A chilly Observation

Saturday morning I was out clearing the snow from my driveway.  I noticed that my neighbors had the same idea.  As I cleared the snow I was thinking of what to write in this weeks blog, then it hit me.  I noticed that my one neighbor had his driveway cleared by a plow company, another used his own truck to plow, the guy across the street was shoveling (poor sap), and I was using a snow-blower.  Four houses, four different types of technology, four different levels of effort, and four different levels of economics represented.  One guy had enough money to pay to have his chores done.  Another was able to own a truck and plow and do his own chores with little effort.  I was able to afford the snow-blower, but had to put in more effort and be cold.  The shovel guy, well we all feel for him but do little to help.

This takes me to my observation.  The four guys represent the four different types of schools and their economic resources.  The guy that paid and had to put in no effort other than to write a check represents the private schools like Harley.  They have more resources and have the latest in technology.  The guy with his own plow represents the Suburbs.  Less resources than private schools, but more students.  Suburban school districts do however have more than the urban or rural districts.  The guy with the shovel, and me, with my snow-blower, represent the urban and rural districts.   I could not decide which represented which so I called it a tie. 

The amount of effort to get quality outcomes struck me also.  In the private schools and suburban districts it requires less effort, like the plow guys, because you have the support of the community or parents.  The people in the rural and urban districts have to really overachieve to attain the positive results of the private and suburban schools.  I think that the urban and rural districts have a lot of teachers willing to shovel for their students but I think the majority would rather plow.

Amazing what you think about as you freeze your @!# off.

When to buy?

With all of this new technology the question that I here a lot is when to buy.  I purchased an I-pod shuffle for my wife three years ago for 100 dollars.  Now after three years of enjoyment it does not work anymore.  I spoke to a classmate that works at the apple store in the mall and he said that he has seen a lot of that.  He did say that I could have it fixed, but, now that same model is only 50 dollars.  On top of that he said that the new ones are smaller and have a longer life expectancy.  So I spent 100 dollars for a lower quality item.  Does this seem backwards to anybody else?

Another example, I bought a new video camera for the family for Christmas.  It is a nice one that records directly to CD.  Here is the catch.  I cannot play these CD’s in my high priced CD player.  In addition the AV outlets that I would need to plug the camera into to play through the TV are only on the front of the TV in the basement.  So now if I have family over to see home videos of my son doing amazing things we have to go sit in the basement rather than the living room.  My other option is to spend more money and buy a new CD player or TV.  When does it end?

So how does this relate to schools?  When new educational programs come out and they are priced at the highest level should schools buy then?  What happens the next year when the product comes out with the new version that is better and costs less?  Do school districts receive a rebate?  I didn’t!  I can understand teachers wanting the newest programs and gadgets for student learning I would to.  However, I can see it from the administration’s and taxpayer’s point of view that new isn’t always the best or the most cost effective.

There is no more annoying feeling than buying yourself a new piece of technology only to have a friend buy it two weeks later for less money.  We are moving so rapidly that we are inventing and selling items that are not even the highest quality they could be.  Maybe the world needs to slow down and really create a piece of quality technology that wont be obsolete in five minutes. This would at least make paying for it truly worth the money spent.  Another option, offer people the opportunity to buy some sort of warranty that states that if a newer, better, or cheaper model comes out within two years the buyer can upgrade or receive a rebate. 

Meanwhile you can find me in the basement watching home movies and using my wife’s I-pod as an expensive table leveler.

Internet Critique

If only the class on critiquing the Internet had been a few weeks earlier.  In Incl 502 we had to do an internet critique.  The assignment was to find three sites and judge them on their timliness, accuracy, and bias.  I had no clue as to how to really do this.  I did my best and recieved a decent grade.  I would have loved to have known what we learned in class on the 14th.  The most interesting piece was the way we could check the history of the web-site.  I was blown away to learn that Nazareth developed it’s first web-site in 1996-97.  The year I graduated from Nazareth.  Now it seems everything we do at school revolves around the internet.  The web-site that my partner and I had to investigate was pretty obviously a fake out.  However there are most likely web-sites that would be much tougher to bust.  If a child was doing research the chances of them being good critics is slim to none.  Especially in this immediate gratification world we live in.  Children are not going to take time to check their sources as long as the work is done.  This class showed me that as a future teacher I will have to really monitor the web activity of the children in my class and possibly give them a similiar assignment to teach them to be more critical 

