I Must Be Missing Something

A half-hour after I finished my first-ever Twitter Live Chat, I'm left wondering if I have chosen the wrong profession.

Have I completely misjudged my competency as an educator? Have I somehow regressed into some pre-undergraduate state of stupor? How is it that I could enter a chat with supposedly like-minded educators from across my home state of Illinois, and an hour later wonder why the heck I bothered to turn my computer on. Not sure, but I think there might have been a new episode of Market Warriors on tonight. Bummer.

I decided to join the first-ever ILEdChat. How remarkable, I thought, that my first-ever chat would be the first official Illinois Educators' chat on Twitter. Seems like a match made in heaven. Turned out to be a match straight from Hades.

https://illinois.5-essentials.org/2012/

The subject was the Illinois 5 Essentials Survey, a survey created for Illinois' parents, teachers and students to answer questions and help organize Illinois schools for improvement. It sounded like a great topic to chat about: something that could help shape public schools for years to come in Illinois. I took the survey. I wouldn't say I was overly impressed, but I did see the potential for using the data. Most of the questions had to do with collaboration: between principals and teachers, between teacher peers, between teachers and students, teachers and parents, and students and students. I could see how gathering all of this data could point out deficiencies in academic collaboration; and if nothing else, make everyone think twice about how they work with other stakeholders in the equation. I could see how this data could help all students.

Unfortunately, most of the participants either questioned the validity of the survey, discussed how the survey could be used against them, or complained about all of the variables contained in the data. The moderator did ask a total of five questions over the hour-long chat. The questions weren't terrible, asking about how the educators reacted to the survey and what they thought the data might say about them; but few of the answers were relevant. I wanted to talk about collaboration, and how we could do better, and how important it was to connect with parents, students and community leaders. How about some concrete ideas, about how to reach out to people in order to gain their trust and get their input.

I never got any of those. I never really found out what the 5 Essentials even are. I don't know how any of these "important" educators feel about collaboration or what techniques they recommend. I learned nothing. Nothing. And at the end, everyone was congratulating themselves on what a great chat it was and how they can't wait for the next one happening next week. Am I crazy? Am I just not cut out to be an educator?

You know what? I reject what I witnessed, and I reject the attitude that surveys like this are created to somehow entrap educators or blemish state "report cards." I reject the idea that educators can spend an hour talking to other educators and virtually nothing productive comes from it. I know I can do better, I know I can provide more information and concrete answers to difficult problems, and all I am is a graduate student. There were principals and administrators and state officials in the chat, for goodness sake! They offered me nothing.


It's embarrassing, is what it is. I know my next online chat will be better than this one. It has to be.


Here is a copy of the chat archive, via Storify.

A Teacher's Dream

Just picture a classroom that is completely networked: By that I mean each student has the ability and the opportunity to build their own PLN. Each student would need access to their own device; and the teacher will have had to lead them through the process of building the network. But once that was completed, there would be nothing a student could not explore. There would be nothing a student could not accomplish. Each student could draw from multiple resources, and with the teacher's help and guidance, find their own answers to the learning activities.

Then imagine a school district where all of the educators are networked. Each teacher with the ability to collaborate, confer, and analyze educational issues with experts and peers. Each school in the district on the same curricular page, and in constant contact with each other. There would be nothing a district could not explore; and nothing they could not accomplish if they had the opportunity to do so. With the guidance of educational technology experts, and the desire by districts to bring everyone online, this can be done. Imagine the learning and professional development that could take place.

www.sibelius.com via Google Images

Imagine an entire education society networked. Districts connecting with other districts, ideas being shared across the country. It wouldn't solve everything, but it would go a long way toward enabling us as a society to achieve the goals that are so important to our educational system. We will get there one day, I predict; probably sooner than I think.

But it will take a lot of money, and I don't know where that is going to come from. It will take a lot of changed attitudes about technology, and a lot of work by teachers. Sure, government will have to get on board, unfortunately, and administrators will have to push hard for reform. But in the end, it will be the teachers who seek the knowledge, attend conferences, encourage each other, inspire students, and facilitate the learning. We have to stay on top of technological trends, and we have to move one step closer to the goal each day. We need teachers that are so in love with technology that they'll stay up until 1 o'clock every night figuring out how to make this all work. 

