Where to continue?

Continuing with the the NY reso. idea: Where should my district, commonly referred to as Brigadoon by people in the know, continue on its technology journey? We have a written plan that has been written in microsoft word and printed out and given to all the stakeholders. Its also on the server. I can’t tell you what it says or what I personally should be doing to complete whatever task(s) assigned to a HS Social Studies Teacher.
I get jealous of what I read on the interwebs about what schools are doing with technology. I find many things I’d like to be able to do. Like watch a movie on Flashplayer. Seriously. I was sad to see my Win 98 computer go a year ago this month.
What are some basic building-block steps that should be taken on this journey so that we are positioned well for the next decade?

New Year’s resolution

I hate New Year’s resolutions. But this year, I am going to dedicate myself to this blog more. Add more content and utilize it as a learning tool for myself.

Multiple jobs

At the Model UN Conference, I ate dinner with some people I know. One of the other teachers and I always “compare notes” about what we are teaching that year. He told me what he was teaching. Gloabl 9 and Global 9H. The I told him what I am teaching: Global 9, Global 9H, 2 sections of US history and Psych/Soc crammed into the fall semester and a Model UN elective in the spring, which I am designing from the ground up. ANd I do Model UN. And I am the Senior Class adviser. And we are going to Disney in the spring. He said I won. Please forgive me if I don’t blog as much as I used to.

Teaching class

I have spent the last 2 days Model Un-ing myself with 20+ 9-12th graders. Individually, I find most of them to be nice, young people. emphasis on “most” of them. However as a group, I find them to be crude and immature. We sat in an auditorium. They had their feet hanging over other chairs. They made comments in the silence as other students were going to get awards. They can’t sit on the bus and talk normally to each other, they felt the need to shout or poke or prod each other. I had to speak to them 3 times on the bus. I don’t know that I have had to speak to them about their behavior three times in all the times I have been doing this. We stopped for food at a fast food restaurant. It was like it was a brand new experience for them. They are shouting back and forth to each other. To me it was immaturity and I felt some of it was just class-less. To me, the only way to teach class is to demonstrate it. So I told them to get their feet off the seats and stop making rude comments, etc. But I don’t feel like that’s the best way to do that. How do you teach “class”?

Tools for teaching with technology

Great list of web 2.0-ish/collaboration apps. http://ipt286.pbworks.com/Index

Diigo

I get it, but I am feeling “overconnected” if that is possible. I feel like I am losing info. / knowledge in my bookmarks, let alone GReader, Twitter, Friend Feed, etc. etc. HELP!

Beyond Censorware: Teaching Web Literacy

How do you teach Web Literacy? We don’t. Who would teach it?

I really like the way Cory Doctorow lays this out there. The kids can get around the internet filter we have now.  It costs $50 yearly for the district to buy override codes for teachers / librarians / etc.  What is the point of our internet filter? I like page 3 of Doctorow’s post – The lesson plan. That would really open some people’s eyes in our upper echelons.

Fearmongering

Today our district received an email from one of our tech guys warning us that if we use Twitter, to beware of bots and scammers, phishers and marketers. Now, I know I am looking at this from my narrow vantage-point and not everyone in the district uses these emerging technologies like I do and I am not proclaiming to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But if the only emails / guidance we get from our tech department is “the sky is falling”, people are going to stop attempting to use these new and interesting pieces of technology and change their teaching. We need to get on the same page, and we aren’t. We need to have a real conversation about our technology and we aren’t.

JK Wedding video

If you haven’t seen this yet, it will make you smile. IF you don’t, you may be a robot. Check yourself.

Just 1 Girl

What can 1 person do to change the world.