JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 2 JOURNAL ENTRY
The assigned reading, "A New Culture of Teaching for the 21st Century" by Stone Wiske, fit nicely into my experience during the first night of class. The reason is that it fleshed out three different aspects of technology use that were touched on in class: enhancing student learning by using technology, changing and improving classroom practices, and furthering the "professionalization" of teaching by fostering collaboration among teachers.
Our class work in Microsoft Word demonstrated an effective way of teaching technology to students: teaching by doing. This was echoed by Wiske in the graphing calculator example. Studying for the Praxis II exam in Mathematics, I have recently been forced to learn a lot of new capabilities of my graphing calculator. I learned these the same way I learned about "Word Art" and "Clip Art" in Microsoft Word; I was forced to actually use them. In both cases, technology was utilized to enhance student learning. I was amazed at how easy the graphing calculator was to use and how effective a tool it is in learning (or re-learning) mathematics. Using Microsoft Word to create a newsletter, I was equally impressed with how little effort it takes to use such a tool to make me a more effective communicator.
Creating newsletters to communicate with students and/or parents is a perfect example of how classroom practices can be improved by a very simple application of technology. A reasonably adept Word user could easily create a flashy newsletter in the same amount of time it would take to type up, prepare for, and present a new curriculum unit to the class. A common complaint of teachers as well as other professionals is that new technology consumes rather than saves time. This is an example of the opposite being true.
In keeping with the themes of the Wiske article, this is also a case in which classroom practice is improved. One of Wiske’s primary points is that classroom practices must change along with the introduction of new technologies. Newsletters can act simply as an alternative form of communication, or they can create rich contexts for genuine problem solving. In each case, they go beyond the use of technology for technology’s sake and actually enhance the learning environment.
To take the newsletter example a step further, I can see several applications for them in my mathematics classroom. First, a newsletter would be an effective way to generate interest in a new unit or set of concepts. It could highlight practical applications, links to previous units, and key concepts to anticipate in the future. Second, it would be an effective way to cover classroom logistics and give status reports to students and parents. Two separate newsletters could be created and issued throughout the year (e.g. "Mathematics Times" could be the "content" newsletter and "The Classroom Monthly" could be the "logistics" newsletter).
A final thought on the first class session and the Wiske article is that technology has a key role in the "professionalization" of teaching. In class, we touched briefly on listservs and their use by teachers to stay abreast of developments in education. Wiske also gives examples of web-based professional development projects at Harvard. What strikes me is the notion that active participation is very important. I have long been of the opinion that in the effort to make education more of a profession, the primary burden lies with teachers themselves. In other professions, such as in my career as an engineer, it is contingent upon the professional to keep up to date and to collaborate with peers. The time required to do this is not factored into one’s day by one’s supervisor. The impetus must come from the professional him or herself. The same applies to teaching. Participation in a class such as this and participation in a forum such as those at Harvard are examples of teachers stepping up to the plate and using technology to further their professional development, as well as the development of their profession.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 3 JOURNAL ENTRY
My previous journal entry focused partially on the idea of "learning by doing." As I worked some more on my newsletter project and reflected on the assigned reading, this theme continued to be on my mind.
Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences were a centerpiece of this week’s reading. One article (by Gardner himself) provided a brief overview of multiple intelligence (MI) theory with specific emphasis on how technology can interact with the theory. The other article used MI theory as one example of the relationship between learning theories and the use of multimedia projects as instructional tools.
The other learning theories examined in this second article were cooperative learning and constructivism. Taken together, these three theories provided an interesting backdrop for me as I continued work on my newsletter (which fits the article’s definition of a "computer-based multimedia" project by using text, pictures, and other visual effects).
As I struggled with different aspects of the newsletter, I thought about what my role might have been on a group project which produced a newsletter. For example, I had no problem generating text for the newsletter, but I found it challenging to create an interesting visual presentation. Since it was not a team project, I was forced to do my best and learn how to make my newsletter visually appealing.
If I were in a group, would I have fulfilled my role and generated text, leaving the layout to others? Would I have noticed my shortcomings and tried my best to learn from more "visual" learners in my group? Would the time constraints and other logistical aspects of the project have encouraged the first or the second path?
These are questions I ask myself as I reflect on how I would create multimedia projects for my own students. It is obvious to me that I learn more about visual presentation by actually doing it. If I do it on my own, I probably will not learn as much as if I work with others who are more talented in that area. The important thing, though, is that I am encouraged to work with others and have adequate opportunities to do so.
The second article mentions the "free-rider" effect as a potential pitfall of cooperative learning. This is when the more capable members of a team do all of the work. Adding MI theory to the mix might suggest a variation in which everyone is a "free-rider" to some extent. In my hypothetical group, the temptation is for me to create text and to take a free ride on layout. The layout person in my group may not be very talented when it comes to generating text. (S)he could then take a free ride on writing, leaving the work to me.
This is not just an elaborate excuse for my newsletter being a little wordy and not so pretty. It is more of a warning to myself as I think about group-based multimedia projects for my own students. The articles mention opportunities to take advantage of strengths and nurture weaknesses. As a teacher, I have to make sure that these do not become opportunities to use strengths and avoid weaknesses.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 4 JOURNAL ENTRY
To this point, it has been easy to create journal entries which weave together my experiences in class and my reactions to assigned readings. This week’s entry may be a stretch, but I did find a common theme in the reading and class work which will affect my use of technology in the classroom. This is the theme of compatibility of resources.
The article from The Digital Classroom by Gene Klotz provides a general introduction to mathematics education resources on the Web. It lists several websites with lesson plans, student and teacher mentoring resources, discussion forums, and other resources. The issue of compatibility comes into play when one tries to access and use these websites. In some cases, websites no longer exist. In others, web pages may require audio and/or video capabilities that are not available to the user.
My point is not to discourage using such websites. After all, my experience has shown that for the most part they are accessible and usable with a moderately equipped computer. What I am more interested in is the caution that technology-based instruction needs to be carefully planned out in advance. This is no different than instruction which does not utilize technology. As teachers, we must always carefully map out activities, noting potential pitfalls and being prepared for potential detours.
In the case of technology, such planning is not necessarily more difficult or time consuming, but it is certainly different. Websites must be scouted out in advance; computer systems must be adequate to run programs and access the appropriate data; students must be minimally qualified to run the required software programs. The payoff for this type of preparation is tremendous, but the price for lack of preparation is also great.
How does this relate to the work we are doing in class? My use of PowerPoint for a field trip presentation has served as a good illustration of the importance of resource compatibility. For example, a large portion of this afternoon was spent struggling with printers at GW’s Alexandria Campus. It turns out that the printer in the computer lab has very little memory. This makes it impossible to print out pages with a lot of graphics (such as ALL of my PowerPoint slides). I need to print hard copies for editing because my access to the lab is limited; I do my editing at home with a red pen.
A second source of difficulty was the use of digitized images. I had been counting on images from a website which has recently undergone changes - the images are no longer there. Yet a third glitch was my complete lack of experience using PowerPoint. It is a very user-friendly program and I have been able to learn as I go, but it is still a time consuming process.
My struggle with the PowerPoint presentation has not discouraged me from using PowerPoint in my teaching. It has actually encouraged me. The amount of time that I spent learning the software has more than paid for itself in a pretty good presentation. I feel confident enough to create presentations for use in my own classroom. PowerPoint provides a good vehicle for direct instruction with self-contained multimedia presentations.
My experiences have also informed me in terms of using and teaching technology with my students. Just like I did, students need the proper equipment, time to investigate the Web, and time to struggle with the software. Working with several groups of students with different problems at the same time will be a challenge, but it should prove to be a worthwhile one.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 5 JOURNAL ENTRY
In my last journal entry, I dealt with the importance of resource compatibility when using technology for instruction. In this week's reading assignment, Alan Feldman touches on this same issue when he provides caveats for using on-line materials for instruction as well as professional development. The article provides a very helpful list of Web-based resources. More importantly, though, are the recommendations for effectively using technology in the classroom. This is something that Feldman did a lot better than Klotz (last week's reading).
I bring up this point about caveats for a reason. The reason is that my head is starting to reel from the wide array of technologies that can be used by teachers. Such recommendations are vital in making sense of the plethora of technological tools available. This past week in class, we talked about listservs, threaded discussions, and chat rooms. In my already crowded head, these have been heaped onto the Web-based curricula, professional development resources, data sets, and teaching tools covered in the readings and in other class sessions.
All of these tools and resources are to be used in a way that complies with technology standards, which are tossed on the pile to complement the content and pedagogy standards that are also to be complied with. As probably the only person in the class who has yet to start a teaching job, I wonder when I will find time to actually teach!
Yes, I know the answer: these pieces are all intended to be integrated together to become teaching. They are not separate pieces that are undertaken in isolation. They are tools and guidelines to help make me a more effective teacher and to enrich the experiences for my students. All I have to do is slowly repeat this to myself while doing breathing exercises.
Of course I am partially kidding about the mantra, but I am concerned about the crowded educational landscape. Part of my problem is that it all sounds so good. Listservs promise a network of support that reaches outside of the school building. Online curricula and resources promise a broad range of experiences outside of the textbook. Standards promise thoughtfully constructed sets of expectations and guidelines. I would like to utilize all of these things and more. As I am sure all teachers do, however, I worry that there is just not enough time in the day.
My hope is that all of the pieces will come together gradually, as they seem to do in any new job I undertake. I never intended to be the kind of teacher who lectures the class with a textbook in my hand, and I have always expected that it would take a lot of work to get to where I want to go. In this class, I am finding a lot of help in getting there. Each new piece becomes incorporated into the picture of the kind of teacher that I want to be.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 6 JOURNAL ENTRY
Journal Focus: Choose one of the given websites. Critique the website on its appropriateness for your group of students.
My content area is math, so I chose to critique the "Math" section of the Education World website (www.education-world.com/math). As a guideline for my critique, I used the checklist of questions for evaluating websites distributed at the last class session. As there are 17 items on the checklist, I have condensed them into five categories: "pedigree" of the website, whether information is up to date, presentation of information, ease of navigation of the website, and usefulness of the content. For each category, I have considered the website from the perspective of secondary school math students.
Pedigree
The website certainly stands up to scrutiny here. The Education World homepage and every subsequent page lists the authors and the sponsors. Education World is a familiar publication and the homepage offers an "about us" link to describe what the site is and why it was created. A feedback link is also given. This link provides a means of e-mailing the authors as well as a "Frequently Asked Questions" section to avoid unnecessary e-mails. All of this information combines to give a warm and fuzzy feeling that the site is accurate and useful. The look of the website is very professional and students and teachers alike should feel confident in its content.
Up to Date
Each page of the website has a "last updated" entry. In the case of the math section, the site had been updated within three days of my visit. Within the pages, there are other features which are time-critical, such as articles and the "problem of the day." In each case the date of the feature is given. During my visit, I found all of these dates to be recent. While I looked through the website, I had the feeling that every section of the site was being updated at least every week. I never came across what appeared to be a "dead" section which had been neglected.
Presentation
The look of the website is slick, uncluttered, and easy on the eyes. There are few advertisements and they are tastefully placed. The writing style is clear and direct and the graphics are interesting and useful but not too busy. There are several different sections of the website which are geared towards different audiences. For example, the "math tools" sections are geared towards students while the "lesson planning" sections are geared towards teachers. In each case, the writing style seems to be appropriate for the intended audience. This is very important, especially in the case of the sections for students.
Navigation
I found the site extremely easy to navigate. On the main page for each section, there is a complete menu in the left hand margin. On features within these sections, there are "back" links within the pages. I like this because the "back" icon on the browser does not always work reliably. The information on the pages and in the features is very well organized and clearly laid out. Navigation is also relatively quick. Many sites have long pages and are full of unnecessary graphics. In sites like these, navigation is slowed down while the browser loads images and text. The Education World site does not fall into that trap, however. Graphics are wisely chosen and pages are reasonable in length so that navigation is quick and easy. The only possible exception to these compliments is that some of the features of the website point to other websites without making it explicitly clear to the user. While in these other websites, ease of navigation is dependent upon the other website.
Usefulness of Content
There is a huge amount of information in the math section of this site. For teachers and parents, there are articles, links to standards, website reviews, lesson plans, discussion groups, etc. There is less material for students, but it is still valuable and well presented. There are separate sections for each subcategory of math (e.g. arithmetic, algebra, calculus). Within these sections, there are descriptions of topics, useful tables, graphics, and sample problems. Much of this material is provided via links to other websites. For this reason, the level of quality is not always the same and the presentation is not always consistent. Looking through various sections, however, I found the data very useful and appropriate.
In summary, I found the math section of the Education World website to be very well constructed and useful to students, parents, and teachers. The only caveat is that users may be "bumped" out of the website from time to time without knowing it. When this happens, the look and feel of the information is very different. Depending upon the user, this may present a cause for hesitation. In each case during my visit, however, these detours were very brief and proceeded without incident.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 7 JOURNAL ENTRY
Having Niambi Wills as a guest speaker demonstrated great timing! Prior to last class session, I was starting to feel a little overwhelmed by technology in the classroom. I think this was starting to show itself in my journal entries. Ms. Wills' presentation was very reassuring as well as very informative. It also fit in very nicely with the reading we have been doing related to web resources.
As far as being reassuring, I thought that one of the best parts of Ms. Wills' presentation was the metacognitive aspect. As she showed us how she uses the Internet to enrich her teaching, she shared with us her tendencies, preferences, and proficiencies. For example, she admitted that she does not consider herself a computer expert. If she had pretended to be an expert, it would have been easy for members of our class to assume that only an expert could create such an extensive and useful website. She also admitted that she tends to be a bit of a perfectionist. This causes her to perhaps spend a little more time on the details of her website than is really required. In other words, a "non-expert" could create a very useful website in even less time than it took her! This gives me a lot of confidence that I can jump right in and start building web pages.
In addition to reassuring me that I can maintain a website and still come home to my family at night, Ms. Wills' presentation also gave me some great ideas. She had a very organized approach in that she first addressed the uses of technology in general terms and then followed up with specific examples in her website. Some aspects of her website were little surprise. For example, I would expect the syllabus, class agendas, class notes, assignments, etc. to be there. There were some things that I did not anticipate, though. I loved the idea of incorporating grades, e-mail, and external links. The most interesting were the links to other sites which are updated daily (by someone else)! As a math teacher, I have seen several websites with a "problem of the day" or "fact of the day." These features can be built right into my own website at no cost of time or effort.
Linking to other websites within one's own class website ties in nicely with our readings for class. Recently, these readings have been concerned with evaluating and using web resources. For example, the Tally and Burns article we read for last class dealt with the use of primary source material to enrich history lessons. The Library of Congress project was used as an example. Resources like this, as well as the science and math resources described in previous readings, can be incorporated into class websites to save students navigation time and provide a smoother interface.
Speaking of students, I have one final thought on Ms. Wills' presentation and the creation of class websites. She described the roles of her various student aides in maintaining her website. I think that this is an excellent way to teach technology to students in the "content area" classroom. When it comes to technology, I am a firm believer that the best way to learn is by doing. A class website provides a great opportunity for students to do genuine work and to learn in the process. In TRED 701, the portfolio project provides the same opportunity for me. I am really looking forward to getting down to work and creating that website!
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 8 JOURNAL ENTRY
Focus: Reflect on your efforts to develop your electronic portfolio and web page. What have you learned about yourself? What have you learned about potentially transferring the skills learned to a colleague? your students?
Thus far, the experience of creating an electronic portfolio and web page has been an extremely frustrating one. The frustrations I have encountered, however, have taught me something about how I learn and teach with technology and about technology.
There are two main reasons why the process has been frustrating. First, I am having trouble learning the web features of Microsoft Word. I usually have no trouble in learning a software package as I go. For example, I had no experience in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint while creating the newsletter and field trip presentation. In each case, I simply opened up the software package and started working. I learned how to use the different features as I needed them.
Working on the web page project, I have had a great deal of trouble learning the web-related features of Word. It has been a constant struggle to get basic things such as images, bullets, and columns to work in the "html" environment. The "help" features of Word are a lot more sketchy for web pages than they are for standard word processing. In the case of creating links between pages, I still have not figured out how to do it successfully.
To describe my second source of frustration, I have invented the term "feature transfer." This refers to the survival of special features of a document as the document is converted from one format to another. A simple example is when a document is created in WordPerfect and converted to Microsoft Word (e.g. this journal entry). During the conversion, quotation marks turn in to equals signs, bold and underlined text often change back to standard text, and paragraph formatting is often lost.
In creating my web page, I have run into feature transfer problems every step of the way. For example, when I create text in Word, the fonts change when I upload to Geocities. I assume that this is a problem with my browser settings, but I do not know how to fix it. Another example which is harder to explain is the disappearance of my backgrounds when I copy files from a hard drive to a floppy disk. What makes this more difficult is that I only know how to create backgrounds when I create new pages. I have not been able to figure out how to change an existing background (or to reload one that has inexplicably disappeared).
Unfortunately, I could go on to describe many other obstacles and roadblocks that I have encountered. Instead I will try to point out the silver lining. I have learned things about technology and about myself during this effort. The most important thing I have learned about myself is that I am getting better at knowing when to admit that I am in trouble. In the past, I would still be in the computer lab right now, struggling with the web features of Word and uploading flawed pages to Geocities. I realize, however, that this would not be a productive use of my time. I know that next class session will include an opportunity to get help from people who have done these types of things before. It is good that I have struggled a little bit myself, but there comes a time to stop and ask for help. The assignment was to have my basic home page set up in Word. I have done that and now I can wait until next class to ask for help with the next step.
During this process, I have also learned something about teaching technology. When it comes time to transfer these skills to colleagues and students, I need to be patient with the problems that they encounter. I have learned a lot of software packages since I first started working with computers, but I still had problems during this exercise that I have never heard of before. By the time I am teaching colleagues and students how to create web pages, I will know how to solve these problems. If my students or colleagues come across the same problems, however, they will be brand new to them. They will also be just as frustrating to them as they were to me. I need to keep these things in mind when I change roles from frustrated learner to experienced teacher. A little bit of empathy and patient guidance goes a long way, especially when it comes to uncharted technological territory.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 9 JOURNAL ENTRY
My previous journal entry dealt with the troubles and frustrations I have experienced while creating my class portfolio and website. I find it very interesting to revisit this and other experiences with technology in light of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which we discussed this week in class.
According to Myers-Briggs, I am an "INTJ" with a clear preference in each category. In other words, I am clearly an introvert rather than an extrovert, intuitive rather than sensing, thinking rather than feeling, and judging rather than perceiving. As relates to technology, I find it interesting that the typical profile of an INTJ includes "skeptical, critical, independent, determined, have high standards of competence and performance" (Myers, P. B. & Myers, K. D. 1988. "Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Report Form).
When starting to work with my website, I surely showed my true INTJ colors. I was skeptical about working with a new software package (MS Word), especially about using it for website development. I was critical of MS Word’s help utility when dealing with website features. It took a great deal of effort to fight my natural determination and independence, finally admitting that I had to ask for help from someone else. Last but not least, I had set my own goals for what I wanted to get done before class. All of my problems with the software dealt with features of the website which were not required for the next class session.
I have also seen my Myers-Briggs type come through in other class assignments. For instance, Dr. Hall noted in our last class that a "sensing" person is more likely to start using a new software package step by step, with an instruction manual in hand. An "intuitive" person such as myself, however, is more likely to just dive right in. This is something that I have explicitly mentioned in previous journal entries. In order for me to learn new software, I must have a project to work on. Only then do I have the proper incentive to start up the software, poke around, and see what happens.
This experience with Myers-Briggs has brought to light the importance of diagnostic information when working with students who are learning new technologies. Learning to use a new piece of hardware or software is a new experience. I think that new experiences most clearly bring out a person’s preferences, strengths, and attitudes. This goes for teachers as well as students. When helping a student come to grips with something new, whether it is a content area concept or a new software package, it is important to realize how the preferences, strengths, and attitudes of the teacher interact with those of the student. This is obvious to us as teachers in our subject area, but we do not always recognize it when we are working in other arenas such as technology.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 10 JOURNAL ENTRY
This week I gathered the bulk of the information required for the Scavenger Hunt project. I am not currently working in a school, so I visited T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria and spoke to the two Network Resource Teachers (NRT) there. During my visit, I learned some things which are discouraging to me as a prospective teacher and some things which are encouraging. In both cases, the parallels between technology in the school and technology in my former workplace as an engineer were striking.
The discouraging things that I learned mainly centered around resources. The most obvious is that T.C. Williams has 2,100 students and only one computer lab which is open to all students. As one of the NRTs put it, "space is a five letter word around here." Like many schools nowadays, T.C. Williams has two classroom trailers attached to the school. Classroom and office space has been filled to capacity and there simply is not room for more computer labs. In addition to a scarcity of labs, there is also only one computer in each classroom. An effort is underway to add a second, but that still does not allow teachers to incorporate student use of computers into daily instruction.
The primary source of encouragement to me as I visited the school was the dedication of personnel exclusively to technology. The school has one person in charge of hardware and infrastructure and another in charge of software and integration. Under these two are the two NRTs (there is currently a vacancy for a third NRT). All of these people work together to coordinate all purchases and uses of technology in the school. All purchases go through them for review. This prevents problems such as redundant purchases and incompatibility with present hardware and software. They also help teachers with installation and troubleshooting with all technological tools, which takes up the bulk of their time.
A common thread among all of the encouraging and discouraging things that I saw at T.C. Williams is the similarity to my situation when I worked as a mechanical engineer. It was great to have people dedicated to maintaining our computer system, but a common complaint was always that there should be more people on the job. We had excellent computer capabilities, but there was always someone complaining that we needed more. Good training opportunities were available and were paid for by the company, but people complained that there was no time available to take advantage of them. I could cite many more examples.
What this tells me is that my experience as an engineer can be of great help to me as a teacher. When I was an engineer, I tried to be aware of what technological capabilities I had at my fingertips, how I could use them to do my job the best, and when I needed new or updated tools. Among the engineers I worked with, I often noticed two broad categories: "do-ers" and "complainers." I tried to be a do-er, viewing technical support people as allies, making the most of what tools I had, and looking for ways in which the workplace could be economically and efficiently improved. The complainers tended to want only the best technological tools, whether they needed them or not. From speaking with the NRTs at T.C. Williams, I inferred that the same broad categories of technology users exist there.
Since I strive to be a do-er and I think that they are the more effective of the two types of people, I would like to help my students become do-ers as well. If there is only one computer in my classroom, I can find ways for students to use it most efficiently and to their best advantage. For example, a web-based lesson could still be used, it could assume a demonstration rather than a participation format. Students could be assigned as navigators instead of the teacher. As another example, there are two ways to look at the problem of having only one computer lab in the building. A complainer would never use the lab, reasoning that it was too difficult to reserve a spot. A do-er could make every attempt to plan lab-based classes at least a week in advance so that the lab could be reserved as much as possible. The students will come to appreciate that they need to prepare ahead and make the most efficient use possible of their limited time on the computer.
What I have learned and what I would like to teach my students is that the technology glass can always be viewed as half empty or half full. Those who see it as half full can enjoy the half that is full and try their best to fill it up some more. Those who see it as half empty typically complain about the empty space while the water that is there evaporates. It’s pretty obvious how I would like to teach my students to look at it.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 11 JOURNAL ENTRY
Last class session was a revelation for me as far as WebQuests are concerned. My entire perception of them has changed in terms of what they are and what is already out there on the web.
Prior to last class session, I still had the idea that a WebQuest was a complicated project which requires server space on the web. I had visions of dedicated websites which house semester-long projects for students. I also assumed that WebQuests were more useful in social studies and English classes, with little practical use in math.
What I found is that a WebQuest can be simple and compact. It can be used to teach a single concept in a single class period. It can also be housed in a Microsoft Word file on a network or hard drive. From my web searching, I have also seen many math-related WebQuests which are very useful and appropriate.
Most importantly, however, I have learned that WebQuests are surprisingly easy to create. I must admit that until last class session, I did not know that our WebQuest project was due next class session. I also changed my topic just prior to class. This means that I will have created a WebQuest practically from scratch in about five days. What I have found is that almost all of my time and effort has been dedicated to content, not technology. The real challenges of creating a WebQuest have been the same as the challenges of creating a traditional "lesson plan." The technological aspects have been extremely easy to learn and I have found plenty of websites which deal with my topic of interest.
All of this has made me see the WebQuest as a very useful and practical tool for my classroom when I start teaching. The challenge is to stay current on what mathematical resources are available on the web. Something that I am starting to do is create a "math library" of web resources. Since it is so easy to cut and paste hyperlinks in MS Word, I can keep a document which contains descriptions and links for useful math sites as I come across them. This will make the matter of locating the "content" a lot easier as I create new WebQuests and update old ones.
In addition to the ease of creating WebQuests, there is another important reason that I am jumping on the bandwagon. I think that WebQuests are a perfect way to incorporate technology into the math classroom. Simply by working through the project, students are using the Internet, word processors, graphics, and other tools. Since I have always fared better when learning by doing, I would like to give my students the opportunity to do the same. To me, teaching technology in the math classroom has not meant teaching students how to use math software. Instead, it has meant teaching students math by having them use software (as well as hardware).
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 12 JOURNAL ENTRY
While working on my WebQuest, I noticed two interesting things about how I use technology to do my work. Neither of these things is new; I was aware of them during my previous career as an engineer. What is interesting is that they have carried through very consistently as I have made the transition from engineer to teacher.
The first thing involves process. When I use technology, the process I follow to complete a task is directly parallel to the process I would have followed if the technology was not available. A simple example is writing a journal entry. If I have a computer, I tend to just start writing. I revise as I go and then read over my journal entry when I am finished. I carry out any revisions necessary to make the entire entry more cohesive and organized. I then review it a final time to make sure that I am happy with it. If I use paper and pen, the process may seem different, but it is really the same. The only difference is that my final review is followed by copying my text neatly onto a clean sheet of paper (by the time I am done final edits, ink practically covers the paper).
I found that the same thing held true while creating my WebQuest. If the technology were not available, I would probably have created a study guide to help students through a lesson. In that case, I would have outlined my objectives, devised a series of tasks to reach these objectives, and designed assessments to measure whether or not objectives have been met. Even though the WebQuest was a technologically rich project, I still followed basically the same process. In fact, I had my entire WebQuest designed prior to opening Microsoft Word.
The second thing that I have noticed relates to end products. Whether or not I use technology, I tend to evaluate the end product of a project in the same way. The journal entry and WebQuest serve as good examples here as well. In each case, I have a certain set of goals that I want to meet. Prior to turning anything in, I need to first make sure that these goals are appropriate to the project and then verify that I have met the goals. This might seem intuitively obvious at first, but I think that a lot of people fail to Adouble check@ their goals when using technology. For example, sometimes the goals unconsciously shift from content goals to style goals. It=s easy to get so wrapped up in making a WebQuest look good that you forget the real purpose of the project. Other times, the technology allows the author to get lazy. With spell check and Aon the fly@ editing, it is easy to neglect the important step of carefully reviewing one's final draft prior to submitting it. Like I always say, spell Czech doesn't ketch all of yore miss takes.
The reason that I mention these things is that they will be important to me and to my students when I start teaching. It is nice to realize that my old fashioned quality control mechanisms have survived the introduction of technology. This does not mean that they will continue to survive, however. As more and more technology becomes introduced into education, it becomes easier and easier to get caught up in the bells and whistles. As a teacher, I will have to constantly be aware of this trend and try to avoid its pitfalls.
The situation for my students may prove to be even more difficult. Whereas I was in college when technology really started taking off, they are growing up right in the middle of a technological revolution. In many cases, they have never developed the types of processes that I described above. The danger is that they may rely on the technology as having the last word instead of themselves. As a teacher, it will be my job to help them develop the confidence to trust themselves rather than a computer.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 13 JOURNAL ENTRY
The software evaluation that we did during last class session brought to light two important observations. First, there are a lot of software packages and resources out there. Second, it is very useful to find a few dependable and reliable sources for this material.
The first point may seem so obvious that it is trivial. It is important to know, however, that there is a lot of stuff out there and that more is coming out every day. This knowledge can help a teacher avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of resources available. It can also remind one to be a careful consumer. Knowing that there is a lot of software available should lead a teacher to search more carefully for a package that matches his or her needs. For example, as a math teacher I may be interested in software to spice up my lessons. I know that there is a lot out there, so my search will not begin by looking for "math software." This would yield an overwhelming number of options. Instead I might narrow my search by subject area (e.g. Algebra) and type of user interface (e.g. blank slate or interactive).
In my hypothetical quest for math software, my targeted search would yield a manageable number of options. I would then need to cast a critical eye on those options before making any decisions. A side effect of the increased demand for software is that a lot of the packages produced are of poor quality. It is very important to carefully evaluate a software package before purchasing. This point was driven home during the last class session and also during the scavenger hunt. For example, the Network Resource Teachers (NRT) at T.C. Williams High School are involved in all software purchase decisions, whether they are for general productivity or subject specific applications. The reason is that they have some valuable experience to bring to the search. They have helped many teachers make the same decisions and they can draw on this experience to help others.
Help from technology personnel such as NRTs is a good lead in to my second point. It is very useful to find a few dependable and reliable sources for educational software. This is another way in which the experience of others can help one make wise decisions. For example, when searching for math software during the last class session, I was "hyperlinked" time and again to the same place: forum.swarthmore.edu. I have heard of this site because of its "Ask Dr. Math" feature. This week I found out that the site also has other features which provide help in choosing math software. I have also come across the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse site for the same thing. Knowing about these two sites provides me with a starting point each time I want to look for good math software.
Both of these lessons can be passed on to my students as they search for software. They can also be generalized to apply to other technological resources (e.g. research materials, subject area tutorials). No matter what they are looking for, it is a good idea to keep in mind two things. First, there is a lot of stuff out there and this amount of stuff will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. Second, since there is so much out there, one needs to be careful and selective in making decisions about what to use.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 14 JOURNAL ENTRY
The panel discussion on politics and technology was very interesting. Although some portion of it was dedicated to discussing some frustrating problems in the D.C. Public Schools, I came away with an overall feeling of hope. This came from hearing three different perspecitves, each of which was one of advocacy and hope.
The selection of panelists was very effective because they each seem to approach political issues related to technology differently. Mr. Booz appears to be a "go getter." He encourages teachers to find and seize opportunities for leadership in technology, whether or not one's methods fit in well with established policy. Ms. Locastro (I apologize if I have misspelled) encourages teachers to learn the system and find ways to work within it to get things done. Ms. Wills, a teacher in the field, appears to employ a combination of the two approaches. She seems to know the system well, but is not constrained by it. At times, she has done things that are outside of the ordinary. In these cases, she hopes that results will speak for themselves and that policy will "catch up with" her methods.
One thread that ties all of these approaches together, and that instructs me in how to approach the politics of technology, is the concept of "thinking outside the box." Mr. Booz mentioned this phrase during the discussion and I have heard it many times in my career as an engineer. Although I worked for a large multinational company, it had the reputation for giving engineers the freedom and opportunity to be creative and change the way that the company does business. I would like to think that I took advantage of these opportunities and did a little "thinking outside the box" of my own.
