I Tube... Do You Tube???

I have found myself using Youtube.com more and more in my classroom. From explaining Pasteurization to vandagraph machines to simply putting music on in the background of collaborative activities, the sights and sounds of multimedia can add another dimension to the learning experience.

An unfortunate side effect of this dynamic resource is that it is always changing. In the past, I had been using TeacherTube, as it is more 'school friendly' and easier to be trusted, but the sheer size of YouTube's arsenal cannot be ignored. I always make sure to screen every video that I want to show BEFORE I show it. That is common sense, teachers. You don't want to find that movie of the monkey peeing into its mouth instead of the Schoolhouse Rock video you expected when it is in front of your class. (yes that movie does exist)

To help us combat the inappropriate (insert subjectivity here!) Google, the parent of YouTube, has introduced Safety Mode.



It will filter out what has been deemed unsafe, and won't allow those results to come up. It will also shut comments off unless you choose to view them, and it will edit out 'foul language'. How nice! There are some gliches, of course, but this is something that I will be using in my own classroom from now on.

I will continue to screen vids beforehand, of course.

Digital Accountability and Our Own Stupidity

See if you can visualize this exchange:

Friend 1: "Hey (name), do you remember that crazy thing you did in (insert college, high school, middle school, or even elementary school)??"
Friend 2: "Yeah.. that was crazy.. and stupid.. I can't believe I actually did that!"

We have all been there in some capacity. Whether it was a boy running through the girls' locker room in his underwear or doing a silly dance at a classmate's party, random acts of stupidity surrounded by immaturity and the lack of accountability have plagued us all, even the best of the best.

Today's 'youth' (am I really saying that word??? I am not really old yet!) are sharing many of the same experiences with some slightly different attributes. In the end, stupidity and naivety run rampant. The difference is digital accountability.

At a recent faculty meeting, a member of our staff expressed their displeasure of the connections that the Internet provides. I must respectfully disagree. Should we have told this person that as a child they should not have been permitted to use the telephone? Of course not. Connections are what help us to grow intellectually and socially. Connections are what makes literature come alive while we explore it. Connections help us to reach outside of ourselves to experience all there is to offer.

Unfortunately, this includes both good and bad. I am amazed at how many of my 4th and 5th graders are using social networking sites such as Facebook. I will not look down upon them, as I use FB myself. It is not the tool, but proper use that concerns me. There are even interest groups for students from my school. This would surely shock many of my collegues. A few of my students have You Tube accounts as well. While one of my kids makes informative videos about his interests, the other seems to be posting flamatory (downright inappropriate) comments on other people's videos. I was very disappointed, as I view You Tube as a great resource for learning. I am not only worried about this student potentially harassing another student, but also the unstable older student or adult that might pay him a visit to harm him because of his words if he is 'dumb' (for lack of a better word) enough to give out some personal information.

These students need to know that they are accountable for their letters and words on the Internet just as much as if they had written if in their notebook or said it in person. Digital audio and video are accessible in the palm of our hands. So many students have cell phones or Flip style cameras. How will these actions affect their future? Acceptance into a college? Future job prospects? Who knows...

Remember that exchange in the beginning of this article? Try another one in a few years...

Friend 1: "Hey , do you remember that crazy thing you did in ??"
Friend 2: "Yeah.. that was crazy.. and stupid.. I can't believe I actually did that!"
Friend 1: "Me either. Let me pull it up for you to see!"
Friend 2: "Oh c'mon.. not again...."

Everything Old is New Again...

When I saw a commercial the other day, I nearly couldn't believe it. ABC is remaking the "V" series that brings reptile like alien creatures to Earth in an effort to conquer and extinguish the human race. I remember that show as a kid, and I really enjoyed it. Take a look around Hollywood for the past few years... What do you see? Transformers... GI Joe... Iron Man... Spiderman... Fantastic Four... Star Wars... and I just heard there will be a remake of The A-Team next year! Look at the return of the American Muscle. Looking at the latest Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers will throw you back to the late 60s and early 70s with a new millenium flair.

Education is not supposed to go 'retro' but we do look back to the practices of yesterday. For the most part, our instructional model is based off the same methods of 200 years ago, but the delivery methods are different and the approaches have 'matured' and 'evolved'. We strive for individualized learning approaches and opportunities within the confines of tight quarters.

New methods and models are created, introduced, implemented, and find their way into classrooms all over the world. Will the world of education ever return to the ways of yesterday? Will we one day have "teacher in the front and rows of students" in classrooms with technology all over the place? That is extreme, but you never know.

I'll tell you one that thing that must never change; communication. An open dialogue between teachers and teachers, teachers and administrators, teachers and parents, and teachers and students. Remember that communication must be both ways, not just listen to the teacher or the teacher listening to others.

Yesterday I received an email from a student (keep in mind that they are 9) saying that she did not have the reading homework assignment. I explained what might have happened to it, and I pasted the text from the assignment to her. She then emailed back that she understood and thanked me. Wow! How awesome is this? Now, before you think that email communication should be required, keep in mind that I am nuts about checking my email(s). This email was sent hours after school had ended. If we are require teachers to check their email after hours, we might as well give out home and cell phone numbers.

I don't know what the answer is, and I certainly don't know what the future holds, but I am glad that I will be a part of it.

Is the Grass Really Greener or is it Artificial Turf?

Oh.. the joy of being a classroom teacher.

We are generalists in out duties, but we immerse ourselves in every subject in an effort to become specialists in all that we explore with our students. We are told that something is a top priority, along with 100 other things that are as well. We explore new educational strategies and instructional models in an effort to give our students the best learning environment in a sincere effort to reach all learning styles and both engage and challenge every student at all times through all subject areas.

