Final+Reflection

I recently had a rather lengthy discussion on Facebook as to whether kids at a particular school were being “pushed too hard.” The school in question is a small town school where many of the participants in the discussion attended. Many of those who participated in the discussion returned to the community following college, or just never left. I stand by my argument that especially for kids from a small town, if they have any desire to go to college, they are not being pushed too hard. However, when discussed further, the “pushing” was established to be AR-related achievements and two to three hours of worksheets each night. This brought a range of responses from those involved, from “That’s what we did” to “Worksheets are great – for kindling.” For a school that receives grants and stipends for technology-related resources, why, by all appearances, are those resources being under-used and supplanted with one of the lowest forms of reinforcement? The first response in this class to using technology in the classroom came to mind; “Why do you use that stuff?”  I’ve taken a couple of online classes; I have Facebook, text message, and play online games. I’m tech savvy. Whatever. I came into this class with the belief that I was “using” technology. To some extent, however basic, I am. I am bridging a gap for students who went to schools like the one described above and others, students who do not have basic working knowledge of Microsoft programs, students who do not see the value or potential of the technologies they do have access to, and students who have been in the workforce and are now returning to further their education. However, with regard to using technology effectively, to the fullest extent of what my resources allow, and to organizing it so it is accessible to me and my students, I am falling short.  I do still use technology in the classroom as an ice breaker. We do online discussions to reveal stories and background information. Having that information in a private forum (for that particular class only) allows students to establish camaraderie, which often results in semester-long (and longer) friendships.  I am still concerned that so many technologies are used where they create a one-sided conversation and close off communication. After using some of the websites and programs (surveys, Movie Maker, and others), I have reconsidered some of my more one-sided uses and chosen technology that is more likely to bring people together to respond through discussion and interaction, not just “uh-huh” reactions. This philosophy applies to those I bring into my home as well as the resources I bring into the classroom. Being aware of additional resources allows me to search for more interactive, more meaningful, and more explanatory resources. Providing more explanatory materials and providing more explanations for activities, especially online interactions, helps avoid miscommunications and misunderstandings between individuals who are new to online communication and may not necessarily understand the “rules” and etiquette of online communication. Likewise, as a professor, with many of the resources, I could create assignments, but realize I must be very specific in my wording for what desired outcome I want my students and their projects to have. This has been a complaint I have heard several times from students taking online classes – that professors (who are new to online teaching) are not specific in their instructions or guidelines for online activities. Seeing examples of good instruction along with specific desired outcomes and guidelines for reaching those outcomes has provided me with a foundation for bettering my own instruction when it comes to online modules. I can use these good examples of online communication then address them in class to re-emphasize the importance of personal communication regarding facial cues and other postures and mannerisms that must be conveyed differently in the written word. (This works well when discussing connotation!) I am reworking the data organization requirements for my composition classes for next semester following the data organization module. One complaint I get is that students cannot find the paper they did the fourth week of class when I ask them to get those papers out during the sixth week of class. Other professors require binders or other types of keepers for portfolios. We will begin next semester creating online file folders for typed drafts and specific folder requirements for the folders they physically carry with them.  Along with the file management, I have helped another professor develop a Wiki for managing a hybrid class. Through the development, use, and maintenance of the Wikispace, I was able to show this professor some of the upload and communication possibilities the Wiki could afford him. I am making this a component of the writing class I am developing as well. Additionally, after the Facebook discussion, I have begun sorting the information from a children’s literature class into manageable files to set up in a Wiki for that group of parents to engage in finding books for their children, share book reviews, suggestions, and online resources for their children who are struggling in specific academic areas.  Returning to my own classroom, the modules on searches (plagiarism and Pathfinders) have reinforced ideas I use in teaching, but provided me with additional tools to use in the classroom and resources students can access on their own. Plagiarism is a huge problem for many students that is not addressed (and even unwittingly encouraged; one professor told his class to just copy and paste the information to turn in) in other classes. Having resources like the citation finder on turnitin.com are good for students to see where they are not providing proper citation once the paper has been written. Having resources that illustrate the how’s and why’s of citation are another tool in the arsenal for teaching students the proper thought process and steps to take so they don’t plagiarize in the first place. One way I have found that helps students avoid plagiarizing is through annotation. The process of annotation was not a requirement for the first Pathfinder I created, but as noted in my reflection of that module, it is a necessity even for the person who created it to remember which resource is which. Providing the annotation makes the information accessible, and much to the chagrin of my Comp I students, is especially helpful in organizing notes and preparing for documentation in a research paper. My next step is finding or creating resources for teaching the proper structure and formatting of a Works Cited page.  