New Tech: Take 2

Here it is a little later and it seems that Blackboard is coming. I stopped by a training today (the same one that I already went to) to get started, and have someone around that knew what they were doing. It seems that the district has researched a bit and found that adding large numbers of students, doesn't increase the cost that much. Now, every middle and high school student will have logins. Without these, the program wasn't that great...now, it's all good.
I am very impressed that this passed the powers that be, and am quite happy. While those of us at the middle school don't really have the infrastructure to really capitalize on all the offerings, it will be a vast improvement. This will open up the floodgates for many.
There will be those who will not take advantage of this and those who will refrain from any deviation from the norm, but there are so many who will use this to their full capacity too. Just like anything else, some will be interested and others that won't. At any rate, I'm happy that this has passed and will be available.
I'm currently laying out the skeleton of my course and look forward to adding the fleshy, interesting aspects over the summer. Now that it's official, I guess it's time to take care of all that I can over the summer.
There has been no official announcement regarding my new curricular partner, whether it will be full time, 1/2 time, 1/4 time etc, or who's really in running, but I'm hoping for someone I can work with and develop the class with. Things are changing and so must this class. I was told to keep the changes to a minimum this year and wait to see what the next PSSA test looks like, but I think it's time for a few tweaks until I can develop something new. It will be a good test of BB and how the students embrace the possibilities. Only time will tell. At least this is a step in the right direction.
Tomorrow I'll be back in the training session to see what else I can do. A little support is nice...and so is the option of taking off whenever I want to...sometimes sitting at a computer when the weather is perfect just isn't a good idea!
More later I'm sure.

New Tech

Well, two days of blackboard training are over and I'm impressed. It's a very nice set up and seems to be a great way to go. While I'd say I'm far from proficient in its use, I'm done for now.
After the training we had a meet and greet with the super and ass't super. Our school has budgeted for 200 students to be enrolled, which doesn't cover much ground. Through the course of the Q n A I got the feeling that soul purpose was to recover the cyber-school $$s that are leaving the district and not really aimed at the regular classroom.
With the cost of this program, which was staggering to me, I can see why it would have limited use and understand that end of things. With my past experiences here, I'm not about to sink my time and effort into something that I might not be using. I'm a bit tired of doing things that I can't use in my classroom and wasting my time on things that aren't worth my time.
Throughout the training there were "download and install" times when I knew that this was doomed from a school-wide perspective. We're not permitted to do that, so I started thinking that I might just be involved in something that wouldn't materialize in a global format for all to use. Even so, I was impressed with the work and skill that went into the system being sold and all it had to offer. Even though there's only so much one can gain from two training days, it seemed like something worth the effort and potential for benefit.
The cost of the program is offset by all the features and conveniences, but when it comes to dollars and cents I can only hope that sense wins. I don't know what will happen, but I'd be happy if I could merely use my wiki in school. It's free and requires nothing from anyone but me. Baby steps. Baby steps.
I look forward to seeing how blackboard develops in this district and how the administration handles the possibilities...and how IT deals with it too. In a way it's kind of like a drug dealer. They give out a sample for free knowing that you'll like what you get and hope that you'll come up with money to continue to fuel the fix. It's just that in this case, someone else has to approve of our usage and pay for our continued multimedia/interactive Jonesing.
Ah, another chapter begins. Hopefully it will be a fairy-tale experience :)

