I know it's been awhile, but it's been a busy summer so far. This summer I have been given an exciting and busy change of assignment for the upcoming school year, as mentioned in previous posts, that I am beginning to think about more and more as I work on the task at hand. In the upcoming school year I will change roles from a math teacher to a technology teacher, and this change has got me thinking about this job from a different perspective.
At the beginning of the summer I was told about this switch and my principal told me I would have free run in writing these courses as our retiring tech teacher was more of a business teacher than strictly a computers teacher, and the classes that I would be teaching didn't currently exist in our academic program. He just needs course titles, a description, and a syllabus to present to the superintendent and board. On one hand, I was very excited to have the freedom to develop my own courses and teach a curriculum that I deem appropriate. I mean, it's every teacher's dream, right? To have the ability to teach what I choose in a class not tested under NCLB, where students will actually learn and take something away from.
Throughout this work, however, I have begun to think about the implications of this. The freedom that is so refreshing to have does come with a cost. In a bigger district, this job would be the responsibility of a curriculum director, and I would be given a curriculum to work from, adjust, and implement. When it comes down to it, I am a teacher, not a curriculum director. I am confident that I will put forth a fine curriculum, that is not my concern. My concern is what sort of precedent is being set by my work. As we negotiate a contract during this time when, as with many other teachers, we are being asked to do more and more for less and less, I am concerned about where this precedent will lead. Yes, part of it is a bit of selfishness in which I would like to have some compensation for this non-contracted I am doing, but I know I have to do it because I am a teacher, and we teachers can't half-ass things when we are asked to do them and know that they are in the best interests of our students. Most of it is concern about the district's policy for the school and for the students. My concern is, where would the district be left if I were to take another position or not return for the upcoming school year? They would be hiring a cheap, young teacher in August to walk into a room full of computers and tell that person to teach a non-existent curriculum. How many of our first teaching assignments have started that way!?
In the grand scheme of things it comes down to our lack of value for education. We are in this position because schools lack the proper funding to fill positions like curriculum directors, technology directors, arts instructors, and in many cases the appropriate number of teachers. Contracts all over the State of Michigan are changing language to raise the per pupil ratio in order to lay off teachers while still being in compliance with labor agreements, and remaining teachers are being asked to do work that is beyond their job descriptions. Yes, we will do the work because we are morally obligated to do it, but where will this lead? The only way we will be able to "race to the top" is if we are valued and properly supported to do so.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Wrong Attitude
"Yeah, but this is Morrice." This phrase gets under my skin like nothing else I can imagine when said in that depressed, condescending tone that admits defeat and implies that our students are second-rate nobodies. And much like many other small, rural schools dotted throughout the countryside, it's use is far too prevalent around school and needs to stop.
Besides being an appalling attitude that will get you nowhere, it's insulting. It's insulting to the teachers who work tirelessly and passionately to make sure every student has an opportunity for success in their future provided through a top rate education. This comment permeates our perceptions and becomes a reality, negating all of the countless efforts of a passionate staff.
It's insulting to our students who work extremely hard each and every day to be the best they can be. This comment pigeonholes students into a mindset of mediocrity that they do not deserve. Every student deserves not only the opportunity for success, but also the opportunity to believe in themselves. Don't strip away their self-respect.
It's insulting to everyone, like myself, who graduated from a small, rural school with more swine farmers than white collars. This attitude makes the assumption that my teachers were sub-par, my education was second rate, and that I am one of the lucky ones who escaped. Do not insult my hometown; I love where I am from and I love every one of my friends from "back home." Just because they are working in or near Urbana does not make them any less successful because there is an abundance of farmland or a smaller population. And my teachers and education were second to none.
It's insulting to our taxpayers and community members. They expect us to do more with what we have than chalk up our losses to an incorrectly stereotyped version of them. Just as I want more for my own children than I had myself, every single student has a parent at home who wants better for them. Our job as educators is to provide this opportunity, not to make excuses.
"Yeah, but this is MORRICE!" should be shouted with pride because we are a small, rural school in a farming community, not in spite of it. We have a unique opportunity at our small school, just like the other small schools everywhere. We have the opportunity to know each and every one of our students better than any other teachers at any other schools. We have the opportunity to follow through on providing more for our students than their parents had provided for them. We have the opportunity to mold successful citizens, not to send off far and away, but to remain in and return to our community and strengthen it.
