One Day Your Phone Will Bake Cookies Too!!

Alright let me set the scene, it is just about to be winter break of my junior year of college. My new roommate that semester happens to live in the same city as me so my mom offers to drive him home when she comes to pick me up. My Mom is excited to meet my new roommate and was looking forward to the hour long car ride as a chance to get to know him better (AKA barraging him with questions). We pack up the car, get in and begin to leave Ann Arbor. I look over and see my Mom beginning to think of one of the many question she plans on asking my new roommate. What is your major? Are you involved in any extra curricular? What do your parents do? And so forth. My mom asks the first question and my roommate doesn't respond, he can't hear her as he is plugged into his iphone. Finally my Mom asks again louder, he responds quickly, visibly caring more about his phone. After a few more brief responses my roommate finally says " sorry Mrs. Golden, I have some important emails to write." At this point I'm pretty sure my did not even know that a phone could send emails, but she got the message, the conversation was over and we a quiet drive back home. As soon as we dropped off my friend, my expressed how rude she thought my friend was being. I agreed his behavior was completely out of line especially for someone doing a favor for him.

Unfortunately this situation is not too out of the ordinary, people who are constantly connected to their email, and others through text messaging don't realize how disrespectful it is to be in conversation or spending time with someone while completely distracted by their phone. I can't think of any email that is so important that it needs to be checked at the very instant it is sent, at the expense of ignoring others in the room. If I was spending time with someone would it be acceptable for me to take out stationary and ink and start writing a letter, I don't think so, yet my generation finds it acceptable to do the same thing through their phone. I really cannot stand when I make plans with someone and half of the person isn't even in the world but rather on their phone texting. For example I once went on a date, at the restaurant the girl was constantly texting people, clearly distracting her for the most important person in the room... ME. Let's just say that was a first sign it wouldn't work out between us. Imagine being on a date an all of a sudden I decide to call my friend and talk about the tiger's games, I would not expect my date to be to happy. Yet when texting it is socially acceptable. I know each of us will catch a student texting in class thinking they are being discreet, and yet texting is so intertwined in teens life today that they'll often text when it is not socially acceptable and think that it is.

Personally I hate texting. I text as little as possible, and really only text because has become such a prevalent form of communication, that I would be able to communicate with certain people if I didn't text. While I understand the value of texting as a means of quick communication, I feel as though another major reason people text is because of how depersonalized it is. In terms of human interaction, face to face is highest, calling on the phone removes the visual, and texting removes the auditory. When texting the person is so far removed from the person receiving the text, they feel empowered to say things they otherwise wouldn't. You wouldn't believe some of the things I've seen my male friends text girls, that they wouldn't be caught dead saying in person or over the phone. People refer to alcohol as "liquid confidence" I would call texting "technological confidence." And yet whether I agree or not it is completely intertwine in today's social interaction.

The article spoke at length about how Generation M doesn't distinguish there private life from public life on the internet. I heard a comedian recently say a joke along the lines "remember when people kept their diaries private. Sally used to freak out when she caught reading her diary especially where it said she was pregnant, yet now Sally will just update her status 'OMG just got preggers! Should I name it Scooba or Winnebago.'" While todays teens keep online diaries and put lots of information they are clearly aware what they put online, who's most likely going to look at it, and how they feel they'll be judged by others based on what information they provided. Take Facebook for example, I would bet that most of my class mates carefully chose what information to put in their profile, and have changed that information at times, I know I have. When I created my profile I was asking people to judge me based on what I chose to include about myself. The information I provided isn't really the whole me. I specifically chose not to include Sleepless in Seattle as one of my favorite movies or Barry Manilow as my favorite musical artist, for fear of being judged harshly by others on Facebook. But really has anyone ever seen in anything negative in their personal information, I will give a dollar to anyone who can find someone who puts coke addict in their about me section. When I made my profile I carefully decided to include I wide variety of musical artist as my favorite. I thought at the time people would see my my musical preferences and say to themselves "Wow David has such an eclectic taste in music, he must really be cool," as if my musical preferences really describes who I am. I have never once had comment on my favorite music section. My point is that while their is plenty of information online those who put it there are quite deliberate, just as I've been deliberate in writing this online journal of sorts.

