New Stuff

I am very excited about tomorrows lesson.  I'm going to use the discussion board on our new version of Blackboard (a web platform like we use for Walden).  This will be new to my students.  Today, the class I was supposed to have was in trouble with their classroom teacher, but I don't like losing days considering that I only get to have them for my own computer lessons 36 times a year, so I agreed, but said that they'd have to at least get their writing done for the discussion.  While there were many 4th grade tears at first, as I read the topic, the wheels started turning and the pencils started moving.  As they overheard what a classmate was telling me or their teacher they wrote, others started adding it to their paper.  I stopped it there and made the connection that this is the purpose of what I'll have them do next week; they are going to read what each other wrote and comment on it.  They may even say that they like the idea and want to add that to their response.  I also got the teacher excite about this piece of technology.  She's now interested in using discussions for her language arts workshops.  I told her that we can work together on that if she likes; collaboration has been a goal of mine.

My fifth graders wanted to get started last week when I told them what they were going to write about, but there wasn't enough time.  I can't wait to see what they write about.  I'm a little concerned, however, about one girl.  She is very low in her reading and writing skills, and was supposed to be held over, but her mother overrode the decision.  I want to accommodate her without putting her on the spot or make it look like I'm babying her; something she hates.  I still haven't figured out how I'm going to go about this.  I will assist her as much as possible so she has a reasonable amount of information.  I will post a follow-up in the next couple of days.

A New Direction

Last year was one of my most challenging years as a computer in my school district.  Due to these difficulties, my mission for last year had to be put off, and will become my mission for this year.  That mission was to get my students more fluent with using Web 2.0 tools.  That was impossible to do last year, but I'm excited to say that it will happen this year.

Two years ago, I can't see that my school received blazing fast internet speeds, but I was able to work with it.  It was fast enough for me to go ahead with my plans for the following year.  Then, last year, the district started upgrading all of the lines to fiber optic lines with a T1 connection.  During the upgrade, the old equipment that some of the school were still receiving internet from died, so they had to have consolidate all of the schools who hadn't been upgraded yet to the last remaining outdated system.  It was at this point that our internet speeds dropped off almost completely.  Without exaggerating, I'd have to say that it was most likely comparable to around mid to late 1990s internet speed; pretty much unusable with the graphics and script currently used on webpages.  Around June of last year, we were moved onto the new T1 lines.  Wow, the difference was instant.  I would now consider the speeds to be blazing fast.

With this, I very much look forward to my 3-5th graders participating in weekly discussions on the Blackboard web platform we use.  I will also teach the teachers along with the librarian how to use Wikis.  This can be used to have groups of students work on a research project, then build a Wiki to show their research.  Another possibility is to have the language arts teacher use them to have the class as a whole log in to correct a paper and explain their corrections.  I also need to get my students more proficient with sharing resources between each other electronically.  With Web 2.0 tools, I don't see any reason for any research to be printed out until the final product is complete.

I've already started meeting with my classes this year, and I've started getting them excited about using these tools.  They forced me to tell them the first discussion topic, but they won't be able to post anything until next week.  I told them to look at this torment as a chance for them to really think about what they want to write before they post it.  This will be a very exciting and refreshing year for us all.  On a side note, while typing this blog, I thought about a 2nd grader's question about why I want them to be able type without looking at the keys.  I currently don't have power due to a storm and have my laptop tethered through my phone for internet.  It's dark, and I can't see the keys.  I will have to give them that reason when I see them tomorrow.

Breaking the culture of privacy

So I've been given the assignment to create a blog.  This goes against everything I've been brought up to do.  As the grandchild of German and Slovak grandparents, I was heavily influence by their old ways.  Privacy and making your emotions public are about as taboo as it gets from my upbringings.  You keep your emotions in check, and screen people heavily before you bring them into your inner circle of friends.  I'd like to thing that I've moved a little bit beyond these old school thoughts, though it's hard to move beyond your own upbringing; I do have a Facebook account and make the occasional status update. I'm not sharing my feelings about very much, but rather, I'm using it to get opinions on matters or giving opinions on matters or joking about something.  I'll often check on old friends and see how they're doing.  My account is private and I'm only sharing these posts with friends, so creating public blogs will go against everything I've been taught.

I've always poked fun that those who post a little too much out there in the public.  For example, Twitter is a wonderful resource to dethroning kings, and presidents who've outstayed their welcome to power, but I don't see the point in having an account so you can tweet that you just woke up from a bad hangover, or that your neighbor is doing something that really makes you mad.  Putting this kind of info out there just ends up getting you in trouble.  Perhaps these types of people might be a little lonely and feel less lonely when they have a lot of followers, I don't really know.  I believe in sharing info with the world when it could serve some type of purpose of improving a situation or productivity, but like everything else, there is such a thing as going overboard.

So, I'll go against the cultural values I've been taught to some degree once again.  I can justify it!  If I end up communicating with other teachers, I might actually learn form them.  I will share some thoughts, and receive some thoughts in return.  Will I cry, share my innermost thoughts, talk about my emotional well being? Lol, not likely.  But, perhaps this will give me an opportunity to post ideas and thoughts I've had relating to my job, and hopefully receive ideas from others that will guide me in becoming a better teacher.  This will be my reason for blogging.