Back to the Blog

As I begin teaching another section of ENGL 235 Writing for Non Print Media I reflect on the digital tools I use, one of which is blogs.  I tend to provide my students with the link to my blog so that they can see an example, but what does it say to them when I haven’t posted in almost a year?  Does it say that blogs are not as valuable as the research suggest?  Or that blogs are passé? That I am lazy?  Well, I don’t think the last of these. After all, I now have an “educational facebook” account as well as an “educationaltwitter” account.  I tend to keep up on literature, trends, tools, etc.  In fact, I revised much of the aforementioned course after attending the awesome SummerInstitute in Digital Literacy at the University of Rhode Island in Providence.  (more about that in a future post.)  The question I ask myself as I teach is “Am I providing a bad example by not blogging?”  

I try to model activities for my students.  In all of my classes, students produce multimodal assignments.  You all know by now that I value writing, of course, but because there are a variety of ways to learn, and because the opportunity to express oneself through multiple modes increases comprehension, I have to continue to lead by example.  I have also recently published a chapter in Teaching Literacy in the Digital Age and I included a link to my blog in hopes that it would inspire me to blog much, much more often.

 I still find blogs valuable.  First, they are thematic.  My blog, for instance is for educators, specifically those looking to use multimodal and digital tools.  Secondly, blogs are reflective.  As someone who spends most of his time writing academic articles and tools for teaching, it is nice to just be a bit more creative and just think about what I have learned, taught, or done.  Not to say that my other work isn’t creative, but with blogging, I can choose the topic. I can choose what links I want to incorporate, if any, and I can decide when to post.  That is one of the beauties of blogs…choice.   And like I said before…reflection.  As I’m writing this I’m starting to think back to some of the cool digital tools I have learned about these past few months.  Lastly, the connectivity of blogs appeals to me.  Facebooking is nice, but I don’t know how active my facebook account is, because while it’s educational, I still find it primarily social.  My friends aren’t flocking to it to learn.  At least I don’t think that’s the case.  My twitter is cool, because I can network briefly and get so much information from others quickly.  But the blog, I think is a great way to both keep in touch, and to learn. 

But what do you, the reader, think about blogging?  I know that many of my followers are current or former students who are/were required to blog.  But, I have heard from several of my former students that they plan to keep blogs to reflect on their careers, which I think is wonderful!  I still find blogs relevant, and think they are a wonderful way to learn from one another, and yes, a way to keep in touch. 

So as I start another semester, and as I introduce my students to the wonderful world of blogging, I just want to say that I am ready to blog again, and that I look forward to sharing a lot of information with you.  I also look forward to what you have to say whether I follow you, you follow me, or we follow each other.

I shared a few links above, but I definitely plan to share more in these future postings.  I hope you enjoy or continue to enjoy Oldakowski’s Educational Stuff!

Can we write unplugged?

As I'm sitting in my favorite coffeehouse, I am looking around and pretty much everyone has a laptop or mobile device.  Clearly, we are in an age where this is common.  For instance, I am checking student blogs, and writing a post myself, so I need my laptop.  But....what if I was working on that great american (YA) novel?  It's coming...someday.  If I were writing, would I HAVE to have my laptop?  I tend to think no, because I still like to draft and invent when I write.

Beginning Wednesday, my College Writing students will draft their first official paper-- a narrative essay.  I told my students on Friday that we would do a writing activity on Wednesday that would possibly lead into their first paper.  One of the students asked "Should we bring our laptops?"  Not an unreasonable inquiry....but then it occurred to me....can people write without electronic devices?  I explained that there would be no research and that we would be conducting activities that would allow us to write in spurts, that we are not writing in a linear manner.  The student simply said "Ok." and went on her way.  But that got me thinking....how will others react?