To reward those who made it this far, some info about me that you won't find on my facebook profile:

1) I use sesame street children's toothpaste

2) I didn't learn how to ride a bike until my teens

3) I secretly watch a lot of reality TV (Who thinks it's about time Tila Tequila joins the cast of Jersey Shore)

4) I am secretly Batman (please don't tell)

Podcasting and more

I must admit I have rarely used a podcast. I remember once I missed a lecture and listened to it as a podcast only to have the audio cut out half way through. That was my one and only experience with podcasting. I like the idea of recording some classes, especially review sections. However, on a day to day basis I don't think I'll use it. Also I think I'm going to try using Audacity for my next podcast, I had trouble with Aviary. If anyone knows which is easier to use let me know. I guess I prefer to use software that is not on the internet because the internet can add problems.

I had trouble following along with Kristen on how to use Google reader. I have a few suggestions for Kristen that would make it easier for me (and hopefully others to follow along).

1) Enlarge the screen, I can't really see where you are clicking, especially sitting toward the back of the classroom (I do need to get my eyes checked). I'm not sure if this is possible with the projector.

2) Go slower! I know we were in a time crunch yesterday, but having never used the website before, if I miss one step I feel lost for the rest of the demonstration, perhaps it would be useful to repeat important steps.

3) Enclose your laptop in a bubble. After two near computer ending accidents in back to back classes, I think for humor's sake the best option would be putting it in a big plastic bubble.

In terms of the discussion on Gee, his ideas were clarified when Jeff explained that he was mainly trying to discover how we learn from videogames and not directly placing them in the classroom.

Anyway I'm going to go. Now all I have left to do this weekend is a psych paper, concept maps, begin working on my wiki project (my group don't read this), deliver a baby giraffe, stop a bank robbery and finger paint a picture as a present for my grandmother's 80th birthday.

Now Teaching AP Tetris

One of my earliest memories was when I was three years old. For Hanukkah that year my parents got me and my siblings a Nintendo. All of my relatives were over and everyone watched my older brother beat Super Mario 2 in one sitting. I remember a group of adults including my parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents all cheering my brother on as he played. In retrospect I am certain they had absolutely no clue what the hell he was doing, but one thing I am sure they realized is that my hyperactive brother with the attention span of a lit match, sat still playing the game until he finally beat it. At that point two things happened, one we became a video game family, always begging our parents for the latest games and systems. Second, my older brother began a lifetime of video game dominance, always beating me at any game (unfortunately for me my younger brother is also better at video games than me, thus I was stuck in the middle of constant losing at video games, however I was instead blessed with the looks in the family so I shouldn't complain too much, plus I can always beat my little sister at games.) While reading the article I thought about how my brother could sit down and play video games for hours, while unable to sit still at the dinner table. Thus my family used video games as a behavior management tool and eventually my brother was able to apply the same focus he put into video games to school and other activities.

There is certainly much to learn from video games, from spatial awareness and motor skills to world geography trying to catch Carmen Santiago. Personally there are some skills I learned in video games. In strategy games I learned about saving money. I was terrible at saving my allowance for the more expensive bicycle , instead spending it on pogs and legos. However in the video game, I quickly realized in order to defeat the enemy, I would need to save money to buy the tank instead of spend it on common infantry. Similarly in those games I learned military tactics to the point of when I took a military history and strategy class, I had already known some of the fundamentals of Sun Tzu's Art of War, before even opening the book. As a future history teacher, I feel as though my subject could be taught in games. I always loved the role playing and adventure games while in middle and high school. My favorite part of the games were the epic stories, with alliances between empires, betrayals and wars. I think game companies could save a lot of time if they based their stories on actual history. Just an idea of mine.

