Philosophizing a Bit

It's hard to know where to begin.

For three years, I have followed education courses which have dealt with issues all the way from diversity to "PowerPoint Learning Objects". And now, I have to condense a plethora of random convictions into a short amount of meaningful space. A great task. Except, some of that stress is reduced since really, technology is my priority in this epic blog experience.

For one, I have to continue to believe in the power of a teacher (3). Not only the power to help a student earn a decent grade in a class, but the power to change adolescent perceptions of success and of the future. Yes, please refer to any and all inspirational educator movies in order to understand my sentiment. Alongside this "belief in teachers," there is a random assortment of resources which reference the "Power of One" idea; quotes, film clips, articles. I have provided a few links in order to aid you in better understanding where these inspirations come from.

"The Power of One." (Video). http://www.caringstrangers.com/powerofone.htm

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. (Margaret Mead) http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/quotes/a/qu_margaretmead.htm

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is most important that you do it. (Gandhi) http://www.famous-quotations.com/

We must become the change we want to see. (Gandhi) http://www.famous-quotations.com/

And, if you're dying for a connection between teacher power and technology, indulge in these fantastic (and simple!) quotes:

• Teachers are vital to the learning process. Tech is good, but it is not a perfect substitute.
• Computers can never replace humans.
• Learning is based on motivation, and without teachers that motivation would cease to exist. (7)
  

It's these last quotes, including the ones by Gandhi, that should serve as jumping-off points to the discussion of modern education. For one, I have come to organize my style of education in a way that aims to include what I consider "modern information"; that is, I aim to make sure that my lessons and my activities will actually cover information like African history (although I need to make sure I don't maintain an African history bias). In other words, there's definitely a need to stress (or continue stressing) relevance. They may not see the vital significance of the Rwandan genocide (but afterwards I hope they do!); however, it is an event that is still causing problems today, and that is RELEVANT.

However, it's no longer just an issue of content or an issue of standards or an issue of interesting curricula. As we have learned in this class, it is now also a question of technology. We are led to inquire: how can we possibly find the happy medium between exemplary education and technological use?

We have been able to explore applications, articles, websites, and techniques in order to give us, as future educators, a "leg up" when it comes to having our own wired classrooms (isn't that one of the main points of this class?). As a practicum student, I've had limited experience with SmartBoard and online quiz game-making. But, even though there's a small chance I will even have a SmartBoard (much less more than two computers in my classroom), I still have to train myself to be ready for the day when the gods bless me with twenty top-of-the-line MacBooks and matching iPods.

Here's the simplest point of philosophical rambling about technology and education and kids: it's not about "fighting" the negative effects of technology, it's about FINDING A BALANCE.

Don't trivialize it, capitalize on it.

Consider, for example, the various websites provided at the bottom of this blog. They all have some tidbit of information related to our students and technology, and can even be used in helping to build that all-important, personal philosophy about students and technology.

Belief #1: There are negative effects of technology on education; be aware of them.

Education is no exception to those institutions affected by technological problems. Cell phone use, unfair nation-wide distribution of school funds, bad technology use by teachers... it happens. The first step in being an informed educator is to know the problems and work against them.

For the Wiki project, my partner and I looked at attentional deployment/multi-tasking. The articles I found were quite informative as to the negatives of multi-tasking; the result is students who aren't necessarily absorbing the information they need to absorb. That, obviously enough, has some big significance in the education world. Also, however, I read up in this articles about brain structure, and how brains respond to alleged "multi-tasking"; and the truth is, the brain (even though it's going through its own evolutionary process) isn't the multi-tasker we assumed it to be. Therefore, yes, there are certainly problems with kids doing all those different things on top of homework.

Not only that, but the brain isn't currently as adapted to technology (or, really, our tech habits) as it needs to be. One of the articles points out that at the rate we use technology (every blinkin' chance), our brain's processes of use and relaxation aren't getting done. This can't possibly be good for children's brain abilities. (4, 5, 6)

Of course, a huge point to consider (and to make distinctions): "For all the handwringing about Generation M, technology is not really the problem. "The problem," says Hallowell, "is what you are not doing if the electronic moment grows too large"--too large for the teenager and too large for those parents who are equally tethered to their gadgets. In that case, says Hallowell, "you are not having family dinner, you are not having conversations, you are not debating whether to go out with a boy who wants to have sex on the first date, you are not going on a family ski trip or taking time just to veg. It's not so much that the video game is going to rot your brain, it's what you are not doing that's going to rot your life." (5)

Belief #2: Teachers need to have the right amount of training before they can be appropriate users of classroom technology.

