tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22566983.post9013386602649468219..comments2023-11-02T02:57:23.120-05:00Comments on NCTE Literacy Education Updates: The Spellings' Report and Beyond, IVNCTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12254024796847309329noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22566983.post-84526481167431075562008-02-09T08:58:00.000-06:002008-02-09T08:58:00.000-06:00To follow up again a little later, I think we are ...To follow up again a little later, I think we are continuing to see a trend towards transparency. In a <A HREF="http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/perspectives/sub.asp?key=245&subkey=2538" REL="nofollow">brief <EM>Carnegie Perspectives</EM> article</A> , Molly Breen talks about using technology to make student learning public. Obviously there is no direct connection to NCLB or Spellings; however, I think the connection can be made in just the act of doing good work and making it public.Shelley Rodrigohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748235393078196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22566983.post-73668670046592074312008-01-05T20:49:00.000-06:002008-01-05T20:49:00.000-06:00After our presentation, one of the audience member...After our presentation, one of the audience members agreed that we should be more open and public about our teaching; however, when/how/where do we fit these activities into our already completely packed schedules?<BR/><BR/>The obvious answer is to do things like invite various individuals (parents, other instructors, administrators, legislators, etc.) into the classroom. However, we all know that inviting them in is not as simple as just saying “come on by” (although we can do just that). For example, I know if someone is coming to my class I want to share my lesson plans, talk to them afterwards, etc. Although I still think we should be making these types of blanket invitations (which I realize I need to make more systematically during this next semester), we can also incorporate various technologies to help become “more public” in a systematic and consistent manner.<BR/><BR/>Just as easily as NCTE set up blogs at Blogger, we can start a blog that reflects on our various lessons and activities. In other words, take that teaching journal you’ve continued to keep, and make it public. Think about the ways you can invite students, parents, and administrators to read and respond (blogs have reply areas) to what you are doing.<BR/><BR/>Wikis are another opportunity to share what you are doing, especially with your colleagues. The beauty of wikis is that multiple audience members can actually change the page. So imagine posting specific activity plans and prompts and then having other faculty members go in and revise the activity based on their own experiences. Many of the wiki software (like Wetpaint and Wikispaces) also include the ability to have discussions on each page, so like with the blogs parents, students, and administrators can swing by your wiki site and leave questions and comments about what you posted. <BR/><BR/>Fortune favors the bold! Consider turning the tables on those students who are “secretly” video taping your classes and posting it to YouTube; or, like I played around this past semester, do screen captures of your online classes, post and annotate the images in Flickr. And like mentioned with blogs and wikis, these sites also allow for discussions via replies. <BR/><BR/>If these sounds like wonderful ideas, don’t forget that your students have rights and you’ll probably want to get permission from them (or their parents), especially if you are video taping class. However, if you decide to make these type of reflective acts are consistent part of your professional actions, consider explicitly inviting your students, parent, and administrators to participate. Tell them what you are doing; invite them to subscribe to the RSS feed outlet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU) of each technology that will update them whenever you’ve posted anything new. <BR/><BR/>Ultimately, be aware. If you decide to make your teaching public in this manner, you are acknowledging that your teaching is a process, not a product. As a process you have good and bad days; with bad days becoming just as public as the good ones. I have found that my students appreciate this openness. They appreciate knowing that I am struggling like them, trying to balance my personal and professional, struggling to work with technology, and putting things off to the last minute and cramming it in to get done. Be aware, you make yourself public, you make yourself human. As professionals in the humanities, is this a bad thing?Shelley Rodrigohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01755748235393078196noreply@blogger.com