Summer is winding down...

I keep changing my layout... I guess I like to see something different every time I log on. :-P

It was brought to my attention today that in 30 days, we will be in our classrooms. Holy. Crap. This summer semester has flown by, I can't believe how much has happened in the last 5 weeks and how much is going to happen in the next 11 months. Whew, I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the idea of our virtual conferences last week. I talked to Mary Jane Mielke in an internet chat with a few of my fellow MACers and got to hear (read, actually) about her experiences in the Wayne-Westland Community School District and their use of technology throughout the district. She taught us all a thing or two about newer technologies like CPS systems. It was great to speak with someone who has had a real impact on a school system's adoption and implementation of new technology in their classrooms, and to hear about how well it's been received.

In terms of the chat itself, I thought the tool was really useful in connecting a group of people together to discuss a topic. It was nice to be able to participate in the comfort of my own home. I can see how this could be useful in connecting my students to students across the country or the world to come together and learn about one another. I can also see the benefit of being able to connect and collaborate with other teachers through this method of interaction. Maybe after we all graduate we can organize MAC chats :) I am excited to try this again, and to try the phone conference as well.

However, there were some things that I would change about the chat. I thought there were a few too many people and that we overloaded Mary Jane with questions; every time she answered something, two or three of us thought of new things to ask. I think she felt a little overwhelmed. I also didn't really feel very connected to her as a person; since I couldn't see or hear her, I was lost on body language and voice tone. But I still think chats are a good way to integrate technology in certain ways.

For example, I have been thinking about creating a chat name for myself either on AIM or some other provider so that my students have the ability to contact me outside of school if they have questions about homework or class material. I can be at my apartment working on my own homework, but be available on the internet if any of my students need a question answered. This will depend, of course, on my students' access to the internet at home. But it was just a thought.

In other news, I'm excited to start filming tomorrow's 30-second clip... :)

RPS with LCE

Obviously this is a work in progress :P

Wiki Wonders

Ahhh technology overload. Cell phones, blogs, networking sites, wikis, podcasts... I can't keep everything straight. And somehow I'm connected to some and not to others. Why is that? I find that I tend to keep away from the types of technology that "scare" me.

Wikis, for example.

There is just something unsettling knowing that what I put "out there" can be deleted or altered by someone else. Our wiki project is (slightly) underway and I'm starting to get nervous. Unless it's my personal opinion (ie- blog) I get worried that I'm going to make a digital fool out of myself. I really have little knowledge about how wikis and websites work. HTML is not my friend (although PBwikis does not require HTML knowledge, thank goodness.)

Although, I do see some promise in having wikis in the classroom. I could assign a group wiki project where my students are responsible for creating a website presentation as a group, each contributing different parts and editing together. But I'm always concerned about that one kid that is going to mess it up for everyone and anonymously delete the entire thing. I guess if there's a grade attached, that's less of a risk. But how many times have I looked up something on Wikipedia and there's explicit words and clearly untrue material on there?

I'll guess I'll just have to keep researching and learning about this technological tool and see where it takes me...

Maybe I should mention something about technology

I just realized that I've written 3 entries in this blog without really even mentioning technology in the classroom. Heh.

Well, L and I took a little trip yesterday to visit our placement school and meet my cooperating teacher. After our first Ed Tech class last week, and after drawing a design of my ideal classroom, I definitely made the effort to open my eyes to see what the school was offering its students in terms of technology. Suffice it to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

I sat in on a summer school class being held by my CT and spent about 55 minutes observing his room, the technology he had, and his teaching style. This is what I noticed:

• TV with cords to plug in a DVD player or VCR
• Overhead projector
• White dry-erase board
• Digital projector to sync up with a laptop
• 4 pretty new Dell computers and a laser jet printer

I am going to wait until the fall to make any assumptions about my CT's teaching style...

I also learned that there is not only a computer lab in the very well-endowed library, but also 2 other computer labs in the building that are run by computer teachers. This came as a nice surprise to me, as urban schools normally don't have more than one computer lab, least of all 3 plus computers in the classrooms themselves. It was clear to me that the digital divide was not as visible in this particular school than in other schools in the area.

Additionally, I discovered that the books on the shelves were all test-prep books, reading comprehension guides, and workbooks. No text books or reference books (other than a few dictionaries and thesauruses). My CT informed us that a majority of the year is spent getting the kids ready for MEAPs and other standardized tests.

L and I also spent a good amount of time getting to know the librarian. This woman is amazing... she's been working there for 40 years and is pretty much just a full time volunteer because she loves the school and library so much. (She actually founded the library and it's named after her!) There are so many books in this library: fiction, non-fiction, reference encyclopedias... Mrs. G even established what she calls a "Battle of the Books", which aims to engage the student body in reading and comprehension in a year-long program. Unfortunately, it was clear to me that, based on our convo with her, Mrs. G is disappointed in the lack of interest in reading books in the students.

As much as it's important to integrate technology in students' educational experiences today, I can't discount the necessity of reading books. There is just so much to gain from reading a really great piece of literature, and today's students may not always recognize that. I feel that it's my responsibility to not only educate my classroom about how to use computers and the internet in ways that can supplement their classroom education, but also teach them how to utilize things like encyclopedias and dictionaries (the book kind) and to be able to find historical significance in a book.

Ahhh so much to think about. I'm already coming up with ideas of what to do with my kids to integrate their access to technology while still making the best use of their amazing library. I wonder if I'm going to have any time for this in the midst of prepping for 3+ standardized tests these kids are going to have to take...

Thoughts on Kozol

I had to stop reading today's portion of Savage Inequalities because I can't stop crying and can't see the words on the page. I couldn't even get through the 4th chapter on Camden and Jersey City. I can't believe the state of these schools. Reading about the miniscule budget for art classes and computer courses taught in closets and track teams that have to run in the hallways because they have no facility is so disheartening. I can't imagine having to go to a school like the ones described by Kozol. It makes me so grateful for what my parents have done for me in order to get me to where I am today. I wish they weren't out of town so I could drive to their house and hug them both.

I just can't believe that these kids are continually overlooked by anyone and everyone who can actually make a difference in their lives. What are these governors and mayors and district administrators doing?? It is so depressing that this happens all over the country and people who have the power to do something right this second are sitting around and doing nothing. And it's happening in our own backyard.

I feel even more committed now to doing everything I can for my students at Earhart next year. They go to one of the better Detroit public schools with a full library with computer lab as well as at least 5 computers in every classroom, an amazing principal and dedicated faculty and staff that want so badly for their students to succeed. I am going to do whatever I can to encourage and challenge them, to make use of what they have to the best of my ability, and to let them know that they have the ability to do anything they want to do. Reading about the high school girl whose counselor told her that she couldn't be a lawyer because it was too hard makes me SO ANGRY because I know this happens to students everywhere, including some in our very own cohort.

Alright, time to pull it together and finish this book.