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have taken videos of the cruises and trips I have taken so I can give my students a virtual field trip. I also love to do tours of places (such as the paper mill in Maine or the Toyota plant in Kentucky) and take tons of pictures to make a slide show of it. Thank goodness my hubby is used to it. Now that gas prices are so high too, virtual field trips may be the only way students experience a lot of things.
Ok, you won’t get rich or famous by doing this and nothing bad will happen to you if you don’t, but if you get a chance (in your free time! ha!), I am tagging you for this meme. You can read about the rules here: http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/2008/05/another-meme.html
the traditional school where i work has everyone scheduled so tightly we squeak- as someone attempting to get teachers to use technology i see this lock-step approach as leaving little room for those who wish to try- we have one or two, exceptions, but again, the scheduling itself is way too rigid for the adults, let alone the curious little children sitting in rows- do i make a difference or am i spinning my wheels???
Bill – Interesting blog entry. I took a look at the SC e-Portfolio site and was wondering if SC has a specific e-Portfolio solution for you and others to use, or can you use an e-Portfolio solution of your choosing? I am asking because Digication has a very easy e-Portfolio to use. Even if you have to use a certain solution — check us out! Also, I can send you some samples if you want. Let me know!
Thanks
Dan
This sounds wonderful! I’m interested in hearing how your job goes. My friend is a special ed professor at coastal carolina. I love the voice thread too!
Welcome to the TL family.
This is Kevin, from Western Mass Writing Project.
You can join an informal network (non-sanctioned by NWP) at a Ning site that I set up for those of us NWP TLs who wanted to check out Ning and network with each other.
Drop me an email (dogtrax(at)gmail(dot)com) and I’ll send you the link.
I remember when I was asked to become the TL, I thought: who? me?
But it has been a wonderful experience.
Thanks Kevin….You make a good point. I think we have a lot more to learn from using audio and video and connecting it to writing. That is why I want the CAWP participants to take now of how I used voice thread on our blog site. I want them to see has connective writing and think about it as possibilities as prewriting.
Another thing that occurred to me is the danger of only reading blogs. That too allows writers to fall into a vacuum if we only depend on writings from other people’s blogs. I am reading Will’s book and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Bloggers must have outside readings whether from journals, books, magazines, online journals, etc….
I think it was Samuel Johnson who said he hates a writer who writes more than he reads.
Authentic learning, as we are finding it through our Professional Learning Networks, remains the most powerful form of professional education; it seems that this form needs to be incorporated within our more static, traditional forms of teacher education.
Sheryl–I agree with you one hundred percent. Connective learning through our PLN is very powerful. How do we go about getting higher ed in teacher colleges on this bandwagon? How imperative is this?
Hey CAWP!! I love that book you’re reading. I read it about 2 years ago, but often loan it to newbies. Say, BTW you referred to me as Cathy Johnson in the blog! I read this post earlier this mornign, but didn’t know it was me until this afternoon when I got a pingback on my blog. LOL. I have to say even with 2 grad degrees under the belt, I’ve learned more form my PLN than anywhere else. Great post.
Anne Lamott says that writers create a dream into which he or she invites the reader, and that dream must be vivid and continuous. Learning with others is the same way. When we share our thoughts we make sure that the learning becomes continuous.. Sharing with others makes it continuous and allows our thoughts to grow or be replaced with something new. Sharing allows us to test our ideas. This makes Blogging so much more powerful than any other type of writing we do. This makes writing more connective.
It’s interesting that I came to your blog today. I’m working through different ideas in a comment challenge and the item I am thinking about right now relates to the following question: should we be leaving comments on other people’s blogs. Part of my learning takes place when people take a moment to respond to what I am saying in my blog posts. I think this is part of what makes these such useful learning environments.
I occasionally toy with the idea of getting a masters myself. So far, the timing hasn’t been right. While there is so much that any individual can learn online, there is still that piece of paper that is the key to many doors.
I really enjoy writing blog posts because of the connective piece. There is something so useful in being able to write and reflect by linking to other information, and then connect with other people’s ideas through comments. I haven’t picked up Will Richardson’s book, but I know in time I will. It’s good to hear your reflections.
Ann
Ann Oro,
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I am guilty of reading other people’s blogs and not leaving a comment. I leave a comment when I think I have something important to contribute. But Should go ahead a make a comment regardless? What do you think?
What a great post! I feel the same way about the connectedness of reading the blogs and writing about them. I find myself thinking about whether I agree with the blogger and why. This is helping me reflect and clarify about what I value and believe in which I think will make me a better teacher. When I teach my course this summer I worry that my students won’t feel that they learned what they could like you mentioned so I hope I can teach them some tools that will help them to learn from others what they couldn’t or didn’t in my class. I may not know it all or be able to teach it all, but hopefully they will be able to say that I taught them ways to find it all.
Pat,
It is always a pleasure to have you make a comment on my blog. You make a great point that the blogger and his/her post must push our thinking and beliefs about what we already know.
How do we go about designing assessments to push those we teach to new levels? How do we get the student involved in setting goals for learning? I think if we can get students involved in setting goals for learning and allowing them lead way in showing how they will demonstrate learning we may find ourselves with a more dedicated student. I wonder how many students would take teachers seriously if we offered them this option.
You know, I meant to say that I love Annie Lamott and I love that book (and most of her writing). At one point, as I was trying to envision myself as a writer, I turned to Bird by Bird (and also Anne Dillard and E. Annie Proulx — some strange Annie fixation that I cannot account for in that period of life, but I loved all three at the same exact time) and came away with a better head for writing.
I thought I would poke my head back into the conversation and add my two cents.
Kevin
I guess, for me, part of the fun of blogging is hearing what someone else has to say about what I’ve written. In theory, when a person edits themselves by thinking they don’t have something important to contribute they might underestimate their part in a conversation. Sometimes little thoughts can build into bigger ideas. I don’t just leave comments for the sake of writing on a blog post. I do try to add or reflect and hope it adds to the conversation.
Ann Oro,
It is fun to see what others have to contribute. I had a conversation yesterday with a friend a learning. He a made the comment that learning is greater when you can do it with someone else or someone to share with. Connective Writing has to do with the conversation that in creates, continues, and past learning. Learning is most significant when it is interactive. Thanks for keeping this conversation going. I am thinking about a part two to this post. Would you be interested in writing it together?
Bill
admin on May 31, 2008 9:50 pm
Just another thought:
Connective writing allows us to connect and network with a larger audience that no one else would understand with out doing it. It is like a child who can verbally share with others about what they read and their interpretation to an adult or another child. In the oral context, the listener contributes the child’s thoughts.
Great post, and it sounds familiar to something I have written also. What does it for me is things like what happened this morning. You left a comment on one of my posts, and I was intrigued by what you had to say. So now I am here, reading more about what your though processes are. I don’t know where you live (it’s near a coast, I assume), I don’t really know what you teach or if you teach, but I here I am reading your writing.
So many pundits (take Andrew Keen, for example) decry the notion that everyone and anyone can publish and proclaim themselves experts in some field due to the ability to publish instantaneously; I couldn’t disagree more. My name and my likeness are attached to everything I put on the web, and like we tell our students: “if it has your name on it, it better be worth it.” Being connected to the readers of my blog and learning from their feedback has changed the way I acquire knowledge and how I find new paths to follow.
I have looked at your beach house photo with fond memories of my own that I just now will share with you… There was a little cabin (very small concrete block house) located on beautiful Hunting Island State Park… South Beach. It was privately owned by a family who openly shared it with all friends. It was nestled behind some huge dunes and literally sat within its own jungle of palms and bamboo. Now since I was a Hoosier by birth, anything to do with any beach held an immediate attraction… but this was very special because of the people it brought together. These were days of cookouts and parties that ran endlessly it seemed from April to October. Mother Nature had other plans for most of the little cabins like this one at the south end of the island, and before our own eyes the giant dunes began to disappear. What once was quite a hike to get to the beach itself became sandbags in front of the place we all loved. And then, like others around it- the special little cabin was taken by the sea. If there is ever a lesson to be learned from such things it is about the people we meet along the way. The battle for Hunting Island Beach continues even today, almost nine full years after the little cabin washed away… but every once in awhile I see someone from that time in the store or at an event and we all recognize each other “in that special way” which says they too, are forever different because of our little cabin at the beach. I can still hear “Carolina Promises” being played on the old upright that sat by the fireplace- Jimmy Buffet, where are you?
admin on June 1, 2008 12:36 pm
Dear Patrick,
Thanks for writing. I live near the coast of South Carolina between Myrtle Beach and Charleston. I am an instructional technology coach.
I don’t write to publish. I write to share ideas and connect with other people’s thinking. I don’t proclaim to be an expert on any subject, but I love to learn. I like blogging and writing because it makes me feel connected to a group of like minded people.
Connective writing through blogging has certainly taken me to another level of professional development. I’ve been experience what you mentioned in your post of unleashing our own thoughts and ideas, as well as others’. Blogging has changed my teaching practices and has directly reflected on the way my students learn. Now, I’m able to tap into their interests more easily, we can personalize learning, we can have our own class online space for sharing and going way beyond the classroom walls. I connect to each one of them in totally unexpected and meaningful ways. As I’m currently teaching online, I’m geographically distant from my students, but never felt so close to them.
Blogging is transformative and a powerful learning/teaching tool.
Thanks for the great post!
admin on June 1, 2008 5:43 pm
Dear Carla,
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you most of all when you say that blogging has taken me to another level of professional development. Throughout my 20 years of teaching, i have had the opportunity work with small groups of teachers on special projects such as curriculum design or in a professional development course. During our time together, our relationship and enthusiam is awesome. Then when it is over, we are finished. What blogging has done for me is to make learning and that group dynamic experience to continue. Our learning and growth continues. Thanks for stopping by and making your comment.
You’re right, Bill, about the on-going connections and exchanges. In my educator sphere, I’ve been connecting more and more with like-minded professionals and learning in ways never imagined before. It’s just like an octopus with many tentacles reaching different spaces. I have a group of very close friends in which we keep sharing, expanding, remixing ideas that eventually become great collaborative projects. Just amazing blogosphere…
[...] comments from part one of this post that the Connective Writing Part One helped her reflect and clarify about what she valued and believe in which it will make her a better [...]
Dear Carla–Please take a look at my new post on connective writing. I agree with your comments and I like the metaphor you used in your comment.
Thanks
Bill
As we blog here, there, out there in the blogosphere we’re exactly putting into practice this connective model. right? My way to kind of pay back the generosity I receive from others is to blog, comment, and be a moderator for the past two years of the free 6-week online workshop blogging4educators for the past two years. It’s my way to expand what I’ve been learning and reach the ones who want to take part in this connectivity and viral professional development made possible in our digital era.
Thanks for the inspiring thoughts. Still in smaller scale, I try to do what you did with your son with my 7-year-old son. If we can start making a difference for the ones around us, it’s already a big difference.
So, how did his speech go? How did the audience react? What did he mention? Would love to hear more…
I think it is great how you modeled this whole concept with your son. I believe that is the key that we need to jump in with our students and get involved. Too many times I have seen teachers give an assignment and stand on the sidelines like a spectator while the student flounders around trying to make heads or tails of what to do or where to start. They waste so much time because they don’t know where to start. You showed your son how to start and I bet next time he has this opportunity, he will know where to start and feel less anxious. That is what we hope our students will learn and if we don’t show them, who will? Great post!
Carla— thanks again for your comments. You are exactly right we are now involved in connective writing. This is our way of expanding what we all ready know and we have to share it to expand it to get deeper meaning. Please let me know how to find your blog on the web. I can’t wait to read your blog.
Pat- At times it was a lesson of frustration with William. It is difficult to teach your own son. I do think he learned something and so did I about writing. He learned how to use the web and other scaffolded tools to help him write and I got see a live example.
I too was once guilty of standing on the sideline. For the last 12 years of teaching I have learned to spend a lot of time modeling in front of them how I write— brainstorming, talking about ideas, writing a draft, etc.
As we blog we are doing more than modeling our writing life, we are puting our writing life into words. This really cements our thought process and I bet through social media I will be able to learn more.
I know it is hard for you to see yourself as a writer, but I see you as one. I think it has to do with what your perception is. You see it as one who publishes books but I see a writer who is sharing ideas, thoughts or even stories. One way to move this past 3 weeks is to make it an ongoing story and look at the big picture. Maybe think of where you would like to end up and continue the little stories as steps to that goal. These steps could take years but it would keep everyone connected. Just a thought…
Love your wordle! I love the inspiration software but now that I’m not in a school setting, I don’t have access to this so I have tried Mind42 (www.mind42.com) and it was pretty easy too.
Learning can even be confusing for teachers. I find that blogging and reading blogs helps me clarify ideas and fine tune ideas in my own mind. You are so right that it is powerful. I feel more confident when I read comments by my readers who agree with me. It also helps if someone doesn’t agree with me because I rethink about what I said. Maybe they have changed my mind or maybe I haven’t stated my position clear enough. This enables me to fine tune my thinking so I can share with others better.
Pat,
Thanks for stopping by to comment. I like comments whether they are in agreement or not. Comments make you think and build ideas or as you wrote “I rethink abillt what I said.” It is the social aspect that makes learning come alive. I look forward to another great year.
Hello Bill, I think I misread your tweet, as I answered the means to get the shift to happen. Education has to have meaning to students and as they are learning such a lot from their own use of the internet and social networking, unless we use the same tools where possible, education will be irrelevant, students will be bored, disengaged and ’switched off’ in the classroom.
The web2.0 tools are just tools, but if used appropriately, can improve learning outcomes extensively. They allow students and educators to connect, collaborate and communicate.
Great post! I’m just glad to see this conversation happen in more and more schools. i like your plan of action and think it is a great lead in for future professional development.
admin on August 26, 2008 12:35 am
Thank you Pat and Anne for your comments. I appreciate your input as well as the tweets from Gary Stager who really pushed my thinking. Gary reminded me it has to be more than just semantic but a step toward real action. Thanks for all your support and ideas. I just put the final touch to the presentation. The final is really good and will hopefully keep conversation and action going in weeks to come.
It is amazing that these same messages must be taught over and over! These useful ideas and ideals you were discussing are the same that we were learning in another lifetime. They were referred to as metacognition, thinking about, or analyzing how people think….examining how the brain works.
No one talks much about techniques such as trial lessons, but this is one of many ideas that have true success in determining how the children you teach can best learn.
Thanks for this in-depth posting on a topic close to my mind and heart. Introspection and metacognition are a teacher’s friend, and no one should have a set of do’s & don’t for teaching.
We teach children, not subjects. This must be on the minds of many of our PLN, because I read others on a similar note. I also wrote a short post, today, on a related topic.
[...] blogging in the classroom. I showed the teachers how other educators in the world are using blogs as learning tools as they connect with alike educators from around the world. Then I showed the websites of teachers [...]
bacho on September 24, 2008 10:27 pm
Bill, who “are” the state tech coaches, and how do they (and did you) become designated as such?
I have come recently from the tech side of things, working on the network, being an overall coordinator and now have been retitled “Tech Coach” in my district- If you were doing technology at the school level in Beaufort they restructured such that the tech department became totally “classified” , working a 260 day calendar- Those of us “certified” meaning of course we had originally been in the classroom before networking and such, were either forced back into the classroom, pushed into a lab or made to jump through so many hoops that it was easier for some to retire… Now, I am one of the few remaining from the original school level coordinators- lately renamed “Coach”… Our biggest issues down here are the restrictions network security and group policy apply to any web 2 type action we try to take on our computers- teachers are locked down nearly as much as students, but students on classroom workstations and in labs cannot even right click to create a folder, let alone create and post anything interactive- toolbars are locked and running interactive media from a portable drive is blocked. I am a big Google user and love Notebook and the many things you can do with Docs- I even had an inservice on this at the end of last year, but again, unless something is “approved” by the tech dept, there is no guarantee it will get past the network filters after you create it and post it for sharing- All forums are blocked, as is active content from blogs-
So I guess I would really like to know what a Tech Coach is supposed to be doing according to folks up there at the state level when you have all of these restrictions, and of course no voice to be heard. (we have no money and very little equipment as well)
Please share your thoughts… it is a very frustrating situation-
admin on September 25, 2008 8:12 am
This group of coaches are funded through EEAA competitive grant (Beaufort has this grant and a tech coach that attends. This person is new.), lottery grant (partial funded positions), and EEAA formula grant (another partial funded positions). We meet monthly for professional development. (there is about 35 who attend this monthly)
There is a big push for technology from the state level. All formula grant schools are required to have all eighth graders take a technology proficient survey and all certified staff take one also. Most of this boils down to data collection from the Feds and NCLB.
