MySpace Hoax

I highly doubt that anyone who has read about the following case can keep from shaking their heads in disbelief:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21882976/. To me, this case is not simply a sad state of affairs regarding our current judicial system and Internet safety, but also a pathetic commentary on the fact that anonymity online (or trusting the identities of others) is (and perhaps has been) a thing of the past.

Of course, the obvious reaction to this article is, "What was that mother thinking? What adult chooses to intentionally bully a child online?" I also, though, realize that the victim's parents believed they were doing the right thing by requiring their daughter a password-protected account (one only her parents could enter) and monitoring her use. Isn't this what news programs alert parents to? Weren't they doing everything right?

I am not a parent; I have no idea how I would deal with these Internet issues, but like most, I hope I'd make the right decisions. Nevertheless, these technologies that allow for "disguised identities" pose a risk for children and for adults. I believe it comes down to being educated on the dangers and risks, then continuously "checking in" with an adult on the content of what is being shared. I know that many of my students communicate on Facebook and MySpace in ways they would never communicate around their parents or teachers, and while teenagers need an outlet that doesn't involve their moms and dads, it seems unreasonable to allow these conversations to take place completely in secret.

I remember a brochure I was given in my sex ed. class in 6th grade about decision-making. One of the questions you were supposed to ask yourself before participating in sexual activity of any kind was, "Would I feel comfortable telling my grandma I did this?" and for whatever reason, that message stuck with me. Maybe this is a similar question for kids to ask themselves today..."Would I let my grandma read what I'm writing?" I suppose, in the case of the aforementioned story, adults need to ask themselves this question as well.

Comics: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

As explained in my previous blog, I asked students to practice dialogue this week on a comic strip generator website. I feel good about how things went with most of the students. Because the students had the option of emailing their work, I received over 75 emails from students, opening up the lines of communication for kids with questions on assignments or making up work for class. I also received this comic (and days before it was due!) from a few students who rarely get work in on time. I can tell that a few kids really engaged with this assignment who hadn't been connected before. What a worthwhile activity! One thing I'd like to find out (maybe through an informal survey) is whether students liked the assignment because it a) involved technology or b) involved comics. I guess, as long as it was overall successful, I don't care why students chose to do it!

Of course, as is usually true in any "experiment," I ran into a few snafus. One of the problems was that showing students the comic strip website in class was a bit ineffective; if I tried this again, I would show them a bit on my own computer, then take them to the lab to tinker around with the site a bit on their own. The other problem was that, when students emailed their work, printing the emails left the student's names and emails off of the copies. We had to do a lot of "whose-paper-is-this" to get it sorted out, so perhaps I'll try a new website next time.

Internet Comic Strips

So, I'm about to embark on my professional development goal for this year's Q-comp, which I've handily tied to technology. My first observation is tomorrow and, while I'm proud to say I've already used a document camera this week to display student work for voting on the Most Creative Monster Poster (a project on complete sentences from Halloween), I am more excited about the prospect of tomorrow's activity.

Students will be practicing dialogue writing and plot sequencing on a website for comic strip creation, www.makebeliefscomix.com, to demonstrate understanding of events read about in our classroom novel, Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule. I like using comic strips for the purpose of practicing dialogue, as spoken words are prevalent. It also occurred to me this year that, when students' final comics are printed out, we could work on sequence of events by arranging the comics in order of appearance from the novel.

In the past, I've had students sketch and color a homemade comic strip for this assignment. This time, I am giving students three choices: a) Use the website I'll be demonstrating in class, b) Use another comic creator tool, such as Comic Life, or c) Create a Homemade Comic if Internet will be hard to access over the weekend. I'm looking forward to the results! I think I especially look forward to helping students troubleshoot the site, as I've never been the "expert" on one before.

I'll post the results of my work on next week's blog. Perhaps I'll be able to include a few examples of student work!

New Technology Attempt

My husband is enamored with his Instant Response remotes for student use. As I've outlined in previous blogs, students are able to view a "powerpoint" using Turning Point software and respond to questions on the slides using the "clickers." Class results can be graphed immediately for students to view and teachers are able to address the group's needs and/or unresolved concepts right on the spot. I was excited to try this yesterday in my 7th grade English class. I basically wanted to find out (without giving a quiz or written assessment) how well students had understood the three chapters we'd read the previous week (and determine who had/had not completed the reading!)

This experience started as many of my technology attempts have in the past, with confusion and frustration. I realized that, although a colleague would let me use her LCD projector for the day, I had to rely on my husband to help me get it situated. On top of this, my husband and I quickly determined that my classroom desktop computer did not have Turning Point software, essential to the activity. We quickly unplugged my computer, wheeled it into Brian's room, and hooked up his laptop at a spare table. Finally, all was situated and yet, though he'd helped me create the presentation the night before, I hadn't actually "tried it out." The bell rang, attendance was taken, and I was off and running. What I found upon its onset set my mind at ease.

