The Intimidating Factor of New Technologies

Let me first say that I've always been on the cutting edge of technology. I can remember ALL the cars I've ever owned, but not all the gadgets and PCs. However, over the past few years (I soon will turn 50), I sometimes defer to my eldest son (age 25) to deal with technical things that I don't care to. I must admit that my texting skills are equal to that of a third grader and I don't have special ringtones on my phone (all my children do!). I've spent the last 3 years bringing technology to our onsite school after spending 2 years developing custom software applications related to online schooling. So it's with a little bit of sheepishness, that I have jumped back into learning cutting edge technologies - I'm looking for new ways to teach online. To be cutting edge today you need voice, video and vibrancy.

All of this leads to tonight's learning experience with intimidating new technologies. I'm looking online for some kind of tablet that will enable my math instructors to efficiently teach their online students. Something that combines voice, data and vibrancy... something that will allow them to quickly and efficiently tutor students online when they have a question about algebra.

But I digress, back to being intimidated by technology. I came across a website that use something called voicethreads to create online math lessons incorporating images, audio and hand written math equation solutions. Just what I have been looking for.... now my tablet for inputting handwritten solutions is nearly five years old and I looked online for newer versions - they look the same, cost about the same, but do so much more and require something called annotation software (more on this in the future - enough intimidation for one blog).

I signed up for voicethreads (they have a special deal for K-12 educators!) and looked through the examples (I couldn't figure out how to use it) and finally decided I'd seen enough and leaped into creating my own. I used my blogspot picture of me at the beach and used my built-in webcam and microphone to create my first voicethread - now I couldn't add any math solutions so my drawing is a little crude, but I think you can clearly see an X for the beginning of a math equation. I messed up the + sign and couldn't figure how to 'go-back' or press an 'undo' button - maybe I need annotation software for that? Anyway - if you're the least bit adventurous and interested, watch my weak first attempt at a voicethread (remembering that a 1000 mile journey begins with a single first step) and then signup for your own voicethread account and stare down this intimidating new technology.

Thinking, Reading, Writing (Creating) and Praying this works...



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Now watch this mathcast by someone who knows what they're doing...
Mathcast

How do we measure a student's success?

At our online school, we live and die by a student’s success or failure... if they fail, they almost never re-enroll. We want to let parents know that we will do whatever we can to help their child succeed.

We have a different ministry than an onsite school. An onsite school teacher has certain obligations to the other students in their class - a need to demonstrate 'fairness'. But at Eagle, we deal with some students who have failed at onsite schools and parents are looking for help in turning their children around. We can be flexible... i.e. granting extensions beyond the semester for students who want to complete their assignments. As long as a student is willing to keep working... we will never give up on them. We also need to disciple them to realize that lazy efforts receive lazy grades (even at times an F). Some students merely need to learn this crucial lesson - they must 'own' their schooling experience and put forth effort to earn credit. However, part of our job is to balance this need for learning responsibility with the need for encouragement and success. I'm afraid at times that I've been too busy with everything else to work at listening and communicating with students and parents. In order for Eagle to succeed (grow numerically as well as student achievement), I need to be in contact with those who are struggling academically - they may be smart, but have poor work habits. They may have come from a difficult home situation (like kids at COLT). But while they're here, we need to find a way to make them successful and teach them the academic and life skills they need to succeed.

Thinking, Reading, Writing & Praying...