Disembodied Voice

I called a student today to assist because my emails and IM's were not seeming to get through and I was getting no responses.

Student-Why are you all jumping on me?
Me- all who?
Student-well there is the lady on the emails, the man who keeps IMing me, and now you.
Me-Those were all from me
Student-well would you tell them to stop bothering me so you and I can just talk about it and I'll get to it?
Me-ok so phone works best for you.  so how can I help you get started now that we are on the phone.
Student-like I said just get the other two teachers off my back and I will do fine.



????????

Anarchy of order

Do students need to build knowledge in an order?

I am having a pedagogical crisis of thought.  Based on years of having taught both face to face and online I want my kids to proceed in order more or less.  I don't particularly care if they complete the homework or the discussion board first within a unit, but I don't care for the results when they unit hop.  However, in a world where people flit through information via a collection of links which may or may not fall in a line, am I missing the boat?

I consider a recent web experience in which I was purchasing tickets, watched a video, clicked a "related video" link which lead me to an ezine, read commentary which then linked me to a recipe which sounded great and I never purchased the tickets....

But pedagogically, I know that brains think that way.  The concept map/brain map side of me says that connections are richer when created through rich pathways.  My favorite go to websites for math and science info are hypermath or hyperphysics because of that interconnectedness.  So why is is that when I want to present content to a class, I cannot myself present that way?  To me teaching that way feels like pedagogical anarchy.

Why do I continue to follow the module lesson assessment order of things?  Why can I not abandon to the bacchanal excesses of the unfettered brain?

Oh yea-there is a test at the end.  I knew there was a reason.

Consider this
a world where we explore and are not assessed?  where latent learning is by design.

http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatsAndMazes.htm

"Do rats learn a maze by choosing the corridors that lead to a reward, or do they generate an internal map of the maze even without a reward (called latent learning)? To answer this question, researchers placed a rat in a maze and let it explore the maze with no reward. The rat simply wandered about. Then the researchers started placing food in the reward corner. Rats who were already familiar with the maze learned to solve the maze more quickly and acheived better scores than rats who had never been given exploration time. Their proficiency indicated that the rats had generated a cognitive map of the maze during their explorations (Tolman and Honzik 1930)."

Can we abandon the old way and do for our students what the maze men did for the rats?  Would this be a better way?  

And yet part of my job is assessing...how can I assess exploration?

What is a rat to do in a cheese driven society?

Sundays with Students

On Sundays, as I near the end of my weekly grading  cycle, I try to take the time to say encouraging things.  Why make such a point?  well its the

red pen perception.

RPP happens when all students ever see of you for a sustained period of time is red ink.  Whether a digital pen and actually red digital ink is employed may vary, but we are all at risk of falling into RPP from time to time.  Because one of our primary contact points with students is grading and evaluating.  Unlike face-2-face teachers who also see the kid in the hallway, lunchroom, bus duty; Or who form human connections through sports, coaching, sponsoring a club or even monitoring a detention, we online folks have to create human moments.  They are not organic.

So to combat RPP head on, I take Sunday to check in on kids through phone, email or IM and just say Hi.  Its a good day to google some of the things they wrote about in their initial getting to know you moments.  Personally I always ask for their favorite music.  Then I Pandora it.  I don't always like their music, but at least I can recognize it.

I also try not to belabor the point.  I don't create a social contact with every kid every Sunday, but I contact every kid at some point each month. 

Some of my best relationships with adults during my formative years were with my teachers, probably a large part of why I became one.  So, in combating RPP I feel like I am enriching the experience for all of us.

Real?

Dear students,

I am real.  I am here. I want to teach you and I am glad you are here!

I have recently been struck by the perception of my students that I am somehow not real.  They do things like apologize for calling or emailing.  Do students in brick and mortar classes apologize for raising their hands?