Yes, this is Morrice, just like it was Graham for me, a small school in rural Michigan with the ability and the charge to make a difference.
Besides being an appalling attitude that will get you nowhere, it's insulting. It's insulting to the teachers who work tirelessly and passionately to make sure every student has an opportunity for success in their future provided through a top rate education. This comment permeates our perceptions and becomes a reality, negating all of the countless efforts of a passionate staff.
It's insulting to our students who work extremely hard each and every day to be the best they can be. This comment pigeonholes students into a mindset of mediocrity that they do not deserve. Every student deserves not only the opportunity for success, but also the opportunity to believe in themselves. Don't strip away their self-respect.
It's insulting to everyone, like myself, who graduated from a small, rural school with more swine farmers than white collars. This attitude makes the assumption that my teachers were sub-par, my education was second rate, and that I am one of the lucky ones who escaped. Do not insult my hometown; I love where I am from and I love every one of my friends from "back home." Just because they are working in or near Urbana does not make them any less successful because there is an abundance of farmland or a smaller population. And my teachers and education were second to none.
It's insulting to our taxpayers and community members. They expect us to do more with what we have than chalk up our losses to an incorrectly stereotyped version of them. Just as I want more for my own children than I had myself, every single student has a parent at home who wants better for them. Our job as educators is to provide this opportunity, not to make excuses.
"Yeah, but this is MORRICE!" should be shouted with pride because we are a small, rural school in a farming community, not in spite of it. We have a unique opportunity at our small school, just like the other small schools everywhere. We have the opportunity to know each and every one of our students better than any other teachers at any other schools. We have the opportunity to follow through on providing more for our students than their parents had provided for them. We have the opportunity to mold successful citizens, not to send off far and away, but to remain in and return to our community and strengthen it.
Yes, this is Morrice, just like it was Graham for me, a small school in rural Michigan with the ability and the charge to make a difference.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
A Daunting Task... Excited for Next Year
Our technology teacher is retiring. Not Earth shattering news, I know. However, being enrolled in the final three credit hours of an Educational Technology Master's program, I am optimistic for a big change in course load next year. I know that this could be a very busy summer, learning new curricula and probably writing new courses, but I am very excited for a summer full of school work for the first time in my life.
I came out of college wearing rose colored glasses. I loved Mathematics and took it upon myself to convince everyone I came across that math, although challenging, could be interesting, beautiful, and, dare I say, fun. I think I have made some progress, but along the way I have found a new passion in technology. I entered this Master's program because I was interested, and over the past two years I have become obsessed. Math, although it will always be my first love, has taken a back seat to the new and exciting things that could be happening in our schools. I may have some freedom in writing a couple of new courses, and although that would take a lot of work and be a big risk, I would be so excited to teach students about something that I am passionate about again.
Where I used to have to convince students that my subject could be enjoyable, I would have interest on a broader scale when students walk into my room, and this is something that I've never had. I must admit I'm excited about the prospect of not needing to focus so much on hooking students and be able to just instruct rather than make a sale in the process. However, as I sit and think about it, I'd still have to be a salesman, just with a different audience. I'd need to convince administrators, board members, and network administrators to allow me to do what I wanted to do, with the applications I wanted to use, and use the websites I wanted to use that may currently be blocked. But, I'd take it. I would love to have classroom full of excited students that I can educate in a subject that is both exciting and relevant to them and me.
If anyone reading has any ideas for elements of these these possible courses, I'm all ears. I could possibly be teaching an Office course in trimesters to Jr. High students, a multimedia applications course to underclassmen, and/or a Read/Write Web course to upperclassmen. I really appreciate any ideas you might have.
I came out of college wearing rose colored glasses. I loved Mathematics and took it upon myself to convince everyone I came across that math, although challenging, could be interesting, beautiful, and, dare I say, fun. I think I have made some progress, but along the way I have found a new passion in technology. I entered this Master's program because I was interested, and over the past two years I have become obsessed. Math, although it will always be my first love, has taken a back seat to the new and exciting things that could be happening in our schools. I may have some freedom in writing a couple of new courses, and although that would take a lot of work and be a big risk, I would be so excited to teach students about something that I am passionate about again.
