Back in Black

SO WE MEET AGAIN, COMRADES (yes, I mean in the communist sense of the word.)

After listening to the Reforming Education Reform, presented by Stager, Kohn, Downes, and Gardner, I had a few major reactions:

1. I loved the fact that they represented different opinions -- the people speaking for this panel were not unilateral in their beliefs on education reform. They disagreed with one another on different issues of education in a polite, respectful way...a refreshing change from what I witnessed on Thursday night during the presidential debate.

2. The fear of privatization of schooling was a reoccurring theme in the webinar, and they are starting to weigh on my mind. I am starting to worry a lot over the future of public schools and I never had given it too much thought before. I suppose I underestimated the possibility of the eventual total privatization of schools because the public school system has such an entrenched position in American society. I believe in public schools -- I am not naive to the understanding that the system needs fundamental reforms, but I have a liberal positivist perspective in my hopes of potential and progress.

3. There was something said at the end of the webinar that really sticks with me. One of the presenters said that what children need is to be spending time around interesting adults. It is our responsibility, then, as adults to make ourselves as interesting as possible so that we become the best possible sources of information and engagement for our students. I found this fascinating. He made one specific example about how perhaps an aspiring cellist might benefit from spending time with Yo-Yo Ma. I like to think of it as amateurs being embraced and mentored by professionals, & I think this is one of the most effective ways to inspire young people. The students then have role model they can look up to and emulate. I am definitely going to work on making myself more interesting. Not in the general sense, but in the historical sense. I want students to find my historical anecdotes interesting, and want to know more about the depth of knowledge available to them in studying this very human discipline.

I thought that overall the webinar was pretty interesting -- albeit it was a bit long, but I thought the panel brought up some really interesting points. To relate it back 504, there was also a lot of discussion of different technologies used in education. As I mentioned before, there was disagreement among the panel members about what technologies were useful and whether or not education should rely on them heavily. I found that the varying perspectives expressed  all had their merits, and I think as a future educator I have to synthesize what I have learned about teaching with tech and formulate my own philosophy on its usage in the classroom.

In OTHER NEWS...
teaching rules. loving my placement. loving October. loving my cognates (when they aren't kicking my butt). loving my kitty.

ALSO, (noooo, i didn't forgettttt), here is the song of the post:

Enjoy the crisp fall weather, MACers! Don't let the man beat ya down (proletariats unite?!?!)

The last of its kind...or perhaps the first

This summer has truly been the longest, shortest summer ever. Ya see, it's been the longest because when I think back on the first day of the MAC program sitting in orientation, it seems like years ago. It has been one of the most intensely academic summers of my life, which of course is because I've never actually been in a summer school program. That said, it's the shortest summer because it flew. Each week seems like a blink of the eye in retrospect. I'd wake up Monday morning, and go to sleep Friday night. Or at least it would seem that way -- constantly going.  And now that classes are over, I have three weeks to myself to enjoy what sunshine is left of this hot summer. Three short, baby, eensy-weensy weeks. 

Teaching with technology is not a topic I'd given much thought prior to beginning this program. I sort of figured it would be a topic built into other courses -- but I'm glad it's not. I have come to realize that educators have to be on top of technology. It is not an easy task, but it is part of our responsibility as 21st century instructors. We have power in the future to make resources accessible to students and give them additional support and knowledge via the internet. Especially as I think about the larger picture of what I want to teach; I have been made aware of so many potential ideas for incorporating technology into my history classroom.

In terms of Friday's final class session, I would like to extend gratitude to Jeff and Kristin for inviting former MACers to come and share their experiences. I think this sort of discussion is absolutely fascinating and valuable. It is hard to imagine that I will be in their position in a few short years. I liked hearing about the degree to which they use technology in their classes. I was happy however that we were able to end the class together as a group. I think that sitting in the school of social work discussing the semester together was an opportunity to connect and be community-like in nature. I appreciate the ability to give feedback in an open forum like that, and I think that a lot of my peers had really insightful input during discussion. I don't agree with everything that is said all the time, but I still enjoy listening to other opinions as it tends to expand knowledge, empathy, and understanding. (SMART boards, anyone? ...joking)

And so here it is, my last blog post for a little while. I know it won't be my last, but I feel as though some sort of cordial adios is in order. I have enjoyed blogging, and I think I could feel even more enthusiastic about it if it were a blog specifically related to my future history classes. I think the experience has shown me how efficient and easy to use this sort of tool is, and in general creates a space for informal dialogue where I can be more creative and expressive. I like talkin' like a weirdo when I want, y'naw meaaannnnn?

Hope this one tides all you listeners (assuming anyone actually does listen) over for a bit:

Savor these few weeks, MACers. I'll see you all much too soon, and I mean that in the kindest way <3

Edubloggers: a wealth of knowledge

People blog about anything and everything. Seriously, you can find a blog that pertains to nearly any interest you can think of. Some are awful, but hey! Some aren't. It makes sense then that the online community of educators also partake in this blogging fun. The ideas that teachers put in their blog posts can be extremely valuable in sharing tips and ideas with other teachers. 

