Reflection

I have learned so much from this course! I had never created my own blog page before, although I had been heard saying (more than once) how I should figure that out and get posting. Well, here it finally has been done. Now that I know how to use the blog, I have created my classroom blog & will QUICKLY create a personal blog for updating my family and friends on all things Olsen related. Besides, now that I am capable of creating podcasts and videos, I have been uploading files of my kids like a crazy woman. (By the way, you can now listen to my podcast here from my last post!) I am already using a wiki in my classroom discussions and they will be continuing throughout the year as a meeting place. The current project assignment my students are working towards finishing involves using reliable Internet resources to create a power point with voice overlay (podcast). Once the individual work is done, they must upload their file to the group wiki board for collaboration on the final presented work. THEY are excited! I am excited they are excited! This is the first year I have used complete digital assignments and I could not be happier. I have taken away so much from this course, including the use of the web 2.0 tools, the 21st Century skills, learning the NETS, and incorporating them together!

My students have joined in my quest to learn in different ways. Ever since I told them they are referred to as Digital Natives (Prensky, 2001) as a generation and borrow Prensky's term of "twitch speed" to explain their uncanny ability to multitask, I've had their attention. My students believe I will let them learn in their forms and use their media to do it. They should, I told them this was the case. For the first time, I have students excited to do HOMEWORK! This led me back to the proverbial drawing board in order to incorporate my new learned skills into their world of learning. The are very excited to train me how to use my iPhone! They think it is great to play the teacher to me because I am willing to let them. We have to learn together, there are too many kinks in the knowledge tree; if we don't proceed as a team, we could all get lost!

Through the use of the web 2.0 tools and the 21st century skills, I have found myself stepping away from the leadership role of the academics. The current project mentioned above is completely student-driven. I have given the guidelines and "diving board". Each student is responsible for 1 of 5 HSCEs, which is the current curriculum. I have put multitudes of websites on delicious.com for them to access (and printed a hard copy for those...) and given a rubric for the assignment, but otherwise it is all them. The final is a collaborative group presentation for the class. That gives 5 presentations of greatness rather than 30 of mediocrity. I have never felt so happy to step away from the podium!

I will carry on with the path of technology in my classroom learning. I have to make extra time available after school, but it is worth the effort to see the kids working and learning. I am also going to actively work on my grants to get the laptop cart and other tools, like my own projector (not the 1 for the whole school) and wireless connections instead of the dying lines we have around the building, which go offline at least twice a week! I think it would be great to get a SMARTboard installed in my classroom, or at least to me, since the classroom assignment could change. I know by continuing to use digital formats for my students to learn and teach one another, I will increase their knowledge of the curriculum material and thereby increase their State of Michigan testing scores. Probably wouldn't hurt on the ACT and SAT either!

My long term goals are many. I will focus on a couple of the most important for the technology in my classroom. First, I want to win a grant for a laptop cart. I am sure I will have to share with the entire school, but at least I will have gained access. I will continue grant writing and revising to get those computers! Secondly, I will have unrestricted access to much needed web 2.0 tools because my students use them responsibly. I am continually fighting a losing battle for continual, uninterrupted use of a classroom blog (through educational sites!!!!!) and will continue to fight for the access. Thirdly, I am working towards the educational use of cell phones in a secondary classroom. I understand the possibility for wrong-doing here, but when given the opportunity to use the phones for "good and not evil" I have had great success. I will continue this long process of "students can be responsible if you just let them" campaign.

Let me know how you can help me out in any of my situations and/or goals!! (BTW, most of my answers have changed drastically from the week 1 questionnaire.)

Podcasting Interview

Well, this is the podcast I have created for class. I know it sounds weak, because I don't know how to put music files behind it. Ok, I think I do, but I don't have any music files in my computer because I don't have an mp3 player. So, it is just me giving the low-down and mishaps of making a podcast at school.

You see, I was interviewing the students when the school power went out. Since we were in the process, no data was saved and the retrieval will have to wait until Monday, provided the power problem was resolved. Well, I have a one student (of all 107) that has created a podcast before. I asked him to create a simple voice recording at home and save as a wav file, then send to me. I took it and inserted it into the end of my podcast, hoping it will be good enough. Now, if I can figure out how to put it on blogger, we'll be great!!

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21st Century Skills

Wow, what a site for sore eyes! I am surprised at the information available for resources on the 21st Century Skills site. Want to learn a new avenue for 21st century technology skills? It is all there! I am fairly sure this Partnership is going to continue since the latest big-name companies to sign on are Walt Disney & Nellie Mae Education Foundation. They join an already stellar cast of Dell, Microsoft, NEA, Apple, Cisco Systems, and many others. You could say they have a reputation at stake, and will be offering nothing but the best for educators and students.

I wouldn't say I disagree with anything I found on the site for information. I was able to locate most of the links I wanted, although some easier than others. The information presented is clear and concise and tells it like it is. My problem with the site was in navigation only. I had to continue to backpedal and look under headings to find the information. I would really have liked to have hyperlink access directly to the documents or sites they mention. I am very interested in the new science and geography maps recently added, but I have yet to find them. I will have to visit the site listed as cooperating with P21 to check there. That is frustrating, because I do not always know where to look once redirected. I'm a point and click kind of gal, you know?!!

