I was a little intimidated by the lingo and the unfamiliar technology terms, but the first class was interesting and informative. I may not be on solid ground yet, but I feel confident that by the end of the class, I will able to use the tools and skills from the class, to be a more effective teacher.
The "In Plain English" videos on RSS and Blogs were helpful. The Web 2.0 videos alarmed me a little on the future of teaching. The video, A Vision of Students Today, with eerie music and erratic camera motion, seemed to almost dismiss teachers that lecture in the classroom. The one sign "I facebook during class" bothered me, of course. Learning environments are changing and I am behind the students in technology -- that worries me. But how much "screen time" do kids need to learn -- that worries me too.
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The "I facebook during class" bothers me too. I guess that is why I feel that although there is a very real need for us to come up to speed with technology in the classroom it is not without careful thought for the various pitfalls we might encounter.
ReplyDeleteI too was a bit initimated, and I work with laptops every day in my English classes. We will never be ahead of the technology curve with the students, but they still need us to guide them in order to use the technology tools in their best educational interests. Our students have open web access all day, and there are students who constantly check grades, email, websites, etc, so teachers have to find ways to slow them down or stop them in class. You learn the little tricks, but you can't stop them all. I try to find ways to make connections between their social culture on the internet and classic literature. For example, I might try this week to have students make a "25 Random Facts About A Midsummer Night's Dream" and their own life as a way to keep their interest. This is apparantly the rage on Facebook, so I will try to see if I can draw on their interests in real life and connect it to Shakespeare. It may flop, but I am willing to try. The last thing that I am trying to keep in mind at all times is that students will always be more in tune to the digital tools, so I can let them teach me when needed and that is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteSee you Wednesday.
I meant to write "intimidated," not intimated. I am sorry. I feel like one of my students who is blogging quickly and not proofreading his/her comments.
ReplyDeleteAlthough students admit to facebooking during class, how is it any different from the days of passing notes?? Same distraction, different vehicle!
ReplyDeleteI think the students really want to teach us about technology - it's exciting for them to be able to show US something. I love learning little tricks and shortcuts from them.
But, I think you should give yourself some credit. You do understand the technology - you could easily log onto facebook and make a page for yourself - no problem! I think we all understand the technology or could easily figure it out, but maybe we just don't use it.
Courtney,
ReplyDeleteI've had heated discussions with colleagues about facebook vs. passing notes. Using a computer or cell phone opens up so many more options for communication: lightning fast texts, communicating with multiple people, sending pictures, etc. Much more distracting in my opinion.
How many of your students do you think text in class?