Monday, March 30, 2009
Further to Brandon's comments about Twitter: thanks! I had no idea how to narrow it. I started following Scott Simon of NPR, who tweets about high brow (upcoming interviews) and low-low brow (what his kids ate for breakfast...I kid you not). So this is a great idea, Brandon, and will help me use Twitter, which I had abandoned.
Alan November, again
I appreciate Natalie's comments on November's "free form" presentation. Natalie rightly point out that we could look at it as modeling for us how to experiment with these new tools. That is, in a sense, what made it seem possible that we could actually use them! If this guy bobbing and weaving in front of a live audience can find things on the net and encourage us to find them, then that is effective instruction. I didn't think the audience was hostile, but then I was one of those who initially expressed frustration with his presentation when he got stuck trying to retrieve information. He presented himself as open to dialogue with the audience and repeatedly asked for feedback as to how he was doing, so I assumed he really wanted to know. I talked with him during the break and felt he genuinely liked the give and take. It was an unusual method for a guest speaker all the way round. Still, I remain grateful to him for helping me enter this new place.
These forms of communication do seem to me like a new "place". Like a home of sorts. I'm still unpacking boxes, though, and wondering what I'll really need to live here.
These forms of communication do seem to me like a new "place". Like a home of sorts. I'm still unpacking boxes, though, and wondering what I'll really need to live here.
Monday, March 23, 2009
More on Alan November
I got a lot from Alan November because I wanted to learn how to do some of these things, I was already getting my feet wet in the 2.0 course, and we had our laptops in front of us so we could do things as he spoke. Having said that, one of the most disturbing things about his presentation is the extent to which it seemed affected by his use of the very technology he encouraged us to use.
He skipped around, stopped to tap onto the computer, and repeatedly failed to connect with sites to make his points. In a sense, his presentation was the worst possible example of the use of technology in teaching. And yet....it captured my attention in its breadth (Twitter to country codes to kid videos to the autistic child who taught himself) and it's familiarity (he's an old dog who's learned new tricks and so can we; in fact we have to or we cannot really teach). Of course we can teach, but his point that we'll lose a large number if kids if we don't learn these new tools is correct. We must learn to use these tools, but like any tool, we must use them well and for particular, well considered tasks. We don't need them because they are cool or new. We need them because with them we can be more effective.
Peter and I use mechanical tools in our classroom. Peter is expert with saws, hammers, drills, sanders, smelters, and more. However, he is very thoughtful about the utility of those items: he plans how and when children will use them. It's really the same with technology, except the students already know a good bit about using it. Still, just because one can use a hammer doesn't mean one can build a cabinet. Our job as teachers is to know how to build the cabinet ourselves and then to show/help/encourage the students to build it. While they may build a better cabinet, I still think we have to have the template in mind at the beginning, then be willing to let it change direction.
We have to ask ourselves, "are we using the technology or is it using us?" While I don't believe I spend an inordinate amount of my day, and certainly not my teaching day, messing around with technology, I do already see how it has affected my availability to students (what would I be doing if I weren't checking email?) and family (same question...or shopping or poking around to teach myself how to use it).
I recall when we first got voice mail at my then-law firm. In a way, we couldn't believe how helpful it was. No more phone tag (or so we thought then). But it changed things for the worse, as well. People thought you should return calls with an immediate solution because you had their question when they left the message. When we dialed voice mail from an airport, we heard the calm female machine-voice say "You have 54 messages." Stress out the wazoo. We had to learn to manage it. We'll have to continue to learn to do that here as well.
I think we must learn to manage technology not just to contain stress but to really engage with students. Teaching is primarily a relationship. If we avoid or displace the relationship by focusing on the technology, we'll all be poorer.
He skipped around, stopped to tap onto the computer, and repeatedly failed to connect with sites to make his points. In a sense, his presentation was the worst possible example of the use of technology in teaching. And yet....it captured my attention in its breadth (Twitter to country codes to kid videos to the autistic child who taught himself) and it's familiarity (he's an old dog who's learned new tricks and so can we; in fact we have to or we cannot really teach). Of course we can teach, but his point that we'll lose a large number if kids if we don't learn these new tools is correct. We must learn to use these tools, but like any tool, we must use them well and for particular, well considered tasks. We don't need them because they are cool or new. We need them because with them we can be more effective.
