Paying attention
David Behrman of Behrman House Publishing recently blogged about technology and the new presenter-audience or teacher-student dynamic. This is something I’ve noticed too, but since I generally present about, well, technology, I guess I didn’t find it that surprising.
We’re talking about the reality that your audience, and perhaps your students, aren’t just sitting and listening to you any more. And, if they’re taking notes on their laptops, they may be checking email, surfing the web (we hope they’re looking at the sites about which you’re teaching, but who knows?) or multitasking at the same time. David reflects a bit on how disconcerting this can be for a presenter.
As a teacher, I don’t allow cell phones in class. Nor do my religious school students have laptops, so this is a model with which I don’t relate. In my computer lab, when I’m doing a demo, I expressly tell my students (and if you had me as a teacher, you’ve heard this thousands of times)… “hands off the keyboard, hands off the mouse, eyes on me, it’s all about me.”
You need to say that in a sing-song voice, with appropriate hand gestures.
So, David’s post gave me pause. Here I am, a tech teacher, and I should WANT my kids with their hands on technology. But I’m also a teacher, and giving up that control is a hard thing to do. As any good teacher knows, it’s when things get loosy-goosy that it gets scary.
So where’s the happy medium? And which medium is that? Twitter? Facebook? Student-created wikis? Blogging?
And how do we train teachers to go with the flow while still delivering content?
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Twitter and Sunday school
I’m playing with using Twitter as a Sunday school tool. My students are finishing a book (hopefully they’re finishing it…) for our immigration unit: The Jew Store. How can I use Twitter to have them summarize parts of the book? I know it’s a gimmick, but I do love the concept of having to condense one’s thoughts into 140 characters. More to come…
Torah at the Center
I’m proud that my article on Tech-kun Olam was included in this issue of Torah at the Center, a URJ publication. Check it out – there are some amazing articles by amazing people!
Backchanneling…
From Wikipedia:
Backchannel is the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks. The term was coined in the field of Linguistics to describe listeners’ behaviours during verbal communication, Victor Yngve 1970.
The term “backchannel” generally refers to online conversation about the topic or the speaker. Occasionally backchannel provides audience members a chance to fact-check the presentation.
First growing in popularity at technology conferences, backchannel is increasingly a factor in education where WiFi connections and laptop computers allow students to use ordinary chat like IRC or AIM to actively communicate during class.
What does this mean to us as educators?
Backchanneling allows students to chat, using technology, during a presentation. In a situation where every student has a laptop, students could use a chat room or IRC software to discuss what the presenter is saying. Okay – I could see using that, as long as every student has access to a laptop and as long as there’s sufficient supervision to make sure that the students are actually on task.
But what about backchanneling across the United States?
Hmmmm…..
Let’s say you have a bunch of people who teach on Sunday mornings (y’know anybody like that?). Let’s say that they teach the same age group and they want to show a movie.
What if you could coordinate this among classes in different cities? Show the movie with backchanneling available? So that kids could comment and discuss with students in other places?
Or a book club – across state borders?
If you’re interested in pursuing this for the upper grades – I teach 8th and 9th grade… let me know.
Backchanneling…hmmm…
About
Debbie Harris is the director of educational technology at the Sager Solomon Schechter Day School in Northbrook, IL. Involved in Jewish education for over thirty years, she has an education degree from Northwestern University with a concentration in instructional media and a master’s degree in professional Jewish studies from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. She is skilled in using and teaching desktop publishing, video editing, presentation and animation software; and consults and presents regularly on integrating technology into Judaic studies. Her students podcast, blog, edit video and create claymations. She co-chaired the technology track for CAJE 33 in Vermont, is a SMART Certified Trainer for SMART Notebook, and a 2011 recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.
When not learning, teaching or writing about technology, Debbie likes to sketchnote and craft. She likes to knit, do calligraphy, sew, watercolor, paint fabric and just generally play with fun toys like scrapbooking supplies and anything with texture. Debbie travels to California every summer to paint tallitot with high school aged campers. Finally, she is incredibly proud of her two daughters; Lori, who teaches English at a community college; and Allie, who is the director of the URJ’s Camp Newman in California.
Look for her at:
Debbie Does Desktop
Flickr
Twitter
Diigo
YouTube
Ravelry
Email Debbie here
MuseForJews 