RIP^3 Reflection

I was never a fan of technology, which is ironic because I work in the IT department in Mammel Hall here on campus. Neither my elementary nor my high school teachers used any sort of digital technology beyond Microsoft Office, projectors, and the internet. I turned out fine. So, I could't understand why it was so important that I incorporate so much technology into my lessons. I suppose I always felt that, since I was able to successfully navigate the transition into higher education and the development of digital technology, my students would be able to as well. 

I was wrong.

This course has helped me to realize the rapidly-changing, technologically-driven society that is no longer a choice, but a reality for everybody. Not providing my students to interact with information in multiple ways and through multiple mediums isn't just me being stubborn; it's being negligent. As much as I hesitated during some parts of this class, I've gained so many valuable lessons that have forced me to grow as a student and as a teacher. 

For my final project, I choose to explore the Edublogs as a tool within my classroom. I've always been a writer (or at least liked to think of myself in this way). Writing always seemed to be the way for me to figure out what I was thinking, to keep track of my ideas to come back to later. My high school English teacher made us journal every week. One entry had to be a reaction to a current news event. The other was completely up to us. We could write about random topics, a difficult moment we were having, our reactions to something that had recently happened. Anything. Through these entries, I was able to work out some pretty tough situations. Even the kids in my class who ha-a-a-ted writing enjoyed using the,. And I knew, in the not-so-distant future when I have my own class, I wanted to incorporate this journaling into the curriculum. So when I was searching through lists upon lists of educational technology lists, I came across Edublogs. Journals and blogs are basically the same, except for the fact that one of them has kids writing privately, while the other has students sharing their work with an authentic audience and practicing their digital and technological skills at the same time. Perfect! Using this almost seemed too easy. I thought it would be a cop-out to use something that was structured so similarly to something I was already using. But then, I realized that the purpose of this assignment was to explore potential technologies that we would use in our own classes. And this was something I could see myself using in the future. So, I said, "What the heck?", and went for it. And I'm glad I did.

In the context of the assignment, I looked at using the blogging forum during a book unit. While students would be reading the novel, they would be completing a series of personal and character-viewpoint posts responding to different prompts. If you're curious, you can check out my student example site here. I was able to do some exploration of the site while working on the various parts of the project. The most useful, and my favorite, aspects were the ability to save save multimedia files to the account (multiple representation!) and post them within blogs, the easy to access favorited blog newsfeed, the privacy features and safety filters, and the ability for instructors to create individual classrooms for separate sections or courses. Unfortunately, that last one is only available with a paid subscription. But, at on $7.95/month or $39.95/year, it might just be worth it to save some stress on my end! (FYI- Anyone interested in learning more about the platform itself can look at this handy little brochure I made. 

I think this project was so important because it helped me to realize that the technology I choose to use in my classroom doesn't have to be complicated or super fancy, at least not early on. I'm still in the early stages of exploring technology integration into school, but I think this gave me a good start. As I was looking for the right platform to use for my project, I came across a lot more education technology systems that I also felt could be a good fit for me and my class. But, focusing in on the final project, it got me excited to use technology, not only the ones that I found, but also the fantastic resources that my classmates were able to dig up from the bottomless pit of information that is the internet. I feel much more comfortable now that I've been taught how to use technology and how students benefit most from it, rather than just being told to use it because we have to. Though a slight tangent, I also learned that it's really hard to account for every possible technology failure and plan for it in advance! Blogging tends to be especially difficult. There aren't that many other ways to get a blog-style community built outside of a blog. GoogleDocs works in a pinch, but it's probably the most un-blog-like substitute out there. It made the idea of planning for the worst very real for me!

This isn't the first time I've been forced to explore technology. In my Planning for Effective Teaching class last semester, we were required (or forced, but that's beside the point) to create at least one lesson plan that utilized technology. My instructor, Kelly, said something very simlliar to what was repeated over and over again in this class: don't use technology just to use it – it has to be for a purpose. And, just like this project, I spent a lot of time being overwhelmed by the myriad of options available to use. Then, I ran across a site called Todaysmeet.com, which was a simple responding tool that let students ask questions or respond to prompts silently during class. I could have the answers show up on the projector, or I could keep them private and have them just show up on my computer screen. It was simple, it was easy, it had not fluff. It did just what it needed to do, no ridiculous bells or whistles attached, like some other technologies I had experimented with (cough, cough, SMARTboard). I was drawn to Todaysmeet for the same reason I was drawn to Edublogs: for its simplicity and for its practicalness. However, I clearly have grown in technology since then, because, even though Edublogs is really easy to use and school-friendly, there are a lot more elements to it. To be honest, I never would have even considered using any sort of blogging site, Edublogs included, had it not been for this class. I think some of my digital technology aversion is slipping away.