They also seem surprised when they learn I have kids, pets, and hobbies.  I know brick and mortar schools can create the same surprise when a kid sees their teacher out to dinner, but not so surprised that they actually doubt what they just saw.  And yet a student this week posted to a discussion "you actually grocery shop?"  ( we were talking about consumer messages about product safety)  Um...how did they think I got food and toilet paper?  mail order?  online shopping and delivery?


So kids, yes I am real.  I am here and I want to teach you!

Turns out my students are not alone.  Innosight Institute recently blogged about this unreal teacher feeling are-online-learning-teachers-real-teachers?

So in a world where some of my students most real friendships are carried out online via social networking how can I improve my reality perception?  I think therefore I am???? But computers have logic ...are they?
So I reached out to friends (well discussion boards friends) on the subject and they had the following thoughts on the subject:

-You are right that in order to think a thinker must exist (anything that "does" or manifests is proof the thing exists). However, often this debate is about whether thinking itself is what defines existence, and that is definitely not true because if it were, then one would cease to exist if one stopped thinking. It is quite possible to learn to stop thinking, and when one does one becomes more aware of one's existence, not less aware. In terms of existence, all thinking makes one aware of is the existence of thinking.

-I exist, the rest of you are just computer simulations created for my amusement. Prove me wrong.

-I think therefore I am" is wrong, it should be… “I believe therefore I am”...

-If I run up to you on the street and (in a fit of rage) I bite off your little finger, how much more real is it if you think I bit off your finger vs. you believe I bit off your finger?

-"If I run up to you on the street and (in a fit of rage) I bite off your little finger... "Is this something we should be worried about? How often does this impulse come over you?

Seeing that as unproductive I am left wondering does it matter if I am real? 

And I have concluded that what matters is if the learning is real.  I happen to believe that I have a direct impact on student success and perseverance in learning subject matter.  So, if I am unreal and effective then I am OK with that.

They use me to accomplish real learning therefore I am content with my own dubious existence really  I am....

Draft dodgers are us

I am guilty of losing my drafts.


Today has been one of those days when I realize that all of that beautiful work  I had been doing.  All of that blood sweat and tears was not meeting with results for the simplest of reasons.  I forgot to turn it from draft mode into visible to all.  Sigh.  Lots of clarifying to do now.

I personally waffle between two schools of thought--Avoid the draft and embrace the draft

Avoiding the Draft--This perilous act means that I use live pages every time I make an edit.  It's not a terrible thing except when dealing with difficult to modify pages, or overachieving students who are looking at the live before you make your edit and after.  Another pit fall of avoiding drafts and working live is that if you break something in your page, you may have difficulty backtracking.  I've been doing this long enough that I have backups of everything, but my backups are not always backups of the most recent draft-so some repairs can be lost in the shuffle.

Embracing the Draft-  By editing in draft mode I avoid the pitfalls above, but darned if I don't screw up and do what I did this week more often than I'd care to.  In my particular LMS I can have a variety of hidden working drafts at any given time, and depending on what event side tracks my over stimulated brain these drafts can be lost in limbo in perpetuity until I suddenly recall (a day late and a dollar short) what I was intending to go live with .

So which is better a bad plan which I execute cautiously with variable results, 

or a good plan which I variably fail to execute?

 

Introducing the recommended readings

Check out E Teacher's new recommended readings page.

A guide to email Tone

THIS IS YELLING- Please reserve for moments when extreme volume or emphasis.  Such as YAHOO! you completed that test with 100% accuracy!

This is conversational-Best for most email

do not make assumptions --"well its easy, you just..."  can be really rude if it is something the other person is struggling with.  Easy is relative.

Say exactly what you mean, be implicit --"I'm sure" verbalized can mean both that you are sure and that you are not sure depending on inflection, but "I'm sure" in an email always means you are sure.

Punctuate don't annihilate your meaning- "You have been absent from class for a week." as opposed to "You have been absent from class for a week!!!!!!!"

Be bold-don't bold, unless you are punctuating a list.

American idol uses online video assessment.

