One Post Oughta Sum it Up:

I got the job.

No Words.

There are no words to express how I feel right now.

But I'll try. I've been on a quest for the past few days to resurrect this blog from the dingy dusty depths of the internet, and in the process, I've found a billion new things (and some old things) that I love.

First, LibraryThing. It's a really neat way to catalog your personal library. I'm going to use this in my classroom (provided that stinkin school internet filters don't block the site... a la Will Richardson's post). I figure this way, if and when I get the kids amped about books, they can look through the list online instead of running around the classroom and disorganizing the bookshelves...

Then we have BlogLines. I restructured the whole thing in hopes to add it as a widget to Blogger, but when I tried to do so, Blogger wouldn't recognize the html code that bloglines generated. Come to find out, Blogger has it's own version of a blogroll, so there we have it. I've got a few started for your reading and learning pleasure.

After reading a few blogs, I found a link to this nifty little thingy called Twitter. It's like Facebook and MySpace and AIM status updates all-in-one! AND YOU CAN UPDATE FROM YOUR CELLPHONE.

And THEN I found this supercool thing called Digsby... it sort of looks like AIM, but it's social networking/bookmarking compacted into one handy dandy desktop skin. I have facebook, myspace, aim, and my gmail account all in one box.

I really would like to comment on all of this... offer some sort of response... but my mind is just incredibly overwhelmed right now, and I need some serious time to process it all, play around with stuff, and just internalize what this whole revolution means.

And with that, my friends, I say goodnight.

Teaching Reading in English Class

I'm preparing for the possible start of a teaching position in a 9th grade classroom, and one concern that I have going into this classroom is that my students' reading levels and abilities will be scattered across the board.

I've been brainstorming some ideas and reading through several articles pertaining to my concern, and I came across an article entitled Reading Happens in Your Mind, Not Your Mouth by Christine Cziko.

Of her students resistance to reading, Cziko says "I could not even count on many of my students finishing a short story assigned for homework." Eek. Unfortunately, this setiment is felt in classrooms across America, and suddenly, teachers of English have found themselves becoming teachers of reading as well.

So began the Academic Literacy course at Thurgood Marshall High School in California. In short, the course aims to meet all types of readers at their lowest ability of reading and gradually teach them the skills necessary to become competent readers and lovers of literature.

The most meaty portion of this article can be found in section "Tackling the Problem." In this section, Cziko says that the course taught students the language of reading, that is, schema, metacognition, and attention management. In addition, students were encouraged to ask themselves, "What are my characteristics as a reader? What strategies do I use as I read? What role will reading play in my future educational and career goals? What goals can I set and work towards to help myself develop as a reader?"

The concepts described in this article seem so simple and ground-level, yet teachers everywhere are failing their students (both literally and figuratively) by neglecting to address the core problem of undone homework: a lack of ability to comprehend what is being read. Students are being left behind, so to speak, because teachers automatically assume that because they've passed 7th, 8th, and 9th grades that they have learned how to read effectively for information, comprehension, and even personal enjoyment. This just isn't the case with the majority of students.

Two years of college teaching courses and a semester of student teaching did not prepare me with this level of thinking with regards to reading. Sure, we discussed all sorts of ways to prepare students for the writing portions of the Regents exam... write, revise, edit, publish... but we didn't learn much at all in the way of reading comprehension strategies. Maybe I should give my college a heads up...

I'm really excited to put these practices into action in my own classroom. I believe that all students have the ability to learn, and it disheartens me to know that some of them don't believe that for themselves.

To current teachers: What specific methods do you use in your classroom to teach students how to read, understand, and internalize the texts which you provide to them?

To teachers-in-training: How have your college academic programs prepared you to address the gap in reading ability?

To everyone else: What reflections can you provide with regard to your own personal sucesses or struggles with reading?

It's Been A While

...Yeah... so.... *awkward silence ensues...* Long time, no talk, eh?

Anyway, I had an interview today for a 9th Grade teaching position at the local high school, and in preparation, I came across this website: Education Buzzwords written by Kevin Killion. The website aims to demystify the "masks" that jargon/buzzwords provide... the introduction to the translations admits that the guide to jargon is laced with a "healty dose of dry humor..." But let's get real. People use humor to hide truth. It's true. I looked it up. dot dot dot...

Anyway, I was a bit miffed when I read this analysis of the commonly used buzzwords in our profession. Some of the translations are completely absurd and show the translator's lack of serious knowledge of the topic.

One of the craziest translations is that of "lifelong learning." Killion says that parents hear this phrase as "children get in the habit of learning new things," but what it really means is "they won't learn much around here, so we'll teach them how to look it up later." Ha. Ha. Ha.

I'm a pretty funny lady- but for some reason, this website doesn't really amuse me. It's blatantly making fun of my profession, and I take it very seriously (but not too seriously...) It's like making fun of three-legged dogs or hairless cats. You just don't do it.

Tell me to lighten up and I'll break your face.

Leader Talk

I could have sworn that I posted about this site that I found, but I can't find the post, so apparently, I never actually posted the post. Post.

So, here's the post:

I was randomly searching around different blogs on blogger, and I came across LeaderTalk, the collaborative blog of different administrators across the country. It's really interesting to read some of the posts because it helps me look at school from an administrator's point of view.

So often, I find myself wrapped up in myself (not in a conceited way, of course) but in such a way that I find myself thinking "I can't do this teaching thing" or "I'm just not ready" or "I just don't have what it takes." Those are, of course, some of the bad days when I do poorly on an assignment or my morale is simply low. Then there are the high days when I just CANNOT wait to teach and change lives.

Anyway, check out the LeaderTalk blog and give yourself some perspective.

Enjoy.

20 Minutes.... Phew!

In the 20 minute crunch time, here's what I did:

Mrs. Bottle's Class Webpage

I also set up a quick blog

I linked the blog to the webpage.

As far as standards... I dont know what's here.... the page can help students learn how to maneuver through the web. I guess the actual page itself isn't a standard: it's what I can do with the page to help students learn, navigate through, and produce using other technologies.

20 Minutes.... Phew!

In the 20 minute crunch time, here's what I did:

Mrs. Bottle's Class Webpage

I also set up a quick blog

I linked the blog to the webpage.

As far as standards... I dont know what's here.... the page can help students learn how to maneuver through the web. I guess the actual page itself isn't a standard: it's what I can do with the page to help students learn, navigate through, and produce using other technologies.

Musings by Barb

Ray: "How big is your thumb drive?"

Barb: "It's big. About double the size of a normal one."

Yep. She really said it. We love her.

Pokinitis

This was just too cute-- from the perspective of a person who can't wait to be a Mommy.... (s0meday, ehh...)

Anyway, from the perspective of a future ELA teacher- Will Richardson's is the epitome of appeal to students with different learning styles.

