Kelly Christopherson :: Blog :: Archives
’ve been reading through the various blogs today, slowly letting the 1st day of 2007 pass by and trying not to strain myself too much. The coffee is great, the reading is excellent and I’m enjoying the beginning of my year. I’ve been keeping an eye on Bud the Teacher’s blog and Chris Craft’s OpensSource blog and I was struck by the idea that there are so many teachers who are trying to find a forum for discussion regarding pedagogy, curricula, teaching strategies, technology uses, format, new technologies and other such concerns as they begin their journey into the world of Web2.0 that maybe a space in the blogosphere that is a central hub, like a Wiki that will allow people to edit, add, delete and just gather information for further contact would be of some use. I chose the Gen Zext by combining Graham’s blog with Chris’s title, teaching the Z generation of learners. Really, does it matter what stage of teaching you are at? We are all entering the next “generation” of schools at the same time - maybe not at the same place on the continuum or with the same skills but the time, give or take 24 hours, is the same. Therefore, when I find useful information about podcasting or creating wikis or assessment or a flat classroom project, it would be available to anyone who wanted to look at it. As for the other “groups”, this is a personal decision about how one decides to conduct one’s life via the web. I’ve read Chris’s post and the comments on those posts and all of them are right for the person who is writing. Individual Decision For me, joining a group will ensure that I do invest time and effort in that group. It may also mean that I don’t take time to read and comment on other people’s blogs due to the time investment in the group. It may not mean this eithe  Now, when I join a group, I usually am looking for people who are like minded - who see the world in a similar way as I do. Most groups of which I have been a member seem to fit this model. With that being the case, it is possible to have a diverse group of people as part of a group but not as likely as the former I think. What will happen here only time will tell. As Chris states If this is going to work, why can’t it work easily? Is it really necessary to have all the discussion and back and forth we’ve had? Can’t we just put out a call for young teachers to come together and talk about what we’re doing in the hopes of connecting people?
With that, let’s see what happens and hopefully we’ll all find a place to brush off the dust, have a cool drink, rest our feet and then see how, together, we can continue to grow, learn and stretch. Kelly
Passion - the emotion of feeling very strongly about a subject. While working my way through some reading, I cam across the following on Peter Ford’s Fordlog blog. It is an YouTube video of Taylor Mali, a teacher with a passion. As I viewed the video, I was immedieately reminded of rant by Joe and the impression that it left on the public. If you remember, for a short period of time, it was the thing everyone was talking about. Well, I think that if all teachers demonstrated the passion that Taylor displays, people would be talking about education much differently than they do. For me, the last few days have given me time to sift through my thoughts and ideas about web2.0, its implications on the school in which I teach, the division I work within and education as a whole. I have also had time to listen to Chris Betcher and The Virtual Staffroom podcasts, spoke via Skype with Chris which was a first for me. It was great to have the video and audio. Chris explained how he prepares his works for podcasts as I’m trying to upload a few. Then, much to my surprise, I ended up with comments from: Stephen Downes, Graham Wegner, Jenny and Chris Curtis. Of course I did a visit to each one, left a comment thanking them and then did some reading. Chris’s passion for what he is doing comes through in his writing: As always, I only ask that in all of this, you hear my heart.
As I read through the different blogs in each site, the passion of each showed through in what they said. In his comment, Stephen reminded me that it’s about the passion, not any of the other stuff “There’s an aspect of blogging that is very much about the superficial. It’s best not to get caught up in that.” Of course, he’s right. So, what is my passion? What makes my eyes light up, my heart beat a bit faster and me to lean in a bit closer? Children. I love reaching out to them, finding ways to touch them, to get them to spark, whatever cliche statement you want to fill in. But it’s more than a cliche. It’s doing what needs to be done so that they can excel. So today in my talk with Chris, I was able to tell him that his podcasts had already given me several ideas for my classes using some of the tools to which he had referred. I like discussing possibilities and looking for ways to make things happen. So, before I stumbled across Will Richardson, Vicki Davis and the rest included on my blog roll, I was working on Professsional Learning Communities as this was where our school division is focusing right now. As I read more, I see the need for time investment in the area of communication literacy training (Darren’s Kuropatwa fine example comes to mind regarding a recent list discussion) and discussions regarding the tools that are available and what can be done with them. I have stumbled on some great podcasts at itunes which explain some of the techniques of making a podcast, uploading a podcast and other technical aspects. I also find the podcasts that discuss the use of various technologies like blogs, wikis and flat classroom projects to be very useful. I’m still looking for a way to make contacts with classrooms of different teachers who have done/are doing a flat classroom project to get some information and ideas that I might be able to pass on to a teacher or two so that I can help on the resource end. Another tool I’m going to introduce to my staff is the wiki. I am in the process of building one that my staff can access - right now it is private. I am doing the same for the administrators group in my division. I am thinking that Chris and others have the right idea about doing the podcasts. This may be a way for our admin group to begin using the tools. The ideas are starting to flow - better get to my idea stick Passion - the emotion of feeling very strongly about a subject. No holding back. I look forward to the challenge of building the 21st century student. This is my ultimate all time favourite movie belief statement: Crash Davis - Bull Durham Well, I believe in the soul, the small of a woman’s back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.