The technology was actually quite user-friendly. Brian's simple instructions were enough to get me started on my own. The students were enthralled with the idea of using "clickers," so I had a few moments to gather my thoughts before trying it out. These clickers worked like a CHARM. I had every student engaged, asking questions about what we'd read, clapping and celebrating when our class majority had the "right answer." The crowning moment of the day's work happened during my 3rd period class. A student for whom I do not have the greatest affection (and one with whom I've never really connected) gave me a high-five on her way out, stating, "That was a really fun activity, Mrs. Martin."

That, in and of itself, has increased my techonology self-esteem. Hurrah!

My Newest Committed Relationship

I am in love.

I have spent the majority of my evening (when I meant to be working on my Technology Purchase assignment) playing with the Top 100 Web 2.0 sites page. It is here that I met my newest object of affection...Pandora.com. If anyone else tried this, I imagine you feel a similar connection. If you have yet to try it, let me be very clear...YOU MUST! My husband and I love music (as do most people, I suppose, seeing as it seems to be a universal language) and we are currently listening to a quickly created, user-friendly, "Counting Crows Radio Station," customized especially for us based on our love of The Counting Crows. We are already considering selling our iPod and committing to technology that would allow these customized radio stations to be on-the-go. As my husband stated, "This is like Netflix for music...but better. Much better."

Already, I have called two friends and my sister to share the site. My husband's friend is setting up an account as I type this and we plan to share stations we create. Heavenly! What more can a music lover ask for than to a) listen to music he/she loves, b) hear new music of similar styles, and c) share the music with others? This website is already transforming the way I listen to music and I've only known of it for two hours. Is this what it's like to have a baby? :)

Okay, so there are other exciting Web 2.0 discoveries I've made. My friend Christine has been sending me links to www.goodreads.com, a website allowing you to customize and share your favorite books with friends. I have registered on del.icio.us and look forward to making use of this site, primarily so students could visit the site and see the links I've already pre-determined as appropriate for research. I'm also fascinated by the site www.blinklist.com, as it seems a good spot for tracking all of the websites I've found (especially as a teacher, looking for a lesson plan at 11:00 at night!) I am excited.

I feel like I'm running at the mouth here, but I can see endless possibilities for this kind of technology in the classroom. What if students created customized radio stations for book characters and had to explain the song choices? I also believe in the power of music as calming (during work time), energizing (on Monday morning as the bell rings), and affiliating (Mrs. Martin likes THIS song?!) I'm hooked and can't wait to brainstorm more ways this type of technology could be used in the classroom.

Am I a Control Freak?

This week's discussion was incredibly helpful in solidifying some of my own ideas about the "cheers and fears" of technology use in the classroom. I tend to feel most comfortable with direct instruction or small groups working to achieve a goal under my guidance; for some reason, with technology, I feel less "in the know" about what my students may (or may not) be doing.

I also really liked that we talked about the asynchronous discussion because I see both its benefits and downsides. I like that it forced me to process my ideas out loud a bit; when we had our face-to-face discussion, I felt more sure of my stance on the various topics. I must say, though, being an extrovert leads me to still prefer discussions in person. I like to see and hear the people I am speaking with, and I appreciate how one person's thought might help me make a leap in my own.

I already often use Powerpoint as a teaching tool for direct instruction, group work, or individual directions. I believe Powerpoint functions as a tool to aid my presentation, and often I encourage students to "hold off" on taking notes until my presentation is done. At that point, we discuss the salient points and do notetaking together. I have used this (and will continue to do so) to provide directions for literature circles in a computer lab. Each group is provided a different set of step-by-step directions (or sometimes the same steps) and the students manually move on in the presentation when they've completed something. This makes it easy as a teacher to monitor where students are at in their processes. I have also successfully used Powerpoint for individual editing steps in a paper. The wonderful thing about using such a tool is that, while a slide may read, "Check each of your sentences for capital letters and correct end punctuation. Make any changes necessary on your draft and/or raise your hand with questions," I can circulate the room and assist students without feeling "tied down" to a presentation.

I have seen students use Powerpoint in other classes with great success. For example, my colleagues who teach Communications begin the year with students interviewing one another in complete sentences, then determine what is most important (and how to show it) on a Powerpoint presentation. As students present, they learn more about their classmates and also have a visual aid to use in their very first speech of the year! In my English classes this year, I would like to try giving students the option of presenting their book projects in Powerpoint format. I often provide a "choice menu" for students so they have options on how they can present and format the information; Powerpoint could be one of these options.

Inspired by Inspiration

I was surprised at how much fun I had working on the Inspiration assignment. Though I'd learned Inspiration during my undergrad, I had never been too impressed. I think there are two reasons for this: a) the software was not as "user-friendly" at that time and b) I now see how this could be a tool for students' idea construction as opposed to a teacher handout tool.

I also wanted to say a little something about how beneficial the favorite website presentations have been. I already have made use of two in my classroom (discoveryeducation.com and schooltimegames.com) and I look forward to perusing the lesson plans in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. These presentations have allowed for the time and sharing most teachers need; there is nothing more useful to me than something I can immediately apply, knowing another teacher has found its successes. Fun!