I LOVE the idea of letting students author their own work- and not just non-fiction, but nonfiction as well.

The possibilities for this are endless:
-Creating a children's book to read and mentor younger students

-Publication in a school or class library

-(As Will says:) Recording the book to be published online

-Publishing a visual copy of the book online

-Letting students with authoring abilities to couple with students with illustrating abilities (what have we learned about group collaboration, kids??)

-ETC ETC ETC

What else can I say??

My Shape-Shifting Portfolio

Shape-Shifting Portfolio (shAp-shifting port-fO-lE-"O) - collections of skills - for example, eductional, social, service, and sprots experiences and achievements that can be arranged and rearranged in order to define and redefine oneself as a certain kind of competent persion. -James Gee, as paraphrased in "Shape Shifting Portfolios" by Elizabeth Birr Moje.

As I read this, I became ... intimidated ... by "Katie's" accomplishments... To explain my intimidation, I'll give you a brief overview of my high school experience. Every year, I'd attend the graduation ceremony because I played in the pit band that performed Pomp and Circumstance, and at each ceremony, I heard the similar "SHRINE PHENOMENON" that Moje talks about in the article. I looked up to those students who had a university's name attached to theirs and who wore the Honor Society cords around their necks. So, all through high school, I vowed that when I graduated, I'd be one of those students. For four years, I tried to get have my name attached to as many things as I could so that when I graduated, the principal could say "Megan Marie Rood will be attending SUNY Potsdam studying Adolescence Music Education. Megan is graduting with high honors, and wears the cords representative of National Honor Society." And I did. I had the "shrine" at my graduation party. But then it was all over.

I began college with the same ambitions- but quickly realized that I didn't care. I realized that my motivation was entirely in the wrong place... and since then, I haven't really done much to have my name on things. It's not that I don't care, really, it's just that for me personally, having attachments to my name is NOT the most important thing in the world.

That's why I most closely identify with Thomas, the student described in Moje's article as "[denying] shape-shifting for the sole purpose of being recognized as a certain kind of person." Honestly, I feel like this snippet-biography is not of Thomas, but of myself. I just want to be the best person that I can be: having my name on things means little to nothing to me.

And with my anecdote aside, I'd like to describe my "Shape-Shifting Portfolio" as I see it.

In all of my classes, not just 307, my goal is to soak in as much information as I can. I want to be the best possible teacher that I can, and I want to be a guiding force in the lives of my students. To me, my portfolio consists of all of the things that I've learned that will help me better relate to my students and foster learning in their lives. This includes knowing about Shakespeare, Beyonce, blogs, The DaVinci Code, four-wheelers, fashion, and anything else that teens are interested----- all while teaching kids to learn general literacy concepts THROUGH these interests.

It's difficult to pinpoint one specific reference in the article to the teacher's role in helping students develop their "portfolio." I think the biggest and best thing that we as teachers can do is constantly encourage our students to be AUTHENTIC. No Faking. No Pretending. Just- real. This includes encouraging students like Katie to support while questioning her desire to be recognized, pushing students like Thomas to define the reasons for resisting the "shrine" method of portfolio, and helping students like Mario simply define himself, who he is, and what this means.

So... as for my portfolio... I dunno... Like the Thomas in the story... it's not really tangible... but it's whatever I want it to be. Hope this makes sense.

My Inspiration

I've never really been one to single out a person and say "This person is the best..." that's why this assignment has been difficult for me... I know it's kinda cliche to say this, but every person is inspirational to me-- all in their own different ways. It's true.

BUT...

If I have to single out people... ahh, well, here it goes: (I know this is breaking the rules, but oh well... that's what we've been taught to do!)

Kaitlin Brown - She's the first person I've meet that is SO nuts about Shakespeare (and I'm really not, so I'm inspired to learn more...)

Jo Tutko - (no "e"-- it's more distinguished) I've only barely heard of the whole "beat poem" thing-- and this kid knows them inside out and upside down- I'm inspired to learn more because I think this is something that students would really LOVE.

Charity Schneeberger - She's shown me that, at any point in a person's life, one can completely change career paths and go back to school... I respect her for this because I'm sure it's taken courage and major decisions to do what she's doing... It also shows me that if I get to that point, it's not the end of the world to change careers (but I dont think I will...)

Barb Hollings - It's similiar to Charity, and I also value her "real-world" experience: she's worked for a newspaper and in several other fields, all which give her experience and knowledge to guide us kiddies along.

Jami Sautter - She's so real and authentic, and I value this because it sort of makes me put myself in check- making sure I'm not relying on a facade.

Jess Brown - She's quirky and fun, and we've helped each other through similar educational struggles... and triumphed over the victories! I can be my quirky weird and sarcastic self around her.

Jon Space - His convictions about certain things are so strong... they inspire me to forcefully stick by what I believe. He's also just as excited about the Eclipse release (August 7th!!!) as I am!

Savanna Kucerak - Her spunk is great... and I'm often inspired to take a proactive role in my community and in the school's campus.

Darlene Scouten - She's just fun... and happy... and she makes me laugh.... She also has a similar "real world" experience that is valuable in our classroom experience.

Karen Stearns - She inspires me to "think outside the box" and never fall into the canonical text/worksheet/essay prompt/ teacher as all-knowing role that so many teachers are apt to do. She also inspires me to keep up-to-date on the best research and info on teaching.

Better Late Than Never....

This one's a little late, but hey, it's here...

The article about the Baltimore school surprised me not because they're using the technology and creating the network of teachers to implement it, but because they're JUST starting to do it. They almost seem a little late in figuring out this technology and using it in their classrooms. If not late... right on time... not really progressive. Please don't misunderstand my criticism- I think that integrating this video-on-demand system in the classroom is great, and students will benefit greatly from it, but I just think it should have been done sooner.

To tie all three of the articles together (Robert Epstein's "Let's Abolish High School," the TECHNORATI data, and the ESchool news article), they all equal better high school experiences for both teachers and for students. The eSchool news article shows just one type of technology available to students which will help them analyze, understand, and make sense of the media that is pushed onto them day after day. The Tech data shows just how much the different applications are being used- and it simply proves that they ARE being used... and Epstein's article discusses an ideal high school that prepares students for the real world. Media will be projected onto people not just in their high school years, but throughout the rest of their lives- in this way, learning how to deconstruct and analyze it will help students become better adults which was the main focus of Epstein's article.

Poem Generator

I just came across the Educational Technology Training Center's Poem Generator.

It's kind of fun to play around with-- I made a few random poems... There are many different formats to choose from. The poem below is what I wrote using the "This is the poem that..." form.

This poetry generator is kind of neat for use in any classroom, and especially one that employs Nancie Atwell's Reading Writing Workshop. If students are stuck with something to write about, they can easily mess around with this generator either to give a framework for further writing of a poem or for an idea for a short story, fiction piece, etc.