Of to look at 2 cents. Kelly
Well, I wrote a blog about not being tagged, having no list of good posts and no real objectives for 2007. Now, two of the three can be crossed off. Dean Shareski tagged me and I have one HUGE objective after reading Will Richardson’s post So Now What? My objective, as I outlined in Will’s comment section goes like this: As someone who a few short months ago was somewhat critical of what all these changes might mean and who would throw up several road blocks to using these tools, I am now convinced, more than ever, that these tools will change the landscape of education. My goal for 2007 is to bring my school, admin group and anyone else who wants to join into this new landscape.
I believe that as an educational leader, it is my responsible to stay up-to-date with what is happening on the edges of the educational landscape as-well-as what is happening in the current landscape. So, although we are currently travelling a road that is lined with assessment shopping and school community building, we must also know that the shops and taverns further up the road will be asking for different currency and we’d better be ready to convert or we’ll be unable to buy and participate. This does not mean that we abandon what we are currently have, instead, we begin to move, change, mold and toss our current practices so that they begin to need what will be supplied in the future while still using what is being supplied today. Example, Professional Learning Communities are now focused on what is happening in a school but, in the near future, will grow and evolve to what is happening in the division, province and world. The flattening of the world will allow us to link and be community in ways we have not thought about - I can already see a Flat Stanley project being formed with our grade one’s in a flatclassroom project!! But, we still need to work on our skills and relationships at the school level so that we can be effective at the other levels. Dysfunction will not be eliminated by going global! The links I am making with other educators will lead to others and so on and so on and so on. (Is anyone humming the Faberge commercial and picturing Farah?  ) Next up - 5 things. #1 - I have seven children aged 2 years to 14 years. Teaching in a rural area, I am a “hot” commodity! And my wife is a French Immersion teacher. We are unique and love every minute of it. I am a pro at diapers, bottles and doing the laundry. And, we have four girls (first 4) and 3 boys (last 3) and there is a TOTAL difference between girls and boys. Anyone who thinks differently need only spend a weekend with us - the live gender experiment. And teenage girls are harder to figure out than any other females alive - and I have my wife’s permission to say that! #2 - I attended the Oxford Round Table on Education in Oxford, England during the summer of 2004. It was 5 days of mixing with administrators from all over the world, discussing various topics. My wife and I had a blast - spending 19 days in England. I was able to see Stratford-on-the-Avon, visit Bath, wander around Stonehenge, take part in a blue-moon celebration with real druids, see Big Ben and… It was an awesome experience! #3 - I did my master’s dissertation on curriculum implementation with a focus on construtivist learning. #4 - I owned my own painting business for 5 years. I have relied on those skills many times during my present career having bought and remodelled 5 houses in the last 9 years. #5 - I love fishing. I love the solitude, peaceful time spent on a stream bank. I want to learn to fly-fish correctly. I use to spend time with my grandfather who was a great fly fisher. I can still see him dropping a fly under a branch in a dead calm spot only to have a trout jump, swallow the fly and dash away. The control and patience he had were amazing, especially for an older Swede! There you have it. Like I said, be careful what you ask for! Kelly
As I was reading through the blogs today, I came across Peter Reilly’s interesting piece called The Tyrant . I read through this, seeing a part of myself that I had struggled with for my whole life. Unlike Pete’s tyrant, mine was linked with depression and how it affected my state of mind. As an young educator, I would sometimes fly off the handle and would not know why. Sometimes it was stress, sometimes it was things going on in the school (stress) or at home (stress). At the time I didn’t notice the pattern that was going on. As things continued down this road, I became less able to keep things in order until, finally, my wife, in her wisdom, told me to get out and get help. Since that time it has been a long walk finding my way and admitting that, yes, there is a problem and I need help. A few summers ago, I realized that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life going through these ups and downs. Since the early days, I had come to recognize when I was sliding down into one of those funks and I could deal with it, most of the time, by withdrawing and working through it. At school, I was able to resist the urges I had to go off the deep end and worked on various techniques for solutions based decision making and working with other people. When I became an administrator, I realized that, after two years in that seat, I needed something more because the stresses were starting to again affect me, my sleep, my family life and my relationships with the students. I have always been very intense but had learned to curb that intenseness to a degree. However, two years with a dysfunctional staff had me back at the edge again. We moved, I had a chance at a fresh start. Things began well and we went through the first year with little difficulty. The staff was great, the