Eich Bin Ein Blogger

A cool "what if" proposed by Nobel literature prize winner Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio in an article on My Way News: What if the Internet existed during the 1930s? Could that have prevented the extermination of millions and World War II? The intellectual pondered:

"Who knows, if the Internet had existed at the time, perhaps Hitler's criminal plot would not have succeeded - ridicule might have prevented it from ever seeing the light of day," he said.

Still, the globe-trotting writer noted that access to computers remains a luxury to many in the developing world and said eradicating hunger and illiteracy remain the "two great urgent tasks" of humankind.

"Literacy and the struggle against hunger are connected, closely interdependent," he said. "One cannot succeed without the other. Both of them require, indeed urge, us to act."

Let me first state my desire to win a Noble Prize, if for the sole reason that my "what if" musings would garner national headlines. But I digress. Le Clezio makes an interesting point suggesting that if Germans had access to the the Internet, perhaps the plight of the Jews could have been avoided. He goes on to make the comparison between literacy and the struggle against hunger, and I'd be willing to take his analogy one-step further by offering this sequence:

1. The Internet helps create literate individuals.

2. Literate individuals seek out more knowledge.

3. More knowledge results in the betterment of society.

Le Clezio's thought lends credence then to why schools should be modernized with our students connected to the world and using 21st century digital tools. Get students out of their bubbles and create self-sufficient, knowledge-driven, active citizens. Besides bettering themselves, students can help usher in change in their communities, and, in Le Clezio's mind, saving millions of lives and changing the world.

In the 1930s, had individuals been blogging and spreading information, perhaps other countries may have intervened, or Hitler would have been forced to not go through his atrocities at all due to global awareness. I give this merit, and look at society today - genocide still exists in many parts of Africa, and general poverty and hunger are major problems. Perhaps this is why getting third world countries online would be a huge advantage to areas: knowledge creates power, and knowledgeable countries would escape the label of "third world country" and be able to feed its people and modernize the cities and workforce. This is certainly betterment of society - would the Internet helped pull Germany out of its hole in the 1930s and aided them in avoiding a world-changing crisis? It is certainly interesting to ponder.

New Deal Reloaded?

Came across this interesting article concerning Obama's 21st Century New Deal, and education/technology are primary focuses of the plan. The article states the following:

—SCHOOLS: “[M]y economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.” —BROADBAND: “As we renew our schools and highways, we’ll also renew our information superhighway. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption. Here, in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have the chance to get online, and they’ll get that chance when I’m president – because that’s how we’ll strengthen America’s competitiveness in the world.”

Cool stuff. As we labor through the beginning of a recession, and hopefully stave off a full-fledged depression, it is super-encouraging to see this type of forward-thinking in an incoming administration. Granted, broadband internet has been here for a quite some time, and schools have been woefully behind corporations and industry when it comes to technological integration - hence, this might not be considered forward thinking because Obama is responding to fairly old problems. Nevertheless, I believe this is forward thinking due to the recognition of our country's future and how students role in using technology will play a huge role in America's endeavors.

Increasing America's competitiveness through modernizing schools is an interesting approach in Obama's New Deal, because when I turn on the news all I hear about are decreasing value of the dollar, bailouts, limited consumer confidence, a mortgage collapse, and general cynicism about America's standing in the world. Interesting that Obama would make it a focus to combat these problems by educating youth and improving schools. As opposed to the band aid over the bullet wound effect of forking over billions to poorly ran auto companies, why not develop long term solutions to problems?

FDR's New Deal did not have much of a focus on schools, although providing cheaper school lunches and putting laborers to work building new schools was an initiative. Still, FDR was responding to a mega-crisis, and America's current predicament is not on par with the situation of the 1930s (not yet, anyway). Obama has more wiggle room to include school and technology initiative, while FDR was forced to play the role of crisis manager in a world that was inevitably heading toward another world conflict. But, Obama has history on his side: many of FDR's initiatives had long-term affects that we still see today (TVA, FDIC, Social Security, Fair Labor Standards Act) - here's hoping that Obama's educational initiatives will bear similar fruits.

