This has been a terrific week of learning. It started with the video at the end of last week's or Lesson Four's class. There was so much wonderful, interesting and appealing information on a topic I really like, the visual arts. The Chapter 8 on the Pearson site were also fabulous. (I will be ordering Inspiration 9 software from Amazon this week because they have it on sale.) Some of my sophomores are shooting a film during this Spring break so it and it will be fun to talk with them about the iMovie tutorials when they come back to school though I suspect that they will find them too rudimentary.
The closest I come to using the communication tools is text messaging on my mobile phone. Students are told not to use their cell phones in my classes and they comply. My students respect me and know that I being a reasonable person will let students field a call from her/his parents if some family matter requires it. They always let me know ahead and then as I require step out of the classroom for the call. This seldom happens though and it is not a problem. If for some reason my phone rings during class I hold it up in a conspicuous manner and shut it off. Again this may happen only once or twice a term.
You have to understand that everyone here uses their phones no matter where they are. For instance, in our weekly teachers' meetings our principal regularly checks his messages and answers - yes answers - calls.
Short message functionality is something I use all the time to communicate with the 13 other foreign teachers for whom I am MYP/DP Trainer and Supervisor. This is an example of asynchronous communication that I do use and my students use but it never interferes with class work. It is also handy to broadcast assignments and make class announcements. As with my foreign teachers, I have distribution lists for my classes and it is really convenient. This is never abused.
I require that students give me their email addresses and mobile numbers. Students who don't have printers send me their assignments so I can print them and because I like to have a digital copy. I am relentlessly invited to join Facebook and the like and I refuse. They know I don't even open the invitations but immediately delete them. I am kind and warm and caring with my students and have a lot of fun with them, love to kid them BUT it is as a teacher to his students not as their pal. Aside from the fact that my email is completely insecure, there is no email abuse problem here.
I will be using virtual worlds and wikis this term for a couple specific projects which will require. buying a wireless router for my classrooms. This week I will email my students and have them open accounts at Second Life or Freznoo for the former. Once I have a wireless router in the classroom we can do an intranet just for the class so it will be really easy to play with wikis. Also eager to incorporate iPad and Mac into that becasue many of my students are into Apple.
So grateful that God provided this online course. It is already making a huge difference in my work.
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