parents, for the most part, were supportive and I was able to recognize when I was sliding, work through them and it didn’t really affect life. That all ended the day one my students committed suicide. The next 11 weeks were a blur as we, the school and community, dealt with this tragedy. It was during this that I realized that I needed to get some help as I didn’t want to go off and create even greater problems. I started reading a variety of information, I Don’t Want To Talk About It by If you’ve reached this point, you’re going “So what? What has this got to do with technology, school and students?” Well, directly, nothing. But, like Pete, I had to decide on my own that I was not going to do things the same old way and, no matter what others were saying, I had to see for myself that it was better to change than continue on, even though, for the most part, I was doing very well, was managing and was seeing results. We are talking about life altering changes, no matter how we view them. For some teachers, it’s scary to imagine life any other way than how they have it now and no amount of badgering or cajoling is going to change their minds. For those of us who have recognized that change is needed because we just can’t continue the way we are going, the changes we are making are liberating and are freeing us to do things in different ways, see students in a different light, examine curricula from a different perspective and engage in conversations that will, in the end, bring about monumental changes to the education system. However, like people I know who and talk with weekly, they still don’t see the necessity to see someone about how they are feeling no matter how frank our discussions are about depression and change. In the same way, frank discussions with teachers resisting the use of technology may not change their minds, ever. We have to accept that, move on, and open discussions with other people. Maybe a self-help group for newbies I read how frustrated people are with the lack of swift change and the need for education k12 to begin using these new tools in a more comprehensive way, embracing the changes that are coming. Well, some will embrace and others, who are unsure, will watch and still others, who have been overrun with initiatives and directions, will retreat and resist. That’s part of the life-cycle of change. I think we need to get use to it because I have a feeling our lives are going to be experiencing this for a few years to come. Just some thoughts, Kelly
was just rereading Will Richardson’s post about the kind of storm needed to change education. There was something in the first paragraph that struck me the first time I read it and, after pondering it for a moment, I think I know why. When I think about the potential effects of the Read/Write Web on education I’m continually drawn to watching the way things are playing out outside of our focus, specifically in journalism, music, business and politics. In each of those arenas, the disruption that these changes (i.e. the easy creation and publishing of content) has been and continues to be great. You need look no further than the cell phone captured execution of Saddam Hussein to know that we are entering what will no doubt be an extremely interesting (to put it mildly) period that will push our thinking about privacy, communication, literacy and learning. Newspapers are struggling to navigate a world where we can all be journalists. Musicians are more and more going outside of the traditional steps to stardom, eliminating the middlemen and counting on the viral nature of the Web to find success. John Edwards, like him or not, recently announced his candidacy for president on YouTube. In case after case, the traditional models that have been increasingly used to lock down ideas and content are being challenged by a public that is becoming drunk with the power of publishing. 
As a society, we are okay with things changing in almost any sector, from politics to economy. There are, however, other areas, I think, with which the public struggles seeing huge changes in short periods, one of them being an education different from what they know. We can watch change in almost any sector but in education, we see change that is slow and calculated because the public wants to protect the children and by keeping schools constant, the image of safety is upheld. All of a sudden, we have technologies which are changing more rapidly than we ever imagined and the group that has grasped them the quickest is the youth. But, the public has not yet become comfortable with these new technologies and are over cautious of the harm they might cause - they open up our children to influences that we have not had to deal with in the past. Thus, we are seeing people who are wanting to limit contact, limit use of these devices, limit expansion of these technologies, and just limit these technologies. On the other side, we have a group of educators and thinkers who have begun to use the technologies and found that they have expanded their world, increased their contacts and provided for new ways of interacting which have fostered growth and learning. I’ve seen so many metaphors for this idea but whatever the image we have a bunch of stuff going on around us while we sit in the middle, not really seeing much change. Much like being at the eye of a storm. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise and some of the rending and tearing and societal upheaval will work itself out before public education moves into the storm. In case after case, the traditional models that have been increasingly used to lock down ideas and content are being challenged by a public that is becoming drunk with the power of publishing.
