Friday's class was a great way to end the summer semester. Hearing from past MACers and how they're incorporating technology into their classrooms was very informative and in some ways surprising.
It was nice to hear that they have found ways to not only work technology into the classroom but use it to enhance their students' learning. For example, Larry telling us how he uses Facebook posts as an extra way for his students to post links to articles, websites, or blogs that they find are relevant to the lesson they're doing. Or how Kevin uses a moodle to ensure his kids have access to assignment information as they need it.
I did however hear a few things I wasn't sure on. The first was Larry using Facebook. I know, I know..I just said it was a great way to enhance his students learning, but I'm still unsure of it. With kids nowadays posting EVERYTHING they do on Facebook, legal and illegal, it seems like an unnecessary risk to have them as "friends" on Facebook. I dunno, I guess I always think of the worst-case scenario.
For example, what if a kid post something about doing something bad right before he/she does it. The parents know you're "friends" with their child on Facebook and they blame you for not saying anything about it. Ultimately that is just not a necessary risk that I am will to take.
The second point that caught me off guard is the idea of allowing kids to have their cell phones in class. I think Larry made a good point when he said if you take them away kids will just shut you out in resentment, but how do we then get them to voluntarily put them away?
When these kids grow up and get real jobs, they won't be able to whip out their cell phone in the middle of a meeting, or while talking to their boss. If we don't teach them the appropriate/inappropriate time to use a cell phone now, they never learn! Case-in-point, my old co-worker. Long story short, kids was a recent graduate and thought his s*it didn't stink. He'd ask me a question about something and as I'm explaining it to him, he'd pull out his cell phone and check his email!! So, 3 months later he was fired.
I don't know if I agree about catering to these kids' technological addictions so easily. I think there are still a lot of things these kids need to learn the "old fashion way". Integrating Technology into the classroom can become a very sticky situation if not done with discretion.
One thought is to capture the spirit of Larry's Facebook work but use a different site -- like Edmodo.com -- with which to do it. The awesome part about ed tech in 2011 is that there are many ways to skin the cat.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Kyle. I agree with you on so many aspects. I think kids do need to learn things the old fashion way sometimes and it scares me to potentially have a classroom full of kids playing on their cell phones all through class. Then kids come up to you or e-mail you after class saying they don't understand something (because they weren't paying attention). It is our job as a teacher to help them to learn so I feel like I will end up repeating myself and re-teaching things all the time. How do you just tell the students, "no, i'm not going to help you understand!" This definitely worries me in the classroom...
ReplyDeleteIt is quite funny that we're talking about Larry and technology as I am currently with him and a few other guys chillin and he's actually playing a first person shooter TF2. It was quite something as Kevin and Larry talked to us about how they utilized technology in the classroom to help accessibility of posts. I wonder how to protect students from privacy issues, internet stalkers, cyber bullying and the like. Yeah, I had no idea that Larry had that Red light Yellow light and Green light for his class in terms of cell phones.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, Larry once told me a story about one of his fellow teachers who would buy a really old cheap cell phone and randomly place it on a student and on the first day of class, the teacher would take that cell phone and hurl it across the room and smash it into pieces! Hilarious! But yeah, I wonder if the "old fashioned way" is being too stuck in our ways?
Technically, we did lose one...
ReplyDeleteI am actually planning on incorporating Facebook into my classroom. I've heard it done by a few other teachers, including my mentor teacher, and it's had some really exciting effects. For example, my mentor teacher started a Facebook page and group for his class. Now, when he posts assignments and people have questions, students from the year or two before will respond, creating a virtual learning community!
Wow, that sounded incredibly nerdy. Anyway, I would also do what Larry did, and have a separate Facebook account for my school stuff. Can't have the kiddies be seeing how Mr. Q gets down on weekends, you knowwwwwwww?
I was actually quite intrigued by the whole facebook thing - particularly when Lauren mentioned how she used it for office hours! But, I agree, as teachers we have to be careful, and I for one, would not be using my own personal account for that! I agree with you on the cell phone thing - I could not believe that myself (esp. the whole red light/green light policy). I thought it was interesting how Lauren's student stressed that if you touch her cellphone and take it away, she wouldn't focus for the rest of the lesson because she would be so upset. But you raise some interesting points about "catering" students....some stuff to think about!
ReplyDeleteHave a great break!
I agree with the risks Kyle. It's scary stuff. But Kristen is right, there are a lot of ways to produce the same result but in a more protected setting for the teacher and the students. Even the wallwisher thing we used in class...I remember several years ago wishing I knew about something like that, and was stuck with still writing things on my arm.
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