THERE IS NOTHING WRONG HERE

While reading several edtech journals I was struck by the images of students setting in rows behind computer monitors, while at the same time reading articles about how technology is changing education. When a school has desktop boxes and CRT’s there may not be a better choice when you are teaching computer applications. In my classroom there are 6 desktop with CRT’s, and my aid and I each have a computer. They are set against the wall and all networked. I struggle weekly to use the computers as just another tool, like a calculator or pencil, in delivery of the curriculum. There are not enough computers for every student so I have them work in teams.

The last project was using the scientific method, they had to determine which of three paper towels was the most absorbent. I created a classroom wiki with the directions, an outline, and a rubric. Each student had an account to access the wiki and they worked in teams of 3 or 4. These are special ed high school students in a vocational school and they had developed sense of learned helplessness over their years in the  special ed classrooms. I wanted them to begin to take charge of their own learning so other than the directions on the wiki I gave them very little direction. They had to email me or contact me though the discussion function of the wiki. During this time I was in New Mexico for a week and kept in touch through the wiki discussion.

For the first 2 days they just sat at the computers and waited for myself or the aid to help, we just went about our business. When the students would ask specific questions I would answer. They finally finished the project, I had to give them an extra week, and now I want to use some photos I took when they were doing the experiment to make a PowerPoint.

The school does have a computer lab, but I don’t believe the students could have had the same experience their. For one thing just scheduling time in the lab is always a problem. In the classroom I just make the time.  If students had laptops they would always have access to the curriculum, each other, and the world. A few students actually did work on the wiki at home, which is what I encouraged them all to do.

So I guess the computer lab is a first step to integrate technology into the curriculum and I hope it is not the last.

We had to put our Hannah dog to sleep today. Sleep is a good description for her because she has been sleeping 20 hours a day. Hannah would have been 16 years old in February and she was really feeling her age. As happens to many dogs her rear hips were going and it was getting more and more difficult for her to walk much less stand. She was only about 35 pounds so we could carry her up the stairs. She so wanted to go for a walk, but to the mail box and back was enough for her. She has always been a picky eater, but she had stopped eating and was getting thin.

We have had Hannah since she was a puppy. She was a Chow/Lab and had the best of each breed. She really enjoyed being with other dogs and could never figure out why some dogs just wanted to fight. When we went camping she became the guardian of the camp site and watched the woods for any threats. She enjoyed going on trips and made friends where ever we went. Hannah loved going cross country skiing and would come home with snowballs stuck in her fur. She tolerated our cats, her best friend was our cat Nellie who will miss Hannah as we all will.

The emotional release has been interesting. Nena and I feel deep sadness mixed with a sense of relief that something is completed. For the last year Hannah has been like living with an elderly aunt. We could never leave her alone for long and trying to find a food she could eat and would eat was a constant worry. As every responsible dog owner knows, they are not far from your thoughts everyday. If you can not take your dog with you, even for a day, it limits your options. Nena and I have had a lot of dogs and it seems like the last one we had was the best.

One more week of a 10 week online workshop until I am a certified Web 2.0 trainer. Five states, NY, MA, VA, MD, ME received grant money from AT&T to train 5 teachers in each state to become online trainers of Web 2.0 tools. The training was provided by Educational Development Center.

One aspect of the training that I enjoyed was the virtual meeting of other teachers involved with ed-tech. Many school school systems only have one technology teacher who is so busy they don’t have time to connect with others. I wish I had been able to do more online chatting, but the timing was off. It would have been fun to set up a Skype video cast and practice using some of Skype’s tools.

The training helped us get ready for using online tools for teaching, but there was no training of the use of Web 2.0 tools, it was assumed we were all proficient, which some were not. Even though I have been using web 2.0 for over a year I am continuing to learn. Working with a seasoned blogger would be a great learning experience. Maybe some of the experienced education bloggers could mentor other bloggers who are still learning the craft.

I just hope that school systems and the state DOE continues to support teachers after they complete the initial introduction workshop we will be teaching.

Remember when Christmas used to be fun? We were children and we did not have to worry about what to get our co-workers or aunt Mary. But, when we gage our national financial health by Black Friday and how well Wal-Mart does, times have changed. Everyone complains about the Christmas shopping madness, still we keep walking like consumer zombies to the malls. Who are we trying to please. That child of the past who still got excited about Christmas morning? Is this a yearly effort to relive childhood fantasies? Christmas at its heart is a religious holiday. Does Santa represent a more accessible God?  Could we change this madness, most adults complain about the commercialization of Christmas and its loss of religious significance. So why do we keep doing what we say we don’t want to do?

The photo is of Nena, my wife, and her brother Gary.

During the Bodhisara Sunday meeting it occurred to that sitting gets me ready to learn when I am not meditating. After several years of meditating on and off I have not had any insights or enlightenment experiences while sitting. Any insights I have had have come when running, driving, listening to music, reading, or talking with friends.

So maybe for me, meditation gets me ready to deeply listen to myself and others. I do feel more open and less closed to experiences when ever they happen.