I have been looking at two as of late. They are history-related because, well, I like history and want to teach it. The first is Speaking of History, a blog written by a middle school history teacher from Missouri. I found his post recent post (Aug 1) most exemplary of how edublogging can be used in a variety of ways. In this post he talks about his personal goals for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. His goals are concrete and manageable, such as "learn students names quickly". He is challenging himself to become a better educator in small, tangible ways. He is also making his goals public knowledge, out there for the world to see. This makes him more accountable for his actions, and perhaps is the reason why a teacher would choose to blog these. 

The other blog I've been enjoying is sponsored by the US National Archives, and is called Today's Document. This is a tumblr blog, and because I have a tumblr it makes it especially easy for me to follow new posts. There is a new post daily that has a scanned image and description of an important document in US history. Examples include photographs, letters, video clips, legal documents, etc. etc. I really recommend checking it out to anyone who has the slightest interest in history -- very cool stuff. I will definitely be looking at this on a regular basis because I use tumblr regularly, though I haven't posted in some time *cough*: silly MAC program, silly grad school ;-) 

I am definitely intrigued at the different uses of edublogging. I could see myself creating a blog for my courses also, wherein I could operate as the administrating blog poster, but my students could comment, pose questions, etc. I think this could be a great tool as well in order to incorporate elements of historical study that I may not have the time or opportunity to cover in class. (i.e. poetry, philosophy, music, film)

 I say yee-haw to edublogging. Blog on, ya crazy edubloggers.

Enjoy, kittens.

getting organized

In response to class on Friday, "Organizing My Online Life," I say... "meh."

I think that the internet offers some fantastic resources that can and would make certain aspects of teaching easier. While in class on Friday, my group and I spent time teaching one another about Evernote, Dropbox, Skype, and Diigo. Of the four, I am most interested in Skype. This is because I'm already familiar with and have used Skype before to keep in touch with friends long distance via video chatting. I do like the idea of being able to connect with people "face to face" without actually being in the same place. I think that video chatting can be very useful and I'm sure that many educators have found practical uses for it in their classrooms. I can see how it could come in handy if a teacher is sick or on vacation but still wishes to address the class. Additionally students could use it in the same way -- Skype with the teacher or other students in order to find out what homework, lecture, etc. they may have missed. I am sure there are other uses for teaching with Skype, but my usual creative flow of ideas seems to be in somewhat of a drought. Blame the weekend brain idleness, or the mounting monster of stress that culminates in the next week for the MACers. 

I really like the *idea* of using things like Evernote and Diigo, but I don't think I will. At least, not right away. I feel as though learning how to efficiently use these programs will take me more time than it would to simply do things the way I am accustomed to doing them. I know I may sound stuck in my ways. But truly, if these online tools aren't second-nature to me, then they will require I spend time learning how to use them properly rather than simply doing what I'm trying to do in the first place. Perhaps if I could see them at work in a classroom already and witness how they are made useful I would be more intrigued? 

I was responsible for learning about and teaching my group members about dropbox. I hope that they found the handout straightforward and helpful. I think in general our group had a good understanding and we worked cooperatively together. I think that Dropbox could eventually become a tool that I use regularly in my classroom, but as with Evernote and Diigo, I need more practice with it before I am sold on the idea. I think that it is a bit of a bummer that to share things that you put in your dropbox, the other person has to have a dropbox as well (unless you made a custom public URL). I like the idea of having access to all of the files you want regardless of having your home computer with you. That said, if I wanted access to a file later without bringing along my computer, my automatic response would be to email it to myself. This is still my go-to method to get these things stored somewhere I can access later. Until I become more acquainted and automatic with Dropbox, I won't be likely to get much usage out of it. Gotta teach an old dog new tricks, or something like that. 

In reference to the google reader segment of class, can I just say "HUH?" I was so overwhelmed with information by that point that I feel like I could really use another crash course. I didn't get much out of that quick intro because I was still trying to figure out how Evernote works. Introducing 5+ new online resources in a day is too much (at least for me). I can hardly keep the different sites straight, and now I have about 10 million usernames and passwords that I can't seem to sort out either. That was hyperbolic, but really. So much for organizing my online life... Ha. I do however really appreciate that we are being asked to learn about all of these different technology resources available to us as future educators. I would say that it is crucial to remain in the know on these matters, and to continue to be current on technology trends. There are many opportunities to make technology work for us in positive ways that really will facilitate our work. I guess if I have only 1 complaint then for Friday's class it would be that I wish we had been able to spend more time (i.e. one class period/item) exploring each of the different resources we discussed (Diigo, Evernote, Dropbox, Skype, Google Reader). I would want to be well versed in how they work and come away with concrete and practical strategies for how I could implement them in my history classroom. Unfortunately, this is not exactly the case. Gosh. I hate sounding so dang negative. Really not me. I must need bedtime.

On a totally different matter, I just want to say good luck to my comrades this week. Keep your chins up, because I see 3 school-less weeks just on the horizon. 

Shine on.