I love it.  This year American Idol included video auditions via YouTube.  I have previously had student upload student educational presentations to you tube.  I love using that tool because it gives me a different opportunity to know my kids and I get some cool free educational content.  Just remind them about identity safety at the same time and youtube can be a great companion tool for online presenting by students.


Go Idol!  I already have my faves!

Whomever said "It is always darkest before the dawn" clearly did not have a blackberry with a too short auto dim setting.  I would argue that there is nothing darker than after texting for a while or perusing my email when I have a long read at 1 am and the screen dims to black

Teaching new dog old tricks

Ahh newbies!  They bring fresh excitement, fresh perspective and are a great way to build a fresh experience...but there is a fine line between energetic new teacher's implementing new ideas, and screwing everything up!  Newbies can learn some tricks from the experienced, just as the experienced can be rejuvenated by newbies.

Some examples of old tricks which new dogs should be taught asap!

1. Copy before you create. Many a newbie has lost forever great content that they wish they could have back, but in a digital word, 1 save overwrites the past often irrevocably.
2. Keep records.  yes it is great that IM can be used to reach out to digital students, but we live in a litigious world where anything you say can and will be used against you.  It is a bad practice to get in the habit of using IM's without first creating some archive-ability of that medium.
3. Email has tone.  Tone is a literary concept that is often overlooked, but you have to be aware of it as an online teacher.  Conveying the right tone is the difference between helping students and hurting them.
4. Love your support staff. All schools, virtual and brick and mortar, have a group of dedicated individuals behind the scenes.  Secretaries, Network administrators, Librarians, Aides, Lunch Room staff, crossing guards  these people are the unsung lifeblood of schools.  They often know more about what works and what fails than anyone else around.  Treat them like the gems they are.

Sites to support new teachers: Web resources equip new teachers for success. (the online edge).(Directory): An article from: District Administration

Tools of the trade

Today's entry highlights some fun things you can use to spruce up your website and keep up with the fact that Content is King.

Netvibes:  a site which creates an rss feed or widget based on your selections of topics.http://www.netvibes.com/en



Voki for Education:  Makes playable characters to which you can add custom messages http://www.voki.com/Voki_for_education.php

Taxes are taxing

Today I took time out of my otherwise crammed schedule to do that thing that comes every year.  Yep, time to talk to the government and determine who overpaid whom and who will get a check them or me.

So yea, home offices.  Seems obvious, every e-teacher has one in some way shape or form. Phones, internet and a portion of utilities too make sense.

But here's a few things I didn't think about and now have to go find records for:

• For brick and mortar meetings.  I kept mileage and gas receipts, but I didn't realize I also needed my car interest payments, and car insurance for the year because apparently a percentage of those can be added based on the mileage.
• Cell phone breakdown-while somehow crazy to me instead of just knowing my business cell phone bill amount, there is a difference in where you put down cell phone data usage and cell phone phone charges.
• Last year's depreciated assets.  Whenever possible I tend to 179 the suckers just so I don't have to keep track of what was done when.  I prefer the straightforward version-I paid for it this year therefore my taxes should be dealt with this year.  But the pesky government likes to sneak in things like computers under a no 179 rule, so I have to remember them.  Thank god for last year's records.
• BTW-the govt now claims you only need to keep these suckers for 3 years, but if an item is forces to be depreciated over 5 years, how does that work?

I'm really glad I only have to do this once a year.

Fun things to do with the computer when the power is out.

This message brought to you by the Blizzard of 2011.

1) Use it as a model for your greatest snow sculpture
Now that's a frozen screen.

2) Remove the old guts of the floppy drive and make a toilet paper dispenser.
yes I am fascinated by bathroom computer use.
 

3) Get out the emergency kit foil "blanket" and keep your computer warm.

while you are at it keep the peripherals and chairs warm too.




 

 
4) Finally clean out your little buddy since this is the first time he's been off in 6 months. Be sure to unplug anyway as there is no telling when that emergency crew might just restore your power.