Maybe it's because I went to high school in the 80's, but I still like to keep a notebook or tablet and jot things down before I write.  I did this when I wrote my dissertation in 2011.   In Stephen Reid's The Writer's Purposes  he mentions 6 stages to the writing process:  Understanding the Task, Gathering Data, Invention, Drafting, Revision and Editing.  I tend to discuss "invention" in great detail with my students.  Typically, I have found that students like to stare at laptops until and idea comes to them.  I use Reid's example of invention of a means to start with.  He suggests that this is a very messy process and that it's just getting the ideas out.  Some of the invention tasks include:

• freewriting
• directed freewriting
• listing
• clustering
• webbing
• outlining

I think there is great value in this stage, and that one doesn't need a computer to do this.  Sure, it's more common to "write" on a laptop, desktop or tablet....but what if you just sat down....pen and paper....and invented using one of these strategies?   I know for me, it just gets the ideas out.  And I'm a visual person...so it helps to get ideas on paper and actually SEE them before I write about them.  The biggest challenge I get from students is that they don't need to do this stage.   They do it in their head...then they write the most amazing papers.

I challenge you to invent the next time you have to write.  Whether you are a student, a teacher, a parent, a boss.  I mean, many of us make lists....right?  Grocery, chore, tasks, ect.  So when you have to do some more formal writing...try to invent.  The next time you have to send that angry e-mail to a colleague or friend....practice this....you may find that once you get the thoughts out, you don't necessarily have to send them....as they are out.

I love writing, and teaching writing, across all subjects.  But I know sometimes I panic and put it off, just like everyone else.  But if I take the time to invent....well the writing process just becomes easier and I am more proud of my work.

a question from the shy kid in the back

Wow....what a summer!  Or should I say what a spring AND summer since I haven't been on here since February.  But, I am asking my students to keep blogs this semester, and like a good educator I model for my students, so I will be blogging regularly once again.

As we go back to school one of the things I always think about is how I can get everyone to partake in the conversation.  I know there are students who don't like to speak, therefore they may never ask a question for clarification, they may never give their input, though input from everyone is valuable.

A while back one of my Writing for Non-Print Media students shared poll-everywhere with the class.
The idea is simple.  The instructor posts a question, and students are able to respond by texting to a number that appears on the screen. The name "poll-everywhere" is actually a bit misleading, as you can also post open-ended questions.  I've made a sample poll for my readers to take.

Clearly there are concerns about having cell phones in the classroom, but I really don't think this is going to hurt anyone.  We live in an age where we are consumed in technology, media and methods of communication....so why not be proactive? 

I will be using this tomorrow in my College Writing class, in hopes that I can engage students and encourage them to respond to the reading.  I really like that they can do this anonymously, because many times students have told me "I was afraid my question or comment would sound dumb."  Poll-everywhere gives all students an equal voice.  And if they don't have cell phones, I would encourage a small group, where they take turns texting. It's my hope that using poll-everywhere is just the beginning for some students, and that they learn that their voice is very important in the classroom.

Sharing the gift of literacy

Often times when we hear the phrase "giving back" we think it's an ideal idea.  It's always a wonderful idea to give something to someone when they need it, especially if we are in abundance.  But we often think "I just don't have enough money to spare..." or "I don't know how..." or "how can I be sure my donation will be received by the proper party?"

I've found a site that allows students, educators, scholars and anyone with books to give to those that are lacking literature.  The site is called bookmentors.org It is a national non-profit agency that allows those with books to give to classrooms that are in need.  It's very simple.  You can create an account, search by school or by book and send.  Sometimes teachers request class sets, but sometimes they only request a few books.  The site is easily navigable, and you have the option to request or send less than a class set.  Some teachers are looking for as few as 4 copies of a text.  In order to request books, your school must be listed on the site http://www.greatschools.org/find-schools/ .

I really can't think of a great way to promote literacy especially to students in schools who need more books.

Some ideas I have are suggesting that students in my current classes give up one of their texts to donate to bookmentors.  I even wonder if I could convince my class to send a set.  I know it's hard to give up a book, especially if you are an educator or college student....but I just think this is a unique way to promote literacy because you can share a specific book with a specific class or teacher.

If you have the time, please check out bookmentors today.