You are right about funding. I can’t answer that question. Our state and our district has been hit hard by the economy and the new way districts get funds for operating. Our CTS departments suffers. Our district lost over 7 million in funds from the state for this years budget.
That is great! I’m sure they will learn so much from you because you have such patience. I thnk showing examples is the best way to motivate teachers. I’m doing a presentation on using PBwik in January and will start off by showing examples before I show the specifics. I hope your teachers use what you have taught them.
Pat,
I am doing a workshop with teacher on Wikis in the classroom. I plan to show a ton of examples of how wikis are being used in the classroom. The hand-on part is helping them each set up an account in pbwiki. If you have any good resources, please share or anyone who reads this.
Bill
bacho on September 26, 2008 2:45 am
No-not going- We begin primary MAP testing and have new personnel – which means they have never done it before- that leaves only one experienced person in our building- Me. I also handle the tech end of the testing process making sure tests are in place and uploaded each day. I presented in 2001 and enjoyed the conference, it just never seems to fall during a time when we are in session or not testing.
Thx for the info on the state coaches- is this an appointed position? I do not seem to recall any search for possible candidates. Are state coaches certified teachers? The district tech trainer whom I think may have become our area’s state coach came out of another grant funded program called training wheels. None of those people were teachers, tho. I am guessing this is how the school district here was able to keep this person in place… with another grant-
Money is a huge issue for us this year as Title 1 monies were reallocated throughout the district and my building lost that funding. Part of the reason why everyone in my building does many jobs- however, we are better off than many and I should not complain.
I appreciate the blogging on the bay updates and do stop by from time to time to see what is going. Most of my real blogging is with and for family, although I have another web presence. At this time I do not feel that I could honestly post under my name without possible conflicts of interest from my work, so I just don’t.
Please share what you will be doing at EdTech if you get a chance-
I felt exhausted after hearing all that you went through. I’m glad you had your Ipod stuff. I never saved my stuff and it is all stored on my Ipod. I found a free program that I can save my Ipod files one file at a time. Since I’m retired, I have plenty of time and that is what I’ve done with my almost 1000 files. Glad you got it all fixed.
Interesting observations, Bill. As educators, it behooves us to level the playing field on both counts. How do we do that? There are community organizations like “Computers for Kids” that provide refurbished computers where they are appropriate. Does having a computer in place solve the problem though? Does an after school literacy program solve the technology issue? Or does a complete solution lie elsewhere?
Thank Doug for writing and pushing my thinking. I newest inquiry is gaming and literacy. The article came from that thinking as I was observing seventh graders for the last several weeks and the conversations I have had with teachers. The kids who are having problems with the technology are the weak readers in the classroom. They are also are either free or reduced lunch status as well. We can refurbish computers, but if they don’t have access what good would a computer do for them. My schools are rural South Carolina where my mobile phone doesn’t get reception.
I am employed under a competitive grant to work toward a solution. I have worked through the district to talk to Sprint about using old ETV towers to provide wireless Internet access. I hit a dead end there. I am trying to lead four principals and over a hundred teachers to see that technology might be a big part of the solution- not the same old traditional methods of doing everyday things where kids are far from being engaged and the teacher is teaching pedagogy is based upon their learning style.
We have a county Library that sits on our campus and it is a twenty first century library with PC’s, Macs, and gaming devices. The library system has received a grant to study gaming and literacy. Next month they will have a full time gaming and literacy coordinator and I look forward to learning with him. My competitive grant has a partnership with the library and in many way we are working toward a solution.
The big question is change and the willing to make it happen.
The solution is not easy……Today I am just point out an observation…
Yes I’ve shared this with many. This and the Larry Lessig speech are two of my favorites form the ted Talks series. I wish I were brave enought to share the Larry Lessig one with kids. But I like my job.
bacho on September 28, 2008 8:43 am
This is what we experience daily- the frustrations overly zealous network management and security have brought to student (and in many cases staff) computers in our school district. Each time the computers are reimaged, something else is either blocked, not available under your login, or it no longer works.
Student logins are usually managed under a specific group policy, based on whatever group the login falls under. In addition, classroom workstations or lab computers may be imaged with a specific image that has many normal windows functions just not enabled when the image is created, so they aren’t even there on the workstation.
Depending on how your student workstations are being managed, a policy can be tweaked for a particular group. I doubt that you could get anyone to reimage your workstations for a project.
We are unable to teach our children many basic computing skills. All toolbars are locked, no right clicking ever, and a novell application window is forced onto the desktop as the preferred method for opening programs, even though that has no real world application for our students- meaning no one goes home and finds a novell window on their computer with cute icons to click on…
This is in addition to the fact that nothing ever works correctly in our building, especially the student computers.
Good luck, perhaps if you ask nicely your network administrator will adjust the group policy for your class. Many of us have just given up trying to fight these terrible policies because the tech department in beaufort county schools controls what educators can do with students, what we see on our workstations, and where we are going with students and technology- not one of them is an educator, either!
bacho on September 28, 2008 9:20 am
So sorry you had to reload windows- I have one laptop that I have done this with several times- it finally occurred to me that it was the windows updates that were causing the problems. I NEVER have run automatic updates tho, and always, let me repeat, always pick and choose what I want to put on my machines. I use a microsoft notification system and when updates go out, I get an email, then when I am ready, if I decide to at all, I go out and look at the latest patches. XPService pack 2 ruined a desktop machine that had worked perfectly for years, so even when I relent and try to apply these things I have had a bad experience. Most recently… last month, The laptop I spoke about went down again after updating – Sooo, I reloaded from the partition and instead of updating to get the latest patches, I loaded what I needed – my own applications and tools such as for printing etc, and I have as I said, automatic updates turned off. I am at about the six week point now and doing just fine. I do run updated antivirus and anti spyware, and I sit behind a firewall on my home network.
I will see if this laptop is happy running this way, and so far so good- Now I have another laptop that is running vista, and yesterday I applied a few patches. I applied patches that had been out for awhile, and even then I only selected the ones that I need. I don’t use Outlook, for example or Outlook Express, so I don’t need that stuff, and it is easy to uncheck those if using windows update. I always wait for awhile before I apply something and that way by the time I do it, if I do at all, problems for that patch or update have been discovered.
At the very least, you may wish to tell windows to notify you when updates are available, and then update manually when you are going to be around to see how it goes. You might also want to only do a few at a time. Finally, I would suggest strongly that you get a portable hard drive and routinely back up everything to that drive so that when this happens again, and it could, that you have your stuff and can simply copy it back to your computer. Thx for sharing this, I believe many windows users suffer from what is pushed down as an update or a patch, and should be much more careful than they are with their equipment. Your experience should serve as a good reminder for everyone who uses a windows machine.
Cathy,
I have not seen the Larry Lessing speech, but I will try to take time today. I hope things are well. Hopefully, we can meet face to face at edtech.
Thank you for your post and even more thought than what posted. We are at that place and time IT and curriculum folks need to sit down at the table and talk. The updates ISTE standards are different than when most school districts established policies for their networks. I do think we have more reasons/ researched based reasons now than we did a few years back. Ultimately, these are the skills our kids need to be able to do. How can we bring our school leaders together and begin a real talk about literacy, a literacy that drives technology in our schools? It may be difficult change for teachers and leaders, but in a short amount of years the digital natives will consider learning and technology is one and the same.
How do we move them forward? not an easy answer…..
I hate to admit this, but I still have not watched any Ted videos despite everyone recommending them. However, I have just finished a paper on what schools might look like in 2020 and some of the comments on your post related very well to the way that they will change. I agree s”chools often kill creativity”.
By the way, how did you get your flickr widget to be animated? It looks good and I love the images in it.
bacho on September 28, 2008 3:56 pm
I am just hopeful that eventually technology will solve this patch and update merry-go-round, and users can concentrate on what they are doing with their computers rather than the computer itself. Best of computing to you and if I read of any particularly buggy patches I will be sure to share! It was easy to feel your frustration as I read your post.
B.
bacho on September 28, 2008 4:01 pm
Yes, and I am wishing often for a platform to address these things besides blogs like yours- so sorry if I was venting more than needed. maybe the network people will adjust the policies for the teacher who posted – I will think positively!
Dear Anne,
Thanks for your post… I am not sure how I did the Flickr badge. I found in flickr months ago. I have much more to view and learn from TED. I just keep running out of time.
Tey put a Promethean board in my classroom the year after I retired. But that was okay because I did’t use the board very much. In fact, I used the overhead projector a few times but that is it. Like you, I liked to interact with my students by walking around the room. Many of my students were on different levels and I had to help them individually so I felt more like a facilitator than a teacher. Many these boards work for some but it must depend on your teaching style.
I’m still learning how to do podcasts but I feel, for me, the only way to learn is by doing and hopefully each one that I do, will get better. I wish I lived closer so I could join these sessons. I think it is great that you offer this for your faculty.
I like this. Even if it is only a start, well, at least it’s a start.
Thanks for sharing
I wonder what would happen if you took this document into a Wiki and asked folks to add to it?
Kevin
What a great learning experience for teachers! It sounds like teachers get a lot from interactions with you and you are helpful in letting them discover things by doing instead of just telling them. Thanks for sharing this!
Bill,
Thanks for starting the list. While working full time and pursuing my Master’s in Library and Information Science, I have very little “free” time to devote to working on things like this, but I find them extremely helpful to use in presenting to my faculty.
Fran
Thanks for stopping by and reading. I appreciate you taking the time to make a comment. Kevin, you are right. I should move it to a Wiki and get others to add to it. I hope you both are doing well.
[...] – bookmarked by 4 members originally found by geraldgreen10190 on 2008-09-29 Teaching Podcasting….. http://bloggingonthebay.org/?p=293 – bookmarked by 4 members originally found by zagugirl on [...]
Eugene on October 22, 2008 7:45 am
Now everyone is talking about the American economy and eclections, nice to read something different. Eugene
[...] I was looking over statistics for my blog and it seems this one blog post gets hits daily: Advantages of Multimedia in the Classroom. The blog post actually came from a brainstorm from a group of colleagues as we were taking a [...]
[...] This workshop was a partnership with the Georgetown County Library and Cavers Bay Middle School. [...]
Student at CofC on December 3, 2009 10:50 pm
Through Google Search – I have stumbled upon your name noting that you’ve witnessed the CofC Roach-A-Thon. I am trying to lead an effort in reviving it…
If you wouldn’t mind, could you please e-mail me what you remember about this event. I would greatly appreciate it – beyond words.
Matt
Co-President of College of Charleston’s Alpha Phi Omega chapter
bgaskins Reply: December 5th, 2009 at 7:30 am
It has been over 25 years. It took place in the Stern Center Gardens. I remember the racing lanes that looked liked scuffle board court with walls made out of 1×4 boards and the bottom was a tarp or some similar material. I understand that participated arrived with their roaches in jars. I think one of the fraternities organized the event and a rouge group called the GDA (G_ _ D_ _ Animals) arrive to protest. Back in the days the athletic department organized by coach John Kresse would give a Keg of beer for the fraternity, Sorority, or group to make the most noise or show the most spirit at some basketball games. Most of the time the GDAs would beat the frats. Those were the days! My memory is fuzzy on the specific details….
I agree with you that we need to focus more on our students, helping them learn how to communicate in a digital world. My hope is that the renewed emphasis on narrow measures of student achievement and teacher accountability as outlined in the Race to the Top Initiative will not draw our attention away from these goals.
If you would like to join in the conversation about using digital writing tools in your classroom, please join us on the Digital Writing Workshop Ning: http://digitalwritingworkshop.ning.com
bgaskins Reply: December 7th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Thanks Troy for stopping by and joining my conversation. I have been following some of the conversations in the DW ning. Thanks for starting that conversation.
thanks to your wonderful ideas….it helps me a lot in my studies…..keep up the good work and try to develop your ideas continually…and always share your knowledge to everyone.
bgaskins Reply: December 9th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Thanks you so much for writing. I created that list over a year ago and it has been a big hit. I think that list was actually revised by some my readers from my blog.
Please drop by often and help me out with a conversation.
This was a wonderful to read. Your stories really warmed my heart so thank you for sharing them and also for giving up your time to do things like this.
bgaskins on December 31, 2009 10:36 am
In 2000- My classroom still had chalkboards and I did not own a digital camera. They were almost unheard of and too pricey. I bought my first in 2003…..
Kimberly Herbert on December 31, 2009 1:40 pm
2000 I was working for the Children’s Art Museum and looking for a teaching Job.
* Had a Laptop and was using dial up at work and home
* Had a Digital Camera.
* Had a Tivo
2001 When Started teaching I bucked the system and had kids on my one classroom computer, while using my laptop for my stuff.
bgaskins on December 31, 2009 4:26 pm
I had a laptop too and four computers in my classroom. I was using them all. We were publishing writing left and right. Hanging the writing on the wall and making books. I wish we had blogs into those days….
What a great list! It brought back lots of memories! I don’t have anything to add because you covered everything I can think of so our lives must be pretty close to the same! Thanks for sharing.
bgaskins Reply: January 1st, 2010 at 9:05 am
Thanks Pat— We thought of something last night but can’t remember. Billl
bgaskins on January 1, 2010 9:22 am
In 2000, we did not use text messaging. We were doing instant messaging……
In 2000, I attended in NECC in Atlanta. I had a PDA and I thought it was cool that I could sync the conference schedule on my handspring PDA….
bgaskins on January 1, 2010 9:32 am
It’s hard to believe that at the beginning of the last decade, there was no Facebook, iPhone, Wikipedia, or YouTube.
My nine year old has never seen a 35 mm camera…
bgaskins on January 1, 2010 9:35 am
from Wikipedia–
The first BlackBerry device was introduced in 1999 as a two-way pager. In 2002, the more commonly known smartphone BlackBerry was released, which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, Internet faxing, Web browsing and other wireless information services. It is an example of a convergent device.
bgaskins on January 1, 2010 9:41 am
Just think how much the Internet has changed our lives the last ten years….and more to come….
Wow! Great word! Now I have to think of mine. I want it to be a good one, you know, the perfect word. If you smell smoke, it is because my brain is working overtime.
(Not quite a saga as much as a character study — Kevin)
The Cold
He often wondered about the cold. The chill that killed him now was the same chill that he used to celebrate as a kid, so … what happened? This question hit him hard as he walked the dog at five in the morning. The house was empty now. His wife had gone away for warmer climates, so to speak, and the kids were off to live their own lives. The dog remains, oblivious. He bundled up against the wind, against the fickle ways of the world, yet it seems to do almost no good at all. He shivered in silence, wondering about the holes in the same walls that he built to keep them all together but which served only to keep everyone out. He’s come to realize too late that the world is what we make of it. So he walks the dog at five in the morning on darkened streets with no one waiting for him at home.
bgaskins Reply: January 7th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Awesome Kevin…You are such a good writer. I think it is more than a character study. Great Job!
Tell the newbies to add the metadata or rss feeds (not sure what blogger calls it) to the sidebar so we have a link to click on as we add them to our reader. I have a special folder called SC Educators in my reader, and I plan to add each. When it is not info overload, ask them to add the rss for comments too. AWESOME GROUP Bill!
