Response to Warnock #6/7- Chapters 16-18

I did not post about Warnock last week due to time constraints, but I'm back on track this week!

I've seemed to have reached a stalemate with Warnock. I feel like the first three-fourths of the book contained a wealth of information on how to perfect any sort of online class. Now Warnock has honed in on the "writing portion" of his profession, and I feel a little bit lost. I will confess that I am not a strong teacher when it comes to pure writing and rhetoric. If you've been following my blog or know me, you'll know that I'm a ninth grade English teacher. South Carolina's English I curriculum does not contain staunch standards on teaching writing. Now, this doesn't mean I let my kids leave my class illiterate. However, I do not ever assign large, 5 page writing assignments. Therefore, the ideas that Warnock offers on how to teach composition are a bit confusing to me. In chapter sixteen, Warnock stresses the importance of collaborating with other teachers. I believe this is what I should do in order to tackle my inadequacies with teaching writing and rhetoric.

Friends in this course that teach writing online: What are your thoughts on what Warnock says in chapter 16? Has collaborating in a similar space helped you with teaching? How can some of your online teaching skills spill over to f2f teaching?

Chapter 18 should be labeled "Helpful Things for People Like Kelly Who Don't Know Much." I liked the hybrid of a glossary/list of helpful things. I'd already mentioned the important information at the back of Warnock's book, but chapter 18 lists some hands on elements such as textbooks and websites.

And that brings me to the end of the book. Overall, I enjoyed this textbook if you can even call it that. My first blog post on Warnock discussed how accessible the book is, and I still stick to that claim. While I still maintain that I probably will not teach online in the near future, I still EXTREMELY appreciate all the parallels that can be drawn between Warnock's words and the real-life classroom. I plan to add this to my shelf at Fort Mill High School. 

Response to Research Post #6 - 10 Things Teachers Should Know about GoogleDocs

I apologize for the late post. Yesterday was a doozy, and I plum forgot it was a Monday!

Today's research themed post centers on GoogleDocs. GoogleDocs first appeared in my orbit around 2010. I used it for my WRIT 350 course as a way to peer edit a paper. It was neat, but we basically used different colored fonts to write in comments and add our thoughts towards a peer's paper. I will say I garnered good feedback on my paper, and I did not feel like my group was going through the motions.

Obviously GoogleDocs has come a long way from just using colored font to add comments. Now you can create quizzes on GoogleDocs, surveys, tests, etc. and the best part? You can spy on your students! I will admit that I have not used GoogleDocs to its full advantage, but I have left assignments for my students to complete while I was out sick. For example, I found a neat web quest about Shakespeare online, so I uploaded it to GoogleDocs and left instructions for my sub. Students were to get in pairs and complete the web quest using Chromebooks. While I was home sick, I was able to log into my Google account and see if students were doing their work. It was great because I was able to go back the next day and praise those who worked diligently and then of course, take points off for those who did not complete the assignment.

The article linked below gives some handy insight into services offered through GoogleDocs. I've already mentioned some above (editing features, etc.) but some new ones I'm looking into are the research tools and the ability to leave vocal comments.

What are your experiences with GoogleDocs? Love it? Hate it? Don't know much about it? Let me know!

10 Things Every Teacher Should Know about GoogleDocs

Oh, and PS. The website where this article came from, Edudemic, is FANTASTIC. Dr. Spring has posted several articles from here on the Twitter page, and I've been using it for the past week to do some research for the annotated bib assignment. I especially enjoy the "How-To" section! 

Response to Warnock #4: Chapters 11-12

Warnock begins chapter 11 with a pitch for online grading and feedback. He writes, "When you teach writing online, your methods of responding to students are forced to change, often for the better. In many cases, the change is mild: you begin typing in-text comments on a word processor instead of writing them hurriedly-and sometimes illegibly-in the margins. Similarly, you type a brief (but possibly longer than handwritten) end comment" (121). Warnock's thoughts on feedback mirror my own. If I could type everything, I would definitely give better constructive feedback while spending less amount of time. Warnock's comment about "illegible margin notes" fits me to a tee, and it put into perspective things I could be utilizing as a teacher.

I cannot tell you how nice it would be to have my students turn in major assignments electronically. Just this past year, I have played around with GoogleDocs a little bit. I've managed to create a class quiz and give one assignment entirely online. It was a book report assignment, and and I modeled to students how to access the assignment and turn it in via GoogleDocs. It worked well for the most part, and I was able to give feedback in a more personal light. However, the assignment was problematic for students who do not have computer access at home. I discussed this obstacle in an earlier blog post, and my suggestion for this is to build in time for students to work in class. I realize this defeats the purpose of an all-electronic assignment, but baby steps are necessary in order for larger change to occur.

Warnock's ideas towards voice comments and podcasts are great, although the software Warnock mentions seems a bit convoluted. Vocaroo is a fantastic little tool you can use to record your voice and download to make a podcast. It isn't very fancy, which is exactly the way I like it. I've used this in a previous online course with great results.

