Mr. Stein’s Biology Blog

Just a post to make sure I have not fogotten my 2.0 attempt at being gloablly interconnected.  Hopefully this will expand into a class tool, stay tuned as we attempt this plan.

Hello class of 2010.  This page is one method for you to ask me and your classmates questions, converse with group members on projects, communicate outside of class, or comment on something from a given day, as well as submitting homework responses.  I hope that you will all take advantage of this form of expression and I look forward to an exciting and interesting year with you all.

~Mr. Stein

            In the past three weeks and 2 graduate technology classes I have been immersed in web 2.0 tools.  I had originally thought myself familiar and comfortable with the material and resources out there.  Then after my LoTi score results it changed by perception.  I was clearly not as comfortable with technology in the class as I thought, but what a guilt trip after seeing the Delaware results in Edweek with our D+!  Now I am more familiar and better armed to assist my students in the “teachnology” driven world they are entering into.  My class will not have that score this year.  Most students will already be more familiar with the tools I learned about than me.  And while it’s doubtful they took classes they still found there own way to learn about the tools.  So, now that I am better equipped what can I do to help them?  Let them help me and themselves! 

            Since I am still behind the technology learning curve and will continue to be so as long as the web evolves, I should focus on ways to make learning more collaborative and so that will become my focus this school year.  After all the current generation of the web is interactive, so why not use that to our advantage in the classroom.  As a high school science teacher one of the tasks assigned to us is to integrate technology into out classroom, to try and familiarize students with what is really out there.  It’s actually one of our content standards.  Well, since I can’t get a PCR machine in the classroom why not send the students out into the web to find out how cloning works, or design a new organism able to adapt on mars.  Rather than have them learn about the technology works, they should demonstrate mastery by creating something using the technology.  Since other people have done the work why not benefit from their expertise, rather than try to be our own experts.  One of the biggest challenges facing educators is making sure the students actually know how to assess the websites safely and responsibly.  We can’t just send them out there w/o understanding how the tools work, and ways to use them safely.  There are plenty of useful sites out there, but as educators we still need to watch out for our students since they are minors (no publishing last names!).  I encourage all my students to have a nickname in class that way anything that is submitted to an online site such as a blog or wiki is anonymous to all other students but not me.  But those sites are so much more effective than a class discussion that would be teacher led.  I would really enjoy posing a topic and having the student’s just blog away in real time with each other rather than waiting one at a time to respond in class.  Especially, since students tend to frequently tune out if the topic is not engaging, perhaps a student comment would get them fired up.

            Due to the financial situation of many Delaware schools though that is not an option I have.  Our district did just pass a modified version of our referendum, but little of those monies will be for technology.  Also, our district technology representative has quite the opposite view as me on including some of these ideas in the classroom.  My classroom has 8 computers, 5 of which are functional most of the time, the remaining others have been used as parts since getting people in to upgrade or fix them has been challenging.  This current set up allows me do to group assignments in class on the computers but not individual work.  I am struggling with finding a way to involve my entire class outside of school when not all students have access.  Although the $100 dollar computer is in the works, [1] its not here yet for each of my students.  This is why collaborative work will be so useful; students can work together from any location, building ideas and projects without needing to be in the same location.  Another great tool that can be used an addition would be a site like meebo which allows real time conversations from a variety of messaging services.  It is sort of like blogging but the users don’t have to be on the same program.  Since my students are of all socioeconomic backgrounds hopefully they all have a way to get access to some type of program like those mentioned.

            Most students already have access in another fashion.  Their cell phones today have internet access and all students can text message which is just the childhood form of blogging.  And the iPod which can be found in almost any pocket of a teenager today allows for access to material via podcasts.  These audio recordings are a major opportunity for me.  My podcasts of the future can include daily homework updates for those forgetful students, review tough topics from class that day or week, or now even posting review questions are that are downloadable are options for students.  How great would it be to create a review game [2] that the students can complete on their iPod rather than some piece of paper they might lose.  This ability has the power to transform the iPod from a despised “electronic device” in our school hallways into a valuable tool and resource that helps students. 

            Since iPod’s are currently viewed as a negative in the school system I will probably have to work hard convincing those above me of its merits and benefits, but I am confident that once they see the value of the tools as I have they will come around.  Much of the technology issue is out of my control.  I can write grants and see how far that gets me, but beyond that I am unsure what other steps I could take.  I think that we need to move away from the 1 textbook 1 teacher approach to education and use the limitless textbooks and information online as well as the limitless users online as teachers.  The ability of “search” from sites such as Google or Yahoo have revolutionized how business and commerce function.  Why not try to coordinate that same sort of change in education.  Too often we become stuck and repetitious in our lessons.  Throughout this class we’ve seen peer reviewed websites of content information we could include in our class, and I have experienced a whole new network of interactive possibilities that would allow me to connect with other teachers, through blogs.[3]  Giving the students the opportunity to work on activities with students from around the world would provide them with a new perspective, understanding, and appreciation hopefully encouraging creative thinking.  This would also allow for unique collaborative opportunities and real world situations that make learning in class more effective since students can see the applicability of what they are doing. 

