Technology Equality

Before I read the assigned articles, I assumed that I would use technology in the classroom, but I also assumed that my students would be far more adept at manipulating the technologies than I would. My first assumption is correct (although my ability to incorporate technology will be dependent on my school’s resources and funding). My second assumption may be incorrect, depending on the financial circumstances of my students. Because I hope to teach at a school with a large low-income population, I should be prepared for a large disparity in my students’ familiarity and mastery of technology. Knowing that my classroom may be the only place where some of my students have access to computers makes it all the more important that I provide opportunities and guidance for students to gain experience using computers, searching the internet, utilizing software programs, etc.

Knowing that some of my students may have difficulties accessing technology should not stop me from creating assignments that require the use of technology. It would be a disservice to allow any students to get through school without at least a basic understanding of how to use computers and properly navigate the web. That said, I disagree with one statement made by Swain and Edyburn; they wrote, “Even if an incoming freshman is highly gifted, if he or she is not extremely familiar with using technology in the learning environment, that student is at a decided disadvantage the second he or she steps onto the university or college campus.” (2007). Most universities are woefully behind secondary schools – and even primary schools – in their utilization of technology in the learning environment. Many classes are still taught in a lecture format, and depending on the discipline it can be difficult to find a professor who accepts work electronically. More advanced applications of technology are probably more encountered by students majoring in engineering, some sciences, and perhaps the business schools.

But even if most universities are still playing catch-up technologically, in most workplaces it is essential to know how to use computers, communicate electronically, and utilize the internet efficiently. So it would be a disservice to students if they did not encounter technology – if it doesn’t make a difference in college, it will certainly make a difference when they enter the workforce.

For students with limited access to technology, I would research options for providing them additional time to work on computers. If my school has a computer lab, perhaps I could negotiate an extension of hours or a semi-private tutoring session just for students without computers at home. If there is no lab at my school, I will work with my local library to see if I can get more access for them. The Multnomah County library system, for example, has a multitude of computer labs, and it may be possible to negotiate additional access time for class assignments. Another option is to look for grant opportunities in order to purchase the appropriate equipment; writing grants can pay off!


Reference:
Swain, C. and Edyburn, D. (2007). Social justice: Choice or necessity? Learning and leading with technology, March 2007.

PowerPoint

One fun thing about watching my classmates’ presentations was seeing how each person chose to explore topics they liked and wanted to share. I especially enjoyed the creative uses of sound clips; that element was often used to provide a bit of humor within the presentations.

A few presentations seemed a bit text-heavy, and it seemed like a few of my classmates felt they had to “get through” a lot of material. The presentations that were most enjoyable were the ones with a very narrow focus, which allowed the presenter to take his or her time during the presentation. One pet peeve I have is that I noticed a couple of times when there were factual or grammatical errors on a presentation; that is completely distracting, and as an audience member it makes me feel like the presenter couldn’t be bothered to adequately research their topic or review their slides for correctness.

The best presentations, in my opinion, had a semi-leisurely pace and a narrowly focused topic. This allowed the presenter to adequately explain their subject and complement their explanation with appropriate visuals. To improve my own presentation (and future presentations), I will rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! And be brutal with myself about narrowing the presentation scope in order to insure that I include only what is absolutely necessary.

I think that PowerPoint is a useful presentation tool, but only if used judiciously. It is too easy to cram slides full of material and add lots of animations and whirlygoogles which serve to detract from – rather than enhance – the audience’s ability to understand the topic. PowerPoint can complement a presentation by providing structure to it (and keeping the presenter on-track rather than off on a tangent) and displaying visuals which can solidify the concepts for the visual learners in a classroom. In short, I think PowerPoint is like any other tool – terrific when used appropriately and for the right job, potentially disastrous if used incorrectly.

Chatspeak is not destroying the English language!

One of the strengths of the English language is its flexibility; we English-speakers are an omnivorous bunch, and we snarf up words from many other languages. It is widely believed that English contains nearly a million words; French, in contrast, has fewer than 100,000. We English-speakers love to steal words as well as create new ones. I don’t think this is a problem – I think having a vibrant, flexible language is a strength. Think of how much more precisely we can express ourselves!