It can happen, and it will happen. It will be the teachers that make it happen. We'll probably get no credit, but we don't care. Bureaucracy will get in the way, but we'll get around it somehow. Budgets will be drained, but we'll contribute whatever we can. Because we know that a networked classroom provides the most differential, individual, and diverse learning opportunities for the students of the 21st Century. A networked classroom belongs to the students. They can make it whatever they desire.

I can dream, can't I?

Love That Twitter

I can remember a few years ago when I first signed up for Twitter after hearing the buzz. I signed up -- I mean why wouldn't I? -- but I didn't get it. I couldn't see what the big deal was about. I found a few people to follow, but moved on, back to Facebook.

Now, I couldn't imagine getting on the computer without spending the bulk of that time on Twitter. What started as a fascination has warped into a ritual. I love everything about Twitter. The brevity, the freedom, and the conversations. What still troubles me is the Twitter site itself. It's still one column. There are settings to personalize the service, but it's still this single column of tweets. There are more dimensions to Twitter.

Tweetdeck Dashboard

I really fell in love with Twitter when I discovered Tweetdeck (www.tweetdeck.com). As Prof. Hartman says, it's a great tool. I set up my columns and tailor the experience to fit my needs and wants. I set up one column that combines my Twitter and Facebook feeds (Tweetdeck is no substitute for the Facebook site, by the way); one column with all of my notifications; and two or three columns with search terms. Using hashtags (the pound sign in front of the search term) is a great way to get in on pertinent conversations. Sometimes it takes a while to discover the best hashtag, but I like to use #edchat and #edtech as search columns. Anyone that includes that hashtag in their tweet shows up in the search. This keeps me up to date with what my peers are saying about education and technology. I have recently added a column #metc13 so I can follow happenings at the Midwestern Education Technology Conference in St. Charles next month. During the conference, presenters will use this hashtag to elicit responses and strike up conversations during and after their presentations. And once you've found like-minded tweeters, then you can really begin to add follows and followers. Cool, cool, cool.

There is also a 'list' feature to Twitter, which I'm just getting into. You can group those you follow into lists that make it easier to find who you want to read. Personally, it hasn't been that important, since I could sort my tweets into searches.

Facebook has its place, especially when it comes to family and friends. But for colleagues or peers, nothing beats Twitter.

When I'm on my android phone, I also use Tweetdeck. It's fabulous; and my favorite mobile app. I've also discovered Scope. I like it too, because it also incorporates Instagram (another service I really like) into the feed. Scope is not quite as reliable, however. I can use other apps like Engadget, which features edtech news, and easily share what I like with Twitter. Along with new Web 2.0 sites like Facebook and Twitter, the exciting element of the web for me is the ability to share between sites and apps so easily. It makes it easy to find information and share it with your peers quickly.

It's amazing how far this technology has come in just a few years. I heard somebody mention the other day that the first iPad is only about four years old. Now our society is completely addicted to tablets. It's all moving so fast, it can be hard to keep up. That's why collaboration between educators and tech experts is so important.

P.S. I'm sorry everyone, I can't believe I forgot to include my twitter name: @lategrad

Creating Networks

For those of you that may not be familiar with my blog, I like to float around in the middle somewhere, between those that think technology is overrated and has no place in the classroom, and those that think computers and the Internet is the answer to everything. I am a lover of modern technology, but I also believe there are other things we can do in the classroom that are still worthwhile. My observation is that many of today's educational leaders are pushing a computerized agenda down our throats. My instincts tell me we need to remember that technology comes in many forms; that not every old idea is a bad idea; and that personal relationships are still the best kind of relationships.

What I often worry about is the desire to get students "plugged in" while they are at school. Sounds pretty cool, until one considers that that's pretty much what they're doing all the time when they're not at school. Sometimes I think school can provide an escape from the fast-paced, short-attention-span world that children grow up in. At least for some parts of the day, for goodness sake! Some students need that break, whether they know it or not.

But this doesn't excuse the school district that thinks modern technology is just some "fad," or not worth the money it would take to effect that kind of change. We must channel every dollar we have toward providing our students with modern, real-world tools. By this I don't necessarily mean computers, nor any specific device. I have heard about districts buying iPads for their students. Although I can see some value in that, I wonder what will happen next year when the iPads you just bought are already obsolete. Just because something is popular or cool doesn't mean it's the right investment. I once heard someone much wiser than me say: "Date the device. Marry the skill."

