A Time for Reflection 3

As I reflect back on the School 2.0 strand (and this course in general) I realize that I need to push myself to learn more about technology and how it can be used to help my student learn and think about science. I like the fact that technology is so integrated into the lives of our students that their use of computers is just part of their normal life and not a "special trip" to the school computer(s) as it was when I was a kid (I am a first generation Oregon Trail gamer!). Now I need to push myself to start adopting technology in my teaching, I just want to make sure I am doing it for the students' sake and not technology's sake. I would like to start teaching my Regents Earth Science kids by using PowerPoint and my LCD projector (as I do in my EMT class) instead of using the overhead as I do now but don't know how they would take notes; I realize that viewing ppt presentations is very "Web 1.0" but I have to start somewhere, right? I would also like to try out a "class blog question of the week" and see how kids take to it. I wonder if they will read and post or just ignore it. Another thing I would like to do is to have my wiki page start to take form. This seems like an easy and effective way to differentiate, and possibly provide extra credit, for the faster kids.

What I will do differently as a result of this class is to start my journey into using technology in my classroom. I need to keep learning (how do you embed a youtube video in a ppt?, etc...); I love learning new "stuff", it just takes time.

I feel that Lori did an outstanding job putting together a great class that could be done at school or at home. Every topic opened my mind to new technologies and possibilities to saturate my kids with science without them realizing it. Thanks Lori!

Thoughts on School 2.0

I'm glad that the US Department of Education is promoting schools to use new technologies to teach and inform students and their families. Sometimes I feel that the DoE just hands out curriculum and hides in its bureaucracy. What strikes me the most about the vision of tomorrow's schools is that it seems that the kids are ready to accept the challenges of moving into a "totally technological" learning environment, but the old people (teachers) aren't as comfortable with the idea. In addition, the cost of making these changes seems very high.

From the map, I think the most promising idea is free wi-fi hotspot standing on the corner in the middle of the town. A few times this year I have been talking to parents of students and have asked them for email addresses and, surprisingly, a few do not have the resources for a computer with internet access. I know how expensive young kids are to raise and I know they are going to want more expensive things as the years go on. I think that some parents aren't buying computers because of the awful "monthly fees" that go along with it. Dell certainly makes computers affordable; I think almost any household could spring for a basic computer. What I think holds people back is the thought of paying $50 per month for internet access. Have the Village of Hilton (at least) as a wi-fi zone would be very cool and I think that many more people would be on the web.

As far as what I would change...nothing but the perception that we shouldn't or can't move into the web 2.0 world. It sounds like a lot of money, work, and learning but the longer we wait, the harder we are making it for our students to compete in the global market.

Impressions of Alan November's interview of Dr. Yong Zhao

I get a little scared when I read about predictions on the future of education and especially where our students will fit into the global workforce. Dr. Zhao made me feel that I really need to get a handle on technology and its advances and how to effectively make use of it in my classroom. He mentions "not being afraid" to use the new technology- I am most afraid of the time it would take away from the course; will it pay off?

I keep hearing and reading about Second Life. It is now available for MS Vista so I guess I might give it a go. I don't really know how it can fit into my class but I will have to explore it a bit. The global reaching nature seems cool but I worry about online predators interacting with my students. I am also interested to see the "game" that teaches kids how to speak Mandarin Chinese; if kids can find that fun, I'm sure there are science applications for my class in the future.

Dr. Zhao's three important needs were a bit of an awakening for me. I am trying to wrap my mind around recognizing the positive effects of the virtual environment for my students. I envision doing labs with "partners" from around the world and that makes me excited. His second idea about sharing ideas, curriculum, and teachers online is also intriguing; who is better to learn about a glacier from that from a person who lives near one? His last idea about changing how technology and teachers get along really sums it all up for me. I would like to make the jump into "total technology" from my students but worry about how to do this most effectively. Also, what about the kids who don't have internet access at home? I have a few kids this year who wouldn't be able to "login" to what ever project I might assign, what should I do with them?

Finally, the "more food for thought" youtube movie was provocative, I just need to make the leap. The comment about taking away kids' cellphones struck me today. I took a girl's cell phone away because she was texting during class; I feel that I keep a pretty close watch on things when I am lecturing but had another student in class text the girl's phone which was now in my pocket. I felt it buzz, looked at the screen, and saw the other student's name with a new message flashing. Maybe we should stop fighting and begin to use cell phones as a tool. What a can of worms that would be!

21st Century Skills Collaborative Project

I had a little trouble trying to come up with an idea for a collaborative project for my students but I think this will work. As an inquiry project I would like to assign groups of students the following different stream characteristics to model and study in the classroom: steepness, width, and amount of water. I will supply students with basic equipment they can use to test for their given characteristic (variable). Students will test their variable by keeping all other variables the same (control). Students will collaborate with their group members to design and problem-solve an acceptable setup to run their tests by manipulating only their variable. The groups can take pictures of their setups and then write a description which will share their findings on the class wiki page. This will take their work to a higher level because of the potential world-wide audience.

To take this project to "the next level" I think it would be cool for students to use Google Earth to search for streams in the United States with the characteristics of the stream the designed in class. Students could then use the USGS (United States Geological Survey) site data to (hopefully) support the conclusions they made in class. They could even collaborate with students in other part of the country to ask them questions about their local waterways. Just an idea...

Reflections 2: The Most Useful Tool...del.icio.us!

Late last school year, I was complaining about trying to keep my bookmarks organized (both at school and at home) when my officemate, Scott, suggested that I try del.icio.us. I remember saying that I would give it a go but never even visited the site, but now, thanks to this course, I am hooked! I like that I can keep all of my bookmarks from school and home, whether they are personal or professional, all in one, easy to access place.

I love to bookmark things and a few years ago I would have way too many bookmarks in my "favorites" folder to be of much use; when the end of the year came I would feel relieved to get rid of all of them and start the new year with a clean slate. During the last few years, I have stopped bookmarking things and trying to rely on google to find sites that would pop into my mind from months earlier, however, not even google can find everything. Now I can bookmark like crazy and then easily categorize, search, and share my finds plus I can access my bookmark lists from any computer.

The portability piece is very cool. I will continue to learn and become more comfortable with del.icio.us. I will eventually have a group for EMT stuff, hiking, cycling, and who knows what else. As far as how this will help my teaching, I will be able to find those obscure sites that I ran across in the distant past to show my students. I don't see any reason why students couldn't look at my bookmarks as I don't have anything inappropriate but I will have to seriously consider how I will approach this in the future. My wife has also starting using del.icio.us and loves it as much as I do!