Now that I've had time to reflect over this class, I feel lucky to have been forced out of my comfort zone with this final project, as well as everything else we had to complete. Our flipped classroom lesson showed me that there are times and topics that I don't need to waste time on in the classroom. There are some things that students can learn on their own and would benefit more from homework help during class. This was such a hard concept to grasp for a control freak like me! But, in the end, I'll even admit I had a little fun with it. My new Twitter account has provided me with a great starting point for professional development, even before I enter the classroom. I want to stay connected with my peers because a lot of my ideas and inspiration came directly from them. Collaboration is key, especially with something as rapidly-changing as technology. And of course, my app review gave me a thorough list of apps I actually want to use in the classroom! All of these–the Twitter, the flipped lessons (at least open-mindedness about them), the lists, the blogging, the final project–are things I hope to carry with me as I continue forward in my career. Through my personal experiences, I've been able to see the good they can provide students of any age. I'm not as scared of technology anymore. I've got real tools and applicable skills under my belt that will help me. I sort of feel like a happy customer in one of those infomercials: Thank you TLDE for making me a prepared educator for the modern world of technology! But, I suppose it's the truth. Comfort and understanding the importance came first. Now, I can get to the good stuff: experimenting and teaching my students how to be citizens of the digital age.

Don't Turn a Blind Eye to Humanity or Technology

As an pre-service ELA educator, my days are spent focusing on two-thirds of the infamous "Three R's": reading and writing. Of all the different skills students gain during their education, these seem to be paramount. Being able to produce quality writing, have strong reading comprehension, and acquire an overall sense of literacy are the markers to students' success or failure in life. Their lives are in my hands, the thought of which makes me turn into screaming Kevin in all those Home Alone posters. It's a tall order, one not lacking in stress and sleepless nights contemplating the big question: Is what I'm doing serving my students the best I can? Now that I'm only two semesters away from student teaching (yikes!), I've come to realize I can't avoid looking at the big picture any more. 

I am lucky to live in a time of great technological advancement.Whether at school, home, or the library, I've been able to utilize all sorts of technology throughout my education, making me, for the most part, digitally literate. It's easy to take something like that for granted. But, for every student who was as fortunate as I was, there are two others than have limited or no access at all. Especially if I end up teaching in a rural or urban area, students could have almost no digital literacy when they  reach my class. The school or district resources could also limit the quality and amount of technology I expose students to. With issues like this to deal with, it can be easy to say Just cut out the problem. Reading and writing can be taught without fancy technology. Focus on teaching them traditional literacy, and the rest will come naturally. But that's so not the case, which Cynthia Selfe clearly articulates in "Technology and Literacy: A Story About the Perils of Not Paying Attention." The cycle that a technology-centric culture has created is something I had never thought about before. Those who have the money to purchase and use technology will do so. In doing that, they recognize its significance in today's culture, leading to a greater push in the community for education and access. In places where money is available, donations will come in to ensure their children have even more opportunities in school to increase their digital literacies and subsequently improve their chances for future success. Simply put, those who can afford the technology will grow, and those who can't, or who don't understand the importance, will remain stuck near the bottom. One of the most striking quotes for me was when Selfe talked about how we convince ourselves technology will make everything turn out fine:

As a result we take comfort when the linkage between literacy and computer technology is portrayed as a socially progressive movement, one that will benefit American citizens generally and without regard for their circumstances or backgrounds. Such a belief releases from the responsibility to pay attention (416).

We like to believe that technology can circumvent situations, that the most downtrodden and unfortunate of people can make their mark. It's the American dream. But, what if those circumstances prevent you from even getting to that point to use the technology to escape the circumstances? Technology isn't the Mr. Pirelli's Miracle Elixir to life "success." Some people have touted technology as the solution to illiteracy. But, like the article pointed out, all technology has done is "changed the official criteria for both 'literate' and 'illiterate'" (423). It's made more requirements. Now, instead of having to simply catch up in traditional literacy, disadvantaged students have to catch up in two major areas. This almost seems like it's making even more impossible to escape the cycle we've built in our society. 

