School 2.0

After reviewing the School 2.0 web site, I was struck with two things. I’m glad to see that there is a model for network teaching that will facilitate the new technology. But, I’m kind of sad to see old models and methods of teaching left by the wayside.
Why am I sad and a little frightened? Well, face it, I’m an old guy trying to learn new tricks. Some of what I learned in teaching methods is now obsolete. I’m a progressive learner and teacher. I love teaching with audio and visual aids. Stuff that’s tangible and I know where it is. It’s in my library, my file cabinet, my cubby, or in my closet. It may be old, and somewhat faded, but it works, especially for visual learners, which constitutes 60% of most schools’ student enrollment.
As a social studies teacher, I rely on this stuff, and I know my colleagues feel the same way. Plus, we’ve spent a lot of our own money to build up this library and files of video tapes and DVD’s, outside reading articles, poster photos, maps, facsimiles of artifacts (not to mention genuine artifacts), and other learning materials. I know of a history teacher that has an English translation of Mao’s Little Red Book. He uses it as a demonstration artifact from the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
I think School 2.0 is great, but what happens when the technology just doesn’t work (or doesn’t want to)J. What happens when the system goes down? And, it does break down. The progressive teaching methods and materials I mentioned do not have computer freezes, system failures, or long delayed reboots. My advice would be to hold on to the “hard copy” and use it in emergencies. But, beyond that, bring out the artifacts when appropriate.
Kids loved, and still love, hands on learning of history or any subject. They love the technology too, because it’s fast. Who doesn’t like fast information? A kid has a problem, goes to the internet and “boom” he/she has the answer. Marvelous! But, isn’t it kind of unrealistic?
Life’s problems are not always (if ever) answered by a Google search. Are we setting up kids for unrealistic expectations of life by directing them onto fast internet solutions? I think we are. I believe in hard core research. With a senior project, there should be a minimum of internet sources and a lot more library sources. Call me old-fashioned, but I think kids need to WORK for their grade, and some book research won’t kill them.
It’s great to have the School 2.0 model for networking education in the 21st century, but let’s not cast aside everything progressive educators have worked hard for. Maps, visual aids, and books are still a good thing.

This course UP to Now

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I knew that somewhere, in this course I’d get stuck and fall behind. Well, it’s happened. I feel like the proverbial spinning tire in a snow bank. Have you ever been there? If you’ve lived any length of time in the Northern Kingdom of New England the snow bank demon will getcha. Back up to far, and you’ll get hung-up or drop off in a snow hidden ditch. That’s when the fun begins. Spin, spin, spin. Hear those tire treads whine. Rock back-and-forth. Don’t back up too much! You’ll get stuck even worse.
The fun really happens when some buddies come by and try to help. When you’re in college everyone tries to help. They don’t really know you, but everyone’s your buddy when you’re in distress on campus. Remember when…. Yeah, team! Or, man, you’re really stuuuuck. I remember those days. Most of the time I got out pretty good, with a little help from my college “buddies.”
I drove my grandparents 1973 Olds 98 to the University of Maine to and from home. It was a beast to drive, and heaven help you if you got stuck. One time, when I backed into a snow bank, it took four guys to get me out. The car was built like a tank (445 Rocket engine), but couldn’t get it out. I could smell the rubber getting toasty on the slick, icy pavement. My “buddies” got me rocking back-and-forth, and it finally broke free. That was nice of those guys. I hope they all found fulfilling lives, and each live in a warm comfortable house somewhere – warm - like Florida or Hawaii (California is too congested and full of nincompoops anyway).
I should know. My brother lives out there. No, he’s not a nincompoop, but he says it sure is crowded – more crowded than say, Old Orchard Beach on the Fourth of July, or Rockland during the Lobster (say lobstah) Festival. Ayah!
Well, I am stuck looking for a college buddy or two to help me out. You see, I’m really not a computer major. I’m a heritage studies major, and I took this course to help fill my electives. Besides, I’m a bit of a throw back. I still own a typewriter; a Brother XP210 (or something like that).
I’ll bet you’ve got one stored away collecting dust in the back of your closet. And, I’ll bet it’s lonely… back there, alone… sitting in the dark… crying, and yearning to just be taken out and told “Hello.” A neglected communication machine is a terrible thing to be ignored. Just think of all the papers it got you through high school and college (well, part way). And, what happened? A cutesy, little Mac came by and said, “Hello” and that was the end of a beautiful relationship with that typewriter. Shame, shame. Now, your kids won’t even go near it. So, give old technology a second chance on life. Donate it to “Good Will” or a thrift store. Go ahead. Make some elderly person’s day. But, before you do, give it a hug, and tell it… whatever.
Now, where was I before all that euphemism. Okay, I’m a lot like my grandparent’s 1973 Olds 98. Aside from the size… I’m just not up on the latest techno-cology. Like one furnace repairman told me, before he started working on the furnace, “I know enough to be dangerous.” That’s scary!
Okay, I get what a pod cast is, but my computer says that it already has Audacity installed. Oh yeah, where? I’ve looked at all my files. Nothing. Is it in Media Player or MovieMaker? If I had a hammer and a screwdriver, I bet I’d find it. Don’t be so aghast! I’ll bet you’ve felt the same way too, when trying to figure out this dang stuff.
And, how in the heck do you download a video off YouTube to put it on your dang-busted blog? #$@^&*! And what in the world is encrypt (YouTube lingo). I need a dad-burn techno-dictionary to understand this stuff. Arrrrgh! A Yosemitee Sam clip art would be a good cut-and-paste right here. Dang-busted galute! Don’t have one. I’ll find one and edit later.