            As I wrap up this work for these 2 technology courses, I see that I have plenty of planning and integration to accomplish if I want to revamp my curriculum.  Hopefully, there will be a trickle down affect within my department.  I think that a del.icio.us page would be a great idea for our science teachers in the district, even a blog to share ideas.  The bottom line is that most educators really care about their students succeeding, and since we are all working towards the same goal why not work together, rather than independent parties.  I hope to build upon the confidence I have from these past few weeks and really look at how I’ve been teaching through new eyes.  I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, I’m simply changing the terrain we travel on. I really find the quote from Field of Dreams applicable here, “If you build it, they will come”.  If education as a governing body wakes up in Delaware we can really impact the students’ success by creating programs that they will want to use or gosh forbid be drawn too, rather than tiring of!

Citations:

 [1] (2005). MIT Media Laboratory. Retrieved July 16, 2007, from OLPC Web site: http://laptop.media.mit.edu/

 [2] (2007). Apple Inc. Retrieved July 16, 2007, from Podcasting in education Web site: http://www.apple.com/education/products/ipod/podcasting.html

 [3] (2007). Best of the web blogs. Retrieved July 16, 2007, from Best of the web blogs Web site: http://blogs.botw.org/

 (2007). Center for safe and responsible use of the internet. Retrieved July 16, 2007, from Safe and responsible use of the internet Web site: http://csriu.org/onlinedocs/pdf/srui/sruilisting.html

The next generation web tools are truly impressive.  I find myself literally in awe of the amount of technology I am not familiar with on the internet.  I thought I was rather techno-sufficient but find myself at quite a loss after experiencing what the web 2.0 has to offer.  I truly hope that we as teachers become comfortable enough to use even some of these tools in the class room.  As we see more and more jobs outsourced from the US I find it hard to imagine after our discussion in class that education won’t soon be put up for auction online.  The interconnectivity the web brings to the world is changing our whole way of life.  It used to be impressive to me to be collaborating with another teacher on a project from my school, now the students can be interacting with other students from around the globe.  I wonder what sort of result would become of the global tension if everyone started working together online collaboratively like tagging, or in the blogosphere.  I remember reading a Sports Illustrated article about Tiger Woods and his mention of his new child “How can you love something so much that didn’t exist yesterday”.  The quote isn’t noteworthy, the response was, according to the article there was a flurry of activity on peoples blogs about when a baby is human based on the phrasing used by Woods.  I found that response similar to our class discussion on ethics when Brian, Conrad, and Carol presented their project about cells.  I think what most floors me about all of these tools aside from the newness of ALL of them, is that most students already use them!

            The students will most likely already be familiar with the devices we think are so cutting edge.  They will become our technology advisors and gurus showing us much more than the basics we may have picked up and run with from our class.  And believe me I want to run with all the new tools we used.  I think once cooler heads prevail I will try to focus on just 2 or 3 of them.  I really like the blogs and wiki’s for communication tools with students and also with parents.  I have created a del.icio.us page for my classes next year and on, and think that once clearly explained the students will like going and finding useful sites for class.  After all, when there involved in what they learn they pay more attention to what is being covered in class. Also pod casts are something that I want to practice using also.  I really think that by putting homework assignments and activities, maybe even some helpful hints before test time, out there for students to download will make getting homework complete easier since there is always a way to access it.  Even if the student is too cool to write down the assignments they can still get it from my website or pod cast!  I think what all of these tools really do is put a huge amount of responsibility on the teacher.  What now is our primary focus for educating our youth?  Simply preparing them isn’t working according to global test statistics, making them able to succeed in what is continuing to be the advanced technological age is a huge priority.  Not to sound too apocalyptic or anything but this generation is the greatest generation ever, they will have the ability to change the face of our planet and save us from destroying ourselves and the planet by ALL working together.  (Parts of this idea come from the new movie 11^th hour).

This is intense.  I am having a challenging time splitting my hours between working on one class and the other.  The intensity of the courses with the projects finally underway in each class has me feeling burnt out.  I hope that with no classes tomorrow I will have a moment of clarity of a couple hours of clarity and can make headway with both projects.  I was hoping to not be of the opinion that I need to get it done since its due, rather than really try to work it into a lesson or unit I will use but that thinking is on the way out, unfortunately.  There just is not enough time now to process it all, maybe in August when I update my curriculum i’ll get some of the ideas I have now into gear.  I also am finding it tough to be told in one class a webquest is a good end project whereas another says their use of technology is rather minimal!?  What gets me back and track and going again is simply that I am so fascinated by the tools.  Skype would allow debates among classrooms (a la the staring contest commercial on TV), or watching a live feed srugery operation in an anatomy class would be uncredible.  I know my understanding and use will increase next year, I hope that my LoTi score will agree with my opinions when I look back and assess how next year went.

Well, I’d say the analysis of the web quest went well.  I really liked all the specific links to help determine the grade I thought was warranted.  I’m still surprised by how all encompassing they can be.  Although, I admit i may have a tough time using them and letting go of control in the class as the students complete the assignments.  Hopefully, the one part about checking their progress can be included in the one(s) designed in this class.  Hopefully, UD has fixed my connection problem and I can upload my work, thats the only thing driving me crazy right now, is not being able to use the technology were learning about in class!