Teachers embrace digital learning strategies

As someone who teaches pre-service teachers about the benefits of new literacies and technologies in the classroom, I was quite interested in the following article found here. To summarize PBS Media Learning took a survey which revealed that today's teachers absolutely want more digital learning in the classroom.  I am not surprised by these results, but I did find it problematic that some of the largest findings in this survey had to do with engagement. For example, the first icon on the top left of the article (you know...where your eyes naturally go as you read a page) mentions that "74 percent of teachers say that 'educational technology is a student-motivator.'"  I have no problem with using technology as a motivator, but I don't think that is a strong argument for using technology.

Naturally students in this digital, post-MTV age find digital content enticing.  Look at all the students with ipads, kindles, nooks and i-phones.  Just today I almost hit two young adults texting and crossing the street.  (or perhaps they were facebooking?)  Clearly I love and value technology.  And what's not to say that I've never crossed a street while texting.  But my point is...I think it's a thin argument to use technology as a motivator.

The survey did redeem itself, however. Some of the cognitive value was mentioned.  Awesome.  For example...73% of these teachers said a benefit of technology was that it responds to a variety of learning and 74% of the teachers said that a benefit was that it "reinforced and expanded content."

I am very happy that many studies and surveys today are looking past engagement.  I think that the argument that technology engages is simple. Yes, the engagement is valuable....and engagement is necessary for learning.  But that cannot be the most important factor when it comes to using technology in the classroom.  I just hope more and more educators start to look at cognitive values of technology.  Because it's not enough to get technology in the schools...it's what we do with that technology.

Elements of Standardized Testing

Several times yesterday while tooling around on facebook I came across an article titled A Warning to College Profs From A High School Teacher.  After ruminating for a night and reading the article a second time, I have to say that I feel for Strauss.  I was fortunate to have all the say I wanted in my curriculum development while I taught high school for 9 years.  And as a college professor, I once again have that advantage.

I have to wonder though....if I hadn't made the leap to university...would I still be teaching high school?  I honestly cannot answer that question.  I try to stay in contact with what is happening in school districts.  Though I am a professor in an English Department, I teach several English Methods courses to the Secondary English Ed majors.  I try very hard to avoid being in "the ivory tower" because I witnessed that in my graduate program and swore I would always stay connected to the "real world."  But after reading this article I really started to worry.  How can we keep good teachers in schools of the curriculum is becoming more and more rigid.  I think I might have an answer.  At least I hope I do.

Consider the skills on which students are being assessed.  For example...everyone knows that students have to learn to make inferences.  But does that mean you have to skill and drill it?  No.  One of the best experiences I have had with teaching inference was seating the class in a circle and having them read aloud the play Sorry, Wrong Number, a suspenseful piece in which a woman over-hears a plot to murder her.  The clues were becoming more and more obvious that the woman was going to be murdered that at one point one of my students yelled out "Mr. O....this woman is so stupid!"  I asked why she thought that and the student told me that there were several clues in the story that suggested she was the intended target.  I then looked at the student and told her that she made an inference.

The student learned the concept before knowing what the concept is called.  This is quite similar to an instructional method called concept attainment.  The difference is that in concept attainment the instructor gives positive and negative examples of a concept, and the student, seeing the similarities in positive attributes, is able to identify the concept.  The point of the comparison is that rather than saying to my students..."today we're going to learn about inference" and then giving them a definition and a few unrelated examples...we dug deep into a text...found solid examples that CONNECTED to a text....used/discussed them authentically....then learned the concept.

I think the same could be done with other strategies. Context clues, for example, can be taught while teaching almost any piece of literature.  Have each student pick out a word or words that they aren't 100% familiar with, note the page number and take a guess.  By pairing and sharing they will discuss and hopefully, eventually come up with the correct meaning of the word.

I know that re-developing lessons takes an incredible amount of time....but my point is that if you are a future or practicing teacher, try not to become discouraged with what you HAVE to teach...and try and focus on the WAYS you can teach.

You go English Majors!

So while my doctorate is in English Education, and while half the courses I teach are required courses for secondary English Education majors, the reality is that I am an English Professor in an English Department.  And while I couldn't be happier at the variety of courses I teach, I am often asked by people "What can you do with an English Degree?"  I am constantly stating how English majors are typically well versed in reading and writing, something that ANY career requires.  The path may be less direct than it is for a Business or Technology major, but every job out there, in one way or another, requires reading and writing.  But I always forget, that there's more to it that that, which is why I am so happy to have found this article which essentially suggests that there is a lot of complex cognition going on in the department of English.  In other words, yes, there is a lot of reading and writing, but there is so much more than that, as the authors suggest.  Creativity, does have value.  That's the number one reason why I went into English Education.  If I can't find creative ways to teach and assess...then I'm not happy.  But not everyone that majors in English wants to be an educator.

