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.

Tablets!

First, tablets are awesome! Through bits of training with Mike Bachrodt, the tutorial, and some playing with the tablet, I look forward to incorporting the technology into my teaching. Already, I am thinking of the possibilites and ease of "writng" on a power point or projected document from any where in the room. Moreso, it is spectacular for my teaching, coaching, extra-curricular organization and maintenance. Meeting notes have never been as easy to record and save, without having to take time to type (or misplace a sheet of paper).
I'm still learning the nuances, and continue to discover new options for use. That, and the more I can play with it, the better adept and efficient I become with it. YEA for tablets!

DEG data

So, many teachers have experienced much frustration with wait times while working on the computers. Mike (Bachrodt) shared a log sheet that orgainzed wait time in seconds for various features of the DEG. Already aware of slow changes, I know that I will be filling in lag times as I use the DEG here at school.
Moreover, I revised the original log and printed copies to tape at the computer stations in the department. I emailed my department to inform them of what the logs are and how to utilize them, as well as why. Hopefully, they will record the necessary data as slow DEG response times occur. Then I can compile the results and turn them into Mike Bachrodt.
Already, several teachers have complained at a computer while I was in the room, which provided a perfect opportunity to direct their attention to the new logs. Since, I am considering revamping them to include other lag time areas, such as waiting for a program to actually open for use.

Frustrations

With new technology as well as demands to use more technology, new frustrations naturally follow. Or old frustrations pounded deeper into our experiences. For some in teaching, frustrations revolve around techonology that fails; for example, the practical side of technology in the classroom requires maintenance. Often, rooms with a variety of teachers or after school uses might contain technology simply not plugged in correctly, or cables missing, or the wrong channel set on the VCR for overhead use. Simple, but messy, these problems stop technology use, take time, and frustrate teachers.
So do Apperson scanners as teachers discover incorrectly graded tests. While rare, the error frustrates. Still, teachers continue to use them and look forward to a time when scanning directly into a computer is easy and without. The complaints of such frustration continue to arrive at my metaphorical tech. coach doorstep.
This puts me in a position to reflect. Over the years, I have witnessed much frustration as our district plunged into technology and required many, many changes. At first, the resistance seemed partially due to change, and, at times, to an actual increase in work load rather than decrease. With perseverance, those frustrations receded, as teachers learned more. Coordinated instruction dramatically enabled this, like with the implementation of the DEG. When first released, many "ouched" with frustrations from errors to accessibility to overexposure. However, with training and development, fewer DEG frustations exist and fewer questions and training needs stop teachers from using it.
So there is progress through the frustrations. Still, not enough times exists for all the technology that is suppose to streamline tasks into less time.

Departmental Duties

Yesterday I posted, or tried to post, an update on miscellaneous department activities in my tech. land. Today, I learned, I some how didn't post afore mentioned post; I saved it as a draft.



And so goes my learning curve on blogging, even after using one with my class.



The most recent duty regarding my department, English, has been gathering technology requests that would better enable its use in teaching. Not many responded, but we do have a couple of needs and wishes. After reporting the wish list to Mike (Bachrodt), I have researched some of the items we requested for price and specifications. Somehow, shopping always takes longer than I anticipate. My personal favorite is the Sony digital video camera that records directly to a DVD. It would be so easy to "film" a speech and immediately give that student his or her copy for self-reflection with that item!



Other department 'duties' I have worked on revolve around the department web page, assisting others with individual web pages, and 'quick' questions that invite more instruction toward new opportunities. While working with Josh Teschner on his new Boys Golf page, I advised him toward different templates (self created ones) and new to him features. He then took off on his own often to explore and create a great page. With our discussions in the department room, others could overhear and insert, "Oh, ya, I need to update my page. Nicole, can you...?"



We may not create a spreading wildfire while working within our departments' walls, but the glowing embers of curiousity and convinience certainly heat up while instructing "one" teacher there.

With all the new tech. mind set in society, accompanied with the incorporated use of tech. in our daily lives (more so of our students), I finally assembled strong digital story/visual + essay assignment. I've wanted students to include images, music, and the written word (both by students and quoted from sources) in order to communicate their message. Happily, in my E403 course, I developed a very successful assignment: "Music Video Essay". Students chose a song and made a video of images and words (and combos there of) to leave a lasting effect on the audience. Messages varied, but all were extremely strong, and students composed in different mediums, including MovieMaker and PowerPoint. I applied requirements to mandate personal articulation within the presentation, as well. I was very impressed with their results, and keenly aware that they spent more homework time on this than on standard essay assignments.

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.