Digital Immigrant Evolving

Do you remember the song to the TV show “Welcome Back Kotter”? I am singing it to myself right now. Well two years ago I was teased a lot, and who would have thought I would need this blog again? I am glad that within the web things that we think are dead are not really dead. There is nothing like requesting a new password and getting back in the saddle once again. You may wonder where have I been for two years (or may not) well, I am asking myself the same thing. Let’s just say I am still learning and keeping busy. It sure is nice to look back at some of the things I have discovered back then with the hopes of sharing them with others. I am glad to say that there is still so much to learn because technology seems to be moving at such a fast pace it is way too hard to ever stay ahead. I do know this for a fact though, as of today, I can definitely say that there are more willing people/teachers ready to use technology in their classrooms today than when I last posted.

I recall an old commercial/advertisement saying “You’ve Come A Lone Way Baby!”  In the case of education and technology, I can honestly say that we (my school) have made great progress this past school year. I know we are not a 100% yet, but the overall climate of the school has improved it’s interest and willingness to embrace the use of more technology whenever possible. The fact that we eventually acquired twelve SmartBoards and document cameras for an after-school program has really made a difference in how we teach students. I see myself as an advocate of “If I can do it anyone can, if they are willing to learn!? It is also beneficial to the school to have an IT/TCIS  that has a love for technology and is willing to help teachers implement the necessary technology into classroom lessons. This has not always been the case. Unfortunately, too much is assumed when it comes to what teachers actually know and can do in the classroom. Many have opted out of learning new things because they are already overwhelmed with their work load and classroom management. I know how that feels, but I am also of the mind that what I need to learn is not necessarily for me it is for my students. So, my new speech of encouragement to teachers this year is going to be “IF YOU DON’T WHO WILL? I don’t think we provide students with enough choices, methods, examples, and styles of how to learn and we DEFINITELY don’t give them enough time to use technology to demonstrate their skills. I know the nay sayers will say “Who cares?” But, that has never stopped me before. One day, school administrators are going to wake up and realize that technology is more important than the next passing test score. Then and maybe, it will be a requirement (graded) and part of the curriculum. Until that time, I don’t think we are truly preparing our students for the future that is ahead of them. I think that is my mission/passion. I think I get just as excited as some kids do when it is time to go back to school because of the new things that I want to accomplish and experiment with. However, at the moment I wish summer would never end and I could it all over again. But, the teacher in me wants to get started again. As I look back, I had a great school year and I know my students really enjoyed it. We used the ThinkQuest.org to become pen pals with a class in England and started a bee project with a class in Germany. I introduced Skype to many teachers and we used it in school. We even had the opportunity to Skype with our pen pals in England, which happened to be the best day in school ever (as said by one of my students). The bee project was a shared project because the teacher in Germany actually happened to be a beekeeper. I was able to contact a local beekeeper, who visited our class with his observation hive and donated his some of his honey for the kids to taste. I can honestly say if it wasn’t for technology none of this would have been possible. The biggest set back this year had to do with the firewall and the internet security that blocks many sites at school. I am not sure how we can make changes or who is responsible for the countless blocks that come up when trying to connect to educational sites. That is why teachers always have to have a plan B ready when these things happen. So, for the upcoming year, I hope that our progress will continue and maybe we can finally drop the token cliche` “21st Century schools”. I am also grateful to social networking sites that provide a great PLN for teachers to learn and share. This year I am going to try once again to help teachers understand the importance of a PLN even if it is just for a socializing experience  at first. I know we have come a long way, but some people are still walking in baby steps. It is time to step it up now and get more teachers to try new tech tools in their classroom. I am now looking for the new creative ways to have students present projects and their creative writing assignments.

I have always been amazed at our ability to multi-task, but sometimes too many tasks can leave me spinning in too many directions. For example, like joining groups that can help you learn new skills or just for the sake of joining another group. So, I decided that I would take a look at where I have been since last year. Unfortunately, some of my work I started was soon dropped because of my school firewall (let’s block everything) system. It all began with one site and then led to more and more. Wetpaint, Wikispaces, Edublogs, Global Collaborative Ning, SmartBoard Revolution Ning, Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, Skype and Blogger. This is just to name few, which does not include the additional groups within Ning, Diigo, and De.li.cious.  I am not a faithful blogger, like most, I find myself writing for my own reflective purposes. I definitely feel more confident when it comes to learning technology, but that comes from spending time learning many things on my own. It has been a little over one month now since I have had my own SmartBoard mounted in my classroom. With no officially SB training, I have made connections and found sites that I can use to help me teach content area subjects. I can truly say that having a PLN is a necessity for any teacher nowadays. The additional tools given with the SB were the Senteo Clickers, which is so much fun to use with the students. I still consider myself a digital immigrant because there is still so much I need to know, but I am willing to learn more and there is light at the end of the tunnel. When it seems to be too overwhelming I just thank God for the WWW and my PLN from which I know I can ask questions and receive answers to just about anything I need to know. I also appreciate those that have blogs that share lessons and websites that help teachers like myself. My all time favorite site to use at school with my students is ThinkQuest.org. Students can begin to blog and join projects. I am currently working on a Bee Project with a teacher in Germany. My students and I also pen pal with students in the UK via the web and real snail mail. This has really been a great experience for my students this year. Recently, I have been encouraging teachers to join Skype so that we can communicate more frequently within school, but also the wiki for Skype will allow teachers to make connections with teachers from other states/countries to collaborate on projects. It really is fascinating when we can show students how much we have in common with we have with students all over the world. We really can show what a flat classroom looks like. If you have learned something new please share it with me, or if you know of some sites that are beneficial for teachers learning new tech skills please pass it on. 

