New School

I have attached an article that appears in the October 2006 issue of Entrepreneur magazine. The main point of the article is that schools are failing not only the students, but the businesses as well. If students are not up to speed on the changes that are occurring in the world, particularly in the area of technology, businesses will suffer as well. These students after all are going to make up the prospective workforce. Unskilled labor (lack of technology) and cost factors (welfare costs rising) are just a few problems that are discussed.

What I found exceptionally interesting and irritating was that “big business” has not stepped forward to help. If businesses were to rise up and challenge these “bureaucratic regulations” we would have a better chance for a reform movement in education that is long overdue. You would think that a skilled workforce would be a top priority for these entrepreneurs.

C

Bravo to Shade!

It was really great to see the applications that we are both discussing and working on put to use in the classroom. It was obvious that Shade’s students put a lot of effort into to their projects, but it was also apparent that there was a personal touch to the work as well. If students are interested in what they are doing, they’re more apt to work to the best of their abilities.

It’s hard for those of us “pre-service” teachers to picture these new and innovative ideas in the classroom, so when we saw Shade actually making it happen it was source of comfort for us. Also, I was very impressed by the talent that was unleashed in those videos. I just wonder how many shy, quiet kids are out there who would come to life given an opportunity like Shade’s students. Great job. Thanks for sharing your classroom experiences with us.

Chrissy

Ayers Positive Spin on Education

As some of you know, there are a few of us that been reading Rochester’s “Class Warfare” for EDU 671. While Mr. Rochester may have some valid points regarding today’s educational system, his arrogant tone puts off many people. After dissecting Rochester’s continual abuse of the progressive educator, we have now moved on to William Ayers’ book “Teaching the Personal and the Political.”

Ayers’ fresh perspective on education as well as the art of teaching is stimulating. Where there is a problem in the classroom, Ayers models teachers who embrace the situation and call on the students for help; after all it is there class as well. One particular example Ayers uses is Eliot Wiggington. When Wiggington failed to entice his students, he humbled himself and asked for their help. The students embraced this opportunity to be heard and the class magazine “Foxfire” was born.

“Foxfire” allowed the children to collaborate on various activities in the school as well as the community. Wiggington confessed that he learned so much more about his students personally. The educational process should educate both the students and the instructor on a daily basis. As a few people had pointed out in our 671 class on Tuesday, both books are opinions on education and should be treated as such. It is our job to filter out the nonsense or arrogant babble, so that we can help to create a more productive classroom for all of our students.

Chrissy

Fear of the Unknown

It seems like our schools are so afraid of failure that they refuse to try anything new. We all know that there are serious discrepancies in how students should be taught, but we are also at a loss as to how to rectify the situation. According to King & O’Brien, teachers are so afraid of losing “control” (i.e. power over students), that they are shying away from anything that is unfamiliar. Rather than seizing the opportunity to learn something new from their students, teachers find student knowledge threatening. Aren’t we supposed to embrace new knowledge, especially that of our students?

I have to empathize with teachers who are willing to reject the notion of technological advances as play and who are willing to incorporate technology into the classroom, yet are unable to do so because they lack support from their superiors. King and O’Brien hit the nail on the head when they discuss the school system’s resistance towards accountability, in other words, "not in my backyard." If more schools aren’t willing to venture outside the traditionalist mindset regarding education, it will be virtually impossible to both help and entice our students in the area of academia.

Aside from sounding like a broken record, teachers need to recreate the English classroom according to changes in society. With that being said, finding out student interests and skills as well as honing in on our own skills, will create a rich environment to learn.

Chrissy G

Pew Reports

After reading the Pew Reports, I am even more convinced that we need to incorporate technology into the classroom. I know we originally approached this topic as a way to keep students interested in class work, but after seeing that a large number of students (about 33%) share self authored material – I now know it’s imperative.

If students were given the ability to create in a variety of mediums, such as their own websites or blogs, they would put forth more effort and creativity. Pew Research Centers main focus is to uncover on going trends in society today, so it is evident in the two reports we read this weekend that the use technology is rampant among teenagers. For those who frown on Internet use and video games, why not use an open mind and use a little creativity to incorporate these activities into the classroom.


I was originally one of those people who thought teenagers with cell phones were a bit ridiculous. Although I do still cringe at the bubble gum chomping cheerleader on the cell phone commercial, I now realize that they do serve a purpose. As a parent of two sons, I know that I’ll appreciate having a connection to my children when I’m not with them (yes, I will be checking up on them!). Also, when they need a ride or if any other difficult situation arises; they will have easy access to their parents.

I also noticed in the report that high-income households are among the majority that contained frequent teenage Internet users. Although I believe that to be true, I also believe that with the influx of computers in schools and libraries, most students will have the opportunity to log on.

Chrissy Gates

Attention Economy

Adolescents and Literacies in a Digital World sheds light on the emergence of technology in our society. Its draw is the result of what is referred to as an “attention economy,” which is the result of the “human capacity to produce material things outside the net capacity to consume the things that are produced.” This concept obviously makes sense when placed in the context of stars and fans. The more popular a person, novel, idea becomes the more “attention” it gets – the greater the demand of the public (society) becomes.

Technology (new technology) has emerged as we see in Lanham’s example of librarians. I immediately thought of my ability to connect to my public library and search their website (formerly the card catalog) from home. The librarians are still essential in maintaining the structure of the library, but now there are easier ways to access the information we need. Although the library has always been a popular establishment, the recent integration of new technology has helped to capture perhaps a larger audience.

Lanham and Knobel discuss ways that new literacies emerge with the economy of attention, such as contact displaying, Meme-ing, culture jamming, to name a few. The interesting part of the chapter is the challenge that schools face as how to integrate the new literacies successfully. A great point is made pertaining to learning difficulties (e.g. Lack of attention) and how new media may in fact help to reduce such “behavioral problems.” The overall gist of this chapter was about capturing attention. If we are believe that formal education works for all, we are sadly mistaken. If teachers ever hope to gain the attention of their students, they need to adhere to a curriculum that encompass student’s interests. We need to forgo the days of I speak and you listen.

Chrissy Gates

In Prensky’s article, Digital Natives/Digital Immigrants, Prensky sheds some light on why our students are so bored in the classroom. It’s really hard to argue that the incorporation of technology would not only benefit the students, but also in turn educate the teacher as well. Prensky’s analogy to a “native speaker” and “immigrant” allows the reader to realize the huge gap in understanding the world around them. Why not educate our students by incorporating new technological tools that will not only interest them, but ones in which they have also mastered. Having said that, Prensky also points out that this may not be as easy as it sounds. I believe that fear is the greatest deterrent in the implementation of technology in the classroom. I agree that teachers need to let go of their fears regarding technology and begin to understand the changes that are occurring in society today. He refers to “immigrants” by the thickness of their accent. When I read this part of the article, I immediately thought of my mother, who just recently began using the ATM (I know, scary). What is even scarier is that my mother-in-law, who has a much thicker accent, refuses to use the ATM to this day and opts for the clear glass tube (soon to be extinct) that magically transports through space and back into the bank.Prensky believes that one must combine legacy content (reading, writing, the fundamentals) with future content (digital/technological merged with politics, sociology, etc.). Essentially, the idea is to “learn new ways to do old stuff.” I loved the idea of recreating the history/geography classroom. History is absolutely fascinating if taught in the right context. How many times have we heard how boring history was when it could’ve been both enlightening and exciting? I fully agree that we as teachers need to pull out all the stops in order to grasp the attention and interest of our students. Chrissy Gates

Welcome to Modern English. This blog will look at the benefits of technology in the English classroom. As a novice, I will be learning as I post.