Sweet!
Anyway, the summer 2012 semester for the 2012-13 SECMAC program is over. I'm still in a bit of shock over that since it still feels like June 18 was yesterday. I don't remember the last time I worked as hard as I did this summer (I lied. I do. It was 2008. The first summer I was working in management at in my former career and was at field school until the morning before an event started). It's tested me at time, but so far, I've passed the test. And it's going to take a lot to tell me I didn't pass. I had (past tense, it's gone from me) the bad habit of quitting when things hard in the past. I only felt like quitting once during the summer and it wasn't because of the program. That's big stuff.
If I was to reflect about the entire summer, I'd be reflecting all day. So I'll reflect on Friday's class instead. We listened to a panel of 5 past MACers talk about the experiences they've had in teaching and the role technology has played in their classrooms. It was enjoyable to hear MACers talk about their lives post program and even more enjoyable to know that they have jobs and have become the type of teacher I want to be. It was really interesting to hear different perspectives and see the reality of what technology in the classroom is. It takes on so many different roles. Two comments resonated with me, one from 2012 graduate of the program and the other from a teacher with a few years of teaching experience under her belt. Tom, who graduated this past spring, made a comment that opened my eyes up: he said you have to be ready to teach students how to actually use technology to their advantage. We assume that young people have some innate knowledge on all things associated to technology and that it just comes to them without issue. But that's not the case. We have to teach our students how to use technology if we want them to be successful with it. We have to do more then just show them a tool. We have to actually show them how to use it.
The other comment came from Stephanie, a MACer with a few years of teaching experience under her belt. She made the comment that you can have all the technology in the world available to you, but none of that matters unless you have the means of implementing it. She teaches at a school very close to the high school I attended. I suddenly viewed things in a totally different light when she mentioned she was the entire Spanish department at her school and that they felt like that one kid that just doesn't have what it takes to join the club. They have the technology, but no means of getting it used because of various circumstances in her school and district.
When I was in high school, I didn't see it that way. My mother is a teacher and I knew things could be rough, but it just never dawned on me about how things really were. And are. I want the happy, pretty lenses of schools that use a ton of technology and support that use to stay on. But I know that's not reality. I know that's not the school I'm going into or the district I'll be in. But I know I have a certain number of tools in my toolbox that I can work with and whatever I'm going to do is going to be done with those tools.
If I've learned anything over the past 6 or 7 weeks, I've learned that I can do this and when that when it get hard, I'm not doing this alone. I have 47 other people around me going through the same things. And when things did get bad for me, everyone around held me up and let me know that I wasn't alone, no matter what happened. Sometimes you just need to know that it'll be okay. And it has been.
But for now? I'm free. My parents just told me that if our flight gets canceled we do the second best thing behind Italy and go to Charleston. I'm not sure how South Carolina ranks second to Italy, but's a break and I need a break.
But we're free.
Hi, Abby! Sending good thoughts to the gods of Air Traffic Control that you are reading this from Italy. While I have spent six summers working for the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, and it is a lovely place with amazing food and charm, it's really hard to beat the Old Country. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Charleston, but Italy is AMAZING. In my opinion, you should eventually do both. I mean, why not?
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you about how hard we've all worked these past six weeks. I do remember the last time I worked this hard (only because this is how hard I work at everything I do), but I don't think I've ever worked this hard for this long. But we all got through it, maybe some of us have a few bumps and bruises on our pride (me), but you're right, we're all in it together.
What time said about US teaching the youngin's technology blew me away too. But he's right. If it wasn't for Anne's class, I would have had a difficult time looking for articles for our research paper. I've never had to do anything like that. Google was my internet god, kind of still is for other things. And yes, teaching is hard, and probably won't get easier. In a way, I hope it never does. I want to always keep growing, and learn. But it's definitely time for a break. Safe travels!
Yum, reality is tasty. You are so right about how difficult it is to process what the hell we just did for the last six or seven weeks. I hope you have a fantastic trip (and that you made it!). I like what you said about teaching students to use the technology we are providing to them as tools. I was surprised that this would be such an issue actually, even this summer as we worked with students in summer school. The levels of comfort were about as varied as in our cohort, as with our 7th graders! Yikes. I feel better prepared to work with this in my own classroom one day, and anticipate the patience it will take to get students to be proficient the way we might already expect them to be.
ReplyDelete"We assume that young people have some innate knowledge on all things associated to technology and that it just comes to them without issue. "
ReplyDeleteSo true. I don't think it was until the last five or four years that I truly refined my search skills, especially for google. While I was watching my student google for pictures to include in his project (I eventually showed him flickrCC), I was amazed that he didn't know which words to pick to get the best results. But then at the same time, I had to bring myself back to reality and realize that he has limited computer access outside of school. It's something that definitely needs to be taught.
I hope you made it to Italy! (?) We did get evacuated from Lolla... the storm was intense as I watched it from our friend's 39th floor condo overlooking Navy Pier. I was soooo glad I wasn't out there. And the mud was EPIC when we got back in. The weather didn't end up ruining our time, I think it made it better. I hope you guys made your flight!
Ciao!
Stephanie's situation was fascinating and concerning at the same time for me. She doesn't even have books! Nor did it seem like there was a lot of technology available to her to compensate this short coming so it was interesting to hear what she was doing and uplifting that she seemed like she was able to overcome these shortcomings. I love your take away and I agree that its definitely nice knowing that there 40-some-odd other people going through the same experience that I can talk to.
ReplyDeleteFinally I would like to congratulate you on being the lucky winner of my 20th blog comment and voice my surprise you did not go a more traditional route in your video with this mainstay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUugQoxS8_o
Personally I might have gone with this one (complete with an awesomely 80's music video). If you don't watch the whole thing I implore you to at least skip to 1:17 and watch for a minute it's ridiculous:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u2G6OyZyCI
I could never go with something as obvious Alice Cooper. I did consider, The Go Gos, though. In the end, my undying love for The Who just won out.
DeleteSad to see your flight delayed, and I hope you still got to go! I definately share your feeling that we can make it through this! I liked your comment about the summer feeling like a day, I feel that! Also, I felt that teaching students to use technology to their advantage could really help them get through life. How do you feel you would do that in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm sitting on the balcony of a hotel in Charleston. It's okay, but it's not Italy. Also, I lack necessary clothing for South Carolina.
DeleteHow will I teach my kids to use technology? Trial and error. I don't think kids really know how to accurately use a lot of resources associated research and technology, so I do feel some responsibility to teach them, at least the basics. If there's something that I think can help them, but they don't know how to use it, I think I need to step forward and show them how.