Virtual Conferences

I was so excited to participate in my virtual conference last Friday. My parents taught in Wayne-Westland for 3o-some years and they told me wonderful things about Mary Jane Mielke, so I couldn't wait to get some good information from her. Perhaps I was a little too eager, as were some of my other classmates, because she was being bombarded with questions and could not address all of them.

As a participant in the conference, it was difficult to know when to type a question or answer because there was no indication of when another person was responding. Because of this, the conversation seemed fragmented and hard to follow. Maybe I have an unusual perspective on these online conversations, because I have never used instant messaging or anything of the like...

Although I learned a lot from Mary Jane about technological applications in the classroom, I think the conversation would have been more effective with fewer participants. That way she could address more questions, and the conversation may have seemed more intimate and connected. But then again, maybe not - maybe this is just the way virtual conversations are!

Wikis are taking over the MAC program

What have we been missing all of these years? Answer: Wikis. How have we completed group projects as undergrads without these? Since our introduction to this communal tool, all but one of my project groups has started using a Wiki. Mark VanKempen seems to be smitten with these things - if you are in one of his groups, you are sure to have a Wiki generated in about 5 minutes after the end of the first group meeting.

My groups have been using Wikis to share information about research, ideas, and make changes to living documents. Some people have been posting some inspirational/comedic images and videos (you know who you are, Lauren). I have found this to be extremely effective - this saves time, inbox clutter, and encourages a sense of group pride.

As a future science teacher, I have been researching (through other blogs) ways to use Wikis in my classroom for things besides group projects. Most of the examples I have seen from other teachers involve creating books or keeping communal reading response logs. These don't seem too science oriented. One idea I came up with is having a Wiki that I can set up to post study notes, or handouts so students have that resource option. Something more creative would be nice....

Classroom 2.0

I have started a blog on Classroom 2.0, which is a networking site where teachers share ideas and experiences about using technology in the classroom. I have only written one original post, but I have found it amazing to read and comment on conversational threads. Some of these teachers have used technology in really innovative ways - geocaching, blogs, wikis, data analysis - the list is extensive!

I just posted a message asking anyone if they have an insight about gender issues and the "digital divide," which is my 504 group topic. I am hoping some of these seasoned teachers can lead me to some research, or just share some of their own experiences.

Technology Isolation?

I was pretty surprised by the Neil Postman Article - Some New Gods That Fail. In fact, I was kind of offended by it. The one argument that I had the biggest problem with was when he claimed that computers create an environment where individuals are isolated, and therefore they should not be heavily depended on in a classroom where social learning should be occurring. While I agree that learning is effective among peers and in groups, computers promote exactly that kind of education.
We have been reading several articles about blogs connecting students to people in other nations, and even to their own communities. Some teachers have set up blogs exclusively for classroom use so students can share ideas about homework, readings, or just a place for free and open dialogue. Computers in no way create an environment where children learn in isolation!!
In addition, Postman also makes the claim that teaching technology education is a waste of time in schools. He argues that "approximately 35 million people have already learned how to use computers without the benefit of school instruction." Even if that is the case, technology and computers are going to be more and more prevalent in our society, so isn't it only fair that prepare students to face that? Also, just because this statistic claims that people are learning to use the computer on their own, it does not indicate what they are learning to use it for. Schools need to teach students how to use word processing and spreadsheet programs, and other educationally related tools that aren't "picked up" when surfing the internet.
While I agree that computers and technology should not be the only media students learn through, we have to face the reality that we live in a society that is technologically based. It is only fair to students that we as teachers prepare them for this world. Most kids these days are very tech savvy - using technologies that they use daily and are familiar with is a great way to engage them!!

2 weeks in

I just realized that we are 1/3 the way done with our summer semester. At first this seemed exciting, but then I realized that we have a ton of work to do in the next month. Ahhhh. Group projects seem to be the most intimidating to me because I am not in total control of the project progress. Luck for me all of the MACers seem to be dedicated overachievers....