Week 1 - Blog Posting #1 - Web 2.0

After 3 weeks of school I have realized that I love teaching but I had my bosses. I don't hate them because they approach supervision like a Stalin era prison guard, but because their lack of vision is disgusting.

I tend to be the black sheep in a department of black sheep, the social studies department. Our scores are high and we always get the job done but we don't subscribe to the notion that because they got their master's that they are smarter. I approached my Assistant Principal (AP) to discuss this program and what I needed from them and to ask permission to film inside the classroom. I went in into it with tact and charisma and attempted to tell them about this program. Within ten minutes they were worried about using the internet for learning. That it would take away from the classroom structure. My AP then got a hold of my principal, and the concept was then bounced off his skull.

I found that using small words, and pictures did the trick. I dumbed it down so much that my six year old daughter would think I was patronizing her, but it worked. I then found out that I was roaming, and most of classrooms had projectors, but not the necessary drivers, and software to play anything i needed. I put in a work order for that, but our IT department is an older lady who finds email a tough task. I fear that this year will be great for me in this classroom setting but horrible for my students and their web 2.0 setting.

I think educators need to re-evaluate their standards and adapt them to the current technology. I think a well monitored forum would be a big asset to students. They could exchange thoughts and ideas, help with work, and hopefully do some self assessment with the help of classmates.

Another problem I have had with my administrators is the insistence that my work is a violation of copyright infringement. I realize they are trying to make sure they don't break laws and that is why I have found a list of resources to combat their queries. Check out ( http://www.wtvi.com/TEKS/tools/ip_clarification.html )the next time an administrator gives you grief about copyright. This website will feature many questions and answers for school related uses of copyrighted materials. I also use this little video from Youtube as a tool to get administrators to lay off me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM&feature=channel).

The video Dr. Michael Wesch - Social Media in the Classroom was informative because it wasn't just about teachers using new media, but also students. It pointed out that students need to use the tools instead of the tools using them. As educators we need to create a platform for learning. Ubutu (http://www.udutu.com/ the online learning simulation is just that. You can create an online learning environment where you can do presentations, issue work, and give feedback outside the classroom. Students spend so much time on their computer that this may be the best place to reach them one on one. I recommend that every teacher should start a site here.

I have also begun to collect a large number of videos from United Streaming (www.unitedstreaming.com). My school district allows us to use the content provided there in our classrooms. Some of the best first hand accounts for history can be found there. There are also quizzes that go along with the videos and also graphic organizers. This website is great when your trying to keep your class interactive.