Blog-success!

Wonders of wonders did my E102classupdates (link in side margin here) blog take off! I had students ask questions via the blog post ASK QUESTIONS here by way of comments. I then responded, in the hopes that students would look at other questions/answers before leaping with their question if it is already answered. Ideally, I hoped to save time in 1:1 q and a, when all students could benefit from the dialog. Sure enough, the blog found success! Big time! The night before the paper was due, several students really took advantage of the q/a format and got help from me while working on their papers. Better, they helped one another, in answering questions, and in support when "I'M FREAKING OUT!" was posted. The support and sharing was a delight to see for me. And the mad typing, while time consuming, had me excited for them. I know the comments helped them, a great deal. For now, it took a chunk of extra time for me, but 1. helped them much, 2. encouraged student: student help, 3. provided a sounding board, 4. can be used and modified for time streamlining next time.
In contrast, my juniors had the same situation offered on my e302 blog site, but did not take advantage nearly as much, nor did they really engage in helping one another. Interesting in that they all had the same introduction from me into using it; however, I did not have a class period with the juniors where I would only answer questions in the computer lab from the blog site (since the juniors did not have the computer lab available as a class). I guess it has to be started there.

Extra, Extra!

We had a very LOOoooonG week with Open House smack dab in the middle of it all. Many powerpoints were prepped and practice, to be sure. Beyond that little extra, a few more extras appeard, like an extra 40 or 50 students on my Athletic Eligibility list. A few extra clicks of the mouse may seem like no extra time or energy, but those little minutes add up. Besides, some of those minutes are large chunks of time, from screen switching, to wait time between clicks, to staring at the glow from the screen, thinking and deciding.
I realize that I could be much quicker with my extra clicking, but as a head coach I also recognize the importance of the accuracy of those reports. Furthermore, in another midterm time length, I will better equipped to click quicker, just by knowing the students better than I do during the first few weeks, first few AE reports. Still, EGADS! The extra 20 to 30 minutes (no I'm not kidding , nor exaggerating) could be my lunch or a set of papers graded, or some cooperative learning stations created.
Technology enables us to do so much more, but, then, well, we do so much more. It comes back to balance, again, and priorities. I suspect that the AE list is a low priority for some teachers, and I suspect that some teachers have far fewer (and some with more) students on whom to report. I do understand that some enhancements to the technology will speed along some of the extra work for us, which is absolutely brilliant. THAT is what I love about technology: enhancement, improvement, time saver.
It's just that sometimes, it takes some extra time to get the technology to save some time, whether it's learning it or filling in the electronic potholes. And, sometimes, technology makes it very easy to require more from people, without allotting extra time. More often, I and others, do extra as extra technology enhances.
Sometimes I question if all the extra work is worth it; for example, I have a couple class blogs in which I update what we do in class, with insights and assignments. Do parents/students/supports for students utilzie them? In a couple disheartening email exchanges with parents of absent and/or needy students in which I provide the blog link as a resource for their long-term requests, those same parents responded with requests for the blogged information via email. For me, it was redundancy and extra time lost on those email communications. So, the technology I have employed to save communication time, was not accessed. "They" ask for it, but don't utilize it. I sort of felt like Santa, making the requested toy (and even a duplicate), wrapping it, flying it out (when it's not even Christmas Eve), delivering it down the chimney (despite the roasting flames) and into the home, and then receiving an updated request for another to be FedEx-ed for front door delivery instead (even though the requested toy is sitting in the living room, right next to the 52" LCD screen TV). And then when they get that delivery, they have already bought a replacement or changed their mind and no longer want the toy, uh, toyS. So a pile of new toys grows, unused, unopened, and they are good, quality, and educational toys (without lead paint or plastic poisons).
A little extra.

A funny thing happened on the way to the ...FORUM

I'm doubling blogging this: curiosity on forums. Are they something we can use effectively? Or , just another tech trick with which to play? Even if that is the case, would students dance with delight at the opportunity to use a forum for class, enjoying the trick we use to enlighten?
Currently, I'm blogging way into the forum thought, after passing through the town of Wiki. We will see what I stumble upon in my curious quest.

Dept-ditties

So the department rolls on with advancements in technology. Over the past weeks, a handful of English members commented on interest in tablet use. I continue to use it visible, like at department meeting, hoping to illustrate tablet use to more individuals. Still, other technological opportunities have been seized, while others fell flat.

Quickly today, for example, I showed Sabra how to better use labels in her blog; other individuals blogging in English are Gina and Leah, whom I helped initiate into the blog-land during a lunch area. This occurred more by orchestrated happenstance as I was working in the office when I overheard Leah discussing blogs and jumped on the moment. Getting started blogging really only takes a lil' nudge. Others, too, have ventured into blogs with ease of trial and error.

Many more of my projected offerings to show or teach an element of technology die cold deaths. Most teachers during a free or lunch period reject the immediate "let me show you...." unless already answering a question that necessitates the computer in front of us. We are all busy and scheduled into slots of time. Even more, out of school day hours are less used, though more advertised via Mike Bachrodt. I am talking more to Mike about ideas on getting teachers to accept invitations to learn more about what technology will be in the future classroom that we will all be using. For now and with the greatest success, I snag moments of sharing to pique curiosity for more; eventually, someone will ask for more training on a given topic or tech. device.

There is always so much more and new to learn that it is difficult to keep abreast of it all. The "it" being technology, as well as course content information. We continue to push ourselves to be better teachers with the content; we develop new aspects for each class after assessing successes; we grade; we learn every new technological advancement that is available to us.

Right. Not quite on that last point. There simply is not enough time in the year to do it all. My personal frustrations lie in the adage, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink, as well as balancing my own learning and work. Overall, I sincerely believe we are doing a fine job as teachers with keeping in line with new technology; and I believe as tech. coaches we do make a difference. We're all good.

Blogging, the Beast

Recently, I have made a direct and concerted effort to blog more for my classes. After frustration of a class blog with student input as homework, I re-focused attempts at a blog FOR the class. I chose E101 as the test-group, where I blog weekly to daily a general journal of what we did in class that day. After notifying parents and students of this blog, as well as making a link to it on my class web page, I have received huge, happy reactions. Now, parents, sped teachers, guided study hall helps, and anyone else can easily keep up with what we did each day. Students have more opportunities to keep up.

Several English department members have started blogs in their classrooms, both for "discussion" and for "feedback". I find that once one person starts asking about using an aspect of technology, another overhears and joins in the learning. Working within the department setting allows for more such trickling of ideas to spread.