To be honest, I sometimes feel like a professional juggler. Having said that, I wouldn't want it any other way. I love the rush and the unpredictability of the classroom, BUT.....

The technology projects that I also love to do are getting tougher and tougher to tackle with my students. The pace of the day and the limited time I can work and devote to them can suck the life out of many things. I have started to blog with my students as of last week, and they are really loving it. As a matter of fact, I am anxious to see their articles this week. My mind has been racing with music video ideas and how I can tie one to a curriculum area that we are currently exploring. (My last 2 classes have made such videos, and they were incredibly motivating and fun reteaching opportunities. They also help me to gauge what other projects my students would like to tackle.)

Lately I have been looking at the role of a technology teacher, and to be quite honest there is much that interests me. A technology teacher has more freedom to interpret the curriculum and create projects that leap "off the page" so to speak. They also must collaborate with the classroom teacher to ensure that it is anchored in curriculum. I am sure that it is not all smiles and bubble gum though, as there are some tasks in the role that might not be as rewarding. My main concern is the connection that I wrote about in my last entry. When you are a 'specials area' teacher, is there less 'ownership' of a class? I hate to definitively say "no", but from my point of view there would have to be. You are seeing almost the entire student population and not just those 23-26 kids that you are the primary person responsible for. That connection (for me) is one of the biggest rewards of teaching. I wonder how things would feel different if I was not their classroom teacher.

I'm not going anywhere, but it doesn't hurt to wonder. I'm just wondering aloud I guess.

Connections: text to self, text to text, text to world, class to self

My class has been exploring the characteristics of good reading. One of the things we learn that good readers do is make connections to literature to make what they are reading more meaningful, more relevant and to enhance comprehension.
When I think about what is the best about teaching, the connection with the students is one of the first that comes to my mind. We spend so much of the day with them, and we become partners in what we learn, explore and share. We model for learning academic skills, acceptable behavior and social interaction. It is the connection with the classroom and my students that makes teaching truly fulfilling.
I am also lucky enough to keep in touch with some of my students after they leave me. I do see my kids when they are in 5th grade, but now as my former classes get older, they move into middle and high school.
One rather touching moment was my birthday. I received a few emails and cards from students that had moved on from the walls of room 25. That really touched me. I am honored to played a role in their lives, and I thank them most graciously for doing the same for me.

Cheers.

New Year, New Challenges, New Opportunities

Here I sit three weeks into the new school year. I am just a few days from introducing the concept of blogging to them, and still I am reviewing and approving entries that are still being created by the students that I had last year. If that isn't encouragement to keep blogging, I don't know what is.

As I get to know my class both as learners, as a team and as individuals, the ideas flow like a waterfall around me. What will we be able to do? How will we be able to grow? What strengths and interests do they possess that will steer us in some new direction? How will I keep things moving and interesting/fun for them?

For back to school night, I used my Flip camera to have the students tell their families the curriculum instead of hearing it from me. I went with a Star Wars theme for the movie, called "Grade Four", and it came out really nice. It also told me that filming in the second week of school might be too soon for these kids. They were not used to such projects, and they weren't even used to me yet. Last year's kids... well they were ready but we were doing videos later in the year.

Call me insane, but now I sit here taking a break from making a new music video detailing the scientific method, which is what we have been exploring lately. As I rummage through song after song looking for that perfect beat that can be used, I still wonder if my timing is too aggressive.

Yesterday, I told my class that we might be doing a music video. They have all no doubt seen or heard about the videos that my last two classes have made, and they seemed very excited. As I did with the DMSB video, I asked them to brainstorm vocabulary and concepts pertaining to the scientific method. They went through their notes and worked in collaborative groups for about 10 minutes, and you could feel the energy in the room. We collected our words and created a class wordle that now sits poster sized in the front of the room.

Scientific method is an important part of our curriculum. It is used throughout the year embedded in the units that we explore. I know this will be fun for them, and of course I know that I will be busting my butt to get it done. I do worry that they still might not be ready, but hey.. this is the fourth week already. Let's get moving!

Happy school year to all of my fellow educators.. less than 10 months to go! :)

August Already?

Back to school sales? Are you kidding? I first saw them in early July and I was floored. How about seeing Halloween decorations in late July? Why are they rushing us through the summer??? Oh, and what a great summer so far! Even though there is still half a summer left, the teachers out there will understand that the seed of school has already been planted in our brains. Even if we have no set foot in our classrooms yet, our minds are already racing with lesson ideas, goals, state assessments, class personalities, and the challenges of a new year.

I have just recently completed my second masters degree in Educational Technology, and I have passed the NYS Ed Tech certification test (YAY!). As I spend another few weeks soaking in those accomplishments, I must remember that in the real world classroom they are worthless unless the skills that I have leared are applied.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I love incorporating technology as both an extension of curriculum and just 'for fun'. I have been blogging with my classroom for 2 years. I have used collaborative wikis for two years (but last year was my first true successful year with it in my opinion). I like creating multimedia projects with my kids, and last year's class was able to truly take the video bull by the horns and create some great movies.

I am hopeful for this new year, as I usually am. I hope to be able to do more with new class both with and without technology. I will be working with a teacher that i really respect and that I am proud to call a friend. The state assessments seem to have moved along the calendar, so there will be challenges there as well.

Lots of challenges.. but who wants to be bored, anyway? But, no matter what the advertising executives tell you.. there's a whole lot of summer left.