I do not think that Chatspeak is destroying English whatsoever. The concern I am hearing is that students will become accustomed to Chatspeak and their written and verbal English skills will deteriorate. This makes no sense to me.
Chatspeak is reactionary; it was invented to best suit the medium it is used for (text messaging, instant messaging, etc.). I do not think that just because students text their friends using shortened and abbreviated lettering, they will in turn not know how to use the English language properly for other mediums.
I speak differently to my friends than I would to a supervisor at work; we frequently modify our use of the English language in our everyday lives to best suit the situation. Greg Monfils in the article says, “Yes, we’ve standardized grammar, spelling, and so on since Chaucer, but kids live to challenge standards. It doesn’t mean that they don’t know what the standards are.” I agree with that statement. I think they understand the standards and if they are using Chatspeak inappropriately, it’s our job as their teachers to help them understand when to use it and which situations call for a more formal approach to the language. Using it appropriately is the issue, but I don’t think Chatspeak is actually weakening their ability to use the language to express deeper meaning.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is anytime a child or teen is harassed, threatened, or humiliated by another person via the Internet or other digital technology. After researching cyberbullying I consider myself very lucky that sites like Myspace and Facebook were not around during my time in middle or high school. I have not been involved in any kind of cyberbullying that I’m aware of and I know that it would have damaged me greatly if I had dealt with this during school.
At the school level, cyberbullying presents an interesting dilemma. While a school can regulate some off-site behavior, such as two students getting into a physical fight on their walk home from school; it is often difficult for them to have any regulatory rights in the setting of the Internet. Stopcyberbullying.org states, “When schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours, they are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right. They also, often lose.” As far as the legal issues go, it seems complicated. It’s a constitutional issue on one end but if cyberbullying is affecting a student while at school, it seems like it should then be acceptable for them to step in. Prevention is one area the schools can be effective. They can provide education on cyberethics and general character and ethics education.
My plan for dealing with cyberbullying in my classroom would be heavily focused on prevention but would also be reactionary if there was a cyberbully situation involving my students that I was aware of. Ideally, I would want it to be a school wide awareness program and could be integrated throughout different classes. Empathy and compassion, or a lack of empathy or compassion, are at the root of this issue. Kids are not going to stop participating in this type of behavior simply because of the threat of getting into trouble at school or even with the law. We need to teach them how their actions affect one another so that they can hold themselves accountable.
At the school level, cyberbullying presents an interesting dilemma. While a school can regulate some off-site behavior, such as two students getting into a physical fight on their walk home from school; it is often difficult for them to have any regulatory rights in the setting of the Internet. Stopcyberbullying.org states, “When schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours, they are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right. They also, often lose.” As far as the legal issues go, it seems complicated. It’s a constitutional issue on one end but if cyberbullying is affecting a student while at school, it seems like it should then be acceptable for them to step in. Prevention is one area the schools can be effective. They can provide education on cyberethics and general character and ethics education.
My plan for dealing with cyberbullying in my classroom would be heavily focused on prevention but would also be reactionary if there was a cyberbully situation involving my students that I was aware of. Ideally, I would want it to be a school wide awareness program and could be integrated throughout different classes. Empathy and compassion, or a lack of empathy or compassion, are at the root of this issue. Kids are not going to stop participating in this type of behavior simply because of the threat of getting into trouble at school or even with the law. We need to teach them how their actions affect one another so that they can hold themselves accountable.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Teachers and Social Networking
Having been involved in many theater productions throughout college and after, I knew that my name would show up quite a bit online. Most of the articles that include my name are theater related, and wanting to be a theater teacher, this might actually help me. If my Drama students look me up, they will have proof that I practice what I teach. So, that is actually pretty exciting.
The only think that took me by surprise, was when I searched for my name under www.piple.com and discovered that my name showed up in other people's blogs. There is one that is theater related (and flattering!) and there is another that describes a day in London. (http://elgranderudeboy.livejournal.com/170700.html)Again, it doesn't say anything that could hurt my reputation as a teacher, but it surprised me that students could so easily read a blog that someone I know has written. It makes me think about how the bloggers reputation is also representing my own. If he mentions my name in a blog, and in that blog he also writes anything at all inappropriate, it could reflect poorly on me. I would like to change that. I hate that anyone can write anything and if my name is included in the text, I could be misrepresented. That gives me a feeling of helplessness.
I believe that teachers should be held accountable for material that they personally post online. Since we are public figures and most often, government funded, I believe we have a responsibility to maintain a respectable reputation. I believe our personal lives should be just that, personal. We should feel free to openly express ourselves to our family and friends but not online, because it is public domain.
The story that most surprised me in “Have you Googled Your Teacher Lately?” was regarding a student at Millersville University who was denied an education degree because of a photo of her on facebook calling her a “drunken pirate.” I think that is extreme, mainly because she was gaining a degree in Education not practicing it. I believe the standards should be different for a working professional teacher and a student studying education. It makes me want to cancel my facebook account, though, or possibly create one using an alias. I just really don’t want some photo of me in college that could be deemed ‘inappropriate’ to show up and be the reason for me being reprimanded or not hired.
To protect myself and my job I plan on changing my facebook status, possibly using an alias or deleting it altogether. I also plan on not participating in personal blogging or posting personal comments on any public online domain. Thankfully, I don’t think this will be difficult because I don’t enjoy having an online profile anyway. I suppose I could also tell my friends and family not to include my full name in any blog they write.