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Thanks for sharing this. I will be presenting a Web 2.0 workshop Thursday and will be talking about blogging/benefits of blogging to a group of teachers. This and mrsa-englishteacher’s posts are perfect examples of blogging and advice for those new to the whole concept of blogging in the classroom. Hope you don’t mind my sharing both with them!
Heather
bgaskins Reply: January 18th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Thank you Heather. Mrsa-englishteacher is new to blogging and she is in the course I am teaching “The Digital Writing Workshop.” I a most impressed how she is jumping into the blogging world in her classroom. Thank for reading and commenting, Heather.
I, too, grew up with white and black water fountains, separate entrances to doctors’ and dentists’ offices, separate schools and churches. I remember asking my mother, “Why?” We lived out in the country. My grandfather was a tobacco farmer. I played with black children. I was as close to black women as other close relatives. Charity taught me how to read and tell time. Dora lived with my grandmother. One of my memories is Dora and Grandmama Barrineau rocking and watching soap operas together. In my eyes, they were the same as me. Yet they were not allowed to drink from the same fountain or enter the same door. Even as a child, I saw that as unfair. Oddly, my mother’s answer to the question was a weak, “That’s just the way it is.” Thank you, Dr. King. The color of one’s skin does not determine citizenship.
bgaskins on January 18, 2010 5:26 pm
Thanks Julie for sharing your story. It was an interesting time as I look back today. We have come so far and we are still moving forward as this country reshapes itself for the 21st century. Immigrants still come to this country. Do you think the southern culture is dying with how our society is changing?
One never knows who reads you that is for sure, or who you will impact. I periodically enjoy looking at my Clustrmap and feedjit badge to see where my readers are from, and in terms of feedjit, where they go from my site using my links. This year I integrated my feed into my facebook timeline, and I kid you not when I say I have an entirely different audience there. I used to fret and worry over posts where I poured my heart out, yet there were no comments or responses. But now in year four of this, I’ve learned that posts I thought were homeruns were merely strikeouts to some, and perhaps pop-flies or singles to others. I’ve found though that what matters is my own learning and reflections more so than anything else. Reflective practice has truly made me so much better as an educator. When something strikes me now, I find myself mentally writing that reflection as a blog post. No, they don’t all make it to the blog, but the reflective practice is a continuous activity in the mind of a life long learner, and that is what authoring a blog has done to me. No fear.
bgaskins Reply: January 20th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Thanks Cathy…I have learned so much since I have been writing here and from all my other fellow bloggers including you. I to go through the day thinking about my next blog post. Many times those writing don’t make it here but in my journal- mainly because it is too personal. In way writing blogging transforms your thinking and re wires your brain.
Please believe me when I say your words really do make me learn and think! I have both of your blogs in my Google Reader so I don’t miss anything you say! i’m so glad that you understood how I feel which makes me feel better. It was even scary to put down in words how scary this was. In fact, you were the very first person I connected with online outside of emails and forums. You let me call you on Skype which I had never done before. In fact, I think I was hyperventilating before and after our call! You helped open the world for me and let me take the risk of trying. Through your encouragement, I was willing to try a little more every day. Thank you!
bgaskins Reply: January 20th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I understand being scared! I struggle whether to make a piece of writing public or not. Lot of times they stay in my journal. Don’t you think being scared is good! It keeps us honest. I am facilitating a course with 22 learners and they are required to be bloggers in the course. I have never been so scared before in my life. Sometimes the impossible becomes possible and sometimes the impossible never gets possible. But that might not be the right reason to stop doing it.
Sometimes I feel blogging is a rehearal for something. I am not sure what that maybe.
Now I know why I am struggling with getting started “living the life of a blogger.” I’m a perfectionist, so if I post blogs that have errors, then I will be embarrassed. What I have found, though, is in reading others’ blogs, I’m more interested in the content of what’s being said than I am at the mechanics of the writing. After all, I reading to learn new ideas and information.
Missy Lewis on January 24, 2010 6:43 pm
I really like the Liberty Kids site. I see all kinds of ways that I can use the ideas to teach American lit and share with history co-teacher. Excellent way to help teach informational text standards and dramatic elements. Thanks for sharing. I will share with others.
bgaskins Reply: January 25th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Thanks Missy. Liberty Kids is great….
bgaskins on January 25, 2010 5:03 pm
Yes, I learn so much from so many different people in the blogging world. What is being said is most important to the writer! How do you think this affects audience?
Philisa Boykin on January 25, 2010 9:41 pm
I feel a lot better knowing that I’m not the only one having difficulty getting started with following other bloggers and commenting appropriately. Sometimes I’m not even sure where to find how to leave a comment on a few of the sites and I feel completely overwhelmed before I even think of a comment to write. Living the life of a blogger will take getting used to. I’m a bit out of my element here, but I’m open to the experience.
I would STRONGLY recommend you give yourself another day. I know it is difficult to stay home, but I’ve had strep throat twice before in a span of three weeks. First time was Thanksgiving day eve (and yes I wound up going to the ER cuz my doctor said that was the only way I could get relief before they reopened Saturday, and then three weeks later the day we got out for Christmas break. NOT a pleasant experience. I swear it was like swallowing glass shards. So unless you like relapses, you better stay home. Otherwise you may give it to someone who might find a way to give it BACK to you. Trust me I know.
bgaskins Reply: January 26th, 2010 at 5:48 am
I am staying home today. I feel like crap this morning. Thanks for your concern. Bill
Be sure to agree to disagree. Be respectful of the opinions of others, and if you don’t agree, then agree to disagree in a manner that doesn’t feel negative. Try to find something positive in the post even if you totally disagree with the vast majority of it. And remember everyone is entitled to their opinion, which may widely differ with yours. Consider their perspective, as it may stretch your own thinking.
bgaskins on January 26, 2010 8:13 pm
Thank-you Cathy. You make a good point. When their is a disagreement our thinking has been challenged and new learning could occur. I like when someone challenges my thinking. I always learn from the experience. Once again, thanks for leaving a comment.
I must confess to being a fly by reader, Bill. I read a lot of blogs, including your fine efforts, for content and then move on. I deliberately try not to comment on comments on my blog lest I get in a battle of words. I guess I figure that I’ve put my cards on the table with the first post and then invite any kind of feedback and challenging or agreeing is not productive. I’ll think about it though.
bgaskins Reply: January 27th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Doug….Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Are you headed to Educon 2.2? I wish I were going but it fell on the weekend of my wife and daughter’s birthday!
Oh my goodness, you have had a rough time. I wish I could lose that much weight but I don’t want to be sick to do it! I hope you are feeling better. I take a multivitamin every day and wash my hands with anti bacterial soap every time I get home from where ever. You might want to do that whenever you leave “whereever”. Drink plenty of water too because it sounds like you are really busy and need to take better care of yourself! There are people out there who need you!
bgaskins Reply: January 27th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Pat…I am doing so much better now. I did go to work today and had a great day. Throat is slightly sore though, but it is good to be among the moving and living.
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Linda C. on February 2, 2010 8:37 pm
Bill. I read your blog after writing my own blog this evening…and it’s funny how I wrote about me being frustrated about not writing enough. After taking that awesome course this summer (CAWP), I was pumped. I knew that I was a writer, and then…life happened. I fell into the same old rhythm of day-to-day activities..hum-drum. Boring. I fill my weekends with laundry and cleaning, my evening treat is to read whatever book I’m absorbed in at the moment. Honestly, I’m not complaining. I’ve worked hard to get where I am in life. I only have one vice…books. Not bad…expensive…but not dangerous to my health. The writing, however, takes a back seat. I want to write, but other things always seem to take priority. I’m trying though…and I will continue to try and change my habits. I’ve decided to MAKE the time to write. It’s important to my growth as an individual and as a teacher. I’m getting there, one baby step at a time. Thanks for being so patient Bill!
bgaskins Reply: February 3rd, 2010 at 4:28 pm
You have to make time for yourself! Allowing ourselves to take the time to write makes us better teachers of writing. I understand completely when a student hits a brick wall and can’t think of a thing to write about. Or If they write a few sentences and then proclaim they are finished. Writing to get those few words on paper is difficult enough, but when a teacher says that is not good enough, you need to correct those mistakes, you left out a word, or what ever, it is painful to start all over. But writing digitally makes it all different. Revision and editing is not so bad.
Take time to write even if it is short anecdotes about your day! Good luck!
Gloria on February 3, 2010 12:42 pm
I guess I am still at the first stage of writing ,where not trusting my instints makes me doubt . Deciding what to write about is the first thing that stresses me out .Trying to make it sound right is the second.
I find myself envying those who have the gift of verbal fluency and can let their thoughts flow through the tip of their fingers while hitting the letters on the key board .
As I wait for the inspiration to come , I will follow your advice and keep on reading , making connections and learning from others, trying to find my own voice.
bgaskins Reply: February 3rd, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Gloria,
Try finding your voice in reflecting about what you are reading. With effort it will come.
Bill
colleen on February 3, 2010 3:45 pm
After reading, Rambling about Blogging, I began to look at blogging in a whole different light. Yes, writing does seem to take a back seat to other activities–life is what happens. I guess my students may feel the same way. Provinding them with more opportunities to sit in class and blog using longer thoughts and showing their real voice may help this situation-I noticed when I ask them to mimic a sentence using their own frame of reference causes some students to blossom. Vivid verbs, and details come flowing from their pencils. I notice I must also make time for writing. I too, need to find my own voice and make connections to texts
bgaskins on February 3, 2010 4:33 pm
Colleen,
Author and educator Linda Rief taught me to take a sentence or thought from anything I am reading and let it be my starting point. I copy the sentence just like it is written from the text and then I let my thought flow. I have tried it with fifth and sixth grade student and I am amazed where it leads. Once they find the sentence they are passionate about the voice comes out. Try it! Use a thought provoking line from Kajder’s book and let it flow!
I have used skype for one on one calls and for conference calls. It took more than one time for me to feel more comfortable with it so I encourage others to try it a few times to get used to it. It is like any other new tool and you need to practice in order to feel comfortable with it. You make great suggestions and sometimes it is situations like you had that actually have the most impact. If it had all gone smoothly, maybe when others try it and have problems, they wouldn’t know how to handle it. This was a great opportunity for everyone involved.
bgaskins on February 3, 2010 5:12 pm
Pat,
Thanks for commenting! I need some tips for large Skype conferencing. Please share. I do think Skype is an awesome tool for the classroom. I hope others will chime in and share some great ideas.
Bill
Angie on February 3, 2010 7:10 pm
I find that I am more comfortable writing about my students than I am myself. I find that with 4th and 5th graders, their first response to blogging is to edit eachother’s work–because that is what they are used to doing. Once they start thinking, writing, thinking responding, they see the power in their words. My hope is to teach the younger children responsibility with writing before they become full-blown bloggers!
bgaskins Reply: February 6th, 2010 at 10:26 am
You are right! But it has to be modeled and you have to be comfortable with it as a writer. Good luck! Bill
Angie on February 3, 2010 7:33 pm
I think Skype will work terrific for conferencing with other classes, but I think it will take teachers who trust each other and have a sense of humor. It will take teamwork and patience to work through the kinks with the kids.
bgaskins on February 3, 2010 7:45 pm
Angie—you are absolutely correct! Teamwork and trust and a sense of humor is important. Also, you will have to be concerned about cultural differences. What a great teaching moment to be prepared to experience…
Bill
bgaskins on February 3, 2010 7:52 pm
Great thoughts! You are absolutely correct! They have to be taught.
Lisa Parisi and Brian Cosby who are writing a book about blogging experience in their elementary classroom noticed that sudent do not draw attention to each others problems with grammar in their blogs, until the student comes up and asks, “Why didn’t they understand what I was trying to write here?” They experienced change in their students when they started paying attention to what their peers were writing.
I think naturally at first they would pay attention to error because we school them into paying attention to that. Once they get past that it may not matter until their peers start questioning what their peers are actually saying in their writing.
thanks for your kind comments. I also have you on my reader and enjoy reading what you share. I’m sure you impact more people than you realize – and you frequently give me things to think about. — Fred (Watertown, SD)
ann on February 4, 2010 6:14 pm
Bill, I have been thinking alot as I read Kadjer’s book Bringing the Outside In. I have always thought that all of these writing prompts we give our students are so boring its no wonder they loose interest and just, basically, turn anything in. Usually their thoughts are incomplete. I am working with my students right now on a letter to the author Chris Van Allsburg in response to his opinion of televisions expressed through is story, The Wretched Stone. I was going to mail the letters. I have know decided to research and see if I can find a website that he might have that allows for comments. I think the students might enjoy being able to send a message through technology instead of snail mail. I hope that publishing this way will inspire them to really think about what they are trying to express themselves.
bgaskins Reply: February 6th, 2010 at 10:28 am
We have to continue to find ways to make writing authentic. But in reality until things pass we do have to incorporate writing prompts. I think we have to be honest with students why we do it. Remind them it is a “school” thing.. Thanks for writing and making me think…
I like to tell newbies reading my personalized Google Reader filled with feeds I handpicked is like coming home every afternoon and reading a magazine or two and a newspaper. I just now do it online using a free tool.
bgaskins Reply: February 6th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Thanks Cathy. It is free….
Susan on February 5, 2010 9:13 pm
I like how you mention authors of blogs you follow as being mentors and models for your writing. It never crossed my mind…you are right. I have a particular focus for my blog. Like you I follow certain blogs. Last week I was stuck..hit a mental block…with where I was going next in my blog. As I read through blogs, an idea sparked and immediately I had the topic and within a few minutes I had a posting done. It is true that when a personal connection is made it is easy to elaborate on the topic. It’s like having a two-way conversation with written text.
bgaskins Reply: February 6th, 2010 at 10:33 am
Great connection! When we teach writing we have to provide students mentors. As an elementary teachers, I use the examples from the novels we read and picture books.
“It is true that when a personal connection is made it is easy to elaborate on the topic.” This has to be taught but even greater we have to make ourselves as teachers how important those connections are. We do it without thinking alot about it. I have found from keeping journal and blogging I am much more conscious of the connections I am making when I read.
I love using my GR because then I don’t have to keep checking individual sites to see if they have been updated. I also don’t miss anything this way if someone has updated their blogs. I admit that I don’t always read everything that comes through my GR but I can browse to see if it is something I want to read right then. I use the star and share features a lot. I also like the shortcut keys to mark something unread if I want to come back to it later.
bgaskins Reply: February 6th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Thanks Pat for leaving a comment. GR makes life easier. Bill
colleen on February 6, 2010 9:12 am
IT is always nice to send and receive comments. I enjoy reading comments on my blog, I get helpful advice from so many others, and I enjoy learning from others.
Every time I have used Skype I have loved it. However, our district has blocked Skype for “security” reasons. Our IT Director says it is a peer to peer network and can cause problems for the network.
bgaskins on February 6, 2010 5:59 pm
John, I working with a group of teachers in Horry County in this course I am teaching. They have unblocked for them for this course. That is a positive move. In my new school district, Berkeley our filters are tight as an oil drum.
that’s a great idea….thanks for sharing your knowledge for everybody…it will helps me allot in my current subject entitled ”Educational Technology”.
hope that we’ll get in touch by sharing of one’s bright and wonderful ideas..
we all know that technology is continuously growing that’s why the way of teaching of learning modified to higher expectation and responsibilities. never stop posting your ideas from this site cause many believes in you and in what you believe is good for the teachers and students.
Philisa on February 8, 2010 2:04 pm
I have found that I most closely follow The Tempered Radical because his voice mirrors my own. Finding my voice in my blog has been a struggle for me because I’m quite outspoken and have a tendency to be harsh in not only what I say, but how I say it. I feel as if I need to censor what I say before I put it out there for the whole world to see out of fear that my words will later come back to haunt me, so I write several drafts on paper before it ever reaches my blog. I wonder if this is something that The Tempered Radical struggles with as well.