I often worry about the problems that occur when people are “drunk with [the] power” as I’ve rarely seen good things come out of it. Maybe the storm will blow itself out so that education isn’t ripped asunder but, instead, learns from watching from the eye and can provide the best possible options for the students, parents, teachers and whomever else is involved. Storms can be incredible to watch, the shear power of nature at its most terrifyingly beautiful. However, having just had my basement flooded, I am aware of how helpless one can feel as nature runs its course and you are powerless to stop it. I’m not sure I want to be part of that storm - to deal with the fallout, casualties and whatever that is the result of storms like a tsunami, hurricane, earthquake or other devestating natural storm. As we watch the privacy issues unfold in the public eye, see people having their reputations and lives ruined by camera phone pics and videos, watch the proliferation of violence and sex on various websites, there are many things that will have to be worked out as society deals with these technologies and their impact. We need to move forward, that is for sure. But, some caution is advisable. Instead of seeing ourselves on the outside looking in, maybe view it from the perspective that we are at the eye of the storm and before it hits us we have a chance to view what is happening and do something about it Kelly Earlier in this post, Will mentions the following link: Chinswing - Creating Conversations (A place to share, discuss and debate) which, of course, I had to check out. Now, there could be a very good place for discussions regarding technology and education. There is already one post on the topic. Time to join in.
9 01 2007 We did it! Yes, the grade 1/2 class at my school took part in our first school podcast that has been uploaded. I am in the process of uploading the bunch of them to be available for people to listen. The big thing that was noticeable was the excitement of the students as they took turns recording their reading. The were excited and eager to take part, practicing together, helping one another to get the words right, rereading their selections to ensure that everything was right. Those groups that were not quite ready asked for more time to prepare. Because this is a split class, the grade 2’s were willing to forgo reading a “harder” book in order that their grade 1 partners could be successful in their reading. As the teacher and I worked with the students, we noted that they were taking this process very seriously, more than we had anticipated. They were very serious about what they were doing. When they were done, I would ask them if this recording was okay. I showed them how I was going to edit the long pauses to shorten the the overall length of the recording. They were very keen to know exactly what I was doing. Why I highlighted certain sections, how I got rid of those parts, how I made sure that it sounded right. We even got into a discussion of what would happen once we were done and began to upload the readings. It was here that I ran into some trouble as I wasn’t exactly sure how the process worked myself so I explained what I knew and explained once I had done one or two we would do a few together. Later that same day ….. I ran into one of the parents while dropping my son off at hockey practice. The mom began to tell me how her daughter, who plays hockey on the same team, had come home and told her all about what they had done and how they were going to be able to listen to her on the computer. I was filled with fear at this moment. “How would she react to us using this at school? What would she think about what we were doing? How would she feel about her daughter’s reading being on the web? Was this going to be positive or not?” The mother was so excited that we were doing this and using the technology to expose the students to such things. Whew! She wanted to know where she could find the posts so they could listen to them. I told her that I wasn’t finished with that yet but would be working on it and thngs should be ready soon. I had to leave but, from what I understand from my wife, the group of parents were very enthusiastic about this. Bit of a dilemma …. So now, we must cross the “Where does this fit in our technology plan/computer use” bridge. I don’t know of any other schools doing this, I haven’t even found any schools using any of the new Web2.0 tools. I know that a few of the websites like YouTube, MySpace and some of the gaming sites have been blocked as has some of the public email servers. So, all of you if the blogosphere, where is the best place to host these podcasts? Right now I am registered at podomatics but I want to know if there is another place to do this. Also, I am looking for a place to host blogs and wikis. I know many of you have experience and I’m looking for your suggestions. If you could offer me your insights at what works best, I would be truly appreciative. I would like to get things rolling and demonstrate the usefulness of the technology when I take this further. To add to this, I am in the process of hosting my own podcast in which I will discuss various things that I have noticed about this whole technology phenomenon and interview some of the teachers who are experimenting with these technologies in our school. I may even be able to convince an administrator or two to jump on board and take part in Scott McLeod’s 100 principals in 100 days Project. All I know is that things have to start moving and moving NOW. With the announcement of the iphone, we are seeing the advent of yet another tool that will push the communication sphere even further. ($600.00! I think I can save enough by June to get myself one. WooWee! This is going to be fun!) Steve Jobs has just made things easier/harder for educators and schools, never mind Motorola and Windows! However, we must get past the hype by the media about the problems with on-line predators. Reading Scott McLeod’s post today and then Pete O’Reilly’s, it is amazing how these facts always come about with something new. I still remember the outcry over having to wear a seat-belt. My grandfather even cut his out - no way anyone was going to make him wear it. Now, this may not be the same type of change but things like the printing press and other such advances must have been met with great opposition. Now, my students study change and we talk about the 4 parts of the change process. - Denial is the stage at which the person completely rejects the change. Any acceptance of change at this stage is coincidental.
- Acknowledgement of change occurs when the new idea is given some credence and recognition.
