Greetings MWP bloggers!
We gave this blog a whirl last year, but we never quite got the traction we had hoped for (largely, I suspect, because we created the blog rather late during the '04 Summer Institute ... and, well, y'all do tend to get a bit busy during those four weeks). In any event, it's MWP Blog Redux! Welcome! We do hope this venue will give us all a chance to extend our sense of community (remembering Charlie's question from this morning, this will be especially pertinent in our post-Summer Institute, post-EAnthology lives), to pick up and explore further some of the rich and tantalizing threads that are by necessity abandoned during our daily conversations, and, well, to have a bit of fun. In other words, consider this space open to musings theoretical and practical, personal and professional, sublime and ridiculous, and everything in between ... wondrous words ... passionate attachments ... turning points ... shared teaching moments ... book suggestions ... favorite quotes and aphorisms ... diatribes against Stanley Fish ... testimonios set to the tune of "Camp Wanata" ... and, always, lots of questions. Have at it!
(For those of you who are new to this blogging thing, know that you are, of course, encouraged both to respond to existing posts and to start new threads/posts)
(For those of you who are new to this blogging thing, know that you are, of course, encouraged both to respond to existing posts and to start new threads/posts)
5 Comments:
Computers. My experience with computers is at best an intrigue-- I use computers to write and research information-- I feel that I am somewhat apt at finding my way around random computer problems or issues-- i.e. computer crashes ect. + I've learned a lot from the Apple Care Tech guys.
I believe that computers are an important part of our writing identities, and yet I feel attached to traditional ways of writing within the reading, writing, and thinking classroom-- I'm a slow typist + I can't think with others tapping away so while I'd like to create a balance between introducing computers into my classroom I think I would have to sleep to the sound of tapping-- hee-hee...
I am somewhere between novice and competent, because I'm always running into usage opportunities in which I have to scramble. Like today. Computers are wonderful. Anyone who remembers typing, knows this. However, of the many applications available, I use only a few - E-mail, word processing, school software for business there, digital photography (in the classroom and personally), Internet research, to name a few. On computers I read the New York Times thing I get daily, E-mail from folks, information about place, products. My school values technology if the size of the budget compared to budgets for books is any indication. I find, however that the purchase of hardware is the first expenditure and training for both staff and students lags behind. Of course, we use computers for forming traditional writing in the classroom. It's nice that each student has his/her own place to compile the files because we can pull them up and work on them at any time. We do research on the Internet in class. I have been excited by the possibilities raised by this experience. I think the Web is the real place of publication for my students (I think of Knopf and bound paper).
I feel relatively confident with computers. I have always been a good typist, but didn't have a personal home computer until about 7 years ago, in my early 30's. Now looking back, I feel that I easily picked up how to use word processing programs, although I know that the process was far from simple. Even turning on the computer, shutting it down, figuring out how to get on the internet, and worrying about "losing" documents concerned me greatly. In college as an undergraduate in the 80's I insisted on typing my papers, even though some students were using the computer lab. I was afraid of the computers "crashing" and "losing" my work. Plus I had developed such a great system of paper writing that involved graphic organization (such as arrows, circles, underlining, and crossing out) that the computer made me uncomfortable.
Now I do most all academic work on the computer. It is simply faster. I also have learned how to organize my files, although I really should go clean out my computer. I took courses in Word and even Front Page, thinking that there was just one way to do things with these programs. Since then, I have learned that there is more than one way to do most things on the computer. I recently learned how to use Pagemaker to create a journal. That was very trying, but a how-to book really helped. I feel confident that I can learn any computer task, although some things take longer than others.
In general, it seems the schools where I live use computer technology minimally, but want to use it more. New teachers are asked how they will incorporate technology into their classrooms, but it does not seem there is much opportunity to do so.
I admit I have been resistant to the technological explosion, but I recognize the power of image, sound, and language and how my students will be so far advanced from me as to how they manipulate these media. I need to catch up!
Since Eric's workshop two days ago, I am excited to learn about how to learn and teach students to create a beautiful, multi-media writing piece. Although I may have wanted to reject Postman's assertion last week, I am already seeing technology and writing in a new light. My fear is not just learning about computer technology itself, but having to "redefine" literacy and writing itself. Who will set these standards? How will plagiarism be addressed? How will we monitor our student learning? I am eager to learn....
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