After reading this post and reflecting on my own writing, I have a better understanding of what my students go through in their struggle to find their voice in their writing, especially a voice that is appropriate for their audience. The only way to provide them with an opportunity to find that appropriate voice is to allow them multiple outlets for publishing.
bgaskins Reply: February 8th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
@Philisa, I understand what you are saying. That is why I write in a journal. Lot of things I write never makes it for everyone’s eyes to see. You have to be comfortable with yourself to write publicly and you have to be confident about the content. However, it sounds like you have a lot to say.
I also find writing a way to organize my thoughts. Writing helps me synthesize and analyze things around me. When it make it public, I am willing to have someone shread my thoughts to pieces or pat me on the back. In the process I hoped I helped someone else rethink something in their lives.
I appreciate the thought process your article takes in going through this idea. Especially the part about how students look at encyclopedias vs digital information(googling). And I agree it is their mindset.
One of the incredible things about being only 26 is that I believe I may be in a group of the oldest digital natives there are. We hopped on board in college when it was picking up speed, and can often get to see both perspectives. So I understand how they feel about digital information, and why natives prefer it over traditional libraries and books.
It has to do a lot with the speed at which it can be updated, and the fact that it takes the form in a sort of communication. For instance, something found on google can be changed the next time we visit it. Whereas a book has to wait for the next edition(could take a year). Also, how often can a reader communicate with the author(like I’m doing now) or other fellow readers, experts etc… It’s why I think that blogs, wikis, and forums are the next big step for education.
Now how do we tap into this? Encourage them to search things out by googling. We can’t discourage it because we think they might find the wrong information. What we have to do is push them away from copying the information and never looking back. They need to communicate. If they can learn to talk to the author, and the community that surrounds the information they have found, then they can begin to find answers in a collaborative environment.
It is just as wrong for natives to say that it is right because they found it google, as it is for immigrants to say it’s right because it got published in a book.
Just a thought.
It has always been easy for me to conceptualize the reading process and make attempt to teach the process. It was always easier to teach to standards than it was to teach reading. I think blogging has help me visualize and understand how important the collaboration, writing, and thinking is to reading.
I would like to thank all those who attended this presentation today. I can’t begin to tell you what I learned from you.
Start blogging and learning.
Bill
Twitter is such a great way to connect and I think also it is important to talk about the term “microblogging.” Many don’t realize that twitter can be done from a cell phone via text message (and to a cell phone for that matter) which means that you can link up your students who don’t have computers but may have cell phones. I think microblogging has great potential.
Thank you for sharing your blog, Bill. I have enjoyed reading your thoughts and checking out some of the links. See you in class!
Bill -
I love the fact that I was going to reply to your comment on my blog with “just use THIS as your post today” and here it is! In my opinion, that’s what blogging’s all about – letting your thoughts out. If you have to do it as a comment on someone else’s blog, so be it! I understand the feeling of needing to post every day, although I’m sure our readers wouldn’t perish if we missed
You’re doing a wonderful job and although it’s tough to write sometimes, it’s just like exercise, you always feel better when you finish!
Great blog. ed
Bill, this is all very good, and much more professional than anything else I have been seeing. I can tell you have spent a great deal of time with all of this and it shows. I myself have only been using blogging for personal communication with my family. I have little support here, and few who seem to “get” it. In our district we are blocked at every turn, and the real point of Web 2 tools seems to be missed on those who manage the equipment. I am going to bookmark your page and that of the classroom 2 group so that I can follow what you are are doing. It is obvious you are a dedicated professional with much to offer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights.
Bill,
I enjoyed the article Blogging in The Third Grade! Since my certification or endorsement is in the elementary education field it was great information. The link Adventures in Blogging With Third Grades provided an excellent example or model on how to blog in elementary school. It provided great online safety tips and practical ways on how to introduce the concept to third grades. Your blog has so much information, links and categories. I will have to tag it and come back again.
Gabriella
I visited the Earth and Sky Link to this post and found some pages that may be useful with my final project. Even though this is designed for middle school students some of the Kids link may work for fourth grade. I will take more time to review this pages and see if anything is useful. You have so much information in this blog. It is really great!
Gabriella
Thought provoking AND entertaining to read. Wow, what if week one really were like that?!
I am still learning the ins and outs of blogging in the Web 2.0 course. You seem to have it down pat. Your comments on blogging were very helpful to help me understand the purpose and benefits of blogging. I have only created the one for this class and tonight I am attempting to comment on classmates’ blogs. I have gotten in trouble a couple of times-losing the comments, forgetting my google password, and my computer loaded one blog over 40 times. It is good to have some people in this course who know what they are doing.
Now that is the future! I have no doubt the students could do this. What fun to learn this way… I can only imagine a classroom or school equipped with the tools needed for these activities. I know of some very well funded schools in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis (Carmel/Fishers area) that do require all students in their high schools to have laptops. They use Macs, and much of the work is submitted electronically. These are public schools in a very affluent area where the tax base is quite high. I doubt that I will ever see that in Northern Beaufort County, so this would truly be a dream! Perhaps the state will see fit to equip each school with laptops for every student instead of text books in the next decade (or two) but until then at least this can be a dream! Thinking positive Bill, great ideas…
I enjoyed your thoughts on blogging. I think the personal reflection is what I’m liking the most about blogging. I also think it is addicting to have online conversations, to know that someone else cares about what you think, that someone else is passionate about the things you are passionate about. I think students will love this as well.
Mary
I love your thoughts on blogging and additionally love the comments that you leave for me! I like the idea of using a blog like an online journal/diary. What a good idea to use you blog to record your thoughts! You have such great ideas!
[...] The reading teacher in me is surfacing as I read through the Marshall Memo 219 on Monday. Reading instruction must be top priority in all K-12 classrooms. Recent blog post I have focused on reading process in blogging and how we can use tools from our tech savvy world to teach students the process of reading. There are teachers in classrooms across America that are great reading teachers and raising student achievement. However, we have to move forward with the new tools we have. These are the tools they need for their future. Read My Dream Classroom. [...]
I recently read that Florida is going to try electronic texts at certain levels- Now in light of all of the research that you cite in this latest entry, do you think that coupled with the web tools we are focusing on now that this may be a way to meet student needs and cut costs as well? and… how do we get school districts to ease up on all of these web restrictions and rules which are not compatible with many tools teachers may try to meet the needs of today’s new learners? Good ideas and very thought provoking content in this latest post- I am reading at this blog frequently! My feelings are that where I am in the state, we will continue to be in the day late dollar short category, with tech in a constant battle with teachers and schools.
Enjoyed your live blogging session and being able to Twitter some comments as well. The Literacy Coach and I kept tabs on your session between our classes!
Thanks for being such a visionary!!
Cool idea. I think this definitely comes in handy with k-5 teachers because we teach so many different things. This will make using our web resources so much easier to utilize in our classes.
I also like the social aspect and the ability to share with others.I really enjoyed this . Can’t wait to go to the site.
Okay, when do William, Lynn, and Pamela start editing their documents? I call Australia!
I did talk to Anne Mirtschin in Australia 5 PM. It was really cool. Did you sign up for Skype?
[...] Post: South Carolina Reading Initiative (live blog [...]
You are the TechMan! I love how you took what we have been learning in class and “passed it forward.” This will be a great benefit to those who use your blog.
Mary
This is a pretty cool idea. I didn’t know that a service that this was avaliable. If I was a classroom teacher that used the internet in their teaching this would definitely help.
I found the video very helpfull even though you were having some computer problems. HAHA.
Neat. I have tried to keep a list of my favorite websites. My list however is not organized or tagged in anyway. The end result has been that it is often easier to use internet search to locate the valued website rather than my own list. Social bookmarking will not only allow me to keep up with these sites, but also save me time since I want have to search all over again for them. I also like the idea of being able to benefit from the searches of other people.
This is great! My favorites list has become so long at home that sometimes I can’t find what I need. Then when I go to school I have to search again and save to my computer there. I can’t wait to use this and organize!! It will also be nice to see what sites other elementary teachers find helpful.
I watched the video. It is very neat that you can teach us that way. I am getting ready to log on TrailFire and begin.
Cool site. Hope to be able to use this daily. Enjoyed the video!
Video was very informative. I’m trying it out now. Hope I can do it!
I like it! This will help with organizing my favorite places on the web. Also, I think it could be very useful for teachers to share this with their students’ parents.
This is something good to know. My favorites are already cluttered. I can use delicious.com to alleviate some of the mess I have. All my sites can be better organized.
This is something helpful to know. My favorites site is already full and this can help organize the files I already have. Plus, it will be good to share sites.
Trail Fire has been a life saver for me. The only problem I run into is I forget how I tag things. That can be a real problem with me. Trail Fire has be so helpful.
Bill
[...] Posting: Educon- A Weekend for Professional Development Professional Learning [...]
I’m sure I will use Trailfire once I get used to it.
Great post! I hope you get volunteers to help you. I am having a meeting at the end of the month with teachers in my district who are interested in technology in the classroom. Here is what I’ve set up for our first meeting: http://loonyhiker.wikispaces.com/
The video gave me some insights on internet options. I will log into Teacher Tube to see what it is about.
What a great way to share what we find with other teachers everywhere. I know I’d surely like help from others.
It took a while to get started, create the trails and decide which sites I wanted to link. However, I have already used it in class to acquire quick access to some of the dictionaries for my students. I already like it.
It is good to know that the tool bar can be customized so easily.
Hi Bill. I have come to visit you and enjoyed reading your post. So many of us at the beginning of the journey with these emerging technologies and I wonder if that is where we will stay as the journey just keeps getting bigger and better. Would love to keep in touch and work with you as well. Let us know if we can skype again and our literacy teacher is willing to talk to your staff, students or????? if you would like.
Great picture and I love the title! I think voice threads would be great with this.
Bill, right now I am passionate about teaching my teachers and mainly get to test students- so I will have to pass on the quilt thing- but I did find your jan, podcast test, and am wondering what tools you may have used- I am wanting to try this with a teacher but with video, maybe a simple webcam to try it out- I am thinking I will need to save it and then upload it- I have no clue about “hosting sites” and think for my purposes this will do. There are so many security issues with kids that it is laborious to post anything that shows the students without someone pushing the panic button- but I won’t give up!
Paula
Great post! Sometimes we don’t see the fruits of our labor until years later. I have come across students who I taught 20 years ago who thank me for something I don’t remember doing. This teacher sounds awesome though!
I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but from what I read about it and hear how others use it, I think it sounds wonderful. We use something like this for my CEC Board of Directors which is called ecommunities on our website. There we can share documents pertaining to upcoming board meetings instead of getting paper copies or filling up our email. I really think it should be open to students.
Great post ditto. With all this technology that we have going for us it would make me think that we can get “rechared” again and go at it like a bat!!! I especially like the Podcasts that bring concepts alive…..
It is indeed a transitional time for districts and issues surrounding network security and student safety. As soon as I find cool content that will engage learners, it is uniformly blocked or filtered in some way that compromises its use by students. Google docs are very cool, but their interactive nature is threatening to some. Even giving students access to the desktop on their computers is seen as a security risk yet we must teach them how to use the desktop tools and functions- simply frustrating. I think that communication is a huge issue. The tech dept is typically not made up of educators who know much about pedagogy and how students really learn. Perhaps these folks need to go to school and listen to some podcasts on Bloom’s ! I jest, but in fact we have oil and water here. No matter how much we discuss these issues unless the educators are empowered to make decisions rather than Tech staff, change will be slow. * Of note, this past week in the midst of all our district’s super tight security and filtering practices, One school was hacked beyond what the regular techs could fix – so I believe that the bottom line is if someone really wants in or wants to gain access to something, they are going to get it. We aren’t banks with that type of equipment- and our techs aren’t top tier (they don’t pay enough to get those) so it is going to be very slow going. What we educators can continue to do is demonstrate good practices with the technologies we embrace.
Streamline is one example of a technology that is accepted and can be fitted to many settings. I did a PowerPoint with weather videos that can be converted into other formats for posting on blogs, webs and even ipods- my job is to convince others around me that the tools for delivery I choose are good for student learning, and I think eventually the barriers will come down. MSN has a shared docs feature that works well, and Skype does too, maybe someday we will get to use these with students.
[...] We need schools and districts to go through transformations with leaders who have vision and are willing to shift forward themselves. Schools need to grow a culture of new teachers. Shifting takes time with many hurdles in the way. We need to grow learning environments that resemble the creation at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. [...]
Dear Pat,
I think Google Doc is cutting edge for a classroom. School District policy makers are not ready to gamble yet. Schools are going to have to address the issue of digital citizenship. Many students have an online life. Many don’t have parents to guide them correct ways and talk to the about Internet Safety and cyber bullying. We have so much to talk about.
Thanks
Bill
Dear Paula,
Thanks for following my blog. You raise some good points in you comment. We need to start these conversations in South Carolina.
You make a good point about Tech departments that don’t understand education and teaching pedagogy. It is a challenge for school districts to find a person with both backgrounds. However, I recently met a former music teacher (I can’t remember the district in SC) who now head of their IT department. He had over 18 years experience in a classroom before shifting careers. I though that was neat.
However, teachers are traditionally known for shifting knowledge base. I am finally working toward at an M. ED in Curriculum and Instruction in Technology. I was a tech coach form 1999-2002. At that time I was told I was not Highly Qualified to do the job. My instructional tech experience from my personal learning. I have learned more through my own research that I am paying$1200 course from an online university.
I think I am rambling now. Thanks for following me.
Bill
Dear Ed,
It is tough teaching. We have to do more to support young teachers entering the profession. Teachers have to be more collaborative about their classrooms. This would help the struggles all teachers have to go through.
Thanks for following!
Bill
Pat,
My group is developing. I have five teachers very interested from different parts of the district. I will keep you informed.
Bill
Dear Anne,
Thanks for reading! I started my blogging journey in October and wrote my first blog post in November. I am still overwhelmed with all the things I want to learn. I would love to stay in touch with you and follow what you are doing in your classroom. Let’s plan a Skype conference. Maybe we can join you and your literacy teacher for a conference soon. I would like to have the conversation because literacy and learning with technology go hand in hand. Let’s plan it!
Bill
[...] longer can we afford to sit back and wait for to happen. Our students need my dream classroom for their future. Students need to know that learning is attainable and can be collaborative and [...]
Dear Paula,
I am still not totally comfortable with podcasting. I use audacity and a microphone. For the podcast in a recent blog I use my Ipod to record and transfered to my computer and edited with Audacity. The hard part was getting it to my website. There had to be an easier way. I uploaded through the back door to this website. It was cumbersome. When I have some more time,I am will research it and I will let you know what I discover.
I have been experimenting with a web cam and using it with Skype and UStream TV. Are you on Skype yet? I would like to set up an online tech conference. Last Sunday night Pat the LooneyHiker had a great chat. We hope to do it again soon.
Thanks for following me.
Bill
Pat,
Thanks for passing on the quilt idea….
Bill
What a great post! I used to brag about my school having all this great technology because we had a principal that really believed it all. Then he left the district and we got a new principal who felt that techology was not that important. Since the new principal, a lot of this wonderful technology is sitting there unused. Training and acquiring other new things are very low on the priority list. What a sad state of affairs because so much taxpayer money is wasted.