This is the poem that jumps
in the murky waters of the swamp
that smell
because things are rotten and
because there is no oxygen.

And when emotions
make me feel exposed
this is the poem that uncovers
the swampy
darkness.

We Don't Need No Education!!

...How many times have we returned to this Pink Floyd song throughout this semester??... And how true is it??

Anyway, I was going to post my response to Task 1 all at once, but after reading Robert Epstein's article "Let's Abolish High School," I decided that I needed to give this one article special attention. I was a little, ahem, miffed that he made the claim that the only jobs that high school students can look forward to working are babysitting, yardwork, or mopping floors at a burger joint.

I thought of my just-turned-18 year old brother Ian, a senior in high school. Ian has never held one of the aforementioned jobs, yet he holds a high work ethic. Ian has consistently earned at least $8.50 / hour working as a groundskeeper at a local golf course and working for my parents' milk hauling business. He currently works at the Maines Warehouse making $10.00 / hour... and he's still in high school. Ian's not one of those "non-achieving" school students whose only prospect in life is to hold a manual labor job. Ian is graduating high school this June with honors: his overall average is above 90, he is involved in Student Council, FBLA, and he is a member of the Varsity Golf team (who, by the way went to States this year). He also manages the School Store and has raised profits to something like 400% in this year alone. Ian just bought his first truck with the money that he earns- it's a 2003 Dodge Ram (ask him- it has a Hemi!). No, our parents didn't pay for it- he's making the payments on his own.

While I'm overly proud of my brother's achievements (we're extremely close), I am more proud of his non-comformist attitude when it comes to holding a job. He knows that he's not cut out to be someone's robot- that's why he does work that he can control. This is largely in part because my parents pushed him to be all that he can be and to be proud of it. It's also because his school has allowed him the opportunity to BE something.

So, after looking at this, I guess I do agree somewhat with Epstein... It's true- certain stereotypical jobs apply to teens... which is fine (I worked as a cashier in a drugstore as my first job). I also think it's the responsibility of parents and of schools to recognize potential in students and suggest or push them into jobs that they know will better fit the needs and desires of the individual student. It's one of the many ways to help students understand their abilities, talents, interests, and societal values.

After reading through the rest of the article, I believe that Epstein's perceptions of America's youth and the systems opposed upon it are not too far from the beliefs that I hold myself. O agree- schools are channeling students based on a "one-size-fits-all" mentality. They're giving kids the feelings that they're not yet good enough for "real" work or to have a "real" purpose. Now, what are we going to do about it?????????????

Here's one of Epstein's solutions (one of which I highly agree)

Teenagers are inherently highly capable young adults; to undo the damage we have done, we need to establish competency-based systems that give these young people opportunities and incentives to join the adult world as rapidly as possible. -Robert Epstein

Ian - Windsor's Varsity Golf Team

I'm a Leacher... or a Tearner?

Yes, that's right, I both taught and learned... so is that a Leacher? or a Tearner? (I prefer Leacher... reminds me of Liger)

I taught: GarageBand

• How to insert a photo: save any photo to your desktop, click-and-drag to the side (where it says insert photo here...) and Voila! Duration of picture exposure can be saved too...
• How to change voice tones: it's all in the side panel...

I learned: iWeb

• How to change photos, templates and text.

I learned: ComicLife

• How to import photos- SIMPLE!
• How to change appearance of photos with filters, brush styles, etc...

I can't wait to try the above two things for my own.....!

KaPow! Media Literacy! Wham!

Mine and Jess Brown's Media LiteracyProject is a secret... dun dun dun....
No, I'm kidding. Really.
We're leaning towards an analysis of violence in the media. We're not yet sure of whether we're going to look at isloated incidents of this topic or at representations of violence throughout a span of years.
We're still trying to narrow down our focus; also, we're trying to define exactly what it is that we're analyzing about violence... does it sell? Does it influence violence in teens? What's the proof?
We're open to suggestions.... :o)

Scribd - Thanks Barb

So... I was just checking out the new content on everyone's blogs, and I came across a post from Barb which introduces us to a sort of bookmarking site called Scribd. Evidently, it works the same way as Flickr does for photos or del.icio.us does for webpages: you can upload files into your account and access them anywhere with web access.

Pretty neat!

But then, I was browsing around, and I came across this article written by a person whose profile says that he's a "Supercool Principal." This article has a huge relevance with many of the items that we've been discussing recently.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/27289/7Lessons-You-LearnedSchool-That-Could-Possibly-Ruin-Your-Life

PS- The author of this e-book is the innovator of "Supercool School" - a site that is said to be much like a Wikipedia for education... it's not up yet, though...

Lack of Motivation? And Whose Fault is it?

As future teachers, we have enough to worry about with learning the content area of our majors and the methods for teaching them. Now, factor in the question "How do I motivate my students to do the work?" Now there's a real challenge.

After reading the chapter " 'Struggling' Adolescents' Engagement in Multimediating: Countering the Institutional Construction of Incompetence," by David O'Brien I no longer feel quite so overwhelmed trying to answer the question above. Furthermore, I feel that the suggestions that O'Brien provides are feasible, that is, they can be applied to any classroom, in any demographic, and in any content area.

The advice that O'Brien provides is simple: "When students perceived that they were successful, they could set personally relevant goals and see that they were improving, they would read and write more, build fluency, and decide to persevere, even on tasks that they perceived as being difficult."

Anyone can understand the reasons for truth in this statement. Think back to projects that you have worked on throughout the years of your education. Did you enjoy projects more when you could "figure it out" on your own? When you could use methods that you enjoyed? I can recall doing a project in my 10th grade history class on Egyptian Civilizations. Since I loved to cook, I decided to make a lentil bean soup as similar to the Egyptian method as possible. This project is memorable to me because I could do what I wanted to.

While this article was supportive, I found myself becoming a bit angry- I began thinking of high school dropouts, those who are labeled "remedial" and those who simply haven't found their niche for learning. It occurred to me that (probably) a huge percentage of these students are just as able as those who graduate, or who take AP courses, or who know what they love to learn. It's the teachers that are making these students fail by applying the "One Size Fits All" approach to education. This approach does not work (unless the students are actually robots).

The "One Size Fits All" approach is best linked to what O'Brien tells us on page 35 as autonomous literacy, or an "absolute set of skills one is supposed to attain; the skills are assessed statistically and linked to technical and economic consequences. So, there you have it... society feels that there are certain benchmarks that a person is expected to reach with regard to education and literacy, and the belief is that if a person hasn't met these benchmarks, then he or he is "remedial." In essence, teachers who adhere to this belief are setting their students up for failure. How nice.

