Finding the Right Medium April 17, 2009

Since starting the wiki with my students, I have personally tried to branch out and learn about some of the different mediums available.  I really like a lot of the different options with the wiki, but there are a lot of problems that I encountered as well.  One of the things that I really wanted to get out of the wiki page was a place for the students to receive information about the class in addition to weekly objectives.  I also wanted the students to have the opportunity to communicate with me as well as their peers on upcoming assignments, projects and assessments.  These things all worked out wonderfully with the wiki, but the main problem that I experienced was the ongoing communication or posting of information by the students.  For instance, at one point I posted several discussion questions so that the students could work with one another to review for an upcoming assessment.  The students were all very excited about using the wiki as a resource for studying new material.  However, I soon learned that pbwiki is not conducive to this form of interaction.  Perhaps there is some way around the students stealing the lock from one another, but I have yet to figure that out.  Having looked at wetpaint as another option for a wiki next year, it seems that the same problem would arise with this program as well.

 

As I continue to search for the medium which will best serve my needs, I have had the chance to work with several different programs and learn the ins and outs.  I am considering the idea of implementing a moodle site for the students next year in addition to the wiki.  It seems that this might be the way to go in terms of an overall site for my class.  However, I do see the value in using a wiki for another purpose.  I like that the students are able to create their own wiki pages off of mine.  Some of my students created their own pages and were able to post some of the creative writing assignments that they have been working on throughout the course of the school year.  This is a good way for the students to share their work and get feedback from their peers.  With so many other concepts to cover throughout a given school year, it is sometimes impossible to make time for the students to share the work that they have completed.  This is a great way to make this possible.  I want to use the wiki next year, but I just think that I am going to use it in a very different way.

Getting Educated April 17, 2009

While reading through Bogost’s text and thinking about the implications for education, I am left with more questions than when I started.  I had similar reactions to others in class in terms of what to do with this information.  I don’t disagree that technology and gaming is an important aspect of the 21st century classroom.  I have made great strides over the last year to incorporate more technology into my classroom.  The only problem that I have is that I do not agree with using technology just for the sake of using technology.  There is certainly still something to be said about the interface between teacher and student, and if I do incorporate technology I want there to be a clear rationale for doing so.  I feel as though many school districts (mine included) like to supply a variety of software via educational games, interactive whiteboards, handheld devices etc.  I am certainly not complaining about the overwhelming availability of technology in my district.  What does bother me is the lack of training that the teachers receive.  It does feel as though these items are purchased because they are shiny and new and certainly look good on paper.  However, many of these programs go unused for a number of reasons.

First of all, as I mentioned previously there is a lack of training.  In-service days would be a great time to interact with and learn some of the different techniques and strategies behind incorporating these different programs.  However, this rarely comes to fruition.  The lack of knowledge and training regarding these different programs instantly turns most teachers off from even wanting to attempt them.

Secondly, many districts buy these programs without even fully understanding what they are or how they work.  Therefore, thousands of dollars are spent on programs that are not conducive to classroom instruction because there was not enough time and consideration put into researching the product prior to purchasing it. 

Lastly, some teachers see the implementation of technology as increasing their workload.  As with anything new, it certainly would take training and practice initially, but I think that the payoff would far exceed any inconvenience.  I think this relates back to my first point about there just not being nearly enough information for teachers concerning technology.  Teachers can of course go it alone so to speak and learn these different programs, but I was in the position previously of just not even knowing where to begin.  The wiki has been a great way for me to branch out and really learn and understand a new program.  As administrator of the site, I was forced to learn the ins and outs of the program in an effort to maintain the site and reap the most benefits.  However, prior to this course wikis, moodles and the like were foreign concepts to me.

As I stated previously, I feel as though I am left with more questions as I leave this course.  I don’t see that as a bad thing.  In fact, I am starting to become more aware of different forms of technology and their place in the classroom setting.  I want to actively pursue other avenues and begin to branch out even further.  I feel as though this class has given me the opportunity to do that.  I am currently looking into purchasing a school friendly version of Sim City to use as a supplement to the novel The Giver.  The students discuss utopian and dystopian societies, and this might be a great pairing in regards to this concept.  I am interested to see if the students could use a computer simulation game such as Sim City to create their own utopian societies as a supplement to their reading.  I am interested to see how this will play out next year, and I am excited about the prospect of using similar strategies in the classroom.  Although I am left with many questions, I at least feel as though I am on the right track.  I am now more cognizant of the decisions that I make concerning the implementation of technology.  I now know that I will have to continue to educate myself in order to stay ahead of the curve and make the best decisions concerning the strategies that I plan to use in my classroom.

 

Bridging the Gap April 11, 2009

While reading through Ian Bogost’s text Persuasive Games, I am left thinking about the implications for education.  While students continue to become immersed in different forms of technology whether be it games or otherwise, the face of education must change to meet the needs of these students.  Although it has only been a little over a decade since I have been in high school, it amazes me how much things have changed.  Teachers in my high school would have laughed at the idea of “No Child Left Behind” claiming that some students just might have to be left behind.  Schools were not clambering to make AYP (annual yearly progress) in order to get grants and other state funding.  It seems that so much has changed over the last decade that I wonder where I will find myself as an educator in the next ten to fifteen years.  While about twenty-five percent of students have either an IEP or a GIEP currently (this is a generous estimate), I would not be surprised to find that all students will have either an IEP or GIEP in the next ten or so years.  We continue to focus on the individual as a means of steering away from what Dorothy Sayers refers to as “the lost tools of learning.”  As educators we are constantly told to differentiate instruction for all students in the classroom.  In-service days are devoted to educating teachers on this “breakthrough” teaching strategy.  This is the biggest trend (at least in my district) currently.  We are told that all students can be successful, and it our job to find out what makes them “tick” and get them motivated in the classroom.  Failing is not an option in my district, and most students are promoted to the next grade even if they do not have the skill set necessary to be successful the following year.  It is then the next teacher’s responsibility to differentiate instruction and really reach that student. 

Although it all sounds wonderful in theory, this is just not a practical approach.  I don’t know any teachers in my school who are not currently differentiating their instruction.  I believe that as educators we all want the students to be successful and are willing to vary instruction to meet the needs of all students.  However, in some cases, students are just not going to make the grade so to speak.  With high stakes testing driving the curriculum in most school districts, teachers’ hands are tied.  There is only so much that we are able to do to accommodate the students who fall behind.  We have specific material which must be covered and only a short amount of time in which to cover it.  Time has always been an issue and will probably always be and issue.  There is just never enough of it.  Some of the students naturally fall behind, and although I know that I personally put forth considerable effort for the students who are struggling, it is impossible to stop instruction and re-teach concepts to students who aren’t keeping up with the flow of the class.  I believe that standardized testing is to blame for some of the students falling behind.  When these tests drive the curriculum, I agree with Sayers that we are just creating cogs that learn how to “do school.” 

However, I am interested in the ways in which technology could possibly bridge this gap.  As the students interest and knowledge of technology grows, and as I personally try to integrate it in the classroom setting, it could perhaps become another way to differentiate instruction.  I am always looking for ways to reach students, especially my struggling students.  I see the wiki as a way to possibly do just that.  The students are not only able to work with me and ask me questions outside of the school setting where it may be less threatening, but they are able to interact with their peers.  One thing that I have found even in the short time that I have implemented the wiki is that the students are much more vocal and willing to help one another online than they are in class.  Perhaps this has more to do with their comfort with technology, but I also think that there is something to be said about interface. 

I have already had students tell me that the wiki is a way for them to get feedback from peers in a non-threatening environment.  They admit that there is something to be said about communicating behind the guise of an avatar.  I know that it has also been a good way for students to review material and get additional help with new material and upcoming assessments.  I am interested in seeing how the wiki evolves, and whether or not it will perhaps bridge this gap.  I do see how it could help to pull in some of the more reluctant learners, and I am anxious to see what the students will so with the wiki next year when I integrate it much earlier and to a much greater extent. 

Working out the Bugs April 5, 2009

When I first introduced the wiki, I knew that it was initially going to mean more work for me.  I was going to not only have to learn the program myself, but I was also going to have to feel comfortable enough with it to introduce it to my students.  Although all of this just means extra time which I always feel like I don’t have enough of to begin with, I thought that in the long run it would make things more efficient.  Like any new medium it takes some time to get used to the format, but it can end up saving time in the future if used properly.  When I started using the Promethean board in my room this year, I had a similar experience.  Of course, it was a process familiarizing myself with the technology and all that it could do, but it really was such a great tool in the long run.  Students were much more excited about the delivery of information and the format because it was something that they were comfortable using.

