Being a busy sort of guy, I haven't checked in here in some time. Oh, my intentions were good, but the amount of unemcumbered time on my schedule is getting mighty scarce. Some things must simply go...checking in was one of them.
Those who blog on a regular basis have already experienced that about which I choose to write. I checked my email and realized that some ill-meaning leeches chose to take advantage of the fact that my blog allows comments. I had thought that something I had to say here might be of sufficient interest justify a post. Instead of pithy, meaningful comments related to my posts, I found ads promoting someone's distance learning scheme. I have decided to turn off the comments feature, and I'll have to think long and hard before I turn it on again.
It's a pity, too. I was hoping to stimulate some intelligent conversation. Thanks a lot, folks. What worries me most about the people who do such things is that they attempt to invalidate the medium as a means of expression by posting their cyber grafitti. I do not wish to be associated with them.
Okay, I'm through ranting now. Please return to your regularly-scheduled life. Thanks for listening.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Looking at Learning through the Group's Eyes
As I write this, I am vacationing with family in the Rockies, about 10 miles from Beavercreek, and maybe 18 miles down-valley from Vail. Because I didn't get out of the dot-com business by way of golden parachute, it is fortunate that I actually have family that lives in the area. It certainly makes accomodations more affordable, but it still requires teamwork and collaboration/cooperation on the part of many to make a seemingly-uncomplicated trip such as this a reality.
I reflected on this while enjoying a ride up to the Vail Valley by way of the most-excellent Colorado Mountain Express, a shuttle service that is comfortable, swift, and convenient. Prior to climbing on board, my wife and I flew in to Denver via Alaska Airlines. In order to get to PDX, we bummed a ride off of my step-son who, surprisingly, was more than happy to arise at 4:30 in the morning in order to get us to the airport in plenty of time for out 6:40 departure. Now that we're in the Valley, we're collaborating and cooperating with family as we share outings and child care. Overall, it works just fine.
Teamwork. It's what made this trip work. It's also hugely important for student success. This is especially true for older students who may have had a less than stellar experience in school at an earlier time, or for those who are returning to school after a prolonged absence. Indeed, it seems to be especially helpful for students who are facing the need to integrate computer technology into their professional lives...sometimes after systematically avoiding it for years. Yes sir, there's nothing quite like a mandate from above to motivate behavior. Stick or carrot? Maybe both??
I have noticed that students often learn best from other students. "Duh, Dan!" I hear some of you say. But as intuitive as this sounds, there are still plenty of instructors out there who focus on driving through content, requiring that students learn things in one way, and strongly sanctioning any collaboration. I have met some instructors who insist on teaching four different ways to copy and paste during the same lesson in Word. Confusing? Obviously not for the instructor, but probably for the student who just wandered through the door with a requirement to upgrade some skills. "Just give them all the ways they can do a certain thing, then let them choose," one of my former colleagues insisted. Choice is good, and constraining students harms them in some way which I have yet to understand or even discover.
No, I would reply. It's probably better to help them learn one approach to solving a technology problem well, then work in a supportive atmosphere on educationally-valid assignments tied to their area of responibility. Make the learning relevant, and let the students feel free to clarify and amplify as they collaborate. This may sound like I'm abdicating my responsibility as an instructor, but it's exactly the opposite. Years of teaching students from 7 to 70 have taught me that after I have patiently explained something three radically different ways, the best way to clarify the situation is for another student to chime in and elucidate. Why? I'm glad you asked.
Most students haven't plowed years of their lives into learning and teaching applications. Similarly, most students don't seize upon the mission of spreading the good news about instructional technology in quite the same way we TechnoZealots do. Stands to reason, then, that they will approach the topic with a beginner's eye and will see the little stumbling blocks we old war horses may miss. Interestingly enough, I'm comfortable with this, and, if you teach, you should be, too.
About 9 weeks ago, one of my very bright students (VBSs--we all have them, but my very bright students ARE much brighter than your very bright students) was helping one of my more junior students (JS) deal with a problem with a certain HTML tag when I floated past on one of my 200+ trips around the room during a typical 3-hour class. When I approached, VBS suddenly jerked back and stopped talking to JS. I was surprised, commented that her ideas were welcome, and that I didn't have a problem with her helping out JS. I then asked VBS why she had reacted as she had. Her reply caught me off guard, then caused me to mull the point for some time (approximately 9 weeks, or so it would seem). It appears that she was corrected by not one but several instructors in the past who felt that they were the only legitimate source of knowledge. Her input, they told her, was best used on her own assignments. Students should do their own work.
Well, maybe, especially when we're building foundational concepts. Let's face it: there are some things you just gotta know. Rote doesn't do it, and having someone else do the work doesn't help. However, using a more collaborative approach (informally here, obviously) can pay tremendous benefits in terms of clarity and speed. Further, as much as I would like to be known as the person with the answers, I'm not sure that I want to stand up to that level of pressure. I really don't have a problem with a student coming up with a clearer way of doing something; indeed, I may look at something from a point of view so substantially different that I don't understand that which an individual student is facing. At this point, we need to do what is necessary to help the student learn. One way to do this is to tap into the power of the group. We are stronger learning together, because no one has all the answers...no matter what the sages on the stage may want you to believe.