Something I've never understood, especially after information like this comes to light, why more successful students are rewarded for their success by receive the best technology, while students who are disadvantaged and struggling are punished for their shortcomings by not being provided with technology. How do we expect students to get better without giving them the tools needed to get better? It's like telling a painter "We want to you repaint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but you only three jars of paint and a stick with some bristles tied on the end." If we truly want to help "all of our children(416)" become technologically literate, like former Secretary of Education Richard Riley claims, we've got to provide them with the tools to do so. This has made it clear to me that I can't avoid technology because it's going to be too difficult, because I can't get everyone on the same level. If I really want to give the best for my students, I have to fight to get all of them the access to technology necessary to accomplish everything they can in life. 

I've always been obsessed with the human element of literature. That's part of the reason I chose to become an English teacher, something I suppose is not too rare of a reason. Because of this, I tend to be okay with ignoring the mechanical, the technological, and doing things the old-fashioned way. However, I can do this only because I also technologically literate; when the need arises, I can whip out my skills. However, I can't be this caviler with my students. Today's human is closely intertwined with technology; the two can't be separated any more. If I want to teach all of my students about humanity, I also have to teach all of them about technology. 

And now, for something a little less intense, but still very important for me to consider. 

In my Teaching Writing class this semester, we've talked over and over again about the importance of teaching writing as a process rather than a product. So often, students are graded on the achievement, or lack thereof, of certain standards, rather than the growth witnessed from one point to another. Once a grade is slapped on the front page, students aren't encouraged to review and revise; the piece becomes dead, so to speak. This system makes it so easy for students to throw some words up on the screen and call it a day. I'm guilty of this as well, thinking, "As long as I can get through this and get it done, I never have to touch it again." But learning is never finished. So, how can we encourage students to work hard without getting discouraged while still tracking achievement of standards? The use of badges as a means of grading writing, explored by Mascle in both "Students Respect the Badge" and "Why Gamification?", is an intriguing concept. It's seems kind of like any scouting group: the goal is to collect all the badges, but people are able to collect them at their own pace and it any order that works best for them. I really appreciated Mascle's statement of "Writing is a recursive process and gamification allows you to recognize work as well as progress without sending a signal that the piece of writing is 'done'" (Why Gamification?). The concept behind this is amazing, but I'm not so sure I think it would a good idea to do with every student writing grade. Wouldn't you still have to report traditional grades to the school and district anyway? I feel like this would still create a lot of work for the teacher. But, I could see this being successful in a smaller scale within a course. 

Personally, I think the grading badges fits much better within classroom blogs, which Mascle delves into in "Students Respect the Badge." Blogs are a great way to get students articulating their thoughts freely, which naturally leads to a lot of writing. Even though you want to read through all that students have written, it's not physically possible to give everyone feedback. The creation of a peer-based audience is a really simple way to make students' writings matter; no longer are their musing and ideas private channels between them and the teacher. Their thoughts are now public, and it is expected that they will be read by many of their friends and classmates. For some students, it could that extra boost of motivation to put some genuine thinking into their process, knowing that real people who matter to them will actually see and vote on it. "Hand[ing] that responsibility off to the class" (Students Respect), making the real audience of the blog writing the judge is logic. Who better to judge the success of a piece than the person or people the piece is written for? I like this because it validates student opinions. Because they're trying to appeal to all their peers and not just you, students will start to write about what they believe matters, not simply the answers they think you'll like. I also loved how students had to cite evidence for why a person should receive a particular badge. Not only is it good practice for backing up their statements and claims, but it also could help alleviate some (but not all) of the expected popularity contests that may come out of a system like this. 

Though many positives could come out of the badge system, there are several things that I'm a little wary about. The lack of teacher assessment with this system would mean that struggling students wouldn't get the explicit feedback they need to grow. Though students are often very honest when it comes to the quality of something, they may not have the ability or desire to help their peers on their posts or any misconceptions they might have. If there are some issues deeper than simply lack of attention or effort, they might only be solved by a teacher. And so, it seems that we come back to square one: the teacher still has to read through all the blogs to ensure students are being successful. But, I think that's how I would approach using something like this. It wouldn't reduce my workload, but it would help to incorporate more real-world application into writing and critical analysis assessment. I think I might explore the use of badges as a grading/encouragement system with something more informal, like these blogs, in my own classroom. 