What do you do after you attend conferences and hear great speakers? The heightened excitement of new “stuff” to implement seems so idealistic at first and very possible, however, little realities soon set in and they are different for each person. What are the realities that hinder your progress in the classroom? What changes are within your own range? What do you do with your inner frustration when the expectations to perform are high but actual output is poor or so low (on all levels) hmm?
Well, if I had the answers I would not be writing this. So, if I learn anything new today I will report back. But, whatever happens don’t lose heart just believe things are going to get better.

I am definitely going into the new year more hopeful about improvements in education. It has been very frustrating these past few months at school. With all the talk since NECC 2008 about being 21st century and using more technology, we got caught in the middle of contracts with the company that was installing the SmartBoards in our classrooms. My board was mounted on the wall and projector mounted on the ceiling since early November without the proper wiring and I could not use because they needed to installed with some kind of preset codes that the contractors had put in. The contractors still have additional boards to mount and install. However, teaching must go on and I manage to work around or use the screen the best way I can. I am hopeful that while I have been enjoying my holiday break that some little elves (contractors) actually got some work done.
In my school district, we are getting ready for out second 21st Century Conference. I really got excited about technology last January and continue to use technology in the classroom and for my own PD through many groups and social networks. I wouldn’t be writing this if it weren’t for my PLN and subscribing to some really informative blogs. I don’t write as much on Twitter, but I do check in, read, and learn what is current. I am currently addicted to Plurk, which is for fun and learning. However, this year’s conference is going to be so much fun because through Twitter I was able to contact David Warlick for my principal so that we could have him come and speak at our conference this year. Another great thing at the conference this year, is that we are going to have poster sessions (like at NECC 2008) to share what we are doing in our classrooms with technology. They are also offering mini sessions for people to attend on Saturday. I think we are trying very hard, but not sure of how much of it is really filtering down to the lay person/teacher. I am sure we are going to come away from this conference once again excited, but then nothing happens back at school. The one main reasons is the firewall protection and blocking issues that hinder much of tech activities we could be utilizing in school. I am hoping that admin will take notice with ears wide open and work on these issues this year.
I big hope for the new year has to do with our new President Barack Obama. I truly pray that something is going to be done with NCLB. Teachers and students have struggled and stressed, schools have been persecuted for regulations tied into NCLB that are so ridiculous. Please get rid of NCLB! So, when it comes to implementing tech in the classroom I know I need to do more and learn more. I am ready for a change and our students deserve the very best.
My wish is that this new year brings hope of new things for you. Try setting a goal to learn something new this year.

I think even the best technical person can relate to this cartoon. I consider myself tech challenged because I have no technical background, never took computer classes except for the required basics for work, yet, I love technology (when it works). I am awed by those that have mastered this digital world with ease. At this point in my life, I am not striving for mastery, but what I consider a workable knowledge of technical devices that have its place in the classroom. My journey is all about passing it on to my students and how they will use technology for their learning and their future. I am truly thankful to those that use blogs to help teachers learn more about technology and new gadgets. I am also thankful to IT’s that work in our schools helping those of us that need all the tech support we can get, and they do it with a smile. I recommend that digital immigrants should see the humorous side when heading into the technology battleground instead of getting upset and angry with it, find a student that knows how it works and get them to help you. I know this is hard for some teachers to do, but we must accept this is a different age of learning that we are living in.

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

I just have to share that it has been a very lonely two weeks without my pc and internet service. I have fallen to the addiction of emailing, iming, plurking, twittering, blogging and just simply feeling connected to the universe. I am just not ready to cave and buy a new pc just yet, but would really appreciate it if your job is to help repair pcs “Firedog” in particular, I think you should be able to figure out what problems are on my computer. They were able to help me gain more access than I had before, but then I figured out the rest myself and I am digitally challenged. They could not get internet or my AOL back on for me though. So, I deleted (uninstalled) everything and started a new account. Voila! I am back in business. In the meantime, I will explore what

I have recently heard about Lulu.com. I am curious to know how this really works. Yes, I guess I could search the site and I have looked at it, but I would like some feedback from people that have used it or would use. I wondered what goes into something like that. What does it cost? How do you sell your published book on Lulu? If you have any thoughts or experience to share on this subject I would really love to read your comments.

This is just one good example of how the internet helps teachers go global. Through various sites, blogs and social networks we are able to make connections that enhance our learning. The web is an ever growing entity that just amazes me. I encourage teachers to step out of their world and begin to learn and share with other teachers. The web is able, but we must be willing. Not everything is that easy. Sometimes, writing and getting a page right takes me hours. I am very determined to explore and lean on my PLN when needed. Through edublogs I have met other teachers. Some bloggers are from the U.S. and others are from the UK. It is great to know that their are other teachers are writing about their experience and sharing tools, links and tips that have worked for them. I have been receiving tons of information from groups and hardly have the time to read it all. I would like to thank International Edubloggers for the invitation to join their group and look forward to sharing with the group.