- Acceptance of change means that more of one’s behaviour centres on the new approach than on the old.
- Defense of the change occurs when the old idea is seen as wrong and the new idea is basically common sense. (SaskLearning)
I’d say we are in the denial/acknowledgement stage when it comes to using technology in education. Now there are three influences that force individuals and societies to deal with change: environmental change, contact with another culture, and changes from within a culture such as technological. (SaskLearning) As the technology “flattens the world” and cultures come together, we are having two of these influences impact on our youth at one time and the one place where there is “control” is in the schools so it only makes sense (somehow?) that the influence be kept to a minimum in this area, especially with the highprofile cases of the “negative” affect it has had on youth and society. (Sorry, I have no links for this!) What these people do not see is that these are not things of the future! They are of here and now and we need to come to grips with how we can use them to their full advantage. Like the students today who were so excited about what they were doing and we were just touching the tip of the iceberg. Their excitement and passion mixed with our wisdom and knowledge is such a powerful combination. I know I’m preaching to the choir but it was such a great thing to watch these students so excited about reading, so intent on what they were doing and willing to collaborate to make sure their end products were acceptable to them. It was a great 2 hours!! Again, if you have any ideas about wiki posting, blogging and using/hosting podcasting, drop me a line. I’ve a grade 9 social class that is “pumped” to get started. Kelly
Basketball season has started and I'm at a weekend tournament 2 hours from home with 12 teenage girls, and a chaperone, sleeping in another school. And I do this because ..... I've been negligent with my blog this week. It was first week back from the break, which is always busy. It was a busy week with all the activities starting up. But, really, Dean Shareski noted my blog in his: He’s already amassed some powerful writing and great reflections questioning both his own practice and struggling with the hard questions.
How do I live up to that? For the whole week I've been hesitant to blog in case it wasn't "powerful" or a "great reflection" and was just, like mediocre. I avoided even going to my blog unless I needed to moderate a comment. As the week rolled on, however, I began to reflect on what was making me so anxious. What was it that was throwing me off. So, I read more blogs. There were so many of interest with interesting ideas and insights. Were mine really in this calibre? Do I really have anything to say? Well, tonight, as my team was walking off the court after winning their first game this season, a parent from the other team came over to me and announced that "I was a poor example of a leader for how I acted on the bench. The way I slapped the floor when that girl missed the shot. There is no way I would allow my daughter to play for you." Wow. I thanked her for her insight and walked away. Crushed. So, all night I've been thinking, reviewing what I had done that would make her say such a thing. I asked my assitant coach - had she noticed anything. No. In fact, she commented that I had done nothing offensive at all. That it was a comment from a parent of the losing team. Forget it. Well I can't! I have worked very hard to become a good leader. A leader of students. A leader of teachers. Eventually, a leader within a school division. So, here I sit wondering why that one negative comment from someone who knows nothing about me can impact me so much while the positive comments I've received over this week from people who are checking in to my blog have made me almost bashful? As educators, it's hard for us to accept a compliment, mostly because so much of what we do is behind the scenes. Even when colleagues give us one, we deflect or bashfully thank them and change the subject. It makes us uncomfortable. Why is it that we don't sit back and reflect as deeply when someone points out a strength? Reflect how we were able to get to that particular point? How we might be able to use that knowledge in other areas so that our growth is positive-based with a face toward getting better. Not that negative comments can't make us better but I would prefer constructive criticism. As an administrator, I also reflected on how this made me feel in front of a whole lobby full of people. Whether they heard or not didn't matter. It was done in such a demeaning fashion. This only strengthens my belief that, as an administrator, it is my role not to destroy the fragile egos of those students in my care but to help grow them, mold them and make them bloom. To help teachers to see that these young people are more than the assignments, books, games and processes that they engage in each day. They are, first and foremost, caring and feeling people, no matter how much they might try to convince us they have none. And the ones that appear void of feeling are the ones we need to reach to the most as they have been dealt with too many times in front of a lobby full of people. They are the ones that resist our early attempts and we need to reach past those initial rebuffs to find something that will draw them out and allow the building to begin. We have to make connections with students, finding out where they are and urging them to consider things from new and different perspectives - constructing knowledge along the way without telling them they are wrong or don't know any better but we do. No one wants to hear that! I certainly didn't like it! So, having been brought back down to earth, I am reminded that, as an administrator, I must be aware that what I do and how I interact with each student is extremely important - especially considering that the lobby is always full as far as this is concerned. Learning is hard sometimes!! ..... lobby. But what a spectacular impression it has made upon me. We truly have the greatest jobs on earth. Kelly