I'm only at the beginning of my teaching career, and I know I'll have a lot more "screaming Kevin" moments before I feel even slightly confident that I'm teaching students the right things. I suppose the key is constant reflection: looking at data, reading articles, observing techniques, and deciding for myself how I can use or alter this information to my, and my students', best advantage. 

Darwin's Theory of Teaching

The study of evolution looks at how organisms adapt around the climates they are exposed to. A mammal in a snowy environment will grow a thicker pelt. A fish that lives in a darker part of the ocean will development extra-sensitive hearing to make up for its lack of sight. A teacher in an increasingly technologically-centered classroom will become more skilled in using technology to help his or her students.

The alternative for all of them is the same: death.

Evolving is a natural part of life. Darwin may not have known it at the time, but his theory applies surprisingly well for teachers. If we don't keep trying to grow and adapt to the new demands of the modern-day classroom, we will surely fail. 

One of the central tenants of teaching is the dedication to being a lifelong learner, something that is easier said than done. We all want to be successful teachers, but becoming a master doesn't mean finding a teaching style thats works and becoming stagnant. The world around us is changing at an ever-increasing pace. While it can be easy to get stuck in a routine, what worked one year may not the next. We've got to adapt to our surroundings as they morph into something completely unrecognizable.

Based on the length of the chapter "How Teachers Learn and Develop" from the book Preparing Teachings For a Changing World: What Teachers Should Learn and Be Able to Do, the adaptability of teachers is not a rare discussion in the world of education. What really struck me was the need to balance between efficiency and innovation in the classroom. With the limited amount of time available to teach specific skills to students, it can be easy to want to fall into the most streamline way of teaching a topic. I understand this sentiment completely. Once you've got a system going that elicits as little pain as possible, the logical step would be to stick with it. This fits into my line of thinking: "If it works, use it."

But efficiency alone cannot a strong teacher make. Innovation is vital to being successful; that is the evolution that allows the teacher to survive his or her environment. There was one line that stuck out to me above all the rest: "the capacity to consider change without feeling threatened is an important 

ability" (361). This might as well have had a bunch of stars around it with a giant sticky note saying "Amber, listen to this you stubborn fool." I'm a person who sees what has worked in the past and sticks to it. I become too afraid of failure to try new things or change my ways. It's something I'm constantly working on. I know the questions I need to ask ("Is there an easier way to do this? A better way? A more engaging method to use?"). I just need to ask them. So for future Amber reading this: STOP ACTING LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING! And, just because you stop using a method doesn't mean it's bad; it just means you've found something better. My favorite phrase from this reading was "disciplined improvisation" (363), mainly because it speaks to what I know and what I need to know. In teaching, you still have to know what you're doing; you can't walk into the classroom blind and expect to do well. But, you can still be flexible. Each child you teach is not the same. Therefore, what you teach and the methods you use to teach them shouldn't be exactly the same. If left unchecked and unquestioned, routine can be dangerous.

In terms of technology integration, iPads have become an increasingly vital part of the classroom. They're cheaper compared to other forms of technology, but extremely versatile and adaptable to any classroom. "Exploring the Use of the iPad for Literacy Learning" was a article I really appreciated. Even though the examples from an elementary classroom, I could see many lesson/activities I could use with middle and even high school students, which made me very happy! The importance here, I think, is that the technology we chose to add to the classroom needs to add an element not available in non-digital form. As the text said, the technology we chose to use needs to be integrated in the lesson, not just supplement it. This is something we've talked about so much in TLDE: don't use technology for the sake of using it. It has to serve a purpose by making the lesson better than it would be without it. This study frequently links the apps used in the class to implicit digital literacy lessons as well. While I won't go into detail about them, it's clear that it's this digital literacy that helps make an app, a website, or a video tool irreplaceable in a lesson. While I recognize the importance of teaching students these literacies, I'm afraid about accomplishing it. There is already such a limited amount of time to teach students the required content curriculum. Now, I have to ensure that my students are proficient in two different literacies in the same short amount of time. That's a stressful demand! However, I do feel lucky that I'm being exposed to these issues early in my career, so that I am able to find solutions before I get too stuck in my ways.