Personally, I like the idea of coaching students towards setting and attaining their own goals. After all, isn't one of the major principles of high school "individuality"?

iBook Reflection

So, the iBook project was fun, but it did work out quite as our group had planned.

Taking pictures was pretty fun- we had plenty of outtakes and silly pictures to supplement the serious pictures that we actually planned to use for the book.

We had a bit of difficulty deciding exactly those pictures that we'd include and those we'd scrap, but eventually, we just decided to make a sort of "structured" scrapbook highlighting all of the different elements of the English Ed Major.

Problems of saving aside, we had fun... hopefully we'll have a finished product before the end of the semester!

Online Bullying

So much of our class time is spent on all of the great things that technology has to offer to students and teachers. I (almost) wholeheartedly agree: technology can change the entire way that a student views school and what that student learns from school. Technology enhances learning, motivation, and interest- I don't think anyone would deny that.

We haven't really touched upon the downfalls of technology (other than our debate about the "paper-less" classroom). I saw a documentary (on Nightline? Dateline?) about a new phenomenon of internet bullying. This bullying comes in the form of text messages, instant messages, posting photos to the internet- you name it, I'm sure students have thought of it and used it in one way or another to bully and threaten another student.

Creating student unity is one of my passions as a future teacher. Sure, I'm "gung-ho" about teaching amazing books, helping students express themselves through writing, and integrating technology into it all, but above all else, I want to help my students create a safe, nurturing, and loving environment. Nobody should have to be afraid to come to school.

Have any of you future teachers given this any thought? What do you think you might do to combat the hate that students often show towards one another? What are you going to do prevent another Columbine? Afterall, teaching ELA isn't the only part of your job.

The Zine Project: Innovation or Oxymoron?

"The Zine Project: Innovation or Oxymoron?" by Tobi Jacobi appeared in the English Journal, vol. 96, no. 4; March 2007
______________________________________

"Zines are typically single-authored, handmade, do-it-yourself, creativepublications centered on themes and issues that explore the personal and the political, the extraordinary and the mundane" (The Zine Project, p 44)

The allure that Zines may have, given the above definition, is obvious. Students just want a chance to say "This is mine. I did this and I'm proud" Coupled with a teacher recognition of students' out-of-school literacy practices as Guzzetti and Gamboa describe, Zines are a win-win situation for students. They can produce, author, and design texts that are relevant and importat in their own lives; teachers are happy because students are writing on their own!

_______________________________________

What would Renee Hobbs say about this? ... She'd say that Zines are a great tool for getting kids to re-think the accepted norms of our society. Authoring content is yet another way for students to look critically at the society and world in which they live. This critical look is the main purpose of Concord High School's media literacy program. If Zines really are as the article says ("an act of civil disobedience; a tool for inspiring other forms of activism..." 44), then they embody the principles of Concord's program.

In her book, Hobbs writes

"All media texts are "re-presentations" of reality. As one of the keyconcepts of media literacy, students learn that messages are intentionally composed, written, framed, cropped, and created by people who are involved in constructing message for a specific purpose, and that media messages represent some aspects of lived experience. (74).

Writing a Zine can empower the writer to question the stereotypes that media and our society presents us with. Concord's Media Literacy program does the very same thing only in a different format.

If teachers can become aware of who their students really are, and what motivates them to read and write, and learn how adolescents develop, practice, and refine their literacies outside of school, educators will be better equipped to connect those out-of-school literacy practices to the work students do in school -Barbara J. Guzzetti and Margaret Gamboa ~ 'Zines for Social Justice: Adolescent Girls Writing on their Own

Technology Counts Chat Transcript

Phew... there was a lot of information contained in the chat transcript, so I'd like to highlight just a few questions/responses and comments:

______________________________________

Question from Michael Carlsson, Asst. Principal (retired) in Philadelphia: Has the use of computers to write meant that students are writing better? worse? no difference?

I don't mean to sound harsh, but I really don't think this guy "gets it" (As Dr. Stearns would say). Have we learned anywehre in any of our studies that technology is integrated into the classroom simply to improve writing skills?? Of course, online publications (blogging, creating webpages, publishing student work to the web, etc.) can put a sense of pride and perfection in the minds of the students, but is that really what we as teachers are aiming for? I think a more appropriate question for this retired principal to have asked would have been "Has the use of computers to enhance student learning mean that students are actually learning better?" There are enless other benefits to technology integration- not just writing skills!

______________________________________

Question from Lucy Brakoniecki, CT Women's Education and Legal
Fund: We have been engaged in the evaluation of the blended learning environment (classes using Moodle to
implement 4 curricula in CT). What we have found to date is that infrastructure is problemmatic in under-resourced schools; and that the courses are only as good (and rich and interesting)as the instructors teaching. Can you speak to
professional development format and/or content that may best assist teachers (who might not be 'digital natives')with moving along the learning curve? Many thanks!

To me, this was an excellent question. Digital Immigrant teachers like Lucky Brakoneicki, while technologically inexperienced, exhibit a desire to become fluent in new technology as well as demonstrate an understanding of the importance for learning unfamiliar programs. Using technology in our day is unavoidable: even the most resistant Immigrants to the digital age will inevitably be forced to use one form or another.

I also appreciated the response to this question. I agree that the best way for a Digital Immigrant to learn the technology is to become fully immersed in it while a Digital Native is nearby coaching progress. In a sense, that's how I've learned how to use the technologies that I have: by trial and error and coaching from those who know more than I do.

______________________________________

Question from Eric Willard, Director of Technology, CUSD #300, Carpentersville,
IL: I'm interested in comparing the collected data across time to predictions. That is, where are we today compared to where we predicted five years ago that we would be today? With that as a
base, where do we predict we'll be in 2012?

Yet another intriguing question... True, our jobs as teachers is to educate our students on the best possible technologies to use and how to use them, but our job is also to "predict" possible technological shifts for the future. Anticipating what is to come should certainly drive what we're teaching our students today. Anticipation doesn't have to be just technology: we should be thinking ahead for classroom text choices, writing skills, and even *sigh* state-testing mandates.

Technology Counts: A Digital Decade

I'm honestly not surprised by any of the information in the Technology Counts
article. It's pretty obvious that billions of dollars were spent on school technology at the time of the first article, and billions of dollars are still being spent each year on modifying and making better the technologies that are present in schools.



Two pieces of information grabbed my attention as I read.

First:

Digital cameras and videorecorders, coupled with photo-sharing and moviemaking software, are putting new, easier-to-use means of expression into students’ and educators’ hands.

Interactive software applications such as blogs, podcasts, and social-networking sites are letting students and teachers easily post their own writings and multimedia presentations on the Web.

Again, this is everything that we already know: not only are teachers using these technologies in the classroom, but they're using them effectively. Just look at Shade Gomez or Will Richardson... and the thousands of other teachers nationwide who have found that students respond better when they're asked to create, develop, and publish work of their own. I know I would have, but regrettably, my high-school English teachers had yet to catch on...