Give the article a read if you are interested in majoring in English or if you are curious as to why the major has value, or especially if you know someone who is interested in majoring in English.  Like I said earlier...the career path may not be direct....but there are a multitude of positions out there that require complex thinking and analysis, skills that all English majors acquire.

Signs? Sig(h)ns.

If you know me at all, or have followed this blog, you know that I am a proponent of multimodality.  I love teaching about, learning about, using and advocating multiple modes in the classroom.  I also propose that we pay attention to the modes around us outside of the classroom.  I do worry, though, that  the world depends so greatly on signs.  Just like we have multiple interpretations of words, we, too, have multiple interpretations of signs.

Just a few minutes ago, I logged into my blogger account so that I could read some more of my students' blogs.  I have decided to follow all their blogs, so that when I log into dashboard...there they are.  The problem...I can never remember how to log in to my dashboard. I typically have to click two or three places before it shows up.  It wasn't until a few minutes ago, that I clicked on the white B in the orange box.  To me...that logo meant "blogger" and I assumed it was going to take me to the home page.  Makes sense right? But because I was logged in, it took me to my dashboard.  I could swear that when I started this blog almost a year ago, there was an actual link to dashboard.  I mean the word "dashboard" was underlined.  So I am used to clicking on the word.  Not the logo for blogger.

So...why the change? The same thing happened to me a few years back.  I wanted to delete an e-mail from my g-mail account.  Typcially, I would click on the box to the left of the e-mail...go to the top and click on the word "delete."  I swear, it took me longer than it should have to eventually figure out that they replaced this with an icon of a garbage can.  Now, why did I never click on the garbage can?  Because in another e-mail program, the garbage can led you to your deleted e-mails.  So in one e-mail program the garbage can was literally the place where your "deleted" e-mails or "garbage" was found.  And in another e-mail program, you had to click on the garbage can to delete your message.

So here is the issue.  One sign means two different things.  When there are words, it is much simpler.  You know the meaning.  But with symbols, it might take multiple attempts or some practice to understand what they mean.

I truly believe we are becoming more sign-based because we are a global society.  The plus side to using images is that they are (most often) universal.  But the negative side is that even signs can have different meanings depending on one's prior knowledge.

I pose no question.  I just wanted to rant about signs for a moment.  While I do love teaching about understanding signs and other modes, I too, get tripped up from time to time.

Instant Memes

So tonight I was watching the presidential debate, and like many others, I was on facebook at the same time.  Though I heard Romney mention that he had "binders full of women" from which to seek cabinet members...I'll be honest....I didn't think too too much of it. At best, I thought he was kissing ass. About a half an hour later, I noticed that that my newsfeed on facebook was filled with binder comments.  Eventually I was led to this link.  Clearly, I first laughed my ass off.  But what fascinated me was the speed in which these were generated.  In fact, my partner was not watching tonight.  So I paused to tell him what the facebook nation seemed to focus on...this one comment.  (And believe me...if we're going to pick at Mittens...there was plenty to pick on.)  I even joked with him that this was "bindergate."  My partner's response was that there was so much mockery in such a short amount of time.

This got me thinking.  We are used to make comments on facebook within seconds.  But now we are creating memes.  In minutes after a gaffe.  Look at the speed in which we can send information.  It used to be that we could send e-mails to a selected party...but now we can communicate with ANYONE within moments after an event.  Being a multimodal theorist...I worry about this.  We tend to use multiple modes to express our thoughts...but...do we really want/need to have them out there for everyone?  Or are we impulsive?  Have you ever waken up after a drunken facebook night and thought "Jesus....I really didn't want everyone to hear my thoughts?"  I'm just worried, because with social networking....and web 2.0...do we think before we post?

i would be lying if i said i was a model example of posting.  i mean, look at my facebook any friday am and chances are...if i could take back a post i would.  not just because i may have had cocktails...but because when i facebook...which is traditionally at night...it's after a long day of work...and to tell you the truth..i am worked up.

that's what worries me about web 2.0.  It's so easy to post without full thoughts.  Think about it.  I know I will.

