But the kids know more than we do!

I've been to a good number of meetings this year (both formal and informal) that involved discussions about the best ways to use technology with children. I really enjoy these conversations, and I'm excited about all the possibilities that the digital domain presents for teachers and students in schools. However, time and again I have heard teachers turn a phrase that disturbs me a bit, and it goes something like this: "Sometimes, I think the kids know more about technology than we do. We should be learning from them!"

Really?

I mean......really????

Okay, there are two ways to look at this, I'll admit that. On the one hand, it is fair to say that the children of this digital generation probably are a bit more acclimated to certain technologies and devices than some adults. If an adult hasn't had a chance to play with a new iPhone and a child has, then the child will have a bit more experience with the device and could therefore be considered to "know more" about iPhones than the adult.

On the other hand, just because a child has played with a device and knows a good number of its apps, that does not automatically mean that the child "knows more" about how to use that device than an adult might. I try to point this out to teachers who make the claim when I'm talking to them. A child who has played with multiple devices, has e-mailed and IMed numerous times, and who has a social networking page is not necessarily better prepared to explore ways to use that technology to create products and respond to the world than his or her teachers.

I often joke, "Just because a kid can tell me about hammers, screwdrivers, and wrenches doesn't mean that I'm going to let him or her try to fix my bathroom or car." Knowledge of a tool does not trump the knowledge of how to use tools to create things. Surfing the web a lot doesn't displace a well-earned Master's degree; having your own webpage doesn't counter a decade of experience in education; and when your first impulse is to "ask Google" or "go to Wikipedia" (two of my students' common solutions), that doesn't hold up against the knowledge about how to evaluate resources and refine research.

Yes, I agree that the children of the modern world know quite a bit about technology. What they do not need are teachers who defer to that limited knowledge and are afraid of knowing less than the kids; instead, they need teachers who are ready to show them how to use those technologies to be a integral part of the world.

The Meaning of "Uniform" in School

As the first online homework assignment for my class this year, I had the students read an article about uniforms for public schools. The school uniform debate is always a good conversation starter, and the kids enjoyed responding to the pros and cons of the issue. As you might expect, there was a flurry of "personal expression" arguments. The kids were smart about how they presented their views, though. They understood why one might say that uniforms could improve self-esteem, decrease negative peer interaction, and remove gang and clique cultures from the school. They understood those arguments; they just didn't believe them. They countered (and most research shows) that those anticipated effects really don't take place, and that bullying and grouping and low self-esteem happens with or without uniforms.

And so we wrapped up the debate (leaving a few loose ends), and I moved on through the week. A few days later, though, I realized that I was participating in a different "uniform" debate, and it had nothing to do with what my students were wearing. I found myself in multiple conversations about the school's literacy program and ELA curriculum. I began to notice that the arguments being made in favor of certain methods (and the curriculum at large) were very similar to those used in the dress code debate. I found myself at odds with the notion that there is a way to teach language arts in a uniform manner, conforming to the terminology and processes of a certain method and ensuring that all students have a common experience in class.

I keep trying my best to see the need for this uniformity in curriculum. I know that no district wants to explain why certain teachers won't follow along with a given program. It looks like disrespect and dissent, and it reflects poorly on the district at large. At the same time, I continue to see language arts as an area in flux; the digital age has started a transition that is effecting what language is and how it is used. I believe that there are positive aspects to most programs and methods, but I also believe that a teacher needs to be free to find the best avenues of work with his own students and their specific needs. Beyond that, each teacher develops his or her own teaching style, and not all programs mesh perfectly with all styles.

An acting professor of mine was once discussing the art of acting and creating a character. I asked him which method was "best": the popular Method created by Stanislavsky, or the variation on that theme by Sanford Meisner, or perhaps something else entirely. And his answer still resonates: he told me to immerse myself in all of the various processes, and then to take what was best from each of them to create something personal that worked for me. I now find myself in a similar scenario with the curricula and practices being used in education. Rather than ascribing completely to one method of doing things, I prefer to learn about all the various programs and take from them what's best for me and my students. In effect, it's the "personal expression" argument from a different perspective.