Pat,
Title One schools that have lots of Technology needs to get real about what is under the surface. Policy Makers need to understand this and allow more funds at least 25% of tech purchase go into staff development. I use to brag, but I find it hard when I look below the surface. I have a lot of work to do in my school.
thanks for writing
Bill
Bill, I enjoy visiting your blog- I intend to keep tabs after the course- if you don’t mind- I may edit mine a bit or shift it to word press after the course so that I can discuss what I want to when I like and not according to a class schedule- you know, speak my mind. I am interested in your studies and scoff at that term”highly qualified” it is just another thing for bureaucrats to do as they attempt to satisfy public accountability demands which are ultimately tied to funding…”What are you guys in SC doing to make sure your poorly performing public schools improve? What is your plan, and if we approve we will give you some money… It is going to come round and bite some folks right in the old behind, I think, because at least where I am they cannot get “highly qualified” staff for many areas such as middle school, 7th and 8th grades. I worked some in a Middle school last year and there were several really good teachers that were being forced to move into the 6th grade – at any position they could get- because of this… Unless you are a bit younger than those of us with 20 plus years you did not specialize as teachers are doing today. My licensing is so old I have a life license in Indiana, and an MAE – now no one I know of has an MAE but me, and I did my thesis on a typewriter… not because I like them, but because that was the tech of the day! So I am hardly in that highly qualified category myself for tech… I do know that everyday I assist teachers who have their Masters in Technology and I wonder just what on earth they studied in the tech area,- and I know already the answer is lots of education theory and a little bit of tech tossed in on the side. Please tell me you are getting a marketable Tech degree for your money, because you already have a very good handle on what education is all about- Now who is rambling? have I overstepped in my reply? I just hope you get as much of the tech as you can – it is the only thing that has saved my job- on more than one occasion- all education theory aside, can do, figure out, fix it tech… proud to be a teacher, but thank God I can fix your computer kind of tech!
It is tough to do public ed- for sure-
Paula,
From 1995-2000 I was the state rep for the South Eastern and Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium. That is how I met Donna. Donna was a tech specialist for them. Mike (I cannot remember Mike) had a M.Ed in IT he received in 1986 from a major university. Mike was sharp and we use talk about how everything he had learned in the degree program was so out dated. Tech continues to change. Teaching pedagogy is not the same as most teachers learned 20-30 years ago. I am not sure what colleges in this state are teaching new teachers today.
For our profession learning is on a continuum and continues to move forward. We are not long preparing kids for the industrial age. Most kids still experience classrooms that prepare them for this time period. Our leadership and policy makers need to know that time has shifted.
I am getting my on-line degree from Grand Canyon University. The whole program fits my schedule. I am learning more outside their classrooms and I am learning more from the social networks I have formed.
I find GCU program resembles the industrial age style teaching. In each coarse, we read, participate in a discussion board (the best part), complete a weekly assignment, and provide a journal response. Innovative and 21st century, not quiet. The piece of paper I get in September will be for my resume. Since I started the program, some new doors started to open in the district. The timing was right.
As I have written about before, I miss the classroom. Since I have been out of the classroom since August, I have had more time to learn and I did not have that time as a teacher. That is the pitfall of teaching. After teaching all day, the papers to read and assess, conferences, data keeping, planning, and all other assigned duties, there is not much time left for learning and reading. By the way, I have two you kids at home. I think I understand where the teacher comes from and why they are where they are in the profession. It is tough teaching and keeping up.
With all this said, policy makers and district leaders can work together to make this change happen. Teachers need more time for professional development. I propose somehow we make room in the teacher’s schedule for two to three hours of day for planning and/or professional development.
We have to think out of the box to fix public education.
More Rambling……This might be my post for today.
Bill
Bill, you do speak the truth on where we are in education and where we need to go. I myself am a bit fed up and ready to do something different. I am glad to know you have a specific direction in which you are moving- I am past the point of adding to my resume’ and will likely never take another education course beyond this one, instead
Maybe I should go back to traffic cams and fish cams and forget the vodcasts!
I ‘ll be opting for something else in the next part of my life. Using Tech is just a part of how I live and I believe how most kids today are going to have to live. Most of the folks I work with and know could care less beyond a little email and their widescreen TV’s. I think that things have and are moving ahead at such a rapid pace that most older adults are stuck watching it happen rather than participating. It is good to know that you have found an online source for your studies that allows you to work and be with your family as well. Again, nice blog- good links, and interesting thoughts. I enjoyed the links in this weeks assignments and perhaps have become overly stimulated…
I wish I was available to skype with you on Wed. but I’m doing teacher evaluations all day. I hope you don’t mind if I use this to show the teachers at my meeting. The comparison is a great way to introduce my session.
Yikes–thx for the pingback. Looks like we have the same people form SC in our reader, doesn’t it. Wonder if we’ll find more. This could get interesting.
I’d be available–email to remind me.
Ok now I remember why im being skyped in–had to come back and look. Great preso slide show.
Clap Clap! What a wonderful post. My students did not even get a high school diploma and was required to take the exit exam because they did not fit into the percent of kids who should not take it or get an alternative assessment. Everyone knew it didn’t count towards graduation, even the students so they put no effort into it. Of course this hurt the school overall so many others were resentful towards my special ed students. And the poor students felt even worse because they felt like this was a way for the system to humiliate them publicly even though I spent a lot of time telling them that their disability was not their fault. Yet, these are the kids who may someday build your house so you have a place to live, fix your plumbing (because what would we do without indoor plumbing?!), or even work on your car so you could get to work. It’s a scary thought!
This tells we are still where we were in the past. We have to help our youth find their gifts and challenge them as far as we can. We need to create great plumbers and electricians that can manage their own business. That takes skill. We have to have the mindset we can take the child further with great pedagogic strategies. We can’t leave a child behind any more. The bar can still be raised without testing and testing and testing.
Bill- you do well to post here, no class needed, and I will indeed keep track. This was another troubling and frustrating day in my job, and I wonder if I did not have that pension waiting after next year if I would even bother. I ride a wave of disrespect and lack of understanding about what our teachers need to help students use these wonderful tools. Unless something drastic changes in how things are done and tech sees teacher, none of it will matter. Have you thought about home schooling your children? Your knowledge and the tools at hand right now make that a pretty awesome alternative-
Best wishes and sincere regards,
Paula
I loved your thought provoking questions. We are always telling our students that the world is not just what they see around them but much bigger and if we don’t show them how to explore this idea, how will they realize the possibilities?
Thanks Bill
I dont know why I did not find this post again when I searched today. I have got behind with everything and am slowly catching up. Thank you for choosing me and I will try and get my meme quilt image up tomorrow. Love sharing with you and I really like the quilt idea
Anne
[...] the Global Waters of Web 2.0 I’ve been tagged for this meme by WCGaskins. I have a passion for all things web2.0 and am experimenting with various tools that can be used [...]
Comment »
I hope you find your golden key!
I read his suggestions and agreed with them. Just recently I cautioned another teacher about writing negative things about her boss. She told me that she wasn’t worried since she has a pen name and doesn’t mention names of places or people. Since I know a few people know this is really her, it is not a secret and secrets tend to get out. I told her this could be passed on to a prospective employer who might see this as a negative even if they don’t say anything. I make it a practice not to write anything that I wouldn’t want my mother to see!
This was great evidence that we (techie people) may be making a difference even if it is one teacher at a time. Glad to see that school district “gets” the point!
This is a great discussion, and Im anxiously awaiting a list. Great questions, and it didn’t seem Tim or Kevin offered many solutions.
Do parent and students sign a contract showing they agree to conditions and responsibilities? When they put their name on a paper, it tends to make people more conscientious.
Great ideas! I have also been thinking about how to write better lesson plans because as teachers, we can’t keep doing the same things over and over. (I enjoy reading what is going on during your day in Tumblr. Sorry to hear about the ticket though.)
The funny thing is that zoomed from school around four get to the courthouse and then to the DMV before 5. The court house was surrounded by emergency personnel. Bomb Threat to the building…
Unfortunately this is common in many schools. Maybe this post needs to be shared at faculty meetings and teachers have to find out what is wrong with this whole picture. Then rewrite it in a way that engages students and involves students using technology to learn.
I love your final comments because they are so powerful! We have got to embrace change and move forward. As long as we stick out heads in the sand like ostriches, we will continue to fall behind the rest of the world.
Such a sad, sad story. Wish it was just a work of fiction. Who will be the catalyst for change? It’s very scary that this describes about 95% of classrooms everywhere in our state. SAD.
Thanks for the link. I will be watching this and hopefully sharing it with other teachers.
We should not stop at reading but expand this total media literacy. Think about how movies, pictures, video games, etc… influence what our kids think. They need to find meaning in a movie or television show, or YouTube video with the same critical eye as we would want them to have with a book.
I will pass your wiki on to our reading coach.
Hi Bill,
Thank you for putting in the time to write this post. Being a beginning teacher myself 9I’m in my third year) I have experienced many of the things you have described. It is so valuable for me to know that I am not the only one. Of course I know that rationally, but to have those discussions is so important. I do well in my job, but of course still have those days when I think I should quit. I can feel myself improving, and like you, would like to go back and apologise to the kids for some of the crappy things I did in my first year! Oh well, it’s all part of the learning curve and we are all human.
Also, it is easy to focus on the negative things that we do and forget to congratulate ourselves on the positives – and there are many many many of them. We need to acknowledge what mistakes we have made, learn from them, but not dwell on them too much. That’s when the ‘I should quit. I’m the worst teacher ever’ thoughts come in! We all do wonderful things as well. It’s harder to notice them though!
I have to teach about blogging and wikis to some teachers today for our district. I am going to share this link as an example of the collaboration power of wikis. Also, I have forwarded this to our Reading Coach and I am sure she has some ideas to contribute. Thanks.
John I hope this helps with them. Please encourage them to add to the wiki. I notice someone has. I know your reading coach. She and I sat together at a workshop in Columbia recently. You are in good hands with her. Let me know how your workshop went.
Bill;
I find learning the tools is important as it is only when you know how to use them that you can start to even work out how to effectively use them as an educational tool. We all love the whizz bang stuff but when that becomes second nature (as you say), the real learning outcomes emerge. Students love to push software to the boundaries and will use it for purposes that even the software developers could not have envisaged.
I have a yr 10 boy in my IT elective, who, although never a trouble maker, rarely completes any work in the traditional subject areas (due to some learning difficulty) but when given the chance to blog has written way beyond his usual means, added his photostory digital movies and produced a wonderful digital portfolio for his blog. comments on his blog, encourage him to read and analyze. He has emailed back to the commentor which has given him an authentic audience for his letter writing skills. He will be encouraged to use the tool of blogging in all subject areas. I find that multi literacies of technology allow all students now, to communicate effectively and they can choose how to get their message across.
Even the most reluctant of readers in my classes, love looking at other student work on the internet and happily read student posts from other countries.
I could go on and on…… about the ways these tools, although ‘fun’ are actually powerful technologies that could enhance their educational outcomes in a way that students love.
Great post! I know exactly the feelings that you describe. I have also felt the same feelings as a parent and thankful that my children have grown up and are doing well despite my feeble attempts at parenting. I think forgiveness is a big part of what helps us move on instead of wallowing in self pity. This moving on is what sets us up as a role model for our students. Thanks for sharing the feelings that a teacher has but not many people talk about.
I had to tweet this and share it with my friends! Great post! I think you should share this insightful post with your administrators.
Look what I found while I was “googling” SCRI!
I’m hanging my head in shame for my dreadful lack of knowledge and appreciation for technology.
You’re the best!!!
“Pama” will also learn to proof her work!
Dear Bill Gaskins,
I just wanted to make sure that you were invited to our education “Blogger Summit”. We hope you can make it and feel free to share this invitation with any other bloggers in the area that might be interested. The invitation is attached below.
Alex
ED In ‘08 Blogger Summit
——————————–
Strong American Schools is excited to announce the ED in ‘08 Blogger Summit. Conference details are as follows:
May 14th – 15th
Palomar Hotel, Washington DC
Registration is Free!
An opening reception is scheduled on the evening of Wednesday, May 14th. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served before the screening of a new documentary film on education, Two Million Minutes. A Q&A session with the filmmakers is set to follow.
Then join us for an all-day conference on May 15th. Nowhere else will you have an opportunity to meet and network with fellow education bloggers, participate in panels, attend workshops, and help tackle some tough questions on the state of education in America. Highlights include a speech from keynote speaker Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House.
Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP today!
Register at http://edin08.com/bloggersummit/
Great list! I will use this list for my summer class for teachers!
Great post! I plan to use this in workshops I conduct in my district. I would like to add another advantage is that in order for teachers to use multimedia in the classroom, teachers themselves must be proficent in not only the technology but also the integration of the technology or it will be lost. If students aren’t involved in project based learning, using the technology becomes simply "old wine in a new bottle." In order to do this, teachers typically create and reach out to their Personal Learning Networks whether it be the teacher’s lounge at their school, collaborative projects with other teachers, reading and commenting on blogs and getting in on those conversations, attending and presenting at conferences, and/or using social networking sites such as Twitter. Once teachers become involved in these PLNs, the advantages to their professional learning is too many to mention. I think that is a huge advantage!
Dear Lee,
I could not agree with you more. Teachers must take controll of their personal learning and grow with the students. I see to many teachers forgeting about personal learning and growing. This makes it to easy to fail the kids we teach. Teaching is hard and those who cannot stand the head need to leave.
Lee, Increasing our awareness of the possibilities inherent in the new web 2.0 technologies should be one of an educators intentions. School districts must realize that budgets must support these new breakthrough technologies in order to prepare our youth for a future that is certain to be technological.
Your article addresses so many reasons why multimedia engages our students in ways where other teaching methodologies fall short. Another offering of multimedia is allowing students to gather data and “construct” this information into presentations of their own. It also allows teachers to teach what they have taught year after year in new ways with new information A science teacher reading about man walking on the moon certainly enhances the lesson with students seeing a video clip with a voice saying.” the Eagle has landed..while watching men walk on the moon. So much is possible with all of the sources on the internet.
Just as 500 years ago, Christopher Columbus stood on the edge of the unknown , we too must consider that the effective uses possible with technology is only limited by our own imaginations.
Whether teachers have one teaching station or a lab in the school, each provide unique opportunities for implementing technology into the teaching of their beloved subjects. Just as T. Roosevelt said, ” Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Joan,
You make a valid point! We know students are learning when they have the opportunity to construct information into a presentation. We then have real and valid evidence of knowledge being constructed. Thanks for your meaningful comment.
Bill Gaskins
Don’t forget Skype to bring expert voices to the students!
I can’t tell you the number of times I have taken videos of the cruises and trips I have taken so I can give my students a virtual field trip. I also love to do tours of places (such as the paper mill in Maine or the Toyota plant in Kentucky) and take tons of pictures to make a slide show of it. Thank goodness my hubby is used to it. Now that gas prices are so high too, virtual field trips may be the only way students experience a lot of things.
Ok, you won’t get rich or famous by doing this and nothing bad will happen to you if you don’t, but if you get a chance (in your free time! ha!), I am tagging you for this meme. You can read about the rules here: http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/2008/05/another-meme.html
Great post! Even the choir sometimes needs to hear that they are singing the right songs. I totally agree with your comments!
the traditional school where i work has everyone scheduled so tightly we squeak- as someone attempting to get teachers to use technology i see this lock-step approach as leaving little room for those who wish to try- we have one or two, exceptions, but again, the scheduling itself is way too rigid for the adults, let alone the curious little children sitting in rows- do i make a difference or am i spinning my wheels???
Congratulations! I know you will do a great job. If there is any way I can be of help, please let me know.
Bill – Interesting blog entry. I took a look at the SC e-Portfolio site and was wondering if SC has a specific e-Portfolio solution for you and others to use, or can you use an e-Portfolio solution of your choosing? I am asking because Digication has a very easy e-Portfolio to use. Even if you have to use a certain solution — check us out! Also, I can send you some samples if you want. Let me know!
Thanks
Dan
This sounds wonderful! I’m interested in hearing how your job goes. My friend is a special ed professor at coastal carolina. I love the voice thread too!
Welcome to the TL family.
This is Kevin, from Western Mass Writing Project.
You can join an informal network (non-sanctioned by NWP) at a Ning site that I set up for those of us NWP TLs who wanted to check out Ning and network with each other.
Drop me an email (dogtrax(at)gmail(dot)com) and I’ll send you the link.
I remember when I was asked to become the TL, I thought: who? me?
But it has been a wonderful experience.
Kevin
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Thanks Kevin….You make a good point. I think we have a lot more to learn from using audio and video and connecting it to writing. That is why I want the CAWP participants to take now of how I used voice thread on our blog site. I want them to see has connective writing and think about it as possibilities as prewriting.