I know I don't want to slant my posts...but my God...binders full of women...can't stop laughing!

Calling 3rd, 6th and 10th grade teachers

If you teach 3rd, 6th or 10th grade, would you consider taking a few minutes and take the following survey.  This is for my friends and colleagues at the Institute of Learning at The University of Pittsburgh.  I know they would appreciate it.  Feel free to share the link.  Thanks!

Picture the Story

Anyone who knows me as a person or as an educator knows that I am a visual learner.  One of the things that I like about reading is making a "mental movie" in my head.  I was not taught that skill until later in life (definitely not in high school), thus I was not a fan of reading literature when I was younger.  It wasn't until I was specifically told that making a mental image is a skill that is required for reading.  I mean, yes, I made mental images, but I was always concerned with mine being wrong, or way off the mark or something like that. 

Years ago when I was teaching high school, I asked how many students make mental images when they read, and I was surprised that not many did.  Like me, when I was there age, their eyes were scanning the words, but they weren't processing a whole lot.  So I came up with an activity I like to call Picture the Story, and I'd like to share it here.

Typically Picture the Story takes place when students have finished a book, but it can actually be done at any point in time.  I break the book down into sections; one section for each student.  For example...student one is assigned pages 1-5...student 2 is assigned pages 6-10....and so on.  Then I give each of the students a blank piece of paper and some markers.  (I highly encourage markers in the classroom....no matter what level of education.) I ask the students to review their assigned section, and to draw a visual depicting an event in that section.

This is where the fun part comes in...I then choose a student at random...someone who is assigned the middle of the book. I ask them to come to the front of the room and share their image.  The other classmates try to guess what the image is, what it means and when it took place.  This dialogue is very encouraging.  Once the students have figured out what part of the story is being represented...they tape the picture to the wall.  I then ask another student to come up and we repeat the process.  However, this time the students have to decide if the new event took place before or after the event currently being presented.   Once they have decided, that picture is posted on the wall, either before or after the first picture.  We continue this process until all pictures are posted in chronological order.  Then I ask the students to write a short summary of the event and a rationale on a note card, which explains their thinking and their depiction of the event.  I then have them post these under the picture.

One nice thing about the assignment is that you now have a visual and written timeline of the events of a story in your classroom for all the students to see.  And if you teach the same book in multiple classes, you can compare and contrast depictions.

I also think that this can be useful not only for review, but to discuss symbolism and other literary events.  The students will already be familiar with the plot after conducting this activity, so they will be more apt to discuss other literary elements as well.

Teaching Digital Literacy Skills earlier in education

In his blog, Ray Kelly, the CEO of Certipoint ("the world's leading provider of computer literacy skills training and credentialing program) advocates teaching digital literacy skills in middle school.  I wholeheartedly agree with Kelly, as we are a digital and global society.  As newer and newer technologies shape the way in which we function, I agree that middle school is a good place to start.  However, Kelly lists three major components for teaching these skills:  key applications, computing fundamentals, and practical use of the internet.  While he brings up important points of each, I think his blog is a bit limited.  I'm surprised to see that digital composition isn't one of these skills.  Under key applications, he describes learning about photoshop and MS office...but I feel that these are just the tip of the iceberg.

For example, what about blogging, podcasting and other digital tools that are becoming common?  Should we train students to see what these are and allow them to experiment? Also, with so much social networking (ie. facebook, linkedin, etc.) might it be a great lesson for students to learn what these tools are in context?  Rather than saying "this is facebook" show students how companies use this tool, as so many do.

I also think Kelly needs to mention media literacy education.  Because youth are some of the largest consumers of media, I think it's important to teach them the skills they need to evaluate the ads they are being bombarded with along with the other types of media that are consumed daily.  I suggest Frank Baker's  media literacy clearninghouse as an excellent point of entry because it contains so many links about media literacy...from learning what it is, to learning how to be less passive about media, to educational links.