Current Issues

I've signed up for a blackboard training this month. I'm not sure what's expected or what's going to happen (or where I have to be yet), but I know that this is something that should help me in my career. I hope that this will be something that my school actually allows me to do.
I'm still awaiting the day that my wiki will be available in school. It's supposed to be and the tech department said that there was a server issue which might require students to hit refresh " a few times" before getting in. I had a student with nothing to do during ASP (study hall for us older folk), so I asked him to try the wiki. He said that nothing happened so I told him about refreshing. After literally 30 minutes of hitting F5, the page still would not show. If that's not proof that the kids still can't view the wiki, I don't know what is...I guess I'm just not doing something right.
Along those lines, my school is involve with some "schools of the future" or some other sort of thing and getting “really involved” with technology, so all the teachers have to take a survey about our tech use. I was amazed at what was asked! If people at other schools are able to say 'yes' to some of those questions, I'd be amazed!!! I'm fighting for some simple things and getting nothing but grief and excuses.
There were a series of questions regarding my district's encouragement of tech uses. For example there were questions like - Are you encouraged to infuse technology into your classroom - unfortunately "F@#K NO" was not an option. Another - Are you rewarded for attempting to use more technology in your classroom - which also failed to have the appropriate response box..."Are you f@#king kidding me????? Penalized, ridiculed and on the s$@t list is more like it." was sadly missing from the option list. Then there were the questions about what we have in our rooms/have access to/could use if we wanted to. It read like a wish list, to which I answered "no" to far too many times.
To make a long story short, it was a survey that really showed me that my school is supposed to be a member of this group and encouraging/ supporting my (and that of others) tech uses. I guess it was merely another ploy to get additional $$$ and not do much more than that. If we're expected to be doing what was in that survey, I can only hope that this group takes their money back OR makes my district burst into the current. I'm not looking at being futuristic, just hoping to be in the present.
Last year I used much more tech in the classroom and published regular newsletters for the parents (which received many responses from parents) and a MUCH expanded interaction with parents. Now that doesn't happen. I don't even have a projector at the moment and am making copies of things that are used for a few minutes instead of viewed, used and connected to the next step. Now it's a paper trail of waste.
Even the grading program has fallen FAR short of expectations to say the least. We have an upgrade coming April 15th. The list of improvements includes things like the ability to increase the size for easier viewing--which has been available for a long time due to the fact that it's viewed in a browser, the 'ctrl and the mouse wheel' thing is old news, how they can call it an improvement is beyond me. There are numerous other gripes with it, but since I was TOLD not to have a direct interaction with anyone involved in creating this thing, I'm stuck making my thoughts known during meeting times and wondering whether or not these ideas are going beyond the room in which I speak them. I'm constantly told how powerful this great program is, but haven't yet had anyone show me how it is soooo powerful for MY job on a daily basis.
Damn, I was in a really good mood before I started typing this one. Sometimes I wish I'd never seen the light of what tech can do in the classroom. At least ignorance is bliss. Trying to use it here is way far from bliss, unless you're in a select group in control/related to those in control. What a....anyway.
Other than the tech issues, it's been a really good year. The kids are really darn good and fun overall. So many have come so far this year and are really impressing me. I'm having fun with the students and feel that there are many who are becoming the young adults they are expected to be. That's what's really amazing about this age: the transition that students make through the year. Growing up happens right before our eyes. If only they knew how much fighting there was behind the scenes to get them the few advances that they see in the classroom. I take great pride in the fact that my students really have no clue how much I'm upset with the powers that be when it comes to what I can and can't do in my classroom or on the computers, even though it's my biggest bane.
I'm done for now...hopefully the next post will be more positive, but today I found out that the teacher on the other team, who is retiring, will not be replaced and I'll be taking over at least some of those students on the other team, so I'm not sure how positive that will be. More on that later I guess...hopefully it will be a good thing.

Status Quo

Things are still at the same point. Nothing really drastic has changed. I will most likely take my home computer to school after break to show the students some clips from NASA, which I still haven't found a way to show with my locked down school computer. Just another inconvenience as I try to implement more technology...even though I've used some of the same clips for the past 4 years and now can't. It's a weird setting and a strange dynamic. I'm hoping for better things next year and am working with a couple of administrators to help get the ball rolling in the right direction.
I've been keeping my head down and my opinions to myself, which has been really tough. I don't know if it will pay off or not, but at least I'm not getting grief on a regular basis, although I'm really not getting anywhere either. Hopefully I'll find some others in the same position in my district and get something going soon. Next year has to be better. Only 53 days left now. This year's been a wash on the tech front. I hope to plow ahead next year.

No Noticalble Progress

So far, there has been no progress in getting my wiki available in school. Too bad this great tool can't be truly used! I am still getting really positive feedback from both students and parents though. So far all that have viewed the page a impressed with what's happening. I'm the one that is thinking that this could be SOOOOO much better if all my students had access. I'd hate to punish students or keep them from information simply because they don't have the internet at home. Therefore, I'm limiting what I put there, which limits the students' need to view the pages. I'm looking forward to the day when all students can see what's out there and I can put more information out there that students won't find elsewhere. Ah, to dream. Some day, some day. It's just a matter of time. Just another hoop to jump through, even though the hoop keeps moving, I really plan on finding my way through it. Wish me luck as this little issue continues to take up my time.