Another thing that occurred to me is the danger of only reading blogs. That too allows writers to fall into a vacuum if we only depend on writings from other people’s blogs. I am reading Will’s book and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Bloggers must have outside readings whether from journals, books, magazines, online journals, etc….
I think it was Samuel Johnson who said he hates a writer who writes more than he reads.
Kevin—Thanks for the video….I need to get a camera…
Authentic learning, as we are finding it through our Professional Learning Networks, remains the most powerful form of professional education; it seems that this form needs to be incorporated within our more static, traditional forms of teacher education.
Sheryl–I agree with you one hundred percent. Connective learning through our PLN is very powerful. How do we go about getting higher ed in teacher colleges on this bandwagon? How imperative is this?
Hey CAWP!! I love that book you’re reading. I read it about 2 years ago, but often loan it to newbies. Say, BTW you referred to me as Cathy Johnson in the blog! I read this post earlier this mornign, but didn’t know it was me until this afternoon when I got a pingback on my blog. LOL. I have to say even with 2 grad degrees under the belt, I’ve learned more form my PLN than anywhere else. Great post.
Dear Cathy,
I have fixed you and I send my deep apologies. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Bill
Anne Lamott says that writers create a dream into which he or she invites the reader, and that dream must be vivid and continuous. Learning with others is the same way. When we share our thoughts we make sure that the learning becomes continuous.. Sharing with others makes it continuous and allows our thoughts to grow or be replaced with something new. Sharing allows us to test our ideas. This makes Blogging so much more powerful than any other type of writing we do. This makes writing more connective.
It’s interesting that I came to your blog today. I’m working through different ideas in a comment challenge and the item I am thinking about right now relates to the following question: should we be leaving comments on other people’s blogs. Part of my learning takes place when people take a moment to respond to what I am saying in my blog posts. I think this is part of what makes these such useful learning environments.
I occasionally toy with the idea of getting a masters myself. So far, the timing hasn’t been right. While there is so much that any individual can learn online, there is still that piece of paper that is the key to many doors.
I really enjoy writing blog posts because of the connective piece. There is something so useful in being able to write and reflect by linking to other information, and then connect with other people’s ideas through comments. I haven’t picked up Will Richardson’s book, but I know in time I will. It’s good to hear your reflections.
Ann
Ann Oro,
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I am guilty of reading other people’s blogs and not leaving a comment. I leave a comment when I think I have something important to contribute. But Should go ahead a make a comment regardless? What do you think?
Bill
What a great post! I feel the same way about the connectedness of reading the blogs and writing about them. I find myself thinking about whether I agree with the blogger and why. This is helping me reflect and clarify about what I value and believe in which I think will make me a better teacher. When I teach my course this summer I worry that my students won’t feel that they learned what they could like you mentioned so I hope I can teach them some tools that will help them to learn from others what they couldn’t or didn’t in my class. I may not know it all or be able to teach it all, but hopefully they will be able to say that I taught them ways to find it all.
Pat,
It is always a pleasure to have you make a comment on my blog. You make a great point that the blogger and his/her post must push our thinking and beliefs about what we already know.
How do we go about designing assessments to push those we teach to new levels? How do we get the student involved in setting goals for learning? I think if we can get students involved in setting goals for learning and allowing them lead way in showing how they will demonstrate learning we may find ourselves with a more dedicated student. I wonder how many students would take teachers seriously if we offered them this option.
Bill
You know, I meant to say that I love Annie Lamott and I love that book (and most of her writing). At one point, as I was trying to envision myself as a writer, I turned to Bird by Bird (and also Anne Dillard and E. Annie Proulx — some strange Annie fixation that I cannot account for in that period of life, but I loved all three at the same exact time) and came away with a better head for writing.
I thought I would poke my head back into the conversation and add my two cents.
Kevin
If you are following this discussion, you must go to http://macmomma.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-posts-stimulate-readers-to-comment.html and read this post. Please take time to read all the comments…
I guess, for me, part of the fun of blogging is hearing what someone else has to say about what I’ve written. In theory, when a person edits themselves by thinking they don’t have something important to contribute they might underestimate their part in a conversation. Sometimes little thoughts can build into bigger ideas. I don’t just leave comments for the sake of writing on a blog post. I do try to add or reflect and hope it adds to the conversation.
Ann Oro,
It is fun to see what others have to contribute. I had a conversation yesterday with a friend a learning. He a made the comment that learning is greater when you can do it with someone else or someone to share with. Connective Writing has to do with the conversation that in creates, continues, and past learning. Learning is most significant when it is interactive. Thanks for keeping this conversation going. I am thinking about a part two to this post. Would you be interested in writing it together?
Bill
Just another thought:
Connective writing allows us to connect and network with a larger audience that no one else would understand with out doing it. It is like a child who can verbally share with others about what they read and their interpretation to an adult or another child. In the oral context, the listener contributes the child’s thoughts.
Bill
Bill,
Great post, and it sounds familiar to something I have written also. What does it for me is things like what happened this morning. You left a comment on one of my posts, and I was intrigued by what you had to say. So now I am here, reading more about what your though processes are. I don’t know where you live (it’s near a coast, I assume), I don’t really know what you teach or if you teach, but I here I am reading your writing.
So many pundits (take Andrew Keen, for example) decry the notion that everyone and anyone can publish and proclaim themselves experts in some field due to the ability to publish instantaneously; I couldn’t disagree more. My name and my likeness are attached to everything I put on the web, and like we tell our students: “if it has your name on it, it better be worth it.” Being connected to the readers of my blog and learning from their feedback has changed the way I acquire knowledge and how I find new paths to follow.
Great post.
I have looked at your beach house photo with fond memories of my own that I just now will share with you… There was a little cabin (very small concrete block house) located on beautiful Hunting Island State Park… South Beach. It was privately owned by a family who openly shared it with all friends. It was nestled behind some huge dunes and literally sat within its own jungle of palms and bamboo. Now since I was a Hoosier by birth, anything to do with any beach held an immediate attraction… but this was very special because of the people it brought together. These were days of cookouts and parties that ran endlessly it seemed from April to October. Mother Nature had other plans for most of the little cabins like this one at the south end of the island, and before our own eyes the giant dunes began to disappear. What once was quite a hike to get to the beach itself became sandbags in front of the place we all loved. And then, like others around it- the special little cabin was taken by the sea. If there is ever a lesson to be learned from such things it is about the people we meet along the way. The battle for Hunting Island Beach continues even today, almost nine full years after the little cabin washed away… but every once in awhile I see someone from that time in the store or at an event and we all recognize each other “in that special way” which says they too, are forever different because of our little cabin at the beach. I can still hear “Carolina Promises” being played on the old upright that sat by the fireplace- Jimmy Buffet, where are you?
Dear Patrick,
Thanks for writing. I live near the coast of South Carolina between Myrtle Beach and Charleston. I am an instructional technology coach.
I don’t write to publish. I write to share ideas and connect with other people’s thinking. I don’t proclaim to be an expert on any subject, but I love to learn. I like blogging and writing because it makes me feel connected to a group of like minded people.
Bill
Bill,
Connective writing through blogging has certainly taken me to another level of professional development. I’ve been experience what you mentioned in your post of unleashing our own thoughts and ideas, as well as others’. Blogging has changed my teaching practices and has directly reflected on the way my students learn. Now, I’m able to tap into their interests more easily, we can personalize learning, we can have our own class online space for sharing and going way beyond the classroom walls. I connect to each one of them in totally unexpected and meaningful ways. As I’m currently teaching online, I’m geographically distant from my students, but never felt so close to them.
Blogging is transformative and a powerful learning/teaching tool.
Thanks for the great post!
Dear Carla,
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you most of all when you say that blogging has taken me to another level of professional development. Throughout my 20 years of teaching, i have had the opportunity work with small groups of teachers on special projects such as curriculum design or in a professional development course. During our time together, our relationship and enthusiam is awesome. Then when it is over, we are finished. What blogging has done for me is to make learning and that group dynamic experience to continue. Our learning and growth continues. Thanks for stopping by and making your comment.
Bill
You’re right, Bill, about the on-going connections and exchanges. In my educator sphere, I’ve been connecting more and more with like-minded professionals and learning in ways never imagined before. It’s just like an octopus with many tentacles reaching different spaces. I have a group of very close friends in which we keep sharing, expanding, remixing ideas that eventually become great collaborative projects. Just amazing blogosphere…
[...] comments from part one of this post that the Connective Writing Part One helped her reflect and clarify about what she valued and believe in which it will make her a better [...]
Dear Carla–Please take a look at my new post on connective writing. I agree with your comments and I like the metaphor you used in your comment.
Thanks
Bill
As we blog here, there, out there in the blogosphere we’re exactly putting into practice this connective model. right? My way to kind of pay back the generosity I receive from others is to blog, comment, and be a moderator for the past two years of the free 6-week online workshop blogging4educators for the past two years. It’s my way to expand what I’ve been learning and reach the ones who want to take part in this connectivity and viral professional development made possible in our digital era.
Thanks for the inspiring thoughts. Still in smaller scale, I try to do what you did with your son with my 7-year-old son. If we can start making a difference for the ones around us, it’s already a big difference.
So, how did his speech go? How did the audience react? What did he mention? Would love to hear more…
I think it is great how you modeled this whole concept with your son. I believe that is the key that we need to jump in with our students and get involved. Too many times I have seen teachers give an assignment and stand on the sidelines like a spectator while the student flounders around trying to make heads or tails of what to do or where to start. They waste so much time because they don’t know where to start. You showed your son how to start and I bet next time he has this opportunity, he will know where to start and feel less anxious. That is what we hope our students will learn and if we don’t show them, who will? Great post!
Carla— thanks again for your comments. You are exactly right we are now involved in connective writing. This is our way of expanding what we all ready know and we have to share it to expand it to get deeper meaning. Please let me know how to find your blog on the web. I can’t wait to read your blog.
Pat- At times it was a lesson of frustration with William. It is difficult to teach your own son. I do think he learned something and so did I about writing. He learned how to use the web and other scaffolded tools to help him write and I got see a live example.
I too was once guilty of standing on the sideline. For the last 12 years of teaching I have learned to spend a lot of time modeling in front of them how I write— brainstorming, talking about ideas, writing a draft, etc.
As we blog we are doing more than modeling our writing life, we are puting our writing life into words. This really cements our thought process and I bet through social media I will be able to learn more.
Bill
I posted a webcam comment here.
Kevin
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Bill:
I’ve never co-written an article with anyone, but let me know when you’re working on it. I’ll give it a try.
Ann
I know it is hard for you to see yourself as a writer, but I see you as one. I think it has to do with what your perception is. You see it as one who publishes books but I see a writer who is sharing ideas, thoughts or even stories. One way to move this past 3 weeks is to make it an ongoing story and look at the big picture. Maybe think of where you would like to end up and continue the little stories as steps to that goal. These steps could take years but it would keep everyone connected. Just a thought…
Sounds like you have had an exciting summer! But I’m glad you are back! I can’t wait to hear how you like your new job.
Thanks for the shout-out to my blog. I’m glad that you found those tools useful.
Love your wordle! I love the inspiration software but now that I’m not in a school setting, I don’t have access to this so I have tried Mind42 (www.mind42.com) and it was pretty easy too.
I’m glad you are back because you’ve been missed! Maybe you can pick a theme and look through your notes that support that theme? Just a thought.
Learning can even be confusing for teachers. I find that blogging and reading blogs helps me clarify ideas and fine tune ideas in my own mind. You are so right that it is powerful. I feel more confident when I read comments by my readers who agree with me. It also helps if someone doesn’t agree with me because I rethink about what I said. Maybe they have changed my mind or maybe I haven’t stated my position clear enough. This enables me to fine tune my thinking so I can share with others better.
Pat,
Thanks for stopping by to comment. I like comments whether they are in agreement or not. Comments make you think and build ideas or as you wrote “I rethink abillt what I said.” It is the social aspect that makes learning come alive. I look forward to another great year.
Bill
Hello Bill, I think I misread your tweet, as I answered the means to get the shift to happen. Education has to have meaning to students and as they are learning such a lot from their own use of the internet and social networking, unless we use the same tools where possible, education will be irrelevant, students will be bored, disengaged and ’switched off’ in the classroom.
The web2.0 tools are just tools, but if used appropriately, can improve learning outcomes extensively. They allow students and educators to connect, collaborate and communicate.
Great post! I’m just glad to see this conversation happen in more and more schools. i like your plan of action and think it is a great lead in for future professional development.
Thank you Pat and Anne for your comments. I appreciate your input as well as the tweets from Gary Stager who really pushed my thinking. Gary reminded me it has to be more than just semantic but a step toward real action. Thanks for all your support and ideas. I just put the final touch to the presentation. The final is really good and will hopefully keep conversation and action going in weeks to come.
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It is amazing that these same messages must be taught over and over! These useful ideas and ideals you were discussing are the same that we were learning in another lifetime. They were referred to as metacognition, thinking about, or analyzing how people think….examining how the brain works.
No one talks much about techniques such as trial lessons, but this is one of many ideas that have true success in determining how the children you teach can best learn.
Thanks for this in-depth posting on a topic close to my mind and heart. Introspection and metacognition are a teacher’s friend, and no one should have a set of do’s & don’t for teaching.
We teach children, not subjects. This must be on the minds of many of our PLN, because I read others on a similar note. I also wrote a short post, today, on a related topic.
[...] blogging in the classroom. I showed the teachers how other educators in the world are using blogs as learning tools as they connect with alike educators from around the world. Then I showed the websites of teachers [...]
Bill, who “are” the state tech coaches, and how do they (and did you) become designated as such?
I have come recently from the tech side of things, working on the network, being an overall coordinator and now have been retitled “Tech Coach” in my district- If you were doing technology at the school level in Beaufort they restructured such that the tech department became totally “classified” , working a 260 day calendar- Those of us “certified” meaning of course we had originally been in the classroom before networking and such, were either forced back into the classroom, pushed into a lab or made to jump through so many hoops that it was easier for some to retire… Now, I am one of the few remaining from the original school level coordinators- lately renamed “Coach”… Our biggest issues down here are the restrictions network security and group policy apply to any web 2 type action we try to take on our computers- teachers are locked down nearly as much as students, but students on classroom workstations and in labs cannot even right click to create a folder, let alone create and post anything interactive- toolbars are locked and running interactive media from a portable drive is blocked. I am a big Google user and love Notebook and the many things you can do with Docs- I even had an inservice on this at the end of last year, but again, unless something is “approved” by the tech dept, there is no guarantee it will get past the network filters after you create it and post it for sharing- All forums are blocked, as is active content from blogs-
So I guess I would really like to know what a Tech Coach is supposed to be doing according to folks up there at the state level when you have all of these restrictions, and of course no voice to be heard. (we have no money and very little equipment as well)
Please share your thoughts… it is a very frustrating situation-
This group of coaches are funded through EEAA competitive grant (Beaufort has this grant and a tech coach that attends. This person is new.), lottery grant (partial funded positions), and EEAA formula grant (another partial funded positions). We meet monthly for professional development. (there is about 35 who attend this monthly)
There is a big push for technology from the state level. All formula grant schools are required to have all eighth graders take a technology proficient survey and all certified staff take one also. Most of this boils down to data collection from the Feds and NCLB.
You are right about funding. I can’t answer that question. Our state and our district has been hit hard by the economy and the new way districts get funds for operating. Our CTS departments suffers. Our district lost over 7 million in funds from the state for this years budget.
Are you going to SC EDTECH?
That is great! I’m sure they will learn so much from you because you have such patience. I thnk showing examples is the best way to motivate teachers. I’m doing a presentation on using PBwik in January and will start off by showing examples before I show the specifics. I hope your teachers use what you have taught them.
Pat,
I am doing a workshop with teacher on Wikis in the classroom. I plan to show a ton of examples of how wikis are being used in the classroom. The hand-on part is helping them each set up an account in pbwiki. If you have any good resources, please share or anyone who reads this.
