Final Thoughts, New Beginnings

     With the posting of this blog entry, I have finished a course entitled; “Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education Work and Society.” I must confess I did not find the class at first to be enjoyable. The fault cannot be attributed to the material, or presentation of the material. The fault is mine. The assignments which included participation in a wiki creation, production of a podcast and the blog, upon which you now read these words, were sufficiently frustrating to produce a fair amount of anxiety. Yet, I won’t soon forget the experience of anger, recycled determination, and joy of victory when I was able to complete the tasks successfully. (A lesson I will remember when I use similar projects in class). Oh, I guess I gave myself away. Yes, I will use what I learned, in my own classroom.
Lest I get too far ahead of myself I feel it necessary to confess owning up to the revelation, (through this course), that I am not as “with it” as I once believed myself to be. I do not think I can put myself in the category of “digital native”. Though, I have used collaborative groups and joint projects for quite a few years, used the computer to research, I have not used the technology that I have been instrumental in campaigning for at our school much beyond that of producing a finished research project.. My school has work stations that enable a majority of the students to be on the computer at any time. Classrooms are networked, the whole school is networked and the internet is accessible everywhere in the school either by hardwire or secure wireless access. And yet, until I enrolled in this course, my students used the word processor program, power point program and internet when I chose and directed. It has been hard to let go the reins and see what the students are able to show me, rather than vice versa. Perhaps the hard part was to accept that I am not a digital native. What has been revealed to me is that my students really won’t mind if I tag along on the journey with them. When I shared what I was learning in my class, my students considered it “cool” but asked, “So when are we going to start doing some of that in our class?” I told them, When I learn how.” I was reassured that they would show me how. Right then and there, I knew, nothing was going to be the same.
     Already, some of the regular features of our class are changing. The in room weekly newscast will after this course no longer be taped and played back for listening, it will be recorded digitally on computer and we are working with the school webmaster to turn the recordings into podcasts to put on the school website. She was excited, the students are excited and I? I am surprisingly looking forward to the new application, as a matter of fact, I have decided to let them produce it all and serve as consultant for content matter only. You should have heard the kid’s plans. My role has changed from getting, no pushing them to get involved to helping pare down what they will have time or room for.
      Eight years ago, when I first started to be involved in getting up to date, functioning working equipment into the school and getting it networked as it now is I wanted to take the course, complete the Masters program-technology integration in the classroom. I thought then it would be an area that would someday be a large influence on what we do in the classroom and how we do it. I was displeased I could not then enroll in the course. I am glad now I could not. I am at the place now where 21st century workplace skills demand the utilization, practice and training in the classroom and I feel rather awed that I get to participate in that experience. I still feel a bit unprepared, but I am a bit just too curious and intrigued to stand at the door and not enter.
     So how do I plan to go through the door? Completing more courses, finish the masters program, share with my fellow teachers and try stuff, (even if I don’t know if it will work at my current skill level, frustration and all). In another classroom, as a result of sharing some of what I have been learning in class, another teacher is communicating via the internet with two classrooms during their Wednesday science class. I confess, that is cool and I like being part of it. I mention that because I feel modeled enthusiasm affects students. I know I felt rather proud when I showed my students my blog. They actually congratulated me and I think, felt proud of me too. I plan on riding that wave through the door to the future.
     As for long term goals there are quite a few that I have listed. I have already noted the newscast change, to that I have already put the weekly spelling tests on the server so that students can take their tests by logging on to the server to take their test. This saves me time so that I can be available for other things during our language arts block. Research projects are changing from collaborative groups and Power Point presentations to wikis, podcasts, (hoping to learn more about video podcast). I am planning on implementing wikis this year to replace the traditional internet search and put on paper groups that I usually utilize. In consultation with the webmaster we are laying ground for blogs, wikis and podcasts on the school website where parents can access all of the above for viewing. As mentioned, we’ll start with our audio classroom newscast and add the video as we become more adept at producing copy worthy of posting on the site. All of the above features to be items of regular content within two years. That should give me plenty of time to become proficient and learn from and with the digital native in my classroom. Who knows, I may even appear to be a native myself. As to how to accomplish it? The equipment is in place, the plan? Just do it.