Skype: It's like Dick Tracy's watch for me. The future is here.
The 28 students sit quietly and respectfully on the floor of Lab 2, as Amy dials and re-dials the connection. Amy and I had done this a week before and everything worked perfectly, but not now! Alarm! Would we have to cancel? Would our contact get fed up or go off to the next thing on his schedule? (He'd just informed us by email that he'd expected our call an hour earlier, as the U.K. just re-set its clocks this week.)
But wait...we have it! Eureka. Before us on the large projector screen looms the visage of Dr. Michael Lewis, author of The Real World of the Bayeux Tapestry and Deputy Director of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum London. MIchael is pleasant and accomodating, patiently waiting for me to repeat every question the students have. And they have many questions.
We learned a great deal from this encounter. Michael knows the scholarship from the centuries and contemporary theories about mysteries associated with the Tapestry. The students remain engaged for 25 minutes, despite the talk running into their lunch hour. One student brought a large picture book of the Tapestry and flips pages so everyone can see the parts under discussion. We have brainstormed questions in advance and the students remember what to ask. They also think of new questions. We are impressed with their interest and Michael tells us later that he is as well.
Afterward, we take a few minutes to debrief. Interestingly, the students are not especially impressed by the feat of technology. This is their everyday world. They have used Skype, they have used it to talk to students and to relatives and friends. They have talked to people in the U.S. and in foreign countries. Alan November was right: if we are not using the available media, we are not [I paraphrase and add my own concept] using all available tools to teach. The students are sophisticated about this tool. And here's the great thing about that: they didn't get distracted by how "cool" it is. When we talked to Michael, they really stayed focused on the task at hand: discussing the Tapestry.
Perhaps, though, to give us credit, we used this tool appropriately. We chose this tool. We chose to Skype instead of to send students roaming around on the internet looking for information, as Amy has pointed out. We tested the tool ahead of time, by emailing Michael, getting his technical person involved, making sure we had speakers, checking the camera angles. We came prepared: we had our list of questions. This was a learning opportunity, not a phone call. Our guest was important; we should not waste his time.
The intangible benefits of this experience are yet to be learned. Natalie believes that whole worlds might have opened for some students who saw a person who has made his life's work studying something they are studying at 10 years old. Michael's passion was infectious. He also told great stories, memorable for the students. I wonder if now they will ask whether we could Skype with authors or other scholars on other subjects. Should we be looking for other chances to use this same technology or for ways to extend what we learned from this particular session with Michael (more on the Bayeux Tapestry?)?
One thing we will do is to write Michael by snailmail. We want to show the students that there are many ways to communicate and that formal offers of thanks are important. We can send Michael our drawings by snailmail. We can write personal notes with handwriting and coloring that he can post in his office if he wishes. We can send him grits and a class photo.
What a day. William the Conqueror would be astonished. And would wish he'd thought of it.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
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.
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