Crucial Thought

Sometimes I dislike being a 9-weeks exploratory teacher. Just as I really make inroads into my kids’ hearts and minds, they leave. Not by choice, mind you, but that is the way things are set up here. Today marked the end of our first nine weeks and the first time I cried in a while. It’s tough to see these kids go, partially because they are so fired up about technology and Spanish (and I only separate them for the sake of the written word), but I am also sad because the tragic reality is that when they leave me, they re-enter a different world with different pedagogical philosophies. I am a huge fan of teaching kids to validate information, a la David Warlick’s idea that we need to integrate the changing face of literacy. Hat tip to Teachers Teaching Teachers for the reminder.

So I began class today with a show-and-tell of two new websites I had come across and wanted to share with them. I showed them The Dog Island and the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. When looking at pictures of dogs freely frolicking they oohed and ahhed. Whilst exploring the endangered octopus, they responded with cries of how we might help the poor little creatures. When I revealed that the sites were fake, they gasped and were speechless. 11 year-olds are not ever speechless. We went on to talk about validating sites in this flattening world. I did not reveal to them the site to which I referred, but I mentioned that if you search for a major historical figure the third result is run by a hate group.

I spared them the details, frankly to keep their eyes from reading the material housed there. I was cryptic enough to prevent them from figuring it out, and gave my own example, that being if I did not like Derek Jeter, I could easily create a website to trick people into believing lies about Mr. Jeter (who, until today, I thought played for the Braves!). I think I effectively drove home the point.

Time was running thin and I was up against a bell so I showed them easywhois.com and left it at that.

I moved onto to a finale video by PBS called Frontline WORLD, from October 2002. This episode highlighted a project called Hole in the Wall. I am probably really late in learning about this, and I can’t recall how I found out about it early this morning, but it shook my perspective. I was amazed at how these kids persevered through learning the technology when my kids have a tendency to give up very easily.

Kids that don’t have access to technology are more willing to persevere. It is new. It is needed. It is seen as revolutionary.

We don’t view it that way in my school/district/state.

Teachers want the latest and greatest machines with the newest versions of this and that special proprietary software. I get the bottom of the barrell machines that were headed for surplus (I’ve mentioned that before).

And my kids love them!

All I need is an internet connection. I am considering a more tightly controlled system a la Steve Hargadon‘s Live Kiosk. I would love a turnkey solution to prevent the questions like “What do I do now?”. This is especially frustrating when the only icons in sight are a Firefox icon that beneath it says “Click Here to Begin” and the recycle bin.

And yet they still ask because they won’t think. They haven’t been asked to become literate.

So today sparked some great discussion. I am really going to work on collaborating with other classes around the world through Skype videoconferencing. I am not sure how I will work out the mechanics, but I have a decent MiniDV camera and a good connection and Skype isn’t blocked. Any suggestions or best practices there?

I actually put a call into Ray Hernandez, whom I learned about on Infinite Thinking Machine‘s blog today, after watching Episode 2. We’ll see how that pans out, but I imagine we could easily develop a project on which our classes could collaborate.

So a good day, a productive day, a flat day. More soon!

Update: I saved this as I left school and was planning to add tags, references to the k12online conference and David Warlick’s keynote (good portion of the inspiration for this) and headed home. When I got home, I found this email waiting for me..

On the Wiki I put my home work from LA on there!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the link. LA means language arts (have to assume global readership, right?)

You see, I told my kids that alongside handing their papers in on notebook paper (or typed, of course) they should publish their work and get comments. Then, they should include the URL on a sticky note and ask that the teacher join the commenting community. I riled them up a bit and sent them on their way to revolutionize their classrooms. Sometimes the impetus for change has to come from the kids. Here’s hoping enough teachers respond favorably and don’t attempt to shut it down for fear of the unknown. What I want to know is, what happens when a major name someone comments favorably on a piece of writing that later receives a bad grade from the teacher. What will the teacher do then? When do we as teachers abandon the idea that we are the sole and solitary keepers of student success? Once exposed to this broadening world, the very definition of success must change!

Grades cannot be the goal. As David puts it, education is a lot (if not all) about the side trips! Here’s hoping we can clear the fog for our kids. Thanks, David.

UPDATE 2: I figured out how I found out about the Hole in the Wall project. It came from a post by Guy Kawasaki. I don’t agree with some of the language he uses in his presentations, but his ideas for small technology startups have serious ramifications for education.