Where I used to have to convince students that my subject could be enjoyable, I would have interest on a broader scale when students walk into my room, and this is something that I've never had. I must admit I'm excited about the prospect of not needing to focus so much on hooking students and be able to just instruct rather than make a sale in the process. However, as I sit and think about it, I'd still have to be a salesman, just with a different audience. I'd need to convince administrators, board members, and network administrators to allow me to do what I wanted to do, with the applications I wanted to use, and use the websites I wanted to use that may currently be blocked. But, I'd take it. I would love to have classroom full of excited students that I can educate in a subject that is both exciting and relevant to them and me.
If anyone reading has any ideas for elements of these these possible courses, I'm all ears. I could possibly be teaching an Office course in trimesters to Jr. High students, a multimedia applications course to underclassmen, and/or a Read/Write Web course to upperclassmen. I really appreciate any ideas you might have.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Beauty of a Class Webpage
As I sit here this morning before 7 a.m. on a Monday morning waiting and waiting and waiting for a new son to decide he's ready to finally join us, I can't help but profess my love for my school web pages. I have taken the day off as it seems as if our baby wait may soon be over, and the fact that I have this website available for my courses makes me feel like I am still engaged somewhat with my students. Rather than showering and putting on my shirt and tie, this morning I logged on and posted announcements for my students to remind them of the assignments and projects they should be working on today, as well as what to expect in the upcoming few days. I have everything set for my sub, but this website gives me the chance to connect with my students through a more direct intermediary that I have a bit more control over, and I like that. It must also be nice for the students to have instructions directly from a teacher rather than wondering if the substitute is telling them correctly, and the ability to embed video could make my absence days even more productive for students. Imagine sub days without losing instructional time!
What's next? Getting students to buy in and learn to use this asset they have available to them. In every announcement I post regarding my absences, I refer students to my email address and ask them to contact me with any questions, but I get very little response while away. Without the two-way communication, these announcements are more for my peace of mind and over-glorification of what I am doing than actual instruction. Once students learn to engage in this type of learning and communication, we can really have no lost instructional time chalked up to teacher absences. Wouldn't that be awesome!?
What's next? Getting students to buy in and learn to use this asset they have available to them. In every announcement I post regarding my absences, I refer students to my email address and ask them to contact me with any questions, but I get very little response while away. Without the two-way communication, these announcements are more for my peace of mind and over-glorification of what I am doing than actual instruction. Once students learn to engage in this type of learning and communication, we can really have no lost instructional time chalked up to teacher absences. Wouldn't that be awesome!?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Say it ain't so, FLIP
I am so surprised and disappointed at the news that was spreading yesterday. I heard on the radio on my long drive home that Cisco is going to stop making the FLIP camera, a pocket sized video camera designed to record and easily upload digital video to the web. By the time I got home and looked around on some news feeds, my disappointment sunk in and turned into some frustration as I realized I hadn't heard wrong. Cisco is going to kill this very popular consumer-based project to "focus on selling its core products," which unless you are a systems manager, you probably have no idea what they are. You can read more about it here.
A few years ago when my first child was born my wife and I bought a FLIP to share our daughter with her grandparents who are located in different states and countries. We have loved this camera, as have our parents who get to keep up with their granddaughter's exploits from afar. It has only been recently that I have brought these cameras into my classroom, and they have been very useful and worth every bit of the $100 or less price tag. So it only figures that this would happen as soon as I get something going. On a daily basis, my students record homework problems being completed and explained so that I can post them to my webpage for homework help for students at home, and numerous student groups have incorporated digital videos into projects for my class to add a bit of flair and interest to their work and/or presentation. The more I use these cameras, the more I find I can do with them, and I have gradually been working them into class projects more and more.
Earlier this school year I convinced our school to purchase two of these cameras for our use, and I have essentially had permanent possession of one of them. Feeding my disappointment is the fact that Cisco does not plan on selling the FLIP product line to another company, but rather, they are just killing it. With this news, my concern is that we are going to be stuck with only two FLIPs rather than growing to the point of having at least a classroom set of 10-12 of the cameras to really get some use out of. I really don't think I have the persuasive abilities to convince a district examining possible layoffs because of budget concerns to spend their money on more video cameras.