5) Finally take that warm vacation you two have been dreaming of. Please take precautions-sand and water are terrible on hardware.

Multitasking is not always a good thing

The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing.
-- German Proverb


Have you ever noticed how quickly we turn to multitasking as our excuse for not giving our full attention to any one detail?  I have noticed that multitasking is not personally synonymous with bettertasking. Since when did a multitude of I'm-working-on-its become more valid that 2 I-completed-its and 75 waiting in the queque?

From the article

It’s Official – Multitasking Dumbs Down the Brain

How to Be Smarter and Happier: Pay Attention!

I humbly submit that the second day of each month be declared "One at a time" day and we commit to single-tasking with verve!  Let us chew our food before we swallow. Let us put down the keyboard while we answer the phone. Let Laundry be done with intent and purposed rather than hurry and disdain (de-stain?). Let us prioritize and work one bit at a time until completion is accomplished.


Let us be like the ground hog before he got famous and just look out and ponder the existence of our own shadow.

8 Big Mistakes Online teachers make

In a world that moves at the speed of instant messaging, it pays to think first.
Common mistakes
1) not checking out the student. Do you get to know the kids and their learning environment?  Do you ask them when and where they will work? do you know if they've taken classes before?  and were they successful?  Getting to know your student can make getting them to complete a much easier task.
2) not lesson planning.  teaching 101 right?  I am amazed at the number of teachers who let the course teach for them, and do not actually read the materials let alone plan their lessons and share the plan with students.  Basically good teaching requires teachers to think through what they will be teaching and how it will be assessed and how and when they expect a student to complete it.  Asynchronous or semi-synchronous teachers may scoff and say they don't care how and when- but they do need to know how long it will take and communicate that to students.  This project will take you a minimum of 10 hours to complete including 3 for research, 2 for writing, 2 for reading peer papers, 1 for writing critiques of peer papers, and 1 for reading the critiques you receive and 1 hour for rewriting based on critical analysis.  Let em know up front and you get a better result.
3) being unrealistic about how students learn best.  Online learning and learning in general are not one size fits all,  when was the last time you surveyed your class for the percent of lessons based on lecture vs reading, hands on vs video.  Its ok to have duplicate lessons for learners with different styles.
4) commiting to teaching an online course without first looking at best practices for tech. how many times has a student had incompatible software to turn in work to you?  You need to stay on top of software that allows saving and opening in multiple formats or commit to using nearly universal formats like pdf or txt.
5) not checking out the school. Institutions are not created equal.  Make sure you are putting your reputation in the hands of someone who does it well.
6) taking on too much too soon. If you have not taught online or blended before ask your employers to limit class size or number of sections, and ask them to provide faculty mentors.  If they don't do this already, you probably don't want to work for them.  Remember the time commitment for you the first time will be similar to your first year of teaching.  It will all be new.  There are new keywords and acronyms (LMS, SCORM, CID,.....) and you will benefit if you get help.
7) Thinking that since it is an online course, it is OK to "copy and paste." Teachers fall under the education standard of fair reproduction for one time use in many cases, however if you ever plan to reteach that course that is now not one time use.  Good site for more info on fair use
8) Being unprepared or unwilling to cooperate with a virtual team. Depending on your institution you will have all of the people you had in brick and mortar schools.  Principals, curriculum directors, tech people, department heads, and co-workers.  So think through what you did to build relationships with people IRL and think how will that be interpreted online.  Remember emails have tone and context, even if you didn't mean them to.  So be careful.  Does it need to be put in writing?  Should you call and chat or have a live meeting?  Because once you text it, IM it, myspace it, blog it or email it its out there on record and you can never get it back.

Today's topic was inspired by The US news and World Report 8 Big mistakes online learners make article of March 25, 2010.


Read the article at
8 Big Mistakes Online Students Make - US News and World Report

I wanted to follow it up with 8 common mistakes online teacher's make.