My hope is that this will not look as though I refuse to "buy in" to a given system that the school is supposed to be doing; I don't intend to dismiss any educator's work as wrong or irrelevant. However, I also know that when it comes to actual teaching in the classroom, I will always choose the freedom to experiment, develop, and explore different ways of doing things that will best help my students succeed.

Doing School...Differently

I just posted this to my classroom blog, and realized that it also belonged here:

As I prepare for this school year, it is becoming increasingly clear that this will not be a "business as usual" year. With our classroom's expansion onto the web, the very nature of our learning will begin to change drastically. Students in this digital classroom will be challenged - not to learn a set of information or to prepare for state tests, but rather to become creators and innovators on their own. Yes, there will be information learned, but in many ways, that will be the secondary focus behind students learning how to learn and create for themselves.

This will require a lot from the students, but I'm confident that they will be up to the challenge. We need to move past the notion that I (as the teacher) have all of the answers and the students need to "receive" the education that I am "giving" them. Instead, I want to be a facilitator and give my students the tools to develop themselves as learners. As I think back to my own education, I realize that I wanted to have more control, too. I remember coming to a point where I began doing what I knew would make the teacher happy and gave up any of my own opinions and interests. My goal now is to not let that same thing happen in my classroom.

So, welcome to a new way of doing sixth grade. It won't be perfect, and I'm sure that I'll make mistakes along the way, but if I can allow myself to be a member of this community, rather than the leader of it, we'll be moving in the right direction!

No Time to Slow Down ... Thank Goodness!

There's nothing like the start of a school year to keep a teacher motivated and working! With only a couple weeks left before I'm working with my sixth graders, I've found that the short timetable is the ultimate incentive for me to keep moving as I plan and create for my class. In the past, I've entered the summer with high goals for setting up ways to integrate technology into the coming school year, but I usually run out of time.

Not this year. The difference is small, but important. This year I have the initial structure of my digital classroom in place, and I have also talked at length about it (on the web, with colleagues, on the bulletin board outside of my classroom). I've found this to be exactly what I've needed; in order to ensure that I see my ideas through to the end, I publicly talk about how exciting my ideas will be. This way, if I don't complete what I endeavor to do, I will have an audience questioning me. By "going public" with my own process, I have added motivation to its completion.

I think that I will apply this lesson to the way that I deal with my students in the fall. Rather than having them simply do their work on my timetable or create their own private goals for completion, I am going to move them toward making their intentions known and public. This will cast a light on the process of their learning instead of constantly focusing on the product that is "required". Everything I've been reading lately encourages this attention to process over product, and this little step of bringing others into my own process has opened my eyes to the possibilities that lie ahead.

There's something about August!

As the calendar rolled over to August, I managed to find my way back to my classroom. There's something about this time of year that fills me with excitement for the return of the students. And this year is especially exciting, given that I have switched levels (to sixth), changed classrooms, and established a "digital classroom" in which my students will also be learning. I read the other day that the best modern classrooms are not constrained by the walls within the building and allow for learning at any time, not just during the school day. This year, my students' learning spaces will match those goals. In fact, I have already had students in contact with me this summer (mostly just checking in, but a new development, to be sure).

All of this makes me think about "year-round school". As more and more districts nationwide move in this direction (and our President makes it clear that he's in favor as well), I find myself personally considering this new option. The time I'm going to spend over the next few weeks preparing in my empty classroom will certainly be used well; it's obviously easier to do certain things without having students around. However, I also find myself on August 11th wishing that I had some students here working with me. My classroom (and digital spaces) has always been collaborative, so I feel like I'm missing something as I work here alone: namely, the other workers with whom I share this space. I find myself wanting their advice on how the room should be set up and what I should be planning for this fall, and it makes me realize how long two months can be.

I've never had much trouble with the "summer drop-off" in September, so my lean toward more school isn't really so much about making sure the students don't "lose what they've learned". Instead, I really enjoy working with them, and it strikes me that 180 days isn't enough for what I want to do. Maybe next summer will be different; once the kids are a full part of our digital classroom, I will be able to keep going past June if we choose. Year-round school? Maybe not in my building. But if I don't focus on the building, the possibilities are endless!