Working with the population I do, sites like Toondoo and Glogster can be utilized to reinforce ideas for hands-on learning and visual reinforcement when talking and writing just aren’t doing the job. Additionally, the English department has discussed “paperless” papers as a component of preparing students for real-world applications such as business presentations where there is no paper submitted, but the research and familiarity must be present. Programs like PowerPoint are often misused to the point of abuse. Students should be taught proper technique for creating, format for, and use of information on slides when they are using PowerPoint. By presenting specific guidelines, options, and alternatives, students can begin to move into more effective learners because as their teacher, I am moving into a position to be more effective through experience. Again, with specific guidelines and requirements, there will be fewer questions left open to interpretation. Illustrating effects and embedding provide students options they may not have been aware of. Alternatives like Movie Maker and Prezi allow students who are comfortable (or bored) with PowerPoint opportunity to expand their options for presentation. Additionally, sites like VoiceThread, offer options for students to revisit PowerPoints used in class and can be integrated into Wikis and shared among professors. With its features, video can be used to stimulate discussion, providing for an interactive learning community.  I am excited for opportunities to use the online communications presented in module eight. We have not had opportunity to do so, but with upcoming travel plans separating my husband and I from our children for a few days, Skype and TokBox will hopefully sustain our daughter (especially as she is the one who calls three or four times on nights when we are out with friends). Having a burgeoning pre-adolescent, Facebook and online gaming/communication is already commonplace. Being aware of the possibilities, both good and bad, they offer, helps me be a pro-active participant in his social awareness. Working with a diverse population, some of whom come in with iphones others who have not had access even to computers regularly, online communication creates an opportunity to connect students with one another and allow those familiar with online communications and possibilities to become teachers for those who are not. And I pay attention too, as they often know “secrets” for navigation (like how to get around Facebook blocks on certain computers).  I do learn a lot from students (and others) who immerse themselves in technology. I look for blogs that introduce new technologies and websites so I can use them and continue to find the very best ones to suit my purposes. I also continue to reclaim my adolescent self in exploring new sites, jumping in with both feet and clicking around to see what I discover.  Does being fearless make me “savvy”?  No.  While many articles regard today’s students as “tech savvy,” Marc Prensky called them “digital natives”, a much more apt term. They have grown up in a world with remote controls, push-button phones (“As opposed to what?” one student asked), cell phones, computers, DVD’s, CD’s (a very confusing day when an older student tried to discuss a compare/contrast between CDs and 8-track tapes; “You mean cassettes, right?”), internet, and other “toys”. Today’s students are very tech “immersed”, but lots of toys and feelings of fearlessness do not equate with being “savvy”.  Through each of these activities, I had articles like Prensky’s “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” and Mary Ann Bell’s “What Kids Know (and Don’t Know) About Technology” in the back of my mind, nagging about how I was presenting information to my students.  I do not always reach out to my students on native terms. But in introducing my students (and my own kids) to new websites and programs, I must remember that “[p]art of being young is to ignore warnings and directions” and that my students (who are digital natives) “are likely to give little thought to the most efficacious or safest ways to use technology” (Bell). Both of these habits lead to destructive behaviors, wasting time, frustrating students and professors, and jeopardizing individuals’ safety. Websites and programs I choose to bring into the classroom must be secure, minimizing the possibility of exposure to harmful elements. Additionally, I must streamline those sites and programs beginning with basic elements of requirements and instruction and building on those to reduce the need for lengthy directions. Many of my students <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">do not give “ <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">the slightest thought to reading instructions or seeking help” (Bell); where their immigrant counterparts (non-traditional students and those not exposed to the variety of technologies) are seeking peer groups to get help. It becomes my job to establish ways for immigrants and natives to combine efforts through online communication to bridge the needs of each. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> I must be both a learner and a teacher, “never tak[ing] for granted that [my] students know how to search and find accurate online information” (Bell). Likewise, I cannot “assume that all [my peers] know what is necessary to help students seek information” (Bell). I must be the one to fill in the gap, to learn about and create experiences with the sites and programs I implement to be able to effectively teach with and about them. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Yes, most of my students are “digital natives” and many of them are tech immersed, which means “ <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">they are likely to be quick to learn, but they do still need instruction and guidance” (Bell). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Even if it’s there, some will be reluctant to use the technology at hand. There is a “ <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">crying need for teacher training and ongoing staff development” (Bell). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Training is needed, requirements exist but are lax in interpretation, LMS are needed to organize and assist in finding resources, but mostly desire and time to play and become familiar with websites, online activities, and programs are needed. And with those in mind, I continue to be a learner and “use that stuff”. <span style="background: yellow; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Works Cited <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Bell, Mary Ann. “BELLTONES: What Kids Know (and Don’t Know) About Technology.” //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Mmischools.com //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">. MultiMedia & Internet @ Schools, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 15 Jan. 2010. <www.mmischools.com/Articles/Column/Belltones/BELLTONES-What-Kids-Know-%28and-Done28099t-Know%29-About-Technology-60473.aspx> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Prensky, Marc. “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.” //Marcprensky.com.// Marc Prensky, 2001. Web. 15 Jan 2010. <www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf>