Seedlings @ Bit by Bit Podcast: Show 44
November 20, 2008
We’re joined by Lisa Thumann!
Links from the show:
“Geek of the Week” Links for 2008-11-20
Chat Transcript from EdTech coming Soon!
Music:
Technorati Tags: bitbybit, education, cheryloakes, alicebarr, bobsprankle, lisathumann, seedlings
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(Cross-posted at TechLearning)
This week, I’m re-posting an entry I made a few weeks ago at the Seedling’s Ning Site after an event at the social networking site.
For many, many years there was a bridge near my home where someone had spray-painted: “Pam, I Love You. Sorry, Julio” in bright orange letters on it. It was sort of a landmark. We called it the “Pam I Love You Julio Bridge” and used it when giving directions. I had a friend who wrote a song by the same title as an “ode” to the “memorial”. It was a joke and probably (hopefully) an embarrassment for Julio.
It’s been painted over years ago, but locals still call it the “Pam I Love You Julio Bridge”. Some things just never go away.
Moments ago, I banned the first member I’ve ever banned from the Seedlings ning. I’m not sure if other admins have also banned anyone here; this may be a first. Chances are, it won’t be the last. The user came in with the moniker, brwentiger. He could very well return with a new name. Hopefully he’ll tire quickly of mucking up our community and move on.
This user posted strange and not very nice messages on several member pages. It took me exactly 3 seconds to ban him/her from the ning which also deleted all the messages he/she had posted. It couldn’t have been easier.
Part of having an open community like a ning is that at times SPAM will get in. Strange and “not very nice” messages will most certainly be posted at some point. Much like the “Pam I Love You Julio” message, they will deface the structure that has been built, but have no real effect on the integrity of the structure. The bridge still works whether Julio is sorry or not.
The fact is, we can count on this type of behavior at our nings and other social network environments. When it happens, there’s always a slight “kick in the gut” feeling. It can’t be helped. It feels invasive, even if momentarily. But just like the graffiti on the bridge, it’s just an ugly and insignificant eye sore. A landmark at best, used for direction:
Take a left at the SPAM, and you’ll find the good stuff.
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Seedlings @ Bit by Bit Podcast: Show 43
November 6, 2008
We’re joined by Liz Davis!
Links from the show:
“Geek of the Week” Links for 2008-11-06
Music:
Technorati Tags: education, cheryloakes, alicebarr, bobsprankle, lizdavis, seedlings
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(cross-posted at TechLearning)
Last week, my daughter was home sick, and it was my turn to stay home. My wife and I try to keep it balanced and fair with who misses work when this happens, but to be honest, she’s missed a lot more than me. If you’re a teacher, you’ll probably side with me: it’s very difficult to get a sub and to pass on the plans that you have on paper —and even more difficult to relay the ones still in your head. Days are spent trying to catch up when one day is missed. Curriculum takes a hit. The students take a hit. Whenever I’m out, I spend an anxious day worrying about how the plans are going, worrying about how the students are doing, and wondering how I’ll ever catch up. Being the computer teacher makes it trickier than when I was in the classroom because I only see each class every 6th school day. I hate, hate, HATE being out.
Still, my wife’s job is important too and we try to keep it fair and balanced. It was my turn.
I was already at school by the time my daughter woke up and my wife discovered she needed to stay home. I didn’t really have time to create thorough notes before my first class started, and only moments to talk to my substitute who came as soon as she got the call. I had to whip home so my wife wouldn’t be late for her morning meeting.
But none of that mattered. I had all the time in the world because the minute I got home, I logged into iChat, called my sub with the audio tool and then asked her to allow me to take control of her screen back at school. I sat at my home desk and taught the entire lesson. I was able to talk to the students, hear the students, ask them questions, and show everything on the computer as if I were sitting right there with them. (This was all done using Macintosh software that comes with the computer, but similar solutions also exist for the PC.)
It was, in short, wild.
When I was finished with my direct instruction, I said goodbye to them, logged out and the substitute took over. If she or the students had any questions, they could “ring me” back up and I could be right there. I taught most of the day’s lessons this way —and in fact had no problem teaching a lesson on basic photography to my fourth graders. My sub told me later that the students were absolutely mesmerized and attentive all throughout the lessons. With the sub’s assistance, I was able to take care of my daughter and deliver the lessons exactly as I had planned them. There was no worry throughout the day if the plans were getting accomplished. I knew they were because I was in constant contact with the classroom. My substitute didn’t have to leave me a note because when I came back the next day I knew exactly what had happened. There wasn’t anything that had to be retaught or finished with any of the classes.
Now don’t get me wrong. I still hate being out. It’s not better to be teaching from home but it’s better than not having any contact. We didn’t do this because it was cool to do. We did this because we could, it was easy, and it made perfect sense. My daughter slept most of the day. There wasn’t much I had to do at home except be there. Why not keep working?
But there’s another layer here as well. My students just got a taste of Distance Learning, which is good because there’s going to be a whole lot more of that in their futures. According to Clayton Christensen, author of Disrupting Class, “by 2019 about 50 percent of high school courses will be delivered online (p. 98).” Christensen makes a very sound and compelling argument why this will happen with plenty of evidence to back it up. In many ways, it will happen for the same reasons that I had for doing it the other day: we can do it, it’s easy, and —for many scenarios— it makes perfect sense. Like it or not, it’s coming.
Are we ready?
Will our students have the skills necessary to be successful in distance learning courses, or will we need to start preparing them for this near-future? Will our schools have the necessary infrastructure to be ready in ten years to take advantage of these future offerings? What new skills will those of us teaching these courses need?
Will this new technology tip the “stay-home-with-the-sick-child-balance” that my wife and I have had for years in the other direction, now that she knows I can teach from home?
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Seedlings @ Bit by Bit Podcast: Show 42
October 30, 2008
We’re joined by David Truss!
Links from the show:
“Geek of the Week” Links for 2008-10-30
Chat Transcript from EdTech Talk
Music:
Technorati Tags: education, cheryloakes, alicebarr, bobsprankle, davidtruss, seedlings
