Journal #5: "Are Computer Labs Obsolete?"

Parker, J., & Telep, T. (2012). Point/counterpoint: Are computer labs obsolete?. Learning & Leading with Technology, 40(1), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Point_Counterpoint_Are_Computer_Labs_Obsolete.aspx.  

Summary:  This article provides two opposing views on the current usefulness of school computer laboratories.  Jessica Parker asserts that computer labs are so last century: full of outdated equipment and reliant on tired pedagogical practices.  She believes they should give way to portable wireless devices that are integrated into the classroom.  In contrast, Tim Telep argues that instruction in a computer lab has its place in the 21^st century, providing support and ensuring that technology use in individual classrooms is as efficient and beneficial as possible.

Question #1: Is it really feasible or beneficial to banish the computer lab from campus?

Answer:   No, it’s not feasible OR beneficial! While I admire Parker’s visionary enthusiasm, it is unrealistic to assume that all students are going to be able to own iPads, or smart phones, or even lap tops.  Even if they did, there are still issues of standardization of apps and capabilities. Plus, technology improves at light speed, so as soon as one classroom of kids all has their equipment, it’s outdated!  I live in an affluent state in an affluent country and I can tell you that not all of my students can afford to have a portable wireless-ready device in class each day.   

I really like what Telep says: “Direct instruction in computer skills in a lab doesn’t compete with technology use in the classroom, it improves it.  What takes place in the lab gives students the confidence to use technology effectively in other classes.”   This resonates with me because, due ED 422, I am trying to get my students working on computers more in class.  I figured that once I got up to speed, it would be easy to do computer work in class because the kids are so skilled.  BUT, I was quite surprised at the time it took to walk the kids through signing on, getting an edmodo account, etc.  They weren’t as skilled as I’d anticipated…and I think that lack of a computer class (axed 4 years ago in favor of fine arts during an ACSI accreditation review) in our curriculum is partly to blame. 

Question #2: How do we go about getting up-to-date equipment into the hands of all students?

Answer:   The more articles I read in the ISTE journal, the more I think that this question needs to be addressed before we worry about having favicons on our blogs or QR codes on our bulletin boards.  The technology use in any teacher’s classroom is only as strong as the “weakest link.”  It only takes one or two students without computer and/or Internet access and the process grinds to a halt.  Having a computer cart available, or a class set of iPads is not good enough.  As I am learning about these new technology tools it’s great to have Professor Heil showing us things step-by-step on the giant screen at the front and walking through the lab to help us individually.  However, I haven’t really mastered a new tech skill until I can succeed at home on my own computer, or even better, show a friend how to do what I’ve earlier learned in class.  Students must have access to computers at home AND at school in order to reach this same level of proficiency.  This is going to require a huge re-allocation of funds and/or a huge level of commitment...not to mention a paradigm shift away from standardized tests.

Journal #4: "Join the Flock!" and "Enhance Your Twitter Experience"

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(8), 13-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Join_the_Flock.aspx. 

Miller, S. M. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(8), 14-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2010.aspx.


Summary: Ferguson's article provides a clear and concise how-to guide for teachers exploring the world of Personal Learning Networks on Twitter for the first time, providing suggestions of people to follow and addressing the fear of overexposure on the web so that new users can build up their confidence and participation level gradually.  In the related article, McClintock Miller offers tips for those who are using Twitter regularly as part of their teaching PLN and who are ready to upgrade their Twitter use through online organizers like TweetDeck or HootSuite.


My initial reaction to the thought of building an online PLN through Twittter was a bunch of questions --"How will I ever find the time for this in addition to my other teaching duties??  Where do I start?  Do I have to actually tweet anything?" I had to smile as I read Haley Ferguson's article because it seemed as though she wrote with me in mind, addressing most all of these questions in order!  I especially appreciated her easy-going approach, which did not make me feel behind or inept.  She also said it's OK for new Twitter users to just watch and learn for awhile before tweeting on their own, although she definitely encouraged her audience to move on to re-tweeting and posting new information for followers.

