From last week's discussions concerning the ideal classroom, I hope to enter my classroom this fall to find a couple of my dreams realized. As an English teacher, I want to be able to supplement the literature in my course with video clips and other forms of media. I would love to have a ceiling projector, which I can access from my computer, in my classroom. Let's face it - not every single student is going to enjoy reading a book as much as I do, but if I can reach the student through a different technological-savvy medium, then I want to do it. For instance, a common strategy in English classrooms is to watch a visual adaptation of a novel or play read in class, but I want to push the envelope further. Perhaps, I can surf the web to find different paintings from a particular time in history that simulates the same historical circumstances and concerns that surround one of my novels or romances. I am confident that I can make what may appear to be a "boring" novel that is confined to a place and time far disconnected seem interesting and present. Technology will aid my pursuits.
This semester I hope to learn more about Podcasting. When I was a high school student, I remember how lost I felt when I returned to a class after missing the previous day's lecture because of an appointment, athletic commitment, or illness. Teachers always had extra copies of homework and assignments, but they were reluctant to provide outlined notes of their lecture. For lecture information, I had to depend upon my peers' notebooks. Deciphering their handwriting was often difficult and attempting to follow their seemingly muddled outlines made it difficult for me to ascertain the overall direction of my teacher's lesson plan. However, if there had been an audio recording of my teacher's lecture, then I could write my own notes.
With Podcasting in my future classroom, I hope to lessen the consequential strain of missing a day of course material. This way, my students would feel less anxiety about missing a day of school due to a private obligation. In order to prevent abuse of the Podcasts, I would still require a written permission slip from a coach or parent before I released the mP3 file to the student, but regardless of the reason, I do not see myself putting the files in the public domain of the Internet. I do not want to create educational "crutches" for my students who do not feel like going to class on any given day, but I think Podcasting with care could be a helpful, proactive teaching technique.
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3 comments:
Kevin,
I agree, I want to learn podcasting and to keep current with technology, but I have no illusions that I will ever be an expert in this area. But, you make a very important point-- missing even one day of school can leave a student even further behind given the supersonic pace that technology improves.
I generally become familiar and comfortable with technology just about the time that the newest innovation is unveiled.
Someone once told me that the computer you buy today is already obsolete. But, it won't help to buy a new one because they are evolving so rapidly, you'd literally have to get an upgrade every few weeks.
Remind me to buy some tech stocks.
Bob
Kevin, of course you're right that one key functionality of podcasts is to first record and then make class sessions readily available. Don't forget that often the most powerful uses of such social technologies are to enable kids to be creators. Kids acting as journalists interviewing their classmates who are portraying characters from the novel they're reading and SO much more. I'm intrigued by thinking of how a fun tool like this can facilitate assessment or give kids alternate ways of showing what they know.
This probably doesn't count as a real "comment on the blog of your colleagues" thing, but I just wanted to say that I like your profile picture. You and Jenny look quite dapper ;)
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