However, I have been discouraged recently with the way that the wiki is playing out in the classroom.  I was so pleased that I had so many students interested in using the site to study for an upcoming test, but the students just ended up spending hours online the night before an exam frustrated by a program that wasn’t working the way I told them it would.  I take responsibility for that.  I guess I assumed that students could use the site like a google doc and respond to questions posted.  However, it became really messy when the students were continuously stealing the lock from one another and essentially losing everything that they had done up to that point.  I don’t know if there is a way around this.  I had to go back and manually cut and paste all of the responses that were deleted since they were visible on the “recent wiki activity” page.  It took me several hours to do this, and when I was finished, the formatting was wrong and strands of words ran together in the students responses.  I don’t know exactly how or why that happened. 

Thankfully this was not a graded assignment.  That would have only added to the frustration felt by both myself and my students.  As I said before, I am looking into a better or more efficient way to do something similar in the future.  Although it isn’t perfect, I still like the idea of the students editing the same page and responding to the same questions.  They did tell me that it was a great way for them to study and recall parts of the story that they would have otherwise forgotten.

Renee suggested creating a page for each individual class period.  This might work, but my classes still have close to 18 students on average.  I only had about 12 students opt to use this program, and it was still a disaster on many levels.  I am worried that if I ever made this a mandatory activity, my phone would be ringing off the hook due to angry parents.  Until I am sure that I have worked out all of the bugs and am sure that I really understand the program, this will have to remain a voluntary activity.  I know that I will still have a lot of interested students since they are more technologically savvy than I am currently.

I am pleased that I have implemented this program.  I am now to the point where I know how it works at the most basic levels, and I want to learn how to do more and really take it to the next level.  My hope is that next year I am able to implement it early and get the parents on board during open house night.  I guess I should be pleased that right now my problem is too many students using the program.  My frustrations earlier were due to the sheer number of students attempting to use the wiki, which really isn’t a bad problem to have.  My goal at this point is to continue using the site and figuring out ways to use it to my advantage.  I don’t want to use technology just for the sake of using technology.  I do believe that this site serves a purpose, and I want to see it continue to grow.

Frustrations April 1, 2009

My main concern throughout this process has been the ways in which I am going to use the site.  I finally decided how I wanted to use it (or at least one way), and it totally backfired on me. 

Since my students have been reading a narrative version of  “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” in class, I decided to create a link off of the Frontpage where the students could go to collaborate and study the material prior to the test.  I posted 20 discussion questions, and I also took some time in class to review with the students how to modify or change the site if they wanted to participate.  I guess I underestimated how many of my students were going to use the site.  Having worked with seventh graders now for six years, I should have known that the students would wait until the night before the test to login to the wiki site and participate in the discussion.  However, I didn’t anticipate having quite so many students interested in checking it out.  I know that had I sent home a worksheet with discussion questions for the students to complete voluntarily prior to a test or quiz, there would be very few students who would do the extra work.  However, the students were so eager to get on the computer and collaborate with their peers that I didn’t even have one student ask me if they were going to receive credit for the work they had done online.  I think that part of it is the novelty of a program like this one.  They were doing such a nice job bouncing ideas off of one another and discussing the story.   So I was feeling pretty good about things in afternoon soon after school had let out.  Things started to change quickly as the night wore on.

I decided to take a break and come back to the wiki a couple hours after, and it was a total disaster.  There were so many students on at one time trying to edit the same page that some were getting booted and others were stealing the lock from students who were responding.  Some of the students took their time in answering the questions only to have a classmate steal the lock and take over which of course meant that all work completed by that student is gone.  I know that it is possible for me to recover most of that work, but it took me quite some time to do so since there were so many students on the site at one time.  In fact, I was only adding to the madness by being online.  I figured I would just wait until much later in the evening to make any changes.  Unfortunately, I have some night owls in seventh grade because they weren’t finished working on the site until close to midnight. 

I know that I should be pleased that so many students were interested in using the site, and I certainly am.  My only concern and my real source of frustration is the fact that so many of my students were frustrated and disheartened last night.  I know that there were several students who wanted to see how the site worked and were interested in trying it out, but they were a bit reluctant.  Much like myself initially, they were skeptical about this new medium.  I feel like I really had them interested and now I am worried that I have lost them.  I know that this site can do a lot of great things for the students and can be a great supplement to classroom instruction; however, I am so frustrated with this first activity.  I hate the fact that I stood here in class and really tried to “sell” this program to even my most reluctant students claiming that it was a great way for them to study for the test and collaborate.  Now I feel like they are not going to want to try it again.  I know my students were upset last night having looked at the comments at the bottom of the page.

I know that I will use the wiki in the future, but I feel as though I am going to have to use it in a different way.  This is unfortunate because I like the idea of the students creating something similar to a google doc together.  I just don’t know that my students or me for that matter would be on board for this format in the future.  The students feel as though they did a lot of work for nothing.