RSS

Well, I just went to the bloglines site to create a feed. We'll see if it all turns out. I subscribed to Salon, as well as my classmates' sites. I'm really not sure if it will all work tomorrow. If it does, I'll be really excited. On to creating an avatar; loved Ann's, so I want to do something just as glamorous. Meanwhile, I have a media student teacher, so I'm really excited about helping him have a good experience in our high school, and having more administrative time to do my own work & to work on this project!

United Streaming

I was really impressed with all the teacher resources embedded in this program. Today, I have already talked it up with 2 teachers and a couple of students, although we have a problem with our student login code. Having the time set aside to explore these options in class was very productive for me. The calendar links are something I'd like to be using daily or at least weekly as just interesting stuff to put up in the media center.

Literacy How?

One of the main concerns I have regarding student research is their assumption that the answers, if they do pose a question, will pop right up on the computer screen when they type in a key word. The thinking that goes behind the ability to form a question seems ill-formed. Most of our students are very "literate" in terms of operating a computer to use & keep up with email, MySpace, online games, and other chat-rooms. Pulling them away from the "fun" stuff is something I do frequently every day. I remember that we are teaching children whose parents are the "Sesame Street" generation, raised on a program planned for an attention span of 30 seconds. They grew up being entertained by TV, computer games, and constant visual and auditory stimulation. Being mesmerized by electronics really doesn't give their thinking skills much practice in contemplation. Many of the students I see daily are very passive about their education; creative curiosity seems to have been bred out of them! How do we recapture their desire to learn?

Starting Over

Well, what an adventure I've had this afternoon. For the first time since our initial posting, I tried without success to access my first blog. I can't get to the original email I put in, and can't get the password for an account I seem to have no access to....
So, to begin with, my job keeps me focused on the print format side of our media center, which is one reason I decided to get involved in this project. It is pushing me outside of my comfort zone. This past week was the second meeting of my new "Urban Issues" Book Club at South. In spite of meeting several students that morning who said they would attend, no one actually showed up!! I'll have to try something else. I really wanted to tell them that we have a chance to actually meet Sharon Draper, author of the very popular Hazelwood High trilogy, early in December.