I could really just sum up this entire belief by saying: attend Educational Technology. But, the fact of the matter is, having a teacher who isn't flexible around technology or who uses it incorrectly doesn't help students. What's more, teachers might not even understand how to react to children's behavior problems with technology; if the teacher catches a student using a cell phone, but then doesn't know how to turn it off... sounds pathetic. (lecture, etc.)

This entire semester has been full of discussions and demonstrations which apply to this belief. The whole point of the semester was not only to fulfill any state requirements in technological competence, but also to learn software and methods that might actually be helpful in our classrooms.

WebQuests: This seems self-explanatory, as we have discussed the topic in class. But, for repetition's sake, WebQuests are awesome ways to promote student-led learning in a forum which tests children's skills at synthesizing information, working as a group, preparing presentations, and also surfing the Web for appropriate resources. Complementary lessons on authoritative Webpages and search engines can be used to helps students with the WebQuest.

Newsletters: Even though we created these for parent-teacher reasons, students can still use them on their own. Students can do projects like historical advertisements or "one-page" newspapers and "publish" their own flyers.

Digital Stories: I won't go into detail, as I wrote a whole page on this subject previously.

PowerPoint Tutorials: So much is possible here. Not only can teachers use them as lesson enhancers, but students can create them to help other students (or even other classes!)

Wikis: What better way to get students synthesizing information AND using the web at the same time? Bravo Wiki pages! Refer to my Wiki response for an idea on Wiki use.

The point to remember is: I've heard that technology is not necessarily greater than the teacher. So, use technology, but don't forget that your position as a teacher is still powerful! (7)

Belief #3: Basic is okay.

I inserted this belief as a reaction to an article I read about online courses and their positions in grade schools. My reaction was that, although having online courses can definitely be a help in some schools, I don't think they are necessarily vital at this point in time (which was mentioned in the article). I've been through four years of college and haven't taken an online class.

The point about "basics" is that although technology is awesome, that doesn't mean that there needs to be an overload of it. An overload is not only expensive, but also questionably necessary. Not all students are going to become computer scientists. Therefore, when designing projects or teaching technology use, teachers need to focus on solidifying basic skills in their students. (This reminds me a bit of an article on homework I read, and about homework format and focus- I don't have the exact citation on me.) For example, knowing how to surf the web, use search engines, write/send emails, determine webpage authority, and use Microsoft Office are probably the basics. If there's a chance to expand further than that, great. But administrators and teachers shouldn't become fixated on the idea that more technology = better learning. Thus, online classes probably aren't a necessary component. Aim for survival in the digital world when teaching technology. (1, homework articles)

Belief #4: Find the zen, find the feng shui.

As articles have noted (and the video provided on the Wiki page), the solution to multi-tasking or "technology" problems isn't to take an extreme route. Rather, it's all about compromise. Make kids do a graphic organizer about the Mongols and then play Marvel Capcom. In fact, we've discussed rewards and reinforcers in my Behavior Management class... it's a good system. Sometimes, you just gotta remember that there are more important things in life than checking Facebook. (4, 5, 6)

(Although, I've had a hard time learning that lesson.)

Resources to Note and Cite for This Blog and for Further Information

1). "Schools Won’t Require Online Class. Yet." Winnie Hu. Published January 30, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/education/01educnj.html?_r=2&scp=4&sq=education%20online%20February%202009&st=cse

2). (Cell Phone Article). http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/

3). “Children "Tune out" in Response to the Ambiguous Communication Style of Powerless Adults.” Daphne Blunt Bugental, Judith E. Lyon, Eta K. Lin, Emily P. McGrath and Alfred Bimbela. Child Development, Vol. 70, No. 1 (Jan. - Feb., 1999), pp. 214-230. Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Society for Research in Child Development.

4). “The Perils of Multitasking: When Kids are Plugged In, How Much Sinks In?” Margery D. Rosen. February 28, 2007. http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Farticle.jsp%3Fid%3D11595&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFrqEzc04P8kNBsaFRSlO8guVKkG9BFBtA

5). “The Multitasking Generation.” Claudia Wallis. March 19, 2006. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174696-2,00.html

6). “Too Much Multitasking.” ConnectWithKids. Accessed April 2, 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nUMNCzalXI

7). "Is It Age or IT: First Steps Toward Understanding the Net Generation." Diana and James Oblinger. http://www.educause.edu/Resources/EducatingtheNetGeneration/IsItAgeorITFirstStepsTowardUnd/6058

Also cite my courses and professors.

If I did not explicitly cite every section, cite them now.