Hey, I found one! Good old Sam, the Hessian, I-am.

Well, that felt better. Don’t be alarmed. I’m just letting off steam. I should apologize to anyone this may offend. We have so many “it’s my right to have issues” people out there. I meant no defamation of character, or harm. Peace.:)

+connectivism+

Siemens wrote, “Connections provide the greatest value when they generate a certain type of content for the learner. It is not content in general that we want. We want content that is current, relevant, and contextually appropriate.” Learners deserve this.
Why, then, do teachers continue to educate learners using archaic methods. Teachers owe it to learners to use current and relevant methods and materials. Teaching methods are constantly evaluated and updated. It is not enough, as Siemens wrote, to “fill the learner with content and release them into the corporate world.”






These were good videos about connectivism.

Sign Up For Wiki

I want to write up a wiki. Look at the possibilities. Wow, the potential for education is phenomenal. Students that need extra mentoring and tutoring can get it through an education wiki.
I’ve investigated a few online tutorial wikis. Davis Wiki is an online index that categorizes subjects and grade levels. It lists the tutorial wikis under the academic level of the student.
At the secondary and elementary level, two really good wikis are the Sylvan Learning Center and the Davis Bridge Educational Foundation. The Sylvan Learning Center is a personal tutoring center for students pre-K-12 in reading, math essentials, writing, study skills and test preparation, either in person or online. They offer test preparation services for the ACT, SAT, and state standardized tests. Before Sylvan begins tutoring sessions, they administer a Sylvan Skills Assessment, which aims to identify a child's strengths and weaknesses. Using the results from this assessment, they develop a personalized tutoring program. Parents are kept in the loop through frequent progress conferences. All Sylvan instructors are certified teachers. They stress that their tutors are certified, but I read a discussion where there was one tutor that was not certified.
The Davis Bridge Educational Foundation works with low-income, academically-at-risk students, regardless of race or ethnicity, and their services are totally free of charge. They work particularly with Latin-American children. They essentially do the same kind of assessment/placement for their students. Parents are also kept in the loop of their child’s progress. I did not read any negative discussion about this site.
Tutoring wikis may be an opportunity for beginning teachers, such as myself. Hey, we all need to start somewhere, and experience is a big must. Teachers starting out, need experience. The more experience one has on their resume, the better.
A Maine site I’ve investigated is AP4ALL. It is a great opportunity for teachers in Maine who are interested in teaching online advanced placement students. One must apply for a grant to teach the courses. There are a few requirements. The teachers must:
a. Be trained in the subject area.
b. Possess and appropriate Maine certificate in the subject area and level.
c. Either 1) have two years experience teaching the AP course, or 2) have one year experience teaching the AP course AND (they stress the “and”) participate in the Maine AP Mentoring Program.