Personally, I find that motivation to complete assignments is generated when I can create something of my own. This creation may not necessarily be technology-based: I can recall making posters, books, or even cooking Mexican or Spanish food for Spanish classes. Of course, this is not to say that technology could not have been incorporated into any of these projects; these projects were fine, however, without using any computer technology.

Second:

For many educators, 21st-century digital literacy must hinge not on the superficial fluency with technology that many students exhibit in their off hours, but on proficiency in such skills as effectively sifting through a glut of electronic information and producing creative work
that will be valued highly in the global marketplace.

This idea is key to the success of future technological integrations. As teachers, we must not be concerned with the level to which students can use certain technologies, however, we should be more concerned with how they can use various technologies to evaluate and appreciate the expanse of available information. In other words, if the best a student can do with regard to technology is use Google to find information, that's GREAT, as long as that student knows how to use Google in the best and most effective way to find and evaluate information.

Friedman would certainly agree: students need to be producing work that will aide them in the global marketplace. No longer should we be requiring students to complete fill-in-the-blank worksheets or book report-style essays: the validity and advantageuosness of these assignments will be void after the due date. It's crucial, in today's competitive job market, for students to be developing and perfecting skills that will be most needed in their adult lives.

_____________________________________________

I can't wait to try all of the wonderful technologies and techniques that we've been introduced to in the past few months. As a new teacher, I know that I will have to constantly remind myself that my goal is not necessarily perfect proficiency in grammar, spelling, and interpretation of literature. My goal, however, is to give my students the tools necessary to live a successful and gratifying adult life, as well as igniting a love for literature and writing

Liverpool High Laptop Program

I was just watching the 11:00 news- specifically News Channel 9, and one story really stood out to me.

The news story told of the controversial laptop leasing program at Liverpool High School. As I understood it, students have the option to pay $25 per month to lease a laptop. The fee also includes tech support, a much needed and often used resource.This sounds like a great program- students have the technology the need and want right at their fingertips. Unfortunately, this program has met many challenges, and the district administrators, parents, and students alike have decided to phase-out the program.

Check out the program's website below:

Liverpool High School Voluntary Laptop Program

Naturally, something that sounds ideal usually is not without it's flaws. Take a look at this video created by a disgruntled Liverpool student:


What do you think? Is a laptop lease program a good idea? Or is it just more trouble than it's really worth?

**Note: I looked on the news channel's website for a transcript or video of the story, but I couldn't find anything. It may be too soon after the newscast to find this information, so I will check back periodically and update this post if anything becomes available.**

Lehman Alternative School

I found my Lehman notes! (refer to my previous post.)

So, we walked into the school and were immediately greeted by Chris Sperry's daughter, Alexis. Immediately, I wondered if she was a teacher or a student. I had to ask: "I'm a senior," she replied. "I've been at this school since 6th grade!" She was, in one word, charismatic. And friendly. And cheerful. I really wonder if her personality was a product of the school environment with which she has been immersed since 6th grade.

We were chauffered into the ASM, or All School Meeting, which took place in the tiny gymnasium (think, the size of a McDonalds restaurant). One student was leading the meeting in which any student could bring any issue to the table, the students would discuss it, then vote. The issue at hand was reinstating a peer mentoring program which had previously counted for the community service hours graduation requirement. True, students and teachers alike were shuffling in their seats, talking, eating, answering cell phones, and generally not paying attention, this meeting seemed to run quite smoothly. I admired the student leading his 200+ peers: I would have never been able to do that at his age.

Next on the agenda was the school tour. Hand-painted murals plastered the walls, doors, and in some cases, ceilings, of the school's interior. Chris Sperry told us that all murals were there by popular vote: a student would have an idea, draw a sketch, and the school would vote whether or not they thought the mural was appropriate for the school or not.

Now, for the Project Look Sharp presentation details.......

One of the more important ideas that Chris Sperry taught us is that, and I'm paraphrasing "If students are literate, they already know that the internet contains all information, and this information must be evaluated for reliability." I agree with this belief wholeheartedly. As teachers, our job is to help guide our students to the understanding that not every webpage, just because it looks good, is credible.

I'd also like to try his suggestion of learning history through the analysis, interpretation, and deconstruction of media and images from that particular time period. Chris gave us the example, I believe, of Saddam Hussein's capture. He advised us to look at newspaper images from all over the world. How is the capture depicted? Are there differences in images from different countries?

Another key point of advice that Chris gave is to "find the core documents in their lives to teach core content." For our demonstration, he used A Beautiful Mind with Russel Crowe. This was a perfect example, even though the movie is a few years old now, we were still more intrigued by it than, say, an old Western movie with John Wayne. As we present these text to our students, Chris said, ask them "Who produced this? And for what purpose?"

Overall, this experience at Lehman was great. I saw yet another school personality to add to my "prospective" list. I also learned that media literacy is not just internet and computer programs, but it is also any text that can be interpreted for meaning.

Bravo!

PS. Happy Spring !!

Lehman Alternative

I'm excited to post on the Lehman Alternative / Chris Sperry field trip that we took on Wednesday...

I seem to have misplaced my notes which contained some key info that I wanted to reiterate.

As soon as I find the notes.... voila! Here, my post will be!

"Girls, finish your homework..."

"...people in China and India are starving for your jobs." (Friedman 277)
-------------------------------------------------------
Question: Do current curricula and pedagogical practices in ELA classrooms support these "new middlers" being successful in a flat world economy. How so? If not, which among the "help wanted" ad characteristics Friedman describes are our ELA classrooms failing to address?

The "middlers" are no longer those people who simply have a trade (electrician, carpenter, plumber, etc.). No longer do consumers want someone who can perform menial tasks with a price tag of a jillion dollars.

The "new middlers" are innovative. They've created a skill set that only they have, and these "new middlers" have adapted this skill to the needs of their consumers. Furthermore, they've learned how to market this unique skill and create a need for it.

Being a "new middler" is all about diversifying one's abilities: "I sent you to college to be a doctor or lawyer! What the hell is a 'search engine optimizer'?" (Friedman 269) I'll tell you what a "search engine optimizer" is: it's a person who has recognized a need, developed a skill to address that need, and was extremely successful in marketing and getting paid for his service.

-------------------------------------------------------

Throughout the Fall '06 Semester and into Spring '07 Semester, I'm learning that the curriculum that many classrooms use is currently changing. Teachers, specifically of ELA, are recognizing lack of student motivation and interest as a crisis. These teachers have pledged to make a difference and change their students lives. Methods used by these teachers now relate content information to the students' individual lives, educate students about how to make solid decisions as members of a community and society, and prepare students for college, adulthood, and a life in the working world.

