Given the learning curve associated with all things technological and the time it takes to master and effectively employ new technologies in any aspect of our lives . . .
- Where do we find the time to explore the bleeding edge, mining and mastering new technologies, and
- How do we fit teaching these new, non-subject specific skills and their attendant issues (see prompt #8) into our already overburdened instructional time?
- Finally, how do we avoid the time sinkhole computers can become?
(Contributed by Mauro Staiano)
Mauro's prompt--
1. What is "the bleeding edge"? I don't even know how to respond to that one. I went to another digital storytelling workshop just to do more in a group, and I feel more competent for sure. I have looked in attending a few more, but now I probably just need to do more in the classroom. I am still frustrated that digital access depends on: school resources (not equitable), family and community resources (not equitable), teacher training and interest (not equitable). I'm overlapping into #2 here, but given the limits, I am addicted to digital storytelling and I love it as personal narrative. I also love mining loc.gov (library of congress, which is now posting on flickr--very cool, they want to be available to more people--and making historical movies, or using it for science, or for responding to any other subject. I find time because it is important to me, and I see how it can be important to students and to others who care about education.
2. Screw the standards. I am trying to cover them by making my students think and produce (not very successfully). Digital stories can be shared, and having an audience for authentic work is important. Non-subject specific skills can be used across the curriculum--remember when those were important ideas? We want people who can think and communicate, so let's do stuff that leads to students being able to demonstrate what they know, in whatever media.
3. Sinkhole? I try to use tools for good, not evil. I try not to veg out with the computer and I pull the plug on my family sometimes. But I love email, researching, and am very proud of my kind of stagnant blog. We now have 2 laptops and one cool flat screen often at home, and one antique mac something or other that doesn't do much--we only actually own the last, and use the others for work. When the power threatens to go out, we hope the batteries are juiced. I have noticed that if I am just vegging my eyes hurt but if I am actually learning something while on the computer, I feel every energetic. My own barometer of time well spent.
Back to an earlier prompt about privacy--I finally sent my first digital story "Lucky" to Rachel (an important character. She's a lawyer and said, "Your social security # can be seen in your story!" so I have to fix that. In the meantime, if you have a copy from my blog, please don't send it to anyone.
I learn something new every day, usually the hard way...
--Harriet
I think you're very "cutting edge" and if there is any blood letting, it is because of the lack of resources you need to keep growing! You go girl! ~Vicki
Harriet,
I share your feelings about all the non-equitables. I don't think that we will ever have an equitable society until we change the way schools are funded. Unfortunately, so many people are OK with "good" and "bad" schools as long as their children attend a "good" school. Anyway, I won't get started on that because my purpose is to tell you that the determination and resolve you've shown to learn and use digital storytelling are truly admirable.
LL