Zoller45 (a new digital classroom)

I've just added a feed to my new classroom blog (http://Zoller45.blogspot.com). I am looking forward to getting this up and running in the fall with my new sixth grade classroom. We're going to be completely wired, with a classroom blog, Twitter account, and a school-wide wiki. I can 't wait to see how the students react, and how this influences their learning in the coming year. It's time for my classroom to move completely into the Web 2.0 technology that I have been familiar with for some time. It should be awesome!

Policing the Digital Domain

Over the last few weeks, I've had the opportunity to present some technology workshops to fellow teachers in my school district. Last week, I was part of a workshop on blogging and an interesting discussion came up. We were talking about how we would like to see the students not only become exposed to blogs (and Twitter), but also become creators of personal blogs or contributors to classroom blogs. In the midst of the discussion, a few teachers expressed concerns about how one might "police" the students' posts to make sure that nothing inappropriate was posted to a public classroom domain.

The concerns of the teachers were very real, and spoke to a larger issue when incorporating technology into classroom learning. These teachers' main concern was that they might get in trouble because of something a student posts to a classroom blog. And we didn't really come to an answer for that issue so much as developing an understanding: in the digital classroom, teachers are going to have to relinquish some control and allow for the students' self-expression. Yes, this does create a tenuous situation, especially if one is dealing with a student who wants to create a problem and doesn't care about the repercussions.

However, I can't help but see this as a teachable moment that will begin to define what digital classrooms will look like. For decades, teachers were taught to control every situation and ensure that nothing went in a direction that was unexpected or potentially inappropriate. But with the modern social construct, students are going to be communicating whether we want them to or not. It is best to guide them and explain the ramifications of destructive actions in a public domain. And teachers must also be able to rely on their school districts to back them up and recognize the need for these forms of communication to move forward for the benefit of the whole student population.

Eventually, we made it clear that most blogs or websites allow users to control who can view the site, who can post to the site, and whether the content is appropriate and will remain. The tools are there to censor, if needed, and to privatize the site if one doesn't want it to be universally available. I hope, though, that these tools will not be overused, because a major part of classrooms in the digital age will be that they are student-centered in both focus and in creation of content; the voices of the students will be the ultimate key, and while that might require a shift of control away from the teacher, it's an exciting notion that I can't wait to see play out.

Yes, TV can teach you something!

In the simulated classroom on the set of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader", a contestant tonight made the exact same error that dozens of my students have habitually made throughout the years - she didn't read the question! I'm not a normal watcher of the show (though my students constantly beg me to throw my hat in the ring), but I had it on in the background as I painted a living room tonight. (As an aside, I tend to use home improvement as my means to refresh in the first weeks of summer).

Anyway, I was painting away and listening to the first contestant (the hot-dog eating champion of the world) do quite well but not know the name of the person who developed the immunization for small pox. I didn't know it either - Edward Jenner for those keeping track - and realized that I, too, would have lost on that question. There was enough time in the hour for another contestant, and she breezed through the first couple questions. Then, she chose a math category (pointing out that she's pretty good at math), listened to the question, said, "This is like taking candy from a baby", and proceeded to give the wrong answer. The question was: if four shelves out of five are filled with six dolls each, and then the final shelf holds only three dolls, how many total dolls are there? The contestant firmly and confidently answered "nine", at which point Jeff Foxworthy (the host) took on his best teacher voice and asked her to read the question out loud - something I've done thousands of times myself. She immediately found her error, then queasily withstood the next couple moments as she realized that she had just lost $25,000 for her mistake.

I might not watch this game show again any time soon, but I saw something there tonight that made me think about my own practices with my students. So many times they read too quickly and are confident about what ends up being the wrong response. The problem is not, of course, their math abilities, but rather the ability to understand what a question means. It's a tricky thing to teach - self-critique, that is - but it is essential. I will definitely be using this example in the fall, not as a way to bring an old teacher saying to life, but rather as a means to start examining the situations in which a person should allow themselves doubt, even when confidence abounds. We might not all lose $25,000 on the deal, but it's a valuable lesson nonetheless!