As far as using the site in a contemporary classroom, I think I will be able to use it for several reasons. The most notable is the impact the Partnership brings to the educational environment. I would like to see my own state, Michigan, added to the listing of State Initiatives along side many of the other Midwestern states. I will use the ideas from the Illinois and Wisconsin listings to start my own. Hopefully, I will be in the ballpark when Michigan finally is admitted. My students will be using web 2.0 tools, as I have previously blogged, to coordinate on homework and classroom discussions. I know the use of blogs, wikis, and podcasts will enhance their learning and contribute to their success in the 21st century job force.
anyway, those are my thoughts, not yours...feel free to leave yours!

Surprises

So, a funny little email made it to my school inbox. It seems my Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum has decided to offer enrollment in a "learn Web 2.0" course for our district. I am amused by this for a couple of reasons. As you may have read in my previous posts, I have been denied access to these same web 2.0 tools as is now being offered. Denied, by the same man distributing the email for the course! The second amusement comes from the third denial of access after the email arrived in my inbox. I offered my assistance in the section, and sent him my personal sites as examples of how to use them already. Still, I've been blocked. I guess we are only allowed to learn of the tools existence, not actually use them! Ha!!

Firewalls and lack of access

This week I have become even more furious at the access available through my school/work computer. It seems over the summer, the computers were stripped down, reconfigured, firewalls added (in addition to those in place), and more access denied! I can not even get my flash drive to work without having the tech support guy show up to enter the administration password! When I continued to rant of my fury of this latest problem I was told they were only following the protocol set up by the administration. (I was also told if I could "hit "cancel" about 4 or 5 times, you should be able to get it to load.") Seriously??? Do I have time to wait for the 3 windows of NO ACCESS to try and pass me by while waiting for a file that I may be able to access if I hit the cancel button! So much for downloading the files at home and saving to upload at my computer. Now, even that seems to be out the door! So frustrating to teach in the "technology driven schools" when there is such limited access to the technology we are pushing!

Introduction of the classroom blog

Today I spent some time with each of my classes introducing and discussing the process and uses of a classroom blog. I was astounded to find most of my students had never heard of the word blog, nor had they created one. This was strange to me since (until that moment) I thought all 8th grade kids knew everything about technology that I do/did not. Yeah, me. Score one for the teach! Well, I informed them how much they have already used the gadgets I want them to become familiar with for homework. Most have visited YouTube, some posted videos there. Visiting to websites of their favorite band or movie star where people have written comments about or to those specified on the page helped to direct them to understanding what a blog is and will be for them.
After going over the advantages of having my help, much faster than remembering questions the following day, and the chance to collaborate with one another to do a homework assignment they can put online, without printing or writing anything to bring to class, they are hooked on the idea. I have already begun the structure and pages of my classroom blog and I am awaiting, impatiently, to receive permission to access the edublogs. org site at school. Ahh, darn firewalls! But, that is another blog totally!

When good tech goes astray...

One would hope to discover the university website is indestructible! I have seen this to be false hope. Today, somewhere in the middle of driving home from the work computer, to using the home computer 2 hours later, a virus infected my classroom, and university server. Needing to finish the last bits of reading online, accessible through the classroom portal only, before adding my final thought to the directed assigned posting for the first week of class, I was horrified to find the impenetrable website ad on my dashboard!
I tried relentlessly for an hour to break through, but when that proved unmovable, I called on tech support. I was then informed of the information stated above and given a possible period for reload of the site, which is still proving to be inaccurate information. Well, these things take time, I understand. I am happy to report I could and did send word to my instructor of the problems I encountered and am pleased to report she replied back immediately with a satisfactory response to our action plan.
Now, if I could just access some of the wonderful educational blogs I have been discovering along my journey while at my work computer in the schools, I would be all set! Happy firewalls to all!

Introducing Me

Welcome to my blog! This is my first posting of what will be a regular blog. I am excited to start this blog, my first, both to enhance my education of technology and to further reach out to the educational community for insight and introspect. I welcome your thoughts and comments to my posts and hope through this blog we can learn more about the technological world and its every growing interface with the educational climate. I hope to gain knowledge and insight about the technology out there for use and that it will lead me to expand my blog to reach parents and students working in my physical classroom to this virtual one.
I have limited technology for use at my school. We have 2 computer labs, 1 of which is a classroom for the computer teacher; the other is for all teachers to use on a sign up basis, and the days go fast. We have 1 teacher computer for each classroom and no signs of student computers on the horizon. Although there is access within the building to sign out various equipment pieces, none is to be kept in the classroom itself other than for that day’s use. Last year our single SMART board was put into service, although in the computer lab for several years as a “jumbo-tron” of the teacher’s computer screen. I am pleased with the interactive features and look forward to using it more often.