Question #1:  Is it really important for a teacher to have a wide, online PLN as opposed to a traditional group of co-workers or a personal mentor?

Answer:  Like Haley Ferguson pre-Twitter, I tend to be a teacher who is comfortable doing research as needed on my own, or bringing questions to a respected colleague.  I know what approaches work best for me and I hesitate to recommend or suggest what might work for others.  I have no gift for sales and don't see myself as an expert at anything.  Thus I am very wary of Twitter involvement.  I don't want to be buried in piles of helpful-but-not-world-changing information, nor do I want people I've never met forming judgments about me or my practices.  According to Ferguson, a Twitter-based PLN will allow me access to a much bigger "library" of education information than I could ever reach physically by virtually expanding my pool of co-workers and thus increasing the chances of finding specific help in my areas of interest.  If/when I am willing to share my own classroom experiences with others, as Ferguson does, I will benefit from their feedback and encouragement.  The key to mitigating my concern about negative judgments comes in one of Ferguson's concluding sentences: "Over time I have built relationships with people I know only by their photos or avatars, but they are real people to me nonetheless."  Once I have built relationships with educators in my own PLN--and they've become "real people" to me--it's more likely I'll be comfortable sharing my ideas and experiences with them.  

Question #2:  What are the advantages of using a Twitter organizer?

Answer: A Twitter manager like TweetDeck or HootSuite will organize your tweet stream into columns onscreen by categories that you chose, keeping you from being overwhelmed by the flood of information.  These sites will also help you "work smarter, not harder" because they include features that simplify composing a tweet, re-tweeting, sending replies and direct messages, translating a foreign-language tweet (!!), and updating multiple social-networking sites simultaneously.

Journal #3: "Upside Down and Inside Out"

Fulton, K. (2012). Upside down and inside out: Flip your classroom to improve student learning. Learning & leading, 39(8), 12-13. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120607?pg=14&pm=2&fs=1.

Summary:  In this article author Kathleen Fulton examines the "flipped" classroom, asking if there is real merit in the concept or if it's just the most recent fad in education.  Citing the experience of a Minnesota high school that "flipped" (assigning students to watch lectures at home and using class time to complete assignments that would traditionally be homework) due to budgetary and economic issues, as well as the promising results shown by early assessment data collected there, Fulton concludes that the flipped classroom is more than just a snake oil remedy.  While flipped teaching may not be right for every subject in every school, it is definitely a legitimate tool teachers and administrators should consider seriously, particularly because of its emphasis on meeting individual student needs and its relevance in this time when educators must adapt to show students how to use technology for life-long learning.


It's exciting to think about trying to flip my own classes, but I also have a few concerns.  First, I worry that students would not watch the video (or enough of the video) lectures at home.  Lack of understanding would probably show up in daily assessment quizzes; not a problem if it happens infrequently, but very troublesome as habitual behavior.  Flipping pioneer Jonathan Bergman maintains that when given this type of control students in fact take more responsibility for their learning.  Most likely I would just have to try it out and watch what happens, while being prepared to address the situation along the way.

Next I wonder what impact flipped teaching might have on the families at my school.  Our population is solidly middle- and upper-middle class.  The majority have at least one computer, but many families are limited to that one, either by moral choice (it's much easier to monitor a teenager's computer use if he or she is working at the one household computer located in the family room!) or by financial necessity--they are already paying for private school, often for several children.  How would mandating computer usage at home several nights per week affect these families?  In that respect I tend to agree with former teacher Derrick Waddell who feels that the flipped classroom method will effectively disenfranchise a certain segment of students.

Question #1: Some critics argue that the "flipped classroom" concept does not really alter our educational model.  If true, does this invalidate its usefulness?