For any The Rapture fans out there, this one's my fav off their newest album. And if you don't like The Rapture...well, you should.

weeble wobble

In 504 on Friday I was introduced to a new online resource that will be extremely for me to use when I am looking for a teaching job and become a teacher. Prior to this class I had never heard of weebly.com, a fantastic website that allows you to create an entire profile online catered to your specific needs or interest. It allows you to create anything from a food blog to a business portfolio (for free!). 

Here's what I created during class:

go ahead, judge me

I figure I'll go in and edit a few things to turn it into a digital professional portolio. I will be able to upload videos of myself teaching, both of my blogs, podcasts, photos, and virtually anything else I can think of that will contribute to a thorough portfolio. Right now what I have done to my page so far leaves much room for improvement and I'm looking forward to discovering the in's and out's of the weebly world. I am especially thinking that this tool will be especially useful for me when I am looking for a job post-graduation. I will be looking for work in states outside of Michigan (specifically Illinois), and I will be able to provide potential employers/school admin with my online portfolio so that can know more about me via the opportunity afforded by technology. 

I oughtn't neglect to mention how interesting I thought the other portion of class was, including the decoding/deciphering of symbols and the presentation about angry birds being used in a MAC alum's math class. His presentation was thoughtful and illustrated an interesting way to include video games in a way that engages students and helps them to learn math concepts. Though I respect and admire his strategies, I thought all in all that the most memorable part of the class time was creating the weebly account, but that is also probably partially because I don't give much attention to the idea of incorporating angry birds into my future history classroom (forgive me?).

And now, we've only 2 weeks left of SECMAC Summer term 2012. So let's do some business, people.

Cheers!

Psssst...

go play a video game

I should probably preface this post by saying that I personally do not play any video games.

I've never owned a gaming device in my life.

I can't get into it and I truly don't care to.

That said, after reading the Gee article "Good Video Games and Good Learning," I can see the merits of his argument. Sure, giving kids video games is a great way to hone their focus on a particular task. Sure, they might really enjoy and care about their engagement in a game. Sure, they will improve literacy skills and technology skills if they work with video games. I see the positive aspects and how gaming can be educational. I do not want to discredit this fact. 

Now into what I really want to say:

I hate 'em. I really hate 'em. 

I have grown up in a generation that is so consumed by video games that it literally breaks down the possibility of maintaining relationships. I think it is a task done in isolation (aside from fellow online gamers), that is attention consuming and becomes all important. I'm sorry, but killing zombies is not the way that I want to get my education. Put down the controller and pick up a book. 

I don't really know what kind of video games I could or would ever implement in a future history classroom. The only thing I can think of is Oregon Trail -- that game we played in 4th grade that was an interactive computer game that allowed kids to travel the manifest destiny journey. I don't think I really learned much from that game. I think that the majority of the information I want my future students to learn won't be teachable with video games. I'd like to be (maybe) proven wrong. (Well, I never like to be wrong, but I like to expand my knowledge). Until I see a practical application for video games in learning history, I am not an advocate of their use. 

In an effort to keep this short & sweet, I'd like to offer a little song interpretation to close.

Lana del Rey's song "Video Games" talks about a boy and girl in a relationship, the girl expresses her love while her boy plays video games. His idea of fun. His biggest distraction. His favorite hobby. Not her, video games. It speaks to the isolation of our generation in video games -- connecting with technology trumps connecting with people. The meaning is lost and emotions are shallow. You can enjoy the pleasant irony of Lana's words below, in my song-of-the-post.

Cheers, gamers. oops! i mean MACers ;-)

podcastin' son of a gun

Well well well,

I must say, I really enjoyed the activity we did for the first half of 504 class on Friday. I feel like I got a lot out of working with other people to design the soda ban lesson. Members of my group worked collaboratively to prepare a really well thought out plan that I would really actually attempt in my future history classroom. Overall I was pleased with what we did and the librarian was extremely helpful.

She told my group about a pathfinder resource that is created by the librarian or teacher that provides a list of possible resources a student can look to when doing a paper, project, etc. It would include links to different websites that the students could use to search for credible sources and other useful items like citation guidelines.


Also, I was fortunate in being in a group of smarties and hard workers to spend my class time with designing a killer lesson. booyah. 

If you had asked me a month ago if I would ever podcast, I would have said no way. But here I am sitting in the afterglow of my first podcast publication, actually feeling like I could make podcasts work for me in a classroom setting. I had one idea in particular that struck me. 

While in a future history classroom I would like to use podcasts as a way for the kids to create their own and give their own "fireside chat" a la FDR in the 1930s and 40s. I think that given enough thought I could come up with several other historical figures that I could ask them to podcast in their style. I could see this as a good method to help students put themselves in the shoes of historical figure and feel the past in a more memorable way. 


I am sure I will come up with even more ways I can make podcasts work for me in the classroom once I get a bit more experienced with them. I think the idea in general is a good one, I just don't particularly enjoy hearing my own voice. I don't know why, but I guess I'll have to get over that one quickly. 


Overall, I'd say Friday's 504 was a good class. useful. fun. engaging. informative. I approve ;) 


And now, song of the post:

Enjoy, fellow MACers. You guys are star shine and bubble gum. Until next time...