As for the chapter on grading, I really don't have much to say about this except that Warnock is absolutely.postively.insanely.correct. Holistic is the way to go for grading writing assignments, and I like the fact that Warnock pushes for everything to be graded. Even if it's for a small grade, effort counts and should be rewarded. 

Response #1 to Warnock: Chapters 1-4

First off, I would like to comment on Warnock's voice in this "textbook." I put textbook in quotes because it does not resemble nor reads like a typical textbook. It is slim and light, and the structure is easy to follow. I appreciate Warnock's candid voice. I found myself chuckling at times to certain comments he would make about otherwise mundane topics. If anything, I always admire dry wit.

My thoughts on chapter one are pretty straightforward. I liked the list of personalities that Warnock advises against using when conducting an online course. The same goes when teaching a live course, for the most part. Also, I liked his suggestions for ice-breakers. I have only taken one other online course, and we did a large introductory post. While these are great, I prefer short, original introductions. His fill in the blank type questions are to the point and would leave a lasting impression. I feel like this is important in getting to know people in the online environment. For example, I prefer to know the people who will be commenting on my posts at least once a week.

The online vs. hybrid course debate covered in chapter two was somewhat confusing for me. I have never participated in true hybrid course...at least, I don't think. I have taken one or two courses where certain activities are completed via Blackboard while other stuff is turned in during class time. Does this constitute a hybrid course? Those of you with a stronger background in this could possibly help me out?

Chapters three and four move towards an in depth explanation about activities and strategies that can be used in to improve communication online, etc. Dr. Spring mentioned the possibility of using Google Hangout at the beginning of this course. I have never used Google Hangout before, but I am open to the idea. My biggest hindrance in the course so far is time. I have a packed summer schedule (despite being "off") and I feel like this has kept me from exploring other options. Warnock mentions using a "stripped down" method for communicating day to day in the online class environment. So far, I have made a better effort in re-activating my Twitter account and checking my Winthrop email regularly. These are small steps that I hope will lead to bigger ones. Right now, I am content with doing the majority of course work independently. This is only because I am afraid to commit to group work etc. without giving a 100% effort. I don't want to be that person who doesn't do her share of the work. Part of this stems from fear of the unknown in relation to online class. But as Warnock says, "At some point, you need to jump in."

Final thought: the glossary found at the back of this book is extremely helpful. Just FYI in case some of you haven't noticed it yet. (I just noticed it tonight, so yeah.) 

Response to Research #1: "Education’s war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the 'digital generation'"

Education’s war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the “digital generation”

The link to the article above will take you to a post Dr. Spring tweeted earlier this week. I have ran across the issue of "high-tech" cheating this year during End of Course testing. I teach predominantly English I, which is a ninth grade, skills-based English course. In South Carolina, all ninth graders who take English I must take a state-mandated final exam (called the EOC) at the end of each semester. Let me reiterate: this is for English I students ONLY. During my bi-yearly test administrator training, we were warned about the different types of cheating covered in this article. For the first time ever, students were not allowed to have water bottles in the testing site. This derived from the fear that students will custom create labels with pertinent information pertaining to the test. However, I don't want to focus my blog post on the evils of students cheating. In stead, I want to focus on the counter-argument presented in this article: technology can be used for good. Specifically, I want to point out and respond to certain statements the writer made.

In response to the effort made to cheat: "Many of the educators argued that in the age of ubiquitous computing, depriving students of reference materials does little to test them on their ability to apply concepts in real-world situations. Several provided testimonials to the value of allowing them to bring their own study aids, such as note cards, to examinations." I agree with this statement. There have been many occasions where a professor allowed me and fellow students in a class to create an old-fashioned, one page "cheat sheet." By taking advantage of the opportunity, I reviewed my notes, categorized them in a way that I could read easily, and re-familiarized myself with the information. Nine times out of ten, I a barely needed the cheat sheet by the time test day came around because I knew all the material! While I have never used this concept in my own classroom, I am definitely considering the idea. 

In response to the war against technology: "On one side, we—the faculty—seem to control course management systems, online quizzes, wireless clickers, Internet access to PowerPoint slides and podcasts, and plagiarism-detection software. On the student side, they are armed with smart phones, laptops, music players, digital cameras, and social network sites." Once again, I agree. I have attended umpteen professional development days where technology is the focal point. Whenever I attend one of these "mini-conferences," I make a conscientious effort to implement at least two new things I learned, whether that be using a new website or creating a new SmartBoard document. Sadly, not all teachers do this. It's baffling. I have access to many outlets for digital learning, and I do not utilize them to their fullest potential. Students are constantly plugged in, and I need to implement ways that can blend their favorite things with educational standards. 

In response to "learning the old fashioned way": "Promoters of gadget-oriented instructional technology argue that students in the digital generation need to be connected to a technical device in order for there to be any hope of engagement with formal education." Sometimes I feel like I am being a traitor towards my classic training in literature. I am a firm believer in teaching the canon, but I support and PUSH for teaching the canon in different ways. Just as technology has evolved, so should teachers and the method to teach. 

Losh, Elizabeth. "Education's war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the 'digital generation'." Salon. 14      June 2014. Web. 16 June 2014.