However, not every teacher or curriculum director has recognized the crisis that other teachers have. Deficits in learning quality affect students abilities to make decisions, reach for higher goals, and aspire to be the best people that they can be.

With regard to Friedman' s "Help Wanted" characteristics, (The World is Flat, 2006) these "failing teachers" miss nearly every characteristic.

The most severely missed "Help Wanted" Characteristics:

• The Great Synthesizers: Throughout our methods classes here at SUNY Cortland, we've learned that "synthesis" is one of the higher levels of thinking. Synthesis involves drawing information from several sources, rearragning this information, and making one new and coherent "sense" out of this information. Students must be able to make sense of these various information banks. Dare I ask how pre-fabricated worksheets, multiple choice questions, and fake essays help students to make sense out of important information?
• The Passionate Personalizers: This characteristic involves marketing oneself to meet the needs of diverse consumers rather than one homogenous group. In today's failing classrooms, more often than not, studetns write stories, poems, essays, or articles knowing that only the assigning teacher will see the work. How is this helping students "personalize" their work to meet the likes and dislikes of a broader audience? If a studnet knows that he or she is writing for the eyes of more than one person, his or her work will probably adopt an entirely different tone.
  

In summation, our educational generation is on the cusp of something HUGE... Just take a glance at all of the new and wonderful programs available to teachers (Programs like Nancie Atwell's Reading/Writing Workshop, Richardson's Blogvangelism, and Google LitTrips). These programs, methods, and theories are all proven to work! How many times could a traditional (boring, cut-and-dried, and outdated) teacher say that he or she had 100% student involvement, comprehension, and completion of worksheets and fake essays??

Woah.

So earlier today I posted a blog commenting on Dr. Stearns' introduction to "Google Lit Trips" (Read below for more info...)

Here it is, 7:45, and I'm sitting in the library casually checking blogs, AIM, and email, and Behold!

An Email from Jerome Burg himself:

Megan,
This is Jerome Burg writing...
I just
wanted to thank you for the kind words you wrote in your blog about my Google
Lit Trip site.
I hope that you, or some of your colleagues, might consider
creating a lit trip to contribute to the site.

Thanks again...

Jerome Burg
Technology Integration Coordinator
Granada High
School

Needless to say, I'm absolutely stunned. This is Will Richardson / Friedman's Flat World / Amazing all at the same time. I never had reason to doubt the power and "coolness" (?) of the blog thing, and the web thing, and the technology thing... but if I ever did, this contact with Mr. Burg disproves it ALL.

And on that emo note... *sigh.*

Google Lit Trips

Google Lit Trips

As with many new things that I've been introduced to, I was skeptical of this technique upon first glance.

Then I listened to the introduction and overview as told by the creator Jerome Burg.

Google Lit Trips is yet another interactive tool for students to surround themselves completely in the literature that they are reading. Burg tells us that he also showed his students a video of a dust storm to give them a visual link to John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath.

Lit Trips seem to be very adaptable to almost any book, and they propel students and teachers to learn as much as they can about the specifics of a particular text.

Chester Gillette Joural

Chester Gillette Journal

This article was printed on the front page of the Cortland Standard on March 10, 2007.

If only we had some way to show it to Jennifer Donnelly..... hmm....

Thoughts...

I had an interesting thought this morning as I was reflecting on Jennifer Donnelly's speech at the Conference. She said that much of her inspiration comes from stories told by her family members as she was growing up. I started to think about stories that I heard as I was growing up, and I got a little sad because I moved around quite a bit up until age 13 or so. I feel like a got short-changed, in a way, because the cities that I moved to had no history for me- my family simply plopped there. I know a few stories about Binghamton, some about Chicago, where my grandmother grew up, and a few family anecdotes, but that's it. There's nothing really rich in what I know about my family's past.

My favorite story was one that my grandmother used to tell me. Her father owned a tavern in the heart of Chicago. He served all types of people there, from prominant buisiness people, to families, to the hardcore mobsters in the city's underground. My grandma used to work for her father after school. She was sort of like a bus-girl clearning tables, occasionally bringing food to the customers. She and her parents lived in the floors above this tavern in Chicago. After her shift one night, she wearily climbed the stairs to their home. She had been looking out the window onto the street for a while when she saw a man leave the tavern. Simultaneously, a car drove by and she heard a single gunshot. The man fell to the ground: he had been shot. Later that night, her father came to her bedroom and made her swear never to tell anyone what she had seen. The man was a gangster- and if she dared tell what she saw, her life, and the lives of her family may be in danger.

I loved this story- it gave a little flair to the boring life that I thought I had when I was little. It kind of made me feel important too- like the History Channel might come interview me sometime for a documentary on Chicago's mob life.

I'd like to encourage all of you to think about stories that you may have heard when you were younger and share them. Think of it as a quickie creative writing session... look back into your childhood and find your favorite anecdotes....

Funny?? Or True....

Ok so by process of random searching on YouTube (the next best thing besides sliced bread) I found this video. I think it's supposed to be funny... but it's really not. It's funny in an ironic sort of way though-- I pictured the guy that was being beat as a student and the guys beating him the teachers. Obviously it's not literal, but isn't that what teachers often do to students?? They (figuratively) beat students over the head with books that they don't want to read, and then they expect students to absolutely love the text?? Well, I can assure you that while my 9th grade teacher klobbered us daily with Great Expectations, I couldn't stand the book.

Listen pretty closely to the kid at the end... He makes an interesting point.

Enjoy!

Reflection on Last Night's Class

Last night's class seemed different to me- I can't really put a name on what the feeling was, but it was kind of exciting. To see everyone so excited to show their projects, to start new projects, and to develop ideas for projects was really neat- and it's also a PRIME example of organic, meaningful, and relevant education. I'm so excited to give my future students a chance to replicate the exitement of last night's class.

On another note, I'd like to answer Dr. Stearns' question: What made us read in school?

I was a HUGE reader growing up. In 6th grade, my best friend Nathan and I started a book club for fans of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps and Fear Street series. (It only consisted of two other people, but still, the effort was there...) My 7th and 8th grade teacher, Ms. Mikoda, followed the teachings of Nancie Atwell's Reading /Writing Workshop. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays consisted of creative writing projects, and Thursdays and Fridays were reading days. Ms. Mikoda hand HUNDREDS of books in her classroom to choose from, and she frequently brought books from the library for us to check out. Each night our homework was to read for 30 minutes and log this progress on a reading checklist which was required a parents' signature. My mom knew that I read for over an hour every night, so she just signed a stack of the slips and allowed me to be accountable on my own. The point of this story is that I read probably 30 or 40 books each school year. The only pitfall was that Ms. Mikoda never required us to write or think critically about what we read; we read just for the sake of reading.