I have never witnessed Maine’s educational system to fail to create a “good old boy” program. How does a beginning teacher get any experience in this nepotistic system (sorry). Forgive my frustration, but you’d think that a poor state like Maine would come up with a program that would be inclusive, inviting and training beginning teachers, as well as seasoned teachers from around the world. Maine’s Department of Education seems to forget that we all belong to a greater world. I’ve never witnessed an AP student shy away from a foreign teacher. They tend to very curious about their culture and like the accents and dialog.
I would love to teach an online course using a wiki. I’m eager to learn how this marvel of internet technology works.

RSS, Social Bookmarking, & Media Sharing

I suppose that all this new technology is going to make the world smaller. Suddenly, China is not so far away (neither is Bangkok, Thailand)J. Whatever our location, position in life, or present age, we all are connected.
The technology of blogs makes it easy for someone in China to follow (be connected to ) you. With the help of social bookmarking and media sharing information can be easily downloaded; shared with other entities. Schools can partner in projects, classes can share presentations, and one day, with some certainty, students can be connected to their classes from their home.
The fair possibility of home schooled children sharing projects and presentations in a regular classroom from their home is within the reach of reality. Perhaps some schools all ready are putting these technologies into practice for students that have extended illnesses or hospitalization. It may be a matter of policy for students that are on “in-house suspension.” The reason is obvious; to not allow the student to fall behind in his/her schoolwork.
Private schools enroll international students. Through Google Spreadsheet, the school can readily share those students’s academic progress with their parents. Through RSS, Parents of international students can remain informed about school activities, view sporting events their child participated in, view school plays and concerts, and feel readily connected to the school their child is enrolled in. And, international students have the possibility to share assessments, projects, and social events with their parents.
The social bookmarking can allow people to view anything someone has published in a blog or in the Google Spreadsheet. It’s quite amazing that a potential employer can review an interviewee’s material. It would give the principal or personnel manager a good feel for the quality of work the interviewee has to offer. Kind of scary, too, if someone has something inappropriate out there that s/he wouldn’t want a potential employer to view. It may be time to clean up the blog closet of things written in a moment of emotional haste, which may prove embarrassing.
For the cost of being connected, Google Spreadsheet and RSS is the way to go. A lot of small school systems (especially in Maine) would greatly benefit from the FREE technology. With school budgets regularly being tightened, it would be in the best interest of the school IT system to go with such technology. It gives the user the same services as Microsoft.YouTube and TeacherTube are super technologies that can accelerate any class/lesson. I especially liked the TeacherTube clip of “The Events Leading Up to the American Revolution.” There was so much there that would stick in any student’s mind. The potentials are endless. The operative for progressive classrooms is “retention.” What will cause student to remember equations, dates, events, principles, and operations? The subjects and categories on all media shared sites is amazing. It also holds the potential for students to share their own ideas, media projects, presentations, and ways to remember math and science operations. It’s just amazing.

Problem Kids?

