Video in the Classroom

Based on Prensky’s descriptions, I struggle to decide if I am a digital native or a digital immigrant. I was born in 1985.  I did not have a computer in my house until I was 16, I didn't even have a cell phone with text messaging until I was almost 18 years old.  I remember a time when I could only send texts to people who were on the same network as me. :) BUT, I have been so immersed in technology that I think and teach like a digital native.  I don't remember a time when there wasn't at least one computer in classrooms, multiple computer labs, Smartboards and projectors.  From upper elementary on, technology has been a huge part of my education.  

Even though most people would categorize me at as a digital immigrant, I grew up with the explosion of technology, and I have grabbed on to it.  Technology has become a bit of a passion of mine.  I love anything and everything to do with it, so I tend to understand where my students are coming from and how their engagement is different than previous generations.  Working with middle school students has taught me to how to be humble and listen to them.  They are the best teachers for digital immigrants.  My students have never had to use a paper phone book, looked up information in an encyclopedia, or have to call "the weather line" (I still remember the number: 781-1616)

Building relationships with my students and listening to them has really helped me to understand most of their language around technology.  It is so important for educators to listen and really hear what our students are saying.  They are the best resource we have, and we can't take them for granted.  

Keeping students safe from undesirable social video content is a huge part of our job as educators. We must preview every video before we send it out to students and we must be careful of the type of sites we are sending our students to. Keeping ourselves informed of the inappropriate and unreliable websites will help us to protect our students.  I will never forget the first time I was in the computer lab with a teacher.  I think it was 3rd or 4th grade and she had us go to www.whitehouse.com, and it was a pornography website.  The teachers did not understand the importance of the domains in websites.  It was an embarrassing day for her, and a day I will never forget.  Being educated is the best way we can keep our students safe. 

The meeting that never ended, AND could have been an email...

We have all been there:  A meeting where the presenter reads word for word from their slides, and we just have grin and bear it while there are other pressing things to do in our classroom.  Why couldn't they just send out the slideshow and let us read it? UGH....

I NEVER want to be one of those people. This week we are looking at presentation design.  This is something that I LOVE!  I am so excited to get new ideas and ways of presenting.  In a different world, I think I would have become a graphic designer.  If only I knew what I know now... :)  

I am most excited to try out both the Takahashi and the Pecha Kucha formats.  I know that I shouldn't put everything I want to say on my slides, but I still tend to put too much on my slides because I also use my slides as my notes to my students.  I had no idea that there were formats already created that I could just mimic!  

I am presenting a 3 hour PD session in July on Hyperdocs---If you haven't heard of them and are curious, ASK me! If you haven't heard of them, but couldn't care less, well...you better find another blog. 😜Just kidding, but in all seriousness, they are a very exciting way of teaching!  I am excited to try one of these formats to present with.  I like the idea of 20 pictures in 20 seconds, but I worry that my topic won't fit it super well, so I am leaning toward the Takahashi method but switching it up a little. Black and white is boring to me, so I am think that I will use color, but still stick to one word on each slide.  I hope that the creators of this method won't be too upset at my use of color! Haha!   I am nervous to present to teachers using this format, but I also think that it will be a good chance for me to try this out because this will be the 2nd summer I have taught this PD sessions and I know the material very well.  

In thinking about using this way to present, I think it is perfect for adults and certain types of presentations, but I am not sure it is something I can use in my 7th grade ELA class. I teach 12 and 13 year olds all day long. They are still trying to figure out how to take notes and most of the time I am telling them what is important to write down. I worry that these type of slideshows will not work for me in the classroom.  I am curious what other teachers think? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts!

How do we change the way we teach our students to use technology?

I teach a 90 minute block of reading and writing to about 50 seventh graders at a large school district in the suburbs of St. Louis.  My middle school students are using technology from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed.  They have never known a world where they can't just "Google it" or "search it up." However, we (teachers, schools, heck, even parents!) are trying to teach our kids about technology in isolation.  In 2019, why is technology still a class kids go to to learn to use a tool and not an integrated part of the lessons we teach?

As 21st century educators, we have to adapt the way we teach to the way our students learn.  Everything is coming at them a mile a minute. They have access to information in a second.  They can order dinner, buy movie tickets, and get a ride to their friend's house in less than 60 seconds using their phone.  Most educators did not grow up in this fast-paced world, and they are still trying to teach this generation in the way they were taught.  It just doesn't work for these students, and that ISN'T a bad thing.  

We must begin teaching students how to use technology while they are learning, creating and doing.  When something is taught in isolation, it isn't transferred. We now live in a world of instant gratification.  Can you imagine taking a cooking class that is taught the same way we teach students to use technology?   

             Learn to cook risotto in 6 weeks! 

             Week 1: Cutting and sautéing onions. 

             Week 2: Selecting the correct rice and toasting the rice. 

             Week 3: Adding broth to the rice. 

             ... And so on and so forth. 

Breaking down each step and teaching it in isolation just confuses and slows down the chef.  We should be teaching someone how to make risotto by actually making risotto. It is the same thing with technology.  We shouldn't teach students to use technology only in one 45 minute class period 3 times a week. No wonder teachers are complaining that students don't know how to find reliable and credible resources, share information, create resources for others, or to be good citizens online. It is still the responsibility of ONE teacher to cover all these topics. No wonder there isn't any transfer.  ALL teachers need to take on the responsibility of teaching students to use technology.

In my ELA class, I always plan a mini-lesson on the tool we are going to use the first day we use it. It is vital that the students spend 5 to 10 minutes with a how-to and then have the time to go "play" with the tool on their own.  This is how they learn to use the newest social media and play the newest game...they just do and play! So, of course, this is the way they learn how to use the newest tool for learning. I work with a lot of teachers when they want to learn to use a new technology tool in the classroom, and I always tell them to plan to teach them how to use the tool and then give them extra time on the first day to just figure it all out.  If we give students more time at the beginning of the year or unit to learn the tool while they are using it, then they are more likely to remember and use it again.  

Technology is a part of our everyday life, so why isn't it a part of every classroom every day?  We can't rely on the technology teachers to cover it all.  In Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning by Alan November he shares what he believes is the best way to our students learn:   

The best thing to invest in right now is collegiality. The number one skill that teachers will need is to be team-based, collegial, sharing their knowledge and wisdom -- not thinking that “these are my students in my classroom.” We have to drop that language. Collegiality, teamwork is what’s needed.

November hit the nail on the head with this one.  We have to work together and be willing to share ideas, knowledge, and responsibilities with other teachers in our buildings.  There are so many teachers who shut their doors and teach, ignoring other teachers ideas and techniques.  When we, as educators, can have an open, honest sharing of ideas, every one of our students will benefit and succeed from our shared knowledge. 

November also brings up a great point about why traditional professional development on technology isn't always effective. "Staff developers, please don’t train teachers to use technology without kids. Ask every teacher to bring two or three students."  This is something I have seen first hand when I attended one of November's multi-day workshops a few years ago.  The second time we met, about 2 months later, he had our school bring a group of students in order to learn with and beside their teachers.  It was an awesome experience because the students went back and they were our leaders to help us further implement some of the new ideas we learned.  Using our students as a resource to change the way we teach students about technology is something that I want to try at my new school.  I have seen first hand how effective it is, and I know that the students listen and are more attentive when it is their peers trying to teach them.  

There are many things we can do to change how technology is taught in schools, but the first thing we need to do is look at what we are doing that is ineffective and then spend some time working with our teammates and colleagues to share ideas and find what is effective in our classrooms in order to do more of that.