Chatspeak is simply another twist in our languages long history. Chatspeak is a fun and playful slang, not the end of proper verbal and written expression that worrywarts think. To the argument that teens who constantly use chatspeak will be rendered unable to communicate in proper English, I would like to quote Greg Monfils: “We teach them different languages all the time. We don’t fear that a Spanish class will diminish a student’s command of English. And a teenager experimenting with a sprinkling of profanities in her conversation with peers will not suddenly forget how to converse properly with her grandmother.” (2007)

English is pretty tough, and can ably withstand – and probably will co-opt – the threat of chatspeak. As long as we Language Arts teachers to our jobs teaching proper grammar and writing (and requiring formal work to be correct), our students will be able to switch from English to chatspeak with no problems.

cyberbullying

In her article “Cyberbulling: Is there anything schools can do?” Kelley Taylor defines cyberbullying as “the use of Internet technology to inflict emotional harm through repeated and deliberate harassment, threats, and intimidation.” (2008) I think that is a succinct yet comprehensive definition. Cyberbulling is, at bottom, identical to the bullying that children have suffered (and perpetrated) through the ages; the main difference lies in the vehicle used to deliver the message from bully to victim. Fortunately for me, I went through school before the internet and cell phones were in wide use; otherwise, the typical growing-up dramas could have been much more traumatic. It was one thing to have a falling out with a friend, but it would have been quite another to involve a larger group of students in each interpersonal conflict with a touch of a button. One thing the pre-instant-communication age had going for it was a natural cooling off period. Certainly, a kid could call his or her friends to organize a campaign against the new “enemy,” but that took far more time than posting a message in a chat room or sending a group text. Today, it takes almost no time at all to completely terrorize someone using just a cell phone or a computer, which allows children to indulge in their desire to inflict pain (out of retribution or just for “fun”) without having to give it a second thought.

Schools are then left to deal with the fallout. Cybervictims become disengaged, fearful, and possibly suicidal. Cyberbullies can cause disruption and pain with little fear of getting caught. Physical bullies and even emotional bullies who have to ply their trade in person at least have some risk of being discovered in the act by an adult. Cyberbullies are much harder to track because they can be anonymous, they can be numerous (spreading responsibility around a larger population) and they can attack from anywhere. It may be difficult to determine if a student is being cyberbullied unless the victim reports it or an astute teacher or administrator notices something is wrong. Even once a victim is identified, given freedom of speech laws and the limited jurisdiction of schools to enforce behavior, it can be difficult to hold cyberbullies accountable for their actions. Taylor suggests schools establish “a policy that specifically defines cyberbullying and sets forth specific disciplinary action that will result from such behavior could help a principal take action against a cyberbully. Such a policy should contain information about how students and teachers report cyberbulling and how school officials will investigate those reports.” (2008) Such a policy would provide guidance to teachers, administrators and students and assure that there would be remediation once a situation is reported.

In my own classroom, I plan to address cyberbulling in the larger context of class rules. Since my expectations of students include that they be respectful of their classmates, mindful of their speech, and constructive even when disagreeing, it is clear that bullying of any kind – within the classroom or outside of it – would be a violation of our class compact. I plan to discuss examples of inappropriate behavior with the class and be clear about my procedures for dealing with such behavior. Bullying of any kind, inside the classroom or outside the classroom, will be treated as a threat to the victim, the perpetrator(s) and the class as a whole and, as such, will be reported immediately to the school’s administration.

Reference:

Taylor, K.R. (2008) Cyberbulling: Is there anything schools can do? Principal Leadership (High Sch Ed) 8 no9 My 2008

Google and YouTube and Facebook, oh my!

As the possesser of a fairly common name, the result of a Google search is not so much finding my own online presence as it is discovering a bit about the people who share my name. While it might be cool (in a grrrrl-power way) to share a name with the only female pro boxing announcer, the fact that she has several racy photos posted gives me pause. I am not thrilled when I consider that my future students (and their parents) will be greeted with these images if they decide to use Google to learn a bit more about the new math / language arts teacher. My best hope is that, over time, Amy Hayes (the graphic designer), Amy Hayes (the photographer), Amy Hayes (the broker), Amy Hayes (the real estate professional) and I can overtake Ms. Boxing in Google rankings.

As far as online presence that actually reflects me, there is nothing on my online profiles that would reflect poorly on my character. Now and in the future, however, I will be far more vigilant about my privacy settings, which groups I join, and how closely I monitor pictures. Perhaps because of my previous career, I have always been pretty careful about what kind of personal information I share. My professional rules are: never say anything about someone that you would not say to that person; never send an email that you would not want forwarded; and be choosy about what personal details you reveal. I can translate those rules directly into my professional life as an educator.

Teachers, as role models, brain-shapers, and public employees (for the most part), are expected to adhere to slightly higher standards than average citizens. Like politicians and bureaucrats, teachers are expected to act with their "constituents" in mind - and, like politicians and bureaucrats, teachers are blamed when citizens are unhappy with the status quo. As role models, a significant lapse in a teacher's personal life can be damaging to the students they should be inspiring. While teachers are not often compared to Tiger Woods, it is worth considering that the reason Woods' behavior caused a huge scandal is because he was a role model. Woods is not accused of anything illegal; he is "merely" unfaithful. If Tiger Woods was the investment banker next door, who would care about his mistresses? Only his nosy neighbors; the rest of the world would be bored. So, fellow future teachers, be prepared for some scrutiny, because we are going to experience the downside of a political career without being elected, and we are going to held to the Role Model standard for conduct and judgement whether we like it or not.

