Musings on new toys for old dogs
I am open to new technologies in my science classrooms that can do one of three things:
(1) Enhance learning
Yes to promoting creativity, improving student engagement and understanding, providing deeper, richer content, hooking students with their novelty.
(2) Do something that can’t be done without them
Yes to gel electrophoresis equipment, a spectrophotometer, water quality test kits, all sorts of lab tools that allow students to investigate science in more authentic paths than are available with out them.
(3) Encourage communication
Yes to communication where opinions and ideas are heard and thoughtfully questioned and built upon.
I am NOT open to using technologies
(1) To be faddish
I feel, and my students concur, that some aspects of PowerPoint presentations are quite faddish. Why invest time and/or money into something that is done for flash only.
(2) Just because we own them
Why would I use a temperature probe over a thermometer for one or two measurements?
(3) When their use sacrifices understanding for speed
How often do calculator answers get in the way of students really grasping what significant figures really are saying about one’s measurements? Once one understands how to calculate a biodiversity index, go right ahead and enter it all into a spreadsheet and have the tedium taken away. I won’t permit such until my students know more than ‘plug it in and get an answer’.
What does this all mean for my acceptance and use of Web 2.0 in my science classes? Once I see the value an element has for my students, I am willing to use it, but never at the expense of my students’ greater understanding, their greater thinking about the world.
My short story that perhaps some can relate to.
I allow students to text me for clarification. I allow them to call; they prefer to text. Do you know how many minutes of life can be tied up in texting compared to the time it would take for me to verbally provide the answer? Any answer? Verbal is quicker. My students admit that they are less threatened by texting, but really, trying to explain to a student how to make a table in Word via text messaging? It took 3 minutes on the phone with both of us on our respective computers. The same dialogue would have taken 25+ minutes via texting, at best. My students now know that if they text me, I have the option of insisting on a voice call in order to expedite their concern.
(1) Enhance learning
Yes to promoting creativity, improving student engagement and understanding, providing deeper, richer content, hooking students with their novelty.
(2) Do something that can’t be done without them
Yes to gel electrophoresis equipment, a spectrophotometer, water quality test kits, all sorts of lab tools that allow students to investigate science in more authentic paths than are available with out them.
(3) Encourage communication
Yes to communication where opinions and ideas are heard and thoughtfully questioned and built upon.
I am NOT open to using technologies
(1) To be faddish
I feel, and my students concur, that some aspects of PowerPoint presentations are quite faddish. Why invest time and/or money into something that is done for flash only.
(2) Just because we own them
Why would I use a temperature probe over a thermometer for one or two measurements?
(3) When their use sacrifices understanding for speed
How often do calculator answers get in the way of students really grasping what significant figures really are saying about one’s measurements? Once one understands how to calculate a biodiversity index, go right ahead and enter it all into a spreadsheet and have the tedium taken away. I won’t permit such until my students know more than ‘plug it in and get an answer’.
What does this all mean for my acceptance and use of Web 2.0 in my science classes? Once I see the value an element has for my students, I am willing to use it, but never at the expense of my students’ greater understanding, their greater thinking about the world.
My short story that perhaps some can relate to.
I allow students to text me for clarification. I allow them to call; they prefer to text. Do you know how many minutes of life can be tied up in texting compared to the time it would take for me to verbally provide the answer? Any answer? Verbal is quicker. My students admit that they are less threatened by texting, but really, trying to explain to a student how to make a table in Word via text messaging? It took 3 minutes on the phone with both of us on our respective computers. The same dialogue would have taken 25+ minutes via texting, at best. My students now know that if they text me, I have the option of insisting on a voice call in order to expedite their concern.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteYou mean you expect students to THINK?! Students don't have to do that anymore :0)
I agree with your philosophy. I have a colleague who is convinced that we will eventually communicate with one another by texting rather than verbally communicating.
ps-I like the fish!
-Wally T
I personally have a problem with all the texting. Students, in my mind, are losing the social skills training that talking to one another teaches. It also allows one to hide behind an electronic device. A good example? My daughter got dumped this year via text message.
ReplyDeleteI know many teachers who use technology because it is "faddish". A lot of them don't even know much about how to use it properly. For example, I know many teachers who have a website for their courses but they don't have anything on it. It is a great resource, but if there is nothing there for students, what is the point?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Stephen. I also know teachers who have websites but never update them. What's the point in doing that?
ReplyDeleteooh, getting dumped via text message, that's rough Randy!
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Stephen about teachers just using their website to post content about the course, I was one of them at one point (though I did update it regularly)... I do think there is value in having all the resources centralized so that students can access them from home, etc. You don't need to keep printing extra copies of handouts when they lose them, you can post links that they might find useful when studying or doing homework. That said, it does take a lot of time to do this and the students could be getting much more out of the technology. For example, setting a blog wiki where they can use each other for studying/ asking question instead of having to use me...
Susan, I am curious about you letting your students call or even text you. How does the school feel about that? Doesn't it getting annoying that they take up some of your personal time? The reason I ask is because I used to teach in a private boarding school where the kids had all our home/ dorm phone numbers and it was also expected that you give their parents your cell phone number. I would get calls through out the week at all hours and even Sundays in the evening. At first I liked being in constant communication with the students because I thought it would help them perform better, but then I realized they were abusing this "school-granted right" (eg. by not paying attention in class and then calling about missed information, etc.) and I felt like the parents had total control over me... it was suffocating.
Now I think I would allow them to email and if they need clarification, I could set up an Elluminate session with them (have you ever heard of it? I'm sure we'll cover it at some point in the class, it's basically like an online lesson with an interactive screen, you can show them how to do stuff in real time and much more...)
Marta,
ReplyDeleteI have a reputation that I don't tolerate foolishness, and I have a set cut-off time that I will take calls and respond to e-mails by. Any e-mail later than 8 p.m. gets answered early the next morning. A student who dares ask if I 'got their e-mail" will get a scathing...'why, didn't you read my reply?' back.
Student's texts are often quick and clarifying -- not instructing, not social -- unless sharing an AP score or something similar. I would rather get the correct information back to one student than have them all follow another's wrong advice. Yes, it would be nice if they remembered what I said, but some do miss things for legitimate reasons.
A student who makes the error to wake me up and wake me up for a STUPID question such as 'do we have a test tomorrow?' will then receive a blistering 3 page text using multisyllabic words and questioning their respect for me, their manners, their dog's manners, etc.
At my private school the admin has no policy on such things. I do feel they should considering what sort of things can occur. I would rather students call me than their parents. I give parents my school number.
Curious as to Elluminate --- will hope to learn more of it anon.
when I taught at independent schools, my phone number was common knowledge to everyone. However, the expected communication was e-mail. (students had a school address which allowed me to bulk mail if necessary, like I gave them the wrong information in class.). I prefer e-mail to phone because there is no expectation that I am always available. I too state in my syllabus that e-mails after a certain hour may not receive a reply until the next day. This year I will add, on multiple day assignments, I may not answer any e-mails the day before the project is due. Plan ahead.
ReplyDeleteI teach some hybrid courses, so students have to be able to communicate their questions in a timely fashion. That is where a course management system (i.e., Blackboard) comes in handy. Students can use it to email or post questions in the discussion forum. I check both multiple times a day. The only way I will give out my home phone is if student questions are either numerous or not easily explained via email.
ReplyDeleteI don't have fast enough thumbs to respond to questions via text! :)