Peter and I use mechanical tools in our classroom. Peter is expert with saws, hammers, drills, sanders, smelters, and more. However, he is very thoughtful about the utility of those items: he plans how and when children will use them. It's really the same with technology, except the students already know a good bit about using it. Still, just because one can use a hammer doesn't mean one can build a cabinet. Our job as teachers is to know how to build the cabinet ourselves and then to show/help/encourage the students to build it. While they may build a better cabinet, I still think we have to have the template in mind at the beginning, then be willing to let it change direction.
We have to ask ourselves, "are we using the technology or is it using us?" While I don't believe I spend an inordinate amount of my day, and certainly not my teaching day, messing around with technology, I do already see how it has affected my availability to students (what would I be doing if I weren't checking email?) and family (same question...or shopping or poking around to teach myself how to use it).
I recall when we first got voice mail at my then-law firm. In a way, we couldn't believe how helpful it was. No more phone tag (or so we thought then). But it changed things for the worse, as well. People thought you should return calls with an immediate solution because you had their question when they left the message. When we dialed voice mail from an airport, we heard the calm female machine-voice say "You have 54 messages." Stress out the wazoo. We had to learn to manage it. We'll have to continue to learn to do that here as well.
I think we must learn to manage technology not just to contain stress but to really engage with students. Teaching is primarily a relationship. If we avoid or displace the relationship by focusing on the technology, we'll all be poorer.
Can't figure out...
How to reply to a comment on my blog.
How to communicate with Martin and Natalie except by First Class.
How to comment on Martin's edublog.
Arrgghhh.
How to communicate with Martin and Natalie except by First Class.
How to comment on Martin's edublog.
Arrgghhh.
Task 8
Well, I got ahead of myself. I created a wiki, www.PeterandSydney@wikispaces.com, as part of Task 7. Then, when I got to Task 8, I tried to comply by going to the Sandbox to join that wiki and could not find the "new page" icon to which the instructions refer. This was a bit frustrating. I've not completed that part of Task 8 as a result.
I'm still fiddling with the wiki. It seems easier to deal with than trying to create a web page through First Class or @Paideia. I've uploaded several class photos and included descriptions of what we are doing. However, the graphics are not as professional, at least as far as I can tell. I may not use it as a "web page" after all, but more as is intended as a discussion page.
I found a wonderful feed today through The Chronicle of HIgher Education. Arts and Letters Daily purports to include the best writing from news outlets around the world. I especially like getting a different perspective than my usual New York Times. Check it out at http://www.aldaily.com.
I'm still fiddling with the wiki. It seems easier to deal with than trying to create a web page through First Class or @Paideia. I've uploaded several class photos and included descriptions of what we are doing. However, the graphics are not as professional, at least as far as I can tell. I may not use it as a "web page" after all, but more as is intended as a discussion page.
I found a wonderful feed today through The Chronicle of HIgher Education. Arts and Letters Daily purports to include the best writing from news outlets around the world. I especially like getting a different perspective than my usual New York Times. Check it out at http://www.aldaily.com.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Task 6
I've added Twitter, Skype, and Ta-Da.
Twitter seems of limited utility to me so far. I've followed some famous folks, who still tweet about their own children and what restaurant they are in far more than anything interesting from the world of ideas. This is just a marketing tool for them (and for many) I think. It's only value seems to be to summarize ideas from conferences and send them to folks who couldn't attend. Maybe I'd use it more if it came to my phone. I see no real classroom use for it.
I read about Ta-Da on Natalie's blog, and I wanted to try it. I made a list, put Ta-Da onto my Bookmarks, but don't think I'll use it. I prefer the to do list gadget which appears as a tiny legal pad on my Google homepage.
I DO think I'll like Skype. I've downloaded it --simple 2 minutes-- and now I'm contacting my family to see who has the video capability. More importantly, I'm now set up to use it in my classroom this week to talk with my contact at the British Museum.
Twitter seems of limited utility to me so far. I've followed some famous folks, who still tweet about their own children and what restaurant they are in far more than anything interesting from the world of ideas. This is just a marketing tool for them (and for many) I think. It's only value seems to be to summarize ideas from conferences and send them to folks who couldn't attend. Maybe I'd use it more if it came to my phone. I see no real classroom use for it.
I read about Ta-Da on Natalie's blog, and I wanted to try it. I made a list, put Ta-Da onto my Bookmarks, but don't think I'll use it. I prefer the to do list gadget which appears as a tiny legal pad on my Google homepage.
I DO think I'll like Skype. I've downloaded it --simple 2 minutes-- and now I'm contacting my family to see who has the video capability. More importantly, I'm now set up to use it in my classroom this week to talk with my contact at the British Museum.