While there is certainly much to be learned in video games many of those skills can be learned in an even more interactive atmosphere. The article and video describe three areas where this is clear: teamwork, creativity and problem solving. While teamwork is a necessary part of many games, it is just as necessary in any team sport. Cooperation must be learned for a team to succeed, and students get physical activity as well. Gee describes how in some video games the player can produce a creative aspect of the game. For example building, a kid can build their own personal house in The Sims. Again, it is good there's creative outlet in the video game, however what about the arts. The arts are a form of creative production that is not confined to a games limitations and is more likely to be appreciated. In terms of problem solving, an essential part of video games, I feel like science and math labs teach problem solving with many more real world applications.

My last point about video games, a topic that cannot be ignored is video game addiction, which is rapidly becoming a very real problem especially amongst high school students. One of my best friends became addicted to World of Warcraft. He dropped out of UofM, stopped caring about his physical well being, and stopped spending time with any of his friends. Video game addiction is something that can ruin relationships and lives, and are often signs of other mental and emotional issues. A former teacher of mine is releasing a book about his own video game addiction and how to help people with video game addictions. He currently runs clinics for people with video game addiction. His website/blog is http://kevinjroberts.net/ for those interested in learning more.

Reflections

It's time for a little honesty. There are days when I am easily distracted. Friday was one of those days. I kind of knew as soon as everyone got on twitter that I would have trouble paying attention for the rest of class. Honestly I got so wrapped up at times figuring out how twitter worked and seeing all of my classmates twitter profiles, that I had no idea what was going on in the discussion. Perhaps it would have been better to introduce us to twitter at the end, however I assume other students weren't as easily distracted. Unfortunately, I still only see twitter for its social purposes and as something fun. I have yet to go back on since the class. Maybe one day I'll use it but not now. I liked the student led discussion portion of class, however not all of the topics chosen by my classmates were as interesting as others. I was really interested in what everyone had to say about cheating and multiple choice tests.In terms of the webinar I had trouble following it from the projector, again I was distracted on my laptop. Sorry it was not the most productive day for me and I do not have more insights or reflections. Hopefully it won't happen again.

Quick! Tweet me the Answers!

The two articles that interested me the most was the one about the many uses of twitter and the article on student cheating. In regards to twitter, I have never used it. I have never even looked at a twitter post. When my friends ask me if I follow their twitter, I tell them I can read minds so its not worth the time. I really do not understand the point of twitter. While the article mentioned the many uses of twitter, I still think people have better use for there time than telling the world what they were doing or thinking that day. If you really want people who know you to see your thoughts call them or write a letter, if you want those who don't know you to see your thoughts, learn to write a more than a few sentences and make it a book or article. Personally I feel like twitter is an online ego booster. Yes it can be fun to read how many donuts Shaq ate for breakfast, or what country Angelina Jolie is adopting her next baby from, but in reality no one cares whether Robert McBobbert thinks Taco Bell should go back to the commercials with the talking chihuahuas. Most of my friends who are on twitter use it solely to see how popular they are in comparison to each other. I feel like the use of twitter in education, would be novelty use only. Perhaps my cynicism on this matter is not warranted considering I have never used twitter and have very little experience with its use. So to be fair you can now follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/dagolden744 I bet a friend 10 bucks that I could get more followers than him by next week so if you want me to bring in donuts to next class, Follow Me!

