Nick Donofrio

Rare is the occasion when a guest speaker actually changes your mind about something. Nick Donofrio, the esteemed speaker who visited New Paltz last week, gave a riveting talk about innovation in the 21st century. His credentials were lengthy and he seemed like a smart guy, but this man's passion and clarity really sold his point. The classrooms of today, not to mention the business world, are operating under an old and obsolete model that turns a blind eye towards technology. Innovation is much more than clever change conjured up in the mind on some sleepless night, for change is always occurring even in this very second of suddenness. Innovation exceeds the changes wrought by chance or time, bringing forth a deliberate advancement to raise standards of living. Nick made many great points about focusing not so much on the troubles of our own time but on the possibilities of the future. The future for technology and education is wide open and continues to grow with each passing day. The talk was rather enlightening, yet many walked out of that auditorium with more questions than probable answers. The great task of incorporating technology into education, and the world at large for that matter, lays before us and now we must decide what to make of it. Will this nation continue to hold on to those lingering vestiges of the past or will a collaborative and open setting prevail? I haven't the answer but there is one thing I do know: unless we adapt and innovate to cope with the changing realities of the business and educational world, this nation will soon be left behind as others embrace technology in the 21st century.

Day 12

Although I cannot honestly say I recall much from this particular class, I do feel I must reflect upon the class as a whole. At first my resistance to technology hindered my ability to incorporate it into education, but now I feel as if education and technology are inextricably bound together, and separating one or the other would be disastrous. Let students learn in a way that satisfies the class, not the teacher or the district administrators. technology ought to enhance the flow and free exchange of information, rather than thwart interactive learning. Finally, it is important to remember that technology is not a panacea for education, just a mere tool to help facilitate learning when used properly and not arbitrarily. With a nod to JMG and all the others who helped open this road to educational technology, I rest my case and this blog for good.

Day 11

The wonderful world of copyright laws is dull and frustrating at best. Perhaps nothing rubs me the wrong way as some of the litigious nonsense protecting the intellectual, and often times not so intellectual, property of knowledge hoarders abroad. Information ought to change hands freely for the purpose of enlightenment rather than find itself entangled in a jungle of red tape and copyright laws. Free thinking isn't so free anymore, and although I do appreciate the idea of intellectual property, I feel I must stand against it. Every fiber in my body pleads for separation from the copyright laws of today. Money is a strong motivator, but so is the sharing of ideas for the greater good of the human mind. I will conclude with a line which I refuse to cite in protest of the late copyright conundrum, "Laws never made men a whit more just."

Day 10

It was quite interesting to take a look at all the other student classroom observations, the human potential for creativity never ceases to amaze me. I found some of the reports to be alarming in the lack of technological integration in some of the local districts. Something is always on the move in the wide world of technology, yet few schools are willing to spend the time and money to embrace the Digital Age. The technology plan at Wallkill had many lofty goals and high minded sentences praising the potential for better classrooms in the district, yet the classrooms show little, if any, direct change in the past few years. Old Ben Franklin was right, "Well done is better than well said." Perhaps the district execs are hiding behind the ruffled robes of long sentences, much like this one, so as to cover their feet. More must be shown for all this technology talk. We have all heard the praises, now let us see the results.

Day 9

Windows Photostory 3 far exceeded my expectations as a great multimedia source for educators. This piece of technology is both easy to use and adapt to the classroom, especially when using storytelling to illustrate history. Visually stunning, easy to master, and effective as a captivating medium for transfering knowledge, Photostory 3 has infinite potential in the history classroom. Students could whip up a creative project documenting an era in history with visuals and projected sound without the limitations of a standard powerpoint. The music option is another great way to set the mood and arouse the emotions of sleepy students. Three cheers for Photostory 3!!!

Day 8

The wonderful world of wikis is yet another option for fledgling teachers to encourage shared ownership of knowledge. I really enjoyed experimenting with the technology in class. Wikis are the next best thing to Blackboard in the realm of public education. I can see myself developing a history wiki for students to create knowledge, rather than just passively absorb it. All in all, another great class that helped me learn new ways to open up to students on their own terms.

Your thoughts?

Day 7

To be quite honest, I really enjoyed our last class. Project based learning seems a great way, at least for some, to discover new ideas and play around with unfamiliar technologies. Dividing the class into groups is more practical for experimenting with technology, giving everyone a chance to test the waters. Just demonstrating a particular technology to the class as a whole seems to weigh heavily on passive learning, and even heavier on droopy eyelids. It seems that breaking up class time into different segments keeps students on the move and interested in what is to come. Three straight hours of lecture is unbearable, if not ineffective, whereas changing teaching methods and student activities generates greater attention rates. In a word, do not bore this generation or they will abandon you.

