Robin Talkowski’s Blog

This summer provided many opportunities to learn and become recharged about the opportunities that technology provides for effective teaching.

As summer approaches each year, I look forward to the change of pace and the opportunity to become a student myself.  This year a large part of my professional development focuses on the DEN National Institute.  It is indeed a time to learn and share!

See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

In manufacturing, the “just in time” philosophy means that the materials needed for the production process arrive exactly when they are needed.  The same philosophy applies to presenting ideas to teachers for how technology and web 2.0 resources can be used.  I often post a url to a site I have found helpful to me.  When I hear back from teachers it is often to mention how they were just thinking about a new way to do something when they received my e-mail.  This happened most recently with the newspaper generator (http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp).  I shared an “article” I had my students generate, and I received a reply e-mail from a teacher saying how perfect it was for helping her students connect the answer to who, what, where, when, and why questions in a coherent article.  The students loved the idea of their own newspaper article that looked like the real thing.

The fact that this idea arrived in her e-mail mailbox just in time for her classroom focus made all the difference.

Most educators would list lack of sufficient time as one of the big teaching frustrations. Consequently, all instruction and support activities must be directly connected to the curriculum and standards of performance.  Reading instruction has four major foci:  decoding, reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  At the middle school level, the decoding aspect of reading often emphasizes morphology, i.e. the smallest unit of language that carries meaning such as prefixes, suffixes, and root words.  This approach to decoding blends into vocabulary expansion.

When evaluating what technology resources to use with my instruction, I look at what purpose technology can serve.  1.  Does it aid or enhance the actual learning itself?  Does it reinforce things learned?  Or 3.  Does it showcase student’s demonstrated learning?  Many technology applications serve more than one purpose.  Also, as a teacher, I know that our minds like new things, unique things, or exciting things.  Consequently, I look for at least 5 different ways that I can use technology to accomplish the same purpose.  For example, I know how excited my students have been to play the “Mouse” hang man game on Spelling City, but if that is the only reinforcing activity I do for a week, they will soon tell me how boring it is!  The task, then, is to use sufficient resources to keep the students interested and learning; and yet not overwhelm the students and teachers with too many options.

Since the technological resources vary for each instructional area, I will focus on each reading instructional area and some of the resources used one at a time.  The resources cited should in no way be considered inclusive.  They are simply ones that I have used and found effective.  Part 3 will focus on Decoding and Vocabulary instruction.

A question I often hear posed is how does one encourage teachers to use technology with their students. As a teacher who loves technology, I have found that it is not always easy for me to use some of the tools that look like they would be very engaging and effective with students. For those teachers who are not predisposed to technology, the integration of web 2.0 tools and resources must be even more daunting. So, what encourages teachers to use the resources that are available? There are three things that usually influence my integrating technology into my instruction. First, there must be an evident connection to the curriculum. Second, it must be easy to use, and lastly, the amount of classroom time must be considered.

My students were so pleased when they saw the PicLits that they posted recently had received a comment.  The comment was submitted by Tbird.  However, my students could not believe that someone unknown would leave a supportive comment for them.  Their incredulity was reinforced by the name Tbird.  The students thought I had left the comments anonymously for them.  The fact that my last name begins with a “T” and my first name is Robin was just too much of a coincidence for them to believe my protestations that no, indeed, I had not commented.  Even after showing them the number of comments Tbird submits, many remained unconvinced.

Tbird’s willingness to comment and support so many writers provided one of those learning moments for my students and me.  How many times does one read something on a blog or web source that is helpful but never bother to let the writer know.  My students and I proceeded to look at other PicLits and found one we all enjoyed.  We left a comment.  (I am a believer that if you can’t say something positive … just leave it alone.)  I then went to one of my favorite DEN blogs, Barbara DeSantis’, and let her know how much I appreciate her sharing her work and the work of her fellow teachers and students.

One of my New Year resolutions was to add to my blog once a week.  Now I have added, “Be it resolved:  comment on another’s blog or public contributions at least once a month.”

A few weeks ago I couldn’t wait for one of my colleagues to arrive at school so that I could show them what I created over the weekend … it was a “blabberized” bear trying to entice my fellow teachers to join the DEN.  I realized the excitement I felt at creating is exactly the type of enthusiasm I want my struggling and often disengaged 7th graders to feel!  My challenge is to teach in a way that engages my students and provides them with opportunities to feel the pride in accomplishment that I experienced that morning.  Lucky for me a few of my colleagues finally arrived, and I was able to share my creation.  Then another teacher wanted to share something on his web site, and a small group of us traveled to his room to view his project.  The great thing is that this early morning informal sharing has become our Friday AM Techie group.  None of us are technology specialists, so our presentations don’t always run smoothly.  However, we have fun, laugh, and learn.  What could be better?  There is no way our excitement, commitment to learning, and problem solving when things don’t work as planned will not also be transmitted to our students.

As a reading specialist in a middle school, I am constantly searching for ways to integrate technology into my teaching as a way to engage and challenge my students as well as finding ways to tap into the talents they all possess.  I will be using this blog as a vehicle for sharing my ideas and continuing the stimulating, challenging, fun, and frustrating journey called teaching.  I hope to find colleagues who will join in the journey with me.