Wailing Over Wiki

So far this school year, I've been waiting for approval to use and get access to my wiki in school. This past week, it was given approval. 22 weeks of using it, to a limited extent due to not all students having access at home, and it's finally approved!!! That was GREAT news to say the least...which was shortly followed by the email stating that the IT department was not able to open up access to my wiki alone. All of wikispaces was opened, which, considering that not all people are in education, was not good. The decree came down that the wiki would not now or any time soon be available to the students in the school setting. Not a good day.
I'm still holding out hope, but doubt that this tool will see the light of day in school this year. Another sad thing for me in my teaching experience. It seems that the more I try to improve my teaching, the more things hit me in the face to force me into the standard teaching box.
It started a couple of years ago when my project based method was terminated to more closely match the seasoned teacher teaching opposite of me and to be sure that all students were receiving the same education no matter which team they were on. Strike 1.
I started to do things more like my counterpart. More worksheets, less teaching, less of the newest things in science, less reading work etc. I admit it's a lot less work to give the students something to do than it is to expend the energy teaching and motivating them. Strike 2.
This year also brought about the end of my newsletters. I no longer have the ability to create these or access my old ones due to the lack of MS Publisher. I miss this contact with parents and the positive responses I received from parents. Along with that program went the "Positive Points to Ponder about Your Prize Pupil" that used to go home to many students that usually don't get things sent home but that work and do well in class. Strikes 3 and 4.
Add to this the fact that I'm unable to install the Starry Night program on this new computer. This was a staple in demonstrating numerous concepts. I don't have the ability to install the school's own program to use in class. Another strike...5 I believe.
The scanner that currently does nothing but hold up the phone in my room is another strike. I can't install this school item either. This was really nice for taking student work and using it for an example or for editing and made taking things from the book to show and draw on extremely simple. Another great tool falling by the wayside. If memory serves, that's strike 6.
Add to this the death of the smartboard, for some unknown reason( it just doesn’t cooperate at all), and it's been a pretty lousy few years for advancing my teaching. Strike 7 puts me two more away from the end of the inning and ready to retire from pushing this behemoth of contradictions we call education into the current time, let alone getting into anything that even approaches futuristic. Wait, did I mention that I can no longer email progress reports to parents (strike 8) and that printing grades to post on my wall (by anonymous numbers) now takes 45 minutes or so to create, cut and tape together (strike 9 and end of inning)
Sometimes I really wonder why the (pick and expletive here) I'm learning new tools if each and every one gets a fresh, steamy crap taken on it?? Why waste my time and money? In the words of texting students: WTF???? Why bother? Becoming the worksheet king is acceptable and apparently preferred in my school. Why try? It's the end of the 9th and I lose, that's the way it is.
Sorry about the post being so negative today, even though I decided not to post last week when the pooh really hit the fan and wait to see what happens. I am happy that I did do a good job of waiting to process exactly what the 23 weeks of wiki work being lost really meant in the grand scheme of what I'm learning in education. If I'd simply reacted, I might have lost the extent to which everything I do is completely in control of someone else in education. I'm happy that I see this VERY CLEARLY now. I guess that's a positive, or sort of. Anyway, that's my recent Ed Tech experience and I can fully understand why so many people consider teaching a lower profession. Excelling is not reward but punished. There is no competition, and no reason to push for new things or methods. Status quo seems mandatory, as I'm forced, kicking and screaming into the standard teaching box. What a pile!!! Looking for other options seems necessary, but where to go from here?

Still Plugging Away

Nothing really new to report. I'm still working on the wiki, which I think is one of the best things going for education, and trying to do what I can to make all of my students "proficient" in the eyes of the all knowing department of education. The wiki was actually accessible in school last week. It was short lived though. What happened I don't know, but I know that on Monday, students were saying that the could get in during school and were pretty happy about it. Then on Wednesday I started hearing that they were blocked again. I will most likely never know what happened, but the response was great when the could get in and use it. When it's actually accessible, maybe I'll have more students taking part in keeping it up and adding to knowledge base. BUT, like I was told, "It's like changing course on a large ship. It takes time." While I think that 19 weeks is MORE that sufficient, apparently it's not.
I'm also still working on finding some blogging that will engage the students more. The big issue is that there are sooo many this year that are unwilling to put effort into anything at all. I'm getting a bunch of comments that sound as if the students are in early elementary and LOTS that are mere recounts of earlier posts. Laziness is the common thread this year. There are students that are great, read and comment, question and think, but they are really outnumbered this year. Even when the idea is to check out some video, some evidently don't even take that much time/effort and type a line of BS attempting to act like they did the assignment. While their grades reflect this, as long as the assignment doesn't show up as a "0" they're happy. I'll continue to work on this aspect and try to do what I can to make this more useful and draw more students into taking active rolls.
For now, as we approach the midway point of the school year, it's time to perfect what's out there and not go nuts trying too many things. I think that this approach is sensible and might result in improvements.
By the way, wikispaces ROCKS!!!! I love the setup and ease of use! It's so nice, even though the tech department here claims that wikispaces itself states that it's "not recommended for education" (why then are the offering 100,000 free wikis to educators?), it is really the most useful and simple to add to and edit web presence going. Parents seem to like the idea of knowing what we're doing, and a FEW students have commented on using it while they're out sick. I have to admit that it could be better on my end. If it were accessible to all during school, I'd have to put more on there. Until then I'll keep them coming with previews of tests, etc. I hope that I can continue to push the envelop here and bring my little district up to date without too many issues.
Hope all is well in your education world!
Good luck