Hello parents and welcome to the 2007-2008 school year.  Your child should have told you about, or you may have read in the class syllabus about this page.  I hope to use this page for updates about school work/assignments and as a tool to converse with those able too.  Please leave a message to say hello and introduce yourself.

Man it is an interesting challenge to think for yourself when you’re the class blogger.  Being on the same side as the Google jockey made is especially hard to get what was being discussed.  I was so busy trying to record it all I’m not sure i thought for myself all that often today.  It was good to hear Tony and Scott’s points of view too.  I’m looking forward to really did into the project tonight. I just hope to keep my head above water when we go over our material tomorrow.  This is short b/c the class blog was rather wordy and my hands haven’t yet recovered.

Well “The Search” to create a good presentation is complete.  It seems like the future of internet tech will continue to have Google’s name mentioned as they have over 50% of all users going to search on their website and their labs are rolling out new services while they buy up the current popular ones.  I can not believe the number of students that read “Looking for Alaska” just to get to the one description of risque behavior between the characters.  The iPod articles about their use for downloading effective tools such as PSAT review material I think would far outweigh the con of having them in the classroom.  I look forward to taking time today to re wrap my head around all the material we’ve been exposed too and hope that as I marinate in this over the summer I really have an understanding of the benefit that I can have in my classroom with these tools.

The book presentations were very well done. I feel like a follower of the pack using protpages but my work up to now does not match what I saw today. Really good job to all groups, I walked out feeling like my book was a blast from the past. I will need to reread the posts to see what I walked away with but I liked how all 3 books and their themes were woven into the material in class. I am hopeful that I can make mine as well composed as those today. It was also really unique doing the fishbowl approach in class. I liked having the discussion about the points being presented but I had a difficult time following both the presenters and the streams of comments on the blog (Pat et al. did I say that right?). I can certainly see the merit of having that format when all students have read the same text, i think it would be easier to follow both (presentation & blog). I think Rainbows End would drive me crazy if I wasn’t told whom the rabbit was. I think we’re working harder than other classes that have used that room, I mean 2 bulbs in 2 days…man we are intense! I think my internet horizons are being stretched as my understanding makes it all flatter, so thanks to all the groups today for their help.

Interesting look into the past this morning (Zeitgeist, archives) and a unique look into Google earth, seems like a fun toy, (where’s area 51?). Stretched our ZPD this morning and all week limbering up for next weeks intense ideas with our “book reports” and project outlines. The wikipedia video was good to see the creators (well Jimmy’s) idea on what should be available and the neutrality position they tried to engender. Creating our Wikipedia use policy will be useful as I hope to include it in our school policy guidelines.  The discussion that followed really got to the point of “open source” technology that anyone can edit a wiki and some do so maliciously.  The class seems to enjoy having a go at my multiple personalities and shape shifting ability, hopefully the voices in my head are ok with it all.  Time to finish The search so “we” are good to go for the presentation!

Resistance is futile, this technology (Web 2.0+) will become how we shop, interact, socialize, even think out loud starting yesterday. We saw, listened, and scrolled through some very interesting sites today. 2nd life seems like Sims for grown-ups, with search built in. Haven’t scrolled through all that available but individual marketers (Nike, Reebok, AE, Tiffany’s…etc) could each build their own shop there. If they get the specs right in future versions a realistic you could try on then buy clothes virtually w/o even leaving the house. As it stands now you can order groceries on-line, order delivery food, soon literally live from home, makes me wonder if the obesity problem that our classroom students face could matriculate up the age scale! And that’s not even the scary part of it all, theres ID theft to worry about, internet pedophiles, i think we have to keep in mind that there is a dualism here for as much good as this will create there are similar numbers who could use this access for harm, and I get the sensation at times that global companies are getting better and better at playing Monopoly (isn’t AT&T buying back the fractioned companies it was told to break off into?). But enough about the dark side I need to focus on how this can benefit my students in the classroom, but study breaks will be dedicated to building a avatar for 2nd life (I know, blasphemer:).

I think these projects could become quite the barn burners. I mean much of the technology is new to us, so our projects may seem original to us but not the web world. I know we can’t/aren’t supposed to reinvent the wheel, but is changing the terrain enough going to be enough to satisfy the end goal of our project? I think its time to scour to web and see what I don’t want to duplicate and really learn about what a webquest is! Well as mentioned it is day 4 and I think aside from my RSS confusion, most of the other material I am getting a chance to wrap my head around, time to keep wrapping it around my book.

Well, the option of who or what to listen too seems vast but I eventually narrowed it down to a travel podcast about Hawaii. I will be honeymooning there at the end of next month and the podcast gives some insights that the guidebooks might not stress or get too. Hopefully, I’ll find others like it to brainstorm more ideas but it has already provided some good ideas for trips while on Maui & Kauai. I can totally see using these while driving here instead of using the radio and all the commercials that normally cause me to switch the station, this would be much more useful.