I reflected on this while enjoying a ride up to the Vail Valley by way of the most-excellent Colorado Mountain Express, a shuttle service that is comfortable, swift, and convenient. Prior to climbing on board, my wife and I flew in to Denver via Alaska Airlines. In order to get to PDX, we bummed a ride off of my step-son who, surprisingly, was more than happy to arise at 4:30 in the morning in order to get us to the airport in plenty of time for out 6:40 departure. Now that we're in the Valley, we're collaborating and cooperating with family as we share outings and child care. Overall, it works just fine.
Teamwork. It's what made this trip work. It's also hugely important for student success. This is especially true for older students who may have had a less than stellar experience in school at an earlier time, or for those who are returning to school after a prolonged absence. Indeed, it seems to be especially helpful for students who are facing the need to integrate computer technology into their professional lives...sometimes after systematically avoiding it for years. Yes sir, there's nothing quite like a mandate from above to motivate behavior. Stick or carrot? Maybe both??
I have noticed that students often learn best from other students. "Duh, Dan!" I hear some of you say. But as intuitive as this sounds, there are still plenty of instructors out there who focus on driving through content, requiring that students learn things in one way, and strongly sanctioning any collaboration. I have met some instructors who insist on teaching four different ways to copy and paste during the same lesson in Word. Confusing? Obviously not for the instructor, but probably for the student who just wandered through the door with a requirement to upgrade some skills. "Just give them all the ways they can do a certain thing, then let them choose," one of my former colleagues insisted. Choice is good, and constraining students harms them in some way which I have yet to understand or even discover.
No, I would reply. It's probably better to help them learn one approach to solving a technology problem well, then work in a supportive atmosphere on educationally-valid assignments tied to their area of responibility. Make the learning relevant, and let the students feel free to clarify and amplify as they collaborate. This may sound like I'm abdicating my responsibility as an instructor, but it's exactly the opposite. Years of teaching students from 7 to 70 have taught me that after I have patiently explained something three radically different ways, the best way to clarify the situation is for another student to chime in and elucidate. Why? I'm glad you asked.
Most students haven't plowed years of their lives into learning and teaching applications. Similarly, most students don't seize upon the mission of spreading the good news about instructional technology in quite the same way we TechnoZealots do. Stands to reason, then, that they will approach the topic with a beginner's eye and will see the little stumbling blocks we old war horses may miss. Interestingly enough, I'm comfortable with this, and, if you teach, you should be, too.
About 9 weeks ago, one of my very bright students (VBSs--we all have them, but my very bright students ARE much brighter than your very bright students) was helping one of my more junior students (JS) deal with a problem with a certain HTML tag when I floated past on one of my 200+ trips around the room during a typical 3-hour class. When I approached, VBS suddenly jerked back and stopped talking to JS. I was surprised, commented that her ideas were welcome, and that I didn't have a problem with her helping out JS. I then asked VBS why she had reacted as she had. Her reply caught me off guard, then caused me to mull the point for some time (approximately 9 weeks, or so it would seem). It appears that she was corrected by not one but several instructors in the past who felt that they were the only legitimate source of knowledge. Her input, they told her, was best used on her own assignments. Students should do their own work.
Well, maybe, especially when we're building foundational concepts. Let's face it: there are some things you just gotta know. Rote doesn't do it, and having someone else do the work doesn't help. However, using a more collaborative approach (informally here, obviously) can pay tremendous benefits in terms of clarity and speed. Further, as much as I would like to be known as the person with the answers, I'm not sure that I want to stand up to that level of pressure. I really don't have a problem with a student coming up with a clearer way of doing something; indeed, I may look at something from a point of view so substantially different that I don't understand that which an individual student is facing. At this point, we need to do what is necessary to help the student learn. One way to do this is to tap into the power of the group. We are stronger learning together, because no one has all the answers...no matter what the sages on the stage may want you to believe.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Sleep Deprivation and the Student Experience
I surfed on over to CNN last night just to see what was going on. Although I often remark to my students that visiting news sites simply exposes me to the fact that the world is not always a nice place (something that the idealist in me would like to avoid, but that the realist has learned to place into some sort of context), I do it anyway in a search for "the answer", whatever that may be at the time.
On this particular visit, I read with great interest an entry in Anderson Cooper's 360 Blog. The post was by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Medical Correspondent, and he talked about his direct experience with sleep deprivation due to career and fatherhood. You can read his post here Dr. Gupta vividly described his experiences in a flight simulator under a state of sleep deprivation--a condition not entirely foreign to students, especially during this time of year. For those who are removed from realities of life in academe, it's almost spring break time (residents of Daytona Beach, lock up your children!). Prior to blasting off for some R & R, students must endure the pressures of finals, end of term projects, and the nagging questions surrounding the next term or academic year. In essence, it's time to make choices...and not necessarily under the best of circumstances.
