tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12559663.post3208150919854261379..comments2022-05-15T07:51:38.658-04:00Comments on A GeekyMomma's Blog: Can We Really Trust Teachers With Their Content?Lee Kolberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14710085354049378555noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12559663.post-74671557192449362762008-05-26T21:43:00.000-04:002008-05-26T21:43:00.000-04:00@wm_chamberlainYou make a good point in that we've...@wm_chamberlain<BR/>You make a good point in that we've been programmed to follow the "script" provided to us by the textbook publishers. Suddenly let loose with our own creativity is out of our comfort zone for many. Good point.<BR/><BR/>@Diane<BR/>Teachers are definitely hesitant to share as well. When I talk to teachers about sharing, I've found two schools of thought: one where teachers feel their stuff is not worthy and one where they worry that someone will take ownership of their work. Both frustrate me but the latter frustrates me the most.<BR/><BR/>@Elizabeth<BR/>I'm so excited when anyone creates access for others. The self policing part is just part of being an adult and people need to just get over it, no? I really believe we are the role models for ourselves and if we don't make a plan, someone will make it for us. Thanks for visiting my blog!<BR/><BR/>@psh<BR/>I couldn't agree with you more how it is the minutia that seems to be valued the most; the weekly lesson plans, the objective number, the time-task-calendar, etc. Is it because our administrators don't know how to subjectively look at what is happening in their schools? Thank goodness for teachers like you who know that your students will remember the experiment on how big they could blow the bubble with their gum, or shoot the bottle rocket rather than reading chapter 11 in the science textbook. Thanks for commenting!<BR/><BR/>@Bill<BR/>Good question; how did we get to that point when we were no longer the experts? When did that happen? <BR/>As for MediaShare, it's not all of Web 2.0 wrapped up in a nice and tidy package, but when you find that product, please call me! It does not include conversation via chat or comments or conferencing. It is about sharing/searching video, documents, PPT, etc. Keeping your resources in one place and having a place, finally, to store all these digital files we've all been creating. Teachers can then logon and search and find teacher made resources to supplement their lessons. It does include RSS and some Web 2.0 features. It will be released very soon. You should contact someone at Discovery. Perhaps @teach42 on Twitter can point you in the right direction :)Lee Kolberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14710085354049378555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12559663.post-4729740947001002152008-05-26T10:53:00.000-04:002008-05-26T10:53:00.000-04:00Hey Hey TeachaKidd---Thanks for a great blog post ...Hey Hey TeachaKidd---<BR/><BR/>Thanks for a great blog post describing the Discovery Network services. My district has been talking about this stuff for awhile now and I wasn't exactly sure what was included in the package and whether it was worth pursuing. <BR/><BR/>I'd be interested in knowing more. Does MediaShare or OnePlace offer anything other than content sharing options? Is instant messaging or video conferencing included? What about blogs and wikis?<BR/><BR/>I'm waiting for the service that bundles all of my Web 2.0 creation, communication and collaboration services into one. That'll be the motherload. <BR/><BR/>I also wrote a post recently about a plan my learning team has up and running to use Delicious and Pageflakes to share electronic resources with one another. Here's the link: <BR/><BR/>http://snipurl.com/2aotl<BR/><BR/>It's been a great solution for us and I've been completely jazzed at how easy it has been for some of the non-techie teachers that I work with to embrace. <BR/><BR/>While I did a lot of the leg work to get the tags organized and Pageflakes set up, they've had no troubles understanding what we're doing and making it work on their ends. <BR/><BR/>I love the comment left by PSH about not being confident in his/her own teaching after 20 years because he/she always feels questioned about what they're doing. <BR/><BR/>It resonated with me because I feel the same way! Systems that make teachers get approval for everything that we do puts us in a position where we doubt our own abilities. <BR/><BR/>What I wonder is how did we ever get to the place where we weren't seen as the instructional experts in our profession. After all, we are the instructors, right?<BR/><BR/>Better yet, how do we get out of this hole that we've dug for ourselves?<BR/><BR/>Glad I found your blog....<BR/><BR/>Rock right on, <BR/>BillAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12559663.post-15625544317091697702008-05-26T09:45:00.000-04:002008-05-26T09:45:00.000-04:00There will of course be the odd teacher who does s...There will of course be the odd teacher who does submit something inappropriate, but that will be the exception, not the rule. Teachers are very capable of policing themselves. <BR/><BR/>Teachers have too many decisions made for them by people other than educators, or by people who are not in the classroom. After 20+ years, I am still required to turn lesson plans in weekly, and test scores are scrutinized. They look at the trees, not the forest. I even find myself doubting my teaching because the workbook pages are not all completed at the end of the year. I need to remember all of the non workbook stuff we did, the ungradable and remind myself of the big picture.<BR/><BR/>I try to share as much with my colleagues as I can, however I don't always find them very receptive. Many teachers are hesitant to try anything new, because something new implies that there may have been something wrong with the way they do it now. It is hard to teach teachers! They also don't see how integrating technology will change the way they teach. They want to teach the same old way. Example: We were at a SMART board demonstration, and one teacher's concern is how she will have two children working on math problems at the board at the same time. She doesn't get it.<BR/><BR/>I may have just rambled here and given more comments than were asked for, but I was encouraged to comment by Geekymomma aka Teachakidd on Twitter, and when you wake the lion......<BR/><BR/>In case my comment doesn't share my name, it is Patti Harju and I am scout7 on twitter. How's that for one of my first comments?Patti Harjuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12403507025921612206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12559663.post-20003986070066714802008-05-25T10:31:00.000-04:002008-05-25T10:31:00.000-04:00I think you are absolutely right when you say that...I think you are absolutely right when you say that teachers need to be taught to be "good digital citizens". Whenever a teacher searches for resources, they have to make a judgement on whether the content is accurate and appropriate for their class. A clearinghouse such as you describe simply makes it easier to find what you want. <BR/><BR/>While it is probably true that there are teachers who are teaching subjects they are not trained to teach, your site sounds as if it would be self-policing. If people want to post their ideas for others, it means they are competant, trust themselves and their content, and really feel that they have something to share. <BR/><BR/>I try to share ideas and resources with my colleagues informally through e-mail and conversation, but I also have a teacher resources site on my web page, organized by subject, where people can look for new lesson ideas. <BR/><BR/>I think your site sounds like a great idea!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12559663.post-34976719405877696522008-05-25T09:54:00.000-04:002008-05-25T09:54:00.000-04:00What teacher would submit inappropriate content? I...What teacher would submit inappropriate content? It would be professional suicide!<BR/><BR/>I would worry about the opposite problem, that teachers might be hesitant to share LPs or units of instruction that they consider less than exemplary for fear of appearing incompetent.<BR/><BR/>As with Wikipedia, I would imagine that the odd "mistake" would be quickly caught and rectified.<BR/><BR/>dianedianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11292813474160548707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12559663.post-87159090723381960462008-05-25T09:47:00.000-04:002008-05-25T09:47:00.000-04:00Do you think the problem could be that teachers ha...Do you think the problem could be that teachers have had their lessons scripted for too long? We trust our texts (perhaps too much) and I suppose that could make us suspicious of anything that isn't run through textbook chains.Wm Chamberlainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06692221214846665588noreply@blogger.com