Problem Kids!
Problem kids can be in any classroom. The main problem seems to be outbursts of disrespect, language, or talking-out-of-turn. The reasons for their disruptive behavior vary from special needs to poor sociocultural character skills. They just don’t get it.
A big part of the problem may stem from a poor socioeconomic home life. Parents interrupt one another, are rude to one another, fight in front of the children, and show disrespect to just about everyone except their own kind. Some parent’s low socioeconomic levels display a real dislike, even hatred when it comes to education, especially teachers. Most have long-hour jobs that demand physical labor, or tedious, repetitive work. They view those who do not “work hard” as unproductive. Though it may not be spoken, it is certainly displayed in emotions, disdainful attitudes, and body language.
The children often mirror those “silent” attitudes. In school, a perceived injustice whether it be towards them or someone close to them can embitter students toward a teacher. So, disruptive behavior is often exhibited due to these circumstances.
Peer competition is also a problem. I viewed this in a high school Sociology class that I subbed. It seemed like pandemonium. Three girls dominated the class, but there were others, particularly boys, who wanted to input as well. They were always shot down by one of these girls. These girls constantly blurted out answers, comments, and innuendoes. It seemed as if the girls had a need to be popular and were jostling for rank among their peers. My course of action: I separated them to the far corners of the room, permanently. If that didn’t work, I would start expelling them from the class, one-by-one, until they “got it.”
In another class, the teacher (Mr. W) conceived a classroom management plan that showed promise of settling this problem and at the same time related some instruction. He passed out an assignment sheet directing the students toward their end of semester topics and grades. The students groaned and made soft, out-of-earshot negative comments. But, they did like the procedure part where they would teach classes (give a mini-lesson) and make assessments.
Mr. W continued by directing the class that they would not pick partners, which some had already started. He separated them to other partners. The girls exclaimed in unison, “That’s not fair!” Mr. W just gave them an incredulous look. He counted off seven students in the first two rows. Then, he took a class list, cut it up, and put it in a hat. After mixing it up, he had the seven kids pick from the hat. If they picked themselves or someone in the seven, he had them put it back.
Mr. W directed them to partner up and look over the text material. They worked together for about five minutes, but towards the last thirteen minutes of class they socialized. He spent a lot of time redirecting students. I feel that a teacher must set a standard and stick to it.
For what it’s worth, too much time is spent redirecting students that do not want to learn. In some classes you always get the few who think that school is a joke. They don’t get it, so their only other option is disruption. “Be a royal PAIN in the #@%*!,” is their goal. I feel a disruptive student needs to be dealt with not ignored. As a sub, I can always tell who the joker(s) or jokeress(es) are. One false move, inappropriate language, or behavior, it’s a quick lecture on “getting it.”
It kind of goes something like this, firmly and calmly: “Joey (I get a lot of Joey’s) I know you don’t get it, but let me tell you something you will get. Just because you don’t get it, doesn’t mean you have the right to disrupt this class. People are here to work. This is no different than a ‘real’ job, and I’m the boss. You will not get you’re way. You will not joke around. You will not goof off. You will not pass ‘GO’. You will not collect $200.00. You are not funny. If you want my respect, and the respect of the rest of the class, you will do your work. ‘Nuff’ said. End of story.”Usually, that ends the comedy routine, but with others it takes a trip to the office. And, maybe his/her friend can tag along; there always seems to be a friend attached to the class clown.
Maybe this does or doesn't work for you, but calling a student's game before it gets out of control saves a lot of headaches later.

Babies in School

I’ve come up against an interesting issue that may be controversial. I’d appreciate some feedback so do not hesitate to reply/comment on this. The subject is babies in the classroom. After a frustrating semester, I am going to recommend to the Adult Ed. Coordinator that this practice not be allowed. But, I need your input to make my case, so please comment.
I’m a first year teacher, teaching an Adult Ed. History course. I have one student, who is a single mother with an infant, six months old. This is her first child, and she insists on bringing the child to class, claiming she cannot find a babysitter. In addition, it would give the young lady’s mother a break, since she takes care of the baby when her daughter takes her other Adult Ed. classes.
At first, I was cautious about allowing her to bring the baby to class, but then I relented. I figured the following:
a. She was the only student.
b. It would not disturb any other class, because I was the only class on that wing of the school.
c. I wanted to help the student out, “give her a break.”
d. I checked it with the Adult Ed. Coordinator who OK’d it.
It is now the end of the semester, and I have spent a very frustrating time trying to teach lessons that are constantly interrupted by the mother tending to the baby’s needs (feeding, burping, entertaining, comforting, etc.) The worst time of it is when the child cries (almost every class).
The girl has done well, considering the responsibility she has put on herself by bringing the baby to class. I have made modifications where I can; i.e. open-book quizzes and tests, working with a study guide. But, I have found that a baby in class is a tremendous distraction, even for one student. It is simply not conducive to teaching or learning.
Now, another young mother has been bringing her child (14 months old) to other classes. These classes have a number of students in them. I was made aware that this is the first time this was allowed to happen. Was this a test? For me? Or the school?
Learning my lesson, I have concluded that allowing mothers to bring babies to classes:
a. It is not conducive to the learning environment.
b. It is too much of a distraction.
c. It puts the school in a position of responsibility/risk should an accident or some unforeseen incident or medical emergency that may occur.
It seems that the excuse of not being able to find a babysitter falls on weak ground. Would it be better for the young mother to forego one night of Adult Ed. Classes, if the inability to find a babysitter is the case?
I even suspect a conspiracy to bring the baby, so that when s/he cries, fusses, and causes a disturbance, the class will be let out early. The student always asks about being let out early. Well, the young lady will note that Mr. Dumont is a hard-nose when it comes to class time. I know that teachers may value lesson time more than the students, but adding a beautiful baby to class time changes the subject.:) I spend roughly 8-10 hours on a 3 hour lesson, so my intent is to make the lesson more productive for her.So, what do you think? What have you experienced? I need your help.