16 01 2007 I’m presently enrolled in a Harvard Graduate School of Education distance learning course. I’ve completed two of the courses and am in the process of training to be an online coach. I figure this is one way to encourage teachers to use technology. Besides the skills will be useful for working with students online and developing online assignments and courses. One of the main areas is the discussion page that all participants use to discuss the various topics of the week. Now last week I was a bit behind so I didn’t get my ideas posted until the 11th hour. Reading through the different posts, I’m still amazed at the number of educators who have grabbed onto the “digital immigrant/digital native” phrase and see it as being their mantra - “The kids are so capable - I’m just an immigrant.” Now, the more I hear this, the more I begin to think that, unless there is something to replace this mantra, the more it will become the poster slogan for educators. Presnky basis his argument that we are immigrants because we have had to make a switch from one way of doing things, non digitally, to a second way of doing things, therefore immigrants, while children, who have grown up with the technology know no other way and are surrounded by it and are immersed in it and, therefore, are natives. As I thought of this analogy, I began to wonder, if that is the case, there are no natives since no can be born and age without having to learn new things, things that may have not been there when they were young. Thus, taking this to its farthest extreme, we might as well all give up because as things progress, we’ll get farther and farther behind and there is no hope since we weren’t born into it. What he misses, which is very easy to understand is that for many of us, we grew up with video games, computers, electronic gadgets and all that he suggests the students of today have. In fact, after some serious reading, I would say that he’s missing the boat, almost completely. I would suggest that using the tools and technologies is an aptitude that maybe we have not identified, much like one of Multiple Intelligences from Gardner. As I work with students and adults, it seems that there are those people, from each group, that are able to work with the technologies, are comfortable using them and adapt to any new upgrades that come along. Instead of it being a generational gap, as suggested by Prensky, I would suggest that it is an intelligence that people have. My reason for suggesting this? Well, in working with students, teachers always describe how they are so willing to try new things, find new things out and show them all these wonderful things while working on computers while they, the teacher, have great difficulty in moving around and getting things to work. However, I would suggest not all students are like this and, in fact, there are a few core ones who lead the way for the rest. Another thing is that children are naturally curious and therefore willing to try many things that adults don’t. So, using Presnky’s argument that children are native because they have been surrounded by it, we should allow children to use all kinds of power tools if they have been around them. Surely they’ll figure out what they are for and find some great things to do with them. Seems ridiculous. People have suggested that it is not the same thing, power tools are different than computers. Well, having worked for many summers pounding nails and then, later on in my life, learning to use an air nailer, to me the two are the same. In fact, I was using computers before the air nailer! As for the “natives” being surrounded and growing up with it and therefore being able to use it effortlessly, that also doesn’t wash with me. Check out the age of the Guinness Book of World Records record holder for high score on video games. I believe the gentleman is in his late 30’s somewhere. Hmmm, I’d say he’d know a thing or two about gaming! Oh, yeah, the students using things effortlessly. My gauge for this is throwing a piece of software, like Zoho or other online software and see how they adjust. My experience, although limited to only a dozen or so years of working with kids and technology, is that if it is not what they are use to using, like Word, they are lost. This applies to most of the software that we have. In fact, we have several non-Windows based computers running on Linux and the kids avoid them because they are not Windows. “Those are the evil computers!” To me, a native will use any type of software, can figure out any type of software, doesn’t need the manual and will be comfortable on any platform. I know plenty of 40 something people who are this way - complete natives in the digital medium. Yet there are natives in all age groups, people not put off by the technology, who use it and understand how it can be used, see possibilities and are able to push the technology to get more and do more. That is why I would suggest that it has nothing to do with the “age/generational” as Prensky suggests but, instead, is an intelligence that people have. Another fact that I’d like to point out is that many of the gamers and first users of the technologies are boys. Does this mean that girls are less native? Or, is it just in the last few years that game designers have been turning their attention to females? Are we seeing more and more females using technologies because it is being considered a “unisex” tool rather than the domain of the male “techno-geek”? Is it because the Web2.0 has become a social network with personal interaction being the norm. Who has more cellphones, boys or girls? What would a survey say? What do they use them for? Is there a difference? Does this mean that there is more than one type of native? I really believe that for many people who have read Prensky, it is an immediate “Oh, that’s me.” reaction. They then generalize about the population in both regards and agree that it must be an “immigrant/native” divide. In discussions with people who speak many languages, they comment that they may know the language and fit in with the people but they are still immigrants because they were not born there. But being born automatically make you a native and, if that is the only criteria, then we’ll have to redefine a whole group of gaps as being “native/immigrant” divides - before microwaves/VCR’s/…. and after. Before the mini-van and after. This list will be endless. Each of these items had a huge impact on culture and changed the dynamics of the culture in many ways, although not as big as some of the other items. In rural settings, the introduction of large machinery creates a “immigrant/native” divide that has had a huge affect on a whole way of life. Yet, many people who were born before have made the transition and are very successful. So, maybe they have a particular intelligence that allows them to be successful despite the changes. Why do I squeak about this? Well, it creates a way of thinking that I don’t think is good for education. It creates a divide that I don’t think is really there and causes people, especially teachers, to view themselves as being unable to make progress without great difficulty. Could it be that, like music or math or the other intelligences, there is a digital intelligence? Kelly
