Poetic License

Ok..first off…after reading these other people’s interesting blogs, I find myself hardpressed to want to read my own. I know that this Web 2.0 class has required blog posts, but they just seem like such boring responses compared to what’s out there.  The following are my own musings on what I read. The blog on Brevity was the most thought provoking. For the sake of brevity,  I’m limiting my post to 10 minutes ’cause I’ve got to go pick up my daughter then.

“Why I don’t Assign Homework” makes me wonder what our prinicpal has up his sleeve for a homework policy next year. I haven’t been privy to the information, so I have no idea what’s coming. I know he’s a proponant of Alfie Cohen’s No Homework Policy and although I value less homework rather than more, in our time-constricted day, we must assign other work in order to make it through the prescribed curriculum.

“New Kind of SSR”  makes me wonder if book reading is going to take a dive. As an English teacher, this would sadden me because our students won’t be exposed to the great literature of the day, much less experience the worlds out there opened up by classic works of fiction. On the other hand – non-fiction reading is the type of reading that helps us become successful in our world.  It’s the type of reading that this teacher values by assigning ssr time reading blogs. Yes, this is a part of our kids’ and our own reality.

“Spies like Us” informed me about “happy slapping” which takes place in England mostly.  I’ll have to ask my son and daughter if they’ve ever heard of this.  Our kids do seem to have a fascination with reality shows and reality video. We must look at updating school policy (AUPs) to include what kids do out of school too with their phones and recording devices.  I’m not frightened of being recorded in the classroom doing something unethical (because I don’t) but am concerned about kids recording other kids as a way to bully them or provoke a response in them or others. I wonder what our school is doing to address the issues.

“Imagine Turning on the Faucet and Nothing Comes Out” is a cool blog that students really own.  I like how the teacher posted one question that the kids responded to. I like this framework for a homework assignment about a piece of literature or a class issue we must deal with.  This kind of blogging would be a “fun” assignment for most.

“The Art of Brevity” reminds me of a poster I have in my room: “Why use two words when only one will do?”  This student blog author raises some interesting questions about why teachers must assign a length requirement for most writing assignments instead of limiting the number of words a student must use. I am going to use this idea next year b/c it forces creative thinking and promotes word choice.  Length does not determine quality –  I do wonder what a Twitter is and assume I will find out in a future Web 2.0 Thinggy.  For the sake of brevity- That’s all today. Time’s up!

-Terri

     The other night, while trying to make a sound recording for Thing #2, I just about freaked out.  I consider myself to be somewhat tech savvy and definitely unafraid to play with a computer, but there’s so much missing from my tech paradigm. I couldn’t find a microphone in the house, I couldn’t figure out how to write my text and then record it because the program wouldn’t allow me enough time to read the text from what I had typed on the site. I had begun working at 7 pm and it was now 11 pm. This “Thing” was taking a really long time and I was getting increasingly perterbed.  In frustration,  I called my husband, the tech guru at home (PC) who was out of town and in a meeting and pissed of at me for calling. He couldn’t help me find the mic.  And then I called my 13 year old son.  He’s the one putting his tech savy to use.  He just bought a Mac and started a business doing bar and bat mitzvah montages for people. He’s making money and is has found many uses for and pleasures in his new computer.  Me?   I’m ready to throw the stupid computer to the floor.  ”Jonah, do you know if we have a %$#@ microphone in the house I can use?!!!!” Mom, just use my Mac was his reply. Oh yeh.  Duh. It’s got the built in mic…and camera…and video camera…and lots of other useful stuff.  Once I remembered this, it was an easy fix and the “Thing” was accomplished.  So…How can this story relate to Web 2.0 and its role in 21st Century Teaching and Learning? It relates because I’m behind the times and my students, who are the same age as my son, are way ahead of me.  

     A few years ago we told our kids they weren’t allowed to use MySpace. We felt like they were just too young. From another mom, I found out that my kids had a MySpace account but I couldn’t access it because they had turned on all the security features and only their friends could participate.  I needed to check out their site to make sure they weren’t giving away too much information, but I was locked out.  When I approached them and told them (both 13 years old now) that I knew they had a MySpace account and that they may keep it as long as I had their login and password, they were most definitely surprised but forked it over.  Recently, I just joined Facebook. It’s a newer social networking site that all the kids are on, and I joined to see if I could reconnect with old high school age friends.  In addition, I wanted to be able to “talk the talk” and “walk the walk” that my own children and students were involved in.  Facebook is simple. I have 49 friends already – many of them students who asked me to be their “friend” on the site.  There’s a lot to do on this site, and it’s really helpful to be able to keep up with what the students I teach are involved in.

    I’m hoping that Web 2.0 will help me stay current with my students’ virtual world.  They were raised with a mouse in their hand, but I wasn’t.  At times, it’s so frustrating to be behind them in my knowledge, and I often feel like I’m treading water just to keep up.  Web 2.0 will help me gain the tools needed so that I can develop lessons and activities that are about their world and in their comfort level.  I look forward to the ride.

I’ve always considered myself a life-long learner as books have always been my best friends.  Yes. I was the geeky language-loving kid who read a book even as I walked home from school. I used to read the encyclopedia for fun.  When the Internet came about, and I found every resource available to me at my fingertips, the world became my oyster.   As far as the Web 2.0 Lifelong Learning Habits go, Creating my Learning Toolbox is easiest for me because I know (or at least think I know) how to find information. I like researching. I enjoy putting ideas and information together for my own benefit or for others.  In addition, being a social person makes another aspect of utilizing the learning toolbox easy.  Talking to people allows me to network, to seek out answers to questions I have, and to utilize a social networking space and open up my world. The most challenging habit is using technology to my advantage. I think time is my biggest issue because I’d LIKE to learn more about technology, but finding the time to DO the learning in a hands-on way is the challenge. Mentoring others is the most important learning habit in my opinion as one must feel confident and competent in order to teach others what to do.  I get incredibly nervous if I have to teach something I don’t know and don’t feel prepared for.  If I do the research and feel comfortable with the information, it’s not a problem.