Here is the webiste for the school that she founded in Edgecomb, Maine: The Center for Teaching and Learning. This place is beautiful.

Teaching in Global 3.0 - Post #1

Two quotations stood out to me from this week's reading in Friedman:

1: "Just as we finished creating this new, more horizontal playing field, and companies and individuals primarily in the West started quickly adapting to it, three billion people who had been locked out of the field suddenly found themselves liberated to plug and play with everybody else" (211).
What this means for ELA teachers-- Ok, so schools aren't companies and we don't live in the "West" that Friedman refers to, but it's as simple as what the quotation says- we're free to "plug and play with everybody else." Teachers no longer have a small network of colleagues simply within the same school, or even the same district, but they now have a global network where ideas, curriculums, lessons, and theories can be exchanged and put into use. I've found many resources helpful in my pre-teaching experiences: I've used several online education forums for ideas on lessons plans and activities for certain texts. Information has become limitless... I know that even at 3am as I'm cramming to prepare lessons for the next day's class, I'm not really alone with my struggle; and neither are the thousands of other teachers in the same position.

2: "And take note, these new players are often stepping onto the playing field legacy free, meaning that many of them were so far behind they can leap right into the new technologies without having to worry about all the sunken costs of old systems" (215).
What this means for ELA teachers- Our class is at the very cutting edge of almost total technology integration. Before us, teachers simply used computers for word processing and simple internet searches. Our generation, however, is the "legacy free" generation that Friedman speaks of- we should be free, eager, and open to trying all sorts of new programs, software, and even some hardware in our classrooms. Some technologies may fail horribly while others may be just the hook that students needed to fully comprehend a concept. Who knows which technologies will and will not work?? It's for us, the legacy-free generation, to decide. True, we do have a small concern with outdated computers and other technology. (I remember in 4th grade we had this GIANT CD player which played DVD type interactive programs on television- the CD's themselves were about the size of a large vinyl record!!!) Some of these things may be brand new, but already obsolete. Maybe part of our job is to resurrect those technologies for one final go-around?

Catching Up- Quiz Q1 & 2 From Last Week

The six principles of PLS are directly reflected in Renee Hobbs' research on Media Literacy in High School English. Here's the reflection that I see:

PLS Principle 1: Media literacy is an expansion of traditional literacy that includes both analysis and production of all mediated forms of communication, from books to Web sites.
Renee Hobbs' research shows that the revamped curriculum of English 11 is not just an interpretation, analysis, and deconstruction of media (i.e. news, magazines, newspapers, photos, etc) but a meshing of both traditional texts (William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying). In the students' docudrama project (p. 54), the text was both analyzed and a new form of media was produced.

PLS Principle 2:Media literacy can and should be integrated across the K-12 curricula at all grade levels and in multiple subject areas.
Okay, there may be a small exception here. From the information that Hobbs gives, the 11th grade class is the only one with a curriculum focusing primarily on inclusion of media. She also notes that several teachers seem intrigued by the class but hesitant at the same time.

PLS Principle 3:Media literacy helps teachers to more effectively address existing learning standards and engage students with varied learning styles
Where do I begin on this one? Of course, several types of learning styles are addressed. The visual people get a video clip to watch, those who enjoy reading benefit from the analysis of news and magazine print texts, and those who enjoy writing can write really well about what they've learned. Look at our own standards of ELA: we must incorporate various levels of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. The media literacy project incorporates each and every single one of these. Students benefit all of these criteria. Not to mention the fact that teachers have tailored this curriculum to include more classical texts and novels. If you're working in a school where certain texts are REQUIRED (i.e. To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, etc.), this class allows teachers to do so.

PLS Principle 4: Media Literacy teaches critical thinking skills such as understanding bias and credibility through rigorous analysis of appropriate media documents.
Renee Hobbs documents several instances of students using their critical thinking skills. How about the girl whose father and his girlfriend used to be TV Journalists? True, the girl disagreed that any bias was inflicted by certain journalists, she was nonetheless aware that a bias could exist in some types of journalists. Similarly, students saw media deception techniques in their anaylsis of the Clinton scandal. Was Mrs. Clinton's photo a news photo or a file photo? Students used their thinking skills to determine that the photo was most likely a file photo: an image used previously in a newscast and has long since been archived.

PLS Principle 5: Media Literacy empowers students to express and communicate their own ideas through multiple forms of media production.
Again, Hobbs has shown us that students are, in fact, "empowered" by this curriculum. A quotation taken from page 38 illustrates this expression perfectly: "Teachers routinely used a combination of reading, viewing, seminar-style discussions, and frequent informal writing was a major component of instruction." Seminar-style discussions may not be a "media" as we know it, but it certainly allowed students to express their exact reactions to the given text.

PLS Principle 6: Media literacy is essential for the development of informed, reflective and active citizens in a democratic society
Students in Concord High School were no longer being "fed" information. They began to analyze current media texts, noted before as the Clinton Scandal and the OJ Simpson trial. Other current events included the War in Iraq, Osama bin Laden, and Jack Kevorkian. By process of analysis, students formed their own opinions and judgments about these people or events. They were therefore informed of these events which would allow them to have an active discussion with someone based on these judgments.


There is so much more I'd like to say about Renee Hobbs, Concord High School, and the curriculum in general, but in the interest of space, I'll conclude. My only concern with this project is that students might become bogged down after a while with the inundation of media etc. I guess a careful balance must be created by the teacher in order to avoid over-emphasising media and under-emphasising other texts. Only classroom experience would answer this question for me. I don't have my hopes set too high because I know that a reform like this is HUGE and may not be so welcomed from a fresh-out-of-college-rookie. For the time being, I hope to take bits and pieces of Hobbs' descriptions and incorporate them into my classroom as best as I can.

Technology Grants

Over the past few weeks, several people in our class have expressed a concern that their future schools will not have an ideal amount of technology at their disposal.

This lack of technology may very well not exist in he schools, but this situation does not have to continue. As some of our classmates and I discussed in 409 today, this deficit becomes the responsibility of the teachers to fix. We need to become advocates for both our schools and our students. We talked about finding and writing grants to find the money and resources available to buy or be given computers and internet access.

From what I understand, grant writing is not so simple; many people make careers writing grants for people and organizations. I'm sure that books have been written on the subject, and I know that BOCES offers non-credit courses and workshops on such things.

Finding the right grants may also be tricky, however, I "googled" "technology classroom grant" and was provided with a whole list of matches. Sifting through these offered grants may be a bit time consuming and require a profesional opinion, but they're worth a shot.

Worries about lacking technology no longer seem valid to me- we are all writers, and we all have a passion for educating people, therefore we should all have a passion to find the resources that we need to make this passion a reality!!

Good luck all... Here are a few sites that I found as samples. I'm sure that hundreds more exist...