My advice to anyone reading this is to get out there and buy up these cameras while they are still available. They have really been an asset to my classroom, and I highly recommend getting these devices into the hands of your students; you will love the results of their work with them. For a few examples of FLIPs being used in the classroom, visit the links below:
My Class Website
David Sladkey's work with FLIP cameras
Megan Powers' Book Projects
A few years ago when my first child was born my wife and I bought a FLIP to share our daughter with her grandparents who are located in different states and countries. We have loved this camera, as have our parents who get to keep up with their granddaughter's exploits from afar. It has only been recently that I have brought these cameras into my classroom, and they have been very useful and worth every bit of the $100 or less price tag. So it only figures that this would happen as soon as I get something going. On a daily basis, my students record homework problems being completed and explained so that I can post them to my webpage for homework help for students at home, and numerous student groups have incorporated digital videos into projects for my class to add a bit of flair and interest to their work and/or presentation. The more I use these cameras, the more I find I can do with them, and I have gradually been working them into class projects more and more.
Earlier this school year I convinced our school to purchase two of these cameras for our use, and I have essentially had permanent possession of one of them. Feeding my disappointment is the fact that Cisco does not plan on selling the FLIP product line to another company, but rather, they are just killing it. With this news, my concern is that we are going to be stuck with only two FLIPs rather than growing to the point of having at least a classroom set of 10-12 of the cameras to really get some use out of. I really don't think I have the persuasive abilities to convince a district examining possible layoffs because of budget concerns to spend their money on more video cameras.
My advice to anyone reading this is to get out there and buy up these cameras while they are still available. They have really been an asset to my classroom, and I highly recommend getting these devices into the hands of your students; you will love the results of their work with them. For a few examples of FLIPs being used in the classroom, visit the links below:
My Class Website
David Sladkey's work with FLIP cameras
Megan Powers' Book Projects
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
5 Easy Ways to Start Using Technology
Let's get moving. Technology doesn't have to be some mystical and expensive tool that we can't fit into our curriculum. I don't know of many schools without a functioning computer lab, and more and more students have computers to work from at home. This is all you really need to get a start. All you have to do is go for it. With today's focus on Web2.0 tools, we don't need the expensive hardware or even fancy software to start using technology to improve what we do as teachers and what our students do as students. Here are five simple ideas to start with:
- Use Wikis.
Wikispaces.com is great; they offer free wikis for education, and students pick up the nuts and bolts very quickly. For your next project, try replacing the poster board with a wiki. - Utilize Google Docs
Have students write a paper collaboratively, or participate in another writing group activity. All your students will need to do is create a free Google username and have an assignment to complete, and they'll be off and running. The interface is a simple text editor that any student familiar with Word will be comfortable with. - Create a Class Website
It could be as simple as posting classroom announcements and homework assignments to discussion topics and extension assignments as well as sharing student successes; a class website could be the key to communicating more easily with parents and possibly engaging more students. If you don't have the capability through your school's website, webs.com or weebly.com offer free web hosting under some limitations. - Start a Discussion Board
This is a great way to get students involved in thinking outside the box and expressing their thoughts while using what they have learned in class. You could go as big as blogging and commenting on blogs to a more formal 3rd party hosted discussion board to discussion threads hosted on your classroom website to simple and easy, informal boards like Wallwisher. - Start using Digital Media
I know, I know, I said no expensive hardware and devices. But, almost everyone has a digital camera or could access the one on their cell phones to participate in a project involving digital images. There are tons of ideas out there, and these could even be merged with projects involving wikis and shared on your class website. Create a Flickr group for your images, or if you're capable, jump into digital video projects with Flip Video cameras.
Monday, April 4, 2011
A Quote From 1992
A quote from 1992
Scott McLeod posted a quote from Schools for a New Century, a 1992 publication, last week on Big Think's Dangerously Irrelevant blog. I find this extremely sad that in nearly 20 years, we are still in the same place. We all know, just as we did in 1992, that technology is not in our schools at the level our students need it to be. Why is this still the case? As I come to the end of my Master's program in Educational Technology I find myself very frustrated by how resistant to change our schools are. Every other sector of our society embraces technological advances that keep them current, and our schools keep falling farther and farther behind. Aren't we the ones that are supposed to be preparing our students for life? Shouldn't we be the early adopter's of new technologies? Imagine the job we could be doing if we weren't stuck in the same mindset we were at the turn of the 20th Century!
I'm with Scott, "What's it going to take for us to start taking seriously the power and potential of learning technologies? How much more evidence do we need?"
It makes me want to scream!
Wake up!!!
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