Week 6- Social Networking

Over the weekend, I got to spend some time with exchange students from all over the world. The biggest problem we ran into was that the majority of the students couldn't be pulled away from their computers to interact with each other "in person." One of the counselors asked, "Has it gotten to the point where we need to restrict computer time so that they get to experience reality?" The article seemed to go along perfectly with this experience. Teenagers are becoming dependent on technology to instant gratification through communication. The ironic part is that even though teenagers are never really on their own (cell phones, email, texting) they can be in a room full of people and not interact with one person face to face.
The author asserts that as teenagers continue to use instant communication, they are losing the ability to self-reflect. She also asks if "self expression is more important than social action?" It is a thought provoking question. Besides the annoyance of having students trying to text during class, I'm starting to realize that they are there, but not really there. Not only are they not learning, but they're not experiencing the moment. I guess it remains to be seen if this is good or not, but I'm starting to think like the author- social networking is changing the way we relate to each other.

Week 50 Myths and Realities

The main point of this article is the simple truth that schools need to incorporate technology as a tool, rather than some sort of goal that can be achieved. To say technology is a goal means that when computers are physically available in the school, the goal has been reached. Instead schools begin to invest in new technology and update the classroom to meet the needs of 21st century education, school districts will be able to really use computers and technology to help students.
One perspective I hadn't considered was that the income level of the school directs the use of technology. His point that poorer schools tend to use computers for drill and practice is a perfect reflection of my school. The computer labs that we use to be able to use are all being taken for special education and ESL students. While I can't say exactly what the programs are like, I do hear that it is very individualistic, instead of the project based lessons that I like to use. If the school district saw the need for all students to get into computer lab, so that they can become effective learners for today's culture, the district would stop restricting the time we have in computer labs.

Jonassen

The first two chapters of Jonassen's book are a fantastic overview of the changing models of learning and education.  The first chapter reviewed the fundamentals of learning; it is active, social, active, and chaotic.  So how do we as educators make learning meaningful?  I didn't realize that I am a constructivist in regards to learning, but these chapters confirmed it.  I would rather students be collaborating and working toward an end product.  I prefer to call myself a "facilitator of learning because I would rather students take ownership of their own education.

But chapter two has me wondering how I can give students relevant and engaging problem solving activities.  One of the things I really want to work on are lesson plans that ask students to critically think through a situation, consider all of the options, and pick the solution they think is the best.

Teaching with New Eyes

John Snyder's article was a philosophical review of the desperate need for change in education. He argues that it is technology that will prompt students to make education a lifelong pursuit, instead of nuisance they can't wait to get away from. He uses an example for teaching "history" in Social Studies by getting students to examine what makes defining moments in history. It is a great idea that I think would really help students examine their own reality, and determine which events are important and which will be forgotten.
Snyder apparently documented the results of running these projects, and I was disappointed to find out the link to it didn't work. But I did enjoy looking throught the school's website and seeing websites that other teachers had created.

WebQuests

I am a big fan of WebQuests in theory, but not necessarily in practice. Bernie Dodge's and Dr. Christie's sites on how to design and create WebQuests both had great information. Bernie's site gave very specific information on template design, structure, format, and helpful hints. Dr. Christie's site had plenty of examples that could be easily modified to work in the classroom.
So after designing a WebQuest this summer I was really excited to try it in the classroom. The problem is that it didn't work. When I finally could get in to the computer lab the students had a really difficult time competing the project. Some computers were just bad, other computers would kick them off the server, and I spent most of my time trouble-shooting. By the end, both my students and I were frustrated.
In order to run a WebQuest again in my school, what I will probably do is have one small group of studens work on the project in the library, and have them report back to the class. This will help alleviate the technical difficulties, and will be more like a jigsaw.