Answer:  No, although some of the criticisms are valid.  I agree that the weakest part of the concept is watching video lectures at home.  This passive activity might be interrupted or thwarted by many factors, such as lack of computer/Internet access, sports or extracurricular activity commitments, and turbulent or unstable home situations.  Also, in the current climate, teachers are still judged according to student performance on standardized test, which clashes with the premise of flipped education and could result in teacher vulnerability.  Until these two areas are addressed, the flipped classroom concept will not reach its full potential.  However, I think that educational experiences will improve if teachers and students refine the concept further.


Question #2: What classes, age group(s) or lessons that you teach would best lend themselves to flipping?

Answer:   I'm glad that the article talked about trying to flip specific lessons before committing to flipping an entire curriculum.  For the 11th grade AP U.S. History class, I could record a lecture on "The Ten Most Important Supreme Court Cases Before the Civil War," for students to watch at home, then have them use Internet and textbook to research more in class.  I would end the lesson by pairing students and having them debate which one case is the most significant.  For another lesson, I could begin a power point lecture in class and then have students access the final section of slides from home before answering a prompt posted on the class blog and commenting on two of their classmates' responses.  The class I think would be easiest to fully flip is the 10th grade World History because these students are less proficient readers who also tend to be tech savvy.  They would welcome the chance to use more technology and also be more likely to benefit from a "less reading, fewer lectures," format.

Journal #2: School 2.0 Reflection Tool

Step 1:  Took this technology evaluation test...looks like NETS-T III needs some work!

Step 2:  Checked out the suggested Resources for NETS-T III and read the following article from the ISTE Journal.

Warlick, D. (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Learning & Leading with Technology, 12-16. Retrieved from www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ831435.pdf

Summary:  Author David Warlick argues that at this current time technology has effected a change in the way learners (including classroom teachers) find information they seek.  He maintains that no longer do we have to go out and physically search for books, articles, or qualified mentors full of helpful wisdom.  Instead, we can use computer technology to enlarge the pool of available information, have web access to mentors from other regions, and have programs (?) that search the vast web on our behalf.

       This article was was helpful to me in three ways.  First, Warlick clearly defined the three main types of personal learning networks (PLNs) that I can expect to construct.  Based on these definitions I could clearly see that habitually I am most comfortable using the traditional PLN--actual people and places consulted in person to answer questions, solve problems, etc.  This would include staff meetings, peer coaches, and teacher conferences.  I have also begun to use technology to expand this traditional network via participation in forums like listserv discussions.  Warlick's description of semisynchronous connections was enlightening and showed me that I up until recently I did not think of Facebook or Twitter as more than interesting but time-consuming techno-gadgets.  I have not worked to analyze how I could these tools in the context of "real" education.  If PLN type 2 was intriguing, then PLN type 3 was revolutionary!   I had never heard of an "RSS aggregator," but it was encouraging to learn that there is technology to help us sort through and identify relevant content in the huge ocean of available information.

     Next, I appreciated Warlick's sidebar of tips for creating a PLN, "Keep It Simple."  One of my issues with the new technology is that I find the sheer mass of information overwhelming and feel like I don't have enough hours in the day to answer e-mails, grade papers, plan ahead for lessons, take care of my children, spend time with my husband, catch up with friends and relatives...AND sort through hundreds of Facebook posts, or Tweets, or "helpful" websites!  Warlick's recommendation to "start small" and his suggestions for organizing folders in your aggregator, for example,  helped to address my concerns.

      Finally, I was glad that Warlick provided lists of specific aggregators along with their websites so that I could spend some time learning about these tools.  I searched Delicious for educational sites, visited ning.com, pageflakes.com and even found a helpful assignment I can use in my classroom on a new blog I located through google blog search.  So far I am understanding what I am learning much better than I anticipated...seems like some of my frustration with technology was rooted in not dedicating a block of time for exploring and learning.

Journal #1: 100 Things that Make Me Happy!

