Social Networking with Ning

The social network I am a member of is the Chautauqua County Teachers Center National Board Certification group (http://cctcnbc.ning.com/). This is a group of women working toward their National Board Certification. I received my National Board Certification in November 2005. It was a very rewarding process, but very rigorous and stressful. I am currently a National Board Candidate Support Provider and these women are my candidates. I think as a member of this group I can help to support the women and provide much needed support and encouragement throughout the process. On the other side it will be a useful tool for me to monitor the progress of the process and will make the collaboration and support easier. It is very important that they use each other also as collaborators. I can encourage this collaboration through the use of this social network. They can see each others questions and support each other.

A Learner is like a Garden

When making an analogy that compares today's learner, one has to take into consideration the extensive platform that confronts this generation of learners. Society today is an amazing information infrastructure and children obtain knowledge in many different facets throughout their lives. George Siemens has compiled his knowledge and beliefs on this topic into the theory of Connectivism. The basis of this theory is that, "Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual." (Siemens, 2005) .

Taking all of these ideas into consideration, I believe the learner of today is like a garden.

Each spring my garden is a place of infinite possibilities. It can be anything I want it to be; vegetable garden, flower garden, herbs. It is only limited by the care and attention it receives and how it uses the resources available to it. After planting the garden it is gains its independence and flourishes or fails depending on the resources it has and how it uses them. The garden is diverse, and each plant will seek out or reject different environmental and physical attributes. For example, tomatoes when planted next to Thyme are protected from pests. Green peppers and watermelons are a water saturated vegetable and leech water from the ground and green beans prefer a vine to grow toward the sun. Each of these plants seeks to quench their own needs. As we know the garden is not a perfect haven. Weeds loom and threaten to suffocate and stifle growth. Pests also threaten the progress of the plant.

Careful gardeners do many things to make their gardens grow. They plan their gardens very carefully pairing vegetables in complimentary groupings. They painstakingly care for their garden not just by removing weeds that may prohibit growth, but by spreading manure to fertilize and encourage growth. They are careful to protect their garden from pests, especially when plants are young so plants can mature and be strong enough to ward off invaders on their own.

Now let's look at the garden in terms of a learner. Like the garden the learner is a thing of infinite possibilities. It can be anything it wants to be. Although we have some progress still to be made, our children have more opportunities and less limitations they had even ten years ago. Similar to the garden the learner is limited by the care, attention and resources it has available. The resource available to a learner today gives them the ability to find the information they need to succeed and learn from one another. As Siemens (2005) holds, "Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual. This can be said for the garden and the learner. Learners and gardens must adapt to the environment and make decisions based on what information they receive.

The diversity of the garden relates to the diverse cultural, socioeconomic and academic ability levels of the learners we have in our classrooms today. With the vastness of knowledge we have the ability to learn from each other in a consistent way. We are in affect within the garden wall in our classroom. The tomato and thyme, the watermelon and green beans. Diverse needs, diverse interests, diverse levels of success.

It would be neglect to not discuss the inherent risks of a world that is so accessible. We live in a society where our children have access to everything they could imagine…but unfortunately some they could not. These would be the weeds and pests of the garden. They do, however, differ slightly in their intentions. Weeds would be those influences both animate and inanimate that threaten to stifle and smother the learners. This may be unintentional such as the restrictions from technology we instill in our classrooms. Siemens articulates in the video, "The Conflict of Learning Theories with Human Nature" that "We crave the ability to externalize." Can we honestly say that we give our children and students the opportunity to do this?

This hindrance can also be intentional as we see in the garden with the pests. Learners today are challenges each day with becoming more and more discriminating. "The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital" (Siemens, 2005). There is so much information out their that is predatory, and not just in the literal sense. We have an important responsibility not just to teach children how to access information but how to shelter themselves from fraud and deceit, an inherent "pest" of increased availability of information. Analogous to the garden…if we spend the time protecting our garden (learners) and teaching them in youth, they will grow, mature and have the strength and knowledge to blossom and succeed.

Reconnected...