In "Have You Googled Your Teacher Lately?", the authors cite several instances where it is clear that the teachers involved did not understand that they were de facto role models. To be fair, however, a few stories seem to occupy a grey area and require more context than the article provides. For example, it would be good to know how long (the YouTube nude painter guy) Stephen Murmer's video had been posted: was it a years-old video or was it found within a short time of the original posting? How was it found? Did he point students to it, did a parent find it, or did a student stumble upon it? It seems to me that the circumstances around that case are important. I must admit that my first thought was, "Hey, buttock-painter-guy, if you want to saturate your bits in acrylic and smoosh yourself against some canvas, go to town. But you want to post the video of the creation process on YouTube? And keep your teaching license? I'm not sure I would recommend that course of action. It seems to me that if your artistic vision consists of using your nude body as a paintbrush, maybe you should consider not videotaping the event and posting it for the world to see. If the video (as opposed to the canvas you molested) is actually the artwork you are creating, perhaps you could consider digitizing your face, wearing a mask or otherwise obscuring your identity? Is it a video you would be proud to show your mother or grandmother? If so, then you've got a pretty laid back family. You might already be aware of this, but just in case: not all moms and grandmas want to see your manly manhood in all its technicolor glory. They do not appreciate your artistic vision, and - right or wrong - they do not think you are a good influence on their children and grandchildren. Bottom line (pun intended): if this is your best judgement, I am not impressed." But upon further reflection, I feel Mr. Murmer should have his day in court. As long as I don't have to watch the video.

I hope to enjoy a long and interesting career in education. Most of the effort I will expend on my career will be on putting forth my best effort every day in the classroom; building relationships with students, parents and colleagues; and continuing to learn and grow as a professional educator. I will put some effort into considering how actions in my private life may influence my ability to be effective as a teacher, but I will mostly strive to keep my personal life private.

digital natives / digital immigrants

I found Prensky's article about Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants an interesting read. While I am definitely a digital immigrant (example: I remember when Microsoft Word fit on a 3.5" floppy disk - yes, that's right, the entire program), I hope that my "accent" is not terribly pronounced. Even though I did not grow up with an iPod or a wi-fi connection, I worked in an industry that was strongly reliant on computers and related technologies, which forced me to keep current.

My high school experience with computers consisted entirely of the use of my mother's Mac, which her employer allowed her to bring home. I used it to type up all my papers, and when I left for the U of A, a similar Mac went with me. I was the only person in my dorm with my own computer, and after the campus computer labs closed each night, my dorm room was a popular spot! At that time, computers were used mostly for creating documents or, if you were a computer science or engineering student, creating programs.

A few years later, when I began teaching at PSU, part of my responsibility was to teach students how to use email, navigate the internet, and conduct research online. Our classrooms were also small computer labs, and my colleagues and I became pretty proficient with using the internet as well as utilizing software (such as Excel) and games (such as the Sims) to support the curriculum. Prensky wrote, "Today's teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students." Looking back, that is exactly what we were attempting to do; we were learning and adapting to the world in which our students were already living.

Learning to swim is no substitute for having gills, however, and I am aware that students today and in the future will navigate circles around me in the digital sea. I am grateful that I find technology interesting and useful as opposed to confusing or scary; hopefully, my curiosity will serve me well as formats and modes of communication continue to evolve.

When considering how to communicate with digital natives, I think that finding ways to engage with students in their "native language' is critical. Learning how to design activities and assignments that will not only earn students' interest but actually teach them something is critical to my success as a teacher. Since they are far more discriminating about what earns their attention, I want to learn how to get their attention and how to use it productively for the nanosecond that I have it!

Thinking of myself as a digital immigrant among digital natives is a useful way of considering my role within the world in which young people live: if I want them to look to me for knowledge, I need to navigate their world at least somewhat gracefully and communicate with them in their language as clearly as I am capable.

Introduction

My name is Amy Hayes, and I am planning to teach Basic Math and/or Language Arts at the Middle School / High School level. Ideally I will be able to teach both subjects at the same school, but the job market will dictate whether that is a possibility!

My favorite animal is my dog, Fiona. She is a Jack Russell Terrier, and a terrific companion. In this photo, she is patiently (or not so patiently) trying to convince me to throw the ball.