18 Months

I decided to introduce the computer to my son this weekend.  He has watched me hen pecking for weeks now on this keyboard with an inquisitive look on his face.  I downloaded the 30 day trial of Kidsperation and had some fun with him.  He was choosing animals and I would make them appear on the screen.  Then we dressed the people on the camping trip.  He was loving it.  I then showed him some Elmo on PBSkids.  His short attention span finally won out and on to chase the dog.  After he ran out of the room I started thinking about the amazing world he entered, 18 months ago, compared to when I was a child.  However with all of this new technology does he have an advantage or disadvantage?  The obvious disadvantage to children these days is their lack of activity.  Chilhood obesity is a result of technology making kids believe that games are played on their couches not in their backyards.  I also believe it is further hurting the family.  I was out to dinner the other night and saw a father sit down with his two sons each one playing a different video game.  No interaction at all.  Technology can be good but we need to remember the simple things in life as well.  This goes for the classroom too.  We can teach with the best and newest technology but we need to balance that with good classical teaching.  Just because we put together the flashiest power point to teach doesn’t mean the students are learning better.  They are learning differently.  This is a debate for the ages and I am only one opinion.  Now, I am going to take my son outside to play with real snow

Third class Excell-ent

Well another week and another program that is more useful than I ever thought.  The Excel program has historically been for use by accountants and the business community.  The ways that it can be utilized in the classroom were until now a mystery.  From seating charts to calendars to graphs the uses are widespread.  I am really enjoying learning these new uses and especially like the hands on work of class.  As I visit the schools that I am currently placed at I will be paying special attention to the work being done on the computers.  Plus I will look at the student work hanging on the walls to see what program if any they utilized.  The differences in the schools and the assignments or resources available will also be interesting.  I am currently at a city school and a suburban school.  Already the difference in funding is evident.  However the computers all have word and excel so it is up to the teachers to use what they have to their maximum advantage.  I wonder if the teachers I am observing even know what they have available at their fingertips.  Word and Excel who would have ever thought I would be excited about these programs?

Microsoft Word-More than a paper maker

Well who would have known?  Microsoft Word is more than a document processing program.  I worked for three years as a Program Manager where one of my duties was to make monthly calenders and follow up announcement fliers.  With the knowledge learned from Thursdays class this would have been a whole lot easier, and more creative.  After class I started to reflect on the dittos passed out by teachers back when I was in school and the headaches they must have had trying to process these sheets.  This knowledge will not only make our job easier, but will make our handouts that much more appealing to the eye for our students.

Second Class BLOG

It may seem ridiculous that after two classes I think that I am more comfortable with technology, but I do.  After going over the BLOG and WIKI last night I realized that trying can lead to knowledge.  In addition when I heard Dr. Ransom say “nobody showed me how to blog I just kept messing with it until I got it.”  That is key.  Knowing ahead of time that I can’t do any real damage makes me more comfortable exploring these new technologies.

The programs for young children that we were showed towards the end of class were really amazing.  I wonder if anybody in schools or that has children in schools has seen any of these programs being used?  Ideally every child would have access to these types of programs, however the cost seems astronomical.  In a world where teachers have to purchase supplies for their  classrooms where does the money come from for this type of teaching tool?  Plus at what age is it appropriate for students to be on the computer and not using the tools of the “old days”?  There will always be a need to read and write.  If the technology prevents youngsters from mastering these skills they will not be as successfull.  As we enter the world of teaching we must remain vigilant and teach students the basics then have technology creap into their lives when appropriate.

On Tuesday night I had the oppurtunity to watch a program on PBS about the internet and the youth of today.  There was some very scarry stuff discussed relating to CyberBullying.  In the extreme case presented the young man actually killed himself.  Once the father was able to break into his online accounts post-mortem he found that his son was not only bullied but also encouraged to take his life.  In one disturbing post someone wrote that he had talked about it long enough and it was about time he went through with it.  He did, that night.  There was also good stuff discussed about the internet but it remains clear, it is up to parents, teachers or any trusted adult to monitor the happenings on the web.

Scarry First Class

Welcome to the future. 

I feel like Rip VanWinkle waking up in a new world after sleeping for a real long time.  In high school I took typing and that was the extent of the computer age.  By the time I finished college in 1997 we were writing papers on the computer and using the internet to look at naked people.  Ten years later and technology is blowing my mind.  With the phones, musical technology, internet, e-mail, this blog thing and stuff that the average five year old knows about and I don’t.  At least I am still taller than the five year olds.  I don’t fear technology as much as I can’t afford it or keep up with it.  However the days of waiting for the return of typewriters and face to face conversation are over.  I need to be tech savvy in order to help the students I hope to teach one day be successfull.  Even if in my heart of hearts I still think kids should spend way more time playing with the cardboard box that the computer came in. 

I am excited about this course and the new technology I will be exposed to.  The first night of class however made me feel a little old.  I am pretty good with my home computer (PC), but these Macs are pretty amazing.  I was actually struggling with the mouse.  Every time I touched it it was as if something happened.  Dr. Ransom I ask that you be patient with me and understand that this is new to me and most other people over the age of 30.  As the son of a true immigrant I now know how my father felt some 53 years ago when he came to this country.  As I navigate my new world I will be looking to you to be a patient and gracious host.