I'm a lover of lists, so the list of apps used in the "Exploring the Use of iPads" study were extremely appreciated. I loved the use of Doodle Buddy for practicing visualization. The activity Ms. Dill completed with her fourth graders could easily be adapted for high school. I envision having students writing an evocative piece of creative writing. You could then have students pair up, read each other's pieces, and use Doodle Buddy to sketch what they saw when reading their partners work. The pairs could then discuss what was strong about their writing and suggest details that could help make their writing even more descriptive! I also feel like Popplet could be a useful tool for students to make their own graphic organize or brainstorming map without the constraints of a printed (i.e. permanent and immovable) organizer. The ideas are there; I just need to implement them in my lesson plans.

I want to wrap up this post on a little bit of a tangent. Education is not the only area in which we are seeing a rapid transition into the digital realm. Journalism and media have become hotbeds for experimentation when it comes to relaying information. The New York Times has been especially public about their attempts to create multimedia presentations on their webpage. Some ("A Tale of Shark and Minnow") have been more successful than others ("Snowfall"), but both give excellent opportunities for reflection on technology for a purpose. In my opinion, "Snowfall" was the baseline. It was the first attempt at integration. It wasn't terrible, but it was choppy. Some of the additions, like the emotional testimony from survivors and the ski-path graphics were fantastic. Others, like the picture slideshow for each of the 14 group members, were overwhelming and distracting. "A Tale of Shark and Minnow," then was the result of evolution. There were fewer add-ons, but the ones that were present were meaningful, adding to the overall mood of the piece. The story would not have worked as well as it did without them, whereas in "Snowfall," nothing would have been sacrificed if some of the elements were to be cut.  The writers learned from one story to the other; they evolved to meet the needs of the readers. I feel like this is a very good parallel to what all the readings we had for this upcoming class were over. We've got to grow with the times.

Who knew I would ever need to think about Darwin's theory of evolution again? And to use it to think about teaching, nonetheless! I don't want to be the teacher that dies. I want to adapt, to grow into the classroom environment I'm placed in. I want to thrive. As long as I remain reflective and cognizant about everything I do as a teacher, I think I should be okay.

Twitter, or the Mystical Pit of Resource and Snark

I never understood Twitter. The whole concept always seemed completely ridiculous to me: write a 140-character blurb about what's on your mind. As a person who will willingly use twenty words when about four will do the trick, only getting to use about a dozen words blew my mind. It also seemed like a garbage dump of pop culture and philosophical quotes from angsty teens, not necessarily my cup of tea. From the outside, it didn't seem to provide the substance and meaningful connections that I prefer. I made an account my senior year of high school, tweeted one golden tweet...and didn't touch my account again. It seemed pointless. The idea that some educators purposefully use the site with their classes didn't make any sense to me. What could you get from social media that couldn't be learned in person?

Honestly, I had never even considered using any form of social media in the classroom up until the start of this class. I had always thought I would be a traditional English teacher: assigning books to read outside of school and having deep, socratic-style discussions during class time. It's not that I hate technology. I think it's because I survived high school without class-required blogging or online classrooms; consequentially, I make the mistake of assuming that my students will be perfectly fine in learning the same way. But the world in which my future students are growing up in is already vastly different than the one I experienced. Social media has become less of a mindless time-waster and more of a digital extension of the real world: a place to connect with others, exchange views, and share information. It is their world now. The articles we've read over the past couple weeks have really shown me how truly beneficial social media can be, as long as it's used effectively.

Brian Croxall's overviews of social media sites within the classroom in "Reflections on Teaching with Social Media" were very helpful for me. His idea of teaching students "transferable skills" through the use of social media made sense. In the real world, people need to collaborate and interact with others on a variety of platforms, not just through paper and pen or speaking. I quite liked the idea of the "social sixth sense." When students use social media to collaborate and connect, they are not only gaining new and unique insights. They are learning new ways to read people and how to navigate the complex digital environment they live in. As the venture on into the workforce, this will be a vital skill. Croxall's three lessons for educational social media use were so important for me to hear.

1. Be ready for problems.             
2. Be conscious of tool fatigue.
3. In the end, it is worth it.

           *Abbreviated slightly

These forced me to realize two thing. One: it's not going to be perfect; it'll probably never be perfect. But, I shouldn't let it stop me from trying to integrate new media. Two: don't use a tool for the sake of using it. Find something one thing that works and run with it. Too much technology equals a brain overload. Brain overloads are never good.