Three things about the beginning of our PLN book that I thought were particularly interesting (I am enjoying the book very much so far): Being a former newspaper reporter/editor, I could really relate to the authors' narrative about how newspapers failed to revolutionize their product when they had the chance (p. 4). Instead, they tried to tweak it, believing their business model was still sound. Many students today probably don't even know of a time when newspapers were relevant. As is obvious today, newspapers failed to fully adapt; and their demise is legendary -- and nearly complete. I got out just in time; although I still miss it. More than accurate, the example parallels how many school districts see their "business model." The Blockbuster example (p. 6) was also insightful and relevant. I wonder when school districts will finally see the writing on the wall.

The authors make two statements that are related, in my opinion, and very useful, later in the introduction (p. 7). They say that many teachers, especially younger ones, are probably pretty good at using the Internet and social networks, but they don't necessarily understand how meaningful these types of networks can be for his/her classroom. Just a couple paragraphs later, the authors state that students are already embracing the "building blocks" of the most incredible learning tool ever invented, but they don't realize it. These are two things educators should focus on: helping teachers understand the tools that are available; and showing students how their favorite social tools can dynamically change the way they learn and understand their world.

I was beginning to get a little worried about the authors' focus only on adding technology and enlarging the students' role in the learning process. It's a worthwhile idea, but where do the teachers fit in? Should we just fire them? They just get in the way anyway, right? Fortunately, the authors make their feelings clear in a positive way, on p. 19, saying "if you think we're sketching a vision of students sitting in front of computers working through self-paced curricula and interacting with a teacher only on occasion, you're way, way off." The authors add they simply see the potential for "meaningful, experiential, constructivist learning" to occur in online interactions, just as there can be in face-to-face meetings. "It's the melding of the two that will shape our schools in the 21st Century."

Yes. Thank you. That's exactly the balanced attitude that I believe in.

The Shootings

No fancy opening paragraph here; no clever word usage or tricky introduction.

I think more than anything I just need to use this vehicle, a blog, to vent. Everyone else has, via Facebook or Twitter or comment threads under news stories. To me, 99 percent of it is crap: emotional reactions to a horrific event. It's understandable; we're humans. Maybe 99 percent of what I'm about to say is crap, too.

I see this school shooting in Connecticut from two angles:

Firstly, it pisses me off that only after some terrible event like this, do people get outraged. Recently, in Chicago -- one city in America -- they passed 400 gun-related deaths in 2012. One city. One year. Where is the outrage here? It struck me as so ironic that the President of the United States -- a Chicago native -- barely mentioned the epidemic of hateful violence that has his home town completely terrorized. And I would guess that almost all of those deaths in Chicago were caused by criminals with illegally-obtained weapons. So where is the outrage? Here is the part that really irks me: Only when terrible things like this happen to white people, or white children especially, in middle-class America, does it make the really big headlines. Nobody really cares if black kids in the inner city are being slaughtered. It might make the local news, but the next night there are other murders to take the place in the news cycle. Nobody really cares, nobody remembers.

For the next several weeks the media will be lamenting what happened in Connecticut, and people will hold vigils, and pundits from both sides will raise and then deflect the issue of gun control. Finally, the public sentiment will die down, and folks will move on. Not in Newtown, mind you, but across America. The fact is, something like this will probably never happen in Newtown again. Yet in Chicago, and other cities across America, the violence will continue, day after day. Where will the outrage be then? It will be absent. Who cares about black kids or inner city crime? Some give it lip service, but nobody really cares. It's the kind of hypocrisy that really pisses me off.

Secondly, I don't have a problem with banning assault weapons. Americans have the right, whether one likes it or not, to possess firearms. It's not an option. But one doesn't need an assault weapon, even to protect one's home and family. Ban them, I don't care. Do it. Quit giving it lip service. But realize that doing so will not stop people from killing each other. People kill other people because of what is in their hearts. People have always been crazy; and evil has always existed. But there is something that used to exist strongly in our culture, and doesn't really exist there any more: God. God has been pushed aside, sent to the sidelines to observe, and taken out of mainstream America. When the Founders set this country up, they knew that the country needed religion in order to restrain themselves, because so much freedom would exist. We have so many gun-related deaths because we're a free society, and it's easy to abuse that freedom. There must be some kind of restraint.