Now on to a subject I know much more about cheating! Ahem... I find it interesting that schools are focusing on new security measures and technologies to limit cheating. It seems easier to figure out ways to prevent students from cheating than to figure out why they are cheating. I bet that most students at one point or another looked over another student's shoulder to see if they also circled in D for question 24. One of the primary ways of testing is multiple choice tests. If a teacher really wants to eliminate cheating switch the test format to essay or problem solving. Personally I feel multiple choice tests do not truly measure the students understanding of the material and is used for practical grading purposes. I think a reason students so frequently cheat on multiple choice tests is because they test memorization skills. For example a student may fully understand the reasoning behind Henry VIII forming the Anglican Church, however if the question asks the name of his third wife then memorization is being tested over understanding. The student who is better at understand the material is penalized in multiple choice tests while those how just memorized are rewarded. Entering the mind of the student who understands the main historic importance of Henry VIII but cannot put his wives in order, I can see how they would be enticed to look at another student's answer. Oh and by the way this student along with many others across the country are put under tremendous pressure to achieve high grades and get into the best universities. Now if the teacher switched the format of the test to essay, then the student who understands the material will be rewarded. The only negative is that the teacher will have to spend more time grading the exams. I feel we should examine why students cheat and move away from primarily multiple choice exams in order to eliminate cheating. There's no need to monitor students with computer software and cameras, I'm pretty sure we don't need big brother watching over classrooms.

Dewey Reflections

Friday's Class left me with some questions concerning Dewey's philosophy on education. His quote "I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living" is a powerful statement, that could be taken in several directions in terms of its meaning and application. Here's my thoughts on the statement. I think Dewey believes that the students growth at the present is more important than trying to have him/her grow into something in the future. A college professor once said in class that if he could add anything to a college curriculum the course would be playing 101. He wanted to set aside a period of time for college students to enjoy life, perhaps the way a child would. He felt far too many college students were living for tomorrow instead of today. I agree that in both life and in school that you should enjoy life to the fullest. In an educational setting I learned several subjects that are of no use to me today. While I would argue that there is inherent value to being educated in the core subjects, many of them more directly prepare a student for certain professions. Did I really need to take Calculus 2 in high school to become the history teacher I am becoming today, probably not, but I was told to take it in high school because I would be ahead in math/science when I arrived in college. I took Calculus 2 instead of taking a Chinese history class which I probably would have enjoyed more and would be of more use today. I think in order for education to be a process of living, a student needs to discover what their interests are rather than have interests forced upon them.

In terms of the statement and technology I think part of teaching requires using the resources available today. If most kids are using Google and Wikipedia, they should be facilitated by the teacher as a used resource. I think of a resource/technology that I learned to use in the 2nd grade that is irrelevant to me today: cursive. I spent 2nd through 5th grade learning cursive, my elementary teachers did not know that I would end up doing all of my writing on the computer. Do I feel like I wasted all of that time learning essentially a skill not used anymore?No, for one I still can write in cursive (even though I don't), it also helped my regular hand handwriting. Lastly, there was no way my teachers could have known what the future would hold. Thus we can only use the technology of the present and learn to use them even though they may become obsolete. We cannot know what will happen, what aspects of education will become unnecessary, why should teaching be for "future living" when the future is unknown. We might as well use what we have in the present.

The last thing that left me thinking was about Dewey's idea that democracy should be taught in the classroom and how to do so. I will probably teach civics/government one day, I can teach the students about different forms of government, tell them which one I feel better and even persuade them that political participation is essential form of expressing citizenship. Yet is teaching citizenship and democracy I have a point of view that could be radically different than one of my students. I have never lived in another country with a different form of government. Also I have never immigrated to another country. Citizenship and democracy have a particular meaning to me but their definitions could be quite different for someone else (like my students). Thus how do I actually teach democracy? Personally I feel democracy and government are evolving experiments and the jury is still out on how it will end up. So what I can teach is that students no matter should strive for more and challenge the status quo, as democracy is not perfect. Maybe I can ask that their definition citizenship can include their responsibility of making the world a better place.

Sorry for the long post, I did not realize how many thoughts I had lingering from Jeff's class. Anyway in terms of Kristin's class, I must admit I got distracted when we looked at the giraffe page, did you know that giraffes are one of the strangest looking animals. I guess I didn't need wikipedia to tell me that though. Also John Dewey is now my second favorite Dewey, right after Duey from Ducktales.