Obama's Education Plan

Education has never been a major campaign theme - which seems odd, because if you want to talk about something that binds all people together, education is certainly something everyone can relate to. Americans have all attended some sort of school, millions of eligible voters are in school, and millions more have kids in school. Is the topic of education not sexy enough of a topic? Does it not carry the extreme buzzword factor of economy, terrorism, or Iraq? Or, does it not seem to matter?

Granted, education has always seemed more like a local issue that communities and districts have more sway over, so that may be why national candidates don't really force the issue. But with NCLB, it certainly became more of national and state issue. President-elect Obama picks right up with NCLB on his website, and although education was largely ignored in the election and debates (500 points if you can point me to a presidential debate reference to education), Obama made the case on his website. So, what are his positions for K-12?

1. Barack Obama will Reform No Child Left Behind

Wow - swinging right out the gate! At the very least, Obama has identified with a cause that the large majority of educators would agree with. Does the public have a problem with NCLB? I guess I have never seen the numbers, but I wonder if the average citizen knows its flaws? Many must, otherwise it wouldn't be #1 on Obama's list. Anyway, Obama says that the goal of NCLB is in the right place, but the methodology is flawed ( he is not going out on a limb here), and that students shouldn't be judged by filling bubbles on a test. So, how will Obama fix this glaring problem? According to the site:

He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama and Biden will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.

Not very specific. I don't think the "yes we can" approach will work here. I like where his head is at, but how will assessments be "improved?" I'd love to hear it, and I'm hoping that when NCLB is reformed, prominent educators and teachers work on the bill and make it actually reasonable. I do appreciate the fact that Obama claims schools will not be "punished", hopefully eliminating the irony of an education program that punishes lower-performing schools as opposed to assisting them (imagine if we treated our kids that way).

2. Teacher Retention is a Problem

Coming from the field, I am not surprised teacher retention is an issue. Low pay, no merit, and little recognition. I love my job, but I can see why others would leave for a higher paying field. To fix this problem, Obama offers merit pay for teachers based on success (not sure how this would judged), and to better recruit and train teachers. It would be awesome to see an army of better educated teachers, but I still think it is all about money (sad, but true). If the starting pay for a teacher was something like $50,000 and increased from there, you'd better believe there would be better, more qualified individuals lining up for teaching jobs. Granted, more may flock to teaching now because of the job security and pension of the profession, but lets hope Obama follows through on his plan.

Technology and Jimmy's Final Thoughts

Technology is noticeably absent from Obama's proposal, so I can't really speak much about his thoughts. Better-funded schools would mean better technology in schools, so I suppose I could put two and two together that way. Obama has two young girls in school, so I bet he knows the importance of technology in education. Still, I'm not sure the public is well aware of the importance of technology in schools, so making a campaign issue out of it would seem rather silly.

Generally speaking, I like where Obama's heart is, but he is here and there with specifics to his plan. I do agree with his ideas with NCLB, teacher retention, and support of early childhood programs. Talk is talk, though, so I will be curious to see what happens. We do live in a republic with a House and Senate, so any of Obama's ideas would need to be introduced in Congress and go through the process (watch this video to get a grasp of how this works). Anything Obama proposed in his campaign needs a lot of work and support to actually happen, but I'm pulling for him, and for us.

Growing Up Cubs - A Digital Story

Watch my digital story, "Growing Up Cubs", and let me know what you think!

Teach-nology

Having made the shift from the language arts/social studies classroom into the applied technology classroom, I will first admit that things are going well. After some early connection and network problems, faulty wiring, and headset debacles, things have improved immensely from a purely "technological" standpoint. Obviously, to do what I would like to do in the classroom, I need the gadgets to do it - over the last 3 weeks, the gadgets have met my expectations. The students, however, have exceeded expectations. Their prowess in using iWeb and GarageBand came quickly, and every day they get more and more comfortable using an Apple computer. At this point, they almost seem taken aback if I take control of their screens using Remote Desktop to show them a certain task. Their attitude seems to be, "Why are you showing me this? Through my own manipulation and exploration of the programs, I would have figured this out myself". While I certainly appreciate the can-do spirit and determination, my mini-lessons are usually chosen because they are common problems students run into, or, they are crucial elements such as saving files to specific locations to be graded.