Twitter seems to be the best place to start in integrating social media into the secondary classroom, at least for me. "Twittering, Not Frittering: Professional Development in 140 Characters" did a really good job outlining how Twitter can actually help my networking and development as a teacher.
Even though the article was clearly from the earliest stages of Twitter, it still helped to provide an solid overview for the site for the newcomers (aka yours truly). As much as I hate the minimal character allowance, the way it forces you to be say exactly what you mean, perfect in a world where conciseness is a desirable skill, helps you to learn to synthesize rather than memorize. Like Suzie Boss mentioned, the customizable feed, not unlike Facebook, means that I can make my feed as professional and as education oriented as I want. The more and more I've used Twitter for this class, the more I've come to appreciate the resources it provides me all the time (The fact that I found an algorithm that analyzes the rhyming structure of Hamilton doesn't hurt). Thanks to "19 Educational Twitter Chats Worth Your Time", I've been able to track several different hashtags, including #edchat, #CatholicEdChat, #engchat, and #mschat, all of which tie into the kind of education professional I want to be. No longer are educators limited to the views of their school, their district, or their region. Twitter gives me access to see what educators do differently on opposite ends of the globe. It helps connect me the the larger world. With the growing globally community, globally-connected teachers are required. Twitter helps me to be that teacher.

I now want to try to incorporate Twitter into my classroom structure in some way. While it's not feasible in a high school setting to have students posting on Twitter every day, the ability to connect with and exchange ideas with multiples students at once is almost unbelievable. After taking in Croxall's observations in his own classes, I think it would take a little finagling to find that perfect place where students are tweeting because they have something meaningful to share, not because their grade requires it.

My dream Twitter classroom would have to mimic what Mark Sample blogged about in "Twitter is a Snark Valve." Yes, his students did learn to engage critically with each other, allowing their classroom conversations to extend further. Those "Hey, look at this!" posts show that students are absorbing and retaining what they learned. I want that kind of engagement in my own class, where they are genuinely eager to find out more. But, even more than that, I want the snark. It seems contrary to everything a teacher might want. If you think about it, though, we talk so much about the importance of relationships, and allowing students to feel safe and open in their environment. All that sarcasm, joking, and fooling around means they trust you. If students trust you, they're more likely to tell you what they really think about something. Sample mentioned that this snark allows students to take "an oppositional stance." Isn't that the dream for all educators, that students are dissecting a topic in such a way that they form their own unique opinions on it? Twitter offers the ability to hear what is typically unheard. Who knows what insightful ideas might be gained and what long and unexplored paths they may lead us down because of one snarky tweet. Even in a high school setting, this would be so beneficial–allowing and encouraging that "uncensored, no-holds-barred opining" [sic] that can lead to lightbulb moments in education.

I was going to touch on so much more in this blog post, mainly the idea of a flipped ELA classroom and utilizing GoogleDocs/GoogleClassroom, but this is already long enough as is. Perhaps an extra post might be in order? Despite all of that, I am starting to appreciate my forced entry into the Twittosphere (Twitosphere? Twittersphere? Tweetosphere?) and the resources it has already provided me in my short amount of (active) time of the site. It's only up from here, I suppose. I just hope that Twitter is still relevant by the time I have my own classroom, so that I can share this medium with my students. I can only imagine what they'll discover then!

The Murky World of Technology in the Classroom

I am a person who thrives on clarity. Clearly-defined structures, focused objectives, and consistent guidelines are necessary for me to feel confident in my work, whether it be as a student or as an instructor. And that, I think, is why technology scares me so much. What I hadn't already known before, the assigned articles for my Teaching and Learning in the Digital Environment class made very clear: technology is a fuzzy, ever-evolving mass that requires constant vigilance to stay on top of. It's kind of like my scary boogieman; if I don't keep one eye on him lurking in the corner, he's gonna gobble me whole. Though they all focused on different aspects of the topic, all the articles pointed to one big idea–technology is here to stay. My duty as an educator is to sift through and make sense of the blurry forms in order to provide my students with a strong foundation for using technology to improve their education.