What to Trust: Wikipedia Articles or Snapple's Fun Facts

Here is a list of things I've searched on Wikipedia today: Sushi, The Land Before Time, John Dewey, The Rubik's Cube and The Relationship between string theory and quantum field theory (not really). What did all of these topics have in common, well each of them piqued my interest during the day and I was able to find answers to my questions about these subjects rather easily with Wikipedia. By going to Wikipedia I was able to answer the following questions in a matter of minutes: how do I make sushi? Who is this Dewey guy we keep reading about? And how do I solve a Rubik's Cube? ( I lied, I had no questions about The Land Before Time, I already know way to much about it as is, I went through an intense dinosaur phase as a kid.)

I admit I am somewhat of a Wikipedia Junkie. Sometimes I start looking up one thing and the hours go by as a click on link after link. I'll give a prize to the person who can tell me how in one sitting I went from reading about the death of Michael Jackson's to the death of Che Guevara in less than three clicks. For someone who suffers hyperactive curiosity like myself Wikipedia is a godsend. However, I have often thought about why a website that is so useful for me is so widely criticized by academia, in my own personal experience. In several classes Wikipedia was banned as a research tool. In one such class, I had to do a research paper on the relationship of grunge music and the discontent of the 1980s working class. I had difficulty finding sources for my research and went to my professor for help finding sources. The very first thing he did was go on Wikipedia and find a list of Grunge documentaries and books that would be helpful. He joked and said to me "don't tell your classmates I used Wikipedia." I thought to myself if Wikipedia is the tool a highly respected professor used to find more sources, then why is it banned?

In my opinion it is not the content within Wikipedia that professors and teachers find troubling rather it is the fact that by using Wikipedia students do not learn the skills of how to do detailed academic research. While I agree that Wikipedia does not facilitate in-depth research, it is a great resource for finding a general background on a subject and in many cases has reference links so that more sources on a topic can be found. For example why go through the trouble of searching through a database for articles on John Dewey when I only want a broad overview of who he is. Searching through articles can be a grueling process. Some articles I can't access, while others are too in-depth for what I am looking for. With Wikipedia I have the information needed in seconds. I highly advocate using Wikipedia for this purpose. I think even with assignments that require thorough research, Wikipedia is great starting point.

Dewey states in My Pedagogic Creed "I believe that the school must represent present life." Today Wikipedia is very much a part of the present life for American students. Because Wikipedia has become such a massive source of knowledge, I think teachers should embrace it for it is, rather than dismiss its value all together.

504 First Day

I enjoyed the first day in Teaching with Technology. I liked how both sections were together, allowing me to meet some of my cohort that I have not gotten to spend much time with. Jeff and Kristin emphasize that the class will be about teaching with technology, but also about the teaching experience in general. The first activity where we reflected on positive and negative memories of high school characterized how the class will be about more than just blogs and wiki's. While my memories at the time did not deal with teachers, as I thought more about my high school experience, it is without question that some of my greatest and terrible memories involved teachers. For example, I would never be preparing to teach myself if not for some of the great teachers I had in high school. Similarly some of the hardest times in high school for me was when one of my favorite teachers could no longer teach my class due to cancer (I am happy to say that he beat cancer and is back to teaching!) I hope that my students will have more great memories involving me than bad ones.

The second main activity of looking at the technological standards felt a bit rushed. I really was not able to learn of any of the other small groups standards to the point where I left the class knowing them. When it was time for me to speak about the standards my group had, it was difficult because the standards were so broad that I could only provide a general overview about them. I had many questions about the standards that I shared with the other small groups. One of the big questions I had leaving the small group and full class discussion concerned schools that had such limited resources that the technological standards would be completely different.

I am excited about this class. I am not the best with computers but I am able to figure most things out on my own given time. I look forward to learning more technological applications that I can use in my teaching.