While Kelly's blog does suggest earlier education regarding digital literacy is important, I feel he could include more than just "computer literacy" which seems to be his main point.

Annotating on the Web

One of things I have always struggled with as a student was reading online.  Yes, I know I teach all about technology and digital tools, but one of the reasons I like to print out EVERYTHING is because I really need to annotate the heck out of something.  I've heard of annotation tools that let you mark up web pages, but on initial investigation I noticed there was a cost of some sort.

But today I discovered free annotation tools that enable one to mark up, circle, annotate, you name it.  I've only tried out two of these five tools so far, but they were indeed free, and pretty easy to use.

I like markup.io because it's so simple to use.  I wouldn't use it for heavy annotations, but maybe to simply circle or box an item, and to put a few comments in.  Think of this as annotating for elementary or middle school.  This is an especially useful tool if you have a computer and a projector but no smartboard. This even lets you save the annotated page as a link.

Another tool that is particularly useful is called bounceapp.com  This is a little easier and more useful for annotation as the text is a bit smaller, so there is more room for commentary on the page.  Think of this as capturing a screen shot.

There are a few other free annotation sites on the link above.   Check them out and feel free to comment.  I especially find these useful as a former student, but they could be very useful in education as the teacher could mark up specific parts of a website and even share these annotated pages as links.

For PA Educators and Pre-Service Teachers

If you are currently teaching ELA in PA, or if you are a pre-sevice teacher with ideas and/or research you may want to consider presenting at the PCTELA conference on Oct. 26th or Oct 27th.  PCTELA, the PA Council of Teachers of English Language Arts is a professional organization promoting and supporting PA ELA teachers and pre-service teachers.  Every October they hold a 2-day conference with outstanding speakers from the field, multiple breakout sessions, a bookstore, and plenty of opportunites to network, share and exchange ideas, and what I think is highly important---rejuvinate! I can't tell you how inspriring I find confereneces. Lots of folks with the same interest, tons of ideas, research and meeting new people are some of the many benefits of attending.

This fall, the conference is being held in Lancaster, PA. If you are interested in presenting, click here to download a conference proposal.  PCTELA accepts proposals from all ELA teachers, no matter what level.  I would certainly suggest both practicing and pre-service teachers submit a proposal.  The conference is a nice size, and intimate, so it's not too overwhelming.  I hope I see you there.

Does technology have to be engaging and entertaining?

So I came across this article which discusses how schools are behind in utilizing the skills todays students have with digital technology.  For the most part, I do agree.  I've always thought that when we meet students half-way, or even part way, we are doing them a great service by a.) acknowledging them (you'd be surprised, many teachers don't come CLOSE to doing this) and b.) we are making what seems practical to them a learning experience.

I really liked this article, because it showed how there can be educational value in texting, tweeting and social networking.  Like the author, I balked when my administration tried to "shut down" the internet or (worse) tell me I only had the intranet to use. (ew!)  Overall, Luscre makes some great points and provides some practical examples of how instructors can teach using these technologies. My big beef with the article, however (besides the over-used OMG! in the title) is that he keeps referring to these as fun and engaging methods for teaching.  While I think many students would be engaged and maybe even have fun, I worry when technology used the hook "fun" to entice students and educators.  As an educator and as an eductor of educators (got that?), I clearly believe that if students are engaged that they will benefit.  But what I cannot tolerate is the label of FUN that is assumed when one uses technology.  (I really don't like absolutes like that, because it also infuriates me when people identify technolgy with the word "trouble.") 

I guess I'm on the soapbox regarding this article because I want individuals to learn that using technolgy is necessary because it's the way of the future.  Sure, it seems silly to ask students to tweet a summary of a short story, but hey, learning to work with parameters and limitations is a real world skill, is it not?

Overall, it's a great article if you are considering how to utilize technology in the classroom.