K-12 Technology Grant Index
Another Grant

Non-407 Feedback? Who knew?

rob said...
Megan,Thanks for taking the time to listen to the podcast. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts about this topic. How do you think this approach would work in the schools you have seen or in your own education?Having people who are wrestling with these ideas is the first step on the road to change.Rob
8.2.07

I copied and pasted this from the comment section of the Will Richardson / Rob Mancabelli post, and I'm honored that he took the time to comment to my blog (and a few others from 407, I believe...).

I've certainly wrestled with the idea of technology in the classroom. I'm only 21, so I'm not that far behind the advent and integration of new technologies. I don't disagree in the least that blogging and using video and audio in the classroom offers students a unique and intriguing classroom experience. I just worry about the logistics of it all- how to manage students, how to help them construct a positive classroom environment, and help students learn ELA at the same time. I guess my apprehension mirrors Nancie Atwell (innovator of Reading/Writing Workshop) in that I need to, paraphrasing, come out from behind my big teacher's desk and let go of my red marking pen. I haven't had experience in my own classroom setting, so I can't really predict how I'll actually teach.

My experience in the field thus far is limited (I spent 50 hours in an 8th grade classroom last semester). The classroom was a sad situation: the kids were out of control (bored), they didn't read or do homework (because the assignments were poorly constructed and irrelevant to their lives), and the teacher had low hopes for her students (because she didn't "raise the bar" any higher). I'm sure these students could have benefited in some way from any incorporation of technology. As we all know, many of the students are using video/audio recording, blogging, and social bookmarking on their own time, and the chance to use these in a classroom would automatically reel the students in.

If nothing else, the fact that the students are utterly bored doing worksheets warrants at least a trial run of some type of new teaching methods and technology in the classroom.

Thanks again for reading. Future insights are valuable; keep them coming!

Little Tidbit :o)

I came across this blog in search for a couple of articles this morning. It's not immediately relevant to an ELA classroom, however the blog's owner, Kate Shuster, offers some suggestions that are easily adaptable to an ELA classroom. It's quite interesting; I urge you to check it out.

Will Richardson / Rob Mancabelli

The presentation as a whole was very concise and easy to follow. I felt like I was right there listening to them. I also appreciated the links that were provided along with what the Will and Rob were talking about. I followed along with the Nata Village and Guerilla Season discussions when they came up.

I took detailed notes on this presentation, and having reviewed my notes, I've highlighed three main points that the pair make:

1: BUILDING A NETWORK- the students are no longer connected simply with the other students in the class; they are connected to the entire world! The Flat Classroom Project is a perfect example of this: with a few clicks, students in Georgia were connected to students in Bangladesh!

2: BENEFITS TO TEACHER AND STUDENT-By engaging in technology-laden curriculum, students obviously benefit because they are learning what they want to learn and not just what the teacher wants to teach. The role of the teacher also evolves as they no longer need to learn to tailor one lesson to twenty-something students, but they must learn to tap into each individual student's learning abilities and styles.

3: IMPLEMENTATION- A few people in our class have raised valid concerns on the availability of diverse technologies in our future schools. The Richardson/Mancabelli duo do not let us off the hook that easily: they give specific examples of teachers who are using their resources (Ex: the Guerilla Season blog) These teachers probably had only one or two computers in their classrooms and most likely stayed after school to use lab computers to blog. I also appreciated the various steps that schools could take to ease into a solid technology program. These steps include leadership, professional development, reflection, support, and access.

Two very specific points that I'd like to highlight:

1- By blogging, someone besides the teacher will be looking at the students' work. They will be more careful with what they say and strive to better articulate their ideas.

2- Teachers need to ease themselves carefully into new technologies, and they can't expect to use the technologies in the classroom until they themselves are comfortable

Using technology is not just something that we can delve into and come out with some grandiose idea (and ability!) of how we can use technology in our classrooms (or maybe we can?) That's why this class is good for me (and many others I'm sure) because I feel like I'm breaking into technology at my own pace with nobody, namely students, expecting anything of me. I can learn and fail and succeed on my own time. I'll figure it all out eventually...

Warlick's Web Suggestions

Many of the sites mentioned in Chapter 2 of David Warlick's book were, to me, simplistic. We already know about many of them.

I did find two that have proved to be helpful for both teacher and student.

The first, mentioned on page 30, is Yahoogroups. This is a great way to connect with other people who are interested in the same things that you are. I used a YA fiction group recommended by Dr. Stearns last semester to find titles for my seminar topic on "Bullying in YA Literature." Librarians, teachers, and book lovers from around the country offered titles that I could use for my seminar. I believe that at least one other person in ENG 374 successfully used the YA group as well.

This site, called "The Way Back Machine" can help narrow down publication dates for websites that do not contain a publication date. This is EXTREMELY helpful when writing a paper that uses information from the web. How many times have you had to fake a date on your MLA bibliography because the page that you're citing doesn't give a date? I'm not sure how accurate this is, but it's definately a place to start.

Check these out and see how they can help you :o)

T eam Project Update-

Here's an update on our team project:

We have a brainstorm for the content of the podcast and each team member has an individual task with their contribution to the content.

We will be meeting in the library on Wednesday at 3:00 to check out a microphone and a private recording room. We probably won't record any of the actual content of the podcast (but we might; who knows!) We just want to get a feel for how the recording and editing process works, then next week will be the definate recording time.

As for the content- it's a surprise! I think everyone will be interested in it though- but we'll see!

More Slam Poetry, 'Cause Y'all Loved it So Much!

MORE slam poetry... There are three more videos by these guys on YouTube- In the interest of space, I won't post them all, but I encourage you to go to YouTube and search for "National Youth Poetry Slam Finalists"

Why is the Librarian Your Best Friend?

http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/columnists/johnson/johnson007.shtml

Last semester in 374, Dr. Stearns invited Luann Rottman, the librarian at Cortland High School, into our class to tell us about her job. More than once, Dr. Stearns emphasized that the librarian should be the English teacher's "best friend" or best resource for books and the newest information. I found this article on the Education-World, a site that I've surfed to several times throughout the past couple of months. There's some really cool stuff here!

Check out the article and peruse the rest of the site. Hope it helps. ALSO- check out this video- Savanna showed this to our 341 class last semester and I've been obsessed with it and Slam Poetry in general since then...

NCATE/NCTE Standards

The most important element of the NCATE/NCTE Standards is the continual incorporation of "different media." As a future teacher myself, this incorporation gives me a rationale for wanting to use diverse texts in my classroom.

The standards are also a building block for which I can develop my future classroom curriculum.

Welcome

Hello all wanderers into the Blog realm...

I've dabbled into the wonders of Blogdom here and there, but this time, (thanks to ENG 307) my blog will stick.

Feel free to wander around and leave comments where they fit!