I have come to realize the gap that cuts between today's students and teachers. In "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," Marc Prensky argues that growing up in a world of instantaneous technology has altered students' brains, causing them to "think and process information fundamentally differently." You would think that growing up in the technological age would have made me a staunch believer in the good of digital media, but, shockingly, I found myself identifying with both groups. Like the Natives, I prefer multitasking (music is a studying necessity for me) when I work, and enjoy education situations where the content is presented in dynamic, exciting ways. However, like the Immigrants, I often question when students claim they can't focus to a simple lecture and prefer what Prensky calls legacy content. As I read the article, I caught myself rolling my eyes at some of his claims.
Of course students can learn the traditional way. Don't be ridiculous!  He's just making excuses for their poor attention span and weak work ethic. When I was their age...
And then I realized something (other than the horrific realization that I am a stubborn baby boomer stuck inside the body of a 20 year old). Education is about the student, not the teacher. I've spent countless hours practicing presenting content in engaging, relevant ways, making it practical and applicable to their lives and the world they live in. This world is technology-centered. No matter how hard teachers like myself may try, technology cannot be removed from the classroom, or learning in general. By refusing to accept the inevitable changes that technology has already caused and will continue to cause, I am just as bad as the stubborn immigrant parent who insists that their child cling on to the old ways that no longer have relevance in the place they are at now. Understanding this, for me, was the key to finally grasping concepts like TPACKS, which Matthew J. Koehler and Punya Mishra flesh out in their article, "What is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge?" Technology is central to teaching. As it grows and evolves, it affects everything it touches, especially the content we teach and the pedagogy that we use to present that knowledge. Finding that sweet spot is the key to making what we teach in the classroom relevant to today's students.

As a English teacher, I am the go-to promoter of literacy among people. Though I had a small idea of the importance of being digitally literal, I never gave it much thought. I assumed it was extremely similar to reading literacy: you need to be able to know how to work with the material, collaborate with others to create, think critically, make your work acceptable to a larger community, etc. But, while all of that does apply, an even more important, and much more difficult, aspect is understanding and following the ethical and moral guidelines of technology. One of the most obvious ethical issues involves plagiarism. We know what it is–taking another person's ideas and passing them off as our own without offering proper citation. It's something we've had every teacher and professor lecture about on the first day of class for practically our entire school careers. Don't do it. You will fail the class. Read the syllabus. Follow the school's guidelines. And after that, we almost never hear about it again. As a student, I lived (as still live) in constant fear of plagiarism. The threats of failed classes and expulsion from school gave me panic attacks as I frantically checked citation guidelines to ensure I wouldn't be accused of siphoning ideas from others. I had acquaintances from other schools who would talk about having to submit their work to plagiarism checking platforms before receiving grades. The threats, the mandatory checking, the fear, all of this happens in schools across the country. 

Looking at it from the outside, this is a terrible way to confront the plagiarism. This method puts students on the defensive from the beginning. It says to them, "We don't trust you. Even accidents are bad." In their article, "Technology and Academic Virtue: Student Plagiarism Through the Looking Glass," Cynthia Townley and Mitch Parsell point out that this process does nothing to prevent plagiarism; it simply attacks where problems arise. In an environment where trusting relationships are key, it creates a distrustful display of power between teachers and students. In "Write from Wrong," Barry Gilmore questions whether reduced levels of plagiarism because of these tactics is a result of genuine understanding of why plagiarism is harmful, or if it's because students simply "are afraid of getting caught." I've always questioned these types of plagiarism policies, especially in the secondary education setting. How can we expect and accept children making mistakes when it comes to learning new information, yet give them a one-strike policy when it comes to citations and accreditation? Moreover, if we automatically expect that our students will resort to plagiarism to complete their work, wouldn't that be a failure on our part as teachers? Teachers and administrators need to be proactive, rather than reactive. What I found most powerful was Gilmore's observation regarding learning versus completion. He felt that students who didn't understand the value or purpose of their writing assignments were more likely to cheat or plagiarize their work. This is a topic we've been focusing on in my Teaching Writing class. Writing assignments need to be relevant, meaningful, and engaging, not time wasting. Students need to be made aware of how a particular paper will help them in their overall understanding of the content as a whole. Even more important, I've realized, is leading by example. If I want my students to be ethical, cognizant writers, I have to show them how, all the time. Even if it means citing my sources and crediting ideas in presentations, even though I don't **have to**.

Technology will never stop changing. There will always be a new program, an updated software, and  a whole new slew of ethical issues to research and attempt to clarify. I am never going to fully understand technology, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try. In order to teach my students, I need to make sense their world, and that world is centered on advancing technology. I am not going to be that stubborn old teacher who is stuck in her archaic ways, not if I can help it, and I see this class as being the first step on my journey.