Task 5
I finally figured out how to add Martin and Natalie's blogs to my Reader. Glad to have them there and not have to chase them through Google. However, I'd like to find out how, if at all, one could jump from the Reader directly to a blog to post a comment.
I've added a couple of things to the Reader, but can already see that I'm overwhelmed. I don't read The New Yorker every week or The New York Times every day in their entirety anymore (except in summer) so I wonder how I'l manage all this information.
This goes to my point that "all information is not created equal". I agree with Martin that the true Creators, as distinguished from the Mavens and Salespeople and from "faux creators", are few. The trick with this technology seems to be to find ways to use it to inspire our students to create and to think for themselves. So, I"ll tend toward original sources or toward sites that direct me to original sources. Opinion sites are my least favorite, least used so far.
I've added a couple of things to the Reader, but can already see that I'm overwhelmed. I don't read The New Yorker every week or The New York Times every day in their entirety anymore (except in summer) so I wonder how I'l manage all this information.
This goes to my point that "all information is not created equal". I agree with Martin that the true Creators, as distinguished from the Mavens and Salespeople and from "faux creators", are few. The trick with this technology seems to be to find ways to use it to inspire our students to create and to think for themselves. So, I"ll tend toward original sources or toward sites that direct me to original sources. Opinion sites are my least favorite, least used so far.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Set to Skype
The Deputy Director of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum in London will Skype with us about the Bayeux Tapestry next week!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
A New Way of Searching
Following up on one suggestion by Alan November, I searched Google for original sources for the Bayeux Tapestry. I entered the country code for France, the location of the Tapestry museum and found the web site (which could be viewed in English). On the site, I found reference to a scholarly conference held last summer at the British Museum, with an email address for a scholar there. While on the Tapestry Museum site, I emailed that web master with questions. No word back from that, but the curator/scholar at the British Museum replied immediately. We are working to set up a Skype session between him and our class next week. He has a current paper on a mystery about the Tapestry and looks to have a sense of humor (keeps chickens with Scandanavian names). This is something.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Task 4, or, Wow--I'm really into this now.
After hearing Alan November at yesterday's faculty meeting and returning to the Pi2.0 work, I feel energized. I've now made the leap...I get it. The internet itself, the mechanics of it all, has always been overwhelming to me. But with the right teacher(!), it seems far more manageable. The best teacher appears to be Lee at Common Craft. He breaks it down, idiotproofs it all. I didn't have to spend hours reading, scrolling really, through all the instructional information. I can always go back to get more detail, but I'm no longer stymied by too much information.
Thanks to Alan, I'm now on Twitter. I've not figured out how it will be useful to me in teaching or in my life, especially since I cannot get it on my mobile. And, I've already had to block some random person (Susan, a self-described shaman) from following me. Still, I am now following Scott Simon, which is pretty fun.
I now see how addictive all this information gathering can be. I think I'll have to set some of the same limits on my own screen time as I set on my children's video gaming over the years, as I could "waste up some time" on this. This, it seems to me, is really the key. Are we actually more productive? Are we doing things faster and better? Are we adding value to our teaching or complicating it? Or are we merely wading through the equivalent of everyone's mail and the Library of Congress without any guides? I'm in a search now for on-line "librarians" who have vetted material, or for better ways to search.
Speaking of better ways to search, just learning about site: countrycode or edu etc. was revolutionary for me.
As for the task at hand: I've started the Google Reader and read through one of the required three subscription sites, where I found an interesting article. The author posted sites that have original source media content. Although I don't see myself using these sites at the moment, I was happy to see someone interested in finding original sources and writing about fair use.
Thanks to Alan, I'm now on Twitter. I've not figured out how it will be useful to me in teaching or in my life, especially since I cannot get it on my mobile. And, I've already had to block some random person (Susan, a self-described shaman) from following me. Still, I am now following Scott Simon, which is pretty fun.
I now see how addictive all this information gathering can be. I think I'll have to set some of the same limits on my own screen time as I set on my children's video gaming over the years, as I could "waste up some time" on this. This, it seems to me, is really the key. Are we actually more productive? Are we doing things faster and better? Are we adding value to our teaching or complicating it? Or are we merely wading through the equivalent of everyone's mail and the Library of Congress without any guides? I'm in a search now for on-line "librarians" who have vetted material, or for better ways to search.
Speaking of better ways to search, just learning about site: countrycode or edu etc. was revolutionary for me.
As for the task at hand: I've started the Google Reader and read through one of the required three subscription sites, where I found an interesting article. The author posted sites that have original source media content. Although I don't see myself using these sites at the moment, I was happy to see someone interested in finding original sources and writing about fair use.
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