Bill
No-not going- We begin primary MAP testing and have new personnel – which means they have never done it before- that leaves only one experienced person in our building- Me. I also handle the tech end of the testing process making sure tests are in place and uploaded each day. I presented in 2001 and enjoyed the conference, it just never seems to fall during a time when we are in session or not testing.
Thx for the info on the state coaches- is this an appointed position? I do not seem to recall any search for possible candidates. Are state coaches certified teachers? The district tech trainer whom I think may have become our area’s state coach came out of another grant funded program called training wheels. None of those people were teachers, tho. I am guessing this is how the school district here was able to keep this person in place… with another grant-
Money is a huge issue for us this year as Title 1 monies were reallocated throughout the district and my building lost that funding. Part of the reason why everyone in my building does many jobs- however, we are better off than many and I should not complain.
I appreciate the blogging on the bay updates and do stop by from time to time to see what is going. Most of my real blogging is with and for family, although I have another web presence. At this time I do not feel that I could honestly post under my name without possible conflicts of interest from my work, so I just don’t.
Please share what you will be doing at EdTech if you get a chance-
B.
I felt exhausted after hearing all that you went through. I’m glad you had your Ipod stuff. I never saved my stuff and it is all stored on my Ipod. I found a free program that I can save my Ipod files one file at a time. Since I’m retired, I have plenty of time and that is what I’ve done with my almost 1000 files.
Glad you got it all fixed.
Interesting observations, Bill. As educators, it behooves us to level the playing field on both counts. How do we do that? There are community organizations like “Computers for Kids” that provide refurbished computers where they are appropriate. Does having a computer in place solve the problem though? Does an after school literacy program solve the technology issue? Or does a complete solution lie elsewhere?
Thank Doug for writing and pushing my thinking. I newest inquiry is gaming and literacy. The article came from that thinking as I was observing seventh graders for the last several weeks and the conversations I have had with teachers. The kids who are having problems with the technology are the weak readers in the classroom. They are also are either free or reduced lunch status as well. We can refurbish computers, but if they don’t have access what good would a computer do for them. My schools are rural South Carolina where my mobile phone doesn’t get reception.
I am employed under a competitive grant to work toward a solution. I have worked through the district to talk to Sprint about using old ETV towers to provide wireless Internet access. I hit a dead end there. I am trying to lead four principals and over a hundred teachers to see that technology might be a big part of the solution- not the same old traditional methods of doing everyday things where kids are far from being engaged and the teacher is teaching pedagogy is based upon their learning style.
We have a county Library that sits on our campus and it is a twenty first century library with PC’s, Macs, and gaming devices. The library system has received a grant to study gaming and literacy. Next month they will have a full time gaming and literacy coordinator and I look forward to learning with him. My competitive grant has a partnership with the library and in many way we are working toward a solution.
The big question is change and the willing to make it happen.
The solution is not easy……Today I am just point out an observation…
Yes I’ve shared this with many. This and the Larry Lessig speech are two of my favorites form the ted Talks series. I wish I were brave enought to share the Larry Lessig one with kids. But I like my job.
This is what we experience daily- the frustrations overly zealous network management and security have brought to student (and in many cases staff) computers in our school district. Each time the computers are reimaged, something else is either blocked, not available under your login, or it no longer works.
Student logins are usually managed under a specific group policy, based on whatever group the login falls under. In addition, classroom workstations or lab computers may be imaged with a specific image that has many normal windows functions just not enabled when the image is created, so they aren’t even there on the workstation.
Depending on how your student workstations are being managed, a policy can be tweaked for a particular group. I doubt that you could get anyone to reimage your workstations for a project.
We are unable to teach our children many basic computing skills. All toolbars are locked, no right clicking ever, and a novell application window is forced onto the desktop as the preferred method for opening programs, even though that has no real world application for our students- meaning no one goes home and finds a novell window on their computer with cute icons to click on…
This is in addition to the fact that nothing ever works correctly in our building, especially the student computers.
Good luck, perhaps if you ask nicely your network administrator will adjust the group policy for your class. Many of us have just given up trying to fight these terrible policies because the tech department in beaufort county schools controls what educators can do with students, what we see on our workstations, and where we are going with students and technology- not one of them is an educator, either!
So sorry you had to reload windows- I have one laptop that I have done this with several times- it finally occurred to me that it was the windows updates that were causing the problems. I NEVER have run automatic updates tho, and always, let me repeat, always pick and choose what I want to put on my machines. I use a microsoft notification system and when updates go out, I get an email, then when I am ready, if I decide to at all, I go out and look at the latest patches. XPService pack 2 ruined a desktop machine that had worked perfectly for years, so even when I relent and try to apply these things I have had a bad experience. Most recently… last month, The laptop I spoke about went down again after updating – Sooo, I reloaded from the partition and instead of updating to get the latest patches, I loaded what I needed – my own applications and tools such as for printing etc, and I have as I said, automatic updates turned off. I am at about the six week point now and doing just fine. I do run updated antivirus and anti spyware, and I sit behind a firewall on my home network.
I will see if this laptop is happy running this way, and so far so good- Now I have another laptop that is running vista, and yesterday I applied a few patches. I applied patches that had been out for awhile, and even then I only selected the ones that I need. I don’t use Outlook, for example or Outlook Express, so I don’t need that stuff, and it is easy to uncheck those if using windows update. I always wait for awhile before I apply something and that way by the time I do it, if I do at all, problems for that patch or update have been discovered.
At the very least, you may wish to tell windows to notify you when updates are available, and then update manually when you are going to be around to see how it goes. You might also want to only do a few at a time. Finally, I would suggest strongly that you get a portable hard drive and routinely back up everything to that drive so that when this happens again, and it could, that you have your stuff and can simply copy it back to your computer. Thx for sharing this, I believe many windows users suffer from what is pushed down as an update or a patch, and should be much more careful than they are with their equipment. Your experience should serve as a good reminder for everyone who uses a windows machine.
Cathy,
I have not seen the Larry Lessing speech, but I will try to take time today. I hope things are well. Hopefully, we can meet face to face at edtech.
Bill
Thank you for your post and even more thought than what posted. We are at that place and time IT and curriculum folks need to sit down at the table and talk. The updates ISTE standards are different than when most school districts established policies for their networks. I do think we have more reasons/ researched based reasons now than we did a few years back. Ultimately, these are the skills our kids need to be able to do. How can we bring our school leaders together and begin a real talk about literacy, a literacy that drives technology in our schools? It may be difficult change for teachers and leaders, but in a short amount of years the digital natives will consider learning and technology is one and the same.
How do we move them forward? not an easy answer…..
Bacho,
It boils down to update or not update….When your home computer or office computer or laptop is down….it is disruptive…
Thanks for sharing,
Bill
I hate to admit this, but I still have not watched any Ted videos despite everyone recommending them. However, I have just finished a paper on what schools might look like in 2020 and some of the comments on your post related very well to the way that they will change. I agree s”chools often kill creativity”.
By the way, how did you get your flickr widget to be animated? It looks good and I love the images in it.
I am just hopeful that eventually technology will solve this patch and update merry-go-round, and users can concentrate on what they are doing with their computers rather than the computer itself. Best of computing to you and if I read of any particularly buggy patches I will be sure to share! It was easy to feel your frustration as I read your post.
B.
Yes, and I am wishing often for a platform to address these things besides blogs like yours- so sorry if I was venting more than needed. maybe the network people will adjust the policies for the teacher who posted – I will think positively!
Dear Anne,
Thanks for your post… I am not sure how I did the Flickr badge. I found in flickr months ago. I have much more to view and learn from TED. I just keep running out of time.
Bill
Tey put a Promethean board in my classroom the year after I retired. But that was okay because I did’t use the board very much. In fact, I used the overhead projector a few times but that is it. Like you, I liked to interact with my students by walking around the room. Many of my students were on different levels and I had to help them individually so I felt more like a facilitator than a teacher. Many these boards work for some but it must depend on your teaching style.
In a perfect classroom, I would rather have computers for every child and a promethean board. Second best, a computer for every child.
I’m still learning how to do podcasts but I feel, for me, the only way to learn is by doing and hopefully each one that I do, will get better. I wish I lived closer so I could join these sessons. I think it is great that you offer this for your faculty.
I like this. Even if it is only a start, well, at least it’s a start.
Thanks for sharing
I wonder what would happen if you took this document into a Wiki and asked folks to add to it?
Kevin
What a great learning experience for teachers! It sounds like teachers get a lot from interactions with you and you are helpful in letting them discover things by doing instead of just telling them. Thanks for sharing this!
Bill
Thanks for sharing out your great day
Kevin
Bill,
Thanks for starting the list. While working full time and pursuing my Master’s in Library and Information Science, I have very little “free” time to devote to working on things like this, but I find them extremely helpful to use in presenting to my faculty.
Fran
Dear Fran and Kevin,
Thanks for stopping by and reading. I appreciate you taking the time to make a comment. Kevin, you are right. I should move it to a Wiki and get others to add to it. I hope you both are doing well.
Bill
[...] – bookmarked by 4 members originally found by geraldgreen10190 on 2008-09-29 Teaching Podcasting….. http://bloggingonthebay.org/?p=293 – bookmarked by 4 members originally found by zagugirl on [...]
Now everyone is talking about the American economy and eclections, nice to read something different. Eugene
I’ve been enjoying these sessons too! I also love that I can refer back to the presentations and get links that I need. Thanks for writing about this.
[...] I was looking over statistics for my blog and it seems this one blog post gets hits daily: Advantages of Multimedia in the Classroom. The blog post actually came from a brainstorm from a group of colleagues as we were taking a [...]
[...] This workshop was a partnership with the Georgetown County Library and Cavers Bay Middle School. [...]
Through Google Search – I have stumbled upon your name noting that you’ve witnessed the CofC Roach-A-Thon. I am trying to lead an effort in reviving it…
If you wouldn’t mind, could you please e-mail me what you remember about this event. I would greatly appreciate it – beyond words.
Matt
Co-President of College of Charleston’s Alpha Phi Omega chapter
bgaskins Reply:
December 5th, 2009 at 7:30 am
It has been over 25 years. It took place in the Stern Center Gardens. I remember the racing lanes that looked liked scuffle board court with walls made out of 1×4 boards and the bottom was a tarp or some similar material. I understand that participated arrived with their roaches in jars. I think one of the fraternities organized the event and a rouge group called the GDA (G_ _ D_ _ Animals) arrive to protest. Back in the days the athletic department organized by coach John Kresse would give a Keg of beer for the fraternity, Sorority, or group to make the most noise or show the most spirit at some basketball games. Most of the time the GDAs would beat the frats. Those were the days! My memory is fuzzy on the specific details….
I agree with you that we need to focus more on our students, helping them learn how to communicate in a digital world. My hope is that the renewed emphasis on narrow measures of student achievement and teacher accountability as outlined in the Race to the Top Initiative will not draw our attention away from these goals.
If you would like to join in the conversation about using digital writing tools in your classroom, please join us on the Digital Writing Workshop Ning: http://digitalwritingworkshop.ning.com
bgaskins Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Thanks Troy for stopping by and joining my conversation. I have been following some of the conversations in the DW ning. Thanks for starting that conversation.
Bill
thanks to your wonderful ideas….it helps me a lot in my studies…..keep up the good work and try to develop your ideas continually…and always share your knowledge to everyone.
bgaskins Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Thanks you so much for writing. I created that list over a year ago and it has been a big hit. I think that list was actually revised by some my readers from my blog.
Please drop by often and help me out with a conversation.
Bill
This was a wonderful to read. Your stories really warmed my heart so thank you for sharing them and also for giving up your time to do things like this.
In 2000- My classroom still had chalkboards and I did not own a digital camera. They were almost unheard of and too pricey. I bought my first in 2003…..
2000 I was working for the Children’s Art Museum and looking for a teaching Job.
* Had a Laptop and was using dial up at work and home
* Had a Digital Camera.
* Had a Tivo
2001 When Started teaching I bucked the system and had kids on my one classroom computer, while using my laptop for my stuff.
I had a laptop too and four computers in my classroom. I was using them all. We were publishing writing left and right. Hanging the writing on the wall and making books. I wish we had blogs into those days….
What a great list! It brought back lots of memories!
I don’t have anything to add because you covered everything I can think of so our lives must be pretty close to the same! Thanks for sharing.
bgaskins Reply:
January 1st, 2010 at 9:05 am
Thanks Pat— We thought of something last night but can’t remember. Billl
In 2000, we did not use text messaging. We were doing instant messaging……
In 2000, I attended in NECC in Atlanta. I had a PDA and I thought it was cool that I could sync the conference schedule on my handspring PDA….
It’s hard to believe that at the beginning of the last decade, there was no Facebook, iPhone, Wikipedia, or YouTube.
My nine year old has never seen a 35 mm camera…
from Wikipedia–
The first BlackBerry device was introduced in 1999 as a two-way pager. In 2002, the more commonly known smartphone BlackBerry was released, which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, Internet faxing, Web browsing and other wireless information services. It is an example of a convergent device.
Just think how much the Internet has changed our lives the last ten years….and more to come….
Wow! Great word! Now I have to think of mine. I want it to be a good one, you know, the perfect word. If you smell smoke, it is because my brain is working overtime.
Thanks! I tried this and it really works.
Bill Gaskins Reply:
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:23 am
I think it is pretty cool tool to have bookmarked. Thanks so much
[...] I saw it here and here. So I finally took 8 minutes to watch. Well worth the 8 [...]
What a great idea! I will have to think about this and how to write the story. Hmmmm, my mind is spinning now with thoughts.
bgaskins Reply:
January 7th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Pat—Let your thoughts flow through your fingers to your keyboard. You may be surprised where you end.
(Not quite a saga as much as a character study — Kevin)
The Cold
He often wondered about the cold. The chill that killed him now was the same chill that he used to celebrate as a kid, so … what happened? This question hit him hard as he walked the dog at five in the morning. The house was empty now. His wife had gone away for warmer climates, so to speak, and the kids were off to live their own lives. The dog remains, oblivious. He bundled up against the wind, against the fickle ways of the world, yet it seems to do almost no good at all. He shivered in silence, wondering about the holes in the same walls that he built to keep them all together but which served only to keep everyone out. He’s come to realize too late that the world is what we make of it. So he walks the dog at five in the morning on darkened streets with no one waiting for him at home.
bgaskins Reply:
January 7th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Awesome Kevin…You are such a good writer. I think it is more than a character study. Great Job!
Tell the newbies to add the metadata or rss feeds (not sure what blogger calls it) to the sidebar so we have a link to click on as we add them to our reader. I have a special folder called SC Educators in my reader, and I plan to add each. When it is not info overload, ask them to add the rss for comments too. AWESOME GROUP Bill!
bgaskins Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 5:49 am
Thanks Cathy….I will get them the message.
Wanted to comment on all, but a few seem to have their commetn feature turned off–just thought you’d want to know.
bgaskins Reply:
January 12th, 2010 at 5:49 am
Will do…..
OH LOL I just realized I was in your notes as a post—i suppose form Delicious or diigo. Glad I rank so highly to merit this.
I’m glad you found it useful! It’s really exciting to see something that I made for my classroom teachers useful for so many!
bgaskins Reply:
January 13th, 2010 at 6:22 am
Thank you Ann for making it available to share with everyone. Thanks.
Bill
Best of luck to all your new edubloggers!
bgaskins Reply:
January 16th, 2010 at 7:19 am
Thanks Troy….
Thanks for linking to my post! This is a great collection of articles you gathered here.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Steve Wheeler, Paulo Simões. Paulo Simões said: Blogs in Education – World of Blogging – http://ow.ly/XGpZ [...]
Thanks for sharing this. I will be presenting a Web 2.0 workshop Thursday and will be talking about blogging/benefits of blogging to a group of teachers. This and mrsa-englishteacher’s posts are perfect examples of blogging and advice for those new to the whole concept of blogging in the classroom. Hope you don’t mind my sharing both with them!