Because of this attitude, and the fact that students pretty much want total control, I find the more traditional aspects of teaching (hooks, mini-lessons, class discussions) much more challenging than in a traditional, core classroom. For starters, my lab is cavernous - it is two classrooms put together - not the best place for a lively, unifying atmosphere when it comes to whole-class lessons. I have experimented with many methods: me sharing my screen with theirs and showing how to do something; having the students gather up-front to watch a demonstration on the digital projector and then discuss, or continuously locking/unlocking their screens as they all practice different skills at the same time. It is definitely a work-in-progress, and my early results dictate that the 6th graders are more "lively" and react well to the locking/unlocking practice: lock, model a skill on their screens, and give them control of their screens again to practice. The 7th and 8th graders stare like zombies at their screens when I model a skill, and when I attempt to elicit discussion of a concept, they really want none of it - they want to immediately get on the computer and take control. Understandable, but not entirely beneficial.

Again, the students love the curriculum - but I do wish for the class to be more of a blend of traditional classroom strategies as well as being a workshop "tech lab" environment. As I continue to modify and reflect, I'm sure I will find that better balance with the students responding more positively to whole-class lessons. Assisting individual students and having them teach each other are splendid, but I really want more. It has only been 3 weeks, but the most important things are results and student creations. They are there - I'm hoping to improve on these by making my space into a "classroom" as opposed to simply a "tech lab" in the minds of the students.

The Future of Learning

"If the future is now, then what happens tomorrow?"

I suppose what I am doing right now as I type this is the future of learning, or, at least one aspect of it. The blog. One of those words that doubles as a noun and a verb, but whatever way you spin it, the blog certainly employs many principles that harbor our visions of 21st century learning - collaboration, connection, and Web 2.0. A blog gives writers instant recognition, if only in the form of a tiny niche of the vast internet. Truly, a blog is a tool of empowerment, and can be for numerous students, young and old. Reading a blog can facilitate positive interaction between a reader and user, while also giving readers another opinion/information on a subject that may be more unfiltered than a mass media outlet. How important have blogs become? Do more people turn to blogs and websites for news and opinions than actual newspapers? Jay Marrioti thinks so, and he quit his position as a highly-paid columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times because (allegedly, although others disagree) writing for a newspaper is like being on the Titanic taking on water (a quote used facetiously by Tribune columnist Teddy Greenstein). Is Jay right - that the blogosphere is quickly filling up the atmosphere?

The future of print news notwithstanding, Jay's parting comments do actually speak boldly to the perceived future of technology in our world, and has sparked much dialogue (not just on the web, mind you) on the takeover of the Internet. The Internet is not going anywhere soon, that much is clear. What remains to be seen is exactly how the Internet will evolve, from its current status as Web 2.0 to who-knows-what. Point being, teachers, education, and students need to evolve with it. Educators, especially, need to be mindful of where students come from. A teacher drops a textbook on a student's desk; the student goes home and reads news on CNN.com. A student comments using a Bic pen on a peer's essay during school; the same student goes home and digitally comments on his friend's Facebook page. A teacher gives a 20-minute lecture on angioplasty; a student plops on the sofa to play Nintendo Wii's Trauma Center. The differences between a student's home life and school life can be striking - but they don't have to be.

While education has been slow to embrace the fundamentals of technological evolution's rapid expansion, it will play catch-up real quick. Computers are not a quirky fad; they are the pulse and heartbeat of our world's economy. It will ultimately be technological interaction that will facilitate the shift from a national-based economy to a global economy. Once this becomes clearer, the focus of our schools will shift to promote a more-technologically based curriculum to keep up with the world. Students need to see that their studies are rooted in real-world principles, and technology reflects that. While preparing students for careers that do not yet exist is important, it is also important to prepare them for the all-encompassing future. When technology evolves into places we don't even know about yet, students can be elevator designers as opposed to elevator riders.

It is impossible to predict where the future of technology lies - whether it be tablet desktop computers, PDAs being a necessary living device, or Second Life being the most accepted form of social interaction. What is known is that educators must do their best to incorporate new technologies into existing curriculum, and then watch those curriculum's evolve with the students and the world. From a technological standpoint, if you do not try to be ahead of the curve, then you may eventually find yourself holding on for dear life.