I can't help but think that high-pressure, high stakes situations make it harder for people to work successfully with their technological tools. It would come as no surprise to me if, upon examining help desk logs and anecdotal information about the experiences of computer-using students, one could discern a significant up-tick in problems as students attempt to complete work ranging from final papers to Visual Basic projects. Add to this that a significant number of students now take classes online, and it would seem to present a situation in which technology could "fail" or "fight against" users at just the time when they need it most. Certainly, the ramifications are not a dire as driving or flying a plane when half asleep, but the frustration level must certainly affect perceptions about the transparency of technology and its role as a helpful tool. Time for research.
On this particular visit, I read with great interest an entry in Anderson Cooper's 360 Blog. The post was by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Medical Correspondent, and he talked about his direct experience with sleep deprivation due to career and fatherhood. You can read his post here Dr. Gupta vividly described his experiences in a flight simulator under a state of sleep deprivation--a condition not entirely foreign to students, especially during this time of year. For those who are removed from realities of life in academe, it's almost spring break time (residents of Daytona Beach, lock up your children!). Prior to blasting off for some R & R, students must endure the pressures of finals, end of term projects, and the nagging questions surrounding the next term or academic year. In essence, it's time to make choices...and not necessarily under the best of circumstances.
I can't help but think that high-pressure, high stakes situations make it harder for people to work successfully with their technological tools. It would come as no surprise to me if, upon examining help desk logs and anecdotal information about the experiences of computer-using students, one could discern a significant up-tick in problems as students attempt to complete work ranging from final papers to Visual Basic projects. Add to this that a significant number of students now take classes online, and it would seem to present a situation in which technology could "fail" or "fight against" users at just the time when they need it most. Certainly, the ramifications are not a dire as driving or flying a plane when half asleep, but the frustration level must certainly affect perceptions about the transparency of technology and its role as a helpful tool. Time for research.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Reflections on Wifi-The Adventure
Lessons Learned
I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent guy, but I have to admit that my recent trials and tribulations involving establishing a WLAN here at the Big House (as we affectionately refer to our home) took a bit more time and energy than I had hoped. Please understand that I'm not new to Wifi. I have established WLANs for friends/clients in the past, and I have enjoyed reasonable degrees of success. But bridging the distance between floors proved to be a problem. Turns out that setting matter...a great deal. I insist on securing my network, which includes assigning a static IP address for my WLAN card connection. All seemed to be going well, but my connection wouldn't persist much beyond 3 minutes. Finally, I learned at about 2:30 this morning that a valid DNS entry can be a beautiful thing. Honestly, I'm surprised that this little piece of reality slipped my mind (I know better, trust me...), but anything can go horribly wrong at an hour when most sane folks are sleeping. It is now 7:30 PM in the city, and I've had a pretty smooth ride since about 4:35.
I know, you gotta read the directions. Problem is, the directions were of absolutely no help whatsoever. Yes, both the quickstart guide and the product manual recommended various courses of action. The difficulty arose from the fact that the authors either assumed that I knew why they wanted me to follow a particular course, or that a seemingly endless series of nifty-neat screen shots took the place of some well-reasoned expository writing. The writing craft is not dead, nor should it be. This is especially true when instructions may be read by those who don't already know the secret handshake. C'mon folks, assume we're all idiots,and give us some user-friendly instructions. I've been playing with technology since the early 80's, and I can still use a hand every now and then.
I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent guy, but I have to admit that my recent trials and tribulations involving establishing a WLAN here at the Big House (as we affectionately refer to our home) took a bit more time and energy than I had hoped. Please understand that I'm not new to Wifi. I have established WLANs for friends/clients in the past, and I have enjoyed reasonable degrees of success. But bridging the distance between floors proved to be a problem. Turns out that setting matter...a great deal. I insist on securing my network, which includes assigning a static IP address for my WLAN card connection. All seemed to be going well, but my connection wouldn't persist much beyond 3 minutes. Finally, I learned at about 2:30 this morning that a valid DNS entry can be a beautiful thing. Honestly, I'm surprised that this little piece of reality slipped my mind (I know better, trust me...), but anything can go horribly wrong at an hour when most sane folks are sleeping. It is now 7:30 PM in the city, and I've had a pretty smooth ride since about 4:35.
I know, you gotta read the directions. Problem is, the directions were of absolutely no help whatsoever. Yes, both the quickstart guide and the product manual recommended various courses of action. The difficulty arose from the fact that the authors either assumed that I knew why they wanted me to follow a particular course, or that a seemingly endless series of nifty-neat screen shots took the place of some well-reasoned expository writing. The writing craft is not dead, nor should it be. This is especially true when instructions may be read by those who don't already know the secret handshake. C'mon folks, assume we're all idiots,and give us some user-friendly instructions. I've been playing with technology since the early 80's, and I can still use a hand every now and then.
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