The only think that took me by surprise, was when I searched for my name under www.piple.com and discovered that my name showed up in other people's blogs. There is one that is theater related (and flattering!) and there is another that describes a day in London. (http://elgranderudeboy.livejournal.com/170700.html)Again, it doesn't say anything that could hurt my reputation as a teacher, but it surprised me that students could so easily read a blog that someone I know has written. It makes me think about how the bloggers reputation is also representing my own. If he mentions my name in a blog, and in that blog he also writes anything at all inappropriate, it could reflect poorly on me. I would like to change that. I hate that anyone can write anything and if my name is included in the text, I could be misrepresented. That gives me a feeling of helplessness.
I believe that teachers should be held accountable for material that they personally post online. Since we are public figures and most often, government funded, I believe we have a responsibility to maintain a respectable reputation. I believe our personal lives should be just that, personal. We should feel free to openly express ourselves to our family and friends but not online, because it is public domain.
The story that most surprised me in “Have you Googled Your Teacher Lately?” was regarding a student at Millersville University who was denied an education degree because of a photo of her on facebook calling her a “drunken pirate.” I think that is extreme, mainly because she was gaining a degree in Education not practicing it. I believe the standards should be different for a working professional teacher and a student studying education. It makes me want to cancel my facebook account, though, or possibly create one using an alias. I just really don’t want some photo of me in college that could be deemed ‘inappropriate’ to show up and be the reason for me being reprimanded or not hired.
To protect myself and my job I plan on changing my facebook status, possibly using an alias or deleting it altogether. I also plan on not participating in personal blogging or posting personal comments on any public online domain. Thankfully, I don’t think this will be difficult because I don’t enjoy having an online profile anyway. I suppose I could also tell my friends and family not to include my full name in any blog they write.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Digital Immigrant or Digital Native?
A classmate of mine described himself as a bridge between the two, and I think that is extremely fitting. I was part of the generation that saw amazing technological advance throughout our childhood. I remember my father telling me about his experiences in Technology Class at the U of O when he went to school. He described a computer the size of a classroom and they each took turns pressing buttons on it. I remember having a computer in our household when I was in second grade; it was the kind with green writing on a black screen and the little square that blinked as you wrote. I could never imagine then, the computers that exist now so in those ways I feel like a digital native, having seen the progression.
On the other hand, I have worked with young children in the last few years, and in many ways they are more technologically advanced than I. And those times make me feel like a digital immigrant. Some of them could not yet read but knew how to navigate the internet. Mark Prensky says, "the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language." This terrifies me because I really don't want to be that outdated teacher. I am very glad we are able to take a class in our MAT program that allows us to learn some of the newer technologies, like blogging and creating WebPages.
I don't feel like a digital immigrant in all the ways that Prensky describes. For instance, he says, "Digital Immigrants typically have very little appreciation for these new skills that the Natives have acquired and perfected through years of interaction and practice." That is not true of me at all. I appreciate these new skills but I have not had many opportunities to be exposed to them. I have been amazed at some of the young children’s' technological abilities that I have seen. I feel that we should celebrate that knowledge and make sure they know of their skills in order to encourage learning even newer advances.
When Prensky describes the students of today in Engage me or Enrage me, he explains that students, “More and more, they just don’t tolerate the old ways—and they are enraged we are not doing better by them.” This article makes me ponder the ways I could engage my future students in my Drama classes. While my acting portions will probably still be in the “old” style of teaching, I hope to include the newest technologies when teaching set, lighting, and costume design as well as teaching about directing and how to combine all of the design elements. I hope to empower students to surpass me in everything I teach.
On the other hand, I have worked with young children in the last few years, and in many ways they are more technologically advanced than I. And those times make me feel like a digital immigrant. Some of them could not yet read but knew how to navigate the internet. Mark Prensky says, "the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language." This terrifies me because I really don't want to be that outdated teacher. I am very glad we are able to take a class in our MAT program that allows us to learn some of the newer technologies, like blogging and creating WebPages.
I don't feel like a digital immigrant in all the ways that Prensky describes. For instance, he says, "Digital Immigrants typically have very little appreciation for these new skills that the Natives have acquired and perfected through years of interaction and practice." That is not true of me at all. I appreciate these new skills but I have not had many opportunities to be exposed to them. I have been amazed at some of the young children’s' technological abilities that I have seen. I feel that we should celebrate that knowledge and make sure they know of their skills in order to encourage learning even newer advances.
When Prensky describes the students of today in Engage me or Enrage me, he explains that students, “More and more, they just don’t tolerate the old ways—and they are enraged we are not doing better by them.” This article makes me ponder the ways I could engage my future students in my Drama classes. While my acting portions will probably still be in the “old” style of teaching, I hope to include the newest technologies when teaching set, lighting, and costume design as well as teaching about directing and how to combine all of the design elements. I hope to empower students to surpass me in everything I teach.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Introduction
Hello there! My name is Mrs. Zeal and I hope to teach Theater Arts at the High School level. Theatre has been a very important part of my life and I can't wait to share my passion for it with students.
My favorite animal is my dog, Count, who makes me smile every single day. She is a Skiperkee, which is a Belgium ship guarding dog breed. She gaurds our home by sleeping next to the door every night and barking at cats. Her favorite thing to do is walk to Laurelhurst park with me.
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