I have taught sociology before, and one of the things I try to tell students is that aside from one's personal beliefs, generally speaking, nations need religion in order to exist, long-term. It gives the people a common bond, a common set of morals to live by, and common consequences to avoid -- even if only perceived. And the more free a nation is, the more it needs religion. More freedom requires more personal restraint. The problem in this country, I tell them, isn't the different religions that exist. It's that the more different religions there are, the less we are -- as a group -- bonded by common beliefs. Diversity can be a strength, but in some ways it can be a liability: It is better for the long-term stability of a country if everyone is on the same page. What is even worse today is the fact that so many people are choosing "none of the above." You can still be a good person without religion of course, but long-term, for the group, it really helps to have these common traits. Personally, I believe that God, and more specifically Jesus, is the way. I cannot tell my students that (unfortunately), and I would not attempt it. It's just my personal belief.

Honestly, we take God out of society, out of the public view, out of schools, and -- this is ironic -- out of churches, and we wonder why our country is going to hell?

If we really want to stop this trend of mass shootings and gun-related deaths, and violence in general, then we must accept the fact that contrary to what the culture is telling us, we really do need to look to higher powers for help here. We must accept that we're not as smart as we thought we were, and maybe, just maybe, we don't always know what is in our best interests. Maybe science isn't everything. Maybe we should have a more humble attitude. Maybe we should ask God for help.

In fact, the best place to start is "me." As a song lyric says, "the problem with the world is me." It's true when you think about it. If we all stopped blaming circumstances, blaming other people, blaming government, blaming guns -- all of that stuff -- and examined ourselves and what was in our hearts, we would take a very real and significant step in changing the world. Guns, mental health, society, culture, school security, video games, violence in films or music -- pick your poison. These are all problems worth addressing. But the real solution is something much more basic and real. As a nation, we must turn back to God. I absolutely guarantee he will be there waiting for us.

Fall Reflections: A's and B's

As we come close to the Christmas season, I thought it might be a good time to update the ol' blog, since neither of my Fall classes has required blog entries. I have taken two very good classes, one of them exceptionally good, and I'm about to finish that second one in a couple of weeks.

A debate has resurfaced during this latest class, which I don't know the name of right now, but trust me, it's been good (actually, not being too specific gives me some leeway here). The debate is over how to best train teachers to adapt to using modern technology in the classroom right now. A couple of people in my class have insisted that we need to train teachers to use Google Docs, or Glogster, or other current popular web tools.

My opinion is that we need to help teachers learn how to accept technology, love technology, and find web tools on their own. After all, the web tools of today could be gone tomorrow; or swallowed up by some mega-company.

That may seem a little paranoid, but about a year ago I fell in love with Fridge (www.frid.ge), a site that provided easy setups of private social networks. It made sense to me, with parents rightly concerned about allowing kids to log on to Facebook or Twitter during school hours, to set up a private network with all of the bells and whistles that was isolated from the noise and disruption that is Facebook. Students could collaborate, teachers could keep track, students could connect and chat without the teacher being able to pry, friends could be made, assignments could be completed -- everything a social networking tool should be to a classroom.

But soon after I had signed up, got familiar and started telling others about Fridge, the company got bought out by Google. Now Fridge is being "folded into" Google+. Well, I like Google+, but I hesitate to use that in the classroom for the same reasons I would hesitate to use Facebook or Twitter: There's just too many jerks out there.

Hunting and trying out web tools is a time-consuming and difficult job; and that's why tech gurus that do this for us and share the good ones are so valuable. But a good one for me might not be a good one for you. A good one for Student A might not work for Student B. Realizing halfway through a lesson that one of your students needs a certain learning experience requires teachers that know what they need and know how to find it.

I guess I'm splitting hairs to some extent. We need teachers that want to learn; and want to find new tools and new ways to use the old tools. As long as teachers are eager, and curious, and engaged, we'll be OK. I just want us to avoid spending a lot of time learning about Tool A when it could disappear tomorrow, and Tool B might be better anyway.

Enhancing Literacy: Final Reflections

I just want to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this class. I have met a lot of great educators/students that I hope I'll stay in contact with throughout this program, and maybe even beyond. This is a great, talented group. Thanks to Mrs. Blanco as well for her help and leadership.

I guess if I had to make a suggestion for improving the course, it would be more integration between the projects we worked on and the books we read. Although I read almost all of the readings, it seems like I could have completed the projects and the paper without doing any of the reading (although it would have been more difficult).

Having said that, I really liked the activities/projects we did in this class. Especially the Infographic. That was really fun to do and something I'll be able to use down the road. Overall, a very educational class and a great start to what will surely be a fantastic program. Good luck to everyone. See you next class!