1.  A kiss from my husband.
2.  A text or call from one of my kids.
3.  A new pair of shoes!
4.  An affirmative answer to prayer.
5.  A hug from a friend.
6.  Students who've done their homework.
7   Being in Florence, Italy.
8.  Traveling, especially with my husband!
9.  Having 100% of my AP History students pass in 2012!
10.  Buying school supplies at Staples in August.
11.  Christmas decorations and Christmas music.
12.  The whole Christmas season!
13.  Reading the Bible and spending time with God.
14.  Freshly-laundered linens.
15.  Breakfast in bed.
16.  Sleeping in.
17.  My favorite color -- red!
18.  Presents!
19.  Reading.
20.  Going to the Library.
21.  Weddings and wedding dresses.
22.  The smell of lavendar.
23.  Sewing for myself.
24.  Seeing the "lightbulb" come on for a student.
25.  A good hair day.
26.  Chocolate!
27.  The Sound of Music.
28.  Listening to music -- Mozart to modern.
29.  Straight teeth (thanks to braces as an adult).
30.  History -- American, European, World...whatever!
31.  Martha Grimes' Richard Jury novels.
32.  Decorating (or re-decorating) my house.
33.  A Starbucks white chocolate mocha.
34.  Going out to dinner.
35.  The way (clean) babies smell.
36.  Getting a massage.
37.  Shopping at Nordstroms.
38.  Receiving a bouquet of flowers.
39.  Spending time with my family.
40.  Jane Austen books.
41.  Getting my hair done.
42.  Eating my husband's homemade pizza.
43.  Red lipstick.
44.  Wearing pearls.
45.  Toile and damask patterned fabrics.
46.  Visiting museums and historically significant sites.
47.  Peace and Quiet!
48.  French perfume.
49.  Walking on the beach with my husband.
50.  The annual beach house weekend trip with my 8 girlfriends -- every year since 1995!
51.  When my closet is clean and organized by item and color.
52.  A grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup on a rainy day.
53.  Telling a story that makes people laugh.
54.  Having students tell me they like History more after they've taken my class than they
       did when the class began.
55.  Finding a new book by Lisa Scottoline, Tess Gerritsen, Elizabeth George, or Anne Perry.
56.  Taking students on study trips to American History sites.
57.  The red and orange colors of leaves in the Fall.
58.  A clean house.
59.  Getting all the homework graded (this happens pretty rarely!).
60.  Sitting by the fire on a cool winter evening.
61.  Researching foreign countries to plan a trip abroad.
62.  Watching the History Channel.
63.  Helping others.
64.  Kittens and puppies.
65.  Watching my dog do his nightly tricks for treats.
66.  Italian olive oil.
67.  Incandescent light bulbs (I hate the fluorescent ones!).
68.  USC Trojan football.
69.  Having a great daughter-in-law.
70.  Sunshine.
71.  Computer technology that works and is applicable to the classroom.
72.  Crossing an item off my To-Do List.
73.  Anything to do with the British Royal family (or English kings & queens).
74.  Visiting my daughter in her first apartment.
75.  Renaissance art.
76.  A "can-do" attitude.
77.  Careful planning.
78.  Staying up late (reading a book).
79.  Learning Italian.
80.  Browsing in antique shops.
81.  Looking through photo albums from when my kids were very small.
82.  Formal dinners with the good china and fancy napkins.
83.  Mediterranean-style architecture.
84.  The Tuscan countryside.
85.  Fast and uninterrupted internet service.
86.  The smell of a new car.
87.  Accomplishing a life goal.
88.  Attending my daughter's college graduation.
89.  Good customer service.
90.  Handmade lace.
91.  The fact that my husband likes to cook (since I don't).
92.  The Tourist (Johnny Depp in Venice!).
93.  Listening to people with accents.
94.  My husband's mustache.
95.  Family vacations.
96.  The feeling of my teeth after the dentist has cleaned them.
97.  Stepping on the scale and liking the number.
98.  Finding just the perfect gift for a loved one.
99.  Craft projects.
100.  Crystal chandeliers.