My grandmother recently passed away...It is always interesting how memorable funeral "after parties" can be. I have to be honest some of the people I see I haven't spoken to since the previous after party. My grandfather has never been a particularly extroverted person. He keeps to himself and conversations are short. He is now in his eighties and I was able to spend a few minutes with him recently after the funeral. He gave me his e-mail address and I smiled and said I would e-mail him and tucked it in my purse. When I called him on Christmas...he reminded me that I still had not e-mailed him. I was surprised...he really wanted me to e-mail him...

The idea of being able to reestablish a relationship with my grandfather was very exciting to me as we have spoken infrequently my whole life and I always wondered why...I was told he was shy...and accepted that. I guess my point is that technology is exciting for many more reasons than the ones that are right in front of us...they give us away to maintain necessary connections in an unobtrusive fast way...in a way that fits into the world that technology is making so fast.

Another thought was very interesting to me...my grandfather was born in the 1920's and he has a cell phone, emails and when he called me tonight to ask me which address to use because he was scanning some photos for me I almost dropped to the floor...Tonight I learned something about a man that has played a quiet roll in my life...not only is he extremely intelligent and progressive...but he was handsome too...

And so technology has gained another meaning in my life...

What I'm Knitting...

Thanks to an online class I have to watch twice a week...I have been knitting like crazy...One class=one hat...doesn't get any better than that! Three down...three to go...

Thanks Dad!

When I was a child, my father was a light bulb salesman. He sold the type of lightbulbs that went in car interior and exterior lights. He was a traveling salesman and he went to different car manufacturers and sold the bulbs...One day his boss came in with a semi-conductor...one of those silly looking things that looks like a rectangle spider...and told my father the company was expanding...

Within a year we had one of the first home computers in our home (I was definitely one of the only kids in my neighborhood to have a brand new home computer the Commodore 64) . I would spend hours on the weekend entering lines of code to make a hot airballoon (in green) fly across the screen.

My father would build computers in our basement as a hobby...he always valued technology and encouraged us to use it...My passion for technology began at a young age...

In my classroom, I have used technology at every opportunity. My students have had a distance learning experience with Holocaust Survivors, created several yearbooks using Photoshop and InDesign, created web sites and utilized computers and the internet in many different ways...

The new technology on the internet opens the door for such amazing collaboration and opportunity for both teachers and students. I have always felt that knowledge of technology was a strength and it is one of my primary goals that I stay current...

I am currently developing a hybrid course for Buffalo State. the course will be taught 50% face to face and 50% on line..When exploring the function of a blog I have many exciting ideas and uses for blogs in my Graduate class...My goal for this course (and every course I teach) is that new teachers leave my class with practical applications of information...

Blogs will be used in the follwing fashion in my course...
1- One of the requirements of the course is to read numerous articles on specified topics each week. Rather than having them post to a discussion board I am going to have the students post reflections to their articles in their blogs. Create groups and comment on each group members reflections.

2-I also see the students blogs as a useful tool to develop lasting connections with other teachers in the same discipline. What has always bothered me about the discussion board (as Dr. Burgos stated) is that it goes away...and so does the connection with your colleagues. This is a permanent and on-going connection to your colleagues.

3-One of the major requirements of the course is that the students create a parent resource. They have an option of how to convey and distribute the information to the parents. The blog would be a very unobtrusive resource in paret communication. Obviously you wouldn't discuss personal information, but it could be a place where teachers post helpful resources, services, articles, etc.

I am so excited to further integrate technology into my future courses. I believe it is imperative that teachers are familiar with technology as it is absolutely impreative that students have these advanced skills in order to participate and compete in the 21st century. Plus how else can we spy on our kids??? I have to admit...my mother and I joined MySpace last year...her to spy on my brothers...and myself to spy on my students...guilty as charged.

My Three Sons!

So I just have to laugh...the concept of a place where I can tell everyone and no one all of my daily musings...is brilliant. I as some of you know have three children. Luke who is 6, Lawson who is 3, and Layton who is about 1 1/2. For any of you who don't know me my life can be split into two spheres. Part mother, traditionalist...part feminist and career woman...a funny combination. I long to cuddle, cook and play with my children...but when I put them to bed I run (literally) to my desk to work.

I love both parts of life...oh but what a balancing act...

Welcome!

How exciting my first blog...and post...My life is like my desk...a chaotic mess...but I know where everything is! I wouldn't have it any other way.