An awesome organization for all English Language Arts Teachers

So if you are an English Language Arts teacher or pre-service teacher and you have not heard of NCTE, you will most certainly want to check out this organization.  Becoming a member is cheaper if you are a student, so if you are, consider joining.  There is a weekly "in-box" update with links to articles and sources.  There are a plethora of journals to subscribe to, and most importantly there is the national convention every November. I can't tell you how AMAZING this convention is. True, it can be costly...but this November it's in Vegas, so I say....make a trip out of it.

I could say many, many more great things about NCTE, which by the way stands for National Council of Teachers of English (sorry, got ahead of myself and forgot to mention that) but I'd rather you check out the links.

If you are a student of mine, I would certainly consider joining today.

TO

Technology in the English Languge Arts Classroom

So this semester I will be teaching one methods course called Writing for Non-Print Media.  I am very much looking forward to this course for several reasons. First of all, I have a passion for non-traditional assessments.  So much of what we do in schools is print or language-based.  We read, we write, we speak. We regurgitate.

However, we live in a world that extends beyond words.  For instance, my g-mail updated to a new version a few weeks ago and when I wanted to delete an e-mail it took me a bit of time to find out that the word "delete" is no longer an option.  Eventually I found and icon of a garbage can.  Duh!  I'm not saying that I am for or against a semiotic world, but just want to point out that we use symbols, signs and images a lot...and that we need to teach our students how to view, understand, analyze and comprehend these.

So back to my point about assessments....I have always favored assessments that enabled me to do some sort of visualization.  Whether it was a video or a power point, or even a collage...I thrived on these and went WAY above and beyond what I needed to do for the assignment because I could use spatial...my strongest "intelligence."  (See Gardner's Multiple Intelligences if you are interested in leaning about a variety of ways in which we learn.  It's cool.)  

So as an educator, I have always been sensitive to alternative assessments that value multiple intelligences and extend beyond simply writing or responding to a prompt.  Now, that doesn't mean that I don't value writing and LANGUAGE....of course I do.  But I just feel that there are occasions when we as educators can extend BEYOND THE SINGLE MODE OF LANGUAGE to offer more MULTIMODAL opportunities for student learning.

Another reason I look forward to teaching the course is because I learn alongside with the students.  There is a plethora of technology out there.  And rather than using technology for the sake of using technology...I like to give my students opportunities to research and consider these types of technologies and find meaningful ways to use (or not use) them.

For instance....I wanted to use Tumblr a, very, very simple blogging tool for this course.  However, after spending some time on the site, I realized that while it is a very good tool for blogging, it is mostly used for re-posting content.  Yes, you can write posts....but it looks like it's more used with mobile devices and I even saw the word "microblogging" on the Tumblr page.  While that is a nice tool...I need something a little more traditional in the way of blogging for this course.

My point is...the students (and I) can sift through this technology throughout the semester....and discuss both in class and in blogs WHAT is out there...and HOW it MIGHT (or might NOT) be used in the classroom.  Afterall, there is an abundance of information out there....so why not work together to learn about it.  Right?

Getting Started

Hi All.

My name is Tim Oldakowski and I am an English Professor at Slippery Rock University, in the small town of Slippery Rock, PA, located about 45 miles north of Pittsburgh, PA.  I teach both English courses as well as English Education courses.  One of the courses I teach is called Writing for Non-Print Media, and in the course my students will be keeping blogs.  I figured this would be the best time for me to model what I teach by keeping a blog myself.

While I have used, researched and even written about blogs, I have never kept one myself.  I decided that this would be the best time to start one, and like my students the focus is going to be on education.

The students in my course will keep a blog focused on what they are learning during the semester, not only in my course, but in other courses as well.  I'm hoping that they will use the blog as a space to reflect upon what they are learning as pre-service teachers during the spring 2012 semester.  Obviously I hope that the students enjoy blogging and network with others so that they can continue to use the blog even after the course ends in May 2012.

I, and hopefully my students, will keep a casual tone.  This is simply a place to reflect, to share, to connect and to prosper as educators and as future educators.

I'm sure I will be updating quite a bit in the next few weeks as I will want my students to have a model from which to work from.

So, here it is.  The first entry in Oldakowski's Educational Stuff.  I hope you enjoy.

Dr. Timothy Oldakowski
English Department
Slippery Rock University