Day 6

Today was a glorious day. Why, you ask? I video conferenced with a person sitting 2 feet away from me. But all jeers aside, the technology showcased today was very interesting in a number of ways. Firstly, the Skype program seems to be a great way to communicate with people in far away places. This sort of technology could be utilized by educators to home tutor students or hold review sessions from the comfort of one's home. Skype really puts a face on cyber space communication, if you know what I mean. Secondly, the Illuminate software is a great idea for holding video conferences focused upon group collaboration. Allowing all members to modify and construct one text or file, Illuminate makes group work possible without the hassles of meeting in one place.

More than any other technology offered, Skype and Illuminate transcend barriers of time and space to unite people with common goals. A group project, a tutoring session, or perhaps a friendly social gathering are all possible with these tools. Collaboration is moving in new directions, away from the hassles of geographical determinism and into the boundless world of the interweb. Down with the computer lab!

Day 5

What can I say? The SMARTboards were impressive, far exceeding my first impressions and deep rooted skepticism of any newfangled technology. The SMARTboard is truly a jack of all educational trades, allowing for just about every medium of transmission and interaction when delivering a lesson. I look forward to designing my own lessons and then having a go with this technological wonder at the helm of the class.

On a completely different note, the podcast assignment turned out better than expected. Creativity flourishes when minds awake and collaborate for one educational goal. Pasted below is a link to a podcast created by Marc, Marta, and myself. The podcast is based upon a fictitious interview with Christian Andreas Doppler examining his impact upon modern history. Translations in Spanish are provided for those of you who know more than one tongue. There's some new information about Doppler, some old received knowledge about his theory, and some fairly boring anecdotes about his life. Enjoy!

https://blackboard.newpaltz.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_45721_1%26url%3D

Day 4

Today the course work was staggering, covering a wide range of different resource guides and websites for educators. Coverage has a way of draining the mind, destroying curiosity and depth in the name of length and breadth. We scratched the surface on a few useful tools, Thinkfinity being the most effective of the bunch, yet most remain a mystery. The magical world of the interweb is compounding information so rapidly it becomes overwhelming. Buckminster Fuller might have a word or two to say about this "frontier acceleration" that humbles even the wisest of scholars, challenging every written word with a thousand new words and just as many new ideas. Is too much information a bad thing? Overcoming the nihilism in education, that dreadful fear of unknowing in a world so rife with information, is the first step towards deeper study.

It will take a good while to digest the onslaught of new technologies and programs on display today, not to mention the slew of new inventions awaiting the next hour. How can we keep afloat in a world when knowledge is changed and created in this very second of suddenness? The logistics are staggering, and I have little time to figure it out before the next idea passes by.

However, I must say Thinkfinity seems like a great resource for fledgling teachers to pull lesson plans and activities from. Your thoughts or Thinkfinity or any of the rambling above?

Day 3

The third time is a charm, or so it has been said, as the third class went smoothly according to plan. The professor raised some very interesting questions about teaching and how we aim to assess student work. As educators, what do we truly value in the work of our students? How can we measure the worth of our students, of ourselves? This is a perplexing issue in education and deserves further discussion. Too often a good grade is correlated with a good sense for conformity, leaving the more creative expressions of humanity in the shadow of those easier to diagnose. How are we to measure creativity with our system of numbers and letter grades? What could we possibly come to comprehend or understand about the value of work by measuring it with our gut or with a number line? Nothing at all. Assessment must be in line with both objectives and lesson planning for education to be meaningful and just, if such a thing ever existed.

Day 2

Off to a slow start today but with a creative finish. Class was mostly review for some of us I'm sure as far as Microsoft Word and Excel are concerned. These two programs may seem trite and overly simple but their utility to teaching must not be underestimated. Excel will really come in handy for keeping track of grades and attendance later on down the road. However, I'm not entirely sure I would use MS Word for creating quizzes or tests. There are just way too many bells and whistles on some of these programs that hinder more than help. As far as the podcast goes, I'm feeling pretty optimistic and hope to integrate this technology into other endeavors. A new technology learned is often a new tool in a teacher's repertoire, but sometimes the best way to teach is the old fashioned way with the book and the brain.

Day 1 in Computers

A swell class, but that only comes as an after thought and not as a first impression. At first my thoughts about this class were bleak and on the borderline of despondency. Honestly, how exciting does "Computers in the Classroom" sound? My first assumptions soon faded after watching a few short videos about how technology is shaping the future of education one click at a time.

I must say, this class turned out to be more interesting than I first expected. The class discussion raises many essential questions about not only technology and education, but about the very essence of what it means to be human. Technolgoy has opened the world to a flood of thoughts and ideas, but how much of the internet is a desperate plea to say somthing, say anything, and call it art or truth? Is technology a blessing, a burden, a damned distraction, or just another form of saying hello? You decide.