Heather
bgaskins Reply:
January 18th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Thank you Heather. Mrsa-englishteacher is new to blogging and she is in the course I am teaching “The Digital Writing Workshop.” I a most impressed how she is jumping into the blogging world in her classroom. Thank for reading and commenting, Heather.
Bill
I, too, grew up with white and black water fountains, separate entrances to doctors’ and dentists’ offices, separate schools and churches. I remember asking my mother, “Why?” We lived out in the country. My grandfather was a tobacco farmer. I played with black children. I was as close to black women as other close relatives. Charity taught me how to read and tell time. Dora lived with my grandmother. One of my memories is Dora and Grandmama Barrineau rocking and watching soap operas together. In my eyes, they were the same as me. Yet they were not allowed to drink from the same fountain or enter the same door. Even as a child, I saw that as unfair. Oddly, my mother’s answer to the question was a weak, “That’s just the way it is.” Thank you, Dr. King. The color of one’s skin does not determine citizenship.
Thanks Julie for sharing your story. It was an interesting time as I look back today. We have come so far and we are still moving forward as this country reshapes itself for the 21st century. Immigrants still come to this country. Do you think the southern culture is dying with how our society is changing?
Thanks again for writing!
One never knows who reads you that is for sure, or who you will impact. I periodically enjoy looking at my Clustrmap and feedjit badge to see where my readers are from, and in terms of feedjit, where they go from my site using my links. This year I integrated my feed into my facebook timeline, and I kid you not when I say I have an entirely different audience there. I used to fret and worry over posts where I poured my heart out, yet there were no comments or responses. But now in year four of this, I’ve learned that posts I thought were homeruns were merely strikeouts to some, and perhaps pop-flies or singles to others. I’ve found though that what matters is my own learning and reflections more so than anything else. Reflective practice has truly made me so much better as an educator. When something strikes me now, I find myself mentally writing that reflection as a blog post. No, they don’t all make it to the blog, but the reflective practice is a continuous activity in the mind of a life long learner, and that is what authoring a blog has done to me. No fear.
bgaskins Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Thanks Cathy…I have learned so much since I have been writing here and from all my other fellow bloggers including you. I to go through the day thinking about my next blog post. Many times those writing don’t make it here but in my journal- mainly because it is too personal. In way writing blogging transforms your thinking and re wires your brain.
Thanks Cathy!
Please believe me when I say your words really do make me learn and think! I have both of your blogs in my Google Reader so I don’t miss anything you say! i’m so glad that you understood how I feel which makes me feel better. It was even scary to put down in words how scary this was. In fact, you were the very first person I connected with online outside of emails and forums. You let me call you on Skype which I had never done before. In fact, I think I was hyperventilating before and after our call!
You helped open the world for me and let me take the risk of trying. Through your encouragement, I was willing to try a little more every day. Thank you!
bgaskins Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I understand being scared! I struggle whether to make a piece of writing public or not. Lot of times they stay in my journal. Don’t you think being scared is good! It keeps us honest. I am facilitating a course with 22 learners and they are required to be bloggers in the course. I have never been so scared before in my life. Sometimes the impossible becomes possible and sometimes the impossible never gets possible. But that might not be the right reason to stop doing it.
Sometimes I feel blogging is a rehearal for something. I am not sure what that maybe.
Thanks Pat for your friendship!
100 years from now, readers will look back and say, ” Wow, who was this bgasking? He was a brilliant guy!” LOL
bgaskins Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Thanks Pat….And they will say the same for you! You are such a passionate writer when comes to education. Thanks
Thanks Pat and they will say the same about you too……
Now I know why I am struggling with getting started “living the life of a blogger.” I’m a perfectionist, so if I post blogs that have errors, then I will be embarrassed. What I have found, though, is in reading others’ blogs, I’m more interested in the content of what’s being said than I am at the mechanics of the writing. After all, I reading to learn new ideas and information.
I really like the Liberty Kids site. I see all kinds of ways that I can use the ideas to teach American lit and share with history co-teacher. Excellent way to help teach informational text standards and dramatic elements. Thanks for sharing. I will share with others.
bgaskins Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Thanks Missy. Liberty Kids is great….
Yes, I learn so much from so many different people in the blogging world. What is being said is most important to the writer! How do you think this affects audience?
I feel a lot better knowing that I’m not the only one having difficulty getting started with following other bloggers and commenting appropriately. Sometimes I’m not even sure where to find how to leave a comment on a few of the sites and I feel completely overwhelmed before I even think of a comment to write. Living the life of a blogger will take getting used to. I’m a bit out of my element here, but I’m open to the experience.
I would STRONGLY recommend you give yourself another day. I know it is difficult to stay home, but I’ve had strep throat twice before in a span of three weeks. First time was Thanksgiving day eve (and yes I wound up going to the ER cuz my doctor said that was the only way I could get relief before they reopened Saturday, and then three weeks later the day we got out for Christmas break. NOT a pleasant experience. I swear it was like swallowing glass shards. So unless you like relapses, you better stay home. Otherwise you may give it to someone who might find a way to give it BACK to you. Trust me I know.
bgaskins Reply:
January 26th, 2010 at 5:48 am
I am staying home today. I feel like crap this morning. Thanks for your concern. Bill
Be sure to agree to disagree. Be respectful of the opinions of others, and if you don’t agree, then agree to disagree in a manner that doesn’t feel negative. Try to find something positive in the post even if you totally disagree with the vast majority of it. And remember everyone is entitled to their opinion, which may widely differ with yours. Consider their perspective, as it may stretch your own thinking.
Thank-you Cathy. You make a good point. When their is a disagreement our thinking has been challenged and new learning could occur. I like when someone challenges my thinking. I always learn from the experience. Once again, thanks for leaving a comment.
I must confess to being a fly by reader, Bill. I read a lot of blogs, including your fine efforts, for content and then move on. I deliberately try not to comment on comments on my blog lest I get in a battle of words. I guess I figure that I’ve put my cards on the table with the first post and then invite any kind of feedback and challenging or agreeing is not productive. I’ll think about it though.
bgaskins Reply:
January 27th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Doug….Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Are you headed to Educon 2.2? I wish I were going but it fell on the weekend of my wife and daughter’s birthday!
Oh my goodness, you have had a rough time. I wish I could lose that much weight but I don’t want to be sick to do it!
I hope you are feeling better. I take a multivitamin every day and wash my hands with anti bacterial soap every time I get home from where ever. You might want to do that whenever you leave “whereever”. Drink plenty of water too because it sounds like you are really busy and need to take better care of yourself! There are people out there who need you!
bgaskins Reply:
January 27th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Pat…I am doing so much better now. I did go to work today and had a great day. Throat is slightly sore though, but it is good to be among the moving and living.
Great post! Would it be alright to use this post in one of my presentations?
Absolutely!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Judy O'Connell and Paulo Simões, debora fagundes. debora fagundes said: Rt @pgsimoes Reasons Why Educators Should Network – http://ow.ly/12b3j [...]
Bill. I read your blog after writing my own blog this evening…and it’s funny how I wrote about me being frustrated about not writing enough. After taking that awesome course this summer (CAWP), I was pumped. I knew that I was a writer, and then…life happened. I fell into the same old rhythm of day-to-day activities..hum-drum. Boring. I fill my weekends with laundry and cleaning, my evening treat is to read whatever book I’m absorbed in at the moment. Honestly, I’m not complaining. I’ve worked hard to get where I am in life. I only have one vice…books. Not bad…expensive…but not dangerous to my health. The writing, however, takes a back seat. I want to write, but other things always seem to take priority. I’m trying though…and I will continue to try and change my habits. I’ve decided to MAKE the time to write. It’s important to my growth as an individual and as a teacher. I’m getting there, one baby step at a time. Thanks for being so patient Bill!
bgaskins Reply:
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:28 pm
You have to make time for yourself! Allowing ourselves to take the time to write makes us better teachers of writing. I understand completely when a student hits a brick wall and can’t think of a thing to write about. Or If they write a few sentences and then proclaim they are finished. Writing to get those few words on paper is difficult enough, but when a teacher says that is not good enough, you need to correct those mistakes, you left out a word, or what ever, it is painful to start all over. But writing digitally makes it all different. Revision and editing is not so bad.
Take time to write even if it is short anecdotes about your day! Good luck!
I guess I am still at the first stage of writing ,where not trusting my instints makes me doubt . Deciding what to write about is the first thing that stresses me out .Trying to make it sound right is the second.
I find myself envying those who have the gift of verbal fluency and can let their thoughts flow through the tip of their fingers while hitting the letters on the key board .
As I wait for the inspiration to come , I will follow your advice and keep on reading , making connections and learning from others, trying to find my own voice.
bgaskins Reply:
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Gloria,
Try finding your voice in reflecting about what you are reading. With effort it will come.
Bill
After reading, Rambling about Blogging, I began to look at blogging in a whole different light. Yes, writing does seem to take a back seat to other activities–life is what happens. I guess my students may feel the same way. Provinding them with more opportunities to sit in class and blog using longer thoughts and showing their real voice may help this situation-I noticed when I ask them to mimic a sentence using their own frame of reference causes some students to blossom. Vivid verbs, and details come flowing from their pencils. I notice I must also make time for writing. I too, need to find my own voice and make connections to texts
Colleen,
Author and educator Linda Rief taught me to take a sentence or thought from anything I am reading and let it be my starting point. I copy the sentence just like it is written from the text and then I let my thought flow. I have tried it with fifth and sixth grade student and I am amazed where it leads. Once they find the sentence they are passionate about the voice comes out. Try it! Use a thought provoking line from Kajder’s book and let it flow!
Bill
I have used skype for one on one calls and for conference calls. It took more than one time for me to feel more comfortable with it so I encourage others to try it a few times to get used to it. It is like any other new tool and you need to practice in order to feel comfortable with it. You make great suggestions and sometimes it is situations like you had that actually have the most impact. If it had all gone smoothly, maybe when others try it and have problems, they wouldn’t know how to handle it. This was a great opportunity for everyone involved.
Pat,
Thanks for commenting! I need some tips for large Skype conferencing. Please share. I do think Skype is an awesome tool for the classroom. I hope others will chime in and share some great ideas.
Bill
I find that I am more comfortable writing about my students than I am myself. I find that with 4th and 5th graders, their first response to blogging is to edit eachother’s work–because that is what they are used to doing. Once they start thinking, writing, thinking responding, they see the power in their words. My hope is to teach the younger children responsibility with writing before they become full-blown bloggers!
bgaskins Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 10:26 am
You are right! But it has to be modeled and you have to be comfortable with it as a writer. Good luck! Bill
I think Skype will work terrific for conferencing with other classes, but I think it will take teachers who trust each other and have a sense of humor. It will take teamwork and patience to work through the kinks with the kids.
Angie—you are absolutely correct! Teamwork and trust and a sense of humor is important. Also, you will have to be concerned about cultural differences. What a great teaching moment to be prepared to experience…
Bill
Great thoughts! You are absolutely correct! They have to be taught.
Lisa Parisi and Brian Cosby who are writing a book about blogging experience in their elementary classroom noticed that sudent do not draw attention to each others problems with grammar in their blogs, until the student comes up and asks, “Why didn’t they understand what I was trying to write here?” They experienced change in their students when they started paying attention to what their peers were writing.
I think naturally at first they would pay attention to error because we school them into paying attention to that. Once they get past that it may not matter until their peers start questioning what their peers are actually saying in their writing.
Bill
thanks for your kind comments. I also have you on my reader and enjoy reading what you share. I’m sure you impact more people than you realize – and you frequently give me things to think about. — Fred (Watertown, SD)
Bill, I have been thinking alot as I read Kadjer’s book Bringing the Outside In. I have always thought that all of these writing prompts we give our students are so boring its no wonder they loose interest and just, basically, turn anything in. Usually their thoughts are incomplete. I am working with my students right now on a letter to the author Chris Van Allsburg in response to his opinion of televisions expressed through is story, The Wretched Stone. I was going to mail the letters. I have know decided to research and see if I can find a website that he might have that allows for comments. I think the students might enjoy being able to send a message through technology instead of snail mail. I hope that publishing this way will inspire them to really think about what they are trying to express themselves.
bgaskins Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 10:28 am
We have to continue to find ways to make writing authentic. But in reality until things pass we do have to incorporate writing prompts. I think we have to be honest with students why we do it. Remind them it is a “school” thing.. Thanks for writing and making me think…
I like to tell newbies reading my personalized Google Reader filled with feeds I handpicked is like coming home every afternoon and reading a magazine or two and a newspaper. I just now do it online using a free tool.
bgaskins Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Thanks Cathy. It is free….
I like how you mention authors of blogs you follow as being mentors and models for your writing. It never crossed my mind…you are right. I have a particular focus for my blog. Like you I follow certain blogs. Last week I was stuck..hit a mental block…with where I was going next in my blog. As I read through blogs, an idea sparked and immediately I had the topic and within a few minutes I had a posting done. It is true that when a personal connection is made it is easy to elaborate on the topic. It’s like having a two-way conversation with written text.
bgaskins Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 10:33 am
Great connection! When we teach writing we have to provide students mentors. As an elementary teachers, I use the examples from the novels we read and picture books.
“It is true that when a personal connection is made it is easy to elaborate on the topic.” This has to be taught but even greater we have to make ourselves as teachers how important those connections are. We do it without thinking alot about it. I have found from keeping journal and blogging I am much more conscious of the connections I am making when I read.
Thanks for making me think….
I love using my GR because then I don’t have to keep checking individual sites to see if they have been updated. I also don’t miss anything this way if someone has updated their blogs. I admit that I don’t always read everything that comes through my GR but I can browse to see if it is something I want to read right then. I use the star and share features a lot. I also like the shortcut keys to mark something unread if I want to come back to it later.
bgaskins Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Thanks Pat for leaving a comment. GR makes life easier. Bill
IT is always nice to send and receive comments. I enjoy reading comments on my blog, I get helpful advice from so many others, and I enjoy learning from others.
Thanks for commenting! I feel the same way.
Bill
Every time I have used Skype I have loved it. However, our district has blocked Skype for “security” reasons. Our IT Director says it is a peer to peer network and can cause problems for the network.
John, I working with a group of teachers in Horry County in this course I am teaching. They have unblocked for them for this course. That is a positive move. In my new school district, Berkeley our filters are tight as an oil drum.
Thanks for writing. I hope you are doing well.
Bill
that’s a great idea….thanks for sharing your knowledge for everybody…it will helps me allot in my current subject entitled ”Educational Technology”.
hope that we’ll get in touch by sharing of one’s bright and wonderful ideas..
we all know that technology is continuously growing that’s why the way of teaching of learning modified to higher expectation and responsibilities. never stop posting your ideas from this site cause many believes in you and in what you believe is good for the teachers and students.
I have found that I most closely follow The Tempered Radical because his voice mirrors my own. Finding my voice in my blog has been a struggle for me because I’m quite outspoken and have a tendency to be harsh in not only what I say, but how I say it. I feel as if I need to censor what I say before I put it out there for the whole world to see out of fear that my words will later come back to haunt me, so I write several drafts on paper before it ever reaches my blog. I wonder if this is something that The Tempered Radical struggles with as well.
After reading this post and reflecting on my own writing, I have a better understanding of what my students go through in their struggle to find their voice in their writing, especially a voice that is appropriate for their audience. The only way to provide them with an opportunity to find that appropriate voice is to allow them multiple outlets for publishing.
bgaskins Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
@Philisa, I understand what you are saying. That is why I write in a journal. Lot of things I write never makes it for everyone’s eyes to see. You have to be comfortable with yourself to write publicly and you have to be confident about the content. However, it sounds like you have a lot to say.
I also find writing a way to organize my thoughts. Writing helps me synthesize and analyze things around me. When it make it public, I am willing to have someone shread my thoughts to pieces or pat me on the back. In the process I hoped I helped someone else rethink something in their lives.