Getting My Feet Wet

For anyone who happens to come by this site, please be patient with me - I'm new at this. I had the good fortune to attend a talk by Will Richardson in my school district a few weeks ago, and I came away very motivated and energized to bring myself further into the digital domain than I had ever ventured before.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not a technophobe who has been resisting the digital revolution. In fact, I've been supporting it as long as I have taught (could it be ten full years now?). My higher education is in Instructional Technology and Curriculum Development and I'm the technology liaison for my school. I've spent my time in the classroom looking for ways to expand my students' perspectives and learning through the implementation of technology. But, in recent years, I've stopped moving forward. Yes, I'm still working very hard and coming up with new lessons and ideas, but I'm not pushing the envelope as I once had. I plateaued, and only recently did I begin to see where the next challenge is. To truly move forward with education and technology, I have to further explore the world of the web and all the possibilities it affords.

And so, here I am, publishing the second post on my new blog. I've entered into the world of Twitter (ayauchler - feel free to follow!). My students are starting a wiki with a second grade class in our school (which I hope to expand as next year begins). And now, there's so much to do, so many things to explore. I'm moving forward again, and it feels right. I plan to publish often, and I sincerely hope that some of what I post will be valuable to others in the same ways that so much of what I'm reading and experiencing is valuable to me. So please stop back, comment when you can, and I hope to see you around the net.

The End of Print Media?

A few nights ago, I was watching the Scholastic Video version of The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey with my two young children. It's a simple story about a boy who wakes up before dawn and pedals through his town delivering papers with his dog tagging along behind him. There is a throw-back sense of romanticism to this tale, and I always connect it to my own time spent as a paperboy when I was a teen (the early mornings, the smell of the papers, the newsprint on my hands). Of course, the story has started to take on a new meaning for me with the recent announcements of newspapers around the country shutting down. In turn, this has started me thinking about print media in general, and what effect the digital domain is having on them.

There are two very distinct sides to the debate. Some argue that print-based media are a necessity in any young person's life, and that moving away from traditional teaching methods is "giving in" to the digital tidal wave and leaving good pedagogy behind. Others point out that all languages have changed over time, and that these digital elements to literacy are just the next step in the evolution of our language and how we learn. It's a tricky topic, because many people are emotionally invested in it. And even though I tend to lean toward the second argument and see a shift toward newer forms of literacy not only as a given, but also a necessity, I often feel a pull toward showing kids the value of "a good book" and trying to share with them that emotional feeling that The Paperboy brings to me.

I don't think anyone believes that there will come a time when no print media of any kind exist, but the times are definitely changing, and the ways that people interact with text is in flux as well. My students are currently doing a research project, and we spoke the other day about how the research would have looked twenty years ago (using a card catalog and strenuous cross-referencing). They indicated that they prefer a world where you can have multiple sources open at once (without taking up an entire table) and can follow links to information as you read. Truth be told, I also prefer this digital world. As much as I fondly remember my experiences in print, I have accomplished so much more in so much less time since I have been able to use digital resources.

A few weeks ago, a second grade teacher in my building approached me to discuss doing a joint class newspaper project. I quickly agreed; having my fifth graders create, print out, and distribute a small class newspaper has been a yearly highlight for me, and combining our efforts with a younger grade sounded like an exciting new direction for the activity. However, the more I thought about setting this project up, the more I realized how dated it has become. I went back to my colleague and said, "What about a wiki instead of a print newspaper?" She immediately agreed, having the same sort epiphany that I had. Together we realized that having students work on a newspaper would be having them work in an increasingly out-of-date medium, and that our efforts would be more practical and helpful if we taught them how to publish their ideas digitally.

Which brings me back to The Paperboy. Yes, there is a certain beauty in the simple idea of a young boy bringing the news to his neighborhood before the first rays of the sun crack the horizon; but having that same little boy digitally publish something of his own that could be read by the world is an equally fascinating notion, and one that will ultimately prove to be a foundation for the world of his (and my children's) future.