I will preface this by saying that I have only read the two 4C's position statements, but (as what normally happens when I reflect on teaching and research) I had this list of questions in my mind. I am curious as to how all of you use technology in the classroom or are thinking of using technology in upcoming semesters? I am in the process of completely revamping my syllabus, so all of this is at the forefront of my mind. I also fall into the category of hating vista (or blackboard, though I hear the new blackboard platform is suppose to be really good), so much that I haven't used it in the past year and a half and instead have a course website and course blog, and the all my students have their own blogs. One thing that I am really interested in hearing from you is about online office hours. On Wednesday I do office hours via an aim widget on my website, and I haven't had any students this semester.... which is a huge change from last semester at Ball State where I would have so many chat windows open that I thought I was going to lose my mind. I know a few posts below was there a discussion on teaching students to do movies and such, and I do do that. The final project is a movie (and there are mini other technology projects or components working up to that). But I am curious to see how you are integrating it.
I heart technology. I hate it at times, but all in all I love trying new things, playing around with programs. So, after reading these two 4C's positions I was thinking of how am I going to capture that within a "please hire me" document. I don't want to print off pages of my course website for teaching, nor do I want to print off of my profession website/webfolio. If and when I ever get something published on Karios or Computers and Composition, how is that document going to look printed and in a folder? Do we send youtube links with our movie compositions as examples of work? And even outside of the WPA or Writing Center listserve, there are all the 4C's/NCTE/IWCA facebook groups, twitters, Ning sites... where would those fall in, if at all? At what point will that just become a part of professional development?
And final 4C's thought of the lunch break. Does anyone know more about the computer scoring in Writing Centers? I am just curious.
"We understand that machine-scoring programs are under consideration not just for the scoring of placement tests, but for responding to student writing in writing centers and as exit tests. We oppose the use of machine-scored writing in the assessment of writing." (CCCC Postion Teaching, Learning and Assessing...)
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At the risk of repeating my comments to Bob's post, the various technologies I am using in my classroom this semester include:
-email (for word count collection and general communication)
-facebook (for a few assignments--flair making and posting of some smaller paper assignments--and general communications)
-various audio burning technologies (I have my students burning "soundtracks" to one of their major papers)
-video recording/youtube (I am recording myself and my students reciting poetry tomorrow for 'Bring a Poem to Class!" day)
Also, like Nikki, I am planning on radically revamping my syllabus for next semester to include more "multiple literacies/multiple technologies" assignments for my classes. I'm not sure I am ready to start running a class blog yet (or if I am willing to more or less force my students to open up their work for all of the class to see...), but it is in the back of my mind. Vista and blackboard, be damned.
E.
I am probably, at heart, a ludite. I occasionally have daydreams about the Amish. :-)
But, I've been trying hard to integrate technology into my courses. The biggest challenge for me is still making it feel _integrated_ and not just tacked on. I do use Vista, but minimally, mainly to give my students access to articles. I've used grading programs in the past on computers, but on a practical level, it's much easier when I'm doing things like a quick homework check, to simply put a check in a gradebook when I talk to each student-- it allows me to have that personal F2F contact.
As for how I use technology otherwise, PowerPoint has been a reliable tool. I do try to encourage some reflection about the use of technology though-- i.e. I have had my first year students read an article in George & Trimbur's Reading Culture book called, "Power Point is Evil" and then we talk about affordances and constraints...
I'm also adding Movie Maker this semester. I'll have to keep you posted on how that goes. Introducing it on Tuesday.
[oh yeah, we do use email frequently too... interestingly, I seem to think of email as 'invisible'- it didn't even come to mind until I read Elliot's mention of it.]
In 21011 this semester, I've used an ethnographic approach, and the students have been working in their own individual field sites throughout the semester. As they prepare their final portfolios though, they will be asked to deliver a multimodal presentation, which incorporates a technological element to further enhance the argument they're making about their research.
In a rather futile attempt to tie together these ramblings, I'd note this: For me, incorporating technology in the classrooms actually seems to work best when students are introduced to it in low risk, group settings. i.e. Before students will have their high-stakes multimodal presentations, they will have worked on mini-movies or slide shows in groups for practice.
Like other aspects of learning, I think it's helpful to scaffold folks into new technologies.
Back to thinking about the Amish... I would really miss zippers.
Nikki: You asked how to include digital/multimodal/etc texts with your CV when you go job searching. I think it might be best to included both a CD with all the digital files available along with a list of hyperlinks (if those files are published online). The disk can be kept in a disk sleeve that sticks to a plastic portfolio folder, which includes your CV and letter, etc. At least that's what I did when I sent my photo portfolio to newspapers. It seems appropriate to include nontraditional texts in a format that displays them as they were meant to be read/viewed. This is a good question that you raised, because it is really important to make sure your texts can be read and viewed in the best possible way. Presentation is as important as the meaning itself.
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