Today my Communication Production Technology (CPT) class is working on their final project. We looked at some of the history of communication and the different tools that were standard in communication production. Much of the curriculum is still focused on using tape for recording so we have had to substitute and make changes to use digital recording and editing. The class started by using various sounds they found on the net to create a short sound blurb in which they experimented with various effects. We have been using Audacity for our editing and recording and it has been very user friendly. Right now I am editing the different sound recordings together into one podcast for people to listen. The students spent a good deal of time just working with effects and the sounds. Next we moved on to creating an audio production. Here the students did have trouble. They wanted to move into just recording and not worry about scripting or editing. They were to discuss a topic of their choice for 2 to 3 minutes. Some chose a band and played a song for most of the time, not spending time talking about the band. They also found out that without a script, they had to do more editing because of all the dead space. Our final project is a group project. Now, I borrowed the idea from Christ Betcher which he described on one of his Virtual Staffroom podcasts. I gave the students a rubric from which to work and gave them the opportunity to again talk about topic of choice for 50% of the time and they had to do an interview and talk about a school topic for the other 50%. They also had to write their script for any of the talking they were going to do. For the interview, they had to identify who they would interview and what they would ask. They will then take the individual portions and create a 50 minute podcast. Right now they are into interviewing with 3 days left. We’ll see how they all turn out!! I’ve found the recording to be the easy part. The students do not want to write the scripts but, after their last work, they realize the necessity to do this. They also have trouble planning the whole podcast out before they get to work. They like spending time look and listening to music or trailers but getting down to work is more of a challenge. I’ve also begun a wiki and blog assignment in my grade 9 social. We are go to look at the topic of Change in relation to the fall of the Roman Empire and the ensuing changes in Europe and then reflect on how these have impacted on our present society. I’m using blogmeister for the blogs. We’ve just started so I’ll report back how this is working. What I will have them doing with the blogs is reporting in on what they did that day and what they found out. I am also using a wiki - which is private now - for recording of information and group assignments. I also want to try writeboard with the class to have them share ideas and gliffy to share any charts or drawings. I will spend time going through each with the class, explaining the use of each and how they will be assessed during the different projects. I’m recreating my assignments so that, instead of them doing a written copy and handing it in, they can share their knowledge on the wiki and use the other tools to communicate amongst themselves. I’m also hoping to use screen snapshots instead of URL’s when using diagrams and maps so that they can add comments. I’m not sure which tool we will use for this. I’m not completely replacing the print and written assignments but I will have more than 50% of the work being done using these methods. At the end of the unit, they will have a few options for a project of which two will involve either a podcast or a vodcast depending on where I am able to get our technology to in that time. One of the reasons that I am doing these different things is to demonstrate to teachers that, not only it possible to use these different tools, it allows one to track individual student time on task, contribution to the group assignment, focus on assisting the students instead of getting them to work since their time is, in a sense, being monitored and getting them to work collaboratively without having to have all of them crowded around one desk or table. We’ll see how this works out and I’ll keep you posted on how things are working. Oh, one other thing we will be doing is learning how to do a search for information and then deciding what information is reliable and what information is questionable. Because much of the information on the fall of Rome is written at a university level, they will have to look for information they can understand. We’ll then work on creating personal summaries that they can use for their work. I’ve noticed that students have a very difficult time finding information and, when it doesn’t pop up in front of them, they tend to give up like there is nothing available for them. I’ll be assisting them to narrow their searches and look for information and we’ll discuss how to summarize and such. Again, we’ll see how things come together as we progress. As students work, I notice that they have difficulty with the technology once it goes beyond their knowledge base, like most people. They become easily frustrated and have difficulty problem solving to figure out what it is they might do next - which is a normal characteristic of most people I know. It does, however, make me question the whole “immigrant/native” assumption (see my last article for how I really feel about this) since they seem no different than many of the adults that I have worked with who have the same problems. (Still think it’s a digital intelligence!) I’ll keep updating as we move along. Kelly
