A bit off topic, but worth a look...

I live for the possibility of getting an answer like this from a student!

They didn't study - Upload a Document to Scribd

Podcasting: Fabulous Classroom Innovation or Just Another Excuse to Play with Garage Band?

To start, a brief update on Comic Life:

I started using it today in my Creative Writing class. So far so good! The students are using it to convert one of their longer stories to a graphic novel. They are frustrated that I won't let them use copyrighted pictures, but they're getting over it...

And...the issue of the week; podcasting.

I'm a bit behind on my own podcast at the moment, what with the end of the quarter and all. I was upset at this until class tonight when we learned how to record a Skype conversation. Before that, I didn't think I had anything worth podcasting about. I mean really, nothing. I think, for my first real attempt, I'm going to do a Skype interview with my brother, who now teaches south of London, about the differences he sees in our systems and what kinds of things he has to do to comply with standards. I might be the only one that finds this interesting, but that's okay. It might be good to play for my students this spring when they all start to complain about having to take MCA tests. I'll show them the podcast and say, "You're not alone. Suck it up!"

I was reading the ning tonight and saw Scott's post about hating his own voice. I feel exactly the same way, so unless I either become intoxicated or get over my own self deprication, I don't see myself being overly creative with the podcasting medium. I will DEFINITELY have my kids work with it. I subscribe to a few podcasts such as "Car Talk", "This American Life", and "The Onion Radio News". I especially like the format of "TAL" and "TORN" as and English teacher because they lend themselves so well to storytelling. I think it would be engaging to have students mimick the style of one of these shows, much like they did at West with "A Prairie Home Companion". With a "TAL" format, we could focus on personal narratives, autobiographies, or interviews. With "TORN" we could concentrate on news reports and, more importantly, satire!

I'm a little scared about teaching them the technology after the great wiki debacle of 2008, but after a nice Christmas break, I think I'll have the courage to tackle such a daunting task...or at least have a little less sanity making me more prone to engage in self destructive behaviors. Only time will tell...

The Online Con aka The Online Role Play

I have to admit, I love these things! I sometimes get a bit too into them, which is a bit odd considering that when I have the choice as to what side of a debate I will be in one of these things, I purposely choose the one with which I disagree. It forces me to look at the other side of things.

I started out this role play be trying to be very academic, professional, and formal by citing research and staying relatively low key in my tone. I noticed, quickly, that most others were doing the same thing. At least those on my side, so I went the other direction and focused more of my energy on emotional appeal through anecdotal evidence, which was actually all true. This seemed to work better because people began referencing my posts and even responding to them! I was most pleased when I received a rather rude reply to something I stated. I figured I must be doing something right!

It seemed pretty clear that most people were not going to change their minds, so I took the Sarah Palin approach: There is no bad press (at least that's the approach she seems to be taking).

Throughout the whole thing, I felt like I had very little power. It was hard for me to decide who really had it at all, but it definitely wasn't me. This made me realize, quite sadly, that we as teachers don't have nearly the level of power we should in deciding issues such as this. People always listen to "experts." I guess I was out when those that work in the field all day, every day were deemed incompetent.

In the end, I left the role play still feeling that coeducational classes are a good thing, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying a single gender approach in at least a few. A colleague has told me numerous times that she loves "how super laid back [I am]" because I'll try anything once. If it doesn't work, I won't do that again!

Digital Storytelling

I'm totally going to use this in my class soon. We have some short stories coming up and a few are more difficult Edgar Allen Poe stories. I had students draw comics last year, but I think combining Comic Life, which our school has, along with flickr will be a lot more engaging and relevant since it's technology based. It will also add a real fun factor!

I put this comic together (quicktime format) using pictures I've taken over the past four years. They're all completely out of context, but it's still pretty funny...at least I think so. I'm not sure what my brother and friends will think when they see it...

Please Excuse me while I wiki my moodle...

Wikis, Moodles, Blogs...who thought these names up anyway?

As I've stated in class, my idea for my final project is a collaborative research project incorporating a wiki, a blog, and voicethread (which will probably then make flickr necessary). We will research topics related to one of two novels and create voicethread presentations based on our findings, which we will then post to a course wiki.

The really fun part of the wiki is going to be when we start using it to debate the ethics of Charlie's surgery in "Flowers for Algernon". We've just finished part I of the story and are already getting some nice discussions that touch on ethics based on how others have begun to treat Charlie. Over the next few days (weeks?? who knows with the limited availability of computers) we will learn the ins and outs of the class wiki by debating different ethical dilemmas. Last year, we did this in a course discussion format, which was marginally successful, but as I discovered with blogs, some students will be more apt to participate in the written format. Since much of the content will be old, we can focus more on the logistics of the wiki...at least at first.

I'm hoping that our course wiki will be an ongoing thing this year that will bring a lot of good resources to the students for each unit we study. This will not only help them as we study for tests, learn strategies for research, and practice literacy skills for the MCAs; but will also help me prepare for next year when we do all of this over again. I'll have models of work to show, experience to share, and a chance to revamp things that don't work the first time around.