Online... Better Than Off-line?

Wow. This article is an amazing jumping-off point for educational discussion.

In the most basic sense, the article is discussing the prevalence and subsequent requirement/non-requirement of having online courses in pre-collegiate schools. Although the state mentioned most firsthandedly was New Jersey, the article did provide some "shocking" details about online courses in other states. And, it seems a little surprising- maybe just because I don't remember online courses being part of my high school experience.

According to the article:

More than 70 percent of the nearly 15,000 school districts in the United States currently offer at least one online course, enrolling more than a million students last school year alone, said Susan Patrick, president of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, which estimates that online enrollment has increased about 30 percent annually since 1997. “It’s growing faster than any other innovation in K-12 education,” she said.

What? Forreal? Like, really?

It's not that I am so surprised by its growth rate; really, I'm not sure that any of us conscious individuals should be surprised by the popularity and growth rates of technology anymore. It's that, all of these schools were using online courses... and where was that while I was trudging the halls of Great Bridge High School?

For one, the advantages mentioned in the article are certainly enticing. There are always going to be students who want to go the extra mile and study something not found in person in their schools. Or there are always going to be students who have time issues or learning disabilities or other needs for potential online courses. And sure, there's nothing wrong on capitalizing on the use of email and other technological "stuff", since kids these days seem to be BFFs with gadgets.

But, that doesn't mean that there aren't any arguments against using online courses. For one... is it really necessary? As a college student, I haven't taken any online courses. Sure, they're there- but it hasn't been necessary. And, if I haven't had to... then why should it be so important for a high schooler to do so?

What's more, I remember some of the students who wanted to take an extra course back in high school. I'm pretty sure one or two of them met with my history teacher during lunch and studied Comparative Government. Sure, there was likely an electronic component to their meetings- but was it to the extent of an official online class?

Another allusion in this article- "the standards debate." I have actually participated in a discussion of curriculum standards in my MSSE 625 class, and this article hints at needing state-to-state cooperation when it comes to the standards for online classes. Is that even achievable?

And what's more, there's always the issue of money in schools (money matters are mentioned in the article). Some schools have enough, other schools do not. Should money be funnelled toward online courses, or towards other educational components which might be more beneficial? (Enter the possibility of Kindles, as provoked by Katie and Rachel's Net Generation presentation.) It sort of goes along with that whole idea of "just because you can doesn't mean you should/have to." Just because the technology is available to provide schools with online classes doesn't mean they have to use it (or should).

And, for anyone who will fight that it's awesome for teaching methods of technological use, might I suggest that it's probably easier (and less expensive and time-consuming) to just show children how to send emails or deposit documents into digital dropboxes? You can even show them how to do Webinars or watch YouTube videos, without taking an online course. Sounds good to me. Taking online courses does not equal technological mastery.

“There may be value to exposing students to this type of instruction,” said Mr. Belluscio, whose group offers Webinars for school board members. “But it may not be such a critical part of high school redesign that we need to make it a requirement.”

Last point: Teachers > Technology. Google the research.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/education/01educnj.html?_r=2&scp=4&sq=education%20online%20February%202009&st=cse

The Quest for the Perfect Quest

So, as diligent educational technology students, we are currently embarking on an intensive journey into developing WebQuests of our own design. I'm sure that the intention is to have this activity be profitable in our future careers.

So, it seems ideal that a WebQuest could be partnered with another intensive assessment in my classroom; and that is what I shall attempt to do. A fairly intensive, large-scale assessment which I have planned for a unit has to do with cultural conflict, and a WebQuest might be an excellent way for students to research their topics in a monitored, organized way.

THE TASK

It's 4 a.m. in the morning. Suddenly, as you are happily sleeping, your cell phone starts vibrating. You try to ignore it. But whoever it is keeps calling and calling and calling. Slightly annoyed, you answer the call.

On the other end of the line is a deep voice. The man tells you that you have been selected for a secret meeting of international experts, and that you need to get on a plane to Switzerland in the next two hours.

He tells you that you have been selected because of your expertise in cultural conflict. You have studied specific conflicts thoroughly and you have information that could help save lives and repair relationships between groups.

You accept the challenge.

Once you arrive in Switzerland, you will prepare a speech to deliver to an international council. The council is interested in finding solutions for some significant and problematic cultural conflicts, and they want your help.

Your speech will combine information about a particular conflict; you must give the history of the conflict and describe major events and groups involved in the conflict, as well as inform the council as to what solutions might be best for the conflict.

You are an expert. Now, surf the web for information and CHANGE THE WORLD!