I think that the situation of a large company that allows its engineers freedom is analogous to teaching within a school system. I would like to use my experiences as an engineer to inform me on the political aspects of teaching. Ms. Wills has provided an excellent role model in this respect. I would like to follow her example in being an unofficial "trailblazer" in my school when it comes to technology. I was fairly adept at pursuing new technology as an engineer and helping management to accept it. I would like to do the same as a teacher by using my classroom as an example that administrators can point to for successful results.
This type of attitude can also be taught to students. The important thing is to provide challenges and accompany them with an appropriate amount of support. Too much support may stifle students. Too little support may leave them lost and confused. The trick will be to provide useful challenges, such as project-oriented work, and give them useful support, such as innovative assessment techniques. I apologize for beating an analogy to death, but the only way to teach students to think outside of the box is to continually stretch the boundaries of the box in the classroom and allow students the opportunities to stretch them some more.
JEFF JOHNSON SESSION 15 JOURNAL ENTRY
Although we have been absolved of an official report on our experience with listservs, this week's journal entry provides an opportunity to go over what I have learned. It's a slight departure from the free form of the journals, but I will briefly summarize my experiences with each of four listservs and then provide a wrap up discussion at the end.
MATHSED-L
This listserv covers the rather broad topic of "discussion group on math in education." I subscribed on September 26 and have received 10 messages so far. One was from a new teacher soliciting information about the listserv. Three were concerned with an online survey on teacher job satisfaction. The other six were related to job openings and postings. Unfortunately, none of the messages were relevant or useful to me. The job postings may someday be useful, but the nature of the Internet means that they are typically from far off places (e.g. California and Australia). That having been said, however, I would still recommend this listserv to new math teachers. It does not flood members with too many messages and it appears to be a place where one could post questions about math education and get a decent number of replies (I base this assumption on the messages related to the job satisfaction survey - it looks like that person got a good response from listserv participants).
AMTEC
This is a listserv about the use of media and technology in education. It has a slightly narrower topic than the previous listserv, but the number of messages has been far higher. I subscribed on October 4 and have received 28 messages so far. It has become obvious that the listserv is meant primarily to serve teachers in Canada. Most of the messages deal with the logistics of getting technology into the classroom (e.g. procedures and legislation related to purchasing). Unfortunately, they are specific to Canada's school systems. Other messages include conference announcements, calls for papers, and job postings. Again, all of these are in Canada. There have been a few general solicitations for information about use of technology, however, and it appears that listserv members responded to them. For this reason, I would tentatively recommend this listserv to teachers interested in applying new technological hardware in their classrooms. The caveat I would include, however, is that members have to be willing to weed through a large number of irrelevant messages to get any value out of the listserv.
ACSOFT-L
This listserv deals with academic software development. Its focus is narrower than both of the previous listservs. It is also of great interest to me. I assume that the listserv would have some interesting information about the use of academic software as well. Unfortunately, since subscribing on October 4, I have received no messages.
CESNEWS
I was very hopeful about this listserv. Its topic is the Coalition of Essential Schools. I know a little about the Coalition from the "Horace" books by Theodore Sizer, and I am very interested in learning more. I subscribed to the listserv on September 25, but did not get added to the list until November 21. I have not received any messages yet.
Overall, the listserv investigation has been a useful one for me. If there is one thing that I have learned, it is that one has to be willing to endure some pain to get any value out of listservs. From the discussion above, it is apparent that in a two month period, I had a success rate of 50% in getting any responses at all from listservs. What is not apparent is that I attempted to subscribe to four other listservs as well. For one reason or another, I was never added to those listservs. Even on the listservs that I liked, I had to weed through a lot of messages that were irrelevant to me. I must add, however, that the messages that were irrelevant to me were not irrelevant to other people. To the credit of the listserv members, all of the messages belonged in the listserv (no dirty jokes or e-mails mistakenly sent to everyone instead of one member).
In terms of what my students could learn from listservs, I have concluded that the teacher should act as an intermediary if the students are to have any interaction with them at all. The time and patience required to deal with listservs is something that I would not require of my students. The payoff for the investment is not great enough. To help students interact with the World Wide Web, I would use targeted searches and create WebQuests. Similarly, I would need to provide a comparable level of scaffolding if I were to use listservs in the classroom.
In summary, then, listservs provide an interesting parallel to the World Wide Web. There is a lot of chaff to separate out from the wheat, but for someone with the time, patience, and perseverance, participation in listservs is a useful process.