There has been a wonderful discussion going on in relation to the Prensky article “Engage Me or Enrage Me”. Now, I’ve spent a few days refiing my thought on this blog. The comments have been spectacular and I’ve grown to know a few of you even more (Thanks for dedicated entry Scott ) Now, I’ve been preparing a rather lengthy discussion and then I read Dean Shareski’s tag article where he comments on posting length. So, with that in mind, off we go…. Scott, Dean and others see the article as being a wake-up call to take notice that we need to focus on the fact that students are not engaged. What is different now (and why Prensky’s article is so salient) is that until recently kids didn’t have anything to compare teachers’ instruction against except other teachers. Now they have these high-powered learning environments called video games that are purposefully designed to keep kids’ brains in their own individualized zones of proximal development. The subject matter may be questionable, but the intentional cognitive engagement that is occurring is not. Scott McLeod
As I read through your post Scott, I realized that we are talking about the same thing it's just that we see the article from two angles. I think we’re like this: looking at a dice that has landed six up. You see it as two horizontal lines and I’m seeing two vertical lines. We both see a six and we’re just trying to figure out if they’re horizontal or vertical. So, I’ll walk over to your side. What the hey, horizontal! We both see that schools have to become more relevant to students and it is the teacher’s role to use differentiated instruction to reach all students (in Saskatchewan we call it the Adaptive Dimension). We both agree that we need to see the schools begin to adopt a greater focus on using data to make decisions and, I would think, that we would agree that we need to use Professional Learning Communities to enhance what is happening in the schools. I agree that we need to use more technology to engage the learners - no doubt about it. And, I could probably be convinced that, given the right conditions, gaming could be a relevant tool for teaching. Like you, I’ve read, reread, pondered, reflected and rewritten a few times. Dean, I agree with your comment and we do need to root out the outdated and irrelevant work. I guess I write from where I view the profession of teaching. I see it as a dynamic, ever-changing, ever-evolving journey of learning. I am constantly looking for new ideas and challenging what I believe to make sure it holds up to the litmus test- are kids learning/understanding and with me. That is why I’ve embraced blogging, wikis, podcasts, videos, audios and other formats of presentations, however a student can demonstrate their understanding, I usually can work with them. This doesn’t mean I don’t do some worksheets, some written work, some reading, some …. it’s a mixed bag. Now, in the school where I am adminstrator, we have learning teams. During our first set of meetings, I made it clear that it was OUR responsibility for the students learning and understanding. We don’t have any control of the parents, home life, emotional state of the student or various other things. Some we need to address but some, well, that’s out of our control so we can’t use it as an excuse. Boy do teachers work at trying to get the home life card back in - but it doesn’t work. So, we need to differentiate, adapt and challenge the students. MY job is to provide the resources to make it happen. I give the teachers support, I present them with options and I ask them questions. But, I expect that they will come out of isolation and we will work together to make this a “happenin’ place” where students don’t mind coming every day. We want a safe and welcoming place where we understand that there are 200 odd individuals all with different needs and expectations and we, as the teachers and support staff, have a duty to do our best to meet those needs. I try to lead by example and, therefore, I’m offering pd for teachers to introduce them to blogs, wikis, podcasts, using video, etc. Having said all this, I’m still learning as an administrator so I haven’t figured out how to get all this together but we’re working at it and trying. As a teacher it always infuriated me that some “person” from outside (if you are not presently teaching and have been out more than 5 years, you’re out of tocuh.) telling me that if I just do “this”, my students will learn and understand. Like NOT. I hate sitting and getting so I try not to do it myself - however I can sit here for 2 plus hours and …. and I can game for like 4 hours. I understand the engagement thing - but that is different and I can separate that in my mind - I don’t get a lightsaber to get rid of the evil one’s (some days I’d like to manipulate the force though - You will do your homework. Now go. You won’t call him a dummyface any more. You may pass. And to be able to lift the desk and rotate that one student - mmmmm) As a learning professional, I’m insulted by the article and that is why I object to it. I really don’t find Prensky to be a “futurist”. Personally, I see him as an opportunist. And I will stop with my comments there!! Scott, I truly enjoy all the learning that I have done and the reflection that this has made me do about my practice as an administrator and as a teacher. Unfortunately, my position doesn’t allow me to get to see other schools so you are a better judge and I will defer to what you see. I know that I don’t want my kids to be bored - that’s when they tatoo each other with multi-coloured ink pens. I want them to be engaged and pushed to the limit of their abilities (these are my own kids, not all the students). So if that is what I want, then I figure most other parents want the same. I’ll have to post about my girls and I. Maybe you’ll see why I’m not normal!! Sorry Dean but I’ve written a lot again  I promise the next one will be short - er. Thanks for the responses and the conversation. Kelly
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