Response to "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants"

I just finished reading "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" by Marc Prensky. For me, it raises a lot of questions, not all of which may have answers.

First of all, where do I fit? Am I a digital native or a digital immigrant? I'm inclined to say digital native, but computers, cell phones, and such haven't always been such an integral part of my life as they are today. I didn't grow up with my own computer or cell phone (as elementary and middle school children today have). I remember when if you wanted to reach someone, you called their house - now it's not at all uncommon for people not even to have home phone lines. I'm very attached to newspapers - printed newspapers, and I dislike doing reading online - if I have an article to read for class, I much prefer to print it out where I can physically interact with the text using a pen or pencil.

Secondly - is it better to be one or the other? Prensky explains both concepts, but I feel like he attaches a stodginess to the digital immigrant - like all digital immigrants are somehow caught in the past, nostalgic for the "good old days." I don't believe that's the case of all digital immigrants, only some. Obviously, someone who has grown up with the "new" technology is going to have different skill sets than someone who hasn't, but that doesn't mean that their skills should be devalued.

I dislike the concept that, as a digital native, I am somehow "unreachable" unless someone is flashing a computer screen in front of my face. I still read books for pleasure (when I'm not doing homework...). I understand how "reading, writing, arithmetic, logical thinking, [and] understanding the writings of the past" could be considered "legacy" content, but to discount all of these subjects as "important, but from a different era" and imply that they are less interesting to "todays students" simply because they are not new is unfair to todays students and assumes that we all place a) equal importance on technology and b) place technology at a level of importance above other things.

I am not anti-technology - far from it. I email daily, use Facebook, instant message, call and text people on my cell phone, listen to music on my MP3 player, etc. However, I think that Prensky is right in wanting to expand the educational use of technology, rather than just switch entirely to a technology-based educational system. We are in a position as educators to hand-pick technologies that we feel can enhance our students learning experiences and increase our ability to facilitate those experiences.

PLN (Week 10... seriously? It's week 10 already?!)

Senuti! (is iTunes spelled backwards!)

I decided to do a PLN on Senuti because I ran into Dr. Horvath this morning when I was signing up for an advising appointment and she was wondering if there was any way to get songs off your iPod onto your computer. In fact, there is! I'm always surprised that more people don't know about this application, as it's really handy and (from what I can tell, as long as you're only using it to move music that you own) legal!

Here's a link to the Wikipedia page about Senuti. If you use iTunes and have an iPod, it's pretty cool - and a useful tool to have if your computer should ever crash and you need to get your music back on from your iPod!

Response to Multimedia Basics

Wow. That was a LOT of information. Multimedia 101 in 4 articles or less...

Ok, so... do I now feel like I can go out and create fabulous Multimedia presentations/websites/anything I set my heart on?! Kind of. As I've learned in Vocal Methods and Pedagogy this semester, knowing how something works or knowing how to do something doesn't actually mean you're able to do it. However, I think I'm much better prepared to begin working with these components (text, pictures, sound, and video).

I found "Multimedia Basics: Understanding Moving Images" to be especially helpful. Digital video has always been something of a huge mystery to me and I feel like I understand it a little better now. I wish they had gone more into the different file formants, because that's what I really struggle with most. What's the difference between an .avi and a .wmv? A .mp4 and an .mpg? Why are some so much bigger than others? Why can I only edit some and not others?

I think this information will be useful to me as an educator should I ever want to put websites together. Also I bet it will be helpful for when I work more on my ePortfolio...

Response to Wiki videos

Wikis seem to be really, really useful. Having only used Wikipedia.org myself, I was previously ignorant of all the other Wiki options. I had encountered other Wiki websites (like Wiktionary), but I didn't realize that I could make my own Wiki. The videos were very easy to follow and helpful - I especially like the Wikis in Plain English video (from commoncraft).

Both Wikis and social networking sites (such as delicious) are extremely effective and concise ways of distributing information. I can personally think of several ways in which I could use Wikis at my current job (where I work with many volunteers and often encounter long, complicated chains of emails). I think one stumbling block for using Wikis efficiently is the problem of getting people into the idea of using them. It can be hard to convince people that using a Wiki would really be that much more efficient than email, but I truly believe that it can be. The other question is getting them to check the Wiki regularly - you could send an email reminder, but then that also raises the question "Well, why bother with Wikis if you have to send an email anyway?"

That being said, with groups where each member will be an active participant (or at least view it regularly) in the creation and modification of the Wiki, I think they could be really useful and save time. I could see a use for Wikis in the classroom - for helping distribute information to and from students and parents. Also, students could create their own Wikis when working on group projects (or the project itself could be to create a Wiki) - this might help solve the problem of one student getting stuck doing all the work because you can easily tell who has altered the Wiki and in what way.

This is technology I definitely see myself using. Delicious is neat, but I'm not sure how much I will use it... I may be proven entirely wrong there, but I'm just not certain.

PLN (Week 9)

I found another blog!

Bluebird's Classroom

"Musings and rants of a middle school teacher out to save the world, one student at a time..."

It seems to be pretty good - generally positive and upbeat, but still somewhat realistic. I think these teacher blogs are cool because it gives teachers an opportunity to express their frustrations and triumphs. It also gives other people (i.e. future teachers like me!) insight into their experiences and what it might be like to be a teacher.

Response to weekly readings (week 8)

I realized today that, for all the times I've seen Smart Boards in classrooms and such, I've never actually used one myself (or if I have, I haven't realized it). After reading these articles, I'm really curious... I'm going to have to find one and use it to see what it's like. I can imagine that they would be really useful - both the articles regarding interactive white boards suggested a multitude of uses for them.

I also thought the article on automatic accompaniment generators was really interesting. I've heard a lot about Band in a Box, but I've never used it. I'll have to ask my uncle about it - he works with MIDI and electronic wind controllers (his website if you're curious). I have used Smart Music before, and I think it's pretty cool. I definitely see uses for a it in Music Education - author John Kuzmich lists many such as accountability in practice and performance, instant feedback for students to improve their own practice, and students recording themselves in their home practice sessions and then being able to email them to instructors. One of the trickiest parts of Music Education is the evaluation component, and I'm generally in favor or anything that facilitates that process, such as Smart Music.

"One computer CAN deliver whole-class instruction" was another good article this week. It is important to remember there is plenty that can be done with a single computer, but I think Kassner makes having computers for every student almost sound like a disadvantage. I don't know that it would really present such a "perplexing array of pedagogical problems" as he says. Yes, having those resources takes different planning and a different skill set, but it can offer a different set of opportunities. Also, having a computer available for every student doesn't mean that you HAVE to use them all the time. I think that can be a problem - that teachers feel pressured to always use computers simply because they are there. That being said, I'm sure there IS pressure to use whatever technology is available because time and money was spent obtaining it (as Kassner mentions in the article). Hopefully it's possible to find a balance between the two extremes.

PLN (Week 7)

I found this blog through "So You Want To Teach." It's another blog of a young teacher that started out about how she wanted to quit, but after a while she learned she didn't want to quit after all. I haven't read too much of it, but I think I like it. She seems pretty positive, which is awesome.

Teacher, I Don't Get It